#ThisorThatThursday with Linda Norlander

I’d like to welcome Linda Norlander back for #ThisorThatThursday.

Favorite thing to do when you have free time: Read. I usually have two books going—my book to read during the day and my book to I read before going to bed. One is always a mystery of some sort and the other is whatever I’ve pulled off the shelf at the library.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to do list: A trip to IKEA. The last time we went, it took us 40 minutes to find a place to park!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: A laptop and quiet.

Things that distract you from writing: All those “to do” items that haven’t gotten done.

Things you will run to the store for at midnight: Midnight? Who’s up at that hour? 6:00 PM, and I might do a potato chip run.

Things you never put on your shopping list: Anything that can only be bought at IKEA.

Favorite snacks: See above plus I just rediscovered ice cream Drumsticks

Things that make you want to gag: Anchovies, of course.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: I wanted to be a ballerina. Mother sent me to tap dancing class and I flunked out. My brain and my feet have always been very poor communicators.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Figure out how to set the clock on the car. Thank goodness for YouTube. Once, instead of resetting the clock I accidentally reset the speedometer to kilometers/hour. I only made that mistake…ah…twice.

Something you wish you could do: A graceful leap.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: I worked for many years as a nurse—I have a long list of things that most people would prefer not to do.

Last best thing you ate: An ice cream Drumstick

Last thing you regret eating: Baked sole. Very badly done in my oven. Don’t trust all the recipes you find through Google.

Things to say to an author: I just bought your book and told all my friends to do the same.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I could write a book. It looks easy.

The most exciting thing about your writing life: Those characters who suddenly pop in unexpectedly and demand to stay.

The one thing you wish you could do over in your writing life: I wish I’d known about word count expectations years ago. I couldn’t figure out why my 35,000-word mystery novel never excited anyone until an agent I queried kindly directed me to a site with information on typical word counts for various kinds of books. Who knew?

About Linda:

Linda Norlander is the author of A Cabin by the Lake mystery series set in Northern Minnesota. Death of a Fox is the fourth in the series that also includes Death of an Editor, Death of a Starling and Death of a Snow Ghost. Each mystery takes place in a different season. The first book in her new series, Liza, Mrs. Wilkens and the Ghost Mysteries will debut in October 2023. Norlander has published award winning short stories, op-ed pieces and short humor featured in regional and national publications. Before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked in end-of-life care. Norlander resides in Tacoma, Washington with her spouse.

 Let’s Be Social:

www.lindanorlander.com

www.facebook.com/authorlindanorlander


#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Linda Norlander

I’d like to welcome author, Linda Norlander, back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday! Congratulations on your latest novel.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Continuous self-doubt. Is my writing good enough?

Easiest thing about being a writer: Conjuring up stories to write about.

Something you’re really good at: Keeping the gas tank full in the car. I have a great fear of running out of gas. (Ever watch the cemetery scene in “Night of the Living Dead?”)

Something you’re really bad at: Making pancakes—they are known as Grandma’s burnt breakfast

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: A cowgirl—of course I needed a horse which I didn’t have

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: Manage a website

Something you wish you could do: A better job of managing a website

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: Always being on time. I would love to be more spontaneous but this little voice in the back of my head keeps nagging me, “To be on time is to be late.”

Things to say to an author: This is Nobel Prize quality writing.

Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I slept through your first chapter.

Favorite places you’ve been: North Shore of Lake Superior and (of course) Paris

Places you never want to go to again: Las Vegas—Last time I was there I lost $20 playing slot machine poker and declared it enough! Time to flee the noise and the glitz.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Bruce Springsteen, Michelle Obama and Louise Penny

People you’d cancel dinner on: Ted Cruz, Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson

Favorite things to do: Playing Boggle with kids and grandkids (I never win.)

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Figuring out my taxes. I’m happy to pay someone else to do this.

Most embarrassing moment: Hitting the wrong opening chord as the church organist, thereby making a great blat onto the Lord. (I was thankfully fired from the volunteer job shortly thereafter.)

Proudest moment: Seeing the cover design for my first mystery.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: I rode a bicycle from the west bank of the Mississippi River to Boston Harbor carrying a sleeping bag, a change of clothes and a water bottle

Something you chickened out from doing: Repeating the above.

The coolest person you’ve ever met: Rosalyn Carter, a definite steel magnolia.

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Bruce Springsteen—he’s short.

The nicest thing a reader said to you: Can’t wait for the next book.

The craziest thing a reader said to you: There’s a comma missing on page 46.

About Linda:

Linda Norlander is the author of A Cabin by the Lake mystery series set in Northern Minnesota. Books in the series include Death of an Editor and Death of a Starling and Death of a Snow Ghost. Norlander has published award winning short stories, op-ed pieces and short humor featured in regional and national publications. Before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked in public health and end-of-life care. Norlander resides in Tacoma, Washington with her spouse.

Let’s Be Social:

www.lindanorlander.com

www.twitter.com/LindaNorlander

www.facebook.com/authorlindanorlander

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Snow-Ghost-Cabin-Mystery/dp/1685121284/ref=sr_1_9?crid=2GFH1HXCRRLMX&keywords=linda+norlander&qid=1652806837&s=books&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C397&sr=1-9

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Linda Norlander

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Norlander, Linda.jpg

I’d like to welcome Linda Norlander to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.

Favorite Things: Books, Running Shoes (not that I run), Potted annuals

Things to throw out: Old running shoes, socks with holes in them, old manuscript drafts

Things you love about writing: Characters popping in when least expected, figuring out the ending

Things you hate about writing: Not knowing where the commas go

Things you never want to run out of: Gas—ever see the opening of “Night of the Living Dead?”

Things you wished you never bought: A Plymouth Horizon car—small parts like door handles kept breaking off until the only way to get was through the hatchback

Words that describe you: Contemplative, good sense of humor, low key

Words that describe you but wish they didn’t: Steady

Favorite Foods: Olives, potato chips, salted caramel ice cream

Things that make you gag: Anchovies, peanut butter

Favorite Music or song: Anything by Bruce Springsteen

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy Metal (except I love AC/DC’s Highway to Hell)

Favorite Beverage: Wine, preferably a white

Things you always put in your books: A dash of humor

Things you never put in your books: Graphic violence

Favorite Places: North Shore of Lake Superior, Paris, Cuba

Place you never want to go again: Buffalo

Most embarrassing moment: Hitting the wrong note for the processional as the church organist (fired shortly thereafter.)

Proudest moment: Seeing the cover of my first published novel

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About Linda:

Linda Norlander is the author of “Death of an Editor” and “Death of a Starling” from a Cabin by the Lake mystery series set in the woods of Northern Minnesota. Norlander has written award winning short fiction, non-fiction and humor. In her life before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked as a nurse in public health and end-of-life care. She resides with her husband in Tacoma, Washington.

 Let’s Be Social:

www.lindanorlander.com
www.facebook.com/authorlindanorlander

www.twitter.com/lindanorlander