How Seralynn Lewis Dreams Up Her Plots

Seralynn Lewis recently stopped by my newsletter to share about her writing life.

Why did you start writing romantic suspense novels?
I’ve always loved romance novels in almost every sub-genre there is. But I found that the romance stories that moved me had more than just a romance in them, they had a hint of mystery and a dash of suspense. I’ve included those elements in all of the novels I’ve written, but my editor suggested I focus on romantic suspense because that’s what I’ve been writing all along, the other novels were just not marketed as romantic suspense because they didn’t always have death in them. Some suspense books keep the reader on the edge of their seat for the entire book.  That can be exhausting. I prefer to interject pauses in the story to keep that exhaustion at bay and possibly create niche readers who love suspense but don’t want to be overwhelmed by it to fall in love with my stories.

What is your favorite spot for reading or reflecting on your current work-in-progress?
My favorite spot is my gray easy chair in the living room.  It’s comfortable and for the past five months, I’ve been using it to not only think about my stories but I update ideas and write on my laptop from there. My husband sits next to me and wears ear plugs when he watches television so he doesn’t disturb me. I will admit, however, that on occasion, I do get distracted by whatever is on the television.

How do you come up with titles for your books?
I usually like to take what moves me from the book and fashion the idea into a title. Many times, the title comes to me as I’m getting into bed. I know I won’t remember them in the morning, so I quickly type it on my phone in notes. That allows me to sleep on it, and determine if it’s right for the book.  Oftentimes, I get the title long before I even start writing the story because I have already outlined it and the title is percolating along with the story.

Where do you get the inspiration for your plots?
The inspiration for my plots comes from a vast variety of places. They come from television programs and movies I’ve seen, books I’ve read, articles and true life situations. There are millions of combinations of plots and sub-plots that can be rearranged into forming a new plot. That is the beauty (and fun) of being an author, mixing and matching conflicts within a story. Many times, I go to sleep thinking about the basis of a novel and I’ll dream about it. And sometimes, I’ll figure it out as I’m falling asleep.

What did you want to be as a child (and did that dream come true)?
My family was in construction and I was always fascinated by residential floor plans. I wanted to be an architect, but when I shared that desire with my father, he laughed and said a woman can’t be an architect. That was back in the day when the majority of women’s aspirations were limited to being a wife and mother, secretary or teacher. I never did become an architect, but I believe God had a different blueprint in mind, one that led me to building faith-based stories instead of structures.

Which of your books is your favorite and why?
That’s a difficult question to answer. Like my children, I love all my books equally because each character is lovingly created to have human flaws and strengths. I write across several sub-genres of romance. Across Oceans Through Time is the one closest to my heart because it is based on my grandparents’ love story. However, for the Christian Romantic Suspense trilogy, Movers & Shakers, my favorite (thus far) is Surviving the Deal because Adam and Rini make a commitment to one another without considering the consequences. When that decision upends the relationship, it reminds me that we all need to look to God for our strength. Always.

About Seralynn
Seralynn Lewis came to Christian romantic suspense after first writing inspirational and historical romance. Fueled by faith, a second-chance marriage, and decades of life’s hard lessons, she writes stories where danger is real, relationships are tested, and God is never as far away as her characters think.

Connect w/Seralynn
Website: https://www.seralynnlewis.com/

Surviving The Deal by Seralynn Lewis!

When billionaire developer Adam Baylor is backed into a corner, there’s only one way to save the biggest deal of his life–get married. Temporarily. No strings. No emotions. Easy… until he meets Rini Miller.

Rini is a single mom, a woman of faith, and the last person Adam expected to upend his well-ordered world. But as their arrangement begins to blur the lines between business and love, secrets surface, past wounds reawaken, and. Deadly threat looms closer than either of them could imagine.

Can a marriage built on a lie become something real? Or will the cost of the deal be more than either of them is willing to pay