Talking with Linda Weaver Clarke
About Linda
I was raised on a farm surrounded by the rolling hills of southern Idaho and have made my home in southern Utah among the beautiful red mountains and desert heat. I have been happily married for 40 years and am the mother of six daughters and have five wonderful grandchildren .
After my family began to leave the nest, I decided it was time to finish what I had started long ago. I decided to go back to college and get a degree. It had been 30 years since I had been to college and it was one of the most frightening things I had ever done. I had to learn how to study and take tests all over again. The first day of college, I was a nervous wreck and wondered if I could do this, but with the support of my husband and children I was able to graduate. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre and Music at Southern Utah University and received the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student Award for the College of Performing Arts in 2002. During the meantime, I cut a CD named "Romantic Love Songs of Sigmund Romberg and Victor Herbert."
I have enjoyed writing short stories and novels for several years but it took a lot of courage to begin submitting them. After "Melinda and the Wild West" was published, I entered it in the Reader Views Literary Contest and my book was chosen as a Semi-Finalist in the "Reviewers Choice Awards 2007." It was one of the top ten out of hundreds of other entries. I have written eleven books; five are historical sweet romances and four are mystery adventures. I also have two non-fiction e-books.
I tour all over the United States, teaching people the importance of writing their Family Legacy, encouraging them to turn their family history and autobiography into a variety of interesting stories.
So what do you love about writing?
I love creating the characters and bringing them to life. I also love creating the attraction between the two main characters in each of my romances. I try to make each romance something new and different from the last one, so that makes it fun to come up with new plot lines. Both teens and adults can read each of my novels.
What can readers expect from your historical sweet romances?
In my first book in this series, Melinda and the Wild West, Melinda Gamble wants to make a difference in the world. Without hesitation, she accepts a job as a schoolteacher in the small town of Paris, Idaho. She has many challenges such as trying to help a rebellious student, coming face-to-face with a notorious bank robber, a vicious grizzly bear, and finding herself in a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love. This book won an award for the “Reviewers Choice Award.” I was so excited about that.
On a scale of 1-10. 10 being the spiciest. What would you rate your "sweet" romances in regards to the romance between your characters?
I have nothing in these romances that is offensive. The fact is, I absolutely love kissing scenes. In mine, the couple is so adorable. So it’s up to the parent. I would say around dating age, such as sixteen would enjoy these books. Although, I have had a few teens that are thirteen who have read them. So how would I rate my kissing scenes? Hmm. I just don’t know. All I can say is that they are absolutely delicious kissing scenes.
Can you tell readers about the Bear Lake Saga series?
Melinda and the Wild West: Melinda Gamble wants to make a difference in the world. Without hesitation, she accepts a job as a schoolteacher in the small town of Paris, Idaho. She has many challenges such as trying to help a rebellious student, coming face-to-face with a notorious bank robber, a vicious grizzly bear, and finding herself in a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love.
Edith and the Mysterious Stranger: With mysterious letters, cattle rustlers, a spunky woman, Halloween, and young love, there is always something happening. Edith, a nurse, moves to Idaho to care for her cousin Melinda who is having a difficult pregnancy. She has wonderful qualities but never gives a man a second chance because her expectations are so high. However, all that changes when a mysterious stranger starts writing to her. For the first time, she gets to know a man's inner soul before making any harsh judgments. Whoever he is, this man is a mystery and the best thing that has ever happened to her. The question that puzzles her is whether or not he's as wonderful in person as he is in his letters.
Jenny’s Dream: Jenny Roberts has a dream to escape her small hometown to become a writer. She develops a friendship with a young farmer who is new to the area and has secretly fallen in love with her. After she realizes that her friend means more to her than she thought, she must now choose between a career and romance. Which dream should she pursue? The only thing standing in her way is an unpleasant memory, which has haunted her since childhood. She must learn to forgive before she can choose which dream to follow. Meanwhile, a legendary ten-foot grizzly is seen in the area and its boldness has frightened the community.
Sarah’s Special Gift: Sarah is a beautiful and successful dance teacher. She is deaf, but this does not stop her from living life to its fullest. While visiting the Roberts family, David finds himself entranced with this very special lady and ends up defending her honor several times. He finds that Sarah has gone through many trials as she teaches him the importance of not dwelling on the past and how to love life. Meanwhile, David learns about the legend of the Bear Lake Monster and wonders why the community believes in such a thing. He is determined to prove there is no Bear Lake Monster.
Elena, Woman of Courage: The “Roaring Twenties” was a time of great change, when women raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. The language of the era was also new and different. Watch a young love blossom in this sweet romance. When Elena Yeates settles into a small western town as the newest doctor, a few problems arise. The town is not ready for a female doctor, let alone one so strong and independent. She must struggle against the prejudice to establish her new practice. As she fights to prove herself, the town’s most eligible bachelor finds it a challenge to see if he can win her heart.
I was raised on a farm surrounded by the rolling hills of southern Idaho and have made my home in southern Utah among the beautiful red mountains and desert heat. I have been happily married for 40 years and am the mother of six daughters and have five wonderful grandchildren .
After my family began to leave the nest, I decided it was time to finish what I had started long ago. I decided to go back to college and get a degree. It had been 30 years since I had been to college and it was one of the most frightening things I had ever done. I had to learn how to study and take tests all over again. The first day of college, I was a nervous wreck and wondered if I could do this, but with the support of my husband and children I was able to graduate. I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre and Music at Southern Utah University and received the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student Award for the College of Performing Arts in 2002. During the meantime, I cut a CD named "Romantic Love Songs of Sigmund Romberg and Victor Herbert."
I have enjoyed writing short stories and novels for several years but it took a lot of courage to begin submitting them. After "Melinda and the Wild West" was published, I entered it in the Reader Views Literary Contest and my book was chosen as a Semi-Finalist in the "Reviewers Choice Awards 2007." It was one of the top ten out of hundreds of other entries. I have written eleven books; five are historical sweet romances and four are mystery adventures. I also have two non-fiction e-books.
I tour all over the United States, teaching people the importance of writing their Family Legacy, encouraging them to turn their family history and autobiography into a variety of interesting stories.
So what do you love about writing?
I love creating the characters and bringing them to life. I also love creating the attraction between the two main characters in each of my romances. I try to make each romance something new and different from the last one, so that makes it fun to come up with new plot lines. Both teens and adults can read each of my novels.
What can readers expect from your historical sweet romances?
In my first book in this series, Melinda and the Wild West, Melinda Gamble wants to make a difference in the world. Without hesitation, she accepts a job as a schoolteacher in the small town of Paris, Idaho. She has many challenges such as trying to help a rebellious student, coming face-to-face with a notorious bank robber, a vicious grizzly bear, and finding herself in a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love. This book won an award for the “Reviewers Choice Award.” I was so excited about that.
On a scale of 1-10. 10 being the spiciest. What would you rate your "sweet" romances in regards to the romance between your characters?
I have nothing in these romances that is offensive. The fact is, I absolutely love kissing scenes. In mine, the couple is so adorable. So it’s up to the parent. I would say around dating age, such as sixteen would enjoy these books. Although, I have had a few teens that are thirteen who have read them. So how would I rate my kissing scenes? Hmm. I just don’t know. All I can say is that they are absolutely delicious kissing scenes.
Can you tell readers about the Bear Lake Saga series?
Melinda and the Wild West: Melinda Gamble wants to make a difference in the world. Without hesitation, she accepts a job as a schoolteacher in the small town of Paris, Idaho. She has many challenges such as trying to help a rebellious student, coming face-to-face with a notorious bank robber, a vicious grizzly bear, and finding herself in a terrible blizzard that leaves her clinging to her life. But it’s a rugged rancher who challenges Melinda with the one thing for which she was least prepared—love.
Edith and the Mysterious Stranger: With mysterious letters, cattle rustlers, a spunky woman, Halloween, and young love, there is always something happening. Edith, a nurse, moves to Idaho to care for her cousin Melinda who is having a difficult pregnancy. She has wonderful qualities but never gives a man a second chance because her expectations are so high. However, all that changes when a mysterious stranger starts writing to her. For the first time, she gets to know a man's inner soul before making any harsh judgments. Whoever he is, this man is a mystery and the best thing that has ever happened to her. The question that puzzles her is whether or not he's as wonderful in person as he is in his letters.
Sarah’s Special Gift: Sarah is a beautiful and successful dance teacher. She is deaf, but this does not stop her from living life to its fullest. While visiting the Roberts family, David finds himself entranced with this very special lady and ends up defending her honor several times. He finds that Sarah has gone through many trials as she teaches him the importance of not dwelling on the past and how to love life. Meanwhile, David learns about the legend of the Bear Lake Monster and wonders why the community believes in such a thing. He is determined to prove there is no Bear Lake Monster.
Elena, Woman of Courage: The “Roaring Twenties” was a time of great change, when women raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. The language of the era was also new and different. Watch a young love blossom in this sweet romance. When Elena Yeates settles into a small western town as the newest doctor, a few problems arise. The town is not ready for a female doctor, let alone one so strong and independent. She must struggle against the prejudice to establish her new practice. As she fights to prove herself, the town’s most eligible bachelor finds it a challenge to see if he can win her heart.
Do you have a favorite book that you have written and why?
This is so hard to say because I tend to fall in love with every character in all my books and their circumstances. Elena, Woman of Courage was a fun one to write. Why? My inspiration was the “Roaring Twenties.” This was a new decade of independent women, when they raised their hemlines and bobbed their hair. I found that if a woman bobbed her hair, she was fired from her job. A new language grew from this time period. They used words like: Cat’s pajamas! Horsefeathers! Baloney! When referring to a woman, they used doll or tomato. What was the difference? A tomato was a woman. A doll was a good-looking woman. A woman’s legs were called “gams” and her lovely shape was referred to as a “chassis.” If you were in love, you had a “crush,” were “goofy,” or “moonstruck.” And when a woman was not in the mood for kissing, she would say, “The bank’s closed.” Thus, my new novel was born!
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