Yay, I snagged Lyn Gardner for a mini-interview! Ice is one of the best and most entertaining lesbian fiction novels I’ve read recently. This is what I had to say about it after I’d just finished it.

Talk about unputdownable… I stayed up half the night reading this. I can not recommend it enough. Ice had everything. Action. Hot characters. Suspense. A thrilling story line. Excellent dialogue. Romance. And… a couple of very moistening sex scenes.

As you might have guessed, I’m thrilled to have Lyn Gardner tell us some more about her bestselling indie book. Here we go.

1. Sell us your book in one sentence.
Ice is written for the romantic, and in its pages, you’ll discover one woman’s stubbornness, and another’s tenacity, but you’ll also discover a smile and a pang… and a passion that will flame for eternity.

2. Favourite line (or paragraph) from Ice.

During the ride to the airport, Alex Blake had made herself a promise. She would not push buttons. She would not start an argument, cast a dirty look, or make a derogatory comment. However, defense mechanisms are just that: ways of preventing people from getting too close or from seeing the truth, and as far as Alex was concerned, she had no intention of allowing Campbell to do either. Alex had learned her lesson the hard way, and even though she thought Maggie was the most beautiful woman that she had ever laid eyes on, the woman was undeniably straight. End of subject. Time to push buttons.

3. Last book that blew you away?
This is the part where I’m going to sound very boring, because I haven’t read a book in years. I’m a focused woman, so when I have a hobby all my interest is in it, and past hobbies never gave me the time to read. However, there is one book that did blow me away, but probably not in the way you may think. Many years ago, I was sitting in my apartment reading Stephen King’s The Shining. It was late at night, and back then I read quite a bit, so it was no big deal to stay up until all hours devouring a novel. The only problem was Mr. King’s words scared the shite out of me. I mean, I was reading a book. A book! Something easily closed and put aside, but his writing was so vivid that I got pulled into that story and into that fear. So much, I had to get up to make sure all the doors and windows were locked, along with turning on some lights. LOL
That was the first time I realized the power of a book. I mean, yeah, who hasn’t been turned on by erotica or vivid passion, but fear… that’s something different. That’s something special. I’ve only been writing for five years, but what Mr. King did in his pages is what I want to do. I want to suck the reader into the ink. Into the cabin or the cold or the love and make them feel what my characters are feeling. Yeah, I’d have to say that was the book that blew me away.

4. Which celebrity is at number one of your imaginary to-do list?
Not that I have a list like that, but if I had to pick at this moment, I’d say Diane Lane. I think the older she gets, the more beautiful she becomes and there’s this playfulness in her eyes. Have you ever noticed? Just this youthful, giggly-girl playfulness and combined with the confidence that comes with age… well, that’s a lethal combination in my book.

5. What’s your favourite sexy song?
The one that comes to mind is Fallin’ by Alicia Keys. I’m very visual, so when I hear a song I like, I can see a scene in it and that one calls up images of nakedness in the shadows. Their skin glistening with sweat, their moves slow, melodic… hot… neither needing to rush because the journey is too sweet to miss a moment of it.

6. What are you most proud of?
The fact that Ice and Mistletoe were #1 and #2 on Amazon for over three weeks in December 2012. I stuck to my guns and I turned down a publishing contract because I wanted the words on the page to be my own, rather than what someone thought they should be. For the books to reach that pinnacle, without a publisher, without a professional editing staff, and following not one suggestion that they offered during discussions… hell, that just made me smile.

7. Who’s your favourite TV Character?
Once again – a boring answer – because I don’t watch TV. Okay, I catch up on Grey’s Anatomy when I get the chance, but I work full-time, so my free time is usually spent on writing. However, since I got my start in fan fiction, I’d have to say that it’s a tie between Nikki and Helen. 🙂

8. Which author’s books are a must-read?
If you’re asking about lesbian fiction, Jeanette Winterson and Sarah Waters – hands down. If you’re asking overall, I think I’d want to support the independents and read Hugh Howey’s Wool and something by Amanda Hocking. And there’s this erotica writer – Harper Bliss – she’s read mine, so I seriously need to read hers. 🙂

9. Anything else you want us to know?
I’m living a dream, and I’d like to thank everyone out there who’s purchased my books. They’ve been so kind in their comments and reviews, (okay, most of them – we all know we can’t please everyone – damn it) and the dozens of emails I’ve received have brought smiles to my face. I’m an independent author with no clue how to self-promote or advertise, so I attribute whatever success comes my way to the readers who’ve gone out of their way to make me feel welcome and to talk about my books.

10. What’s next for you?
I’m working on a novel called Give Me a Reason. It’s not what I would call your typical love story; although its pages will contain romance… trust me. 🙂
GMAR (which is what I affectionately call it) is a book about a woman who struggles every day to take her next breath because she’s terrified of the world around her. Her past has left scars, both physical and mental, and the story revolves around her learning to live again, to trust again, to love again, and to face her demons when they appear.

11. Bonus question: How does it feel to have written a lesfic bestseller? 😉
Thank you for the compliment! It’s so hard to believe, but when I allow myself to think about what I’ve done – no – what Ice has done, it’s a f*cking kick in the pants. It really is.
I had to open Ice on my Kindle to grab my favorite paragraph for this interview a few minutes ago, and I’ve got to tell you – OMG, I’ve written a book! That’s my first thought – every flipping time – I’ve written a book! I don’t know if you grow numb to seeing your name on the pages of Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or finding yourself mentioned on Goodreads or in someone’s blog, but for me it’s still jaw-dropping. I seriously don’t think it’s really sunk in, but I am so enjoying this ride.

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You can find Lyn Gardner on her blog, her website, or Facebook.