Lyndi Alexander – Nomad Authors Blog

1911

Alana Lorens — My grandmother and her kitty

As a romance (and also sci-fi/fantasy) writer, one of my goals is always to have a strong woman as a central character. Why is this? They’re more interesting. They have more resources, mentally and physically. They’re just more fun to write!

My mentor and best example of a strong woman is my grandmother, Mildred Moore Ogle. Today would be her 109th birthday. Born in 1911, when strong women were discouraged, she grew up in Indiana farmland, daughter of a well-to-do family. She was the only girl child; her two brothers were educated well, as was the custom of the day. She didn’t get to go to college.

Her brothers went on to join the military. Jim would become a decorated Navy veteran who survived Pearl Harbor. Paul was captured by the Japanese and died as a prisoner of war. That left her as the one who stayed home, doing what women did at the time, learning to care for a home and family.

She inherited the family home in Bunker Hill, Indiana, an old brick two-story that was a homestead farm established by her parents in 1883. She married a man who’d worked in a bakery, but gave up his job to come live with her and learned to run the farm. He may have worn the overalls, but for those of us who saw their relationship later, I’d definitely say she wore the pants.

They had two children, one of whom was my mother. My grandmother

proved to be too strong for my mother, and she spent her life trying to avoid contact. Her son, on the other hand, did his Navy service, then returned to the area with his family. They grew up close to my grandmother and experienced her strength, as my grandfather passed, and she continued running the farm business on her own, keeping it a success even through the difficult economy years.

As for me, and my three sisters, we grew up with our fathers. This provided the opportunity to visit with my grandmother, who we called Maudie, after she came to take care of us during a mumps infection blitz. She said, “Just call me Maude the maid,” and it stuck. Over the years, she came to be the woman who filled our need for female mentorship. She really tried to make sure we had the “family” influence in our lives.

She succeeded. We wanted to be like her. To this day, we all try to cultivate zinnias, because of the gardens she grew. We admire and collect Fiestaware because that’s what she served her home cooked meals on. We eat rhubarb and rice and raisins because that made us feel loved at her table.

The woman with a spine of steel and limitless determination lived to the age of 93, and she continues to inspire us. Let’s celebrate the strong women we know and we write about! We owe them the world. Who’s your favorite strong woman, real-life or fictional?

BIO:
Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, she loves her time in the smoky blue mountains. One of her novellas, THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE, is set in the city of Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She lives with her daughter, who is the youngest of her seven children, two crotchety old cats, and five kittens of various ages.

ROMANCE/suspense Alana Lorens

Website https://wordpress.com/page/alana-lorens.com/21
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AlanaLorens/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4829967.Alana_Lorens

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alana-Lorens/e/B005GE0WBC/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

SCI-FI/ fantasy Lyndi Alexander

Website https://lyndialexander.wordpress.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lyndialexander13/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4185290.Lyndi_Alexander

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Lyndi-Alexander/e/B005GDYPU2/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lyndi-alexander

TENDER MISDEMEANORS

Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She’s a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace.

Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He’s the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means.

When they meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive?

Buy links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Publisher (The Wild Rose Press)

Excerpt:
“Thanks for the flowers,” she whispered. “Very thoughtful.”

“Are you sure?” He still looked a little stunned at her outburst.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” She forced a smile. “Thank you. Where were you all?”

He walked to the edge of the porch. “We took a long walk along the perimeter. I felt a little stronger this morning, and I especially didn’t want the dogs to wake you.” He turned back to study her. “You needed the rest.”

She nodded. “I suppose. Although it looks like I’ll have plenty of time for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Sam called.” She wrestled with strong feelings that threatened to bring the tears again.

“News about the militia?”

His prompting didn’t help. “No. I’m officially suspended.”

He studied her face. “Because he saw us together last night.”

She nodded. “So I’ve got plenty of down time.”

His jaw tightened, pulling his mouth into a frown. “I’m sorry, Caryn. That’s my fau—”

Boiling frustration brought her to her feet. “No. No more ‘fault’ stuff. This isn’t your fault and it isn’t my fault, but by God it’s someone’s fault, and we’ve got to find out who!”

“We will,” he assured her.

His eyes were warm, and his arms were inviting, but she couldn’t find comfort there, not yet.

That’s what got you in trouble, Caryn Lyn.

She blinked, a cold chill running through her, even in the bright morning sunshine. Where had her father’s voice come from?

He might not have openly condemned her, but she didn’t need much imagination to visualize his blue eyes, pale with disappointment, his lips set tight against each other, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. She’d taken the career she’d fought so hard for and tossed it away on a chance at this relationship. Tender Misdemeaners by Alana Lorens

Let’s meet Alana:
NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
AL: I had studied up on ecotage for my elf series (The Clan Elves of the Bitterroot, written as Lyndi Alexander), and it is such an interesting concept that I didn’t want to leave it just yet. People are passionate about the old forests, and whether they camp in a tree to protect it, spike the trees or go for more dangerous measures, it’s admirable to see them standing up for what they believe in.

NA: What is the main thing you want readers to take away from your book?
AL: That choices have consequences—when you break the law, you have to pay for it. But sometimes, it’s just what you have to do.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
AL: I’d lived in Missoula, Montana many years ago, and I took my friend Kellie and my youngest daughter out there to gather intel for this story. We took a ski lift up to the top of Big Mountain—at the bottom of the hill it was 70 degrees, and we wore sandals and shorts. At the top there was snow on the ground!!

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
AL: I was a journalist for six years, then a family law attorney for 30 years before retiring. Now I can write full time, and enjoy reaching out to other authors and readers.

NA: What do your friends and family think about your being a writer?
AL: I think they keep wondering why I don’t have a “real” job. 😉

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer
AL: What? You mean I don’t become a millionaire the first week my book is out??

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
AL: I’m a combination writer—I start out fairly loose, seat of the pantsish, until I get a solid beginning. Then I move on to map out a few chapters ahead at a time, until I hit the halfway mark, where I go ahead and lay out the plan through the end, to avoid plot bunnies.

NA: What has been one of your most rewarding experiences as an author?
AL: I love LOVE meeting readers at book signings. As a reader myself, it’s great to be able to chat about what we love.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
AL: I’m not a big fan of sex, sex, sex in romance books, tending to lean more to plot and suspense. So yes, I’d say writing action is easier for me than sex scenes. I do include physical affection, etc., and some teasers—but I let a lot go on behind closed doors.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
AL: Crap.
No, really. Crap. LOL

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
AL: Emptying the cat box. But since I love kitties, it’s a necessary evil.

NA: What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
AL: Robin Williams

NA: What are you working on now?
AL: A science fiction romance, ménage a trois story with a gender-shifting alien, and a high school reunion story about a mommyblogger made good coming home to her roots—and her ex boyfriend who dumped her at prom.

NA: Anything I’d like to add?
AL: I really appreciate all the readers out there—what we do, we do for you!

Author Bio:

Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, she loves her time in the smoky Blue Ridge mountains. One of her novellas, THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE, is set in the city of Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She lives with her daughter, who is the youngest of her seven children, two crotchety old cats, and five kittens of various ages.