INTERVIEW WITH LINDA WEAVER CLARKE By Cynthia Hickey

Linda was raised on a farm surrounded by the rolling hills of southern Idaho and  made her home in southern Utah among the beautiful red mountains and desert heat. She has been happily married for 42 years and is the mother of six daughters and has five wonderful grandchildren .

After her family began to leave the nest, Linda decided it was time to finish what she had started long ago. She decided to go back to college and get a degree. It had been 30 years since she had been to college and it was one of the most frightening things she had ever done. Linda had to learn how to study and take tests all over again. The first day of college, she was a nervous wreck and wondered if she could do this, but with the support of her husband and children she was able to graduate. Linda received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre and Music at Southern Utah University and received the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student Award for the College of Performing Arts in 2002. During the meantime, she cut a CD named "Romantic Love Songs of Sigmund Romberg and Victor Herbert."

Linda has enjoyed writing short stories and novels for several years but it took a lot of courage to begin submitting them. After "Melinda and the Wild West" was published, she entered it in the Reader Views Literary Contest and her book was chosen as a Semi-Finalist in the "Reviewers Choice Awards 2007." It was one of the top ten out of hundreds of other entries. Linda has written eleven books; five are historical sweet romances and four are mystery adventures. She also have two non-fiction e-books.

Linda has traveled throughout the United States, teaching people to write their family history and autobiography. She has traveled to seventeen states and given over 400 workshops. She am the author of six historical sweet romances, four mystery adventure novels, a children's book, and a new cozy mystery series. All of her books are family friendly.

When did you decide to pursue writing and eventually publication?
It was after I wrote my family’s histories. I have always loved writing. After writing my ancestors’ and parents’ biographies, I couldn’t stop writing. So I turned to historical romances. Since my ancestors’ stories were so vivid in my mind, I actually gave some of their exciting experiences to the main characters. So my ancestors were the inspiration for getting me started. My first historical romance, Melinda and the Wild West, actually won an award for the Reviewers Choice Award. After writing five romances, I turned to mysteries. All my stories are family friendly.

What is your writing process like?  Do you write daily?  Are you a plotter or a pantster? 

I usually write every day if I have something in my mind and don’t want to forget it, or if I’m getting to the end of the book and I’m excited to come to the climax of the story. When I’m editing my work, then it’s every day, also. Otherwise it’s about 3 or 4 times a week. I like to plot my story so I can see which direction it’s going.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?  Least favorite?

My favorite part is the editing because I’m developing my story and making the characters and story come alive. My least favorite is when I have found an inconsistency in the story and I have to tweek it so it will make sense. Sometimes I have to check other chapters, too, after finding my mistake. Groan!

What is one of the most interesting things you’ve discovered in your research? 

When I was writing this story, The Mysterious Doll, Amelia and Rick end up at Estes Park, Colorado in the famous Stanley Hotel that is supposedly “haunted.” The hauntings at the Stanley Hotel were supposedly true. The research was so much fun and I added a few facts about the haunted hotel. My husband, my daughter Serena, and I stayed there over night and it was a delightful place. We really enjoyed it, but we never heard any ghosts playing in the halls or heard the famous piano play on its own accord.

  Please tell us about your latest release. 

The Amelia Moore Detective Series is a cozy mystery that involves missing persons. This is the fourth book in the series. In The Mysterious Doll, Pauline Jones is confused why her boyfriend took off without telling a soul where he was going. But that isn’t all. Sam Whitaker is accused of stealing a valuable porcelain doll from the museum. His disappearance makes him look guilty, but Pauline is convinced he is innocent. When Amelia finds Sam, she realizes they need to prove his innocence. Where is the antique doll and who has taken it?

Who or what inspired this special story? 

I try to create a story surrounding a missing person and make it intriguing at the same time. I’m not sure where I get my ideas. I just think about an area that I would like to visit next and then try to come up with a story that would fit that area.

Is there anything else you would like to share?  What will you be working on next? 

The next book in this series is called “Her Lost Love.” Julie Anderson feels a need to find the man she fell deeply in love with during her youth. When Julie went off to college to become a lawyer, she lost contact with her high school sweetheart. She now wants to know what became of Joey and why he stopped writing to her? This is an assignment that intrigues Amelia. The thought of finding a long-lost love seems quite romantic.

Can you tell us something about yourself that few people may know?

When all my children were in school, I went back to college at the age of 50 and graduated in 2002. It was a wonderful accomplishment and I’m so glad that I did it.

What is your most treasured possession?

My six daughters and husband. We have been married for 42 years.

If you had to leave your house suddenly, what is one thing you would grab, other than family and pets?

My computer. It has all my stories and ideas on it. I would feel terrible if I lost all my books.

Thank you so much!  Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

My website is called Make Believe: www.lindaweaverclarke.com

My blog is called Author of Sweet Romance and Mystery: https://lindaweaverclarke.wordpress.com

A blog where I interview authors and have book giveaways: http://lindaweaverclarke.blogspot.com

Watch a YouTube video about this mystery series at http://youtu.be/MihZEVT12oE

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A COPY OF LINDA'S BOOK, MYSTERIOUS DOLL

 

Multi-published and Amazon Best-Selling author Cynthia Hickey had three cozy mysteries and two novellas published through Barbour Publishing. Her first mystery, Fudge-Laced Felonies, won first place in the inspirational category of the Great Expectations contest in 2007. Her third cozy, Chocolate-Covered Crime, received a four-star review from Romantic Times. All three cozies have been re-released as ebooks through the MacGregor Literary Agency, along with a new cozy series, all of which stay in the top 50 of Amazon’s ebooks for their genre. She has several historical romances releasing in 2013, 2014, 2015 through Harlequin’s Heartsong Presents, and has sold more than 300,000 copies of her works. She is active on FB, twitter, and Goodreads, and is a contributor to Cozy Mystery Magazone blog and Suspense Sisters blog. She lives in Arizona with her husband, one of their seven children, two dogs and two cats. She has five grandchildren who keep her busy and tell everyone they know that “Nana is a writer”. Visit her website at www.cynthiahickey.com