Behind the Badge: A Conversation with Romantic Suspense Powerhouse Lynette Eason

From our recent Friday Book Club podcast episode featuring the prolific author's newest release, Final Approach

There's something captivating about authors who can seamlessly weave heart-pounding suspense with compelling romance, and Lynette Eason has mastered this art form across nearly 70 published novels. In our latest LiteraryScape podcast episode, host Melissa LaShure sat down with this beloved romantic suspense author to discuss her newest release, Final Approach, the fourth and final book in her Lake City Heroes series.

The Lake City Heroes Series: Where Past Meets Present

What makes the Lake City Heroes series particularly compelling is how each standalone novel connects through the fictional town of Lake City, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected stories. "Each of my heroines has some kind of occupation, whether in medicine or law enforcement," Eason explains, noting that all the male protagonists work in law enforcement as well.

The series, which began in January 2024 with Double Take, has been releasing steadily over two years, with each book exploring how a character's past shapes their present circumstances. This theme reaches its crescendo in Final Approach, where the heroine works as an air marshal—a career choice directly influenced by her mother's death in a plane hijacking.

"There's something about the characters' past that leads them to what they are doing in present day," Eason notes, highlighting the psychological depth that elevates her work beyond typical action-adventure romance.

Research: The Foundation of Authentic Storytelling

With nearly seven decades of published works behind her, Eason has become something of an expert on law enforcement procedures across multiple agencies. For the Lake City Heroes series alone, she researched roles spanning from physician assistants and police detectives to FBI agents, fire marshals, and air marshals.

"I do have an FBI agent—I have two FBI agent buddies who read all of my stuff," she shares, explaining how these professional connections help ensure accuracy. When she needed information about fire marshal procedures for Serial Burn (book three), her FBI contacts connected her with specialists in that field.

Her research process is refreshingly practical: "As I'm writing, I've come to a spot where I was like, I really need to know how this would be handled. And so then I just send a text and say, hey, I need to know how this will be handled."

The Evolution of a Writer

Eason's writing journey began in eighth grade with an abandoned novel attempt, but the desire never truly left. She seriously began writing in the late 1990s while home with a baby and a frequently traveling husband. "I just decided to talk to the voices in my head," she jokes, using the familiar writer's refrain.

Her process has evolved significantly over the decades. "I used to be a huge pantser. Like I would just sit down and start writing and let the story take me. And now that my brain is a lot older, I don't have that... I can't hold as much in my brain anymore."

Now she describes herself as a "plantser"—someone who plots the major story beats but allows for organic development, especially in the final 20,000 words. She always knows her ending scene from the beginning, working steadily toward that climactic moment.

Favorite Characters and Memorable Scenes

When asked about her favorite character from the series, Eason immediately mentions Kinsey King from Target Acquired (book two). "She was part of an all-male SWAT team on the police department. And I just had a really good time researching that because you would think in this day and age, there wouldn't be a whole lot of... it's a boys club kind of thing, but actually it still exists a lot."

For Final Approach, Eason particularly enjoyed writing the climactic scene where her air marshal heroine must land an airplane. "It was a very intense scene and there was a lot going on... I had a really good time writing it," though she acknowledges the technical research required was substantial.

Giving Back: The Seaside Scribes Conference

Beyond her writing, Eason is passionate about nurturing new talent through the Seaside Scribes writers conference and retreat. This intimate gathering, limited to around 40 attendees, takes place annually in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (January 14-17, 2026, at the Hilton).

"We just hang out with writers that we teach during the day, and then we go eat. We have meals, we have meetings, and then we just hang," she describes. "People that come have made lifelong friends there, found their critique partners."

The conference focuses on craft techniques applicable to any genre, though the 2026 event will feature Darlene Turner teaching specifically about Love Inspired Suspense writing due to popular demand.

Reading Recommendations and Inspiration

For readers new to her work, Eason recommends the Elite Guardians series, featuring female bodyguards. The concept emerged from her research into a unique training school in Athens, Greece, that exclusively trains female bodyguards, with a branch in Dallas, Texas.

As for her own reading habits, Eason reads widely across genres, from romantic suspense colleagues like Lynn Blackburn, Colleen Coble, and Jessica Patch, to historical mysteries and speculative fiction. "I just like dead bodies, I guess," she laughs when explaining her preference for suspenseful plots.

Connecting with Readers

Eason maintains an active presence across social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and X as @LynetteEason), but she particularly recommends her monthly newsletter available at LynetteEason.com. Subscribers receive a free short story upon signup and additional free reads in each monthly issue, along with recommendations for other authors' works.

"If you sign up for my newsletter, there is a free read in every one of my newsletters," she promises, making it clear that her newsletter provides substantial value for romantic suspense fans.

Final Thoughts

With Final Approach marking the end of the Lake City Heroes series, readers can look forward to Eason's next literary adventure. Her commitment to authentic storytelling, combined with her generous spirit toward emerging writers, solidifies her position as not just a prolific author, but a valuable voice in the romantic suspense community.

Final Approach releases soon, and while each book in the Lake City Heroes series stands alone, reading them in order provides the richest experience of watching these interconnected characters navigate their dangerous, romantic worlds.

Don't miss future episodes of the LiteraryScape podcast, and be sure to check back next year when we'll be featuring more of Lynette Eason's extensive backlist. Subscribe to our podcast for more author interviews and book discussions.