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Welcome to the Tuesday Author Interview with Christina Boyd for the Who, What, When, Where, and Why.
CHRISTINA: Surprise! Usually my author interviews run on Tuesdays, but this special interview runs Monday as it’s Thanksgiving Week.
Recently, I have been sticking my toes in the waters of other social media platforms and finding my author community. In October, I saw on Threads two Publishers Marketplace announcements for author Lyn Liao Butler. Her agent had sold two of her books to different publishers, and I was instantly curious about this emerging author. Imagine my delight when she agreed to this interview!
When did you first think you had a book to write and how did you start?
LYN: I woke up on January 1, 2015 and said, I’m going to write a book. I’ve always been an avid reader, reading sometimes five to seven books a week. But I never thought I could write an entire book. When I moved out of Manhattan to the suburbs in 2013, my friends wanted to know what I was doing in the country, so I started a blog. People told me they loved my stories, so I wrote a book in six months and started querying. No one had ever read it. It was terrible. I’m so embarrassed now, thinking that I sent that to agents, but at least it gave me a start and made me realize how much I love to write.
CHRISTINA: I loved that you just went for it but then grew enough to know you could do better.
If you were to revise any of your books, which would you choose and why?
LYN: I would revise my third book, Someone Else’s Life. I started off as an upmarket fiction author but during the pandemic, I was homeschooling a then eight-year-old, and it wasn’t going well. I was writing my third book at the time, and I started killing people in the book. Then there was a stalker, an accidental murder, then an intentional murder, and when I turned the book into my agent, she said, this isn’t feel-good family drama. This is a thriller. Oops. She sold it as a thriller, and I only had about six weeks to rewrite it. I didn’t know how to write thrillers at the time, but my developmental editor was amazing. Still, knowing what I know now, I wish I could go back and revise some scenes and move the pacing up.
CHRISTINA: I totally understand that. But surely that's part of the growth process.
What makes you get up in the morning? What do you love?
LYN: I have found the perfect balance for me in life. I am an author, a fitness and yoga instructor, and my family divides our time between New York and Kauai. I volunteer and foster for three animal rescues, and I love to sew (it’s like meditation for me). Life is hard, but I’ve found a balance that makes me love my life and, in turn, love my family better!
CHRISTINA: It's so liberating when you know who you are and what makes you happy. Better yet is when you find that fine balance to make it all work. You are one of the lucky ones, indeed. Well done, you.
Best advice for new writers:
LYN: Find your writing community—people who are at the same place as you who you can exchange work with and critique each other’s work, find people ahead of you who can mentor you or at least answer questions you may have, and surround yourself with people who are going through the same thing you are so you have a sounding board and can commiserate or celebrate together. Writing is a lonely and frustrating path, and I wouldn’t have survived it without my trusted group of close writing friends who are there through every bump, disappointment, and achievement. You can usually find a local authors group (I found mine on Meetup) or follow people who you think might be someone you can relate to on social media and build your community from there.
CHRISTINA: Yes, to all of that! Mentors, critique groups, community... I love, love, love my critique groups.
Have you gone on an author pilgrimage or research trip? Where and what was the most memorable moment?
LYN: Yes! All the time. I tell writers that if they have a dream destination, set your book there and then go for research and you can write off the trip! I was born in Taiwan but hadn’t been back in a long time. Part of my debut was set in Taiwan, so I took my whole family there for research. It was amazing to see my heritage again and experience the food that I remembered. I also love Kauai, so I set my third book there, and my family and I lived there for the winter of 2021, so I could research the book. It was the best decision we made during the pandemic.
CHRISTINA: I love that idea of writing a book set in a place you want to explore. Brilliant! I hope to meet you in person one day—maybe the next Kauai Writers Conference! Thanks so much for sharing your time and perspective. And congratulations on the coming books. That's exciting. By the way, your coin purses at your Etsy shop are adorable!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lyn Liao Butler is a Taiwanese American author of thrillers, upmarket fiction, and romcoms. Her most recent thriller, Someone Else’s Life, was an Amazon bestseller, and her second book, Red Thread of Fate, was a finalist in the WFWA Star Awards for 2023. Before becoming an author, she was a professional ballet and modern dancer and is still a fitness and yoga instructor.
Lyn divides her time between New York and Kauai with her FDNY husband, their son, one rescue dachshund, and a myriad of foster dogs. When not writing, you can find her sewing for her Etsy shop and trying complicated yoga poses on a stand-up paddle board. So far, she has not fallen into the water yet.
THE TIGER MOM'S TALE Berkley/PRH
RED THREAD OF FATE Berkley/PRH
SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE Thomas & Mercer
CRAZY BAO YOU LLB
WHAT IS MINE Thomas & Mercer
THE FOURTH DAUGHTER (Aug. 2025) Lake Union
Check out what's new in her Etsy shop Pinot by Lyn.
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