Rebekah Lyn is from Florida and writes in the Christian Fiction genre. Her current works include Summer Storms & Julianne, the latter being the more recent release.
Julianne is the first in the Coastal Chronicles Series and is a story about a young woman’s struggle to figure out what she wants to do with her life. The main character, Julianne Finnegan, is like a lot of young people in their twenties trying to find their way in the world, but she has the added pressure of a successful older sibling. After a chance encounter with a young actor named Oliver, Julianne finds there is more to life than living up to her family name.
Lyn decides what to write in this way. "So far the stories I have written have found me. It is important to me that the stories I tell are honest. I think Christian Fiction has a certain expectation, that the stories are 'happily ever afters.' I want my books to help people understand just because a person is a follower of Jesus doesn’t mean they don’t have struggles, nor does it mean they look down on those who aren’t followers. We face hard times in our lives, but we find strength in our faith to get us through. I want to provide encouragement to believers and an invitation to non-believers."
Lyn's environment and observation of life are her inspirations for writing. "I have gotten in the habit of writing down funny stories I hear or taking pictures of beautiful things I see. When I was writing Summer Storms, my screensaver was made up of photos taken around downtown Orlando along with pictures of people with the physical characteristics of my characters. Every time I saw those pictures, I felt like I was submerged into their world. I also have to admit, I write best when I am sitting on the verandah of a cruise ship with a thermos of coffee and a plate of cookies."
Lyn's covers have a professional finish and are credited to two designers. "My dear friend, Mike Thomas, took the photo for Summer Storms; he is a jack of all trades and helped me with the trailers for Summer Storms & Julianne as well. Laura Wright LaRoche* with LLPix Photography designed the cover for Julianne.
Lyn has an interesting challenge in writing. "Writing the endings is ridiculously hard for me. Every draft has a different ending. I also wish I had more time for writing. I admire all of the moms out there who are writing, working a day job, and raising a family."
Lyn also has several authors to whom she extends her admiration."First, Terri Blackstock because she writes Christian fiction that is real and gritty. She is what I aspire to be. I am also a big fan of historical fiction and I believe Morgan Llewyelan and Eugenia Price are two of the best writers in this genre. I have been toying with the idea of writing a historical novel myself. I have met some wonderful indie authors on Twitter. While I have only read two of them so far, I am impressed with their work. Teodor Flonta, and his book A Luminous Future, would have to be my favorite. I couldn’t put the book down, and getting to know him on Twitter has been a real joy. I am currently reading a totally different genre in Charles Dougherty’s Deception in Savannah and truly enjoying it as well.
Established authors such as the aforementioned Terri Blackstock have influenced Lyn's work. "When I first read her Cape Refuge Series and saw her being successful with suspense & mystery in the Christian market I was instantly hooked. I listen to a lot of books on my commute to work, mostly thrillers by Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, David Baldacci, and Joel Rosenberg. The more I write, the more I am seeing their influence as well."
An interesting fact about Rebekah Lyn is that "I love baking, and would one day like to open my own tea house in the mountains of North Carolina. To promote my books I have had several friends host Afternoon Tea with the Author parties. These have given me the chance to pair two of my favorite pastimes together and meet some truly wonderful people. Hopefully I will have the chance to have a book signing at the new tea house that recently opened in my home town." In addition to the Afternoon Teas, "Twitter campaigns have been fairly effective, but I am still trying to find the best method for me. I am so grateful to everyone who has helped me to promote my books via Twitter. The indie crowd is full of such lovely, generous people."
Links to Rebekah Lyn's work: http://rebekahlynskitchen.wordpress.com
Review of Julianne on BZHercules.com
Review of Summer Storms on BZHercules.com
Buy Summer Storms on BZHercules.com
*(Note from BZHercules: Laura is completely awesome!)
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