Meet author Lynn U. Watson

Lynn and I are both in the ACFW Memphis chapter, and it’s been fun getting to know her better. I’m excited about this interview!

Lynn U. Watson is a devotional writer, occasional quilter, reflexologist, and great-great-grand-daughter of a baron from Southwest Germany. Lynn combines her passions and her heritage and that’s reflected in her tagline – Stepping Through Time. Stitching Stories of Faith. Snippets of her family story inspire her fiction writing. She and her husband, Steve, make their home in Bartlett, TN, where Jasmine, the resident feline, considers herself Princess of the Palace. 

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Interview with Lynn

Jen – Hi Lynn! It’s great to have you on the blog and get to know you better. Tell us a little about yourself and your background.

Lynn – Having attended 18 different schools from kindergarten to high school graduation, this is a loaded question. We weren’t a military family, but we moved as much or more. Both of my parents were born and raised in Chicago. My family roots are deeply entrenched there. Off and on we lived in the area, but I have some fond memories (and some not so fond ones) of other locations in Illinois as well as communities in Wisconsin and Florida. I started college in Holland, Michigan and finished at Memphis State University with a degree in journalism. For nearly 55 years the Memphis, TN area has been home. Much more stability than my childhood! My husband and I have lived in our current home for over 35 years.

All those moves brought a lot of challenges to a young girl growing up. Perseverance is a word that’s been used to describe me. In hindsight, I can see where God was the strength that kept me going and persevering.

How moving impacted Lynn’s writing

Jen – That is a lot of moves! I’m sure they impacted your writing. Tell me what you have written.

Lynn – Stories I had written as a child disappeared during all the moves—only memories of flying around on my imaginary magic carpet collecting them and putting them into booklets remain. I do have my first published piece—a tiny story about my Brownie troop published in a small-town newspaper, written when I was seven years, old survived the turmoil.

In 2016 my arm was twisted to attend my first writers’ conference. I had an idea for a devotional series—one I never expected would be seen in the world. I wrote one devotion and took it to the conference. A one-on-one meeting I’ll never forget provided the encouragement I needed to bring the idea to life.

I self-published the first volume of Cinnamah-Brosia’s Coffee Cottage—Inspirational Collection for Women less than a year later. The series currently includes three books: The Essence of Courage, The Essence of Joy, and The Essence of Humility. All three focus on essential oils and spices in the Bible. The format is unique and perfect for personal devotion, family devotions, or especially for a group of women to gather around someone’s kitchen table and share the bible stories and real-life stories, recipes, and activities inviting them between the pages.

More of our interview

Jen – Sounds like a wonderful devotion. And I also love writers conferences – you learn so much at them. I’d love to know what your writing habits are like.

Lynn – Tangled Promises, my debut novel, is inspired by some very tiny snippets of my family’s story. When I learned my great-grandmother was the daughter of a wealthy and influential baron in southwest Germany the wheels began to turn. She was in love with the carriage driver and her father had someone else in mind for her to marry. Someone she detested. That was my jumping in point.

I have a couple more details of the family story, but they would be spoilers for book 2 in the Promised Destiny series. Ninety-nine percent of what you’ll read in the series is fiction–mostly panstered-fiction, but I’m becoming more of a hybrid writer—somewhere between well-planned-out and writing by the proverbial seat of my pants.

About Lynn U. Watson’s Tangled Promises which releases May 21st:

Thunderous applause extinguishes her dream and ignites her worst nightmare.

Clara Reinhold’s father publicly pledges her hand to Georg Wolff. His character and arrogance match the stench of his odious cigars, but his lineage offers a suitable alliance for the station of a baron’s daughter.

A charades clue years earlier turned friendship into a promise of forbidden marriage between Clara and family carriage driver, Daniel Becker.

If she refuses Georg and follows her heart, her father disowns her and she loses everything—her loving family, dear friends, and the only home she’s known.

As a tangled web of scandal and deceit unwinds, hidden motives and illicit activities emerge among an unsuspecting ring of players changing everything but nobility’s rules. 

How will justice be served?

How will Clara and Daniel overcome obstacles to claim a future beyond that of a charade?

Talking about goals and books!

Jen – I’m also a hybrid. I try to plot, but I’m more a pantser. So, share your goals with us!

Lynn – Where we and our family came from and how we arrived where we are today, there’s a story in each of us. A recurring theme to me as I wrote Tangled Promises focuses on this verse: The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all. ~Proverbs 22:2

In a world so shattered by differences, God calls us to see we’re all the same in His eyes. From the unborn baby to kings in the land, we’re all cherished by Him. He calls us to forgiveness and love.

Jen – I love that. It’s so true. What books do you like to read?

Lynn – The first fiction book I loved: Nurse Nancy (a Little Golden book). I enjoyed the story over and over, but never desired to be a nurse. Maybe it was those band-aids that came with the book.

Joanna Spyri’s Heidi became a childhood favorite. My personal library included a copy and I read and reread it many times. Tangled Promises includes a nod to the 1881 story. When I read it again while writing the book, I realized it would have qualified for Christian Fiction had those genres been a thing in the 19th century.

I’m typically reading a non-fiction (devotional or research) book and novel at the same tiem. Historical Fiction is my go-to genre. I won’t begin to list my favorites, because I would unwittingly leave some of the best out.

There are so many great craft books on writing. I’m never without the Emotion Thesaurus collection (Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi) and Body Beats to Build On (April Gardner) close by while I write.

Lynn’s platform:

Jen – The Emotion Thesaurus is always on my desk and I use it constantly! Tell us about your platform.

Lynn – I have several links:

• My website
• Newsletter sign up
• Facebook
• Facebook Readers Group
• Instagram
• BookBub
• Goodreads

Fun facts!

Jen – Share some fun facts your readers would love to know! Tea or coffee? Favorite season? Favorite Bible verse?

Lynn – Coffee for sure! Autumn has always been my favorite season maybe because I’m an October baby. But Spring comes in a close second. Who can resist the azaleas, dogwoods, and daffodils!

A couple Bible verses come to mind as favorites. I’ll share this passage because it’s a constant encouragement/reminder that we never outgrow His life in us allowing us to spread His truth and love.

The righteous person will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courtyards of our God. They will still yield fruit in advanced age; They will be full of sap and very green, To declare that the Lord is just; He is my rock, and there is no malice in Him. ~Psalm 92:12-15 (NASB)

Thanks Lynn for being on my blog! If you are an author and want to be on my blog, comment on this post!

Read A Guide to Setting SMART Goals for Writers, then follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram, and subscribe to my newsletter to keep up with news about my book and any special offers! Be sure you grab your FREE 10-step checklist to plan your novel when you subscribe!

Hi, I’m Jen! I’ve been married for over 37 years, have 5 amazing kids and 3 adorable grandkids. I homeschooled our three youngest children, and I used to blog about homeschooling. I also taught Oral Communication as an adjunct instructor for over 5 years.

Jen Dodrill Writes is born of a passion of mine – to write a novel! My first cozy mystery – Birds Alive! – released Feb. 27, 2024!

When I’m not working, you’ll find me writing, spending time with my family, or curled up on the couch reading and drinking a mug of dark roast coffee. (Don’t forget to check out my mug shop – JDMugs!)