Circle of Love by Linda Swift

The Wild Rose Press

Circle of Love by Linda Swift

Joanna returns to a small Missouri town for her high school reunion and comes face to face with Pete, the love of her life. A college professor in Tennessee, she has never married and he, a prosperous farmer, is now a widower with five children.

Their attraction is as strong as it was on graduation night when Pete was leaving for boot camp. He never knew that she had his child and gave her up for adoption.

They begin a new relationship but Pete's children resent Joanna's presence in their father's life. And because of the guilt she hides in her heart, Joanna knows she can never marry Pete now.

Despite their diverse lives and the obstacles they must overcome, will they be able to find happiness in a lost love that has come full circle?
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Romance author Linda Swift is here today to share with us about her books, particularly her current release, Circle of Love published by The Wild Rose Press.

Maddie:  Hi Linda. It's great to have you here on The Examiner. What would you like to tell us about yourself?

Linda:  I'm currently in Phase Four of my adult life. First, I was a wife, mother, and homemaker. Next, I became a college student and continued studying toward more advanced degrees while also working in public schools as a teacher, counselor, and psychometrist. Then I became a full time author, with mass market publications by Kensington. And now I am writing for two electronic publishers with two books available and two more to be released this year. And I have just had another book accepted for publication by one of these publishers. Each phase has been a challenge and brought joy and satisfaction to my life.

Maddie: Congratulations on your success! How many books do you have in print now?

Linda: At present, I have four books available. That Special Summer and A Christmas Gift ( anthology) from Kensington and Let Nothing You Dismay (ebook ) and Circle of Love from The Wild Rose Press. Single Status and Maid of the Midlands will be released by Awe-Struck/Mundania Books later this year. I would have to say that the latter is my favorite as it is set in England in 1573. The book includes Mary Queen of Scots among its characters and is very different from anything else I've ever written. It required a tremendous amount of research and was a great learning experience.

Maddie: You've worked with a number of publishers. How has that worked for you?

Linda: I am fortunate to have wonderful ebook publishers. Both The Wild Rose Press and Awe-Struck publishers are very accessible to their authors and keep us well informed. The latter has recently been acquired by Mundania who so far continues the same practice. All of my editors have been courteous, supportive, and helpful as we have worked together. This makes for a great author-editor working relationship.

Maddie: What does your writing schedule look like? Are you a morning writer? A night owl?

Linda: I don't do "creative writing" before noon but I do edit and tend to other Internet business. I usually get into the real writing in the early afternoon and continue as long as the story flows or until fatigue overtakes me. This can be a few hours or several and hopefully without interruption except for dinner. When the story gets ahead of me in my subconscious mind again, the process starts over.

Maddie: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Linda: Believe in yourself. Take the time you need from your schedule to write the stories in your head. Only by writing will you become a better writer. Don't be too lazy or stubborn to revise your work. Expect rejections. They will strengthen you as a writer. And finally, do as I say, not as I do!

Maddie: What is your next project?

Linda: I plan to complete the sequel to Maid of the Midlands which is presently only half-finished. It continues the story of the Wykeham family and involves the Gunpowder Plot in 1603. Then I will probably write a sequel to my as-yet-unpublished Civil War story. Whatever I write will be in the historical category.

Maddie: With so many books out, I'm sure you spend some time on promotion. What kinds of things do you do?

Linda: Ah, promotion, the bane of my existence. I love talking with readers and other writers but I am frustrated by the amount of time and energy it takes from actually writing. I manage a Web site, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, several profile pages on various sites, am a member of EPIC and several other writer loops where I can post announcements. I have a slide show on several sites and one book video and I'm planning three more book videos at the moment. I mail book cover postcards and distribute business cards containing my web address and book titles. I donate books to various contests and promotions. And I also do blogs, mostly related to the time I lived in England a few years ago, and interviews. Thank you for inviting me to your column. It's been fun for me and I hope for you and your readers. And I want to invite all of you to visit me at my newly updated web site: www.lindaswift.net