I've really looked forward to the day when I could post this interview. Lind and I have walked together on much of the journey. Welcome, Linda. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.
I probably put a lot of myself into my characters more so
subconsciously than consciously. For example…Samantha Knowles is an attorney
who was abused as a child. I am not an attorney nor have I experienced physical
abuse first hand. However, my work as a social worker has given me insight into
the lives of attorneys and the affects of child abuse. Sam is a perfectionist,
driven to achieve excellence and frustrated when it does not happen. That is probably
one of my downfalls.
What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?
It is difficult to pick one out of several hundred. My
husband says he wants to stamp it on his palm that he married a blonde and to
remember to expect the unexpected from me. Probably the bravest thing I’ve done
is my recent move to Jacksonville ,
Florida Jacksonville Jacksonville
When did you first discover that you were a writer?
Many writers say they were born with a pencil in their hand.
I do know I’ve always loved telling stories and writing them down. In grade
school, I won several writing contests. I always wanted to be a writer and did
so as a hobby. Life responsibilities pushed me into other careers until June
21, 2000 when God revealed His plan that now was the time for me to pursue this
gift as a profession.
Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
As in music and movies, I enjoy any work that is done well.
My reading over the course of year will vary from historical and romance to
contemporary and science fiction. I want to read a story about people, about
their overcoming obstacles and their spiritual growth. In that regard, I prefer
character driven stories.
How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?
Pray, pray, and pray. Regardless of how crowded my day may
be, I have discovered that planning time for God first thing in the
morning…before breakfast… is critical. I set my alarm early to allow for that
special time with Father God…even if that means I miss some other critical
element in my day. In this life, God is more concerned about our being than our
doing. And our doing is vanity, as Solomon says, unless it is rooted in our
relationship with God.
How do you choose your characters’ names?
I choose names according to their meaning and according to
the character type personality. I also factor in geographical factors,
historical factors and family probabilities. For example, Zack Bordeaux is a
teacher, a product of his geographical location. French names are prevalent in
the Adirondack region due to its proximity to Canada
and migrations from Quebec
What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?
I am first and foremost proud of my three children and my
nine grandchildren. To me, family, next to my relationship with God, is the
highest priority. My children are great parents and that thrills me. My sons both
served in the military, and my daughter is an exemplary mom and wife. Career
wise, I think I take greatest joy in winning writer of the year for the Blue
Ridge Mountains Christian Writers conference. That year God affirmed His call
for me to write.
If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?
I’d like to be a lion. I roar a lot and I like to prowl. I
wouldn’t want to be a man-eating lion, though.
What is your favorite food?
Pot roast. I love tender beef and vegetables cooked in the
broth. Next to that, I’d say spaghetti. Third favorite is hot fudge sundae. Now
if I could only combine them in one meal, but I’m afraid the blended flavors
would not set well in the stomach. As in many areas of my life, my tastes seem
to be varied.
I would like to eat with you. Tell us a little about your journey to publication.
It has been a wild ride filled with highs and lows. God
yanked me from complacency on June 21, 2000, in a vivid call to move my life
toward professional writing. I don’t advocate quitting the day job, but in my
case, God insisted. He promised to meet our needs, and He has done so beyond
any expectation. Though I published short stories, essays, poetry, and
devotional articles, as well as a newspaper column, obtaining a book contract
was a challenge beyond all others, even with an agent. I questioned if I’d
heard God right. I thought of going back to work full-time and keep writing
short pieces. God reminded me that quitting now would be akin to the Children
of Israel re-crossing the Jordan
What is the problem with writing that was your greatest
roadblock, and how did you overcome it?
I fell into the trap of thinking God needed me. I made
writing my primary focus in life, even before my devotional time. I fooled
myself into thinking that this was okay since I was doing God’s work. God had
to chisel my pride. He didn’t need me to do anything. God is sufficient in
Himself. What He offered was a privilege to work together with Him. Then I asked
God to take away the desire to write. He told me that was foolishness to ask
Him to take away His gift to me. He had to show me the importance of being,
living and breathing each day in sync with what He wanted to show me for that
day. He taught me that my call to purpose is not what I do but who I am in Him.
The rest will fall into place. “But seek ye first
the kingdom of God
What advice would you give to others who are trying to get
their first book published?
Don’t quit. If you believe God has called you or even if you
are writing for your own pleasure, don’t give up. Rejection is not failure but
rather an opportunity to try again.
Tell us about the featured book.
The Other Side of Darkness, (working copy title Dawn’s Hope)
came to me as I drove through the Adirondack
area in which the story is set. Its history has always intrigued me. The
question occurred to me what if someone from the city became stranded in one of
its small towns. During the initial formation of the novel, I took a trip to Whitehall Haven New York
Please give us the first page of the book.
He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea
were hushed…and He guided them to their desired haven.
Psalm
107:29-30
Spaghetti legs, Daddy called
them, spindly appendages that kinked when stressed—like now.
Samantha Knowles leaned
against the table for support as Bailiff Don Hunter came to the front of the
courtroom. “All rise.” Judge Normandy
As the judge took his bench,
the crowd silenced to await his summation. Sam glanced at the defendant’s table
where a calm Harlan Styles sat, a wart on the cheek of humanity, an insulated
icicle against the rising heat, tried and convicted—the rest up to Normandy
She fingered her notes, though
she didn’t need to see them—the image of Kiley’s tiny, battered body tattooed
on Sam’s brain, a brazen scar, indelibly etched on her heart.
Judge Normandy
Victory should taste better,
like syrup over pancakes—not this metallic aftertaste.
A woman’s scream silenced the
murmurings, and Sam turned with the rest of the throng toward the source.
Kiley’s mother, Brenda Smith, had leaned over the rail and grabbed Styles’s
sleeve while Don Hunter ordered her to step back.
Brenda was weak—just like Mama
was weak. Brenda Smith deserved the same fate as Styles. Too bad stupidity
wasn’t a felony.
The DA stood in the back of the
courtroom. Without a word, Abe Hilderman, her boss and second chair, abandoned
Sam to shake the DA’s hand. A simple, “Good job, Counselor,” would have been
nice, even a slap on the back. Nice, but not necessary. Abe often said that
Justice was its own reward.
Emboldened, Sam stepped closer
as the deputy handcuffed Styles. He saw her, pulled free, put his shackled
hands on the prosecutor’s table and leaned into Sam’s face, his cologne lethal…
a designer blend—suede, water, and moss—like Daddy’s. Sam fixed her stare into
steel-gray eyes, magnets that drew her headlong toward a spinning saw—Styles’s
demeanor, a calloused calm…except for his lips… parched, purple–tinged lips
that formed his threat. “Keep your light on, Miss Knowles.”
Her spaghetti legs wobbled. Three years of lamp-lit nights
had failed to chase away the recurring dreams—dreams Sam kept secreted from
everyone, especially Justine, Sam’s
best friend. How, then, did Styles know she kept a light on all night?
How can the readers find you on the Internet?
Webiste: http://www.lindarondeau.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/lwrondeau
Blogs
This Daily Grind (God often teaches us life’s greatest
lessons through the mundane) http://lindarondeau.blogspot.com/
Back in the Daze
(because life never ceases to be amazing)
My on-line writing community: Pentalk Community
Pentalk Community Blog: http://pentalkcommunity.blogspot.com/
To purchase book:
http://www.pelicanbookgroup.com/ec/the-other-side-of-darkness-softcoverThank you, Linda, for sharing all of this with us.
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