MM MARCH MADNESS!!
March 6
Twinsie Talk is proud to present the 3rd Annual MM March Madness – a month to focus on the M/M, F/F, M/M/F, M/F/M authors. We love these books and want to share it with the rest of the world. Each day we will post an interview. We will also include any reviews that we have done on these books as well as links to the books.
Our hope is that you will love this genre as much as we do! <3
Today is devoted to Donya Lynne
Donya Lynne is the bestselling author of the award winning All the King’s Men Series and a member of Romance Writers of America. Making her home in a wooded suburb north of Indianapolis with her husband, Donya has lived in Indiana most of her life and knew at a young age that she was destined to be a writer. She started writing poetry in grade school and won her first short story contest in fourth grade. In junior high, she began writing romantic stories for her friends, and by her sophomore year, she’d been dubbed Most Likely to Become a Romance Novelist. In 2012, she made that dream come true by publishing her first two novels and a novella. Her work has earned her two IPPYs (one gold, one silver) and two ELit Awards (one gold, one silver) as well as numerous accolades. When she’s not writing, she can be found cheering on the Indianapolis Colts or doing her cats’ bidding.
Tell us about something about you (not included in your normal author bio) that maybe not everyone knows about you.
Coloring in adult coloring books has become a bit of an obsession for me. I’ve obtained a huge collection of colored pencils, gel pens, and coloring books, and like to use coloring as active meditation. It’s really helped me with coming up with ideas for my stories.
There’s been a trend in writing a series. How do you feel about series? Do you write them? Do you think they are easier or harder?
HARDER! LOL. I write series and standalones, and I can definitely say writing series is harder, especially if you write saga-like series like I’m doing with my All the King’s Men Series. My Strong Karma Trilogy wasn’t as hard but was still challenging. When you write a series, you have to be diligent about keeping a series bible so that all the details are recorded and remembered for future books. I also like to reread all my books occasionally to make sure they stay fresh in my mind. But series writing is so challenging that I need to write the occasional standalone to give my brain a break. But a lot of readers love series. They love getting into the characters and living inside that world for a while, so that’s why writing series is worth the effort.
Where do you do most of your writing?
I do most of my writing in my home office, but I will occasionally write in the easy chair or on the couch for a change of perspective.
What are you currently reading? Any suggestions for your favorite books (beside your own, of course)?
I’m currently reading Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. I like to read books I wouldn’t normally read when I’m trying to freshen up or give new life to my writing. I’ve also started reading Uprooted by Naomi Novik for the same reason, and because I’ve heard so many good things about it The third book I’m reading is November 9 by Colleen Hoover. I just love her writing. She’s such a fabulous author. As for suggestions, I highly recommend the Struck by Lightning Series by Cecelia Tan for anyone who wants an erotic read. I also recently read Pretty Broken Girl and Pretty Filthy Lies by Jeana Mann and LOVED them. She has such a way with words. Such a joy to read. And Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover is one of my favorite books, so I have to give it a nod here. As for m/m books, Hot Head by Damon Suede is a must read, and anything by AJ Rose (I loved Power Exchange and Safeword).
Do you feel that this genre is growing? And what do you contribute to that growth or decline?
I think this genre is growing, albeit slowly. There is a rabid audience for LBGT books but not a lot of authors writing such books when compared to other genres. I think that the proliferation of digital publishing and self publishing is a huge reason for this growth. In the past, publishers seemed to shy away from such books, which is a good thing for self publishers.
What is the most surprising thing you have learned about writing?
That the rules are always changing. And, in fact, that the rules are merely guidelines. But you have to know what the rules are so you know when it’s appropriate to break them, and how to break them.
What are you working on now?
I am working the final edits of my 7th AKM novel, Bound Guardian Angel, which my readers have been begging for since I wrote the first novel, Rise of the Fallen. This is Trace’s story, and Trace is a very special, iconic character. It’s available for preorder on iBooks, and the Amazon preorder will be up sometime in April. iBooks preorder link: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/bound-guardian-angel/id1073719836?mt=11&at=1000l8vX I’m also working on BLACK, book 8 of the AKM Series, which is also available for iBooks preorder; Slave, book 9 of AKM; What Comes Around, the followup to my Strong Karma Trilogy; two standalones; and an erotic trilogy I’m very excited about. So, yes, I have a lot of projects at some point in development.
What is your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?
I’m pretty boring. I simply like to relax on the couch. I could be reading, sleeping, watching Ghost Adventures, or writing, but I’m always on the couch on Saturday night, probably because I’ve worked my butt off all week. But when the weather’s nice, I sometimes like to sit in my office with the window open while I’m coloring and listening to the outside world for a little while.
Tell us about the highest HIGH and lowest LOW in your career so far. How has it changed you?
The highest high came last October when I hit the Smashwords Top 25 bestseller list with two books, based exclusively on iBooks sales. Coming Back To You hit #7 and Full Circle hit #13, and the list was published in Publishers Weekly in December. October was my best month for sales to date. Very exciting. As for my lowest low? I haven’t really had one. I’ve had low sales months, but the ride has still been exciting and the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done. If anything my lowest low came BEFORE I published my first book, and was the reason for me to finally go for it and make writing my profession. I’d been studying writing for ten years with the intent to publish, so when events in my life took a devastating turn for the worse, I decided the time was now. I’ve never regretted that decision and haven’t looked back since.
Enter the giveaway!! You could win a Kindle from the Twinsies or one of the great prizes donated by our featured authors during the MM March Madness Celebration!!
Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win!!
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A big THANK YOU to all of the authors participating in our month long celebration!! We appreciate all that you do!!! MUAH!!
Much Love from the Twinsies!!! Angie, Brenda, Deb, Kelly, Kristi, Jen, Jo, and Melinda!!!
