Gigi Lynn

Romance, And Anxiety

February 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

To be brutally honest

And perhaps a little philosophical

Is it possible to be passionately involved in an endeavor and also be calm? Can you challenge yourself to do something new, to strive, to improve, to learn, to risk, but also be tranquil in your soul? Should you expect that?

Maybe if what you’re passionate about is yoga or meditation, and doesn’t include other people’s choices and preferences, there would be total ease. But how often in life are you totally separate from other people’s input and actions? And how often should you be?

woman putting her head down on the desk
Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com

I honestly would like to hear/read your thoughts and experiences about these questions. You may or may not write, but everyone has something they want to do and do well.

Since I hope you’ll share your thoughts, I’ll start with my experience.

I started writing (romance) seriously, with the intent to publish, three and a half years ago. By the fourth anniversary of my first book, I will have written twelve books. It’s simple math, but I’m still surprised by it–that’s an average of three books a year. And that doesn’t count the short stories and bonus epilogues, etc. that are free (one for every book, plus a few more stories and writing experiments that I offer here on my site).

Now, I haven’t published all of those twelve books, only eight as of this week. A ninth is free (available to you on the welcome page). The tenth, I’m holding in reserve until I’ve written a few more books in that series (my foray into historical fantasy romance). Another regency romance (11) is halfway written, and the twelfth (regency romance) is conceptualized but not written yet. (I anticipate a May release).

If I continue at the pace I’ve been writing, I may sneak in one more this year (another in the fantasy romance series). And I have been invited to write two shorter novellas for anthologies, so add those to the math.

I love writing these romances! I feel invigorated and excited, engaged and stretched. I have felt alive in a whole new way. And I love to finish a book and share it with you. It is such a thrill, such a sense of accomplishment. I can’t stop writing (and writing romance). On one level, writing is incredibly rewarding.

On another level, writing is agonizing. I want to constantly improve my skill. I don’t want to write the same thing again and again, so I push myself with new ideas, new forms, tighter prose, better characterization, plotting, pacing. And on and on.

And I won’t even discuss promoting/marketing here.

Because I love romance. I love writing.

But I admit that it brings with it an almost constant low-grade anxiety.

Is this a bad thing? Is it normal? (I think it is. You tell me what you think). I’m just not sure we’re meant to glide easily through life, as tempting as that may sound.

My questions are: Can we care deeply, can we challenge ourselves to improve, can we try something new, can we accomplish a goal, can we share our work without an emotional investment? An emotional cost?

Now in a perfect world, and in a perfect post, I would have a resolution here. A tight, satisfying take-away for you.

I don’t.

I just have a few more questions for you, and me, to consider. Are all forms of anxiety bad? Should we replace ‘anxiety’ with a different word when we’re speaking of any creative challenge? What word?

And more questions. How do you view your anxiety (or perhaps striving, anticipation, frisson, eustress, desire)? How do you make it motivational, not daunting? Is it a positive force in your life? Can it be?

Romance and anxiety, are they two sides of the same coin?

Letter Writing

January 27, 2025 / / 0 Comments

A lost art?

Since my latest book, Dear Lord Wycliffe is epistolary (all except the epilogue is written in the form of letters), I’ve been thinking a lot about letters.

Letters have greatly influenced me over the course of my life. For two years, I wrote and received letters from the man I eventually married while he was living across the country. I learned things about him that I don’t think I would have had we only talked face to face. Or at least not as quickly.

My mother, almost to the day she died, wrote letters. She wrote to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She wrote notes to her neighbors, those who were older, alone, or sick and suffering. She did this while battling cancer for the final time.

I have many of her letters, and I prize them.

I can’t deny the immediacy of texting. Email is useful. But I’m sorry that we don’t often put pen to paper and write to people we care for.

This is only one reason why I wrote an epistolary novel. Dear Lord Wycliffe is set in 1793 London and Arpinge/Folkestone in Kent. Two friends who share their experiences, their successes, their foibles, their romances. We also visit Paris and The Hague through letters from Lord Wycliffe. Through these letters, we experience the French revolution, adventure in England, and mostly Romance.

I hope you enjoy my newest romance, and perhaps you’ll feel inspired to write a letter to someone you love.

Finally, New Romance Release

January 10, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The best laid plans, and all that. I have experienced this in a real way for the last six months.

In June, (in three weeks), I wrote a romance novella, a prequel for a new series. It is a romance, I promise. But it is set in a historical fantasy world. (Think Greece in 200-300 BCE, but a fantasy version of that time and place).

I couldn’t believe how much fun it was to write, and how quickly it came together. I am excited to write the rest of this series. And to share it with you.

But first, I needed to publish the second book in my Rebel Hearts Series (IT”S AVAILABLE NOW!–Can you tell I’m ecstatic). Check out Dear Lord Wycliffe.

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Buy Here

So, I’m able to check one item off my list.

But there’s more on that list. I needed to finish book three in the Rebel Hearts Series. (It is 1/2 way written). I was a woman with a plan and all things were going my way.

But first, I always take a few weeks off in July to spend with family. Independence day is huge in our family.

Then instead of life according to my plan, a crazy version of life just came rushing at me. Covid, house sale, house purchase, moving, renovations, and the holiday season. My writing has been, shall we say, less productive, less regular, shorter in duration for six months.

But I am an author. And January is a new year. I am back at work and excited for everything that is to come.

And, I just happen to have another regency romance due for release in the next month. It’s much later than I anticipated, but it’s almost ready to go.

First draft of the cover of my upcoming Regency Romance

(And remember, I still have Book 3 of Rebel Hearts I’m working on and that delightful new project and the series it begins).

I have a plan. Cross your fingers.

Romance Novels Meet Reality

September 30, 2024 /

The Saga of fall with Gigi-Lynn

As you may already know, I have finished writing two historical romance novels. I have the cover photography. Either could be coming your way within weeks.

Unfortunately, everything is taking longer than I planned. I usually take a few weeks off in July to spend with family. In August, I had Covid (again)–and it lasted much of the month.

You’d think I could write during an illness. After all I’m just lying there in bed. But No! I just slept and listened to books. No writing.

Finally September for romance, right? Not quite. Our home went under contract at the first of the month. It took all of September to pack, move, and clean.

It’s the nicest home we’ve ever lived in. We know this new family will be so happy here.

Our plan was to downsize. We thought we would build, but somewhere during that time, we found this little gem.

Okay, the gem is a diamond in the rough. It needs a little love. But I believe in love. So, you might be getting some renovation updates from time to time. But, we fell in love with the area. The house sits in the middle of a very large, quiet lot with breathtaking mountain views. We close at the end of October.

So, October for romance. (We are at the cabin, and that is always a good thing for my writing).

Watch here for romance novel updates, samples, and news of publishing!

Writing To Avoid Writing

September 1, 2024 /

I could do laundry, but why when there is romance tumbling around in my brain?

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

You know how it feels when have to do something important or necessary? Sometimes that thing is difficult or distasteful. Not always though. Sometimes you actually want to do that thing, but you feel nervous about it.

So, you put it off. Everything else suddenly clamors for your attention. Wash the dishes, yes! Change those sheets? It will feel so good when you climb into bed tonight.

Read that book? You deserve a little break.

And doing those other tasks seems easier. At first.

You are working hard. You are productive. But there is just that little twinge of anxiety. And the longer you avoid “the thing,” the worse the anxiety gets.

Yes. I hate to tell you, but this happens in writing, too. Sometimes, I get a little stuck in the middle of a book. Sometimes there is a scene that I know is going to be fabulous, but I’m nervous to start writing it. (Because I want so badly for it to be fabulous).

I’d love to tell you that I am disciplined, and I just push through.

And sometimes I do, but I have been known to get caught up in avoidance behaviors.

There. I said it.

But let me tell you a little secret. Sometimes when I’m avoiding the main work in progress, I will write something else. I wrote both Smoke and Shadows and Veiled In Mist when I hit a wall in my main works.

Each time, after I finished writing a fun, delightful novella, I was ready to return and finish the main project: The Lies We Tell and The Masks We Wear, respectively.

So, right now I am working on Brothers’ Knot, Book 3 in my Rebel Hearts series. I love the main character, Philippa. But she is really struggling to figure out what will bring her happiness. These two brothers are causing her some serious confusion.

And she keeps changing the course of the book, so I’ve spent a little time this last month avoiding her. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

I wrote the first draft of a historical fantasy romance. It is the prequel to a new series that I now see I must write. (Don’t worry, not yet).

I also wrote a bonus epilogue for Dear Lord Wycliffe, Book 2 of the Rebel Hearts series. This epistolary novel will be released this month. Watch for that!

But never fear. My avoidance anxiety is just about at its peak. I’m ready to return to my main work. Philippa is now ready to learn some things about life and about herself. And she will find her way to love too–very, very soon!

So, what do you do when you’re avoiding? And how long can you avoid before you force yourself to do the thing?

Romantic Tropes?

August 25, 2024 /

Not at First.

How do I write romance?

First, I always start with a character (or two). I don’t decide on a trope up front. In fact tropes are never part of my planning process.

While writing the Illusions historical romance series, I found myself wondering, what would have made Amelia’s mother marry Mr. Hatton? And Lady Cecily Ballantyne was born. She met Mr. Hatton while she was looking for a way to support her five-year-old daughter, Amelia.

I didn’t realize I had a Pygmalion or “My Fair Gentleman” thing going until I had written four chapters. Mr. Hatton was An Honorable Man.

But that Pygmalion theme became the basis of their bargain. He would provide work, and she would help him refine his manners so he could enter society. It became a match made in heaven!

Lady Cecily had an intriguing best friend, Lady Jaminna (Minna) Capener.

She was already married and the mother of a young son when we met her in An Honorable Man. But she was such a delight that I wanted to find out how she met and married her miserly husband.

If there is a little bit of ‘The Matchmaker‘ or “Hello, Dolly” in there, I only saw it after I’d already written chapter one. But once I saw it, I embraced it. They are perfect for each other.

 

Lady Corinna Capener made her first appearance in Minna and the Miser. She was a serious minded thirteen-year-old. The younger daughter of the miser in that story. And she was especially interested in influential women in history.

AI inspirations cover (cover reveal next week!)
 
So when I began writing her novel, Dear Lord Wycliffe, (an epistolary novel), it was her need for information that guided her actions, not any idea of a trope. If she had grown into a “bluestocking” while I wasn’t watching, what could I do but go with it?

 

And if Lord Wycliffe is a little older than she is, say thirteen years, that isn’t really enough years to be considered a May/December romance. He just needs to be convinced of that.

AI Inspiration Cover only

Now, I’m in the middle of writing Philippa’s Story, Brother’s Knot. (October/November release). During a dinner party in Dear Lord Wycliffe, we met Captain Archie Broadbent. I planned that he would be the main male character in Philippa’s book. Really! 

But then on the way to a house party, she met his brother, Lord Thornwood. I would never plan a love triangle trope. Not in a million years. 

But here I am with Philippa torn between two men. And involving herself in a little intrigue on the side. And I’m having the best time.

 

 

So what trope will I be writing for Delia? She’s next. I don’t know. That’s not where I start. Romance always begins with the characters.

Romance Writing Is Like a Romance

August 18, 2024 /

A metaphor

My romance begins with hope and excitement. Everything about this new book seems brushed with a golden glow. My characters are delightful. Their story is engaging. Every day is a lovely adventure. And the first part of the book flies by in that romantic, giddy haze.

Life is beautiful. I have found my place in this world. It’s perfect!

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And then, the challenges appear in my romance. My characters are rebellious and obstinate. They don’t agree with my vision for them and my ideas about what they should do. They have a mind of their own.

And suddenly, I come face to face with my own limitations and imperfections. Surely, if I could mark the path more clearly, find the right words, and string them together in the right order, I could return to those first halcyon days and weeks.

But it isn’t to be. I must learn how to work through my book’s idiosyncrasies and my own growth process. It is one of the most difficult and frustrating relationships,. But I keep working at it because it has so much potential. Even with the problems, I can see how beautiful it can be.

That middle part takes the longest, and it’s different with every book, but as I work with it, sometimes patiently, sometimes not, we come to an understanding. That first excitement and romantic haze grows into a rewarding trust in my characters, a contentment that I am doing my best, and a deep and abiding joy that it is a wonderful thing we have created together.

The final happily ever after is more satisfying when it is earned, both for my characters and for me, the writer.

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Life is beautiful. I have found my place in this world, and even with its scars and struggles, it is perfect.

Quills Writer’s Conference

August 12, 2024 /

Constantly working to improve my writing

I love writing. I love my characters and telling their stories. I even love the struggle, the days when I just hit a wall, the worry, the reworking. It is all part of the process. At least for me.

I don’t think writing is something that you ever master. (Using an olympic metaphor), writing is a continual effort to break your own record. That constant struggle to get better.

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

So, this weekend, I went to a writer’s conference. I took classes on writing better characters, how to plot, how to use dialogue more effectively, and so much more.

I also explored some topics I hadn’t considered before. A class on illustrating my books and a class on getting inspiration from wonder tales (fairy tales) from around the world.

I am ready to dive in to the two books I am writing right now. I’m so excited to use the things I learned and the ideas that came to me in between classes.

As the reader, you may not–you should not–see the effort and craft. I want you to be swept away to another time and experience the lives of these characters. But behind the scenes, I am working hard to give you a wonderful, immersive experience. And I am always striving to make that experience better for you.

What are you working on, striving to improve? How do you describe that process of growth? Let’s talk.

The People Who Live In My Mind

August 5, 2024 /

If you have relationships, you live with thoughts of other people, always making their way through your brain. You think of your brother, your child, your friend.

Photo by Duy Pham on Unsplash

“I should call my dad today,” you think. Or, “how can I help or support this person?”

I have all of that. I also have a cast of characters, imagined but real, who inhabit my space. I have the book characters I’m working on right now. I also have those from the next book. These are forefront in my writer’s brain.

But there are also the characters from the the sudden inspiration or nighttime musings. (I try to write them down right away or they can get lost. And that’s a sad, sad thing). I tell myself I will write their story soon, or someday.

Now that I am moving into the mult-genre romance space, it’s getting pretty crowded up there. I have more than 24 historical romances in various stages of planning, from niggling idea, to concept, to basic plotting.

But now I have more than a dozen historical fantasy romance main characters that have moved in.

Contemporary romance? Yes. They too are making an appearance.

I hope, like me, you love romances of all different kind–All clean, all with Happily Ever Afters, but set in different times, and settings, and worlds. Because these people in my mind are clamoring to get out!

And Always Romance

July 27, 2024 /

Because Everybody Needs Romance In Their Life

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While writing Book 3 in my Rebel Hearts series, I came to a little road block. I wasn’t really worried. This sometimes happens because I’m a discovery writer. I have to sit with my character for a little bit before I know what she or he would do next.

Only this time, while waiting for the clouds to clear, I got an idea for another little story. So, I started writing. That’s what I do, isn’t it?

Only this time, the story wasn’t set in regency England. It is set in a fantasy world. And the main character is a siren! And while I was writing this little novella, the ideas for a full series blossomed in my mind.

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I made copious notes.

Now, I’m back writing the original work–Book 3 in my regency romance seres. But the time will come when I will write this fantasy series. Later, but I must do it.

This is so outside my usual historical romance. Right?

Except, not really. I realized as I wrote, it’s romance. Each book in the series will be about two people who find each other, who overcome obstacles, who change and grow, and who love. It’s Romance.

Mystery, contemporary, fantasy, suspense. Stories of love and romance can happen any time, in many circumstances, and they can happen in any world.

Do you like to read your romance in one sub-genre exclusively? Or if you find a clean, sweet romance in a different time or place, will you try it?

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