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Today author Linda Varner Palmer joins LitPick for an Extra Credit interview! Linda is the author of adult romances, young adult novels, and Silhouette Romances written as Linda Varner. Linda’s young adult books include Jaguar Moon, Stormswept, and the Wolf of My Heart series. Linda’s #YA books S’nat Wars and Double Vision were co-written with her daughter, Julie Kimberll.

Do you have a solid outline before writing, or do you usually get ideas as you go along?

First, thank you LitPick for this opportunity.

As to outlines, I start with an idea that I got from a song, movie, book, television show, or even the news. I'm constantly thinking of how I can twist what intrigues me and come up with a new angle. Or I take a situation that touched me, and see how I can reuse it. For example, I've been watching Divergent/Insurgent and Vampire Academy, movies that are poles apart as far as genre. But in both, an instructor falls for his student--that forbidden love thing. With that in mind, I began brainstorming ideas with a similar setup, resulting in a novella that will be out later this year, Most Wanted, another paranormal romance about a psychic and her mentor.

When I brainstorm, I use a technique called "focused free association." That involves letting my mind explore all possibilities while I write down whatever pops into my head. I use those black and white composition notebooks, which are all over my house with pens in them…waiting. Sometimes I write down background stuff. Sometimes I write down possible scenes. Sometimes I actually write down dialogue. I work best when a very familiar movie is playing in the background, especially a movie with the emotions I'm going for. I don't know why, but this always creates the mood I need.

So to answer the question, I start with an idea and some notes. After about three chapters, which is usually what it takes for me to figure out my characters, I stop and think through to the end of the story. If I can't get there, I think up the story as I go, but only for a few chapters more. Writing without an outline can mean a lot of wrong turns and discouraging rewriting. It also means I probably don't know where I'm headed, which can quickly become frustrating.

Has someone you knew ever appeared as a character in a book (consciously or subconsciously)?

Oh, yeah, but the names were changed to protect the innocent. I will say that I've never written a character exactly like someone I know. I simply steal a trait or two. Also, I use real life incidents all the time, especially when writing about little kids. The truth is sometimes hilarious.

What do you do when you get writer's block?

Up until the end of last year, I could honestly say I'd never experienced writer's block. But while writing book eight of my werewolf series, I got stuck. A dear friend read what I'd written so far and offered suggestions that really helped. Ultimately, I realized that too much was happening to the hero in a book written in first person by the heroine. So all the action was off camera, so to speak, and all she was doing was reacting. I've now gone back and alternated point of view with each chapter so we can get in the guy's story too. I still haven't finished, since I've stopped a couple of times to complete shorter projects. But I know where I'm headed now. The book is Shadow Wolf. I will self-publish it in a few months after I reread it a whole bunch of times. It's hard to edit your own writing. My brain tends to pop in the word I meant instead of the word I actually typed.

If you could live in a book's world, which would you choose?

Well, it wouldn't be in any of the dystopian worlds I've been reading about lately—The Maze Runner, Divergent, and Hunger Games. I think I'd like Harry Potter's world a lot, post Voldemort, of course, and only if I can be a witch. I wouldn't want to be a Muggle. I also like Clary's Shadowhunter world in the Mortal Instruments books and TV series. I'm not sure I have what it takes to fight demons, but maybe I could do their laundry or something.

What is your favorite book-to-movie adaptation?

Pride and Prejudice took my breath away. Keira Knightly was absolutely perfect as Lizzie Bennett. Matthew Macfadyen was the perfect Darcy. I bought copies of that movie and gave them to my daughter, my two sisters, and all my friends. The movie was beautifully done. The soundtrack and score were so beautiful. With five stars possible, I give it ten.

I'm also going to mention Vampire Academy. Sadly, only the first of the six books was made into a movie and fans couldn't raise enough money to convince the movie makers that the whole series should adapted to the big screen. Watching that movie made me want to read all the books, and I loved them as much, if not more, than the Twilight books.

If you could have lunch with one other author (dead or alive!), who would it be?

This is soooo hard… I think I'm going to go with JK Rowling. I'm continually amazed by her brilliance, imagination, and talent, and with not just the Harry Potter books. I love her adult mystery series. The characters are quirky and engaging. I'm anxiously waiting for the next to come out. Also, visiting her in Scotland would be way cool.

Coming in second and third are Charlotte Bronte and Suzanne Collins. Fourth is Richelle Mead. Fifth is…. Oops. You only wanted one, didn't you?

Wild Card Question: We know you’re a prolific author, and that you’re married and you and your husband have children and grandchildren. What we’d like to know is, what do you like to do in your spare time when you aren’t writing?

What spare time? I have five grandchildren (four boys and one girl). The girl is oldest at seventeen. She has been involved in pageants, cheerleading, softball, track, and swimming. The rest of my grandkids are boys, ranging in age from two to twelve. They play baseball and football. Therefore, we go to many, many sports events. When it gets hot, as Arkansas does in summer, I babysit the youngest to get us both out of the sun.

Otherwise, when I'm free and not at the computer, I read books and watch movies or TV series that I've recorded so I can FF through commercials. Currently, I'm reading Scorch Trials and will start The Death Cure when I finish it. I'm avoiding (spoiler alert!!!) Allegiant because I don't want to have my heart broken. As far as movies, though I am truly a romantic, I don't like overtly romantic plots. I prefer that the love story be more subtle and less clichéd. An example would be Speed, which would never be classified as a romance even though Jack faces death to keep Annie from dying alone. Nothing's more romantic than that. I like mysteries and true crime stories, in particular (and inexplicably) serial killer documentaries. I'm also into superheroes, with Thor and Hawkeye being my faves.

My favorite type of day is a rainy one. You can find me on a glider on my front porch when the storm clouds roll in, usually with my Kindle or one of those black and white composition books in my lap.

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Thank you for spending time with LitPick, Linda! It sounds like you’re going to need to have a party with a group of authors instead of lunch with just one. May we come?

 

 

How did you get started writing? 

I think writers are born and not made. We march to a different drummer than everyone else. That doesn't mean you can't perfect your craft or learn to be a better writer. It means you either feel the urge to express yourself in words or you don't. I always did, and began writing for pleasure in the third grade, mostly poetry at that time. Later I moved on to short stories and full-length novels. My teachers always encouraged me, bragged on me, and even wrote my parents letters predicting that I'd be a writer. Having written forty books and too many novellas and short stories to count, I'm pretty sure everything turned out the way it was supposed to.

Who influenced you?

The people who influenced me most were writers I loved. Always an avid reader, in grade school I inhaled the series written by Lois Lenski, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Jerry West, as well as random biographies and mysteries. My church had a summer reading program, and I always participated. From there I moved on to gothic romances with my favorite authors being Victoria Holt, Madeleine Brent, Mary Stewart, Phyllis Whitney, Daphne Du Maurier, and Charlotte Bronte. I also enjoyed some of the books my daddy read, in particular Erle Stanley Gardner/A.A. Fair and Zane Grey. Now I read Janet Evanovich, Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, and Stephenie Meyer to name a few. My Kindle is packed, and subject matter ranges from serial killers to teen romance.

I can say with complete honesty that I learned something about writing from every book I've ever read (even if it was what not to do)--new words, clever ways to describe characters/locations without stopping the story to do it, pacing techniques, and may other tricks of the trade. I don't think you can be a writer without first being a reader.

Do you have a favorite book/subject/character/setting?

Of my own books, my favorite is usually the one I'm writing.  I tend to like sassy, independent heroines and troubled heroes. Currently I'm focused on paranormal themes and plots--shapeshifters, psychics, witches, ghosts. In most of my books there's an older house (usually Victorian) with a lot of nooks and crannies, and I can guarantee that there'll be some stormy weather, because I'm a rainy-day girl.  So I guess my likes and dislikes influence what I write, which is why there will often be forests, mountains, and secluded cabins, as well.

As far as other books go, my all-time favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane is such a modern woman for her time, and I loved the settings, which went from an orphanage to an English manor to the moors. A favorite series of mine is The Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larrson, which features another tough heroine, Lisbeth Salander.

What advice do you have for someone who wants to be an author?

Read, read, read. Learn to spell. Pay attention when your English teacher talks about grammar and punctuation.  It doesn't matter how unique and amazing your story is if you can't write it down in a way that invites readers to invest their time. In addition, no editor will read a book that's a mess. Why bother, when there are so many good books out there?

Study, study, study. I've read so, so many books about writing. The most helpful were Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight V. Swain and Writing Novels that Sell by Jack Bickham. Any book by Gary Provost is good, especially Making Your Words Work.

Write, write, write.  Practice makes perfect.

Where is your favorite place to write?

To actually put words to paper, I have to be at my computer, which is in a room filled with things I love.  As far as plotting goes, I can be anywhere since I usually start every book using pen and paper. (Currently I'm brainstorming in those black-and-white striped composition books. They're all over the house.)  Plotting is the hard part for me. Writing is a breeze. But I can't write without a plot, so I've found some methods that get me going. My ideal situation for creativity is to be sitting on my bed, pen and notebook in hand, with a favorite movie--one I've seen a zillion times--playing on the TV in the background. This seems to open my mind so that I can focus on getting from point A to point B. 

What else would you like to tell us?

I'm very flattered to be interviewed. I think LitPick is a wonderful idea. I hope that every reader who has ever wanted to be a writer will follow that dream.

 

Recent Releases:

Sidekicks by Linda Palmer (Uncial Press)

Mia Tagliaro was born with the ability to communicate with the dead, the reason her parents sent her to a weekend camp for kids with similar talents. With the help of seasoned clairvoyants, she learned that she wasn't a freak at all. There were lots of other people just like her, in particular a boy camper her age named TC, who got vibes from the living and the dead. By the end of their stay, Mia and TC had shared more than just secrets about their "sidekicks," their nickname for psychic abilities. They shared a first kiss and a vow they'd never lose touch.

That was then. Now eighteen, Mia is quite comfortable in her skin and frequently passes along messages to the living from departed friends and family. She also helps the police with missing persons cases, loving the rush she gets when the lost are found. Though she hasn't heard from her first crush, TC, for nearly a decade, Mia still thinks of him. So it's quite a shock when they run into each other at a school dance. TC, who calls himself Cooper now, seems just as amazing as she remembers. Then he tells her that his sidekicks deserted him years ago and actually uses the word freak when talking about them. Even worse, he lies when he says they can be friends again. Just when Mia is ready to give up on him, the ghost of Cooper's dad begs her to try a little harder. But how can she reach a guy who not only thinks she's a freak but deliberately keeps his distance?

 

Somewhere in the Middle by Linda Palmer (Uncial Press)

Though Everly Sayers makes every effort to be friendly to new student Roone Thorsen, he doesn't actually acknowledge her until he needs help with physics. Tall and a little on the teddy-bear side physically speaking, Roone falls somewhere in the middle when it come to the guys in her senior class, words actually imprinted on the black cause bracelet he wears.

Turns out they have more than seventh period study hall in common.  They're both avoiding dating if for different reasons. Since the best way to deter wannabe suitors is to be involved in a real relationship, they decide to fake one even if it means they'll have to show up at the Christmas dance as a couple.

That night is an eye opener for Everly on several levels. With a flick of a finger, Roone mysteriously maneuvers a rogue chandelier that crashes to the crowded floor, saving a lot of dancers in the process.  Or did he? Not quite believing her eyes, which suddenly have hearts in them, Everly is reluctant to admit that Roone is not only as far from somewhere in the middle as possible, he just might be out of this world.

 

Full-length YA novels by Linda Palmer:

Jaguar Moon

Storm Swept

My Wolf

Wolf Run

Wolf Way

Wolf Crazy

His Wolf

Blood Wolf

Operation Normal (Uncial Press)

Nightmare, Interrupted

The Cinderella Swap

Double Vision (co-written with Julie Kimbrell)

S'nat Wars (co-written with Julie Kimbrell)

Sidekicks (Uncial Press)

Somewhere in the Middle (Uncial Press)