God Father's Day with Lynda Rees

The Write Way Café welcomes Lynda Rees to talk about her recent suspense novel God Father’s Day.


Thanks for joining us today, Lynda. Congratulations on your release of God Father’s Day.

Thanks for having me. It’s a pleasure being here. Yes, release of God Father’s Day is doing well.

How did you come up with the hook for the story?
It’s interesting that frequently people know very little about their parents and heritage. They’re Mom and Dad who dedicated their lives to ensuring we had wonderful childhoods, made beautiful memories and learned to become happy, productive adults. Rarely do people dig deeper to understand the person behind the parenting façade.

I have a fascination about how history impacts lives of people today. Before you existed they led lives having nothing to do with you. That tiny bit of history can be shocking. At least it can be interesting and maybe help us understand them and ourselves better. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a huge historic event. Past everyday lives of those we love come with incredible revelations, sometimes explaining how or why our own lives played out.

Why a setting in rural Kentucky at a lakeside fishing resort?
I’m a big fishing enthusiast. Anything to do with water brings a smile to my face. I set the story at this small, family resort because I’ve found these places are almost always quiet and low drama. It is the most unexpected location for a mobster hitman to make an appearance.

Why the mob hook?
I grew up in Northern Kentucky during the 1970’s when the FBI stepped in and shut down organized crime in several major cities across the country. Until that time The Cleveland Mob ran Newport, Kentucky. It was a mecca for illegal alcohol, gambling and prostitution. Famous people came from around the globe to entertain or be entertained. The town prospered. When the FBI went after gangsters in charge, they ended Newport’s shady activities.

I thought about how the unsavory business would impact descendants of those involved. How did people turn their lives around or escape wearing concrete shoes at the bottom of the Ohio or Licking River? How did their families feel about their pasts?

Your characters Justin and Becky don’t believe in love, yet you’ve thrown them together.
Justin doesn’t believe in traditional, fairy-tale, forever-type love. Love is a figment of the imagination—a trick nature plays to enable procreation and a continuation of the species. He doesn’t want or expect to engage in such a thing. He plans to marry for the right reasons—position, money and power.

Becky, on the other hand, fears males. She’s been hurt and built a protective wall around her heart shielding her and her family. She’s afraid to risk caring for any man.

It sounds like they’ve experienced loss and been hurt.
Yes, losing his mother as a teen devastated both Justin and his dad. Witnessing his father’s agony, he swore he’d never subject himself to such pain. Justin’s an attorney and has seen enough divorce to believe love never really lasts anyway.

As the oldest, Becky’s been responsible for her other siblings since her parents died when she was young. Terrified of being subjected to a guy’s anger, she avoids a personal life focusing on family.

What’s different about Justin that makes her reach out to him?
Becky is compassionate and giving to a fault. As Richard’s nurse, she witnesses Justin’s despair and vulnerability. She sees how alone he is with no one to lean on. His vulnerability and need cuts through her armor, and she offers help.

Tell me about your story—the novel God Father’s Day.
Justin returns to their lakefront home to care for his critically ill father, Richard. Secrets are revealed, and Richard's sinister past threatens to destroy Justin’s perfect life. Richard's nurse, Becky, keeps men at bay due to a brutal history and concern for her son’s safety. Justin's despair and broken spirit penetrate Becky’s armor opening her fragile heart, but she can’t compete with his wealthy fiancé. Certain death looms in shadows of the sleepy, rural town. A vicious confrontation is imminent. Second-guessing who he is and disillusioned, Justin discovers what matters most—in perfect time to lose it.

What other books has Lynda Rees written?
Two are suspense novels about descendants of past mobsters—God Father’s Day and Madam Mom. Her debut was a historical novel about a woman’s struggle during the savage 1890’s Alaskan Gold Rush called Gold Lust Conspiracy. Linda wrote The Bloodline Series, suspense novels set in rural horse-country Kentucky. The books are Parsley, Sage, Rose, Mary & Wine; Blood & Studs; Hot Blooded; Blood of Champions; Bloodlines & Lies; The Bloodline Trail; and Horseshoes & Roses. She also co-authored a middle-grade children’s book, Freckle Face & Blondie, with her ten-year-old granddaughter, Harley Nelson.


Where can the books be purchased and how can fans reach Lynda?
Lynda Rees can be reached at the links below, and her books can be purchased at the Amazon link.


Website        Facebook         Twitter

Pinterest         Amazon          BookBub

Email: lyndareesauthor@gmail.com


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Thank you for joining The Write Way Café today.