Today I welcome Linda Rondeau to my blog. She is an accomplished, award-winning author and speaker who often helps lead Christian writers' conferences. Even so, she is accessible and approachable with a ready smile and a big heart. Thank you for stopping by, Linda. Thanks for having me. I'm glad to be here. Tell us a little about yourself. Humor has always been my saving grace and the way God has allowed me to rise above any circumstance, from being a single mom to the loss of loved ones to facing cancer. You can’t take it seriously when you’re bald. I laughed so hard, well….you know the adage. They say I’m a writer, however, I take greater joy in being a wife, a mom, a grandmother, and all the other wonderful roles God has allowed me have in this life. Because humor has helped me to survive, I have infused all my books, even the scariest ones, with a few laughs. How and when did you begin to write? I tell people not to judge me because I was born that way, with a pen in my soul. The little girl loved to tell stories to her younger sibling and the kids on the school bus, grew up to be the amateur who wrote plays and poems for Sunday School. I taught school for a short while, but ended up in social work as my heart bent toward changing lives more than filling a head with knowledge. I loved the writing aspects of that career. Little did I know that God prepared me for authorship even during those career and family days of raising three children. One day, I felt the tug. “It’s time,” God said. Though I don’t recommend this for anyone else, for me, God knew I had to leave everything else behind if I were to write for Him. So I quit the day job and the rest is history. I never regretted following His lead. Can you give our readers a short description of A Father’s Prayer (aka A Christmas Prayer)? Although it is not my first book or my most recent (I’ve published a novel and mini-novel since then), A Father’s Prayer is one from the heart. A journalist and country singer find romance through the needs of an autistic child. Gib is Alexis’s adoptive brother. She becomes a caretaker for him when her parents are killed. Ethan is Gib’s biological father, but by court order is gagged from revealing his identity during his quest to gain custody of this child, only aware of Gib’s existence for a short time. Gib, aged twelve, is in trouble with the juvenile court system and at risk for foster care placement since his caregiver seems unable to provide adequate supervision. I drew much of Gib’s character from my personal experience as a short-term caregiver for my autistic grandson. I also drew from my social work experience and love of music to present this story as honestly as I could. I am pleased that it was a finalist for the 2014 Selah Awards as well as 2014 Carol Awards. What are you working on now? I am balancing several manuscripts at the moment in various stages of completion, waiting for the Lord’s direction in regard to these works. As with all my fiction, my current work demonstrates how God uses our worst pasts to fashion our best futures. Hosea’s Heart, is a novel set in Washington, D.C. concerning a minister who has searched for many years to find his runaway, drug addicted wife. Legacy of Regret is a second Adirondack romantic suspense featuring a widow recovering from mental illness and Red Sky Promise, follows a young man who is a victim of childhood abuse. In addition to these works of fiction, I am following up my non-fiction book, I Prayed for Patience God Gave Me Children, with a series of Christian Living books, starting with Who Put the Vinegar in the Salt? Do you have any advice for beginning writers? Take your time seeking publication. Everyone thinks they’re ready to create the Great American Novel in their first try. While self-publishing has become a legitimate alternative, don’t be in a rush to do so. Develop your craft. Work on shorter pieces to hone your skills. While you’re figuring out what kind of writer you want to be, join critique groups and writing support groups. How can my readers find out more about you and your work? Email Me I will answer you. Visit My website Like my Facebook page Follow me on Twitter Follow me on Goodreads Follow me on Google Plus Follow me on Pinterest Follow my blog This Daily Grind  Linda's Books
A Father's Prayer finalist for 2014 Selah Award and 2014 Carol Awards The Other Side of Darkness It Really Is a Wonderful Life I Prayed for Patience/God Gave Me Children Days of Vines and Roses Joy Comes to Dinsmore Street Jolly Angel Coming soon: Snow on Eagle Mountain, a mini-novel
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