Q&A With Lana McAra

Lana McAra is a bestselling author, ghost writer editor and book coach! Some of her books are Reaping The Whirlwind, her historical cozy mystery series Colorado, The Englewood Medium Series & How To Write A Novel That Sells. 

Q: Lana, would you like to give a brief description of your books beginning with How To Write A Novel That Sells?

A: How To Write A Novel That Sells:  A simplified teaching manual on writing craft focusing on practical tips and 14 downloadable worksheets to help novelists write faster while also writing better.

Reaping The Whirlwind: Winner of The Christy Award, the fiction story of a serial killer in Dayton, Tennessee, in 1925 during the true events of the landmark Scopes Evolution Trial with Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan.

Colorado: A series of 4 novels in one volume set in the Old West, each story has a cozy mystery filled with secrets, lies, and intrigue wrapped around a sweet romance. This book was in Wal-Mart in the early 2000s and sold 250,000 copies.

The Englewood Medium: Shaken But Not Stirred: When a psychologist has a stalker scaring the daylights out of her, she joins forces with her hunky downstairs neighbor to find out who it is and brings them to justice.

Q: Where did your love of writing come from, and did you always know it was something you were called to do?

A: I have been an avid reader since I learned how to read in the second grade. In fourth grade I was reading two books a day—Nancy Drew type stories—from the school library. I never liked writing assignments for school. When I was 24 years old, I took a fiction course on impulse, never dreaming that I’d fall in love with writing like I had with reading, but that’s what happened.

Q: How do you juggle writing, ghost writing, editing & book coaching? What wisdom do you have for anyone wanting to do all 4? 

A: I work by batching. What that means is I have days when I do nothing but write. I’ll deep dive into a writing project and stay there for 2 or 3 days straight. Then, I’ll go into client work with the same focus. When I stay on one task, I can roll out a lot of pages and not spend time finding my place again. Of course, I check my email every day and stay up with those repetitive tasks. I also hired a VA for social media.

Q: How long does it take you to write a book?

A: If it’s a book of my own, I can usually get the first draft done in 3 months. Once the first draft is finished, other projects come to the front of the line. I can edit and polish the manuscript in the evenings and weekends around my other work. Only the first draft needs my complete focus. If I’m ghostwriting a book for someone else, it usually takes around 9 months because of working with someone else’s material and waiting for the client to get back to me.

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to your mystery books? The entertainment industry needs creativity again instead of remakes. 

A: Up until now, they haven’t noticed. I agree the industry does need fresh ideas. Breaking in requires contacts and a healthy dose of luck.

Q: Are you currently writing a fiction book or a nonfiction book & can you reveal any details?

A: Actually, both. I’m writing a second nonfiction book about selling your novel. The first book is how to write it and the second is how to sell it. I also got the rights back to 8 of my original novels which are Old West romantic mysteries. I’m polishing them up, getting them ready for re-release. They have been out of print for more than 10 years. Very excited about having them back in print.

Q: You’ve ghost written several books as well as writing your own! That’s impressive! Have you ghost-written books for any celebrities?

A: Not celebrities like sports stars or politicians. LOL I have written a business book for a large company in Baltimore, 2 books for medical doctors, and a memoir for one of the first women to present at Lloyd’s of London—20 books to date.

Q: Since you’re a book coach and an editor, can you give a list of some authors you’ve edited and coached?

A: I have NDAs, so I can’t name names.