Author Speed Dating – Linda Bradley

I love discovering new authors, so I wanted my blog to be a place where readers and my author pals could come together. Only we like to do this Speed-Dating style. Check out a new author and her work here every Wednesday, and if the spark is there, you’ll have a match. 

This week’s guest: Linda Bradley

 

15 Questions

1. Picture yourself at an amusement park. Are you the rider on the tallest roller coaster, clamoring for speed; the only adult on the spinning ride with the kids, begging for it to stop; or the bench-sitter, holding the coats and waving?

I’m on the roller coaster avoiding the spinning teacups! Just thinking about twirling makes me queasy. As a youngster, my friends and I would ride the roller coasters at Cedar Point, then get right back in line to ride them all over again. A few years back, I rode Space Mountain and loved it as much as when I was a teenager.

2. Name an author whose work you read and still think “I’m not worthy”?

LuAnn Rice. Her skill for writing stories centered around loss and tarnished relationships draws me in every time.

3. What was genre of the first piece you can remember writing, and how old were you when you penned this masterpiece?

I wrote and illustrated a picture book titled “Erie” in fourth grade. I still have it, along with the other picture books I wrote in elementary school.

4. Are you traditionally published, self-published or a “hybrid” author, and why did you choose that path?

Hybrid. I published my Montana Bound Series with Soul Mate. This year, I’m venturing outside my comfort zone and self-publishing a Christmas novella.

5. Which Star Wars character best describes your personality in regular life? What about on deadline?

Regular life – Chewbacca. People in my world know I’ve got their backs. I love the way Chewbacca speaks, and like Chewy, I don’t need words to get my point across. On deadline, I’d have to say I’m more like Han Solo. I can get a little testy when I’m focused on reaching my goal. With the hint of sarcasm and a touch of perseverance, eliminating the deadline Death Star is an obtainable goal.

6. Was there ever a time before or after you were published that you considered quitting? If so, how did you convince yourself to try one more time?

I may have been discouraged, but I never thought about quitting.

7. Celebrities aging beautifully: Mark Harmon or Sean Connery?

Sean Connery. I like his Scottish accent.

8. Since all writers are readers, name your favorite hero or heroine from a book you’ve read. Has he or she had an impact in how you write the characters in your own books?

Claire from Sarah Addison Allen’s Garden Spells has stayed with me. Sarah Addison Allen’s sprinkle of magic makes her portrayal of flawed characters’ shine. I’d like to believe someday, my sprinkle of magic will light up the pages, too.

9. Who was the first person – besides your mom and dad – who told you that you could write?  

My high school English teacher, Mr. Hotchkiss. He was old school.  We’d written plays in class. Mine was set in a small town, and I wrote my characters with a drawl. When he returned my work, there was a sparkle in his eye when he told me I had talent. That’s a seed I’ve kept planted for most of my life.  

10. Do you own at least one purse (or twenty) from a well-known fashion designer, or are you more the bag-to-carry-my-junk-in type?

I have a smattering, but my favorite purse is a leather cross-body bag that I purchased in the Denver airport.

11. Do you belong to a critique group, and how has that membership affected your writing?

My critique group has kind of dissipated due to children and hectic schedules, but I do have a writer pal that I use as a go-to when I need input. Love you, Roni!

12. What are some of the activities you were participating in when you came up with an idea for a book? (Note: Keep it clean.)

Not to be grim, but cancer was my catalyst. Writing was a huge part of processing the unknown. I’d had critiques on manuscripts prior to my debut novel MAGGIE’S WAY, but never really knew how to fix the stories. So, I tucked them away, wiped the slate clean, and started anew. That’s when Maggie Abernathy and her gang of misfits popped into my head and never left.

13. Music: Pink or Taylor Swift?

Totally, PINK! Don’t Let Me Get Me. “Sometimes I’m a hazard to myself.”

14. Do you write the synopsis before or after you write the manuscript?

I write my synopsis after I write the manuscript. Not my favorite part of the process. Just saying.

15. What is your biggest dream for your writing career? The New York Times bestseller list? A movie deal? Your own island in the Caribbean? All of the above?

New York Times bestseller list. Movie. Beach house. Another dog.

***

 

Maggie’s Montana

By Linda Bradley

 

 

John’s breath brushed up against my neck. His lips followed. Tension oozed from my shoulders like dripping wax, my guard giving way to the heat. He whispered in my ear, “Let me love you.”

I swallowed the temptation, but it stuck in my throat and lingered at the back of my tongue like bitter sweetness. “I don’t know how.”

Afraid, I prayed again. From under my lashes, I saw a man earnest and true, his eyes fixed on me yet not demanding, something I wasn’t used to. Flecks of passion danced in his irises.

“How the hell do you know what you want?” I asked.

“Because I know,” he said.
His strong hands held my face. His thumbs stroked my cheeks like he was settling a skittish filly. “Let me ask you this, neighbor lady . . .”

“Why do you keep calling that?”

“Does there have to be a reason?” he asked.

“Isn’t there a reason for everything?”

“No. Sometimes things just feel right.” John kissed me as I took in his words, his breath in sync with mine. My stomach rolled over and I let myself kiss him back as if it were the very first time.

 

***

 

MAGGIE’S MONTANA is Book 3 in the Montana Bound Series and an October 2016 release from Soul Mate Publishing. It is available in print and e-book forms and may be purchased through these retailers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million.

 

***

About Linda

Linda’s inspiration comes from her favorite authors and life itself. Her women’s fiction with a thread of romance 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. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book titled, THE HUNTER, for her Master’s Degree. Linda is a member of Romance Writers of America as well as the Greater Detroit Chapter of RWA. Her debut novel, MAGGIE’S WAY, was a finalist in the 2016 Greater Detroit Booksellers Best Award and a finalist in the 2016 Summer Romance Reviews Readers’ Choice Award.

Linda has two grown sons and lives with her husband and rescue dog in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Stay in touch with Linda through her website, www.lindabradleyauthor.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

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38 thoughts on “Author Speed Dating – Linda Bradley”

  1. Hi Linda,
    I love your covers. They’re beautiful. These were fun questions. I’m glad you didn’t say, “I’ve never seen Star Wars.” LOL.

    Thanks for sharing some of yourself with the readers.

    Michelle Libby

    Reply
    • I feel like I’ve seen it a thousand times! I watched it plenty as a teenager, then when my boys came along…well we started all over again. Star Wars rules. 😉

      Reply
  2. Linda- I loved your Montana Bound series! I can’t wait to read the novella! I hope your writing dreams come true- you are a fantastic writer!!

    Reply
  3. Loved your answers Linda! You are a very talented writer, and I love your books. Can’t wait to read the next one now that it’s summer.

    Reply
  4. Linda is an absolutely brilliant & talented author!! It’s fun to get to know her better!! Can’t wait for more… 🙂

    Reply
  5. This was fun! Great way to see into who you are & I love the way you write- I just shared your books with my Mom, she is now moving to the second one! Looking forward to the next! PS. LOVE Pink😊

    Reply
    • Hi Gigi! Thanks for stopping in today. Glad you are enjoying the Montana Bound Series. Hope Mom is liking them, too. And yes it’s true, I can sometimes be a hazard to myself. Ha-ha, but then again, I think it’s human nature. Hugs…

      Reply
    • Thanks for hosting me today, Dana! This is such a creative and fun way to get to know other writers. It was hard to narrow down a favorite heroine or name an author that I idolize. There are so many! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Love everything about your writing, feel like we all know a Maggie or Chloe, look forward to following the Montana adventure. So glad you bought the bag in the Denver airport.

    Reply
  7. No spinning rides, love the roller coasters, and you write the story before the synopsis. If I hadn’t read your series already, this post would have led me to it. These fun questions show your good humor. No wonder your writing draws me into your stories.

    Reply
    • Hi Jannis! Thanks for popping in tonight. This was a really fun blog to write. I’m all about having a sense of humor. I believe humor heals and helps us manage life, especially when the bumps in the road make me feel like the wheels are coming off the cart. 🙂 xo

      Reply
  8. You will fall in love with all of the characters in The Montana Bound series! Linda is a talented author and I can’t wait to read the Christmas novella you will be self-publishing!!

    Reply
  9. It’s been a long time since I couldn’t put down a book I was reading. Your Montana Bound Series kept me up all night !! Love, love, love the series! You are definitely one of my all time favorite authors!

    Reply
    • So glad you enjoy the Montana Bound Series. I’m sorry it kept you up all night, but what a great thing for a writer to hear! Woo-hoo! One of the best things about being an author is connecting with others through story. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Love all the books and so glad I was able to share them with my mom. She loved them, too! I hope all your dreams come true.

    Reply
  11. I absolutely love The Montana Bound series! All of the characters and the plots are so well developed that I couldn’t put the books down. I can’t wait to read more from you in the future and see your name on the New York Times bestsellers list!

    Reply
  12. Sorry I’m late to the party but such fun reading your answers. I’m am really looking forward to your Christmas novella. Congrats are self-publishing! Keep those great stories coming!

    Reply
    • “You’re not to late, it’s never to late.” Do you know what movie that’s from? Me neither. Thanks for popping by. Looking forward to sharing Chloe’s Christmas with you! xo

      Reply

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