Cassy’s Corner: Today we are delighted to have Lindsay Downs spend time with us. Please chime in with our conversation.

Cassy: Lindsay, we welcome you to Mysteries and Margaritas! We appreciate your joining us- both today and with your frequent visits to our blog.

Lindsay: Cassy, before we start I’d like to thank you and the other three marvelous ladies here at Mysteries and that tequila drink blog for inviting me today. I must also admit that I’ve broken one of my most sacred of rules-working from home. I’m just glad there were enough country music video shows on to keep me entertained. Yeah, I’m a cheap date. Give me country music and I’m happy.

Cassy- Let's begin with the obvious. You are a man writing romance. Last year at the RWA National Convention, I think I saw maybe two other men among over 2200 women. Your picture made the paper. I've worked in a predominately male environment many times. It's not always easy being in the minority. And for you writing romance? Have you had any stories to tell about what that feels like?

Lindsay- I would have thought the obvious first question would have been-Why become a writer? The choices I had were—professional bull rider or author. Writing’s safer not to mention I get to hang around with some really cool people. Plus, I don’t have 2000 pound animal trying to stomp me to death. Reviewers do a good enough job on their own.

As for the second part of your question. I don’t really consider myself a man writing romance or suspense or mystery. I think of myself as a writer who happens to be a man. I still remember the very first conference I went to-April 2006, the New England Romance Writers conference. Talk about culture shock. I think I was the only man there who was a writer. Spouses don’t count. It’s been that way ever since. Finding myself in the minority. Try finding a bathroom at a conference for us guys. Not going to happen. The women take almost all of them over. But at the luncheon I get to be the token male at a table. And the ladies don’t treat me any differently because I’m one of them—an author.

This is just my gut feeling, but I think in the wild, wacky, crazy world of writers we tend to treat each other the same. Unlike, say the business or medical world where there’s a division between the sexes.

The biggest problem I have is with my name. Most people think that ‘Lindsay Downs’ is my W/A. I have been known to show the doubters my driver license. Ah yes, my picture in the Washington Post, the one I’d like to sometimes forget. Full color. Section 3 front page, at the fold. Not as good as being above the fold but that spot was taken up by a tiny black and white of a famous newscaster who’d recently died. My picture was taken at the 2009 Literacy signing at the National conference. I’d had a suspicion a photographer would search me out since I was schedule to be interviewed the next day by a Post reporter. At least she quoted me correctly. If any of you saw the full picture, not the one that pops in when I comment, you will most certainly, at least a certain four ladies who will remain nameless but have a supercool blog, will surely recognize the incredible Christine Witthohn.

Cassy- Your work has a strong military connection. You have tough, but caring characters. Can you talk about your background and what leads you to use the military as your hook?

Lindsay- When you read my books you’ll see an interesting recurring theme. In my two currently published works, Somewhere in North Africa and Angel From Above, which can be found in the Operation: LOVE anthology, more on both later so pour another cup of coffee and be patient, I wrote them with one goal in mind. The heroine saves the hero. This idea, concept or whatever you want to call it, has become prevalent in all my books. You will also see the same theme in Angel in Green, in the Every Beat of My Heart anthology, due out later this year.

In these three books, both main characters are in the Army, well except for the hero in Somewhere in North Africa, he’s Navy so we don’t talk about him. Go Army, Beat Navy. Sorry, I’m an Army kind of guy.

People ask why I have such strong female characters. I guess we could go back to my father, who was a Naval officer, two strikes against him, met my mother, an Army nurse, one point for, one against-she was an officer also, met during WWII. When I blessed them with my glorious presence Mom was the one that controlled everything basically. Sure Dad had his say, but being a Medieval history professor, boring and third point against, he usually deferred to Mom.

Many, many years later, like the past five or six, when I started reading romance again, I noticed one theme running through almost if not all the books. Both the heroine and hero were strong. She’d get into some kind of trouble and he’d have to save her.

Wrong. My women characters are smarter than that. She could be a nurse in Vietnam. A medivac pilot during Desert Storm. A French resistance leader. A weapons helicopter test pilot. Each one of these women is strong. They have to be to do what they do. As strong, if not stronger than the hero. I used to, and still do at times, refer to my heroines as ALPHA++ where the hero is alpha+. When I explained how I wrote my heroine to a friend she simplified the process. She told me I empowered them.

My heroines can face gun fire from the North Vietnam army, Iraqi soldiers, German troops or sociopathic terrorists and come out on top. You’ve got to admit it, I sincerely hope, that behind every good man is a great woman. Actually, she’s usually beside him whispering in his ear what to do.

Please, don’t think that all my heroines are in the Army. In Target Identified, the first in the Target series, the heroine isn’t. She’s the weapons system helicopter test pilot. One of only a few civilians certified to fly the Army’s Blackhawk. And in a WIP Simone, she is the leader of a French resistance group during WWII.

My background with the military is the cavalry. Yes, ladies, horse mounted cavalry still exits. At least in Connecticut. I was, for over nine years, a member of the First Company Governor’s Horse Guards. The unit is part of the CT Army National Guard. I retired out with the rank of Sergeant, so don’t call me ‘Sir’, I worked for a living. Between 1^st Horse and an ‘unknown where it comes from,’ I’ve developed a love for the Army.

Cassy- Tell us about your writing schedule. You work full-time, you have lots going on and still you keep producing your stories. I always want to hear about how people put it all together.

Lindsay-Due to security concerns, I’m not able to tell you where I work or exactly what my job is. The best part I have the time to be able to write while working for anywhere from 4-6 hours a day.

On weekends you can most often find me at my local Starbucks writing. Actually, that’s where I am right now doing this interview. Well, you’ve guessed my secret. I don’t work at home. And yes, as we all know, writing is work. A work to take seriously. It’s not that I can’t write at home, well I sort of can’t, it’s I don’t want to. I want and need a place where I can relax, read and watch TV. Even working on a scene plot or a plot point for the current or next book in the Target series. It’s as if I can’t turn my mind off from what I’m writing. Does that get frustrating? No. Does not turning the mind off drive me crazy? No. I’m already crazy. Got to be if I’m an author.

Whenever possible I always have a recorder with me so I can save the thought(s) for later.

Cassy- You have written a number of stories. Can you give us the blurbs and tell us where we can find them?

Lindsay- Of the stories I have out now and all the ones to follow I think the one that will always be the most special is Somewhere in North Africa.

Algeria had been invaded by the Allies. Victoria Jackson, Army nurse, never saw a different invasion coming her way in the form of Navy officer Scott Murphy. Separated by the misfortunes of war, including reassignment to different posts, and the horrors of a torpedoed ship, will Scott and Vicki ever be able to make a life together?

It’s near and dear to my heart not because the story was my first contract and pitched on a whim. Or because the story was nominated for a CAPA for best historical in 2009, or because of the fantastically unique review it got. Somewhere in North Africa will hold a warm spot in my heart because the story was one that had been gnawing around in me for years.

As I like to tell people, it’s a romanticized, well not really, name changed, definitely, glorified, for the story plot, version of my parents meeting and getting married during WWII. If you like a story with a surprise endings then Somewhere in North Africa will suit you.

Angel From Above

As part of the coalition forces sent to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield, Lt. Cristal Johnson expects to encounter many things, but love isn’t one of them.

Repeatedly being called to duty running recon missions in Iraq and Kuwait, Lt. Paul Stevens has little time for affairs of the heart. Cristal attempts a daring rescue of Paul and his A-team from Iraqi soldiers. Will she and her Iron Maiden copter crew safely bring them out of harm’s way and will love triumph?

Last year, in January to be exact, I was asked by a publisher friend if I’d be interested in participating in a unique project. The project was a five story anthology representing each of the US armed forces. She was aware of my writing stories with an Army influence, since she already had one, and asked if would I be interested in doing one with Special Forces as the focus. Of course I said yes.

When I’d written the first Army story, Angel in Green, for her I’d already planned a series spanning multiple characters and years. Seems I can’t write a single title, even in shorts. Well, my bad, there is one exception, Somewhere in North Africa, but in a sense that might not be a single title, I’ll let you decide. Anyway, I did some math, with a calculator and realized the heroine and hero in the first story would have a daughter old enough to fight in Desert Storm. Thus the story was born.

This story plus the other four, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard are in the anthology Operation: LOVE.

Both Somewhere in North Africa and Operation: LOVE can be found through my website- www.lindsaydowns.com.

Note of interest regarding Operation: LOVE. A portion of the sale of the book will be donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. While you’re visiting my website don’t forget to pick up a free e-book, A Special English Rose. A sweet romance set in England during WWI.

Cassy- What comes next for you? I'm talking about your writing! You and Kebi are always on an expedition of some sorts (you can let people know who Kebi is). What is the work in progress?

Lindsay- I’m glad you put in ‘about your writing’ because my sanity could very well top the list. Not. I’ll stay the way I am. It’s more fun. Writing wise- As I mentioned earlier I’m working of the final edits to the first in the Target series of suspense books, Target Identified.

A weapons system, helicopter-test pilot, used to dealing with danger on a daily basis, finds herself out of control, when her father is kidnapped by a sociopathic terrorist bent on revenge. Not sure at first who to trust, she discovers an unlikely ally in the army sniper who was the last person to see her brother alive.

With this one finished I’ve already started plotting the second in the series, Target Acquired. Unlike the first book, which takes place in the US the second will be set in England.

Cassy, I see you asked about Kebi, the wonder dog. He’s a nine year old rescue collie who could pass for Lassie, if he ever woke up. I adopted him when he was about 18 months old. To this date he still has periods of extreme nervousness and shyness so he doesn’t travel with me. I’m lucky to have a neighbor who cares for him when I’m at conferences because I refuse to put him in a kennel. The trauma would probably kill him and for a hero that’s not good.

To balance out the suspense, death, murder and terrorists in my WIP I decided to include him (Kebi) in the book. Years ago I learned that in any good drama there should be a little comedy. One word. Kebi.

Cassy- When you are writing, what are the challenges that you consider the greatest? Is it the initial writing? is it the editing? Or, what?

Lindsay- To be honest, for a change, I think the greater challenge is the edit process. I write in layers which means coming back to fill in the scene with more detail-sky, clouds, sun if outside. Or finish describing a room the characters are in. Then, being careful not to give too much information at once but spread descriptions out over the length of the book. For example-the apartment where the heroine lives. There are several different scenes that take place there so I have to decide what to show the readers so they don’t get an info dump. If the scene calls for the character to sit on the couch-that gets described with only a quick overview of other parts of the room. The same holds true for what a person is wearing. Since the book doesn’t take place in a nudist colony, damn, everyone has some form of clothes on. That’s a given. So why waste words describing what they’re wearing, unless it’s important for the scene.

Even though the books I write are fiction there are references to mention military weapons, procedures and equipment. I try to maintain as much accuracy as possible in my writing. To that end I research extensively but there might be time when I get something incorrect. I also have a fairly large network of current and former soldiers I can call on to clarify information.

Where can you find me- I’m on Facebook and MySpace besides the website. I’m still trying to figure out how to Tweet so bear with me.

Conferences- October 22-23-New Jersey Romance Writers; November 12-14 New England Crime Bake.

In closing, yes I’m going to finally shut up, thanks again for inviting me to grace your blog.

BTW-love the new masthead.

Cassy- Lindsay, thanks for taking the time to be with us today. And, thanks for the compliment about our new masthead. All four of us had a blast doing it. Folks, Lindsay will be in and out of the blog during the day, so send your questions and comments along.