Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. My name is Lynn-Steven Johanson, but my friends and acquaintances know me as “Lynn.” I hold an MFA degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. My career has gone from stage director to playwright to novelist. I am currently focused on writing the Joe Erickson Mysteries, a series of police procedurals that follow a Chicago detective as he solves homicides. The seventh installment, Wreaking Vengeance, is due out this spring. I have been married to my wife for over fifty years, and we have three adult children and four grandchildren. One of my hobbies is attending car shows with the street rod I built, a 1932 Ford Coupe.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Corrupted Souls”?
A2. The challenge I experience with all my books is outlining the plot before I begin writing. I have to work from a detailed plan, and creating a paradigm for the story is time-consuming and requires a great deal of thought. It’s not something that comes easily or something I can do in a few days. It evolves over a period of weeks.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. That’s an interesting question because I don’t really know. My favorite novelists are David Baldacci, Anne Perry, and Jonathan Kellerman. People say my books remind them of Michael Connelly’s novels, but since I’ve only read one of his, I think any similarity is coincidental. I suppose I could have absorbed elements and techniques from all the authors I’ve read. Being a playwright has certainly influenced my novels, as they feature a lot of dialogue and minimal description.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. It’s not an exciting or romantic place. It’s more personal. I have lived in Illinois for the past 35 years, but I grew up in Marathon, a small town in Iowa. I like to return there each summer for the town picnic and the school’s alumni banquet. It gives me a chance to visit with old friends and visit the cemetery where my parents, grandparents, and other relatives are buried.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Sins Revealed’?
A5. In 1975, one of my high school classmates was murdered, and the case has never been solved. I used the circumstances of his death and wrote a fictional story around it. There are a few factual things in the book, things that only I know about, but most of it is fiction. I always thought his tragic story would make a good book, but I wanted to wait until his mother passed before I tackled it. She was a sweet lady, and I didn’t want her to think I was profiting off her son’s death.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book, ‘Havana Brown’?
A6. My first book, Rose’s Thorn, was adapted from a screenplay I had written several years earlier, so the story was already written. Havana Brown, my second book, was one I had to write from scratch. I had to create a story and structure it before I could begin writing. Because it was a prequel, I drew on references from Rose’s Thorn, such as the serial killer and my main character’s mental breakdown. It was challenging, but the first draft eventually came together in about six months.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon has all of my books available for purchase. And they are available at most major bookstores, such as Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million. Other online vendors, like Kobo and World of Books, also have my books for sale.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Rose’s Thorn’?
A8. My publisher creates the book covers based on my input. If I find an image I would like them to use, they will consider it. The cover to Sins Revealed was one I found online, and my publisher obtained permission to use it. The title of Rose’s Thorn references a character avenging the death of a girl named Rose. I use two-word book titles because they are concise and easy to remember.
Q9. When writing a book, how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. Every story begins with a homicide, and I try to find an interesting and unique way the victim was killed. Once I have that established, it comes down to developing the characters and the plot elements. Each book has its own story, and I try not to repeat anything I have written about in previous books. Some of the police procedures remain the same, but I make sure the who, what, where, and why are unique. Each book is written as a standalone story rather than a continuation of one in a previous book. That way, they can be read out of order.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Read, read, read. Read the masters of the genre in which you intend to write. You learn a lot from them. In addition, read the works of great writers such as Hemingway, Twain, Steinbeck, and others. And as you read, think about what makes their writing great. They can be your greatest teachers. I have never had a class in playwriting. Tennessee Williams, Anton Chekhov, Samuel Beckett, and others were my teachers.
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