Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction highlights characters that peel away outer layers of life to discover the heart of their dreams with some unexpected twists and turns along the way. Her writing integrates humor found in everyday situations, as well as touching moments that make readers connect with her characters.
Linda has an Associates Degree in Interior Design and a Master’s Degree in Reading and Language Arts with undergraduate work in Elementary Education and Fine Arts. Linda has two grown sons and lives with her husband and rescue dog in Michigan. You can follow her at her Website, Facebook, and Twitter.
When did you write your first book?
I wrote and illustrated my first book in grade school. My elementary school had this contest called “Calbery”. The term “Calbery” was derived from the names of the Caldecott and Newberry Awards. Students wrote and illustrated their books each year. The winners received awards and the winning books were sent on to compete with other students from surrounding elementary schools. It was a big deal and I looked forward to making my book each year. I still have the ribbons and certificates in my writing box that’s followed me from place-to-place. That deep-seeded passion for writing shadowed me through life, got pushed to back burner, but surfaced later on when my boys were young. I wrote my first women’s fiction manuscript about ten years ago. Time flies when you’re having fun.
How long did it take to write your first book?
To be honest, I’m not sure how long it took to write that “first” full length manuscript. It’s still sitting in a binder on my shelf. Probably a year or so. Maggie’s Way is a different story, though. Maggie’s Way was my debut novel and I completed that manuscript in about three months.
What was your motivation to write your first book?
Cancer was my catalyst. Being published was on my life’s list of things to do, so I buckled down upon being diagnosed. I put all my other projects to the side and let new characters drive my stories. When I began writing Maggie Abernathy and Chloe McIntyre, I found my voice. Within a year’s time, I’d written first drafts for the three books in my Montana Bound Series. (I’m happy to report, it’s been five years since radiation and I’m cancer free. Grateful!)
What is the best thing about being a writer?
Connecting with readers, most definitely!
What is the worst thing about being a writer?
The characters that won’t leave my head until I entertain their story. It’s very difficult for me to turn off my brain, even if I’m exhausted.
Do you ever think of the next book whilst writing?
All. The. Time.
What are some of your favorite books on writing?
- On Writing by Steven King
- the 90-day novel by Alan Watt
- Storytelling Made Easy by Michael Hauge
What are you working on now?
I’m finishing a Women’s Fiction short story with paranormal elements. It’s in the final stages of editing and it’ll be out mid-June 2018. Here’s the blurb:
Burdened by heartache, can a whisper from beyond give middle-aged Paula Murphy the courage to just pedal?
Coming back to her Bay View summer home in northern Michigan means more than planning beach picnics and working in her daughter-in-law’s bicycle shop. Her avoidance to embrace her grown son’s death isn’t the only tribulation weighing on this self-reliant social worker’s mind. Reluctant to believe the unfathomable, Paula Murphy’s world is turned upside down when she’s reunited with the only man she’s ever loved.
Linda is a multi-published author. In 2016, her debut novel, Maggie’s Way was a finalist in The Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award and the Greater Detroit Booksellers Best Award.
Linda’s books can be found at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2bakz7T
Barnes and Noble:
Maggie’s Way: https://bit.ly/2rJwNhs
Maggie’s Fork in the Road: https://bit.ly/2Inq0R3
Maggie’s Montana: https://bit.ly/2L4kzIy
A Montana Bound Christmas: https://amzn.to/2iprs9w
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Musings Of Two Creative Minds 