Saturday, April 29, 2023

#AtoZChallenge Y is for Allyson Lindt #giveaway



Operation Awesome 2023 #AtoZChallenge theme is interviews of established authors

#AtoZChallenge 2023 letter Y


Established Author Name: Allyson Lindt


1- You are incredibly prolific as an author with five or six new releases per year at least.  How do you do it?

I’ve been trying to think of a good answer to this question since I read it. I feel like a lot of people will be looking for a tip, or a hint, or a “do this, and you can write six or more books a year too.”

I don’t have an answer like that. If you’re familiar with Clifton Strengths, I’m a #1 Adaptability and a #2 Ideation… Basically, any joke you’ve ever heard about getting distracted and chasing idea squirrels? That’s me. I have the ideas. I chase the squirrels. I don’t like to let them go… Until I’ve discovered their story and then it’s time to move on.

(I also figured out what time of day I write best, and I make sure I give myself that time as often as possible. And I have cats, not human children. And I have a work from home day job with a lot of flexibility. And…)

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why? 

I write high heat contemporary and paranormal polyamorous romance (menage/RH). The contemporary romance stories let me tell light, sweet-hot stories, which makes my heart happy. The paranormal romance lets me tell angsty, high action stories, which makes my imagination happy. And they tend to have more than 2 people involved with each other because I love exploring the depth and complexities of more than two people falling in love.

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

I’m moving up on my 10 year publishing anniversary and I was thinking about this very thing. That’s a tough call, because when I’m in a book, it’s almost always my favorite at the time, except when I hit the parts where I swear it’s never been harder to write…

Funnest was probably Roll Against Trust. It was the first threesome I ever wrote. I wanted to write erotic romance and just spill out what was in my head, and I did. No restrictions. No expectations. Just fun. The opening scene, where the three friends are playing D&D that turns sexy, was so much fun to write.

Most challenging… In my book Valkyrie Reborn, there’s a flashback scene where the main character is dealing with depression, and it gets serious (trying to not be triggering, but it does get dark and descriptive). I reached deep emotionally for that scene. I still have readers tell me that one scene gives them chills.

4- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Finish the book. Nothing else happens if you don’t finish the book. 

5- What interests do you have outside of writing?

Reading (duh ;). Discovering feel-good TV shows and binge-watching again and again. Sewing. I used to make cosplays professionally. And my most recent hobby is resin casting.  

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

I love that I get to keep telling stories, and that people are reading them. Relating to them. Opposite side of that coin, it’s impossible to ignore that there’s an expectation from what I write. I still write mostly what I want, but there’s always a whisper of “there are guidelines you know…” Though I don’t hate that so much as it makes me a little sad. 

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

I started off traditionally published, but I moved to self-published pretty quickly, and now I’m completely self-published. I didn’t think I would be one of those authors who needed control over the project from start to finish, but I am. I want to be the one to pick my editor, my cover designer, my artwork, my release schedule, my sales schedule, my writing schedule… I want to be the person in charge of that. 

8- What question are you dying to answer? 
Q: What’s the strangest and/or the most unique job you’ve ever had?
A: I sold vacuum cleaners door to door. I went on one sales call, and sold 1 vacuum, and quit while I was ahead.

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

I want to ask the same question I answered—what’s the most unique and/or strange job you’ve ever had?

10- Which of your books would you suggest readers start with?  Or since I know you always have something new coming out, what should readers look out for?  Or both...

If you’re looking for a  great introduction to my contemporary menage, you should check out Seduction Games. It’s fun, it’s geeky, it’s a quick read, and it’s free on retailers.

As for my paranormal… Some author friends and I got together and each of us wrote a book in my Legacy world. New Valkyries are being created, and each of us wrote a book around these new, fierce warriors. My book, Valkyrie Destined, is the first book in the multi-author series, and it’s a great introduction to my fantasy writing, and the world I’ve created.

Allyson has a copy of Seduction Games to give away (open internationally).  Just answer her question about the most unique job you've ever had to go into the draw.

#AtoZChallenge 2023
Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
#AtoZChallenge 2023
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2 comments:

Miss Andi said...

Nice interview, and I like the additional question. I was just talking about my first job as a student in a wine warehouse. No, I wasn't tempted, I was 14, but I had to sweep the yard too many times and with no end in sight. But it did teach me how great it is to have one's own salary!
“In youth we learn; in age we understand.”
(Didn't realise how this quote for my post will match my answer to your question!)

Jamie said...

Paranormal Poly sounds awesome for a "genre" or subgenre or whatever. Love the WriteTip.
I did secretary jobs and teleresearch jobs, managed a dollar store, and was a forklift operator. Nothing odd. I volunteered at a hospital in many departments. So, here's something at least interesting... because of volunteering in the hospital pharmacy, I knew which meds typically were sent to the cardiac unit. I got sick with tonsillitis that winter. My doc prescribed amoxicillin. I got my prescription from CVS pharmacy (as per our insurance-- did I mention I'm American?). So I go home and open the bottle. Wasn't little brown and yellowish capsules. 🤔 Wait... these are pills that normally go to the cardiac unit! The CVS pharmacist put my grandfather's heart medication in my bottle. And the only reason I'm alive today to share that story is because of the season when I volunteered at the pharmacy department in the hospital. And thus KNEW that this was the wrong drug. 💊