I was so excited that Linda Rae Sande agreed to a feature for Uncaged. My love of historicals is always satisfied with one of her books.
First off, thank you so much for taking the time for the interview!
Thank you, Cyrene, for having me. And congratulations on your new publication!
1) When did you come to the realization that you wanted to be an author?
I’ve been a writer for years, usually because my jobs as a technical writer have required the skill, but I was a reader first. I love books! I love how I can escape this reality just by opening a book and reading.
There were a few books along the way, though, that made me think I could do a better job. I mentioned it to a distance relative, and she basically double-dog-dared me to do it. About the same time, I was doing genealogical research and discovered information about ancestors who lived in England. Imagining their stories drove me to write novels set in the Regency era.
2) Who are some of your favorite authors now, and what genres do you tend to read the most?
This is going to seem rather odd, but I grew up reading science fiction, and Isaac Asimov was my favorite author with Arthur C. Clarke a close second. Asimov’s “Foundation” series is amazing. In the historical romance genre, Mary Balogh, Eloisa James, and Madeline Hunter are my favorites. I tend to read Regencies the most of all fiction these days.
3) How long does it take you to write a full book? Do you write full time or part time?
Most of my books are ~100k words. They can take from two to four months to plot and write depending on how many book conventions might interrupt the writing process. Since I’m doing six of those this year, I will release three books.
Although I have a “day job”, I am a full-time writer in that I make my living at it and spend at least forty hours a week on the business of being an author.
4) Your books are always fun to read with fresh and original takes on the historical genre. What inspired you to write in the genre?
Thanks, Cyrene! I do try to explore tropes that aren’t too overused in historical fiction, but I know there are a few favorites I’ve used more than once in my books.
About twenty years ago, I started helping my mother with genealogical research. At the time, I was more interested in discovering the names and dates than I was in learning what was happening to those people. How and where they lived was so important! Those that lived during the Regency era (in Sussex) were the most interesting to learn about, and soon I was hooked.
5) Where is your favorite place to write? What are some of your favorite ways to relax?
If I’m home all day and don’t plan to leave the house, I like wearing pajamas and writing in my office. I do my best writing at night, though, usually at a downtown bar or cantina. And it’s not because Hemingway said to write drunk and edit sober! I just find I can immerse myself in the story and write the best dialogue when I’m away from distractions at home. The local wait staff know me and don’t interrupt me (very often). I can usually write an entire chapter in one sitting over dinner and a drink.
6) I have now read three books in The Brothers of the Aristocracy series, and I loved that they all tied in with each other, but could easily be read as standalones. Are we going to see more of the Aristocracy characters?
I have completed four Aristocracy series so far (Daughters, Sons, Sisters and Brothers) as well as an epic novel, The Promise of a Gentleman (The Cousins of the Aristocracy). All thirteen of the books employ the same background characters, and all can be read as standalone novels. I try to tie them together more by theme than by any continuous thread as I’m not a fan of “to be continued” stories.
I’m working on my fourteenth, The Gossip of an Earl, and those familiar characters all play roles in the story of how gossip affects the aristocracy.
7) In The Epiphany of an Explorer, you brought in a bit of mythology, which is always fun to read about. How much did you have to research for this part of the book?
Far more than I thought when I started! Although I remember reading Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey back in high school, I certainly didn’t remember all the details. And even having seen the latest movies featuring characters from mythology, I was at a loss when it came to deciding whom to choose to feature for this story. I started by concentrating on learning everything I could about the islands of Delos and Mykonos and just worked from there with the mythology.
I was in Nashville for “A Weekend with the Authors” when I was half-done writing the book. I took a tour of their replica of the Parthenon so I could get pictures of Athena and Nike. I had taken a tour of in the past, and it really helped when it came time to describing the pediments of the Parthenon for a scene in my first book, The Kiss of a Viscount.
8) What are you working on now and what else do you have plans for in the near future?
The Gossip of an Earl is the first in the next series. It’s scheduled for an October release. After that, there will be another entry in the Cousins series, The Pride of a Gentleman. I promise it won’t be as long as the first. It picks up a year after The Promise of a Gentleman left off in 1802. Although none of the main characters are aristocrats themselves, they’re related to them either directly or by marriage. I love the characters, especially the younger Milton Grandby, Earl of Torrington, and his cousin Gregory. They make up the half-generation that comes before those featured in my other books.
9) What would you like to say to fans, and where can they follow you?
I love my readers! And I love that they live all over the world! It’s fun to hear from them, especially when they want to know when a particular character is going to get “their story”. I probably wouldn’t have done Harry Tennison’s tale (The Epiphany of an Explorer) as early as I did (he wasn’t scheduled until next year), but he was in demand as an unlikely hero.
