I’m
delighted to welcome Linda
Tyler to the blog.
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| Linda Tyler - Author |
Hello
Linda – It was lovely to connect with you via the Romantic Novelists' Association.
I’ve met some great people through the RNA and always find members and
affiliates to be so supportive in everyone’s writing endeavours. But before we discover more about your latest historical romance-adventure, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, here are a few questions which will hopefully give your readers and
followers an insight into some of the things that matter to you.
Linda: Thank
you, Arabella, and I’m really pleased to be here.
Arabella: Are there any
organisations, writing, or reader groups, you belong to? And, how do they
support or help you in creating such wonderful, inspirational novels?
Linda: First
has to be my local writing group. It’s
small - there are only three of us – but I think it’s perfectly formed. These group members, and another writing chum,
are excellent in pointing out the flaws in each draft of my work. Every writer needs friends like this; I
honestly couldn’t do it without them. Last year I joined The Romantic
Novelists’ Association and that’s been wonderful for making contacts and general
support. The book group I belong to allows
me the luxury of critiquing the published work of others with no come-back! Then
there’s my walking group, where I have been known to engage my fellow walkers
in brainstorming ideas. And finally there’s my choir, which allows me
to sing away any frustrations from that day’s writing.
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| Hillwalking in the Highlands |
Arabella: Where do you
read? Sofa or bed or ____?
Linda: Pretty
much anywhere: on the sofa, in bed, when eating lunch alone, waiting for the
dinner to cook … I’ve burned a number of meals this way. I’d read while walking
if I could do it without tripping over.
Arabella: In your
latest release, Revenge of the Spanish
Princess, who is your favourite character and why?
Linda: It
would have to be pirate and aristocrat Henry: handsome, kind, strong – and a
bit of a devil. He’s a dab hand with the
sword, pretty good at flirting and has a lovely singing voice, too. Of course
I’m very fond of feisty Cate, the captain of the privateer ship Spanish Princess, and of Abella, her astute
and motherly inn-keeper friend on the Mediterranean island where part of the
action takes place.
Arabella: When writing
a novel, how do you work? Are you a plotter or pantser?
Linda: I
want to say a plotter, as knowing what you’re doing in advance saves a lot of
blood, sweat and tears, but in truth the story doesn’t always follow the plan. In
my work-in-progress, a romance set in 1953 rural Scotland, the hero was to have
been a local toff, but very soon it became clear that he was a hard-working
farmer-laird with a secret.
Arabella: Which would
you prefer to do: 1) spend a morning vigorously working out at the gym, 2) be
pampered from head to toe at the spa and beauty salon, 3) indulge and pile on
the pounds with a romantic dinner for two?
Linda: None
of the above! I’d prefer to spend the morning walking in the hills, have a
boozy lunch in a pub with an open fire and read away the afternoon. If I had to choose one of the three, though,
I’d go for the romantic dinner, preferably on a boat on a wide, open sea. Henry and Cate in Revenge of the Spanish Princess have dinner one hot summer’s night on
the deck of his ship - once the other pirates have gone below for the night, of
course! They’re in the middle of the Mediterranean, lit by the moon silvering
the calm water. How romantic that would be!
Arabella: Which would
you rather wear: beach shorts and top, a long evening skirt and blouse, pyjamas
and slippers?
Linda: Definitely
the long skirt. I like the floating, feminine look.
Arabella: We all have a
long list of books we keep meaning to read but never have the time for ---
which book is a must read for you
this season?
Linda: I
have a huge pile of books waiting to be read.
Some are on the bedside table and threaten to topple on top of me in the
middle of the night. Choosing just one of these books would be hard, so instead
I’ll go for two on my to-buy list. The
Mirror & The Light, Hilary Mantel’s third book in the Wolf Hall series,
and, for light relief, A Shot in the Dark
by Lynne Truss, the first in her comedy crime Constable Twitten series.
Arabella: What about
your future plans? Any books or series in the making?
Linda: I’m
in the process of finishing two novels. One is a Regency romance involving a
supposed abduction, a villainous childhood sweetheart and a bride who needs
persuading she does, after all, love the Marquess. The other novel is the one I
mentioned just now, a romance set in 1950s Aberdeenshire, which has been
Commended in this year’s Scottish Association of Writers’ competition for the
beginning of an historical novel. I also have several ideas on the back
burner, one of which is an historical cosy crime which I think would be really
fun to write.
Its been wonderful to have you join me on Arabella’s Blog
and Chit-Chat, Linda.
I’m
tempted to ask: have you tried listening to audiobooks when out walking? For me, as much as I like the thought
of listening to a story whilst on the go, I much prefer to see and hear the sights and sounds
of nature when on my travels. My reading downtime is mostly in bed, where I can
turn the page of a book at my leisure.
Thank you for sharing some of your writing secrets. And wishing you lots more happy-ever-after writing and success with Revenge of the Spanish Princess
Arabella
About Linda Tyler
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| Linda Tyler - Author |
Linda
Tyler was born in London. She moved progressively north until settling with her
husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has kept chickens, bred dogs and raised
children.
A
former legal academic and practitioner specialising in child law, Linda runs
self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily
by her dog.
She has had
a number of short stories published in magazines and anthologies. Linda reads
widely, but historical novels are her favourite. Her young teenage self found a
novel by Georgette Heyer in a corner shop in south London. Decades later, love
of these stories started her on writing her own world of adventure and romance.
Social Media Links:
Book Blurb: Revenge of the
Spanish Princess
Revenge
of the Spanish Princess is a swashbuckling story of revenge and love, set
in the Mediterranean and Cornwall in 1695.
When
her beloved father dies with the name Lovett on his lips, privateer captain
Cate Trelawny vows revenge on the mysterious pirate. Searching for him across
the Mediterranean, she is charmed by the personable Henry Darley. But Cate
finds her plan goes awry when Darley and Lovett turn out to be the same man.
Cate and Henry set sail across the high seas battling terrifying storm, deadly
shipwreck, dissolute corsairs - and each other.
Revenge
of the Spanish Princess won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition
for the beginning of an historical novel.
Revenge
of the Spanish Princess is a My Weekly Pocket Novel published by DC Thomson.
It will be available in supermarkets and newsagents from 30th April, or it can
be bought by phoning DC Thomson’s sales team on 0800 318 846.
I have known Linda for many years - more years than I care to count actually - and can say that her dedication to writing is beyond measure. Linda was in our writers group long ago, and has progressed far beyond our borders.
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