A Day in the Life of a Harlequin Author…starts early!
Hi, all! I’m Kristine Lynn, author of seven Harlequin Medical romances. All that writing entails—the drafting, connecting with other authors and my lovely critique partners, even revising! —is a big part of my day.
But I’m also a full-time college English teacher in the Pacific Northwest, so when I half-joked about my day starting early, it’s because in order for me to meet my writing goals for the day, I’ve got to be at my computer before six a.m., long before my job or daughter need my attention. My daily goals might be different: I might work on a new novel for a week straight, then get an email outlining pressing editorial changes to a book already with the publisher, so I have to switch projects.
Before allll of that, though… coffee. I have a Nespresso machine, which is easy and just the way I like it—vanilla soy milk and two shots of espresso, with a dash of cinnamon on top. 😉
While I sip on liquid motivation that will get me through four college classes and a thousand words of new writing, I grab some cereal and brainstorm a bit.
Then, it’s time to write. I’ve got so many ideas from my note-taking session, I’m excited to get them all down. My computer has a small walking treadmill beneath it (a necessity on the coast of Oregon, a temperate maritime rainforest where it is dark and wet most of the winter) and plenty of space for my traveling mug of coffee.
It’s also got a sign taped to it from when I was waiting to hear back on my first Harlequin contract. It reads, “It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.”
I write until around seven, when it’s time to get ready for work and to take my daughter to her life as a high school thespian.
My first class of the day is an introduction to college writing. My students range in age and life experience from still in high school to retired and chasing new dreams. I go on to teach a college skills course, followed by a fiction workshop, capping off my long day with film studies. That’s this term—next term, it rotates to poetry and literary publishing courses.
It’s busy, but throughout the day, I find pockets of time to go for a walk on the track with my notes app open so I can write, or just sit at my desk and crank out some more pages. And there is definitely tea. More caffeine is necessary after lunch!
At home with my daughter, we share stories about our days—hers related to friends and theater, and mine about my fictional characters and students. We might read together before bed (as you can see, my TBR is out of control), or catch up on the latest holiday rom com. Then, it’s off to bed to start all over again tomorrow. And you know what? I’m already looking forward to it.
Questions or want to connect? Reach out to me on socials or email me at kristinelynnauthor@gmail.com
When two rival colleagues share the same devastating loss, can they get over their differences and heal each other’s hearts? Find out in Kristine Lynn’s latest Harlequin Medical Romance – A Kiss with the Irish Surgeon!
Surgeon Sorcha is devastated when Patrick is given the chief of surgery position at Boston General that she’s worked her whole career for. Especially as she’s always resented him for whisking his late wife—her best friend—away to Ireland just when Sorcha needed her most! Still, if Sorcha is to get the green light on the clinical trial that means everything to her, she must work with Patrick. Which leads her to discover that this single dad is a lot more lovable than she ever imagined…
A Kiss with the Irish Surgeon is out now! Check it out on Harlequin.com
