131 Preview Review has a chat with Lyn Sofras our Friend from across the Pond....

The 131 Preview Review is pleased to welcome BACK

Author Lynette Sofras.

Until two years ago, Lynette worked as a teacher, running the English Department of a busy London secondary school. Prior to that she spent several years living and teaching in Greece. She gave up teaching to focus on the writing and has published three contemporary romances. The Apple Tree (December 2011), which won the grand prize in Inspired Romance Novels' writing contest; Wishful Thinking (April 2012), and Shopping for Love (June 2012). In Loving Hate (November 2012) was her first Romantic suspense. Killing Jenna Crane (January 2013) is a slight genre departure for Lynette- a psychological drama/ suspense.

         Lynette lives with her family in an early Victorian cottage in a historic village on the Surrey/London borders. When not writing, she is an avid reader, loves catching up with friends, films and theatre, or trying to tame her garden and the family's rather eccentric cat.

              After working with Lynette Sofras back in February for the first time I am so very pleased to have a chance to chat with her again, this time it is after having read her genera bending Thriller Killing Jenna Crane. Come in an sit as I  chat far more comfortably with my Friend from across the Pond.... 

         Firstly I'd like to welcome you back to the 131 Preview Review. Secondly, sorry for my lateness, my dog decided to go for an unauthorized run!!

Lyn: Thank you. I loved talking to you last time, so it's doubly nice to chat again today. Oh! LOL - it should be me apologising to you. Got back from our house jaunt very late and am now running up and down stairs trying to make sure supper is edible... So you have a dog as well as cats?

        You're quite Welcome! Would you like an hour to settle in? I don't have a problem if you need it. Yes we have a Pit-bull mix. She's 12 years old and very spirited!

Lyn: Does she get on well with the cats?

         Very well, she was a puppy when we first got her and most of the cats we have now were born here so she helped raise them up.

Lyn: Oh how wonderful. I always thought of pit-bulls as quite scary and aggressive.

         That's the Owner. Any dog can be an aggressive scary beast if that's what they think their master wants from them. That Loyal streak knows no bounds.... So did you want that time break so you could actually have your supper at the table instead of in front of the computer?... LOL

Lyn: I suppose that's just the way the media presents them here - no doubt, like children, if brought up well, they turn out beautiful! Oh don't worry about supper - what's a few burnt parsnips?! No, I'm happy to get on with this - I've kept you waiting long enough, you sweet thing

        Okay, and burned parsnips I would think could be very bad... Kind of like over boiling a turnip. LOL

Lyn: (I love to think of dogs and cats growing up as great friends though - very nice) LOL - don't worry about the parsnips - we have other veg too! So, shall we start?

         

         We already have... LOL.

         The last time we met we discussed your work in progress Unworkers, a Women's Literary Fiction/ Ghostly tale. Now we are back to chat about Killing Jenna Crane.

         So this is a Romantic Thriller, correct?

Lyn: My original category was psychological drama or thriller. It's not really a romance, but it does contain romantic elements, so it was rather difficult to choose exactly the right classification for this. You've read it - would you call it a romance? Or would you say it was a psychological thriller?

        I'd say Psychological Thriller/Suspense but I want to be sure I'm clear with how you want to market it.

Lyn: Do you know, Shannon, I think one of the great things about self-publishing is that you can explore new genre boundaries - and in my experience, writers really want to do that. Traditional publishing is all about pigeon-holing stories into narrow categories and I hate that, as I know many writers do.

         I think of KJC as a psychological thriller - I'd love it to reach a wider audience range than just 'romance' or just 'thriller' - do you understand what I mean?

        I know exactly what you mean! I know how hard it can be to pin down a genera, there are very few novels on the market today which adhere to the single elements of any one.

Lyn: I knew you would :)

         It is a wonderful thing that genera mashups have become more widely accepted. With my own work I find that I have to be careful with the "Labels" or else find myself hidden under the slews of other writers with similar elements. So I guess one could say that Indy Publishing can be both beneficial and stifling when it comes to that crucial what do you write question..

Lyn: Indeed - there always seems to be a double-edged sword in publishing, don't you think?

         That I do. While the freedom to write what you want is awesomely cool, you are left to fend for your self in the marketing and distribution part. I have found that many Indy Authors write and write, but forget that they must also be able to sell, and sell.

         How have you handled the marketing aspects and challenges? Any good tips?

(several min. lag)

        Was that a loaded question? Or are the parsnips calling?

Lyn: (sorry - just went down to rescue the cindered parsnips from the oven)

        I wish I could give you some great marketing tips, but the truth is I'm only just about to begin with KJC. The book had a very quiet and modest start on KDP Select because certain domestic issues took over. It was read and approved by Awesome Indies, however and one or two other reviewers who were extremely positive, so I'm hoping that I'll be able to start introducing it to interested readers with confidence from now on.

         LOL... about the parsnips. Blacked may not be bad... AS for KJC, it know it will be well received  With this novel you have changed your perspectives if I am correct, your previous books are mostly from a woman's POV, and this one is from the Male. Did you have any challenges making the jump?

Lyn: Not at all, but it's a very interesting question. In the romance I enjoyed writing the most (Shopping for Love), the hero (Greg) simply took over the story. He wasn't meant to, but he just did and I kinda fell a little bit in love with him for it. I enjoyed exploring his world so much that I knew I wanted to write something else from a male perspective.

            Now when it came to KJC, I also knew I wanted to create an unlikeable hero - LOL - you pinpointed his weaknesses so accurately in your review, Shannon! I didn't necessarily want to make him thoroughly likeable even by the end - but to show that he was learning.

           I am a bit of a feminist and I'm not sure if I should apologise for that - sorry

           Not at all, there's nothing wrong with being a feminist, so long as you realize that we women can be as pigheaded as the men we claim to be shackled by. LOL

Lyn: LOL!

           And Yes, I found Ellis to be generally unlikable from a "not me" perspective, as to say I crawled into Chloe's shoes to view him. If I had been viewing Ellis from my perspective, I'd have been Emily...

Lyn: I thought so! Chloe is all soft and lovely - but Emily is just great. I enjoyed writing her so much.

            It does show... The characters of Emily and Chloe, I loved that they were such Polar opposites, and yet they helped to show the different sides of Ellis As well, each complementing him in one form or another to pull me in. Was there much planning for this? Or was it a natural progression through the writing. In other words.. Planned or off the cuff?

Lyn: Another fascinating question. It wasn't so much planned as it evolved when I juxtaposed Ellis' character against the two different girls. Once I realised their intrinsic qualities (and how different they were) it was very easy to offset Ellis against them and show his different sides. And that must make me sound so cruel! Oh dear.

         Originally I intended Chloe and Emily to be sisters - maybe that will help explain what I mean...

         Not at all, it is very cool that you found a natural and progressive way to blend your characters together that helped to create them in such a realistic way. People in general have a way of mimicking those with whom they spend considerable time, mannerisms of speech, gestures, phrases... And yet many writers forget this fact. But some how it seemed as though you subconsciously were able to twist it in and drive them each uniquely home.

         At first I was half expecting Emily to be one of Chloe's Uncle Charles' nieces, so don't think that didn't occur to me! LOL

Lyn: Thank you, Shannon - that's high praise coming from such an excellent writer as yourself.

        It's those well... maybe.. thoughts that kept me rapt in this tale. You were able to keep me guessing, increasing the "Thrill" the need to know. (And thank you for the compliment as to my writing... I try!)

Lyn: Thank you. As a reader, I love you to pieces! As a writer, I'm in awe and in the process of exploring your works. As a friend - getting to know you through these two interviews, I feel honoured to have met you.

        I thank you whole heartedly. I hope that you enjoy what you explore from me! I have found working with you to be a joy as well.

        With KJC finally heading out with a less than modest push this round, what are your hopes for the push? Any more interviews or Reviews to speak of? A special launch of any kind?

Lyn: Well it's being featured on some new review sites in the coming weeks, as well as on the 2013 Year of the Thriller Blog right now. A print version will be available in the next week or so and I hope to give it a bit more love and attention before my next release.

        Oh and may we remind your readers that I've seduced you over to my blog as my Wednesday's Writer guest on May 1st to 'turn the tables'.

        Yes, LOL, Yes we may! I'm never one to turn down a push!  I am looking forward to this May Day! And that is certainly a nice little push from Joshua Lisec. I will be sure to keep my eyes out for the other bits coming about.

Lyn: Me too. Shannon, it's been wonderful talking to you again.

I'm off down to chuck the parsnips in the bin and see if I can murder the broccoli and cauliflower instead!

Big hugs and uncountable kisses!

       When you have the live links, if you can ship them out to me I'll even add them later! Have fun with Supper!! This has been awfully good fun!

Lyn: Thanks, Shannon-you're wonderful! Let's be sure to stay in touch - please?

Bye for now xxx

         Good Night Lyn.

Well readers of the Wee Hours, until next time, do go and checkout my Review of Killing Jenna Crane Then go and find yourself a copy! I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Happy Reading!

Killing Jenna Crane    


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