About Lyn

I'm a woman (duh). I'm a lesbian (also duh), and I'm single. (Sigh) I love animals, and currently, there are six of the feline beasts slinking about my house. I am also an independent writer of contemporary lesbian romance. Can't forget that.

(Now for the boring stuff)

For as long as I can remember, I've written in my head. Now, my gray matter is a dark and scary place, but wearing a headlamp and being very, very quiet, I conjured up all kinds of stories over the years that no one ever knew about except me. Can you say lack of confidence? Yeah, that's putting it mildly.

A few years after moving to Florida in 2004, I became hooked on a television show, and one night, whilst scouring the internet for information about said show (because that's what fans do), I discovered fan fiction. Wow, talk about hitting a jackpot! Hundreds of stories about my favorite show, and trust me, I read most of them. Some were unbelievably good and others, not so much, but they all had one thing in common. They were written by people just like me. Normal, everyday people who just wanted to write about what they loved, except they had the courage to do so. Me? I didn't even dare post a comment on the site, let alone write a story.

Yep, that's right. Back then, I was so terrified of even posting a comment that I almost got kicked off one of the major fan fiction sites simply because they had one strict rule: “Post a comment after you read.” I paid absolutely no attention to that little rule, believing they'd never know, but I was busted fairly quickly. Yep, they were circling me like buzzards over a fresh kill, so I had to put on my big girl panties and do the deed. “Thank you for posting.” (Wine followed…trust me.)

So, now I was free to read and read I did, and while I was reading, a story formed in my head. Once it showed up, it refused to leave, so one Saturday morning I opened my laptop and began writing it down. I had no idea what I was doing, but those other fanfic authors had somehow given me the courage to at least try, so that's what I did.

The story grew longer and longer, sort of like most of my books and this post, so eventually I advertised on the site for a beta reader. You may not think this bit is important, but it is. You see, if that lady from England, who used the nickname of Red Card on the site, hadn't responded, you wouldn't be reading any of this right now because Lyn Gardner wouldn't exist, nor would her books.

Red Card not only became my beta reader but also my friend. When some behind-the-scenes backstabbing occurred on that fan fiction site, churned up by nothing more than some being jealous of the feedback my story was getting, Red Card stopped me from giving up. Yep, I was that close to chucking it all away, but she told me to put my head down and write. My story was good, and that's all that mattered. So, you see, if it weren't for Red Card, I wouldn't be here today. I will be forever in your debt, Nikki. Please know that…because I do.

As I said, when I started that piece of fan fiction, I really had no idea what I was doing, and when I look back at that story, I cringe at all the mistakes and repetition. There were buckets of them, but even with the errors, that story was a good one. I garnered quite a bit of attention, and since the readers were heaping on the praise, I kept writing. I spent the next couple of years enjoying writing stories about my two favorite characters in that TV show. Along the way, I made some really good friends and began receiving feedback from readers who insisted I try to get published. My first thought? “I wonder what they’re smoking.”

Whatever it was, it seemed to be in plentiful supply, and more and more suggested the same, so at the end of 2011, I wrote my last fan fiction and turned my second into a novel called Ice.

I had no expectations to ever have my book published or even purchased. I don't do drugs, and I consider myself grounded and sober. Okay, so most of the time I'm grounded and sober. Still, I knew that if I didn't at least try to get published, I'd regret it and spend years mumbling inarticulately to myself about said regret.

It took me over six months to convert Ice into something more than just a novice's attempt at writing, and then, holding my breath and gulping some wine (not at the same time – that would be messy), I submitted it to one of the top publishers of LGBTQ fiction. Much to my surprise, they wanted my book! Can you say OMG? Yeah, well, add a few expletives, and I'm right with you.

Yet, there was a problem. After chatting with the publisher several times, I wasn't getting a warm-and-fuzzy feeling, and when you live in Florida, being warm isn't usually a problem. I understand that publishing is a business, and I get that there are hordes of people with way more experience than I'll ever have, but the bottom line for me was fairly simple. If the words, plot, and characters weren't my own, then why bother? So, I did the unimaginable. I turned down a contract with a major publisher, and yes, I was stone cold sober at the time. Honestly, I think that shows who I am more than anything. No matter what, I stand by my beliefs, and did I mention that I'm also a borderline control freak when it comes to my stories? Well, I am. Full stop.

For a week or two, I threw myself a wee little pity party, knowing that I'd ended my writing career before it even got off the ground, but luckily, I have a great friend whom I'll call Bron, who introduced me to self-publishing. In late 2012, with her help, input, and cheerleading, I became an independent author and published Ice all by myself. And, in case you're wondering and actually managed to make it this far in this novella, I have absolutely no regrets about taking the independent road. None. Nada. Zip.

Yes, there aren't always enough hours in the day, and yes, it's frustrating at times being a one-woman show, but good or bad, typos or perfect, the words you read are my own, and for me, that's what it's all about.

There's not much I don't love. I adore creating characters that people can love, hate, cheer for, or want to bitch slap. I enjoy all the time spent coming up with plots that are both believable and intriguing, and I relish the hours spent researching every little detail. My goal is to evoke the reader's emotions. I want to make them smile. I want to make them laugh. I want to make them cry, but not in an “OMG this is horrible writing” kind of way, and by the end of the book, if I've done my job right…I want them to want more.

I once read that no one should ever write a book for the money, and that is the best advice I can give to those who want to become writers. Write because you love to write and never expect to make a dime from it. That way, you won't be disappointed if you don't sell a book, and thrilled if you do.

If anyone believes this to be a glamorous career, they're wrong. If anyone thinks writing a book is easy, they've dipped into the plentiful supply (see above) because say goodbye to hundreds and hundreds of hours of your supposed free time. And if anyone believes that writing doesn't take courage, stamina, and an extremely thick skin, when you receive your first bad review…get back to me. :)