Interview with Linda Rice

Author of The Necklace VII: London, 1815

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Our family moved to San Diego, California when I was 7-years-old. I currently live in Mount Laguna, California, which is just east of San Diego in the mountains at 6,000 ft. elevation.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

My mother and father divorced when I was 3-years old and, my 1-year-old brother, mother, and I moved in with my grandparents. When I was 7, my grandfather decided to move to a better climate. As my aunt, my mother’s sister and her husband lived in California, Grandpa decided to move us all there. We moved into a house across the street from my aunt and uncle in San Diego, California.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I’ve always had the itch to write and when I was laid off from my third job in a 5-year period (all of my jobs were moved to the Philippines and India) I decided to retire from the banking industry and help my husband in his real estate and mortgage business. He already had a business partner, however, so I found myself without much to do.  After connecting with people on Facebook, I threw out the idea for some fan fiction related to “a member of the greatest band of all time.” I decided to run with it and wrote my first book thinking that would be it. But when those who read it begged for more, I decided to continue and my first time-travel book morphed into a 6-book series.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

A story that will engage all of your emotions and will pull you into a tale of love, desire, and betrayal with touches of humor, drama, and suspense. I’ve been told the characters are addictive in a way that you want their story to go one forever.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

Anyone who is intrigued by the idea or possibility of time-travel into the past and who also has a love of romance with a bit of tasteful erotica. Anyone who wonders if it would be possible to go back into the past and change history. Anyone who wonders “what if?” their dream or fantasy could really come true.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

Firstly, I learned that it wasn’t all that difficult to do the writing itself; it just flows out of my head onto the page. But as for publishing, I discovered that the self-publishing option was the best way for me to get my books out there and that traditional publishing is of no interest to me. I learned, after speaking to several traditionally-published authors, that unless you are a best-seller, you are still pretty much on your own in regard to marketing but that they “own” your work and can do anything they want with it. It wasn’t for me.

If you could, what advice would you give to your past self before embarking on this journey?

Try to find a good Publicist to help with marketing.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I would like to reach as many people as possible who are fans of romance who want to drift away into the fantasy of time-travel, connect with unforgettable characters, and experience a powerful love story. I also would like to reach romantics who enjoy “tasteful” erotica where the characters “make love” and are in love with each other, not just have casual sex. It was a challenge but I avoided all slang for sexual body parts and pornographic terms or utterances.

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

One word: Marketing. I would much rather write than promote and, being a bit introverted, I’m just not very good at putting myself out there.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

a) The words just flow out of my head onto the page as if the characters themselves are writing the story; I don’t have to think about where the story or plot is going. It takes care of itself.

b) I’ve found self-publishing is relatively easy on Amazon and other websites such as Kobo, B&N, Smashwords, and others.

c) I am able to connect with many of my readers one-on-one on a personal level.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

a) I sometimes have problems with inconsistencies in time and have to carefully review my writing to make sure dates, times, distances, etc. remain in sync. I also allow my characters to take over in my head sometimes and as a result, I get upset or angry with them for creating a scene that is unexpected. When this happens, I throw up my hands and quit writing for days or even weeks.

b) I find it tedious and have to force myself to do all the work to make sure it’s all correct and error-free.

c) I am all-around weak and stick my head in the sand.

When do you think you will write your next book?

I’m always writing my “next book.” The moment I finish one, I’m writing another. My head is constantly full of characters and plots for new stories.