An interview with CJ Lyons, medical Suspense author

It is my enjoyment to welcome medical suspense author CJ Lyons to The mindful feline today.  (And yes, there is a feline connection – checked out on!)

CJ Lyons has lived most of her life on the edge. Trained in Pediatric emergency Medicine, she has assisted authorities as well as prosecutors with situations including kid abuse, rape, homicide as well as Munchausen by Proxy. She has worked in numerous trauma centers, on the
Navajo reservation, as a dilemma counselor, sufferer advocate, in addition to a flight doctor forever flight as well as Stat Medevac.  A golden Heart Finalist in charming Suspense as well as champion of the golden Gateway, CJ is a member of romance Writers of America, worldwide Thriller Writers,  as well as Sisters in Crime. Her work has appeared in CrimeSpree, charming Times book evaluation Magazine, as well as Spinetingler. She has provided keynote speeches as well as workshops at numerous national conventions including MWA’s Sleuthfest, charming Times, Colorado Gold as well as RWA.

As a fan of medical drama TV shows as well as an avid reader, I was thrilled when I found Lifelines  last year.  I believed this would be the very best of both worlds – a book that checked out like one of my preferred TV shows.  really – it was better.  CJ combines the very best of er as well as Grey’s Anatomy into a wonderful mix of romance, suspense, friendship as well as secret in the type of a compelling medical thriller.  Thankfully, warning Signs, the second book in the series, was not as well far behind.  Meredith as well as McDreamy, eat your heart out!  satisfy the physicians as well as personnel of Angels of Mercy hospital in Pittsburgh, PA.  The third book in the series, Urgent care , was published October 27, 2009.  I chosen up my copy yesterday as well as I can’t wait to checked out it!

CJ, you are a trained emergency physician.  What made you choose to stop practicing emergency medicine as well as compose about it instead?

Actually, the composing came first.  I’ve been a story teller all my life—which, provided that I had a issue telling reality from fiction as a child, led to great deals of hours in time-out, which led to more stories….a vicious cycle.  As soon as I might read, I began devouring books as well as composing my own stories down.
When published good friends persuaded me that my work was likewise great sufficient to be published, I realized I had a possibility at a second career.  So after selling my very first book, as well as realizing that working 60 hours a week was going to shed me out sooner or later, I took a leap of belief as well as stop medicine to compose full-time.  So far (knock on wood!) it’s paying the expenses as well as has been a wonderful adventure!

Do you miss practicing medicine?

I miss my patients a excellent deal.  There’s just nothing like holding a newborn to remind you what’s truly important in this world.

Please tell us about Urgent Care.

Urgent care is a true book of my heart.  In it, er fee nurse Nora Halloran must deal with her biggest fear—that she may have triggered a colleague’s death by not reporting a sexual assault two years ago.  The guy who attacked Nora back then has returned—only now he’s killing his victims.

As a lady as well as a medical professional, I was difficult pressed to envision a worse scenario.  as well as having dealt with victims, I understand that over 60% never disclose their abuse to anyone—they’re overwhelmed with shame, fear that they’ll be identified as victims, as well as a requirement to move on with their lives.  exactly how awful would it be for a strong lady like Nora to not only deal with her past however likewise the consequences of her actions?  What would she do to stop the killer as well as make things right?  Those concerns drive the plot of URGENT CARE—it’s darker as well as edgier than the very first two books, however it has to be.  These are dark, serious, universal concerns that there is no right response to.

How much of the story line in the books is drawn from your own experience as a physician?

I try to keep all the medicine as genuine as possible, utilizing genuine life situations from my own career or that are reported in the medical literature.  however all the patients are totally fictional—I modification whatever except the medical details.

How much of yourself is showed in your characters? 

A lot!  Lydia is who I aspire to be.  She’s strong, determined, smart, fiercely passionate about her patients, as well as always understands the right thing to do.  Amanda sometimes feels like a complete stranger in a strange land, just like I did as a Yankee in the South during medical school.  Gina shows my insecurities as well as self-doubts.  as well as Nora has all the protective, mother-hen skills that I’ve been accused of having.

I was delighted to find that you are a feline person.  satisfy Annie, CJ’s cat.  Can you tell us a bit binullnull