Alachua County Author Lynn Westhoff

What happens when a retired Army nurse trades her stethoscope for a pen and decides to tackle the world of fantasy romance? You get Lynn Westhoff, a fascinating new voice in the indie publishing world who’s proving that it’s never too late to chase your storytelling dreams.

Meet Lynn Westhoff

At 64, Lynn Westhoff isn’t your typical debut novelist. With 21 years of service as an Army nurse and 31 years total in nursing—including time as a surgical ICU clinical leader—she’s seen more real-world drama than most fiction writers could imagine. But it was her sister’s challenge that finally pushed her to channel her lifelong love of fantasy paranormal romance into her own storytelling.

“I have always loved fantasy paranormal romance,” Lynn shared during our recent podcast conversation. “And I just decided to, after my sister challenged me, to write my first book.”

That first book became Chronicles of the Time Bound Warrior, the opening volume of what will be a compelling trilogy that weaves fantasy elements with historical events from the Inquisition period.

The Chronicles Trilogy

Lynn’s debut novel tackles themes that feel remarkably relevant today. “Times are repeating itself,” she explained. “If you think a little bit about what we’re going through right now with a lot of turmoil and change, history repeats itself. So I wanted to take a fantasy world and immerse it along with history—the Inquisition.”

The trilogy progression shows ambitious scope:

• Book 1: Chronicles of the Time Bound Warrior (published 2024)
• Book 2: Flames of Rebellion (currently in editing, expected 2025)
• Book 3: War of Realms (planned as the epic conclusion)

“The second book, I’m already in the editing phase now and it is Flames of Rebellion. They go back to where she started from actually to help the Dragons. They are also fighting against persecution,” Lynn revealed. The final book promises to be “a much bigger, broader kind of catastrophic fight.”

The Indie Author Journey: Challenges and Triumphs

Perhaps the most relatable part of our conversation was Lynn’s candid discussion of the indie author learning curve. Despite her extensive background in medical and nursing journal publications, fiction writing presented entirely new challenges.
“When I started researching, I realized just how much I did not know,” she admitted. The technical aspects—formatting, marketing, social media presence—were completely foreign territory. “I threw up my hands and I was like, okay, I’m totally outta my realm now.”

Rather than struggle alone, Lynn made the smart decision to hire professional help for marketing and advertising. “I really didn’t have a social media following already. I had a lot to learn with that, so I did hire a company to help me.”

Her practical approach extends to other aspects of publishing too. When told she needed a professional book cover that could cost $700-1000, she found a talented graphic artist on Fiverr who created a “fabulous” cover for just $100.

Embracing Technology (Thoughtfully)

One of the most interesting aspects of our conversation was Lynn’s balanced perspective on AI tools in writing. Rather than seeing artificial intelligence as a threat, she views it as a practical resource for indie authors.

“I feel like it’s not going away. So we have to do what other people are doing, and that is how do I integrate but not lose my voice?” she explained. “You use it as a tool. You don’t use it to write your book, but you use it as a tool.”

She’s particularly enthusiastic about AI’s potential to help with technical aspects like maintaining consistent point of view or creating chapter outlines—especially valuable for indie authors working with limited budgets for professional editing.

However, she’s firm about maintaining the human element: “I do not like books that are written by AI. We can all tell it right away. They just aren’t authentic. Storytelling is a human thing.”

World-Building the Old-School Way

While Lynn embraces some modern tools, her approach to world-building is refreshingly tactile. Instead of digital programs like Scrivener (which she found too complex), she uses a physical writing workbook from Levenger that helps her track characters, settings, plot points, and world details across multiple books.

“I’m a paper person,” she laughed, showing off the comprehensive binder system that keeps her organized. For inspiration, she draws from her gaming background and visual research, but ultimately relies on imagination to create her fantasy realm of Eldora.

The Publishing Strategy

Lynn’s publishing approach is methodical and expanding. She started with Amazon KDP for safety and audience reach, but wisely secured her own ISBNs to maintain flexibility. The book is now available through multiple platforms including Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google, and Ingram Spark, with physical copies appearing in local Gainesville bookstores.

An exciting development is the upcoming audiobook version, which showcases the supportive gaming community Lynn’s part of. Two fellow gamers—one a professional voiceover artist, the other with a “beautiful deep voice” perfect for dragon characters—volunteered to create the audiobook pro bono.

Looking Forward

When asked what she’d change about her debut experience, Lynn’s biggest concern is book length. At about 50,000 words, Chronicles of the Time Bound Warrior is shorter than many fantasy novels, something her publisher encourages her to address in future books.

“Finding that balance is a niche,” she reflected. “I really love action sequences that move the plot forward. And I don’t have a lot of patience for filler.” She’s working with a successful author mentor through an upcoming retreat in France to develop techniques for expanding her storytelling while maintaining her authentic voice.

“I don’t wanna try to chase trends,” she emphasized. “I want my book to sell, yes. But I want them to have their own voice and not just be chasing the crowd.”

Connect with Lynn

Lynn’s journey from military service to fantasy author proves that great stories can emerge from unexpected places. Her blend of real-world experience and imaginative storytelling creates a unique voice in the crowded fantasy romance market.

You can find Lynn’s work on her website and connect with her growing community of readers as she continues building her trilogy and developing her craft.

Website: https://lynnwesthoff.com/
Amazon Profile: https://www.amazon.com/stores/L.-S.-WESTHOFF/author/B0DMGLNNKW
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lsweshoff.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lswesthoff.author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/L.S.Westhoff

Lynn Westhoff is a member of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville and First Coast Romance Writers. She’s currently working on the second book in her trilogy while participating in author development programs and building her platform as an indie fantasy romance author.

Chronicles of the Time Bound Warrior is available in hardback, paperback, and Kindle formats through major retailers, with the audiobook version coming in 2025.

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A Note from our Editor

We would encourage any North Florida Writers who would like to submit a Guest Post on our online magazine or be a featured author on the North Florida Writers Tour website then please get in touch using their CONTACT US form. Our other Online Magazine called “Webs and Blogs for Writers” does featured articles on authors not in our area CLICK HERE TO READ. For those who wish to be a guest on Jolene’s Book and Writer’s Talk podcast visit the Southern Dragon Publishing Information page.