Interview With Author Lyndsey Kay
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve just written my debut novel and I’m working on a second but not sure if I’m going to finish.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest and only book is titled “How I Became the Real-Life Nurse Jackie” and the inspiration came from wanting to tell my story. So many people make assumptions based on what they perceive of others and they’re usually dead wrong. In my life and in my career, I’ve been judged and scapegoated. I’ve made a lot of mistakes but it got me here and made me who I am today. I became the real-life Nurse Jackie, but I’m not her anymore.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know what’s considered unusual, but I usually don’t think about what I’m writing before I write it. Words just flow for me. It’s always been that way since I could hold a pencil.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
V. C. Andrews was my favorite author growing up. I was reading her novels as a child and probably shouldn’t have been but I enjoyed their darkness. As I got older, I started reading more horror novels, and being from New Orleans, became a fan of Anne Rice. I like to read a lot of things, though. I’m not very picky.
What are you working on now?
My second book is a play on the meme “But Did I Kill You?” and my book is titled “But Did I?”. It’s about a travel nurse who begins leaving bodies in her wake and she can’t remember if she did anything to contribute to her patients’ deaths. The nursing board and other authorities begin to notice and she’s left trying to beat the clock to find out if it has been her fault or if it was just their time to go.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Promoting my books has been something I’ve been struggling with. I self-published my book and ran some small promotions but ultimately got scammed by a marketer. So I haven’t done much promoting.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Set a budget if you self-publish but try to get a literary agent and a traditional publishing contract if you can. I wish I had.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Not to regret the past.
What are you reading now?
A friend recommended The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson so I started reading that recently. It’s very dark and just my cup of tea!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Probably nothing, as I really don’t see myself finishing my second book since the first hasn’t been well-received. It was nice to be considered an author while it lasted though, having always been my dream.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s a hard one. I don’t think I could narrow it down to 3 or 4. Probably some Anne Rice novels, maybe some James Patterson or Michael McConnelly. I like to read a lot of different types of novels.
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