Part One: Q&A with Avery Flynn

**This is the first of a two-part Q&A with Avery Flynn, debut author of Up a Dry Creek.**

IT’S AVERY FLYNN’S FIRST TIME—AND SHE’S TELLING EVERYONE

Up a Dry Creek is the first of your novels to be published [An Evernight Publishing E-Book/Fiction Original/June 2011/$5.99]. Had you completed other manuscripts before this? If so, what’s going on with them?

No, Up a Dry Creek is my first novel. I’d been writing it in my head for years before I finally put my fingers to the keyboard.

How does it feel to have your very first novel published?

Better than sipping a Mai Tai on a private beach - or at least better than I imagine that feeling. I’ve lived with Claire and Jake and all the crazy inhabitants of Dry Creek, Nebraska for so long that I can’t wait to introduce them to the world.

Up a Dry Creek is set in Nebraska. What part? Why this setting? Does the area have special meaning for you?

Up a Dry Creek is set in Western Nebraska, which just happens to be where I grew up. I won’t lie, being a teenager in fly over country is not exciting. When I graduated from high school, I couldn’t cross the state line fast enough. I went all the way to Missouri. Hey, baby steps, baby steps. Of course, the older I got and the farther I moved away, the more I realized what an amazing place Nebraska had been to live. Also, I had to spend a lot of time convincing the big city types that we had indoor plumbing and other modern amenities. Frankly, I got sick of Nebraska being the butt of all the hick jokes and I swore I’d set a novel in Nebraska to give people a look into the amazing folks who live in my home state.

Are there advantages to having a small town setting? Was a small town intrinsic to the story you wanted to tell or do you think it could have taken place in a big city setting?

There’s just no way Up a Dry Creek would have worked in a big city. The small town vibe was intrinsic to the plot and Claire just wouldn’t have been Claire in a big city. She’s a small town girl with big dreams and enough stubbornness to make them come true in her home town. I think small towns are a kind of real estate underdog. I just naturally root for small town residents in other authors’ books, such as Debbie Macomber’s and Toni Blake’s.

What attributes do you share with Claire and Jake? Dexterity? Able to run long distances even in bare feet? Impetuous?

Oh, I wish it was the running or dexterity. Instead I share Claire’s lack of cooking skills and Jake’s inability to stop himself from saying the first thing that comes to mind. Some would say I share their stubbornness, but they would be wrong. Of course.

How did you learn so much about guns and other weapons? Have you ever learned to shoot?

I don’t know how to shoot, but it is on my list of things to learn. Most of my firearms information from not being afraid to ask the stupid questions and I have many friends in law enforcement who are kind enough to answer all of them.

Jake and Claire are both alphas—did you plan them that way or did they surprise you?

There is nothing better in the world than two alphas facing off against each other. I love a strong woman and a tough man. When Claire appeared in my head one day as I drove down the road, I knew she was my girl. Same with Jake. They’re just right for each other. They’d mow over anyone who wasn’t an alpha.

Who are some real-life alphas you admire?

I admire anyone who is passionate, intelligent and willing to stand up for what they believe. In today’s world it’s easy to become cynical and believe only the worst of people, but every once in a while you read a story in the newspaper or see something on the TV news and it restores your faith in humanity. Stories like the off-duty firefighter who rushes into a burning building; the stranger who stops a kidnapping in progress; or the anonymous donation that keeps a food pantry running. Those are the real life alphas I admire.

You write really wonderful and sexy scenes between Jake and Claire. But you manage to keep the sexual tension high throughout Up a Dry Creek. Why is that important to your story? Any tips for other writers on how to maintain such a strong level of attraction?

Thank you! I think sex is a major part of any romantic relationship in real life and so it should also be a main player in books. Sexual tension is what keeps the characters moving toward each other, even when their past history is pushing them to run away. Sometimes, the body and heart know the reality of a situation long before our brains.

What advice would I offer other writers? Wow, I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer that but I'll muck through it as best I can. Passion and attraction don't just happen when the characters are getting busy. Show it in the way she holds his hand, the feeling he gets when he smells her perfume, a look across the room and many more. Keep that tension pulled tight and when you do get to the actual sex, the release is amazing - for the characters and the reader.

What do you most want readers to take away from Up a Dry Creek?

You know that feeling you get when you step off a roller coaster? You're breathing a little funny? Your heart is pounding faster than normal? And you can’t wipe the grin off your face if you tried? That's how I hope readers feel after they finish Up a Dry Creek. As to the take away, well I hope, like Claire and Jake, readers find the courage to make their own happy endings come true.

Will we see Jake and Claire again? Are you working on your next book? Do you have anything else being published this year?

Oh yes, you'll see Claire and Jake again, along with the Layton brothers and, Glenda, the family matriarch. The next book in the Dry Creek series follows Claire's best friend Beth who may just find her own way to happy with one of the Layton brothers. Or does she? And, no, I won't tell which one. But I will say he's met his match in Beth. It’s called In a Dry Creek Bed and I’m hoping it will come out as soon as the end of the year.

What are some of the advantages you see to being e-published?

There are a ton of advantages. It opens up more mixing of genres. Up a Dry Creek is sexy, a little bit over-the-top action-packed romantic suspense. This sense of freedom extends to book lengths and story types. It’s an exciting time to be an author.

Why do so many people consider this to be ideal timing for e-book originals?

Because if it’s a good time to be an author, it’s an amazing time to be a reader. The number of choices out there, the ease of buying and the price difference. Wow. As a reader, I’m loving it right now.

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Places to find Avery Flynn online: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

**Be sure to come back here tomorrow for the 2nd part of the Q&A with Avery Flynn!**