Please tell us a little
about yourself.
Like most writers,
I was born holding a pencil. I loved to tell stories to the younger children. I
suppose I told a lot of stories to my parents to avoid getting into trouble. I
knew from a young age I wanted a career in writing. However, I became caught up
in a social work career and raising a family and put my dream on hold. When my
youngest left the nest, I thought about writing. My husband bought me a set of
golf clubs and the dream was put aside yet again. One day, I realized if the
dream were ever to be realized, it was up to me to make a drastic change.
Becoming a writer would not “just happen.” I don’t recommend everyone leave the
day job, but for me, it was necessary. Now I have one book published, The Other
Side of Darkness, a 2012 Selah Award winner for best first novel. My second
novel will be out July 1, a futuristic political thriller, America II: The
Reformation.
It's always nice to see dreams become a reality. What is your
favorite non-writing pastime?
Give me a driver, a
putter, and a seven iron, put me on a golf course—and I’m in heaven.
I hear golfing is a nice way to wind down. So tell us, what has been your
greatest challenge as a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?
I started out
writing essays, poems, short-stories, and whatever I could to convince a
magazine to publish me. I tried self-publishing a non-fiction book, and found
that venue unsatisfactory. My love is fiction. I love cadence, imagery, snappy
dialogue, painting pictures with words. However, I had to learn that none of
that matters. What is most important is the story. All the elements on the page
must support the story or they are merely words, a deterrent to the theme and
message of the story. I had to learn to let go of superfluous paragraphs, no
matter how well they were written. The end results were tighter books, and more
appealing to readers.
Is writing a
full-time career for you? If not, how else do you spend your work day?
I took early
retirement a decade ago, but have managed part-time jobs in the interim while
trying to build actual money from my writing. I have found, though, these
part-time experiences, just like my social work career, have added depth and
understanding to my writing. No experience is wasted effort if we can apply it
to our writing. One of my favorite pt jobs was a cashier at a local Kohls
store. What a great pool to meet potentially interesting characters for future
reference.
What inspired the
idea behind your book?
Before moving to
Jacksonville, Florida, I lived in upstate, New York just north of the
Adirondack Mountains. Lots of wildlife in those hills. I wanted to write a
story about a lawyer who becomes stranded in a quirky Adirondack Town. Samantha
Knowles came to life in the attorneys I met in my work as a social worker. I
also knew from this experience that a carefully constructed conviction can be
overturned in a heartbeat—that justice is sometimes offered up to the highest
bidder or manipulated by ambition or lofty goals. I needed a ploy to have my
heroine stranded where God could work on her “dark” place. A friend of mine
showed me pictures of her daughter’s car after she hit a moose. The damage was
so severe, it was a miracle her daughter came out uninjured. Then I knew that
this was my catalyst. The rest is history.
Do you have a
favorite character in The Other Side of Darkness? Who and why?
Difficult to
choose, but I think I’m partial to Aunt Sadie. Though comical, she is a good
hearted woman who has a few “dark” places of her own she had to come through.
She becomes the mythic mentor to help the heroine on her journey.
Will you share a short preview of the book?
Ooh, that's chilling! Do you share any personality traits with any of your characters?
I think in some ways, I share personality traits with many
of my characters. I use humor to cope, as Samantha does. I am a mentor to many
people, like Aunt Sadie. I held a short stint as a teacher, like Zach, and I
have bouts with deep self-doubt, like Jonathan.
Do you have to be
alone or have quiet to write?
I am easily
distracted so I do the bulk of my writing in my office. I don’t even turn on
the cd player or music through the computer as I am too sensitive to rhythm.
Hard to write while you’re dancing.
As a multi-genre
author, how do you juggle going back and forth between the different genres? Do
you have a preferred genre?
The Other Side of
Darkness is suspense with romantic elements. It is not technically classified a
romantic suspense since it does not follow the typical romantic formula, and
Samantha has two love interests. The previous books I have written are: sci-fi,
speculative, YA, contemporary, straight romance, and biblical fiction. I’ve
heard all the arguments about branding. As one marketer put it, “branding is
not necessarily genre.” What I have discovered is that all my books, regardless
of genre will treat the reader to the following elements: ethereal, humor,
history, crisis resolution, and a little romance in the mix.
Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a
series?
I am working on a second Adirondack suspense with romantic elements
called Tree Eaters. Tree Eaters is the translation of Adirondack Mountains. The
Native Americans ate the bark off trees. The reasons why are up to speculation.
What has been your
greatest pleasure or personal success as an author?
When I first felt
the call to write, I went to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers
Conference in 2001. That year, I received The Writer of the Year Award. It was
a monumental experience for me as it cemented my desire to be a writer. Eleven
years later, again at a Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, I
received the prestigious industry-wide inspirational Selah Award for best first
published novel. The years in between have held many discouragements. This
award has once again propelled me forward.
What type of
heroine do you like best?
Sassy, humorous, independent,
intelligent and educated.
Is there any place
and time in the world and in history that you would like to visit?
Several places come
to mind. In America II, the setting is split between Western America and what
is referred to as the Highland Province or old Scotland. I would love to visit
the British Isles. In the west, I have scenes taking place in former New
Mexico, called the Sierra Province. I would love to visit Carlsbad Caverns.
Does where you live
or have places you’ve been influenced your work?
I have found the
Adirondacks highly inspirational for writing. It’s a setting that takes on a
character of its own.
Did you face many challenges in getting your first book published?
Plethora. I could
paper my walls with rejections. I had an agent for seven years. There is a
saying from the Bible, “He who endures until the end will be saved.” I
sometimes thing, this crazy industry we’re in is about longevity, the
willingness to stay the course regardless of the tidal waves that might
discourage us. Ride them out and eventually success will find you.
What wonderful choices! How do you unwind
after a long writing session?
Generally, when I
need a brain break, I go shopping or take a walk. I try to treat myself to a round
of golf on occasion as a reward for hard work. I try to avoid eating, but I
must admit—a big bowl of ice-cream topped with fudge syrup never fails to
rejuvenate.
What is the best
piece of writing advice you’ve received?
Don’t spend too
much time editing while you’re writing your book. Let it flow. Separate
yourself as editor from yourself as creator.
Good advice Linda!
An Excerpt
Good advice Linda!
The Book
Haven: a
perfect vacation spot filled with mystery and romance except for a killer bent
on revenge.
Manhattan prosecutor Samantha Knowlton is
stranded in a quirky but intriguing Adirondack
town. But she must return to NYC to repair the unraveling case against
convicted child killer, Harlan Styles.
Teacher Zack
Bordeaux fears he is doomed to a life of mediocrity if he remains in Haven but
would be willing to stay if it means a life with Sam.
Landscape
artist Jonathan Gladstone feels bound to an estate he both loathes and loves,
haunted by the deaths of his wife and son until he falls in love with a
spirited attorney and rediscovers his artistic passion.
These three,
betrayed and betraying, must find their way from the darkness of broken hope to
the light found only in Christ, our surest haven.
An Excerpt
The
mountainous mammal came from nowhere, a mammoth brown blur that stood directly
in front of her. Sam screamed and braked, but too late. The wheels locked, and
Lucille screeched forward, a two-ton bullet. Metal crunched and glass blasted.
Sam’s head snapped forward then backward, a limp appendage as Lucille slid down
the embankment, the crumbled, blood-spattered moose stuck to her hood. Car,
driver, and beast came to a rest at the bottom of a ditch in the middle of
God-only-knows-where-I-am-ville.
Fingered
antlers pressed against Sam’s right shoulder. She could do nothing except
mentally assess the damage and raise her left hand to the hole that was once a
window. A sharp pain shot up her leg, and Sam noticed a large piece of glass
jutting from her upper thigh. Instead of emitting a scream, she squealed with delight.
“Yahoo. I can feel! And you can talk, too. Though no one’s going to hear you
except that thing on your hood. Hey you, if you’re alive, say something.”
Where can
your readers find you?
Website: http://www.lindarondeau.com
Blogs: This Daily Grind http://lindarondeau.blogspot.com/
Back in the
Daze: http://backinthedaze-linda.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/lwrondeau
The books is
available on amazon.com, books-a-million, barnes & noble, christianbook.com, and wherever ebooks and softcover books are sold.
Comment for a chance to win a $10 Pelican Book Group GC!
thanks for hosting me today
ReplyDeleteThanks again
ReplyDeleteI loved the interview and will probably love the book as well. Suspense is a genre I like but have found some books are ruined if the romance takes over the suspense so I am betting this book will have the right mixture to keep the suspense going and maybe choosing between two men fits the suspense category as well. Thanks for inviting us.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Laineslite@ gmail .com
Thank you for hosting Linda today!
ReplyDeleteThank you for joining us today Linda!
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Lainey--the book sounds great and I too enjoy a good suspense novel when the romance doesn't overpower the story.
Linda--interesting tidbit about Tree Eaters and the Adirondacks.
I like the same kind of heroine that you do, Linda: Sassy, humorous, independent, intelligent and educated.
ReplyDeleteI have this image of a newborn baby clutching a pencil and her mother saying..."THAT'S what that pain was!" LOL.
catherinelee100 at gmail dot com
@ Catherine Lee
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine who is a Native American said the tribal people used to use bark for seasoning, too.
Thanks for all you kind words and support
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your books!
ReplyDelete@ Melody...thank you and I hope you'll enjoy them.
ReplyDelete