Today I want to introduce myself to you in a round-a-bout way, by talking about an authoress friend of mine,
Lynna Banning. She’s smart, hardworking and very successful.
Her historical romantic novels are inspiring to say the least!
Ten years ago when I aspired to be an author,
despite having no apparent knowledge, ability or training,
I went to Lynna with my first chapter.
Being an honest-to-goodness editor and author,
she tore it to pieces. She ripped out whole paragraphs,
slashed my cutesy clichés with a red pencil and asked me
if I was writing for a lark. She wrote comments,
corrections and concerns all over my hard work.
It felt like Mohammad Ali had smacked me in the chin.
Fortunately I had enough sense to know
she was right. I put aside my hurt feelings and concentrated
on the great service Lynna had done for me.
She taught me in one chapter what all my teachers never
came close to teaching.
It was tough love, and ten years and seven books later I am
still so very thankful to this great lady—great author!
Lynna Banning
Lynna Banning was born in Oregon, but has lived in Northern California
most of her life. She embarked on her first career as an editor and technical
writer for Stanford Research Institute and later for Lockheed. She also
taught English and journalism at Santa Cruz High School. After 30-plus
years as professional editor, in 1993 she retired early, and began
writing fiction. Her first novel, Western Rose, was published by
Harlequin Historicals in 1996. In 2007, she published her first medieval,
Crusader’s Lady, set during the Third Crusade, a departure from the Westerns
for which she is well known. She combines a lifelong love of history and
literature into a satisfying career as a writer. Currently Lynna lives in Felton,
near Roaring Camp in the Santa Cruz Mountains,
with her two canaries. An amateur pianist and harpsichordist,
she performs on psaltery, harp, and recorders with two medieval music
groups and coaches ensembles in her spare time.
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