When I saw that Gayle Lynds, well-known thriller writer, would be the keynote speaker for the Pacific Northwest Writers Association conference July 17-20 in Seattle, I thought it would be fun to interview her about how being a boomer influences her as a writer.

Lynds bio

Lynds is a former "think tank" editor with a Top Secret clearance.

She is the New York Times best-selling author of "The Coil, "Masquerade," "Mosaic," and "Mesmerized." Lynds is a member of the Association of Former Intelligence Operatives and the Military Writers Society of America as well as co-founder and co-president of International Thriller Writers Inc.

She also co-created the best-selling Covert-One series with Robert Ludlum and wrote three of the novels – "The Hades Factor," "The Paris Option," and "The Altman Code."

Lynds lives in California, where her husband, well-known detective novelist Dennis Lynds, died in August 2005.

The interview

Rita: How did you get started writing thrillers?

Gayle: I'm glad you asked. I'll be talking about that when I keynote the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference, which begins July 17. The truth is, I entered through the back door. I began as a literary writer of short stories, then wrote male pulp fiction, publishing in both fields. In the process, I found I had a real love of great writing and great adventure. And, of course, that meant thrillers. Some of the finest writing and most interesting story telling today is occurring in our field.

Rita: How has being a member of the baby boomer generation influenced your writing?

Gayle: I write about us. While the end of us were born in the 1960s, the beginning of us created the legendary Sixties, which shows our tremendous breadth. We're a generation known for our energy, creativity, and ability to rock the world. Since I write spy thrillers, every paragraph is imbued with that. We've turned out to be movers and shakers in espionage and government; we've created unforeseen history in technology and science; and our artistic tastes have been adopted by the generations that have followed us. There's so much to write about that I never have to worry about running out of stories.

Rita: Do you see other boomers caught up in writing thrillers?

Gayle: As with much else, we dominate, and we do it well – Vince Flynn, David Morrell, Sandra Brown, James Patterson, Michael Palmer, James Rollins, Kathy Reichs, Lee Child, David Baldacci, Douglas Preston, Carla Neggers, R.L. Stine, Joseph Finder, Steve Martini, Heather Graham, Steve Berry, M.J. Rose, David Hewson, David Dun, Jon Land, and Kathleen Antrim – to name a very few.

Rita: What do you like the best about yourself as a writer?

Gayle: That I have so much fun doing something I care deeply about.

Rita: What do you like least?

Gayle: The hours.

Rita: In an interview on bookreporter.com, you said, "I will crawl over glass for a good idea." What does that mean?

Gayle: Ideas are a dime a dozen. But a good idea that can be grown into a great novel is gold.

Rita: For people who haven't read your books, which book should they start with?

Gayle: "The Last Spymaster." It's the story of the CIA's greatest spymaster, who ends up mentoring the young CIA hunter who's sent to track him down when he escapes from prison. It's a terrific tale, my most recent, and has won several awards and been translated around the world.

Rita: Do you plan to continue to write thrillers until you retire?

Gayle: They're going to have to pry my fingers off the keyboard to bury me.

Rita: How do you envision your retirement?

Gayle: Retirement? I'm having so much fun I figured I was retired.

Rita: Is there anything you'd like to add?

Gayle: Please invite folks to drop by my website at www.GayleLynds.com. They can test their Spy-Q.

For more information for boomer consumers, see my blog The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.