Author Interview & Contest with Linda Robertson

This week I am happy to have author Linda Robertson as my guest! I have only read the first book in her Circle series but I enjoyed it a lot! Maybe some of you already read all three books and are waiting for the fourth? or maybe you haven't come across the books yet?

Either way - here is your chance to get to know the author and the books and maybe even win a copy of Fatal Circle! Enjoy the interview and don't forget to enter the contest!

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! Thank you for being a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your 'Circle' Series?

Linda – The Circle series is the story of a modern day witch in a Cleveland suburb discovering her destiny, and dealing with all the good and bad changes it creates in her life, and in the lives of two men very special to her—Johnny her werewolf boyfriend, and Menessos a vampire who is the Lord of North East. Of course, the further they move into the path of their Fates, the more they discover how their futures are irrevocably intertwined.

Amber - There are three books in the series so far - FATAL CIRCLE(#3), HALLOWED CIRCLE(#2) and VICIOUS CIRCLE(#1). Will there be a fourth book? How long would you like the series to run?

Linda - Arcane Circle is the fourth book and it will be available everywhere December 29th—SQUEE!!! I am currently writing the fifth book—as yet untitled. I’d like to write at least nine for this series, but I think I could do as many as thirteen without it becoming stale.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the series? Was it a long process or did it just write itself?

Linda – I was in an airport in New Orleans when the character Johnny first came to me. I have placed the blame for that appropriately on the Shrimp Po-Boy I ate after checking my luggage. Not even airport food could keep off the trail though. In considering what Johnny’s ideal woman would be like, I came up with Persephone. No offense to Johnny, but her voice was so clear, she kind of took over. The concept for the bigger story arc sprouted as the first three books came into being and where I intend to push these characters became a darker, harder and more human story. I wouldn’t say any of has or will write itself, but this isn’t an arduous process either. I love writing and all that goes with it.

Amber - What kind of research have you done for your books? Anything interesting or is the research boring?

Linda - Research is never boring! Consider this: most people go to a place like the Cleveland Botanical Gardens to stroll the grounds while taking in the lovely serenity of the place. I went looking for the perfect place to have a fight scene, what could possibly blow up, where to park the fire and rescue vehicles, and where you could bury bodies so even the grounds keepers wouldn’t notice. Bonus: they were serving free drinks that day and I scored a free Mojito—my first. It was dandy.
See the My Cleveland page of my website for photos with references to the page numbers in the books!

Amber - How do you pick the names of your characters? Are they just names you like, people you know or do they have some other meaning?

Linda - I picked Persephone because it is odd and often mispronounced. I picked Johnny to balance the odd name with a common one. I made up Menessos, Xerxadrea, and Vilna Daluca. Originally I picked Demeter as Persephone’s grandmother’s name because this grandmother had raised her so it was a nod to the myth. (I’ve found giving those nods to the myth have been some of the most fun in writing this series.) The other names are just chosen because they convey what I think can be conveyed by a name. The only name chosen for the “meaning” is from the first book, the person killed was named “Lorrie” which is even spelled like the British term for a bus. Lorrie’s death was the vehicle that drove the story forward.

Amber - Are any of the characters based on people you know? Maybe you are in there somewhere?

Linda - *laughs* My mother, her sisters and her friends have all had some trace of influence on Nana’s character. My fella, Jim, owns Strictly 7 Guitars—they make 6- 7- and 8- string electric guitars. There’s a constant flow of rock-n-rollers around the house, so there’s always some inspiration for Johnny in that. I believe that authors have to understand the character’s motives and personalities and from that understanding, pieces of an author’s self or their experiences fuse with the characters in tiny or huge amounts depending on what that character needs…so I’m sure there’s a bit of me in all of the characters. I’d like to think that I’m Johnny’s perpetually dirty mind, Menessos’s smart-alec tendencies, and Seph’s desire to be fair.

Amber - Did you always wanted to be an author?

Linda – Yes. ALWAYS. Being an author/artist/musician is all I’ve ever wanted. Never separating them, but searching for a way to combine my three creative loves. So I draw settings. I score scenes on my keyboard. All these creative outlets help me create the story.

Amber - Why did you pick the Paranormal Urban Fantasy genre?
I’ve been writing what I wanted to read since I was young, since before there was a “genre” to define what it was and wasn’t. I read fantasy and was looking for the heroine I could emulate and the best I found was Del in Jennifer Roberson’s Sword Dancer series, but even those were told from the male point of view, by Tiger, Del’s lover. Now there’s a whole genre of tough women telling their own stories. It’s great. I want more time to read.

Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Linda – More Persephone for now. I’m writing the fifth book in third person—a change from the first four installments. The reason? I want to get into Johnny’s head. I want to get into Menessos’s head. I want those options and I think the readers are ready for that too.

Amber - What have you been reading and watching lately? Do you have any recommendations for us?

Linda – The last movie I saw at the theater was the new Clash of the Titans and I spent the first half of the movie lamenting the fact that the hero had super-short hair. I REALLY like men with long hair. I was even rooting for the captain of the guard guy (the one who was in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig) to take over, but, by the end of the movie, the new Perseus had won me over.

I recently watched Merlin and the Book of Beasts with the kids. It’s an older movie, a bit pale on the special effects, but it worked. Don’t misunderstand me, there are a lot of low-budget movies on the sci-fi channel that no one should waste their time watching because they can’t produce quality in their plot/acting/settings/anything. This movie had everything BUT the spiffy effects, and you know what…it was okay. Why? I was entertained. Merlin was kinda hot in it, even though he kept talking like Mojo Jojo from the Power Puff Girls the whole time….

I’ve recently read Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass—loved it! Great concept, Egyptian details. Spellbent by Lucy Snyder—great pacing and such entertaining quirkiness! Embers by Laura Bickle—Anya and Sparky’s second adventure outshines the first! I need more time to read!!!

Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?

Linda - Jennifer Roberson’s Sword Dancer series will always be my favorite. I love Steven Brust’s Jhereg series and To Reign in Hell. The original Dragonlance series. It’s easy for me to slip into a fantasy, especially if there are swords, sorcery, and loincloths involved.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Linda – The thought of shape-shifting is cool, but I don’t have any desire to shape shift myself. It looks painful. I don’t think I’d enjoy being a big wolf, so werewolves or were-anythings are out. Since I already like to stay up late and sleep the day away (although with kids in school this only gets to happen over summer vacation) and since a liquid diet would be so simple to maintain (never again would I have to decide how to keep a variety in my diet) I’ll say vampire. It’s the most practical choice.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again ;)

Linda - Thanks for having me, and of course I’ll come back!



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Contest Time

Linda is giving away a copy of her third and newest release, FATAL CIRCLE (US/Canada only).

How To Enter

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The contest will stay open until Sunday 24th of October 2010 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.