Welcome to V. Lynne Murray!
Lynne, you and I have never met, so please fill us all in about yourself, where you’re from/grew up/live now, what you do for fun, if you work at “day job” what do you do that may impact your writing, favorite pet/color/movie /book/actress/actor—you know, all that stuff that makes you interesting!
I grew up in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, and lived there until I was in my early forties. I studied piano instruction at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Univ. of Toronto, and spent almost 30 years teaching music privately. During those years I also composed music and was the Music Director of a Lutheran Church for over 20 years. Basically music was the primary focus of my life. But I had another side as well of producing a holistic magazine and focusing on environmental rights, animal rights and Native American rights.
On a deeper level, I studied spiritual and psychic development and meditation, and taught classes on those topics for about 10 years. As an animal lover, I supported several cats, a couple of dogs, a horse, at least one or two cows and a sheep. I spent my off-hours—when I wasn’t teaching something—at various farms with friends and various critters.
When I left Ontario, I went to Oregon first and then on to British Columbia. I currently live in South Surrey with my husband, our two cats and dog, Liam.
My day job, besides keeping the home front from falling into chaos, is editing for MuseItUp Publishing, a Canadian online publishing house. I have been with them for a couple of years now and thoroughly enjoy that line of work.
My dear friend, author Nancy M. Bell—another editor with Muse—pushed me into the job and has been a great inspiration for me to get my own work published.
I think my biggest fault and best quality is that I love to help promote others and so spend way too much time helping other authors and not enough time promoting my own work and doing my own writing.
Favourites:
Pet: Liam dog,
Cissy kitty, 
and Lloyd cat 
Colour: pale pink
Movie: Thunderheart I have probably seen the movie 50 times. My other favourite is The Last of The Dogmen I could watch it over and over.
Book: “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay Amazing book. Just affected me to my very core.
Actor: Val Kilmer
Actress: Shirley MacLaine
Author: Diana Gabaldon What can I say? LOL Still hoping for movies of her stuff.
When and why did you begin writing?
I wrote my first book when I was four, illustrated the story with crayon drawings, stapled the book together myself and gave it to my dad as a gift. It measured about four inches in length and two inches in height.
Awwwwww!
I guess I started writing because I felt internally compelled. Stories were always part of my life. My dad and mom read books out loud to us and I just loved the written word. I actually wanted to be a journalist when I was young.
What is your genre?
Poetry is my greatest love. I also like the short story, but am writing more than one novel and several non-fiction books as well.
What’s your process? Seat of pantser, well-devised outliner?
I just hear the start, feel the compulsion to write and go for it. If I hear the whole plot at the same time, I will write it out in point form and also write any dialogue or specific lines that come to me.
I will flesh out characters with pages on just them and describe everything about them including their appearance etc.
What other writer inspires you? Your work?
Most authors inspire me. Anyone who has anything in print inspires me because it is so much work and is an amazingly commendable thing to do: write a book and get it published. But I love great visual descriptions. My friend Nancy M. Bell who wrote “Laurel’s Miracle” and a few others, writes the most amazing descriptions.
What is your favorite work by you? And why is it your fav?
My favourite work by me are the five I am working on right now: a non-fiction spiritual book, a series of short stories, a winter collection of poetry, a psychological novella and a middle grade fiction novel. Why? I just get so caught up in the work, and it’s plain fun.
WOW! That’s a full plate! Where does your character inspiration come from?
People I have known and people I wish existed.
What’s your best/worst experience as a writer?
Best would be the day I first was published.
Worst would be the day after, when I realized I had a million other stories in me and needed to be fourteen people to accomplish the task.
Lots of us have been right there with you! Lynne, as writers we all get advice—whether we ask for it or not. What’s the best/worst writing advice you ever got?
Write every single day. That goes for music, prose and poetry. Don’t remember any bad advice.
You have no idea how lucky you are! (Laughing here) What is your latest work?
My published work is a short story called “A Hallowe’en Tale”.
The back cover description is:
…It’s the most exciting night of the year in their town, as Olivia and friends prepare for the annual Hallowe’en celebration
When the teens set off for the party, Olivia’s mother asks them not to take the rural back lane to the old southern mansion where the event is to be held. Ignoring her mother’s request, they find themselves crashing into trees in the near darkness before reaching the rear grounds of the mansion.
When a gallows suddenly appears out of nowhere, the teens realize they may be about to witness a hanging. Could this be the ghost of Olivia’s ancestor? The one executed for witchcraft? Olivia’s stubborn curiosity overwhelms her friends’ fear, and she leads them into an adventure the teens could never have foreseen when they encounter a glimpse into history.
Here’s a photo of me with my husband at the launch party, complete with bat and parrot!
Linda Rae Blair, Author 
How exciting!
What a great interview Lynne. I now know why you and I get along so well as my editor. It’s because so much of what you like, I also like. You have had a very full and interesting life and are so multi-talented. I think I’m jealous. I loved your witch’s costume too!
Great interview. I also love the movie Thunderheart, though I would say I’ve only seen it perhaps three or four times. Curious what part of Oregon you lived in..I’m a native born Oregonian whose lived in several locations.
That was a beautiful first interview!
Thank you.
HI Ed, glad you liked the interview. We lived in Fairview, just outside of Gresham. Right near the Columbia Gorge. Great scenery out there. Love Oregon. Wonderful clean and environmentally conscious place. Thunderheart is a great picture, eh? I could watch it over and over again. If you haven’t seen Last of the Dogmen, you should try to get it. Fantastic film. It’s got Tom Berenger and Barbara Hershey in it. Really thougth provoking movie. Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks Tammy. Glad you enjoyed it.
HI Linda! Thanks for the fun interview. It’s been a pleasure.;o)