IT is often said that we all have one good book in us, although few pause to even pen a few chapters about our lives.
Coalfalls resident Lyn Balmer goes against that trend in a big way after recently churning out her 17th book in a little over a year.
To distinguish her styles Lyn writes under two different pen names.
‘L A Hearn’ for her preteen and teenage audience that enjoys fantasy books and Lyn Balmer for books aimed at her more mature readers.
Ms Balmer, who moved to Ipswich 14 years ago with her children, says life raising four kids in Ipswich meant the time to indulge in her favourite hobby of writing was limited.
“I have been making up stories and filling notebooks for as far back as I remembered but never found the time to sit and write a full book,” Lyn said.
“Fast forward to the home-schooling isolation portion of 2020 brought on by COVID-19 and suddenly I had the two youngest children and my stepdaughter home and bored.
“All of us are avid readers and we had run out of books to read so with little prompting needed and amazing support from my kids and husband, I sat down started writing.
“And I haven’t stopped writing since.”
Ms Balmer says while she has been writing every day, she also now enjoys helping other local authors through the arduous editing and publishing process too.
“I have had some amazing times in the last year with my books being recognised and purchased for some local school libraries,” Lyn says.
“I have had the chance to meet avid readers who have become fans which still makes those butterflies in my stomach go wild.
“My murder mystery books have been reviewed on TikTok by a US book influencer and that was unbelievably exciting to wake up to. I still need to pinch myself sometimes and I let out a giggle when someone asks me to sign one of my books.”
“We have been selling my paperback books at market stalls, local school markets and fetes, where we offer money from the sale of each book, back to the school,” Lyn says.
Lyn’s books are available as both an eBook and as paperback novels, and can be ordered via her Facebook, Instagram and TikTok accounts under each of her pen names.
