Interview with Heather Lynn

3 days ago

5 min read

When I last interviewed you in 2023 you had published three books, now the final book of the Sky Watcher series is out. How does it feel to have written a whole series?

I’m so happy to know I’ve written this series. Five books it total!!

When it all started, I knew the main storyline and approximately how many books it would take to write it, but I had NO idea of the time and dedication it would require.

In the beginning, I had a story, the main storyline, that was it. I wrote books 1 and 2 together because they take place at the same time and place—literally one on top of the other. By the end of book 2, a new (additional) storyline had emerged. As the story continued, ideas seemed to come at me from everywhere, adding aspects to the story that not only fit in and glued things together, but ideas I could thread all the way through and apply to the ending—the meaning of the whole story. I LOVE that!!

Tell me about your books?

Where to begin . . . first of all, it’s important to know that these books are meant to be read in order. As you know, the premise of the story is that current-day Charlotte discovers a possible ancestor, Elizabeth, was executed for the crime of being a witch. Using the strength of her Wiccan beliefs and her stones, she travels back in time to try to save Elizabeth.

Once there, she tries to assimilate, knowing that after she accomplished her goal, she would return home. Of course, life gets in the way . . . she begins to work at the general store, becomes part of a tight circle of friends, and finds deep friendship, love, jealousy, and revenge. Charlotte secretly continues to perform Wiccan rituals as the Wheel of the Year turns. As the story progresses, she even falls in love.

As we move from one book to the next, the story continues and the main storyline quietly blurs as we begin to feel supernatural elements creeping in. We watch, we listen, and we learn from what Charlotte discovers. We feel her losses, celebrate her victories, and rejoice in her relationships.

More than once, I stumbled onto an idea for the story and after doing some research, dived in. Not only were there Charlotte’s Wiccan beliefs and her stones, but moon phases, herbals, totems . . . the list goes on. The more I learned, the more the reader learns because I found it all fascinating.

What inspires you to write?

It’s always been this story that inspired me. Never did I ever plan to be a writer. It happened quite suddenly when Charlotte’s story came to me. Since then, I’ve enjoyed creating Charlotte’s world and celebrating the characters she holds close, as well as the ones she does not. And I put them through it. I did. My hope is to find others, readers, who will embrace these characters too.

Has your writing process changed over time?

I don’t think it has. Every time, I start with the broad story and sit down with the goal of writing things as they happen, so the story naturally evolves and has that continuity . . . it never works. I guess the problem is that while writing, my mind sees what will happen up ahead and can’t wait to get to it—I have to jump to that part of the story and write it. It works but it makes for having to build bridges down the road. . . lots of bridges.

How do you think you have grown as a writer since you published your first book?

To be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve grown as a writer, although I do write with more confidence now. I have had people tell me my writing has improved though, so there’s that.

What have been your greatest obstacles to overcome when writing?

The biggest obstacle has always been time. When I want to get right into the story and not stop until the scene is done, life-things have to be put on hold OR, I have to get out of writing-mode for a while and try pick up where I left off later on. It usually works, but it’s a bummer when you have to climb out of your thoughts and the process for any amount of time and it often makes for a sleepless middle of the night.

What message do you want people to get from your books if any?

A message? I don’t think there’s a take-away from my books/story. I simply want people to realize that sometimes books can’t be put into nice, neat genres, sometimes they are a mix of three or four genres, they’re hard to label—but that doesn’t make them hard to read or any less enjoyable. And I hope that my characters will stay with the reader for a while once they’ve finished reading.

What’s the best thing someone has said about your writing?

This quote is taken from a review and I love it!

“Heather Lynn has a remarkable gift for creating characters who feel utterly real, to the point where I already know I’m going to miss them. Her writing is immersive, her plots gripping and her approach to time travel endlessly compelling.”

What’s your favourite part of being an author?

I feel proud to have created and manipulated Sky Watcher’s world. I did that. It was me.

What have you learned about marketing?

I don’t like it. It’s time-consuming, difficult, and often feels pointless. Up to now, I haven’t paid for marketing, only a few ads. I just get onto three or four social media platforms almost every day and talk about/advertise my books. Sometimes, readers see me, sometimes they don’t. I’m happy to have found a lovely community of fellow indie authors who are very helpful, understanding, and supportive.

Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting out now?

If I were starting over, I would learn more about how/what was involved in self-publishing and do it on my own rather than spend the money I did for the first books. I used an “assisted self-publishing company” who does everything for you—it was all professionally done, and done well, but I was naïve and didn’t need to spend the amount I did.

What is your next project? What should we be looking out for?

I’m not sure what’s next. I’d like to possibly make an audio book for book 1 and see if that finds an audience. Also, there may be another book down the road, but I’m nowhere near starting on that. I’m looking for some down time for a bit. After all, the holidays are coming and we have a new grandson to enjoy. Family time is precious.

Thank you so much for this interview, Lily. It’s always nice to be able to share some of what goes on inside the stories.

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BIO…

Heather Lynn, born in Toronto, Ontario, lives with her family just north of the city. Her education in biology and health sciences has supported an ongoing interest in physiology and the potential of herbal healing. She has been intrigued by the possibility and impossibility of time travel since childhood so when a Sky Watcher’s story came to her, there was no question that time travel would be involved. When she's not writing, Heather enjoys family time, working in her garden, and learning more about the 'power' of stones.