What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
Hi - my name is Lynette Sofras, I was born in Yorkshire but lived most of my adult life in or around London, apart from approximately six years of living in Greece.
Did you always
want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I think I wanted
to be a writer from the time I was first able to read stories! I used
to invent adventures for a captive audience of one (my younger sister) long before I had the proper skills to
write them down. Then as a child my parents took me to Haworth
Parsonage - the home of the Bronte sisters and I saw the tiny books they
created which inspired me to create my first 'books'.
Did it take a
long time to get your first book published?
In a way, yes -
in that my first book was never actually published. I had an agent who believed in it and showed
it to a lot of publishers but without success.
Looking back, I feel nothing but relief about that! However, when it came to The Apple Tree, I initially self-published it but a few weeks later
a publisher picked it up after it won first prize in a romantic story
competition and offered me a publishing contract. It was surprisingly quick and easy.
Do you work
another job as well as your writing work?
While living in
Greece I managed to do some writing while also teaching, but when I returned to
England that was impossible. Apart from
having a child to bring up, the pressures of teaching and running a department
left me no time to breathe, much less write.
What is the name
of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what
would you say?
My latest title
is Killing Jenna Crane and I'd use
the first line of my blurb: This is not a story about a murder, but a dark
journey inside a writer's mind.
Who is your
publisher? or do you self publish?
I self-published
this particular title because I'm a great believer and supporter of
self-publishing. However, not all my
titles are self-published.
How long does it
usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing
it?
This is very
variable - sometimes years, sometimes as little as a month. I managed to complete two titles in less than
a month each last year. Killing Jenna Crane took a little bit
longer, though not much. My forthcoming release (Unworkers) has taken several years of work, on and off.
Which of your
books were easier/harder to write than the others?
Wishful Thinking was probably my easiest. I just sat down and began to write it one day
without a single idea in my head. It
took shape on the computer without my ever knowing what was going to happen
next!
What can we
expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of
a different genre?
My first three
titles were contemporary romances, followed by a romantic suspense (In Loving Hate) but since then I've been
drawn towards more speculative, experimental genres. I wrote a science fiction short (Surveillance) with my son (really!)
followed by Killing Jenna Crane, which
I call a psychological romance
with plenty of suspense. Unworkers is women's fiction, but a ghost story,
definitely not romance. These are the
styles and genres I'm hoping to explore further in the future.
Do you have a
favourite out of the books you have written? If so why is it your favourite?
I'm quite fond
of Shopping for Love - possibly
because it was the first title of mine that my son read and really
enjoyed! He also helped me out with the
computing and high finance aspects of the plot.
The story flowed very easily and I enjoyed creating a grittier male lead
in it.
Do you have a
favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
Nicholas in The Apple Tree, probably - he's
gorgeous, wealthy, loyal but rather stubborn.
One reader called him a modern Mr Darcy and another said "I want to
find my own Nicholas. If I ever find anyone half as decent and loving as that
man then I will be a happy woman."- isn't that wonderful?
Do you have
anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release
them? ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
I've been known
to inflict them on my poor son, who hates romances! He hasn't read all of them however. I have two great friends, who are both writers
whose opinions I value dearly and two non-writer friends who are always willing
to read and give me their brutally honest opinions - which I love because I
learn far more from criticism than praise.
Do you gift
books to readers to do reviews?
I'd be very
happy to gift review copies. If any
readers are interested, they are more than welcome to contact me
(which they can do via my website or blog - details below).
Do you read all
the reviews of your book/books?
When I see them,
certainly. I try to remember to check
periodically. I love to know what
readers think and respect their opinions.
When I read nice reviews, I walk on air for the rest of the day!
Would you ever
ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about your
book/books?
Absolutely
not! The whole purpose of a review is
for a reader to give his or her honest opinion.
How do you come
up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover
of your books?
Oh, you've found
my Achilles heel! I agonise forever over
titles and covers. I'm really bad at
deciding on both. Fortunately I've had
some very talented cover artists - especially on my last three or four titles.
Are there any
hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops
Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")
Yes I do
frequently embed messages, morals and also subtle clues in my stories and am delighted when
readers pick these out and comment on them.
What is your
favourite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
I've read Jane
Austen's books - especially Persuasion
and Pride and Prejudice numerous
times, so I suppose they have to rate amongst my favourites.
Do you think
books transfer to movies well? Which is you favourite/worst book to movie
transfer?
Hardly ever, in
my opinion. Movies tend to highlight the
sensational aspects of a book, which really isn't true to the author's original
intentions. Two examples come to mind: The Time Traveller's Wife and The Lovely Bones, which made very disappointing
films. That said, I thought the BBC's
adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (you
know, the one with Colin Firth as Mr Darcy) was excellent, though the Keira
Knightley film that followed didn't impress me much.
What are you
currently reading? Are you enjoying it? What format is it?(ebook, hardback or
paperback)
I have too many
books on the go at the moment because, like you, I get asked to read and review
so many. My Kindle is positively
groaning with unread titles. However, I
have a short story collection called Intricate
Entanglement by Su Halfwerk, sitting on my desktop as a PDF at the moment
which I'm enjoying dipping into whenever I can find a free moment.
Do you think
ebooks will ever totally replace printed books?
No, I think
there's always going to be a demand for printed books but I wouldn't be surprised to see the
demise of print for the vast majority of new novels.
Do you think
children at schools these days are encouraged enough to read? and/or do
Imaginative writing?
Ah this is my
hobby horse! Being a former English
teacher, this is a subject dear to my heart.
No, on the whole, I don't think children are encouraged nearly enough to
read - and that's why we have such severe literacy problems in our schools
today. Children are unlikely to respond
well to imaginative writing if they are not exposed to good literature.
Did you read a
lot at school and write lots of stories or is being a writer something newer in
your life?
I've always been
a voracious reader - and an avid story writer both in school and out.
Did you have a
favourite author as a child?
Almost too many
to mention. Noel Streatfeild was
probably one of the earliest, and like all little girls, I loved Frances
Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. Other favourites were L. M. Montgomery,
Louisa May Alcott and George Eliot.
Do you have a
treasured book from your childhood? If yes, what is it?
When I was about
eight or nine, my teacher read The Mill
on the Floss to the class and I was entranced. I know it wouldn't appeal to me now, which is
why I've never revisited it - I just don't want to break that childhood
enchantment.
Do you have a
favourite genre of book?
Not
especially. I can enjoy just about
anything as long as it's well-written, though when I look for genres, I'm always
drawn towards anything categorised as Women's Fiction first, because naturally
women's issues interest me very much.
Is there a book
you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't
finish?
I don't mind if
I'm the only adult female not to have read Fifty
Shades, nor the only person in the world not to have read (or watched the
films of) Harry Potter.
Are there any
New Authors you are interested in for us to watch out for? and Why should we
watch out for them?
Jenny Twist is a
writer whose books I've thoroughly enjoyed - she's a true story-weaver. Other UK writers who deserve more recognition
are Paula Martin, Jan Ruth and Terry Tyler - they all write excellent stories
with great characters.
Is there
anything in your book/books you would change now if you could and what would it
be?
I allowed my
publisher to 'translate' my first published novel The Apple Tree into American English - which I now regret. I'd like to re-write that giving Nicholas his
own voice and also making the story longer.
I'd never consider any story to be perfect - there's always room for
improvement and with my self-published titles, I go back constantly and tweak
them.
Where can
readers follow you?
Your Blog details?
Your Blog details?
Your Web site?
Your Facebook page?
Your Goodreads author page?
Your Twitter details?
And any other information you wish to supply?
UK buy links
Killing Jenna Crane: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AVWGMM2
Surveillance: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009KRY460
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