AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Lindzee Armstrong

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I have literally been writing for as long as I can remember! My mom says as a baby, I ignored all the toys in the room in favor of the books. In kindergarten, I started telling people I’d be a writer when I grew up. Now I’m happily married and raising twin boys while writing to my heart’s content! 

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

My writing time is heavily dependent upon the needs of my family. This year, my boys started kindergarten, and I finally have a good chunk of time to write! When they’re at school, I’m at work. I’m very strict about that time and don’t let anything interfere.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I have a home office and a laptop. I like being able to write in different locations if I get bored. But mostly I stick to my office. I almost always have Pandora playing in the background as I type away!

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

It changes a lot depending on the book. As a general rule, my least favorite part of writing is the first round of content edits—those are always so overwhelming! My favorite part of writing is probably either creating the outline or writing the rough draft. I love seeing my vision coming together.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

I currently have ten books published. How long it takes to write depends so much on the story. I’ve had books that have taken me months to write, and books that I’ve written in mere days. I come up with my ideas from literally anything. I brainstorm a lot with friends. I get ideas from TV shows, people I see in the grocery store, something I hear on the radio. Anywhere.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

My favorite way to “market” is my newsletter, because I get to interact with readers and tell them behind-the-scenes info about my books. It’s so much fun to email back and forth with them!

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

Right now I’m working on Match Me If You Can, a new book in my No Match for Love series. I just released a new women’s fiction novel, Chasing Someday.

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Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

There’s a fun YA fantasy novel I’ve been dabbling with for over a year. Maybe one day I’ll get back to it.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration! If you want to be a writer, be a writer. Craft can be learned.

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How long does it take you to take a book from first draft to published?

Great question. Along with you, it depends on the book. I have just started a new YA mysery series, taking a secondary character from the Susan Cramer mysteries, Brianne, who is 18 and has discovered she has a gift for sleuthing like her mother, Susan. The first book in the series: Tie Died, took me three months to write, and will be out very soon - within the next couple of months. The second book in the series, Buckled Inn, will be out this year as well - perhaps in the fall.

I'd originally slotted Tie Died for the fall, but the book is already to beta readers. I finished it much quicker than I'd planned.

As a general rule, it takes me six months to a year to get a book out, but I'm finding that the more I write daily, the earlier the book manages to make its way through to publication. 

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My website is http://lindzeearmstrong.com. My newsletter is smarturl.it/ClubVIP. People get a free ebook when they join!