Looking Out The Window: Linda Weaver Clarke Talks Her New Book, Angel's Serenade, And Shares A Link To Her Giveaway.

A Warm Welcome to Linda Weaver Clarke


Stop by Linda's Release Day Celebration here and enter her giveaway.

Hi Linda, first, tell us a little about yourself.

I was raised among the Rocky Mountains of southern Idaho and now live among the red hills of southern Utah. I am the author of Historical Romance, Mystery Suspense, Cozy Mysteries, Swashbuckling/Adventure Romance, a Children’s Book, and Nonfiction. I teach a class about writing your family history and publishing it for your family, which is free to the public. I am also a missionary at the Family Search Center where I help people find their ancestors and learn about their heritage. To learn more, visit my  Website.

Tell us about your latest book.

Angel’s Serenade is a Historical Mystery Romance set in 1836 in the United States. In this story, Emmeline Scott is raising her sister’s two children and is surprised when she finds out the new doctor in town is helping her nephew adapt to his surroundings. As Emmeline gets to know the charming doctor, they become intrigued by her neighbor’s mysterious behavior. Will they discover his secret? And who is the leader of the River Pirates, who is causing so much havoc?

What do you love about this book?

I love Mystery Romances, especially when they’re set in the past. I think it’s because I like mysterious goings-on, where you have to figure out the secret. Just add some romance and I’m hooked. So… I decided to create a new series called A Willow Valley Historical Romance and create a mystery for each book that the characters have to solve.

In Angel’s Serenade, Emmeline’s neighbor is harboring a secret, which may prevent him from winning the election. What is his secret and would Emmeline be able to help him? This book was such fun to write because one of the main characters is a doctor. So I had to do some research and find out what remedies they used back in the 1830s.

Where do you get ideas for your books?

I’ll give you an example for the two books in this series.

For One Last Dance, I had a dream. When my father passed away, I never had a chance to say good-bye to him but I finally got that chance. In my dream, I was at a ball and my father was there. Turning to my mother, I told her that I wanted to have “one last dance” with my father before I went home. It felt grand to dance with him. When the dance came to an end, I looked up into his eyes and said, “Thanks, Dad, for one last dance.”

For Angel’s Serenade, I read about a man back in the early 1900s that had a secret past, and he ran in an election for an important position. That intrigued me, so I decided to set my plot around Mr. Miller’s secret past, who just happened to be running for Mayor in a small town of Willow Valley. This was such a fun plot to develop.

Introduce us to the main character in your new book. 

Emmeline Scott is an accomplished pianist and teaches piano to young students. Every day at 5:00, after her last student is gone, she sits down at the piano and plays her favorite pieces. Unbeknown to Emmeline, the new doctor across the street sits outside on his porch and listens to her play. Doctor Lucas Golden closes his practice every day at 5:00 and looks forward to being serenaded. It relaxes him after a long day at work. They haven’t been introduced, so he dubs her “Angel Lady” because of her music.

What themes do you write about?

My themes vary because I write in several different genres: historical romance, cozy mystery, mystery suspense, and even swashbuckling romance.

With my swashbuckling romances, The Rebel Series, my theme evolves around saving the country from a tyrant. (The Rebels of Cordovia, The Highwayman of Cordovia, and The Fox of Cordovia)

With my cozy mysteries, The Amelia Moore Detective Series, I chose “missing persons” as the theme.

With the mystery suspense series,The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, I chose “artifact theft” as the main subject.

Does your faith affect your writing? How?

It most certainly does. Because of my strong faith in a loving Heavenly Father, my characters tend to have the same beliefs as I do.

Do you put yourself in your books?

No, I don’t. But I’ll put a few choice experiences that my husband has had into my books because they’re hilarious. He likes to joke around and say, “My life is like an open book!”

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

You need to believe in yourself. Read books about writing in the genre you are interested in. Each genre has its own rules.

Everybody has their own writing style, so don’t compare yourself to other authors. Your style is unique and there will be people out there who will love your style of writing. Never give up!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

You may check out my books on my Website

I also have my books and audiobooks listed on a blog

and an Audiobook page