Part I Interview with Jennifer Lane, author of Streamline

Welcome Jennifer Lane, the author of the book, Streamline. This is her first YA novel. Here's to hoping she'll continue writing in that genre!

Goodreads book description: Seems like Leo Scott has it all: looks, brains, and athletic talent. He's captain of his high school swim team with a bright future in college and beyond. But Leo has secrets. His mother's crippling car accident has devastated his family and left Leo to deal with his father's abuse, battered and alone.

Leo's girlfriend Audrey Rose is poised for her own share of success. As one of Florida's top high school swimmers, Audrey dreams of college swimming stardom. But there's an obstacle to her glorious rise to the top. Her number-one supporter-her father-is in prison for murder.

Part murder mystery, part tale of young love in a military family, this gripping story takes readers on a journey from Pensacola to Annapolis. Leo and Audrey must band together to rise above the adversity they encounter and find their true selves in the process. When everything's on the line . . . streamline.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Amazon Review: Streamline Review

 

Author Blurb: People fascinate the psychologist/author (psycho author) known as Jennifer Lane. Her therapy clients talk to her all day long about their dreams and secrets, and her characters tell her their stories at night. Jen delights in peeling away the layers to scrutinize their psyches and emotions. But please rest assured, dear reader, she isn’t psychoanalyzing you right now. She’s already got too many voices in her head.

Stories of redemption interest Jen the most, especially the healing power of love and empathy. She is the author of The Conduct Series—-romantic suspense for adult readers—-and is currently at work on the third and final installment: On Best Behavior. Streamline is her first foray into writing for young adults, but she’s found this sort of writing even more fun. A former college swimmer, Jen was able to put a lot of her own experiences into this book.

Part I Author Interview
1. I know this is your first YA book. Can you tell us what your experience was like writing in the YA genre for the first time?

Although I had two adult books published before Streamline, this is actually the first novel I wrote -- it's deeply personal. I love YA and NA because there's so much change and occurring in the transition to adulthood. My favorite teenagers are book smart but have a lot to learn emotionally -- maybe because they remind me of myself. ;-)

Writing YA is pure fun but it's trickier than it looks to write a "streamlined" story. I hadn't read much YA before writing this story and I'm learning a lot as I try to catch up. Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry awes me with its brilliance.

2. As a pediatrician, I unfortunately have seen child abuse with the perpetrator being a family member. Can you tell us a little about what inspired you to write this story and what influences you had (people, books, etc) that helped you shape it?

That must be so hard, Christina. I chose not to become a child psychologist because I thought it would be too painful to witness innocent children as the victims of family dysfunction. But I am a psychologist for adolescents and adults, and all too often I see the aftereffects of abuse. I also revel in the resilience of my clients to heal from such abuse. I specialize in writing romantic suspense featuring healing and redemption to share those amazing experiences with the reader.

3. Who was your favorite character and why? Did any of the characters surprise you and make decisions that you didn't anticipate? Have any real life people inspired characters in this book?

Though I put poor Leo through complete hell, he is my favorite character. I cried a lot writing his abuse and therapy scenes. He makes countless mistakes, yet he is full of integrity.

Leo's father Commander Scott is the one who surprised me most as I wrote the novel. Turns out Leo's mother might not have been the only one who taught him integrity.

My friend Amy inspired Detective Amy Easton. A college teammate inspired the character of Alex. And Elaine might be just a tad autobiographical?

Tune in tomorrow for the rest of this awesome interview!

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