We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Darcy Flynn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Darcy below.

Alright, Darcy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Definitely sooner. I wrote my first novel when I was in my early twenties with absolutely no idea how to write one, but I’d read so many that I figured I had the formula down, if nothing else. I’d always admired those who could write, and since I was between jobs I decided to give it a try. So I did. This was back in the early 80s when Harlequin and Silhouette publishers were looking for American romance writers. At the time they requested the entire manuscript, which was wonderful.
When I finished my book I sent it off with high expectations, but both houses rejected it. Harlequin sent a standard form letter, but Silhouette sent me a detailed letter complementing what I had gotten right and done well and then gave me advice on what I needed to work on. At the end the editor encouraged me to keep writing.
I still have that letter. I was 24 years old. At the time the mere fact that I had written a novel was enough for me. In hindsight, coupled with the advice in that letter, I realized some years later that I should’ve kept writing.

Over the next twenty years I wrote some for Thomas Nelson and articles for Christian magazines and the homeschool market. It wasn’t until my early fifties that I wrote my second novel, Keeper of My Heart. The first two publishers I sent it to rejected it but the third one loved it and published it in 2012. I guess when it came to writing novels I was a late bloomer, but a great reminder that it’s never too late to follow your dreams.

Darcy, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m an artist and have always been drawn to the arts. Although published in music and art and in the Christian nonfiction market, it was the empty nest that led me to writing romantic fiction full time. As an award-winning author I’m known for sweet contemporary romances. I love bringing my readers refreshing storylines, which are fun, humorous, and heartwarming. There’s always a feisty heroine and an irritatingly, handsome hero as well as secondary characters that delight and entertain.
In 2019, I took a slight turn in my story telling by writing my first romantic suspense, Stowaway. That year it won Best Mystery in InD’tale Magazine’s RONE Awards, (Reward of Novel Excellence).
I challenged my writing skills further with my most recent book, and one I’m most proud of, Flight Time. It’s a young adult time travel adventure with romantic elements.
All of my stories are clean, meaning there are no sex scenes or profanity in my books, making them age appropriate for teenagers and up.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me it’s the thrill, the anticipation in creating the story, although it is difficult work, it’s the initial thoughts bouncing around in my head that lead to creating the story that I love. Sometimes it starts with a single thought about something. My first novel, Keeper of my Heart, grew from my own love of lighthouses. I put all of my love of those silent sentinels in my heroine’s heart.
It can be an actual thing, an object that I look at and say, what if? What if that Cessna 150 could be a means of time travel? As in my young adult adventure, Flight Time. Sometimes the story in my head starts with a song on my playlist. Or maybe it’s a place, like a small town, which led to creating my fictitious small fishing village, Apalacha Key, in my novel, Hawke’s Nest.
My romantic suspense, Stowaway, started with my love of the sea and ships. Most of my ideas come to me when I’m taking a walk on my farm in Franklin, TN. That’s the really fun part for me…coming up with the idea, then developing it…creating a place and people with problems and then discovering how to solve those problems and bring the two together.
For years I was a watercolor artist and writing a novel is similar, as with both mediums you start with a blank piece of paper. Sometimes the blank page can look scary, but not for me. When I look at that blank page I tell myself, “I get to write today!”

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Many years ago, my uncle, a U.S. Air Force pilot, left Eglin Air Force Base and never returned. He and his airplane were never found. I started writing Flight Time in his memory creating a fun story about a teenage girl, a pilot, and the granddaughter of a pilot. On her solo flight, she ends up 40 years back in time. Through an act of providence she meets her young pilot grandfather. When she realizes this is the week he and his aircraft disappear she does everything she can to save his life.
Several weeks into writing this book a young lady very close to my family, got sick and died within a few weeks of her illness. Because of what she died of I knew that if I could’ve gone back in time, I could’ve saved her life. I was so brokenhearted over her death I couldn’t write for nine months.
Writing and finishing this book was the most difficult writing challenge in my life. When I finally decided to start back, I cried on and off through the writing journey, allowing my heartache and brokenness to bleed into the pages, and into the heart of my very determined young heroine.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://darcyflynnromances.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joydarcyauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarcyFlynnAuthor
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/darcyflynn
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/dflynnauthor/