Featured Interview With Deanna Lynn Sletten
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in southern California along the coast and moved to northern Minnesota when I was a teenager. My plans to move back to California were forever stalled when I met my husband and was married. I attended college in our small town, pursuing a degree in Accounting. It was during this time, in an English writing class, that my interest in writing was sparked.
We raised two children, a son and a daughter, who are now grown and married. My husband and I recently purchased our dream home on the Mississippi River which leads to a local lake where we like to spend our free time in the summer lying in the sun and pretending to fish. I love photography and spend time taking pictures of the wildlife along the river, including eagles, all types of ducks, trumpeter swans, Canadian geese, loons, and other wildlife.
We also love traveling and recently attended a ghost hunting expedition with former members of the show Ghost Hunters at the Stanley Hotel in Colorado. It was an adventure to say the least. We’ve traveled all over the United States and I’ve also visited Paris, France. We plan to travel extensively in the next few years.
Most of all, I love spending time in my writing loft crafting novels for my readers. It took me years to be able to write full-time and I’m enjoying it thoroughly.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I’ve loved reading since I was a child. I grew up on Nancy Drew books as well as the original Winnie the Pooh books and Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The first full-length novel I ever read was Jane Eyre, and it’s still one of my favorite novels.
As noted above, I began my fascination with writing while taking a college English writing course. My teacher encouraged me to continue writing, so I did, handwriting my very first novel. Of course, it was years later before I was able to get that novel into the hands of readers through self-publishing. After years of rejections from agents and publishers, the self-publishing phenomenon came along and I began publishing my novels in 2011.
After three years of writing and self-publishing novels, I was “discovered” by an editor at Lake Union Publishing. You’ll never know how satisfying that felt, after having been rejected by so many agents and publishers through the years. I’ve since published two novels with Lake Union Publishing, and my upcoming novel, One Wrong Turn, is published by them also. I have also continued self-publishing romance novels as well. I love writing both the serious stories and the lighter romances.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I love reading and am always in the middle of a book. I enjoy all types of authors and genres. Currently, I am obsessed with all books written by Alice Hoffman, but I also read novels by Stephen King, Stephanie Evanovich, Dorothea Benton Frank, and so many more. My favorite classic author is F. Scott Fitzgerald and I’m a bit obsessed with him and his wife Zelda. I’ve read every book ever written about them and by them. I find them fascinating.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My upcoming novel, One Wrong Turn, coming June 20, 2017, is the story of a husband and wife, Clay and Jess, who’ve lost their way and haven’t been together for two years. She’s moved away with their two young daughters and he’s stalled in his life as he battles his demons. But when tragedy strikes Jess, Clay is forced to step in and take care of the girls. Unfortunately, that isn’t an easy task because the oldest daughter is angry at her father and the youngest barely remembers him. It’s a story about Clay facing his past in order to move on with his future and he must summon the courage to make right what was wrong—and find forgiveness from his harshest judge: himself.
This is a heartwarming tearjerker, and I just loved writing this novel about Clay, Jess, and the girls. Family drama novels with a touch of romance are my favorite to write, because we all can relate to them. Hopefully, the reader will be moved by this story as much as I was while writing it.
One Wrong Turn is up for pre-sale on Amazon in both Kindle and paperback formats.
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Deanna Lynn Sletten says
Thank you so much for the wonderful feature!
Vinny O'Hare says
You are very welcome! Thanks for taking time with us.