I’m pleased to introduce Veronica
Lynch who also writes as Kat Henry Doran.
Thanks for being here today,
Veronica. Please tell us about yourself.
I started writing in the late 60’s
as a nursing student and haven’t stopped. I began to seriously pursue
publication in romantic fiction in the late 80’s and after much trial and
error, research and practice I was published in 2004 under the name Kat Henry
Doran. In 2011, writing as Veronica Lynch, I branched out into shorter length
romance and have had five novellas published in the last 18 months under both
names. With this length I believe I’ve found my niche.
Where do you get your
information or ideas for your books?
Often my ideas come from real life,
perhaps an article from the newspaper or on-line. I also ‘borrow’ from events
which occurred in my past professional lives as a register nurse, victim
advocate and insurance investigator. I am a firm believer in writing what you
know and believe life is always stranger than fiction. Shamelessly, I’m not
afraid to use my experience as a mother and grandmother.
What do you like to do when
you’re not writing?
I design and make tote bags of all styles, sizes and
functions. This includes diaper bags, baby blankets and other infant care items
like boppy covers and slings. FMI: http://www.KatsKarryAlls.blogspot.com
Those totes are really pretty
and useful. Your creativity is amazing. How many books have you
written?
I’ve written a ton of novels [all horrible], but in terms of those
which were published, I’ve written two full length novels, both romantic
suspense and five novellas all straight romance.
Which is your favorite?
I
love them all, don’t get me wrong, but my fave is the book of my heart, “Try
Just Once More”. That baby took 20 years to write [and re-write] till it became
something I’m extremely proud of. It’s a full length contemporary romantic
suspense set in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. The
heroine is me, sort of. The hero is a compilation of every good cop I had the
privilege to know.
What do you think makes a good
story?
Realistic [meaning they have a few warts] characters with great
conflict, goals and motivation; an interesting setting; compelling external
conflict; snappy laugh-a-minute dialogue. I also believe accurate
research is vital. I recently tossed a NYT’s best seller against the wall
because of blatant medical inaccuracies. The kicker came when I checked out the
author’s website and learned he’s married to a physician. I will NEVER read
another book by this author again. EVER.
What is the best part of
writing for you?
Developing characters.
What do you enjoy most about
writing?
Plotting.
What do you enjoy most about
life?
The joy brought by my grandchildren. Being a sober, responsible
woman. Major league baseball. The characters of TV’s “Justified”.
Where do you start when
writing?
Finding the kernel of the story, the ‘what if’ question, then
developing the characters right down to their favorite foods and color of
underwear.
What are some jobs you’ve done
that would end up in a book?
Nursing supervisor [Try Just Once More]; trauma nurse [Captain Marvelous]; victim advocate [Raising Kane from the Out of the Dark anthology and Those Who Wait]; conquering morbid
obesity [The List].
If I was a first time reader
of your books, which one would you recommend I start with and why?
Try Just Once More because it’s fun,
funny and celebrates women who refuse to give up even when crushed by those in
a power positions.
What do you hope readers take
with them after reading your work?
As taste for social injustice and why we
should fight it every day of our lives.
What two authors would we find
you reading when taking a break from your own writing?
Sorry, I couldn’t
stop at two. I really like Elmore Leonard who writes the stories behind TV’s “Justified”;
Linda Castillo whose latest is the fourth in a series in Amish country in Ohio;
Daniel Silva whose latest is “Fallen Angel” because Gabriel Allon is one of the
tortured heroes I adore; and of course Nora Roberts who, IMO, hit one out of
the park with The Witness. Simply brilliant.
Excerpt from Try Just Once More by Kat Henry Doran:
The woman showed more brass than
the Marine Corps Band. “Look, Miz McGuire, could we start over?”
She glared down her nose at him,
like she’d just stepped in something foul. “You’re too late, Chief. Much too
late.”
With that, she stalked toward the
exit door, leaving an open-mouth Mike wondering where he’d lost control of the
situation. Staff at the desk immediately sought avenues of escape. As two
nurses slipped past him, one said, “It’s always a treat to watch the Reigning
Queen of Man-Haters kick some guy to the curb.”
“That Maggie,” the other sighed. “She’s
my hero.”
Taking a slow count of three,
Mike bolted for the door, and found the Queen in the parking lot. Posture
military stiff, she strutted toward a red Saturn, hair flowing around her
shoulders in a halo of copper. Despite his mounting agitation, he couldn’t help
but admire her guts. And her fanny.
“Maggie. Please. Let me
apologize.”
Still moving, she called over one
shoulder, “As I indicated before, you’re too late.”
Bitterness, an emotion tied too
closely to his failed marriage, scalded the back of his throat. “You know
something, lady? A couple hours ago, I couldn’t decide if your beef is just
with cops, or men in general. Clearly that’s not the case.”
She came to a stop, drew back her
shoulders, then turned. “Who awarded you the right to pass judgment on me?”
The verbal exchange gave him the
time needed to reach her side. To get in her face. “Don’t try to convince me
that all men rank as a lower life form with you. Not after I saw you hanging
all over Investigator Jackson.”
She reached down to jab the key
into the door lock. “Obviously, my convincing skills need a bit of polishing.”
Great excerpt. Where can readers
find your books?
Go to www.thewildrosepress.com, type Kat
Henry Doran or Veronica Lynch into the box marked Author or Title. The website
will take it from there.
Where can readers find you?
My website is www.KatHenry.com. My blog is: www.wildwomenauthorsX2.blogspot.com.
Thanks for having me, Diane. I
enjoyed answering the questions because they brought up things I don’t often
obsess about!
It’s been my pleasure having you,
Veronica.
