Scribbler's Sojourn: #MeetTheAuthor : Lynda R. Young

Welcome to a week-long Meet The Author fest! We're focusing on the six lovely ladies of the Make Believe Anthology from J. Taylor Publishing that released December 3rd!

Today we're meeting with a lovely lady from down under.

Lynda R. Young

Writer & Dreamer

Tell us why we should read your story.

Birthright has all the edible story bites of mystery, danger, and romance. It's about Christa who has denied her birthright, and therefore denied who she really is. When she comes to a small town in Florida she's too busy running from everything, even her grief, to realize she should be running for her life.

What is the first thing you thought of upon seeing the picture prompt for the Make Believe Anthology?

I love the image. I love that cold desolate feeling it portrays and the powerful contrast of the woman in red in the foreground. However, I'm an Aussie who has only seen real snow twice in my life, so my first thought was, 'How am I supposed to write a story with snow in it?' I ended up cheating a little, which you'll see when you read the story. I don't want to give too much away.

Which came first: The story or the character?

Definitely the character came first. I wrote up a whole profile for her and slowly the story developed around her.

How did you choose your setting?

My story is set in a fictitious town in Florida. I wanted to choose a place with a strong contrast to a snowy setting. I visited Florida once. It was in the middle of summer so the things that most stuck in my mind about the place was the humidity, the powerful heat, and key lime icecream. Yum. I love Florida.

Is there a moral behind your story?

While most fairy tales have a moral to their stories, my one doesn't. It's simply meant to be enjoyed.

What was your favorite food when you were a child?

Chocolate. It still is. The darker the better.

What is your least favorite form of exercise?

Star jumps. It's hard on the knees … and everything else.

If you could choose to stay a certain age forever, what age would it be?

Somewhere in my late twenties. Old enough not to be ruled by my emotions, young enough and spritely enough to do anything I want … like star jumps ;)

If you won the lottery, what is the first thing you would do?

Open a bottle of champagne. After that, I'd likely give a sizeable chunk to my parents since they supported me and my crazy writing dreams for so long. Then I'd book a trip to somewhere awesome overseas. Maybe I might buy a chocolate factory…

What did you do growing up that got you into trouble?

I was a good girl! I never got into trouble! Okay, lying was one of the things that got me into trouble since I was never any good at it ;)

What is something you learned in school that you think is useless to you today?

Algebra

What is your favorite holiday and how do you celebrate it?

See, in Oz, holiday means vacation. My favourite holiday is cruising and I celebrate it by drinking cocktails! But I'll admit that I love Christmas—the family dinners, the Christmas lights, the celebrations. Love it.

If you had to spend a day not using any technology, what would you do?

After I finished running around in a panic, I'd pull out the old books I have on my shelves and read.