Dana R. Lynn – A Day in the Life – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Romantic Suspense author, Dana R. Lynn shares a glimpse into balancing a full-time job and find time to write. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing for a copy of her latest title, Guarding the Amish Midwife. Deadline: June 15th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Dana:

A Life in the Day of a Romantic Suspense Author

Hi friends! Dana R. Lynn here, and I am so happy to be here with you today! Thank you Shannon for this opportunity. When I first started to try and think of a post for today, I struggled a bit. Nothing felt like the message I was supposed to write about. A conversation with my two best friends changed that.

While we were casually chatting about the books I had released and the ones that were coming out during the next few months, both of these ladies asked me, “How do you find time to write and work a full time job?”

Now, I have been asked this question several times in the past. I always got a little flustered because I didn’t really have a formal plan. And I have never written a book when I wasn’t working full-time. Usually, my answer would be that I wrote when I had spare time. But I suddenly realized that I did, in fact, have a plan. It didn’t correspond to a daily time, but it was still a plan. So, I decided that today I would write about my writing plan.

One thing I have discovered about myself is that I am not one who can sit and write for an hour every day and effectively increase my word count. For me, I need to have a larger block of time so that I can become involved with the story and be able to see where the threads are going. I also need to talk out my characters and upcoming scenes. As I talk out my characters, and frequently talk to them, I am able to see them better and what their goals and conflicts are.

I am an itinerant teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing. This means that during the school year, I drive to various schools in several different school districts to work with teachers, administrators and students. I love my job, and I find working with these kiddos and the Deaf community to be very fulfilling. However, depending on where I start my day, I drive anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to my first school.  I don’t mind, though. This time is the perfect opportunity for me to pray. It is also a great time to talk out scenes and character development. And due to modern hands-free technology, the other drivers on the road probably assume that I am talking on the phone. If they only knew that I really was talking to invisible people…

From there, my day gets pretty busy, but I know that I have made some good progress in my story. Most of the physical writing happens in the evening, when I can block out a couple of hours to write. Not every day, but 4 or 5 days a week. Sometimes on weekends, I am able to go to the library or the nearby Barnes and Noble and write for the majority of the day. I can usually get five to seven thousand words down on these days. I have managed once or twice to do as many as ten.  And of course, if I have to wait for my kids at a practice for a couple of hours, my laptop is with me.

Right now, I am starting summer vacation. My summer schedule is a little different. I write for two hours every morning Monday through Friday. Sometimes, I even manage longer sprints. I am usually able to complete an entire book during my time away from school.

I have a new book out now. Guarding the Amish Midwife is my ninth book with Love Inspired Suspense. I loved writing this book so much. Isaac and Lizzy touched my heart in so many ways. I will be giving away a copy of it. All you have to do to be entered is answer the question at the end of this post.

About Dana: Dana R. Lynn believes the power of God can transcend any circumstance.  She is a bestselling, award winning author of fifteen books and views her writing as a ministry to show His love can bring healing and peace. She writes romantic suspense for Harlequin’s Love Inspired Suspense line. She has been on Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller lists three times, and her 2017 title Plain Target won both the first place for her category and the overall Grand Prize winner in the New England Reader’s Choice Awards. She is a 2019 Selah Awards finalist. Dana is a member of RWA (Romance Writers of America), ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Literary Agency.

In 1996, Dana met her husband at a wedding and told her parents she’d met the man she was going to marry. Nineteen months later, they were married. Today, they live in rural northwestern Pennsylvania with enough animals to start a petting zoo. In addition to writing, she works as a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing and is involved in several ministries in her church.

About the book – Guarding the Amish Midwife: 

An Amish witness to murder

Another riveting Amish Country Justice book

On the way to deliver a baby, Amish midwife Lizzy Miller witnesses her driver’s murder—and now someone plans to silence her. Lizzy knows better than to trust strangers, but she must depend on former Amish turned Englisch police officer Isaac Yoder. And there’s nowhere safe to hide…unless Isaac reconnects with the Amish community he left behind to protect the woman he’s falling for.

Question for Readers: In Guarding the Amish Midwife, the themes of reconciliation and healing are prevalent. What are some of the themes and storylines that you enjoy reading most?