Not So Distant Past
by Lyn Denison
Released: Mar 09, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Why this book and why now?
Superintendent Steph Alston appeared in book five in my Friends and Lovers series and when I ‘saw’ her standing at the end of a hallway in her Superintendent of Police uniform I said to myself, ‘Ah! She’s heroine material.’
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
The basic plot didn’t change but the characters took me places I hadn’t thought about.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
Yes, I think with both of them. Steph, because I’d have lots of questions about her job that she wouldn’t be able to answer, but I’d still ask. And Rohan because I could identify with her feelings.
Do your character names have special significance or meaning?
When I saw Steph in my imagination she was immediately Steph. Rohan, however, was a little different. I saw an old Aussie TV show many years ago where the heroine was called Roey. It was said so lovingly it stayed with me and Rohan ‘Roey’ had to be Steph’s love interest.
Did any real-life events or personal experiences influence the story?
Well, yes. No. Maybe I’ll have to take your Fifth as you never know who’s lurking…
How does it feel to finally share this book with readers?
It feels amazing as I had so many interruptions I despaired for it.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
The Golden Girls, recommended by a character from Book 5.
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
Rohan would like anything romantic while Steph wouldn’t be so sold on romance in the beginning. She came around in the end.
One of your main characters is planning a romantic night. Tell us about it.
Candlelight, something special delivered, and a night at home alone.
Which character do you relate to the most, and why?
I think Rohan as I’ve been an expert at angsty worshipping from afar.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
Oh, yes. The most fun was Steph’s ex. She gave me free rein to be bitchy, which is so unlike me. Okay, I might think it but I don’t say it.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
Rohan and I would enjoy a nice quiet cappuccino because she’d understand that I’m totally boring.
If your book had an official mascot, what (or who) would it be?
Tash’s Lez-Katz, Pixie and Lacey.
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
I have a rough basic outline but I’m always relatively open to the characters taking me in a different direction, even if a battle of wills ensues.
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
Fixating on dialogue. I’m always revisiting every spoken sentence as I hate thinking, ‘No. She wouldn’t say that!’ Meanwhile part of me has to keep reminding myself that just because I wouldn’t say it doesn’t mean the characters wouldn’t.)
What are you currently reading?
I had a break from my reading as I had a time-consuming job to do. Now I’m about to catch up on my books-in-waiting.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
Generally any other sapphic author, to talk books and writing. Specifically, Catherine Cookson, because she wrote about the area in the UK where my father and grandparents came from. I always felt an affinity with her stories and I could hear my Gran in her characters. When visiting the UK ages ago I mentioned how much I liked Catherine Cookson to my Dad’s cousin and she said, ‘Oh, she just lives down by the bridge. Do you want me to take you down there to see her?’ I was so overcome and overwhelmed I had to say. ‘Oh no. I couldn’t possibly.’ OMG! One of my life’s major regrets.
