Erin Lyon Author Interview ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Erin Lyon

Erin Lyon graduated with a bachelor's degree in English and then worked in broadcast television at the Sacramento ABC affiliate for 10 years before going to law school. She is now a practicing civil attorney and blames all of the people in her life for not trying to talk her out of the whole “becoming a lawyer” thing. After finishing law school, she completed her first novel and began working on the sequels. Erin lives in Northern California with her husband of nearly 20 years (the Saint), her two daughters (the Girls), her three rescue dogs (the Boys), and three cats, who, let’s be real, belong only to themselves. The Contract Killers is her debut novel.

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Forge Books (January 10, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765386100
ISBN-13: 978-0765386106

Praise for I LOVE YOU SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

"Fast-paced, clever and sexy!" ―LAUREN BLAKELY New York Times bestselling author

Was there a defining moment during your youth when you realized you wanted to be a writer?
Actually, when I was younger I dreamed of being an actress. But when you spend enough time making up dialogue in your head - at some point you realize you’re writing. Accidentally.

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
My favorite book of all time is A Tale of Two Cities. I think, like most people, I was forced to read it in high school and I hated it. But, thankfully, I reread it as an adult and realized how amazing it is. All that history and a great love story? It’s perfection. My favorite non-romance novel is probably Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. It’s both elegantly simple and marvelously complex. Her creature is my favorite sympathetic villain.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

I read an article by Barbara Kingsolver where she said (I’m paraphrasing) “Don’t ever write with someone looking over your shoulder.” What she meant was that you need to write what the story demands and not worry about whether you would be embarrassed if your mom and dad read the book. That advice kept me from watering my novel down to a PG-13 rating just because I knew my mother was going to read it.

In your book; I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions, can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about it?

It is essentially a romantic comedy with a twist. It’s set in a world where all relationships are based on 7-year contracts and there is no marriage (but also no divorce). So, instead of divorces, you’ve got breaches of contract. And, at the end of seven years, the couple decides whether to continue or walk away. But more than that, it’s about Kate and the beautiful men who complicate her life as a newbie lawyer.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?

I Love You… is the first in a trilogy. Book 2 is in editing and I’m currently working on the last book in the trilogy. I have also started a book in a different series (so that when I have writer’s block on one, I can switch to something completely different!) that is about vampire lawyers! That’s an oversimplification. Picture John Grisham meets Sookie Stackhouse. Can you imagine the laws that would need to be created if there were actual vampires in our society?

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?

Ooh. I think Mags needs to meet Ranger from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series! I have always been Team Ranger and Stephanie keeps picking stupid Joe! (Yeah, yeah. Joe is hot and sexy, too. I know. But Ranger is being WASTED! Do you hear me, Janet?) I think Mags could definitely hold her own with Ranger.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Kate?

That I wanted her to be real and make mistakes. I’ve had suggestions to take out some of her less-than-stellar decisions and I couldn’t do it. I wanted her to give in to impulses and regret them later. Because I think more women can relate to some poor-decision making now and then.

What’s the best advice you can give writers to help them develop their own unique voice and style?

I would say read, read, read. Across many genres and eras. I love Jane Austen and Thomas Hardy, but I also adore Janet Evanovich and Charlaine Harris. I’ve read horror and sci-fi, Native American literature and young adult. I think that only by reading as many varying voices as possible does your own unique voice begin to emerge.

What's the most memorable summer job you've ever had?

I’ve never had “summer” jobs, per se. Just one job after another since I was 16. The most memorable was probably the year I spent working in Park City, Utah, at a little clothing boutique. It was a very fun place to be during the Sundance Film Festival when the town was overrun with movie stars!

Who was your first boyfriend?

Does the boy in first grade who kissed his fingertip and then touched it to the tip of my nose count? Because his name was Paul. That was the most romantic moment in the first six years of my life. Sigh.

Tell me about your first kiss

Okay, aside from the mind-blowing fingertip-to-nose kiss in first grade, my first real kiss was when I was 14. And it lasted for about an hour (like all really good first kisses should).

What would be harder for you, to tell someone you love them or that you do not love them back?

I think telling someone you love them. It’s a little like standing on a high dive and looking at the pool. It could either be glorious or a complete belly-flop and you don’t get to find out unless you muster up the cojones step off the platform.

When was the last time you cried?

When I watched the trailer for the movie A Dog’s Purpose. Good lord! Are they kidding? No way I’ll be watching that movie in public.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a teenager?

The 50’s, without a doubt. I blame my mother. I have seen Gidget and Where the Boys Are way too many times.

What is your greatest adventure?

Life. Some days it’s a rollercoaster, some days the bottom drops out, and other days it’s a merry-go-round. And you never get to choose which one.

TEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT FRIEND

1. Slightly inappropriate sense of humor
2. Hates your exes like they were her own
3. Tells you when you’re wrong
4. Answers honestly when you ask if your butt looks big
5. Lets go of the little things
6. Carries a wine bottle opener in her purse
7. Never lets you cry alone
8. Always asks before tagging you in Facebook photos
9. Can always get you from tears to laughter in under 10 minutes
10. Is always there for heartbreaks, victories, and bar results (which have the potential to be either)

TEN QUOTES FROM I LOVE YOU SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. And I suddenly decided I needed law school. No one needs law school, by the way.

2. “Wine? Or is this more of a whiskey situation?”

3. I drove to my parents slowly, not eager to get there. Not really eager to be anywhere. So I hit the Jack in the Box drive-through because when you’ve just had amazing yet regrettable sex with the former love of your life, you deserve a friggin’ milkshake, dammit.

4. “Shh,” I said, doing a sloppy wave in front of my lips with my forefinger, librarian style. “Sorry. I’m fine. I just need away from the crowd. Okay? I’ll call you tomorrow.” I believe this is what they meant when they coined the term “hot mess.”

5. Eventually, a black Audi with tinted windows rolled to a stop in front of me. Either I was about to have a Pretty Woman moment where I was going to be mistaken for a hooker, or it was Adam.

6. They were like two big-game hunters, squaring off for a pissing contest. My money, as usual, was on Logek. I’m sure to her, being single and all, taking down a contract killer would be like downing a rhino or something. I looked over at Adam, taking in his cool, distant look as he observed their banter. Taking down Adam would be like downing a friggin’ unicorn.

7. But it will feel so good, Kate – don’t stop him. (That was the little devil on my shoulder talking. She’s kind of a slut.) I waited. Apparently the angel on my other shoulder was on sabbatical. Bitch.

8. “His mannerisms are just kind of strange. And he stares,” I said, before taking a sip from my glass.

“You probably encounter a lot of men with that problem,” Adam said.

I laughed. “It’s not in a flirty way,” I said. “More like he’s thinking about eating my liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”

9. Once I was back in the office, I stopped by Mag’s cubicle and rested my arms on the top of one of the walls of her cubby. She was in red today. Red-red. Scarlett Letter red. Lipstick, sweater, four-inch heels. Red. God, I envied her…balls.

10. And for tonight’s entertainment…we have Kate drooling over her unattainable man crush who is determined to constantly dangle himself in front of her nose. Cruel.

27 Dresses meets Bridget Jones’s Diary for the millennial set in Erin Lyon's I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions.

In a world where marriage doesn’t exist—only seven-year contracts—you don’t marry, you sign. You don’t divorce, you breach. And sometimes, you just expire.

Kate is struggling to find her footing. She gave up a career she hated to pursue the law, and now she’s buried in debt and unemployed. At least she’s signed to an amazing guy—hot, sweet, and committed.

Enter the contract killer, the man who pursues only signed women. No commitment, no hassle, all the fun. But Kate has enough fun on her plate… until her partner doesn’t re-up their contract.

After an epic but well-deserved meltdown, Kate gets practical. She accepts a job with her uncle’s law firm, practicing signing law—the one type of law she swore she’d never do. And the contract killer? Now that Kate is single, she’s no longer his type, but he still wants to be friends. Yeah, that’ll work. Kate may be heartbroken, but she’s not impervious to this sexy, smart, and complex man. But hey, it looks like he may not be impervious to her either—signed or not.

Hilariously relatable, with biting wit and charm, The Contract Killers is 27 Dresses meets Bridget Jones’s Diary for the millennial set.

You can purchase I Love You Subject to the Following Terms and Conditions at the following Retailers: