Meet Lynn Maloy | aka, F. Lynn Godfriaux, writer and pianist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lynn Maloy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lynn, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I love creating stories and characters, and I also love re-creating music of the great masters. I’ve played piano and written poems and short stories since third grade. In my writing, I lose myself in creating my own world and characters, although my characters start taking on a life of their own and end up guiding me in their development. As a professional pianist and teacher, I re-create great music of various genres. I feel there is a very close connection between the stories I write and the music I play because in both venues I am engaging the reader/listener in something I feel very passionate about.
 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My first published book, “Blind Eye” (under my pen name F. Lynn Godfriaux) is a suspense/thriller that came out in 2015. I went through endless rejections and thought about giving up. I probably re-wrote the story what felt like a thousand times before I finally submitted it to a micro-publisher, Wolfsinger Publications. The response from those who read my book were amazing, and motivated me to write two sequels, “Eye for Eye”, and “Mind’s Eye”. The cover of “Blind Eye” was a finalist in an independent publisher competition. In “Blind Eye”, the main female protagonist, Mattie Tyler, finds herself being targeted by unknown killers. The story climaxes around the Wolf Creek Pass area in southwest Colorado, and also highlights the Southern Ute American Indians. I used resources familiar with both reservations and focused on a lot of research, but ultimately created my own unique character. I’m very proud of the way the characters developed and the intensity of the story-telling. I put the reader in the middle of the action. It’s definitely a page-turner. Endless revisions taught me the art of maintaining a focused, well-paced story, while I’ve learned how to allow characters to guide me in their development. I’ve always been passionate about writing and kept pursuing my dream to become a published author despite all the rejections.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Omlette Parlor would be our first stop for breakfast, then over to Mark Reyner Stables. They are a unique gem in the middle of the city. Whenever I go to the stables, it’s like I’ve left the city. It’s part of Palmer Park, and is absolutely beautiful. My next stop would be Garden of the Gods, followed by a trip to Helen Hunt Falls. We would eat lunch at Phantom Canyon, then drive up Ute Pass to view the backside of Pikes Peak, then on to Cripple Creek for a view of the Divide and maybe a little gambling. For dinner we would eat at Siagon Cafe, and try to catch a performance with the Colorado Springs Symphony at the Pikes Peak Center. During their visit, we would also take a drive along west I-70 from Denver and stop over in Dillon and Breckenridge for a day, then drive over Hoosier Pass and take highway 24 back to the Springs.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family has been instrumental in both my writing efforts as well as my career as a pianist and teacher. My husband and both of my children have supported and encouraged me through my ups and downs. I could not have written the books I have published if they had not been so extremely supportive. So I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my husband, Joe, my daughter, Erin, and my late son, Joshua.

Linkedin: Lynn Godfriaux Maloy

Image Credits
Images by Wolfsinger Publications