Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Meet Lovely Linda Laroque

I read When the Ocotillo Bloom in a record two days. Since I’m a slow reader—I generally read every word—this should tell you how much I enjoyed the story. If you’re looking for a light-hearted, uplifting, genuine contemporary romance, you will absolutely adore this one. The plot offers the added bonus of a unique setting—a dude ranch-turned-camp-for-troubled-teens in far Southwest Texas near the area of the Big Bend National Park. A lover of that area myself, I especially appreciated Linda’s correct descriptions. Yes, Linda, I know the location of Marathon, and I spent a night there just as your heroine Lynn does in the story! And…I have seen the glorious ocotillo bloom!

Linda has created “real” people.” I mean it. I think I know these characters! The heroine, Lynn, is a high school teacher, fortyish, slightly overweight and out of shape, and is a little insecure from a divorce. As the clueless victim of a ruse by her daughter and her friend, Lynn takes a summer job as a bread cook “to relax, get away from teenagers, and take advantage of the Spa-like ranch.” But is she in for a few surprises. You will love Lynn and the handsome owner of the ranch, Seth, and you’ll keep hoping they’ll get together soon.

Let’s talk to Linda:

When did you begin writing? I believe you’ve said you were a late-comer to the world of romance.

“First, thank you, Celia, for your kind words about When the Ocotillo Bloom. This was the book of my heart, the one I had to write. And thank you for having me on your blog. I’ve been reading your interviews and you do an awesome job. I’m honored to be your guest.
I’ve read all my life, but during the early 1990s while teaching in Presidio, TX, I experienced a bout of depression. Reading didn’t occupy my mind at night and I couldn’t sleep. I thought, I’ll write a book in my head and maybe that will help. It did. The story grew and I decided it was one I should put to paper.

One late Sunday afternoon as I drove from Alpine (my husband and son lived there and I drove home on the weekends), I topped the hill just South of Shafter and gasped at the view. The sun sank behind Lincoln’s Profile to the West and to the East lay a valley floor covered with ocotillo in bloom. The ground looked like a red sea. It was breath-taking. I stopped to look at my leisure and will always regret not having a camera, and though I’ve tried several times, I’ve never been able to view the site again. This was the inspiration for my title.

I’d like to add, it was fourteen years later and at least seven re-writes before When the Ocotillo Bloom was published.”

I know you grew up in Newfoundland. Why were you there, since you were born in Texas?

“I was born in Houston, Texas and have lived in Texas most of my life. My father was an Air Force Master Sergeant and we traveled some. In 1953 he was sent to Harmon AFB at Stephenville, Newfoundland. We were there for only two years but my brother and I loved it and didn’t want to leave. From that time on, I’ve lived in Texas, except for the ten months my husband and I lived in Aberdeen, MD when he was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground after returning from Vietnam.”


If you could live one portion of your life over, would it be your childhood, your teenage years, your college tears, your early marriage and babies period, or your career years? I know your first reaction will be: none, I like where I am today! And while I’d say the same thing, I’m just curious.

“I’m tempted to say I’d have stayed home while my children were in grade school, but then again, I know they benefited by the friendships they established at the sitter’s. We were fortunate to have an excellent sitter who kept children in her home. We adored her and visited her years later when the kids were teenagers.”

Will you name the books you now have published? And your “coming soon” novels?

When the Ocotillo Bloom, Champagne Books
My Heart Will Find Yours, Book One of The Turquoise Legacy, The Wild Rose Press
Investment of the Heart, Champagne Books
Forever Faithful, Champagne Books
Flames on the Sky, Book Two of the Turquoise Legacy, The Wild Rose Press, will be out October 23, 2009.
“I also have two short stories published with The Wild Rose Press – A Law of Her Own and Desires of the Heart.”
When the Ocotillo Bloom is so descriptive and vivid, I would easily believe you’ve lived this. Does the plot or characters reflect you, your life, or your family in any way?
“Yes, in several ways. Like Lynn, I’ve experienced the battle fatigue of being a teacher, but after a restful summer was eager to get back to school and the kids again. I also experienced depression and anxiety attacks. But that’s where the similarity ends. My husband and I will celebrate our forty-second wedding anniversary in December, and though the years of raising our children were far from perfect, our children turned out nicely. I’m quite proud of them.”
Where can we buy When the Ocotillo Bloom?
http://champagnebooks.com/
Blurb:
Lynn Devry takes a summer job at a spa in West Texas hoping to dispel the depression she's experienced since her divorce, only to discover the spa is really a ranch for problem children. Seth Williams, ranch owner and child psychologist still loves his glamorous ex-wife, but finds himself inexplicitly drawn to the needy but prickly school teacher. As this mismatched pair help their young charges improve their self-esteem and modify behavior, both learn it’s not the past that’s important, but the future. Set against the rugged splendor of Big Bend Country, two people meet and discover that all things are possible when the ocotillo bloom.
Excerpt:
At 6:15, she slid the first five pans out of the oven. Cookie started the waiting wranglers through the breakfast line. Though 15 minutes late, no one complained.

At the appearance of Seth’s commanding appearance in the food line, Lynn bristled. She waited for him to comment on their lateness, but he didn’t. He pinched a bite off the top of a flaky biscuit and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, a grin as big as Texas spread across his face.

“Excellent biscuits, ma’am. I see Art didn’t lie about your baking skills.”

Lynn snorted and turned her back on him. Arrogant man. She’d like to make a few special biscuits just for him. Wonder what he’d prefer, arsenic or hemlock? When she looked again, he was gone.

************
Seth watched his new bread cook. Her face flushed from the heat of the ovens and the hard work of rolling out biscuits. If she were tired now, she’d be dead when she finished kneading bread dough.

He leaned back in his chair, folded his arms across his chest, and looked around the room. It was going to be a good day. The wranglers were well fed and happy. Lynn’s face lit with pleasure at their compliments. She deserved every one. Her biscuits were some of the best he’d eaten. He considered going back for two more, but didn’t want to experience another glare like the one she’d shot him as he went through the line. Probably because of the big grin he
had on his face. Flour smeared her cheek, and a glob of dough clung to a strand of her bangs that had escaped the bandana she wore to hold her hair back. Damned if she didn’t look cute.

Again, thanks for having me as your guest today, Celia. Happy Reading and Writing to ya’ll out there in cyberspace.
Linda
Linda, I enjoyed having you here so much. And I do thank you for the compliment. Now, I need to read your other novel I have downloaded—My Heart Will find Yours. I’m really looking forward to that one, too. Celia
Linda LaRoque ~Western Romance with a Twist in Time~ A Law of Her Own, Desires of the Heart, My Heart Will Find Yours, Flames on the Sky10-9, Forever Faithful, Investment of the Heart, When the Ocotillo Bloom
www.lindalaroque.com/ http://wwww.lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/

42 comments:

  1. Oh, this sounds like a wonderful book. I absolutely adored Investment Of The Heart. The characters were so real!

    ReplyDelete
  2. And I thoroughly enjoyed Forever Faithful so I know this must be a great book. And so cool to learn more about you. Didn't know you lived elsewhere. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda, Your book sounds great. I love the cover too.

    :)
    Christine

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Linda,
    Great interview. I loved the cover of you book. The flowers looked like our (Áustralia's)desert pea. Your descriptions sound wonderful, just how I always visualised Texas. Unfortunately, I have never visited your wonderful corner of the world, but would love to one day.
    Regards
    Margaret

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Linda. I was swept up in your breath-taking view just by your description. The book sounds fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hey y'all, great interview--Celia, you always ask the very best questions! Linda, your excerpt really interested me...I can imagine the glare, and why he didn't want to risk going back through the line for another biscuit. LOL Interesting idea for having them meet, too, the situation you've created.

    Cheryl

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Kimber and Ciara,
    Thank you, ladies, for stopping by and your kind comments. Kimber, I loved Invisible and am looking forward to the sequel. Ciara, I'm going to read On the Silver Edge of Time next. Loading it to my ebookwise reader today.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Christine,
    It is beautiful, isn't it. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Margaret,
    I so want to visit Australia, too. Used to want to be an exchange teacher and travel during the summer. I'd love to see the desert pea. Will look it up on the internet.

    Hopefully you'll get to Texas some day. It is a beautiful place with such varied landscapes.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Debra. I so wish I could repeat that moment. I forgot to add that the sky to the west above the sunset was turquoise.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you, Cheryl. There are a few of those moments in the book. Lynn is a prickly soul. Thank you for stopping by and for your comment.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great interview, ladies! Linda...I'm constantly amazed at the landscape of Texas. I love taking drives to watch it change and experience the magic.

    I only wish when I'm depressed I could write. Normally, I just turn into a lump on the couch. Ick! Excellent job on the book.

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a fun idea. That'll keep you busy a year at least. Have you been to Lost Maples in the fall?

    I hear you on the depression. Take care!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Linda, I love that you started writing a book in your head that eventually had to come out. I did the same, had a fully fleshed-out novel before writing a word.

    Very nice interview, Linda and Celia. Those flowers are gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the premise for this book, and that the heroine isn't a beautiful Miss Congeniality. Also, that she brings along some baggage. While I think we need books that allow us to escape into a glorious fantasy life, I also think we need escapes with a healthy dose of reality every once in awhile.

    ReplyDelete
  16. LK, That's so cool! I knew the plot but just fleshed the first chapter. Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Jennifer,
    I think Lynn's baggage is some we can all relate to. I agree with you, I like to escape, but I want some realism on occasion too. Thanks for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great interview Linda. I look forward to your book!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thank you, Mary. I appreciate you stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Celia and Linda, what a nice interview. I love your excerpt and your writing, Linda. This is a down-to-earth, heart-warming story I am sure we will all enjoy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi, Mona. Thank you for the nice comment and for stopping by.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Celia. Hi Linda. Great interview and a wonderful excerpt. You described your inspiration so vividly that I felt I was there. Congratulations on your many stories. I hope there are many, many more!
    Mickey

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thank you, Mickey, for you the congrats and your comments. I so miss that part of Texas--God's country.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I've been to West Texas (as well as the city West, TX...for the Westfest...fun), the Panhandle, the Hill Country, East Texas, down the coast of Texas, and everywhere in between all of those places, but I've never made it to South Central Texas...my husband loves the area though.

    ReplyDelete
  25. The town of West is just up I-35 from us. My folks grew up around there and we used to stop to buy kaloches (the fruit ones) and bologna from Nemecek's. Nothing better!

    ReplyDelete
  26. We took a trip to Midlothian to visit the grandparents in May and stopped for kolaches on our way back. Nothing beats 'em!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Linda and friends--I've been reading the comments all day--what a wonderful response from all of you. To Emma and Linda--you all are talking about all the places I love--and things, kolaches and all! But Emma, don't come down here now--we're in a severe drought with 100+ temps for the 47th day in a row. Linda lives "right up the road" from me--about a hundred miles or so. Love your conversation! Celia

    ReplyDelete
  28. Tell me about it! Houston is not faring very well. I hide from the heat whenever I can.

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a great interview, Celia. Hullo to Linda! And I remember your book from the TWC loop, light years ago. I'm so glad you found a wonderful home for it. Best of luck with future sales!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Emma and Ceila,
    I'm so hungry with this talk about kaloches. We're dieting, low carbs and it's boring.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi Maggie,
    Yes, it found a new home and I'm thrilled. Thank you for stopping by. Gosh, TWC was so long ago.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Very sweet excerpt. Gotta love a man who loves home-made biscuits! And do you eat them with milk gravy in Texas like we do in Georgia? We "sop" them in a bowl of gravy. :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Hi Miss Mae, Yes, Ma'am, we sure do. Though sometimes we like redeye gravy. Now, something you Gerogians are crazy about is grits. I just can't develope a taste for them unless they're full of cheese. Best greens I ever ate were in Georgia.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Linda, I love your work. Your characters are so realistic, your settings stunning, and your stories memorable. -Laura Hogg

    ReplyDelete
  35. Laura, you're a sweetheart. Check my blog post today. I sent you the One Lovely Blog Award.

    ReplyDelete
  36. There is such a sincerity in your work, Linda. That is why we just follow you around on the blogs, for in interviews and posts, all the sincerity and genuine credibility that is in your writing comes through. Great interview! Great excerpts! Thank you for sharing a piece of yourself.

    ReplyDelete
  37. You never know when something that influences your life will beg to be written later on.

    I never heard of those flowers. They're beautiful.

    Morgan Mandel
    http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
    http://www.morganmandel.com

    ReplyDelete
  38. Angelica and Zi,
    You humble me with your kind sentiments. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  39. So true, Morgan.

    Look up the ocotillo on the net. The cover shows only the bloom. The plant itself is prickly like Lynn.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Hi Linda, I've just read your interview and it was a pleasure to learn more about you and put a face with your name. Your book title and cover are very appealing and the excerpt left me wanting to read more about your characters. I wish you much success with all of your books. I'm a late bloomer, too.

    And Celia, I have gotten behind with all the wonderful interviews and articles on your blog. I will catch up soon. You do a fantastic job with this and you were so right to create one. It's truly one of the best, just like you.

    Linda

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi Linda,
    Good to see you here. I know what you mean about putting faces with names and especially since we're met so many people on line in the past ten years.

    Thank you for stopping by and for the good wishes. I so agree. Celia does a great job here and elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Celia,

    What a great interview.

    Linda, I loved When The Ocotillo Bloom. It's a realistic wonderful story.

    ReplyDelete