Welcome back cats. I've had the distinct privilege of chatting with author Linda Sands. Sands is a tornado of energy and one hell of a writer. Here's how it all went down...
JB: Thanks so much for cruising by the blog. I had the pleasure of meeting you last year at the Bouchercon conference in Dallas. And when I say pleasure I mean that we had drinks and you are as haywire as I am...only funnier.
Sands: Yeah we did shake that gathering up a bit, didn't we? If you ever need someone to drink your bourbon, stage a fake accident or direct a modeling shoot with a monster truck, I'm your girl.
JB: Haha I thought I looked good in front of that bad-boy truck. But anyway...question: when did the writing bug grab you? And being a woman with a ton of horsepower how do you manage to sit still long enough to write books?
Sands:I never thought of writing as career. It's just part of who I am—a born storyteller. No matter what job was brining in the money, I was still spinning tales. About twenty-five years ago I challenged myself to write and publish 50 short stories before starting my first novel. I learned a lot in those early years. It's strange but I usually have to be active—and alone—to truly find the story. I always have a notebook, recorder or my phone ready to capture ideas, voices, characters, plot twists, or particulars. I've written entire scenes while driving.
JB: Please tell the gang where you grew up and what childhood/teen life looked like for young Linda.
Sands: I grew up in a small town in upstate N.Y. If you ask my parents about the early years they'll say, "Linda has always been a dreamer." (like it's a bad thing), followed by, "She was always getting into trouble, surrounding herself with strange people." So yeah, I was primed for a writing career from the beginning.
JB: Getting into trouble? You? I might know a little something about that...Ok. I like to read at least one of the books by the authors I chat with so I read Precious Cargo
Sands: JoJo Bordeaux was born out of a lie to my agent.
JB: Wait, writers lie? Mon Dieu!
Sands: Yup. I'd been working on a photo essay book about modern truck drivers, kind of a GQ bullet interview with HD images shot with a Conde Nast photographer I was traveling with to truck shows. When my agent admitted he had not had success selling the coffee table book, he asked if any of the interviews had opened a door to another story. Standing in my pantry staring at a box of Zatarain's Jambalaya mix, I blurred out that I had been working on an idea for a female trucker from Louisiana who solves mysteries on the road. He told me to send him the pages. I did. But I had to write them first.
JB: And the rest as they say...Now then, when you were coming up back in the day, say a guy wanted to impress you with his cooking. What dish when done well would he have you saying, "Hmm maybe I'll take this thing a little further. (as in date number two).
Sands: My experience has never been the guy trying to impress me with his cooking...that would have been a nice switch from the materialistic norm. I'd be impressed if it was a collaborative effort in his well organized and technologically advanced kitchen with fresh, healthy—but not too healthy—ingredients and lots of great wine. But I'm a tough critic. I have three chefs in my extended family and three former beaus also were chefs or line cooks. I'd be more impressed if men can clean their kitchen.
Sands: I didn't have a job that required travel but I have taken many road trips for pleasure, logging in 41 states and living in six of them. I love a good adventure.
JB: That would do it. Ok, Lady Sands we'll hold up here for part 1 of your interview. Folks, stay tuned for part two where Sands really opens it up!
Lindasands.com
jonathanbrownwriter.com
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