Welcome to the weekly Irish Independent Authors Collective (IIAC) author interviews. Today on my blog, I’m delighted to introduce you all to Lj Ryan. I hope you all enjoy learning more about Lj and be sure to check out her books.

Irish Independent Authors’ Collective – Lj Ryan

Tell me a little about yourself and why you decided to join the Irish Independent Authors’ Collective?

Hi there, my pen name is Lj Ryan and I’m originally from Dublin, but having moved around quite a bit (Ireland, UK and France) in my adult life, I’ve now settled in County Meath.

Our hometown is only a few miles outside Dublin and we love it! I think the main reason for this is we have the city life of Dublin on one side (35-minute drive), and the beautiful Irish countryside of Meath if we fancy a walk in the opposite direction. Having experienced both urban and rural life, we now love the choice and combination. Of course, when I say “we”, I include my better half and our kids, (well not kids – adults now, I need to keep reminding myself).

When I first heard of the IIAC and its ambition to raise the profile of Independent Irish writers, I jumped at the chance to join and be involved. Of course, me being me, I volunteered to be a part of the Committee and it’s been all good so far, with our website in development and with accounts on Twitter, Instagram and, of course, where it all began on Facebook. Writing can be a lonely job or hobby, this collective can help with sharing information and connecting to other authors too.

How long have you been writing and why did you decide on self-publishing?

Hmm, when did I begin writing? Honestly, I can’t remember! I feel as if writing and reading have always been part of my life. From a young age, I’ve been a storyteller, with the encouragement I received in school from one particular teacher a great advantage.

I’ve never considered myself an author, a storyteller maybe, with many a tale roaming around in my head – a hobbyist, if there is such a thing. Constantly writing, I asked myself, “Are you brave enough to put your work out there?” This was a constant debate in my head and with the gift of a Kindle a few years ago; I discovered the world of Indie authors and self-publishing.

Of course, as is the dream of many writers, once my book The View from our Window was professionally edited and ready for publishing, I submitted it to agents. The wait is excruciating and it did get past the ‘in-tray’, receiving a request for a full manuscript from one Irish based agent. It received great feedback but sadly, a “can’t fully commit to a new client at the moment” reply. It’s heart-breaking, but I knew self-publishing was always an option no matter what.

With proper research into self-publishing and great encouragement from my editor Eamon O’Cleirigh, I hit that “publish” button on Amazon. Later on, I did question why I bothered to submit to agents in the first place!

Do you think the stigma surrounding self-publishing is lessening?

Now, that’s a tough one, and for me, it truly depends on both the genre and the reader. Some readers love the joy they get from walking into a bookstore and browsing, some (especially readers of sci-fi, horror and erotica) have no hesitation with downloading to their Nook or Kindle. Many successful Indie authors will tell you the “paper” age is dying with e-books the money maker now.

But with die-hards still sticking with ‘physical’ books, the stigma of self-publishing will always be there. How packed your local and franchised bookstore is at Christmas, will tell you that we Indies need to use the IIAC to influence more stores to accept us and include us alongside ‘agent/publishing house promoted’ authors.

I don’t think there should be a certain section for Indie books; just mix them in their relative genres. Let the reader decide and discover the world of Independent writers and then the stigma will eventually die. Part of me does feel the stigma was not only created by trad agents and publishers feeling threatened but also by so many out there who just published their books without proper editing, etc. That needs to be addressed too.

What do you think is the hardest part of self-publishing?

Marketing…need I say more? Well yes, I suppose I should.

Time is precious, spare money to promote your book is a pitfall in anyone’s dream. I’ve set a budget for The View from our Window; will I have a budget for the sequel? I hope so!

With Marketing, I have attended many courses, with a diploma in Marketing and in Selling and Sales Management being the relevant ones to this question. Have I got my strategy right? With the digital book world so open at the moment, I don’t think anyone can provide a positive answer to that. Your sales ranking on the likes of Amazon can rocket one week then suddenly drop to the bottom within a month. So again, what’s the hardest part of self-publishing? Marketing – need I say more?

What genres do you write?

I love to write romance with a little bit of suspense or mystery. But my unpublished books consist of varying genres – paranormal, sci-fi and historical to name some. My writing is as varied as my love of music, movies and reading.

My writing style tends to be more in the way of story-telling, sometimes conversational. Through my books, I hope to give the reader an opportunity to connect with the characters in an emotional and entertaining way so they can become friends. There’s no serious message in my books, I simply hope the reader is distracted from the real world for a while. Hopefully getting a bit of joy in the knowledge that life can work out sometimes, no matter what obstacles stand in your way.

What is your favourite story or character that you have written?

Sorry? Favourite? I love all my stories, but then again, I’m biased…

The three main characters I created in The View from our Window, Laurel, David and Paul, were born on the same day. Their character traits are very similar in general. Certain mannerisms show up in each character – a passion for novelty; a curious disposition; witty in speech and prone to banter. Also, being quick to task and sometimes emotionally unreachable, are behaviours displayed in all three. All three have their faults too; no-one is perfect in this world – fictional or real.

What time of day do you prefer to write? Do you have a special writing space?

Throughout the day I constantly take notes if I get new ideas, see funny or dire situations, or observe a personality I think would suit one of my characters. But my writing takes place at night and my routine tends to be strict with my full-time job, a home to attend, family and friends taking up a lot of my daily life.

Once 7.30pm arrives my collie, Cleo (the baby of our little family), tends to look at me with her big brown eyes and I know it’s time for a walk. Walking is great for a lungful of fresh country air and clearing away the daily stress and cobwebs. Once that delight is over, I’m refreshed and head to my little writing and reading den. It’s only a small, spare bedroom which I’ve converted with writing desk, a small two-seater couch, my collection of books, some soft lighting and, of course, a bed for Cleo.

My husband works nights, and with my two children now leading their own adult lives (sigh, did I say I’m having a hard time accepting that?), I have the late evenings to read and write. Of course, the real world can get in the way sometimes and I have to miss the odd day, but generally, I tend to enjoy a minimum of three or four days for my writing and reading each week. Even if it’s just for an hour each night, it’s my little retreat.

Do you outline your books ahead of time or just go for it?

For all my stories I just go for it. I write up the first draft, which can be a very rough outline of maybe 15,000 words or more and then build from there. There are so many books and online guides helping authors write up and outline their book and it works for them. For me though, I love a good story so setting plot lines, defining goals, creating a cohesive plan simply wouldn’t work for me. The flow of the story would be missing if I keep stopping and checking if I’m keeping a plotline. Everyone is different and that makes the world turn. I enjoy what I write and I write as if I’m reading a book.

Who are your favourite Irish authors?

There are so many out there, I have a hard time determining a favourite author under any genre I read, and to determine if a favourite belongs to the Indie section.

I have read books by authors where I’ve loved their book, waited anxiously for their next release, but couldn’t get past the first few chapters!

Honestly, Glenn Meade and William Ryan have never disappointed and recently I read June Molloy’s Guardian of Giria, so I’m looking forward to her next release. It’s a book for children, aged 9 upwards, I know I’m a bit old for that but, hey, I’ve read Harry Potter too! Fiona Cooke’s The Lights Went Out and Other Stories is a diverse and enjoyable mix of short and long stories.

Then I love the lighter side to reading with Marian Keyes being top of that list. Joseph O’Connor, yep, he’s there too and stepping back in time I love Wilde and Yeats. My favourite Irish author book of all time is The Picture of Dorian Grey.

Your latest book The View from our Window is a Contemporary Romantic Suspense, what was the inspiration behind it and is there anything you would like readers to know?

I decided to submit my book to a few US and UK based movie production companies, and I’m delighted to say that one is going to represent The View from our Window at the American Film Market in Santa Monica.

This conference, I’ve been informed, is annual and where the majority of deals are agreed and plans made for future cinema releases. So, fingers and toes crossed, a studio will show interest.

I got the idea for my book from when I lived in France nearly 18 years ago. I loved that little French experience and I’ve been back a few times since then but not to La Rochelle, where I lived. If I did visit La Rochelle again, I may never come back! Only joking, especially when I look around and I see my life here – family and lifelong friends – there’s actually no contest for Ireland.

But my two-year French experience was something special, their culture, how the French perceive family, food, wine and their way of life in general (especially in rural areas). It’s truly something to behold!

Sometimes their mannerisms are hard to get used to, but I absorbed every little piece of my experience there, wrote it all down, let my imagination run away and voila! The View from our Window was born.

My aspiration for my writing is that everyone will simply enjoy what I write. The books I read or my writing doesn’t influence my life, but the path I’ve chosen in my life does influence what I write and read. Do I ever see my writing as a career? Dreams and ambition can happen if you work at it – that’s my belief and I’m trying hard to get there. One day, yep, maybe one day…

Is your latest book part of a series and if so how many books are planned for the series?

I am writing the sequel with a temporary title of The View from LA. I did set a release date of 1^st January, 2019 but a few things have got in the way. The main issue is I’m not happy with the ending, I’m working on that and maybe the schedule publishing date will be March or April, 2019. There’s no planned book three or four as I want to work on a few rough drafts I have hidden on my laptop and a few floppy discs (yep, remember them?).

Where can readers find out more about you?

I have various social media accounts, all listed below. Please feel free to follow or connect.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/authorlj.ryan

Twitter – @authorljryan

Instagram – lj_ryan07

Amazon Author page – https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B078Y7XHPR/

The View From Our Window by Lj Ryan

“Definitely a light and refreshing read… this book has everything in it …death …sorrow …suspense …mystery …and romance.” 

All Laurel needs is a new life for herself and her two children. Recently widowed, she moves to a picturesque village just outside Marseille. A world apart from her hectic life in Dublin, Laurel is determined to leave behind the person she once was. Reinventing herself and reconnecting with her children is what she really needs.

David is a successful French actor, recently divorced, under media pressure and on the verge of a mental breakdown, he moves back to his parent’s family farm in Aix-en-Esperance. David needs to find himself again, away from the ‘lights, camera and action of his very public career.

Laurel and David become friends and slowly their friendship develops into something more. With Laurel feeling part of a family in more ways than she could ever imagine.

Paul is a politician, recently promoted to Justice Minister. He’s confident, grounded and totally committed to his private love life staying exactly that way – private. But an investigation involving a family he was once friends with, lands on his desk, and with strict orders from the Prime Minister of Ireland, he needs to make this problem disappear.

Just as Laurel, David, and Paul feel their lives couldn’t get any better, ugly phantoms from the past reappear. Can these three friends work together and fight for what they love or will they lose it all?

“This delightful, complicated and twisty tale has the advantage of being a remarkably well-written saga.” 

The View From Our Window is available now in ebook and paperback formats from Amazon and free to read in KindleUnlimited.

Until next time,

Keep reading and writing,

Amanda