Welcome to Roxanne's Realm, Lynn.
Hi
Roxanne! Thanks for having me on your blog today.
Let's get started, What inspired you to become an author?
I always knew on some level
that I wanted to write for a living. I’ve loved creating stories since I was a kid. In
second grade we had a fun assignment to share our talent with the rest of the
class. Some kids danced, others sang. I wrote a story and read it to them. So I
guess you could say writing has been in my blood from an early age. My ultimate
goal was to write for television and I did do that for a while as a TV news
writer. From there, I jumped into novel writing.
Do you have a specific writing style?
My agent told me once that I my writing style is cinematic.
I tend to write what I visualize, as though I was watching it play out in front
of me. While in college, I took quite a few classes that specialized in writing
for film and television, considering that’s what I wanted to do. Also in my
career as a news writer I wrote my stories in a very conversational way, seeing
as they were basically mini scripts that somebody read out loud on camera.
Do you title the book first or wait until after it’s
complete?
I used a working title for this series as I was writing it.
The titles didn’t really come to me until I finished the first book. Once I
came up with Catch My Breath and saw the direction the series was going, the
other two titles –Unravel Me and Effortless- fell into place.
What books/authors have influenced your life?
So, so many. I’ve been an avid reader
all my life and every time I pick up a book -whether it be a thriller, horror,
chick lit, suspense, romance- I’m always inspired by the person who wrote the
words. For me, a writer’s job is to transport me and make me feel like I’m
right there with those characters. Stephen King does a great of that. So do JK
Rowling and Sylvia Day.
What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?
I
have a few ideas I’m fleshing out a bit at the moment. Hopefully they’ll come
together soon. *fingers crossed*
Is there anything you find particularly challenging
in your writing?
In all honesty, Catch My Breath was easy for me to write. It
was one of those stories that just flowed out of me. If anything, the hardest
part was typing fast enough so I didn’t lose any of the thoughts filling my
head! Most of the challenges came in the editing process. Anyone who knows me well will
not be surprised by this: I’m a perfectionist. So when I was self-editing Catch
My Breath (and the other two books in the series, Unravel Me and Effortless) I
re-read them constantly looking for holes in the plot or areas where Lia could
be a stronger character or just to make sure their actions were true to who
they are. With Catch My Breath specifically I joined a couple of writing communities (Book
Country and Authonomy) whose main objective is to have writers workshop their
books/stories. It’s extremely helpful to have a complete stranger read your
work and leave constructive comments. The communities are so supportive too, so
it gave me the extra push to submit to publishers.
Do you have to travel much to do research for your
books?
Well,
the Breathless Series is my debut so it just so happens that I used settings
and places that I’ve either lived in or visited to give it a more realistic
feel. The saying “write what you know” rings true for me in many ways. If I can
draw from my own experiences and paint a world for the characters that feels
realistic then I think it’s a great practice to write what I know.
I’d
been to Scotland before writing my series. In fact, it was that trip that
inspired me to use Glasgow as part of the setting. I adored the city and felt
it would be a great place to have Lia and Alastair meet to begin their story.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write what you love. Write what you want to read. Write for
yourself. One of my favorite authors, Sylvia Day, said at last year’s Romance
Writers of America conference that the “only person who can make your book real
is you.” So many writers are trying to break into publishing and it’s not an
easy journey. Just keep on loving what you do.
Do you have a song or playlist (book soundtrack) that
you think represents this book?
I have a huge playlist that I listened to while writing the
whole series. Songs can be very inspirational and help give an extra bit of
emotion, especially when I’m writing a tough scene. The playlist I used for
Catch My Breath is extensive. It wouldn’t fit in this space! To give you an
idea, I listened to quite a bit of U2, Coldplay, James Morrison, Snow Patrol,
Kanye West and The Script to name a few.
If I had to pick one song that I think sums up the relationship between
Lia and Alastair and all the challenges they went through, it would be ‘Taking Chances’ by
Platinum Weird. So many songs could describe their journey but that one always
stuck out in my head.
Catch My Breath
The Breathless Series
Book 1
Lynn Montagano
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: HarperImpulse
Date of Publication: April 17, 2014
ISBN: 978-0007591749
ASIN: B00IR2J2BQ
Number of pages: 275
Book Description:
Lia Meyers' plan for a relaxing Scottish vacation is short-lived when one uncharacteristic moment of clumsiness lands her in the arms of a dangerously attractive Englishman.
The perfect opportunity for a much needed holiday romance? Wrong! Lia’s still reeling from the mother of all bad breakups, and she really doesn't have the patience for Alastair Holden – despite his effortless charm and sexy British accent.
Arrogant and totally inscrutable, he's exactly the sort of guy she wants to avoid but can't: the man behind the mystery proves just too tempting to resist.
Drawn to him, Lia is forced to battle with her own insecurities, and the closer they become, the more she recognizes her own weaknesses as she peels away his layers with every night they spend together. Discovering the past Alastair is so desperate to conceal, Lia must decide if they can heal one another together or if their deepest fears will tear them apart.
Books 2 and 3 Also Available: Unravel Me Effortless
Excerpt:
“You’re quite lovely, Lia. Pity you’re
leaving soon. I’d like to take you—” he paused, tracing his thumb over my lower
lip. I shuddered. “—out. Again.”
“You would?” I asked hoarsely.
Nodding, he stroked the curve of my
cheek. “Are you coming back to Glasgow after the wedding?”
“Yeah…yes. Saturday.”
Backing away from him, I bumped into the
arm of the couch. I almost toppled over it, but managed to steady myself. Being
in his presence made me so damn skittish, it was frustrating.
“I’m supposed to make an appearance at a
cocktail party for my grandfather’s company.”
Oh good, he’s busy.
“You should come. Or we could go out to
dinner.” Like an apparition, he was in front of me, stroking his fingers along
my arm. “What do you say? Fancy spending the night with me?”
The unspoken promise behind that
question nearly shattered me on the spot. This was supposed to be an easy trip
across the pond. Go to the wedding, hang out with the family and go home. Not
fend off an amazingly sexy, impossible-to-resist guy.
“Stop overthinking,” he ordered.
Stormy, dark eyes carved a path through
my skull. I wilted beneath the strength of his stare. A shaky breath escaped my
lips as he traced his finger along my jaw and down my neck. He drew me into his
hypnotic orbit with such ease. I was powerless to resist.
“This is inevitable, Amelia. Don’t deny
it.”
Inevitable? Each stroke of his fingers
left a fiery trail in its wake. The smooth, soft skin of his cheek brushed
against mine.
“Come with me.”
Oh Jesus, those three words. I jolted out
of his seductive haze like I was on fire, trying to avoid his eyes. His
expression was one of pure lust.
“No,” I whispered.
His mouth fell open slightly in
surprise. “No?”
“No,” I repeated, louder. “Do you not
hear that word very often?”
Impassivity dominated his features. He
studied me as though I was the most confusing creature on the planet. We stood
so close to one another I was overcome by his intoxicating scent.
“Why not?”
“Because,” I sighed. “I’m not
interested.”
“In what, Lia? Food or drinks?”
“You know what I mean.”
About the Author:
A fresh, new voice in contemporary romance, Lynn is a former TV news writer who decided to take the plunge and write a novel. She's thrilled that her debut series has been published by Harper Impulse. Catch My Breath, Unravel Me and Effortless were released to rave reviews.
Lynn grew up in a small town in Rhode Island before venturing out into the world. She's lived everywhere from Los Angeles to Boston to Orlando. An avid traveler, Lynn's been as far away as Australia and as close as Canada. Her favorite place to visit is London.
The small town girl is back on the east coast after a brief stint in Northern California. Lynn currently resides in Massachusetts, comfortably close to her beloved football team.
Website: www.lynnmontagano.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LynnMontagano
Instagram: https://instagram.com/lynniemont/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lynn1214/
Google Plus: https://www.google.com/+LynnMontagano
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