Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Linda Banche

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Before I forget to mention it, I'll be looking for authors to feature right here for interview spots, starting in July. Interested? Email me at allieb@allieboniface.com for more information.

And now, help me say hello to Wild Rose Press author Linda Banche!

Linda, can you tell us a little about your background?

I'm a brand new author with two published Regency novellas so far. Although my stories are by and large historical, some fantasy and paranormal creeps in. And everything I write contains humor. I like a funny story at any time, and with the current economic climate so dismal, everyone can use a laugh.

Sounds like a great combination! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I never had a life-long desire to write. I love romances, and for a long time I was happy to read others' books. But about four years ago, I went on a romance reading binge. I read romance after romance after romance. But after I had wallowed in romance for a while, (and did I have a good time wallowing), I ran out of books. Panic! What to do? Why, write my own. Almost at once I discovered how hard writing is. But did that revelation stop me? No. I tell people I'm persistent. That's French for "too stupid to quit".

LOL...now, tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

My very first book, Lady of the Stars, is the story of a woman who sees a man she thought forever gone through the back door of a gazebo. Little does she know that back door is a time portal that whisks her back to 1817. Culture shock abounds on both sides, as she and the man she literally runs into adjust to each other. But as they fall in love, the hero's family legend awakens. Will it bring them together, or tear them apart forever?

Pumpkinnapper, my second story, is a Halloween comedy. Long-separated childhood friends rediscover love as they join forces to catch the thieves who try to steal the heroine's pumpkins. Complications arise in the form of hero and heroine's skewed expectations of each other, as well as from the heroine's jealous pet goose. Both novellas are with The Wild Rose Press.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

My favorite books are historicals, mainly Regencies. I don't find the modern world romantic. For me, romance comes from the past, in a world that is unlike ours, but at the same time has similarities. The Regency, that period in England about two hundred years ago, fits the bill. That time was different from our own, but not too different, as the era was the very beginning of the modern world.

So many authors are favorites; I have a hard time picking and choosing. I'll start with the Regency romance superstars, Mary Balogh, Mary Jo Putney, and Loretta Chase. But my absolute favorite may be Barbara Metzger, who writes wacked-out comedies, which my stories also tend to be.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Why, read romances, of course. While I mainly stick to Regencies, I do read the occasional Georgian, Victorian, or earlier era. I've even been know to read a contemporary (gasp!) or two. I like something in addition to the romance, so I prefer stories that add mystery, adventure, or suspense.

Finally, what advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Keep trying! Lady of the Stars was a loser in The Wild Rose Press's Through the Garden Gate contest. But they saw enough there to ask me to resubmit. I resubmitted twice before TWRP accepted the story. And keep learning and practicing. The more you write, the better you become, and the reward will be a contract.

Want to know more about this author?? Visit her on the web at any of the addresses below:

http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lindabanche
http://www.facebook.com/people/Linda-Banche/1059787652
http://twitter.com/LindaBanche