Friday, December 7, 2012

Author Interview: Linda Rondeau

My guest today is author Linda Rondeau, whose published works range from thrillers to romance. Linda is the winner of the 2012 Selah Award for her novel The Other Side of Darkness and her devotional, I Prayed for Patience/God Gave Me Children is due out next week.

Hi Linda! I'm always curious about how long people have been writing, and how long it took them to make the journey from writer to published author. 

Most writers will say it's been a life-long hobby. For me the journey began on June 21, 2000 when retired from nearly thirty years of human services. While I published articles, short stories, and poems in various on-line and traditional periodicals, my first book contract offer came eleven years to the date I started writing.

Tell us about your books.

The Other Side of Darkness/Pelican Book Group/Harbourlight/2011 is a suspense with romantic elements. A New York City prosecutor takes a forced vacation but becomes stranded in a small Adirondack town called Haven. As her career unravels around a convicted child killer, he has escaped vowing revenge against her relentless prosecution. This book won the 2012 Selah Award for best first novel. 

America II: The Reformation/Trestle Press/Helping Hands Press is a futuristic political thriller. Though a different genre, readers will find a characteristic whit and characters that walk off the page, according to my reviewers anyway. The book is set in 2073, and the global government is about to launch it's first world dictator. Factions arise each realizing reform is necessary to avert disaster, but each faction has a different slant on what kind of reform needs to happen, from change within the existing government to outright military overthrow. 

Rains of Terror Serials/Trestle Press/Helping Hands Press is a serial book. The first three of ten volumes are up with the fourth to be released soon. This is a prequel to America II and tells the story of Jacques Fontaine, a global leader who rises from obscurity to unite a world thrown into a second dark age.

It Really Is a Wonderful Life/Lighthouse of the Carolinas is a Christmas Romance. An Iraq Wr widow finds new life in the Adirondack Town of Midville where her parents had retired to a few years before. In a desperate effort to fit in, she joins a local theater group in production for It's a Wonderful Life where she finds conflicting and unsuspected romance. 

I Prayed for Patience/God Gave Me Children/Trestle Press/Helping Hands Press is a non-fiction book for all, not just parents. While there are some helpful hints on parenting, the book also demonstrates our roles as God's children. The book is expected to be released on or about December 10.

I'm not a Pinterest person, but when I logged on to your website, I found a link to your Pinterest page, which piqued my interest. I know you also have an author page on Facebook. As an author, what social media do you participate in, and how do you distinguish your presence in each area?

My most used Social Media is Facebook. I have several pages there. Books By Linda Rondeau, and Author Linda Rondeau are my writing pages. I have another page for friends and family. I am also on Twitter as well as Pinterest and Linked In. I don't have a lot of time for social networking and find Hootsuite a great benefit to streamline my sites. I try to post about me as a person, things that interest me, and share other posts, promoting other writers as well.

How can readers support their favorite authors?

Writers need reviews and the best reviews come from readers. Many readers do not realize they can post their opinions about the book and these are the most valuable reviews. Just a few sentences about why you liked the book really helps the author's presence. Readers can also like the author's fan page and wherever the author appears on-line such as blogs and on-line bookstores such as Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble. More reviews and likes push a book up on the store's advertising priority.

Anything else you'd like to tell us?

Thank you for hosting me today. Some of my readers know that I am currently battling cancer. If anyone is experiencing a difficult time in their lives, I invite them to follow my blog, This Daily Grind, where I am currently writing about my cancer journey.

You can contact Linda at lindarondeau@gmail.com. 

For more on her Linda and her books, click on the links above, or go to:  


The Other Side of Darkness

Also writing as L.W. Rondeau








5 comments:

  1. Super interview w/Linda. Good job!

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  2. So glad your perseverance paid off. You are def on a roll now Linda, as many readers discover your out of the box intriguing stories!

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  3. @ Diana and Caroline....thanks so much for your support now and always.

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  4. Hey, ladies,
    Glad to discover you both through Diana! Linda, I like the advice you gave about supporting the authors you like...write a reveiw! Nice.

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  5. Thanks for visiting, everyone! And Linda, I wish you good health and continued success!

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