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So this week we have the wonderful Lynne Hinkey in to chat with us. Here’s a little bit about her.
Lynne is a marine scientist by training, a writer by passion, and a curmudgeon by nature. An Olympic-caliber procrastinator, she honed her skill through years of practice and dedication to life on island-time. She uses her experiences living in the Caribbean to infuse her novels with tropical magic, from the siren call of the islands to the terror and hysteria caused by the mysterious chupacabra.
Her short stories and essays have appeared in The Constellation International Literary Review, Skylines, The Petigru Review, Infective Ink, Two Hawks Quarterly, and other print and online publications. Lynne’s debut novel, Marina Melee, was released by Casperian Books in 2011, followed by Ye Gods! A Tale of Dogs and Demons (2014). Look for the sequel, The Un-Familiar: A Tale of Cats and Gods, coming from Casperian Books in July 2016.
When not busy writing or procrastinating, Lynne is an adjunct associate professor of biology. She lives in Charleston, SC with her husband, cat, and two dogs.
So let’s begin.
1. Let’s start with something fun. What’s your favorite hobby?
I wish I had more free time since I really prefer hobbies to work. I golf, but not nearly as much as I’d like–although I plan to do a lot more this summer as research for my WIP–and I swim a few days each week. My favorite hobby of all, though, is dog agility. I love to spend time with my dogs, Muggle and Lupin. I’m not a rigorous trainer or particularly accomplished competitor in the sport. I’m in it to play with my dogs and give them something interesting to do and we really do have loads of fun.
2. If you had the opportunity—who would you like to spend an afternoon with and why?
Wow. That’s a long list. As a writer, I think it would have been Terry Pratchett. I feel like we’re kindred spirits and I admire his work, his philosophy of life, and how he approached his illness. As a scientist, it would be Neil deGrasse Tyson or Edward O Wilson, again, because I admire their work and approaches to life and to overcoming obstacles.
3. Coffee, tea, soda or something else?
That would depend on the time of day. Before 10 a.m., coffee, please, and after 5 p.m., wine, thank you. In between, water.
4. What are you working on right now?
I’m getting ready for the release of my third novel, The Un-Familiar: A Tale of Cats and Gods (the sequel to Ye Gods! A Tale of Dogs and Demons; both published by Casperian Books) on July 1, 2016. The story continues the search for the chupacabra, who–once again–is hiding in plain sight. I’ve got the start of an outline for the final book in the trilogy, Ye Goddess! A Tale of Girls and Gods, but have put that on the back burner.
In the meantime, I’m working on a golf-buddies novel called A Rattling of Bones. It’s based on Golf Goes On (published by Infective Ink, July 2015), the story of four long-time golf buddies. When one of them dies, the others are desperate to reconstitute their foursome so use a Bible verse (Ezekiel 37) to bring Marty back from the dead. When their attempt succeeds, they have to deal with the consequences and mayhem that ensue. I hope to complete the first draft of the manuscript in the next few months, then go through the long process of editing and revising before querying, and eventually publishing, so don’t expect it will be out before 2018.
5. How would you describe your writing style?
I love books that use humor to explore human nature, point out our foibles, and use language in beautiful, unexpected, and quirky ways. I aspire to my own, unique style, and hope that it’s some mash-up of the styles of my favorite authors: Christopher Moore, Tom Robbins, and Terry Pratchett. Like all three of those authors, I tend to tell a story from multiple points of view. I love reading and writing stories that are revealed from multiple perspectives because that’s how the real world works. We’re all in the story together, and no one person has all the information. We don’t get anywhere until we all come together with our piece of the puzzle. Curiosity about how and when that will happen keeps me turning the pages in the books of my favorite authors and I hope it keeps the reader turning the pages in my stories, too.
6. Do you have any advice for a person just beginning their writing career?
The two best pieces of advice I got at the very start of my writing career were:
- Write. Read. Write more. Read more.
- When you’ve finished your first manuscript–novel, short story, essay, whatever it is–stuff it in a drawer and forget about it for a month. Then come back and look at it with fresh eyes, as a reader, not a writer. Then rewrite it, only better.
7. Do you immerse yourself in new situations for writing ideas or do your ideas come to you through your normal, day-to-day life?
A bit of both. The ideas come from my day-to-day life and situations, but then I might delve into different and new areas that I need to learn about or experience to write about them.
8. Where can we find you on the interwebs?
Thank you so much, I’ve enjoyed chatting with you!
~Lynne
And I’ve enjoyed having you on the blog.
Readers, check out Lynne’s books, they’re sure to be fun!