Get to Know Lainee Cole

The Write Way Café does something a little different today by interviewing one of the blog's partners. HiDee and Lynn have featured a large variety of talented authors on the blog for a number of years. Today, HiDee - writing as Lainee Cole - answers the questions we've asked others so you can get to know her a bit better.

When did you first have the thought you'd like to write a book? Was that first thought related to writing romance?
I've been writing since I was in grade school, but my first thoughts about writing a book were probably in junior high. My friends and I were reading Harlequin romances and passing them around as we finished them. Janet Dailey's Tidewater Lover made a huge impact on me, and I've wanted to be a romance writer ever since.

What was your path to getting The Mistletoe Effect written and published? What type of research did you do?
I've been working on a full-length romance novel for years, along with numerous others that I've started but not actually worked on while raising my family. My local writer's group has been instrumental in encouraging me to FINISH the darned book, but it's still not done. Then in 2016, Lynn Crandall invited me to write a Christmas novella and publish it in an anthology along with her story. I agreed to do it, then almost immediately panicked! I had about 8 weeks to write something from scratch. Lynn had faith in me being able to write the story, and so I did. The Mistletoe Effect didn't require a lot of research, other than on Border Collie behaviors. My sister has Border Collies; she trains them for herding, and search and rescue, and also leads dog training classes with them, so I spent quite a few hours picking her brain and asking lots of questions. She also read my manuscript to be sure I didn't have my Border Collie, Mistletoe, doing anything she shouldn't have been doing!

Where did the idea for The Mistletoe Effect come from? 

Brainstorming! Lynn and I had agreed on a Christmas theme for the anthology, so I started out listing various Christmas-themed words. I grew up with dogs and love interacting with them. I love kids. My aunt and my cousin, as well as several friends, are teachers so we often talk about kids. All these things just came together through brainstorming.

Why did you pick the setting you did? 

I set the story in a fictional central Illinois town. I grew up in the Midwest, and have lived in Illinois for over 30 years. It just felt right to set my story in a town similar to those where I've lived.

Are your main characters completely imaginary or do they have some basis in real people? Do they reflect aspects of yourself? 

Although my characters are imaginary, I did model some of their characteristics after people I know. Tess definitely reflects aspects of myself - I'm big on family, and I love dogs and kids. I'm too nice at times, and often put others before myself.

Did you face any blocks while writing The Mistletoe Effect, and if so, how did you handle them? If not, what's your secret? 

The biggest block I faced was my own doubt about my ability to complete the story by the set deadline. I came home from the day job and went straight to the computer. There were times I sat and stared at the screen, wondering what I'd gotten myself into. But then I would buckle down and just get words on the page. My poor husband was pretty much neglected during those 6-8 weeks, but thankfully he was supportive. I don't know any secrets to avoiding blocks, but I did learn that as long as I wrote every single day, the blocks didn't feel as insurmountable. Making some progress each day made it easier to face the page the next day.

What have been surprises you've encountered while writing The Mistletoe Effect and after? 

It was really hard to leave my characters behind and move on to new characters in a new book. I worried about being able to write different characters. That being said, I am planning to connect at least one character in The Mistletoe Effect with other stories, so there will be a familiar character. The biggest surprise was the feeling of accomplishment once the book was actually published. I'm proud of myself for meeting the challenge Lynn presented. It was the kick in the pants I needed. I was also pleasantly surprised by how many friends reached out to say they enjoyed the story and looked forward to more. My challenge now is to keep them reading!

What did you learn? For instance, what did you learn about yourself, your process, the writing world; about technique, skills, and your goals? 

Writing is like perpetually being in school. I'm always learning, and I enjoy it! I learned that I seem to write better under pressure - my thoughts just flow then. I love hearing how other authors write and what works for them, and I try to borrow the processes I think will work for me. My goal is to write stories with characters readers can relate to. I want readers to discover the same enjoyment I've found by reading books.

Tell us about your writing space and how or why it works for you. 

I have to join Lynn in lusting after the writing space Tom Selleck had in the movie Her Alibi. I dream of having a large office with plenty of room for books, good lighting, and large windows overlooking a serene nature setting. Although, if I had that, I would probably spend more time daydreaming than writing. In reality, I have a laptop that goes with me to either my favorite chair in the family room, to the kitchen table, or to the large desk in my mostly unused living room. I recently retired from my day job and am slowly working to convert one of the kids rooms to my office, but I'm so used to writing in the family room that it's hard to leave that chair! Our family room has been the center of our family for so many years - it's where we all watched TV, where the kids played video games, and where we still gather for family get-together's and holidays. I feel like my creativity feeds off of surrounding sounds...although there are times when I have to shush my hubby and remind him I am writing!

What are some of your favorite books and why? 

I love Kat Martin's romantic suspense books. Her characters just jump off the pages for me. I'm a sucker for cowboys so Linda Lael Miller and R.C. Ryan books are must-reads. Susan Mallery and Sheryl Woods have a knack for multiple continuity series that are chock full of down-to-earth characters, real life situations, and family connections. I love the feeling that I'm meeting up with old friends when I read their books. I also like to read books by authors I've met in person, online, or at conferences. There are so many good writers and I'm constantly adding new-to-me authors to my must-read lists!

What are you working on now? 

Presently I am writing a contemporary romance novella for the Common Elements Romance Project, which will launch later this fall. Numerous authors are writing their own stories, but each book will contain common elements, hence the name of the project. I'm really excited about being a part of it!

Would you like to try your hand at writing a different genre? Which one and why? 

I really like contemporary romance, and would like to create a continuity series. But for something different cozy mysteries intrigue me.

If you were not a writer, what would your dream job be? 

I can't imagine not being a writer!  My dream job would be something working with horses, or maybe working in a zoo - as long as I got to pick what animals I worked with!

What aspect of writing gives you the most trouble? 

Plotting. I'm definitely a pantser. Although I have some scenes in my head and a general idea of where the story needs to go, my characters do tend to take on a life of their own.

Who is your favorite hero/heroine? 
There are too many - I can't pick just one!  

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Captured by Christmas

by Lynn Crandall and Lainee Cole

It’s Christmas, and the season of holly, Christmas trees, and goodwill is drifting on air in merry holiday wishes. Romantic suspense and paranormal author Lynn Crandall and contemporary author Lainee Cole present in their own way two stories of love in Captured by Christmas. However it finds you—under a Christmas tree or drifted in snow in a backwoods cabin—the spirit of the season will wrap you in love.

In Snowbound, Lynn Crandall lets readers check in on favorite Fierce Hearts series were-lynx characters Kennedy Mitchell and Asher Monroe as they uncover the identity of the creature scaring the humans in Octavia, a small rural community in northern Michigan. Plans for an intimate getaway and family-style holiday are crumbling as the snow piles higher and Kennedy and Asher find themselves snowbound with a killer outside their door.

In The Mistletoe Effect, Christmas is second-grade teacher Tess McCall’s least favorite holiday, but she’s doing her best not to let it show. Learning he’s a father to seven-year-old Holly makes Alex Randle anxious about the upcoming holidays. When Tess’s class starts reading to shelter dogs, Holly and the antics of shelter dog Mistletoe lead them all to rediscover the magic of Christmas.

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Lainee Cole is a Midwestern girl who writes in the company of a husband always trying to talk to her. Lainee’s goal is for her stories to make readers laugh and cry, give them hope, and encourage them to believe in the power of love. When she’s not writing or reading, Lainee enjoys spending time with family and friends; hiking, camping, and traveling with her husband; and consuming daily doses of chocolate.

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