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Linda Coulombe Roybal
Publisher of audio books
Writes as: Linda Coulombe
Website: sirenaudiostudios.com
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What motivates you to write?

My mother said I went missing when I was 10 months old, and she found me typing gleefully on her Royal typewriter. I think I’ve always wanted to be a writer.

What made you choose the genre you chose?

I write historical romance with a bit of politics mixed in. I love history, and romance because it stirs the blood like nothing else, and politics because it brings everything to a boil.

Where do your characters come from?

Some of my characters are patterned after historical figures, and the rest-I haven’t a clue where they come from-except maybe for one of my protagonists, Murdoch Gordon III. I saw a photo in a history book of the West that haunted me. This was the image that shaped the character of the Scottish merchant in Sin Temer la Noche.

Being fortunate enough to have my own recording studio and publishing company, the actors and models we brought in to record and portray the characters in this mini-series played a huge role in the shaping the characters as well. Some changed the story in ways that I had not anticipated and made it so much better.

What’s most rewarding about writing?

I was trying to think of an approach for writing the e-book version of the audio drama I’m working on. The story spans about a year and half and will be produced in 4 parts. I asked one of my editors, Rebecca Holcombe, what she thought might be a good approach for tying it all together into a narrative. She suggested that I do it from the perspective of one of the characters, as that character might recall the story in the future. It was a brilliant idea. It forced me to travel 40 years into the future. Within a few hours, I understood how the story I had initially written, was only the foundation of the real story-what happened to a people and a town because of the bravery and determination of a few women who learned how to be courageous. I cried for a week.
I like feeling that I might have gotten it right.

Who is an author who inspires you and why?

There are many authors who inspire me. LaVyrle Spencer is one whose stories I could read over and over again. I think I’ve read “Years” four times, “Hummingbird,” at least 3, “November of the Heart,” countless times…well, you get the picture. I have a collection of all her works in 3-year-old unpacked boxes, and it’s driving me a bit crazy not to know where they are.

What do you look for in other people’s books?

When I read, I want to fall in love with the characters and the writing. By that I mean characters that are credible and memorable and writing that is fresh and lyrical.

What are you writing now?

I am writing an audio drama as a series to be produced in 4 seasons. This is based on stories I had written several years ago when Western romance wasn’t all that popular and stories of “senoritas,” even less so. I am producing the Spanish audio drama first, Sin Temer la Noche (Without Fear of the Night) but the English version and e-books in both languages will also be available.

What kind of book would you like to be known for?
I would like to be known for the kind of stories that cause people to challenge their beliefs and assumptions.

If you achieved great fame and fortune, would you continue to write?

I can’t imagine not writing.

What encouraging advice can you offer new writers?
Writing is a congenital condition. There might be a latency period, but the urge to write is always there. There is no cure for it except to write. Learn everything you can about writing. Don’t just read your favorite authors; study them.