Author Spotlight: Alina Lane
October 6, 2025 • News
CJC: How did you get started as an author and what made you want to pursue that field?
AL: I’ve always been a huge reader and written creatively.
Just before covid hit, I had lost my corporate job due to my children being special needs and asinine attendance policies, and I started playing around with a story that was floating around in my head.
My husband and best friend suggested that I pursue publishing.
When covid hit, I was voluntold by a friend to create an aspiring author group on Facebook and from there everything started to steamroll together.
CJC: What do you find to be the most rewarding and challenging part of being an author and what hurdles have you overcome while striving towards your goals?
AL: For me the most rewarding part of being an author is two-fold. I get to write happy endings over and over again.
With the state of the world, we need more joy and happiness.
I also love that the career gives me the flexibility to be more present with my family.
The most challenging thing is naming LITERALLY everything.
Oh, that and timelines.
Those things suck.
Hurdles I’ve overcome while striving toward my goals… that one is a little hard because life be lifing, but mostly balancing my home life and finding the time to keep pushing on this crazy dream.
CJC: Which novel has been your favorite to write and why?
AL: Oof. This is a hard question. Reclaimed Love is pretty high up there because it was my first book baby and we went through an adventure together. But I also loved drafting my newest release and writing the prank war into Mischief and the Mechanic was the definition of joy for me.
CJC: For first time readers of your work, which book would you recommend?
AL: Buttercup and the Beard is a great starting point. It’s the first book in the Everette series, and a novella so it’s a quick fun read.
CJC: If one of your books were made into a movie, which would you select and who would you like to star in it?
AL: Do I get a skip?
This is a hard question for me because I don’t think in visuals like a lot of people do. When a character or story pops into my head, I have their personality or the story elements there but picking people to ‘be’ the characters I think up is hard for me.
Most of the time I don’t write physical appearance until I have my cover models picked out.
Also – I rarely watch TV. One of my author friends threatened to break up with me because I hadn’t ever seen Mean Girls.
The list of movies/shows I haven’t seen is longer than my husband is tall – and he’s pretty tall. Actors and famous people elude me.
I would love to see Sunshine and the Sheriff made into a movie. But people to star in it? *shrugs* I’ve got nothing.
CJC: For those looking to become an author, what advice would you give them?
AL: Keep writing.
Writing a whole ass book is hard.
Editing is even harder.
Be dedicated and consistent.
Also, ask for help when you need it.
But no matter what, keep going, it’s worth it.
CJC: If you could co-write a book with any author, who would it be and why?
AL: I would love to write a book or series with my author bestie – Breanna Lynn – and one day I may talk her into it haha.
I would also love to write with some of my favorite authors like Pippa Grant, Claire Kingsley, Lucy Score, Catherine Cowles and Devney Perry.
CJC: Favorite motto?
AL: See me, love me, motherfleckers.
It’s from a Kresley Cole book and immediately resonated with me because I’ve always been a ballsy, take charge person (my 5’3” self comes by it naturally) and if you don’t love me as I am then that’s a YOU problem.
CJC: What do you do to overcome writers block?
AL: Bake. Play Call of Duty. Go for a hike. Hit my Peloton.
Pretty much anything that has me stepping away from my computer to let the problem percolate in my head helps me to gain clarity on where I went wrong and how to get back on track.
CJC: In one word, how would you describe your writing style?
AL: I changed my mind, can I skip this one?
Resilient.
CJC: And what is your writing process like?
AL: Chaos.
If we’re talking whole process from start to finish…I write the book (which is usually in fits and starts) and then it goes through about five rounds of edits where I curse it, it’s ancestors and relations into oblivion before I prep it for release.
If we’re talking day to day schedule… I get up before the sun to write as much as I can before my kiddos get up and then pick it back up after I drop them at school for the day. My workday ends when they get home from school so my writing time is a precious commodity.
CJC: Which do you find harder to do… writing the blurb for your story or selecting the cover?
AL: BLURB! A bajillion times the blurb. I can write a whole book, but summarizing that book into something marketable is waaaay hard.
Covers and cover models are a piece of cake comparatively.
CJC: Do you have authors who inspire you? And if so, who and why?
AL: Yes. All of them.
Even some of the books that I like least have something that I can learn from them.
CJC: What new projects are you currently working on and what are your goals for the remainder of the year?
AL: I’m currently working on the next books in the Everette series. That will take me well into 2026.
As for goals, surviving the swiftly approaching holiday season is right at the top.
CJC: Any final thoughts you would like to share with the CJC Photography readers?
AL: Thank you so much for having me!
CJC: It was my pleasure!
“Mischief and the Mechanic” is now available!
Stay up to date with all of Alina’s latest projects here.
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