Look and Listen

Biography

Tommie Lyn is no stranger to the world of words. Her father was a Christian minister, and she is descended from a long line of preachers and politicians. She was raised in the Deep South, where storytelling has been an art form for generations. Her father moved the family to Alabama when she was fourteen, and she attended high school there. After graduation, she married a local boy who made the U.S. Navy a career. They spent years at duty stations in various places, including California, where their three sons were born. It was while they lived in California that she first tried, unsuccessfully, to write a fiction story and concluded it was something she had couldn’t do. She turned her attention to other endeavors, like, sewing, knitting, crocheting, gardening and raising three boys. When the family was transferred to Okinawa, Japan, Tommie Lyn learned to make Japanese dolls and became a licensed doll maker. She also learned to read, write and speak Japanese. Their next duty station was NAS Whiting Field in the Florida panhandle. When Tommie Lyn's husband retired from the Navy, they made the panhandle their home.

Inspiration

It was when they moved to their next duty station, NAS Whiting Field, in Milton, Florida, that Tommie Lyn turned her hand to writing. She wrote a story told by her mountaineer grandmother. "The Blue-Sprigged Dimity Dress" was the story of her grandmother’s entering young adulthood, marked by the wearing of her first long dress. But, like Tommie Lyn's first attempt at writing fiction, it was less-than-satisfactory, and it sealed her belief that she’d never be a writer. After her sons reached adulthood, she began to delve into historical and genealogical research. Much of what she learned isn’t common knowledge, but she thought should be. And since many people won’t read a history text but will read entertaining fiction, she tried to persuade others to write a fictionalized account of the historical record. No one would. Finally, a history professor told her, “If you want it written, write it.” And so she did. Since then, Tommie Lyn has written numerous short stories (including a successful rewrite of her grandmother’s story), some of which are featured on her website: http://tommielyn.com , and she has several novels of different genres available on Amazon.com. Her writing has been influenced by many good writers, among whom are Norah Lofts, Sharyn McCrumb, and Dean Koontz.