Bookpleasures.com welcomes as our guest Lyndon Haynes, a North London-born writer whose rich background in music and screenwriting informs his vivid and emotionally gripping storytelling.

With a career spanning from short stories and self-published works to a master’s degree in writing for screen and stage, Lyndon has developed a distinctive descriptive style that immerses readers fully in the worlds he creates.

Today, we will be discussing his latest novel, Paper Trail, the first instalment in a gripping crime thriller trilogy set in London and beyond.

Norm: Good day Lyndon and thanks for taking part in our interview:

Paper Trail centers around the Griffin Pub and its complex characters. What inspired you to choose this particular setting as the focal point of your story?

How does the pub atmosphere enhance the themes of secrecy and community in the novel?

Lyndon: Hi thanks for having me. I wanted to create a sense of a typical London setting and the community that thrives within that, the Griffin and the characters in and around the Kingfisher estate represent the people that I see everyday, hardworking members of the community who may to some be simple people but behind closed doors have secrets and dilemmas.

Norm: The siblings Cindy and Dwayne have a relationship that goes beyond blood ties. Can you elaborate on their dynamic and how it drives the plot?

Were these characters inspired by real-life relationships or entirely fictional?

Lyndon: Yes, Cindy is the elder sister to her brother Dwayne, they have a close bond but their paths have taken them in different directions. 

Cindy is a career driven young mother with high aspirations whereas Dwayne whilst having a good soul seems to always land himself in trouble. Cindy wants him to change his ways and contribute to being part of the family especially for his niece but he is always on the edge of something. As siblings they have trust in each other but circumstances test their trust and loyalty.  

The characters are fictional but are really derived from my observations of people that I've met in my life.

Norm: Your background spans music, screenwriting, short stories, and novels. How has your experience in the music industry shaped your narrative style in Paper Trail?

Do you find story rhythm or pacing in writing parallels to musical composition?

Lyndon: Yes, in some ways. When I was writing music and lyrics it was about getting all your ideas and details down within a short time span for example each song would be around three minutes so pace and content was essential in trying to get your message across.  

When writing this book, I used all of the elements of my writing skills, there are elements of the screenwriting structure as well as injecting the urgency and pace of a song to keep the reader engrossed. 

I want readers to vividly see hear and feel each chapter the same as when you watch a good film.

Norm: Paper Trail is part of a planned trilogy with scenes stretching from London to Europe and the Middle East. What challenges and opportunities do you see in weaving such international locales into a crime thriller?

Can you hint at how these diverse locations influence character development or plot progression?

Lyndon: Great question! I think even though the original arena is anchored in London a city I am very familiar with I didn't want to limit where I think the story could naturally take me. 

I have travelled around the world and want to include some of the elements of places I have seen, there are great visual opportunities when describing locations or characters and it also challenges me to think outside of what I know and drive the narrative to another level. 

One of the things I am aware of is that I want to reach a global audience with my books so similarly to a good series on television when people read a story from me my signature will be don't expect me to stick to what I know and just come on the journey. In terms of character development there are challenges such as language, customs, food many intricate details which enhances the plot and adds layers to the story.

Norm: You donate 50% of royalties to the Sickle Cell Society UK and are active in community outreach. How important is social engagement to your identity as a writer?

Does activism or awareness play a role in your storytelling themes?

Lyndon: Firstly, I am a Sickle Cell sufferer myself and have had this disorder since birth, so my donations are really a way of me giving back to the community and people that have supported me all of my life. 

I feel like I have a platform that can inspire young people to live their dream of becoming something or somebody in life because I was always told that my sickness will limit me, so social engagement is really important to me.  

I have written screenplays which tell stories of activism and social awareness which are yet to come to light, maybe after this trilogy I will turn my focus to writing books that will be themed around self-help and motivation.

Norm: Before writing full-length novels, you completed a postgraduate master’s in screen and stage writing. How has this formal education impacted your novel writing?

In what ways do you think screenwriting skills benefit novelists, especially those writing thrillers?

Lyndon: Yes, I was what they call a mature student! My dream was always to attend film school and that was the toughest challenge I ever had but the reason I wanted to do it was to learn the craft of writing. 

My actual motive was to write screenplays for television drama and I learnt that the process and structure was completely different to writing a novel. Similarly to music there are restrictions in the way you write and different techniques which make a screenplay stand out.

I felt that when writing a novel, I have more freedom but can also use the stylistic scene structure and apply that to my chapters ensuring the scene is as descriptive as possible and in terms of dialogue it helps with making it punchier and more succinct. 

Norm: Suspense and mystery are central to Paper Trail. What techniques do you use to maintain tension and keep readers engaged in your thriller?

How do you balance emotional depth with plot-driven suspense?

Lyndon: I'm a massive Hitchcock fan I used to watch his films when I was younger and I loved the way he would create a sense of taut suspense where you could not completely trust any character. 

For me it's about keeping reader not quite knowing where I'm taking them next so I try to drop tiny clues or crumbs as I call them as to lead you to think you know the thought process or heart of a character then drop a crumb that will get the reader to have that inkling of doubt about them. I love playing with emotions because we all have them so I really work hard to reflect exactly how each character is feeling or thinking at every moment, 

I want to evoke reaction from readers whether its anger, tears, heart in the mouth moments it's very important for me to capture that tension, I listen to a lot of music when I write and sometimes a song might serve as the backdrop or soundtrack that creates the emotion which in turn helps me to drive the plot.

Norm: Your descriptive style aims to immerse readers fully in your created worlds. How do you develop such vivid imagery without slowing the pacing of a thriller?

Are there particular sensory details or writing exercises you use to enhance immersion?

Lyndon: My style of writing again harks back to the screenwriting element, you have to be descriptive in terms of knowing whatever you write the producer or director can then create some kind of storyboard. Before I even write a chapter, I visualise what it will look like, I think about every detail of the room or car etc because I want the reader to see it too.

I'm already someone who can retain visually a lot of details so when writing I want the imagery to be clear to put the reader in the location of where the action is happening. 

When I did a creative writing course, I remember the teacher always telling us to never forget the sensory details such as smell sound and vision so yes I attempt to include all of these where possible, I think the trick is to get the reader to really be a part of the story by drawing them in with detailed and vivid imagery just like watching it all play out on a theatre stage or movie screen.

Norm: The character Barry Evans is an unsuspecting post office worker thrust into danger. What attracted you to telling the story through an “ordinary” person’s perspective amid extraordinary events?

Does Barry’s role echo any larger societal observations you wanted to explore?

Lyndon: Barry is like any of us just a normal man who likes a pint after work, unfortunately his 'Greed' if you like leads him into a situation he never expected and from there on in, he is caught up. 

These people or characters are real to me because I know people like Barry so it's always good to throw them into a dilemma and see how they react, quite cruel really but its again testing people's loyalty and character, putting him into a position where he now has to make choices. 

It's a reflection of how life can suddenly spiral. I commute to work every day and sit opposite strangers on the tube and I always wonder behind the suit or the uniform or make up what is really going on in their life? Are they dealing with a dilemma?

 Are they just like Barry? In relation to societal observations, I guess it's really what can be ordinary one day can be extraordinary at any moment and how human beings react in extreme situations.

Norm: Paper Trail challenges readers about trust and hidden truths. What personal or societal questions did you hope to raise through this story?

Have readers shared interpretations of these themes that surprised you?

Lyndon: I guess for me its more of the question of how well do you know your friend's siblings or spouses and what would drive them to lie be deceitful or hide secrets from those who are close to them. human nature has a funny way of adapting to different scenarios and in any relationship whether it be business or personal will always challenge people to change or remain open and truthful with integrity but money is a massive driver for some people it will cause people to stab eachother in the back and lie about a situation. 

I like to test my characters in the same we as people get tested, bringing it back to Dwayne and Cindy they are a clear example of siblings who are not telling the truth until it's too late and both have their hidden reasons as to why they use deceit instead of honesty. 

Readers have gasped at the twists in the plot and themes especially when they are surprised by the directions some of the characters take in the story.

Norm: Having worked with an experienced TV producer and script editor, how do you approach adapting Paper Trail or your other works for screen or stage?

Are there plans or desires from you to see Paper Trail adapted visually?

Lyndon: I would love to see Paper Trail adapted for screen I think as a writer I have already seen it in my mind as being on screen so that would be nice. 

Working with a TV producer and script editor really made me focus on the character arcs and overall story arc from beginning to end. 

The way I plan out my book before its written is similar to how I would write a drama series for television I map everything out first before I even touch a keyboard and ask myself questions like what is the plot? 

How do I want the feel of the story to be? How will this characters experience be throughout the book? Where is the setting? What season is it in terms of the climate or weather? Just as much information and research gathering I can do before I actually start to write. 

There is an element of structure but I also allow myself to be creative and flow so that the book can breathe and become its own entity too.

Norm: Where can our readers find out more about you and Paper Trail?

Lyndon: I'm not massive on socials but do have an Instagram page Lyndon Haynes Author, I have a LinkedIn page under my name Lyndon Haynes and I also have a website: lyndon-haynes-authr.ihub.app 

Norm: As we wrap up our interview, looking forward, what new directions or projects do you envision for your writing, both within and beyond the crime thriller genre?

Are there any themes or genres you are eager to explore in future works?

Lyndon: At the moment I am nearing the end of the second part of this trilogy the follow up its called La Maison De Allure and continues five years later to follow the lives of Cindy and Dwayne with some returning characters and also some new ones. 

I have a screenplay called Rae which is about a young female footballer who suffers from Sickle Cell but has amazing talent and her journey to try and break into the elite academies so I want to try and get this made it's a feature film. 

Then I will probably write a love story to give me a break from the drama of a crime thriller! And as mentioned I am keen to explore the self help and motivation style themed book but that's for the future.