Books
Letter to Shonda Rhimes
Dear Shonda,
I love, love, love Grey’s Anatomy—did I mention I love it? But…let’s get real here, you guys need an ER doc.
I mean, there’s Meredith, dead—DEAD!—from cold water immersion and the only person who comes up with the right treatment is your OB-Gyn/pediatric surgeon/neonatologist/perinatal maternal-child-health specialist??? And then everyone ignores her?
I love that you focus on how people save people, not medicine. Believe me, I agree, in fact, that’s the theme behind all of my own medical suspense novels.
But as a pediatric ER doc, I have to protest. Yes, the cast needs trimmed. No, Addison really can not be all those things (and I think one show mentioned she also has a PhD in nutrition or the like?)—she’d be 100 years old before she finished her training!
If you want a generalist, get an ER doc on board. We’re just as smart as the surgeons, have lots of cutting wit (from hanging out with cops and firefighters and paramedics all day), excellent multi-tasking skills—able to go from comforting a pregnant lady to suturing a screaming toddler to saving a stroke patient to being command doc in a major trauma without blinking an eye!
I know you want to stay in the OR with your beloved surgeons (and I love them all, as well!) but please, you’re starting to strain credibility here. You need a jack of all trades, and the best bang for your buck will be an ER doc—or at least an Emergency Medicine resident doing their surgical rotations.
And, of course, if you ever want to chat about it, need a writer, heck, need a gopher! feel free to call me—anytime!!
Best wishes,
CJ Lyons, pediatric ER doc, medical suspense writer, and Grey’s Anatomy fan
Books
Who is CJ?
CJ Lyons has lived most of her life on the edge. Trained in Pediatric Emergency Medicine, she has assisted police and prosecutors with cases involving child abuse, rape, homicide and Munchausen by Proxy. She has worked in numerous trauma centers, on the Navajo reservation, as a crisis counselor, victim advocate, as well as a flight physician for Life Flight and Stat Medevac.
These skills have proved useful during CJ’s adventures both in the US and abroad. She participated in an archeological expedition in the Outback of Australia sponsored by the Kuku Djugan tribe and was one of few people allowed access to explore the Hell’s Gate Wilderness Preserve in Kenya on foot during an environmental impact survey of the Lake Navisha region. She has also traveled extensively in the US, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Caribbean. She holds an orange belt in Kempo and enjoys hiking, white water rafting, and outdoor photography when she is not writing or practicing medicine.
CJ has been a story-teller all her life, always creating stories about people discovering the courage to make a difference. This drove her into writing thrillers with strong relationships and led her to coin the term: Thrillers with Heart.
A member of Romance Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime and Kiss of Death, CJ’s work has appeared in CrimeSpree Magazine, Romantic Times Book Review, WebMystery Magazine and SpineTingler.
She has presented workshops to the MWA, RWA, Romantic Times and ITW among others and was the conference chairperson for the highly successful inaugural ThrillerFest. A finalist for RWA’ prestigious Golden Heart and winner of the Golden Gateway award, CJ has received numerous accolades for her writing. #1 New York Times Bestseller Sandra Brown called CJ’s work “a perfect blend of romance and suspense”.
Watch for her debut medical suspense novel coming from Berkley in 2008! Contact her at: cj@cjlyons.net
