This week our Feature on Author is on: Janice Lynn. She has a new book out this month, Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope.
Janice Lynn is a USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. Janice writes sweet romances for Hallmark Publishing and writes contemporary Medical Romances for Harlequin. Her books have won numerous awards, including the National Readers' Choice Award, the Golden Quill for Best Short contemporary Romance and for Best First Book, Romantic Times Magazine's American Title, and the Holt Medallion Award of Merit. Janice lives in Tennessee with her Prince Charming, their seven kids, her vivid imagination, and an adorable Maltese named Halo who's the true princess of the house. In addition to writing romance, Janice is a nurse practitioner, a quilter, an exercise queen, a military mama and a member of and an avid supporter of the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Just kidding on the exercise queen.
For more information, please visit www.janicelynn.com. You can also connect with the author on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/janicemarielynn
or https://www.instagram.com/janice.lynn.author/.
Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
I believe that feeling emotions strongly helps me to be a better writer. I’m certainly one of those persons who cries with someone, laughs with someone, aches with someone, etc. I think that trait makes me a better nurse, and hopefully, a better writer, as well. However, I imagine there are some authors out there who are talented enough in their craft to be good writers without feeling emotion strongly. I’m just not one of them. In my world, all of life is an emotional experience and I feel. And feel. And feel. As in, everything those I’m with are feeling. I don’t seem to be able to separate myself enough not to. There are times that feeling emotions so strongly leaves me gutted and raw, but having all those emotions swirling inside does make pouring my heart into a story flow much easier.
What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
This is a tough question, but my answer would be when I read Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. It’s the first story I remember reading that caused me to bawl my eyes out. Old Yeller by Fred Gipson was read around the same time and caused a similar leaky-eyes reaction. Language has the power to make people feel emotions, whether good or bad, happy or sad, angry or at peace. When I choose to read a book, I’m certainly giving that author power over my emotions for the course of the story.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I went back and forth on this answer between a Butterfly and an Eagle. I can make a strong argument for why I’d choose either of them. Due to my awesome Butterflies in Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope, I’m going to go with a butterfly. My reasons beyond my books? Because they put their ground work in, aren’t afraid to change, and eventually spread their wings and fly.
Tell us about your book…
I’ve been so blessed to get to write three stories for Hallmark. Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope is the latest in my ‘Wrapped Up’ series. Each book is stand alone so that it doesn’t matter if readers haven’t read the first two books, but each is also a revisit to Pine Hill, Kentucky and the folks who live there. In Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope, my hero is a dare-devil firefighter who aspires to become a smokejumper. My heroine is a widowed single mother who likes playing it safe. They’re thrown together helping with a Quilts of Valor Sew-in and with the town’s Christmas festivities. My Butterflies are there, a group of big-hearted, but meddling older women. I laughed out loud several times while writing their scenes and I gave one Butterfly a happy-ever-after of her own in this story. I hope you enjoy Andrew and Morgan’s story and another visit to Pine Hill. Happy Reading!
Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope is available at the following places:
AMAZON: https://amzn.to/3j7r67C
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wrapped-up-in-christmas-hope-janice-lynn/1138726067
TARGET: https://www.target.com/p/wrapped-up-in-christmas-hope-by-janice-lynn-paperback/-/A-83967232
APPLE: https://books.apple.com/us/book/wrapped-up-in-christmas-hope/id1551652022
KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wrapped-up-in-christmas-hope
SIMON&SCHUSTER: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Wrapped-Up-in-Christmas-Hope/Janice-Lynn/Wrapped-Up-in-Christmas/9781952210419
Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope
Is she willing to risk her heart on him?
Morgan’s late husband was a daredevil…and now she’s a widowed single mom. All she wants now is to set up a stable life for herself and her son in the small town of Pine Hill, Kentucky.
Andrew’s a firefighter who thrives on the rush of saving others. His secret dream is to become a smokejumper and fight raging wildfires across the country. But it’ll mean leaving his hometown and the people who rely on him.
Morgan and Andrew are drawn together as they both volunteer to make quilts for veterans at the local quilt shop. Morgan’s son looks up to Andrew, and Morgan can’t help but notice how good Andrew is with him. Meanwhile, Andrew’s torn between his ambition and his growing attraction to Morgan. They both have choices to make about their future…and about each other.
I like the description of butterflies. Perfect mascot.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Liz. I do love the Butterflies in the Wrapped Up books! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new book!
ReplyDeleteThe Butterflies sound fun. I need to look for this book.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and the book sounds good.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of this book.
ReplyDeleteSo good.
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