SUITE: A book or author that influenced you a lot? Personally or professionally.
LINDA: Dune by Frank Herbert. When I was a teenager, it was the first adult book I had checked out of the library and the first science fiction book I ever read. It impressed me because he created such a rich and believable world that I literally inhabited that place. I have always hoped to be able to create worlds just as real.
SUITE: Favorite mystery movie?
LINDA: I can't think of one. I tend to like action movies and Science Fiction.
SUITE: Favorite mystery TV show? If you don't have a favorite mystery one, then some other type of TV show that is a favorite.
LINDA: All of the Mystery series, but especially Brother Cadfael and Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot and . . . You get the idea.
SUITE: Oh, I love those too. How do you feel about writing? And how does it feel when you are writing? Excited, frustrated, is it just business?
LINDA: As I said, I am addicted to writing, to the sense of creativity, to words flowing out of me in a stream, creation of characters and stories. First draft, that initial time when inspiration or the muse takes over, grips you and won't let go. When everything just clicks and you read what you have written and know that it is good. The thing I dislike most is copy editing. It is hard to motivate myself and keep motivated. Recently I serialized my vampire novel at www.midnightblood.com. That really worked well for me since I was only copy editing a short segment at a time, but I was committed to having a new episode each day. Very good discipline.
SUITE: What type of book promotion do you feel has worked best for you?
LINDA: I am basically new to book promotion. I haven't done any book signings or given any talks or even gone to any conferences. Right now I am trying to learn all the possible ways to promote myself on the Internet, building a web site, joining news groups, writing book reviews, etc.
SUITE: Can you ever see yourself not writing anymore?
LINDA: No. I will always do some kind of writing. Like I said, I am addicted. I need the creativity, the flow of words. But as in the past, life can tend to take over and I might not be so focused on writing.
SUITE: Pets? Types and names, please.
LINDA: Four very domineering cats, used to be five, a black, a white, a grey, a tiger stripped and a Siamese. We lost the black one, she was 16 years old, so now down to four. QC is the white one (it was supposed to be an affirmation, Quiet Cat, but it didn't work.) Then there is Spunky and Trip. Spunky was my daughter's cat and Trip belonged to her boy friend, but we ended up with them. And Lucky is the Siamese, he is Spunky's son, but there is no maternal/child relationship between them. Lucky is Mr. Personality who has recently been renamed Mr. Behave, by our Grandson, since we are always telling Lucky to behave.
