Linda Tillis has a New Release Coming!
~ From Crime Scene Investigator to Romance Author ~
Awesome romance author and fellow Wild Rose, Linda Tillis, is back to tell us some more about herself and to fill us in on her upcoming book.
Welcome back, Linda!
How do you choose the genre you write in?
Actually, the genre chose me. My stories come from my experiences as a Crime Scene Investigator. They are a means of catharsis for me, and I found that it was easier to relive them if I placed the in a historical context. The stories seemed less painful, and the ugliness easier to bear, because they were farther away in time, if that makes any sense.
How much research do you do for each book you write?
There will be certain aspects of each book that I want to make sure are completely accurate, like location, historical events, etc. I have learned a lot through the research of each book. I live in Florida, so it was easy for me to set the first two books there. My husband’s father was born in Trenton, Florida. It is a slow-paced, very small town, but is rich in history. They hold a quilt festival there each year that is to die for! Because I set that first book in Trenton, I was able to meet the most wonderful man, T.J. Allen, who narrated the first book for audio, and is now working on the second book. He has family there, and when my book was sent to ACX for narrators to bid on, he jumped on it.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
The first two books, A Heart Made For Love, and A Man With A Pure Heart, are about the oldest two siblings of the Hinton family. My sister, who is a serious animal lover, insisted that I tell the story of the youngest, Cyrus, and make him a veterinarian. So, that book is in the beginning stages, and will be set in World War 1. But, in a few weeks my favorite so far, A Heart For All Time, will release.
The first was dedicated to women’s shelters. The second was dedicated to law enforcement, and the third, A Heart For All Time, will be dedicated to the true first responder, the 911 dispatcher. It is a time travel, and there is a little Cherokee Indian lore involved. A dedicated 911 dispatcher wakes up one morning in 1890 and finds herself saving a man from hanging. I truly enjoyed writing this one and can’t wait to share it with everyone!
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
The most important advice I could give anyone about writing is DO IT NOW! Don’t wait until “someday”. Find a little time every day, once a week, or whenever you can steal a few moments, and write. I have heard more learned folks say that you should have at least three books written and ready to go before you publish the first. I would have to say that is good advice on many levels. Once you publish that first one, there is this sense of urgency to get the second one out in front of readers before they forget you.
Do you have a writing tip that has really helped you get published?
I would have to say that a great synopsis is your best tool to getting published. I belong to a chapter of RWA, the Sunshine State Romance Authors. When I first joined, it was just to meet other writers and see if I could learn from them. I never believed that I would become a published author. They maintain a library and one of the books they keep is a notebook filled with winning synopses. When I finally decided to actually try and submit a manuscript, that notebook became invaluable. I studied the several different styles and finally worked up enough nerve to try. I submitted to The Wild Rose Press, and as they say, the rest is history.
A Heart Made For Love by Linda Tillis
In rural Florida, 1903, Mae Hinton cares for her father and younger brothers, trying to fill her deceased mother’s shoes. Her life is shattered and her faith tested when her innocence is stolen by roving miscreants. Left unconscious, unable to identify her attackers, she pledges to help other victimized women. She pursues an education and learns to deal with bigoted ministers, well-to-do hypocrites, and men with higher regard for their livestock than their women.
Edward Finch is nearly done with medical studies in England when he comes home for the holidays. Love flourishes, and Mae seems close to achieving her dreams of both true love and a haven for victims, once she can explain to him why she carries a pistol. Then her new-found happiness is upset by a murder as one of her attackers returns.
She may settle this herself…or she may find that vengeance truly belongs to God.
AMAZON Buy Link for A Heart Made for Love
Visit Linda Tillis’ Amazon Page to find all her romances
Where to Find Linda Tillis
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/LindaTillisAuthor/
TWITTER https://twitter.com/Linda34434
Wow! Sounds fascinating, Linda. Wishing you all the best!
This sounds like a great book! Hope you have much success with it.
I love a good romance with some grit. I’m looking up your books as soon as I finish here. Good luck, Linda.
Thank you Sandra, I don’t think you;ll be disappointed. Friend me on Facebook so I can let you know all the news.
How interesting!! I love getting to know all these authors!!
Amey, isn’t it wonderful how gracious the Roses are in hosting us.
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Linda’s books are richly drawn and emotionally deep. Readers will be enthralled at how the characters come alive on the page. I await so impatiently the new one, A Heart For All Time.
Thank you, Flossie. I consider that high praise coming from a writer of you caliber!