Episode 184: Lynn Shannon Returns to Talk Badge of Honor Series and Why Readers Drive Her Stories

About This Episide

Diving Into the Badge of Honor Series

If you’ve been following along with our recent episodes, you know we’ve been completely hooked on Lynn’s Badge of Honor series. Books one and two, Fractured Memories and Dangerous Lies, have already captured our hearts, and we’re eagerly awaiting book three, Broken Silence, which releases this March.

The series takes us back to that beloved small-town Texas setting (Knoxville, Lynn thinks—though she admits with a laugh that bouncing between series sometimes means forgetting these details!). With six books planned for the series, there’s plenty more suspense, romance, and small-town charm ahead.

A Favorite Character: Felicity’s Story

When we asked Lynn about her favorite character in the series so far, she didn’t hesitate: Felicity. This friends-to-lovers story featuring a cold case that Felicity witnessed as a child hits all the right emotional notes.

“I love the idea that she works with her best friend in order to make it happen,” Lynn shared. “A lot of what happens to her and the fear that she had, it would be very different if Noah hadn’t been by her side to help her work the case.”

The series also includes subtle crossovers with Lynn’s Texas Ranger series, creating a connected world where characters from different series know each other, are friends, or even related. Lynn is careful to balance these connections, ensuring new readers can jump into any series without feeling lost while giving longtime fans those delightful “catching up with old friends” moments.

The Balancing Act: Writing Multiple Series

One of the most interesting insights from our conversation was learning about Lynn’s approach to managing multiple series. She’s currently bouncing between the Badge of Honor series and her popular Rangers series, though she admits this wasn’t intentional.

“The readers keep asking me to add on to the Rangers series, so I just keep hopping back into it,” Lynn explained. While she appreciates reader enthusiasm, she’s decided to change her strategy going forward: “My goal is to not bounce between series anymore. I want to take a series, finish that entire series, and then go back to another series.”

Small-Town Texas: The Heart of Every Story

There’s something special about the way Lynn brings small-town Texas to life in her books. Growing up in Spring, a suburb outside Houston that was once quite rural, Lynn developed a deep appreciation for the tight-knit communities where everybody knows everybody.

“I like the familiarity of them. I like how everybody knows everybody or most people know everybody. I like that feeling of family and connection and roots,” she told us. “So that typically shows up in all of my books.”

And it’s true—family members play significant roles, someone always has a ranch or farm, and that sense of found family and community runs through every story. Lynn bases her fictional towns on real areas she knows but changes the names to avoid any awkward situations (like featuring a corrupt police officer in a real town’s police department!).

Research and Authenticity Matter

Lynn’s commitment to accuracy is impressive. As a former lawyer who worked in both family and criminal law, she already had connections to law enforcement. But she doesn’t stop there. She takes classes taught by police officers, belongs to Facebook groups run by cops and emergency personnel, and reaches out directly to organizations like the Texas Ranger Museum for specific questions.

“They’re amazing about being helpful,” Lynn said. “They want you to get it right because they don’t want you to misrepresent how they do their job.”

This dedication shows in her respectful portrayal of law enforcement. While there’s occasionally a “bad egg” (as exists in any profession), Lynn’s stories celebrate the good officers who work incredibly hard to protect their communities and see justice done.

“Most of them are extremely amazing people who just want to do a great job and protect the community,” she emphasized. “And that’s how most of the police officers in my books are portrayed.”

Reader-Driven Stories

Perhaps what sets Lynn apart most is her responsiveness to reader feedback. When readers told her they didn’t enjoy having the villain’s point of view in her early Ranger books, she listened and stopped including it in subsequent stories. When readers fell in love with Wes (Noah’s brother from Fractured Memories), Lynn started planning his story.

“I do want them to be happy,” Lynn said about her readers. “So I’m writing the stories in large part for them. If they’re asking me for a story, I’m like, okay, I can go back into that series and add more.”

As an indie author, Lynn has the flexibility to respond directly to her readers without answering to traditional publishing constraints. Her job, as she sees it, is to give readers the books they’re asking for—ones filled with danger, suspense, romance, and faith.

What’s Next: Broken Silence and Beyond

Broken Silence, releasing in March, features a reunion romance between a divorced couple who are forced back together on a case involving a baby. Lynn loves writing these second-chance stories about people who “don’t fall out of love, but they get lost” and then rediscover that their relationship is worth fighting for.

Looking beyond the Badge of Honor series, Lynn is already planning her next project: the Justice Investigation series, featuring military heroes. She’s been mentioning Justice Investigations since her Triumph Over Adversity series, and now these characters will finally get their own stories. And yes, Wes will be connected to them too!

The Interview Moment We’ll Never Forget

No recap of this episode would be complete without mentioning the hilarious interruption that occurred mid-interview. Lynn was parked by a lake near her parents’ house in Texas when a small dog started chasing a duck—and actually caught it!

As we tried to have a serious conversation about character development and plot structure, Lynn watched the scene unfold: the owner trying to catch the dog, the duck (thankfully unharmed), and this tiny dog that was actually smaller than its prey making the whole situation even more absurd.

“This is the kind of thing that you’re like, okay, this is a book. Put this in a book sometime,” Lynn laughed. We can’t wait to see if this scene shows up in a future novel!

Why We Love Lynn’s Books

Lynn has a gift for pacing, creating just the right amount of suspense, and delivering satisfying twists that genuinely surprise us. Her books are the perfect length—substantial enough to fully develop characters and plot, but not so long that they drag. Whether you’re new to her work or a longtime fan, her stories deliver what romantic suspense readers crave: justice always wins, love always prevails, and the murderer is always caught.

“That’s one of the reasons why I love writing what I love because justice always wins and so does love,” Lynn told us. In a world where real life doesn’t always work out that way, there’s something deeply satisfying about that guarantee.

Connect With Lynn

Ready to dive into the Badge of Honor series? Lynn’s books are available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook formats on Amazon. You can connect with her on:

• Website: lynnshannon.com
• Facebook
• Instagram

And don’t forget to join Lynn’s email list! You’ll get a free book—Vanished, featuring the sister of Grady from the Ranger Protection series. It’s a great introduction to Lynn’s writing and a fun spin-off story.

Lynn genuinely wants to hear from readers, whether you’re sharing what you loved about a book or offering constructive feedback. As she reminded us, “If I hear something two, three, four, five, six times, I take it very seriously and I will respond.”

Listen to the Full Episode

We hope you love the Badge of Honor series as much as we do! Let us know what you think, and be sure to reach out to Lynn if you have requests for future characters and storylines. As this episode proves, she’s listening!

What’s your favorite Lynn Shannon series? Are you team Rangers or team Badge of Honor? Let us know in the comments!