Ask the Author: Donya Lynne
Answered Questions (13)
Donya Lynne
I have written one virgin hero in the book "Sway," which I'll be releasing soon. I have also written a couple of virgin heroines in "Little Things" and "Hitting the Spot." I will continue to write virgin heroes and heroines as my characters guide me to. Thanks for the question.
Donya Lynne
I would have to say my favorite fictional couple is one I've written. Micah Black and Samantha Garrett from my All the King's Men Series. I love, love, LOVE writing them. He's a badass vampire with a wicked sense of humor and an I-own-the-world attitude that only Sam can temper. She doesn't take shit from anyone, not even Micah, which is something Micah isn't used to. He's used to everyone getting out of his way when he's in a bad mood and asking "how high?" when he snaps his fingers and commands them to "jump!" But Sam takes none of that. She's not afraid to get in his face, jab him in the sternum, and tell him to get off his high horse (her language can be a lot more colorful than that, though). And Micah adores her for that. They're the perfect couple.
Donya Lynne
Hi, Renee. Sorry for the delay in answering. Goodreads isn't great for notifying me when I have questions, and I rarely visit the site.
I'm thrilled to hear you like the AKM books. :) Regarding BLACK, the book is due out later this summer. The reason for the delay is that I was personally invited last October to participate in the launch of a new Kindle World (Aleatha Romig's Infidelity World), which was an incredible opportunity I would have been foolish to decline. So, I had to modify my production schedule to accommodate the new story, which did end up pushing back the release date for BLACK. Hopefully, you follow me on Facebook, follow my Amazon Author Page, or subscribe to my newsletter. That way you won't miss any updates or the announcement of the release date once I'm ready to unveil that. My plan is to release 3 new AKM books in the next year and a half. A new character named Memnon is chomping at the bit for his story, and Sev & Ari have a followup that's partially written, as well.
Thank you again for being a reader! Stay in touch! <3
Donya
I'm thrilled to hear you like the AKM books. :) Regarding BLACK, the book is due out later this summer. The reason for the delay is that I was personally invited last October to participate in the launch of a new Kindle World (Aleatha Romig's Infidelity World), which was an incredible opportunity I would have been foolish to decline. So, I had to modify my production schedule to accommodate the new story, which did end up pushing back the release date for BLACK. Hopefully, you follow me on Facebook, follow my Amazon Author Page, or subscribe to my newsletter. That way you won't miss any updates or the announcement of the release date once I'm ready to unveil that. My plan is to release 3 new AKM books in the next year and a half. A new character named Memnon is chomping at the bit for his story, and Sev & Ari have a followup that's partially written, as well.
Thank you again for being a reader! Stay in touch! <3
Donya
Donya Lynne
Sorry it took so long for me to answer. I rarely visit Goodreads anymore, so it's best to contact me on Facebook or by email.
In answer to your question, I currently don't have a plan for the next Hope Falls book. I want to write it, but Finding Lacey Moon, as much as I LOVED writing that story, didn't generate a lot of excitement among my readers. They all wanted me to write more of my AKM books and finish the Strong Karma Trilogy (which I did, yay!), so I've been spending time working on those stories right now. I do plan on writing more Hope Falls novels, and when I do, we'll see more of Scott and Lacey. :) I hope that helps.
In answer to your question, I currently don't have a plan for the next Hope Falls book. I want to write it, but Finding Lacey Moon, as much as I LOVED writing that story, didn't generate a lot of excitement among my readers. They all wanted me to write more of my AKM books and finish the Strong Karma Trilogy (which I did, yay!), so I've been spending time working on those stories right now. I do plan on writing more Hope Falls novels, and when I do, we'll see more of Scott and Lacey. :) I hope that helps.
Donya Lynne
Sorry it took so long for me to answer. I rarely visit Goodreads anymore, so it's best to contact me on Facebook or by email. In answer to your question, the third book of the Strong Karma Trilogy was published last September. It's title was Full Circle. I do plan a followup story to the trilogy, as well.
Thank you for contacting me. :)
Thank you for contacting me. :)
Donya Lynne
Sorry it took so long to reply. I rarely visit Goodreads anymore, so it's best to contact me on Facebook or by email. In answer to your question, the third book in the Strong Karma Trilogy, Full Circle, was published last September. I hope you saw that it was out and bought it then. :) If not, you now have a new book you can read.
Thank you for contacting me. Happy reading!
Thank you for contacting me. Happy reading!
Donya Lynne
My apologies for not answering sooner. I rarely ever visit Goodreads anymore, so it's best to contact me on Facebook or by email. In answer to your question, Book 6 of the AKM Series was published on April 21, 2014. It was the prequel (All the King's Men - The Beginning). Book 7, which is Trace's book, is due out on May 2. The preorder is live on Amazon and iBooks. I hope that helps. :)
Donya Lynne
Since I'm working on multiple projects, I'll tell you where I got the idea for Finding Lacey Moon. I was watching the Olympics last year and was totally fascinated with the snowboarding events. Shaun White ended up pulling out of slopestyle, and he was taking a bit of a beating from fellow competitors and the press. I wondered what it was like being him and if the pressure and back-stabbing ever got to him? Suddenly, I had a character spring to life in my mind who wanted to explore this possibility. She became Lacey Moon, an Olympic champion who has grown up in the sport and lost her identity. The story follows her and her love interest, Scott McCord, as she searches for "herself."
I LOVED writing this story. It blew out of me in two weeks, start to finish, and I let it sit all year with the intention of publishing this winter. I ended up rewriting half of it during edits, increasing the conflict, chemistry, and emotional tension, and I couldn't be happier with the end result.
I LOVED writing this story. It blew out of me in two weeks, start to finish, and I let it sit all year with the intention of publishing this winter. I ended up rewriting half of it during edits, increasing the conflict, chemistry, and emotional tension, and I couldn't be happier with the end result.
Donya Lynne
I really don't need to get inspired to write. I just do it. It comes very naturally to me, and I have so many ideas percolating, my writing schedule is booked up through 2017.
With that said, I can suffer burnout when I need to take a break and let my mind recharge. I try to schedule periodic breaks where I don't write anything for a week or two. During that time, I watch a lot of TV (documentaries and investigative shows work the best) and read a bunch of books and magazines. Without fail, this practice always rejuvenates my writing, and I come back in refreshed with a ton of new ideas.
With that said, I can suffer burnout when I need to take a break and let my mind recharge. I try to schedule periodic breaks where I don't write anything for a week or two. During that time, I watch a lot of TV (documentaries and investigative shows work the best) and read a bunch of books and magazines. Without fail, this practice always rejuvenates my writing, and I come back in refreshed with a ton of new ideas.
Donya Lynne
I'm currently working on my next AKM novel, Bound Guardian Angel, as well as the final book in my Strong Karma Trilogy, Full Circle. There will be more books for Strong Karma, but they won't be part of the trilogy. I didn't plan it that way, but the characters had other ideas for me as I drafted Full Circle. So...yes, there will be more Strong Karma book.
I'm also in the final stages of editing the first book (Finding Lacey Moon) in my new, on-the-softer-side romance series, Hope Falls.
I'm also in the final stages of editing the first book (Finding Lacey Moon) in my new, on-the-softer-side romance series, Hope Falls.
Donya Lynne
Learn how to write before you actually write. Writing for fiction is not the same as journaling. It's not the same as "tinkering with an idea." You need to understand passive voice and active voice and when to use both. You need to master active verbs. You need to know the different functions of foreshadowing, subplots, secondary characters, story/character layering, and conflict, as well as how to craft character goals and motivation. And above all, you need to understand how to show and not tell, but also know when telling is okay and highly advised.
Too many writers in today's easy-to-publish world think that all it takes is an idea and to plunk down a few words and you've got a book. There's an art to writing for fiction. I would like to see more writers learn their craft before they publish a book.
Too many writers in today's easy-to-publish world think that all it takes is an idea and to plunk down a few words and you've got a book. There's an art to writing for fiction. I would like to see more writers learn their craft before they publish a book.
Donya Lynne
Doing what I love for a living, plain and simple.
Donya Lynne
I'm one of those author's who doesn't believe in writer's block. If I find myself sitting and staring at a blank screen, which doesn't happen often, I know that means my characters aren't ready to talk or that I've taken them in a direction they didn't want to go.
I was at a recent book convention where Abbi Glines was the keynote speaker. What she said of writer's block is that when you're blocked, it means you've bored yourself to death. And if you've bored yourself, you'll bore your readers. Her advice is to backtrack to a point in the story where you weren't bored and take the plot/characters in a different, more exciting direction. I loved that. :)
I was at a recent book convention where Abbi Glines was the keynote speaker. What she said of writer's block is that when you're blocked, it means you've bored yourself to death. And if you've bored yourself, you'll bore your readers. Her advice is to backtrack to a point in the story where you weren't bored and take the plot/characters in a different, more exciting direction. I loved that. :)
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
Dec 11, 2021 11:33AM