Author Interview: Linore Rose Burkard

Welcome back, readers! Today I'm interviewing an up-and-coming Christian Regency author, whose second novel, The House in Grosvenor Square, is coming out on April 1 from Harvest House Publishers. Linore Rose Burkard was raised in New York, where she graduated magna cum laude from the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. She lives with her husband and five children in a town full of antique stores and gift shops in southwestern Ohio. Her hobbies include working on four new Regency novels, family movie nights, swimming, and gardening.

Welcome, Linore! Tell us who you are and what you do.
I'm a Christian wife and mom who fell in love with the Regency genre from Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer books. Now, I create "Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul." My characters take readers back in time to experience life and love during the Regency (ca.1800 – 1830). Fans of classic romances, such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Sense and Sensibility, will find a kindred spirit in Ariana Forsythe, my feisty heroine who finds her heart and beliefs tested by high-society London.

What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
My first book, Before the Season Ends, was not plotted ahead of time, except in the sense that I knew certain things were going to happen in it. Since then, I've been learning to plot and outline ahead of time, mainly to work more efficiently so I can write more books a year.

Do you write best at a certain time of the day?
Not exactly; I write best when I know where the story is going. Day or night. When I'm working on my plot, it's hard to keep writing; but when I feel confident about what's ahead, I can just keep writing as long as life allows!

What food or snack keeps the words flowing?
That's a question I've never had before (smile)! I can't say I have any snack or food that keeps words flowing. In fact, I rarely eat while writing. I'm too absorbed. However, I nearly always have a cup of tea or coffee on hand. In summer, it would be iced water, tea or coffee.

What sparks a story?
They can come from all directions, honestly! Just today I was reading a portion of a book I'm using to help me outline my current work-in-progress (book three of the Regency series) and the writer said something about keeping book ideas (for future books) in separate folders. Something got me thinking about careers I would have enjoyed if I wasn't a writer, one being an interior designer, and another a real estate agent. And just like that, I not only got future book ideas, but I got ideas for two future book SERIES, and I had to stop and jot down my thoughts.

From this experience, I would say it's a good idea for writers who are casting about for a story idea to examine their own likes and dislikes. I can't be an interior designer except in my own home, but I can write a book about a heroine who is. And the idea appeals to me mightily because I like the premise.

What was it about your genre that interested you enough to choose to write in it and not in another genre?
There is something magnificently distinct about the Regency era, in dress, (costume), manners, social customs, social structure, etc, and the romance is clean. After reading Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, I was just so enamored of the period, that I wanted to read an inspirational Regency, which didn't happen to exist at the time, and that propelled me to start writing. Regencies have special humour, special romance, oh, just so many things you don't find elsewhere, from dialogue to slang to food. It's great, great fun.

Character you wish you had created?
Never thought about it, but I suppose Anne Shirley or Lizzie Bennet.

What authors do you look to as a role model and inspiration?
Those I've mentioned, (JA and GH) and probably a few from my early reading as a growing child.

What's the best advice you ever received?
I assume you mean about writing; I suppose it would be, to write what you love. To write what you would want to read yourself.

I believe good writers read a lot. What do you use to mark your page when reading?
Well, I have a lot of bookmarks, and one of my daughters likes to make me new ones all the time. (The little white cardboard pieces between rows of tea in new boxes of tea are perfect for this). They're not always on hand when I need them, however, so I'll use anything that's handy.

What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I love it when I know I've nailed a scene, either because it makes me laugh out loud or just has me concentrating so deeply to get it down that my kids might have to call for me three times before I "hear" them. What I like least is likely to vary from book to book. Nothing in particular is coming to mind about what I like least, actually. I suppose that sometimes finding the right resource for research is tricky and frustrating--until I find it.

Your forthcoming novel is called The House in Grosvenor Square, from Harvest House Publishers. I understand it's available to pre-order right now. Tell us what the book is about and why you wrote it. Grosvenor Square is a sequel to Before the Season Ends. It can be read on its own, but those who've read the first book will enjoy it most. I didn't envision a series when I wrote BTSE, actually, but lots of readers told me they loved series and would want a sequel, so I gave myself the task of creating one. It was difficult for me at first, because I kept thinking the characters had to be well moved on for the next book, from where they had been in the first. When I finally started over where I really felt like starting (which was, picking up exactly where book one left off), it all started to come together, and the story just took shape. It turned out to be tremendous fun, as well as a learning experience for me. I really didn't have any authors to model this on, either, because regencies are very much stand-alones, by and large. Austen never wrote sequels, and neither did Heyer. Marion Chesney has some, come to think of it, but they're so different from what I write, I can hardly cite them as a comparison.

Why should anyone part with their hard earned cash and precious time to read your book? Sell it to us! Today more than ever, when it's so important to spend wisely, I can say unequivocally that my books are one of the cheapest vacations a woman could want or get. Think about it: an instant source of escape to an elegant age where romance is in the air, and a happy ending is guaranteed! My readers feel transported to the Regency and they just love being there! Even better, you can return to my books and read them again and again for the same pleasure.

There are few things we can buy that offer as much. A few fast-food burgers that you eat once and forget cost more than one of my books, which will whisk you off to Regency England for fast-paced fun and memorable romance. Also, because of the "inspirational" element in my stories, ten bucks, more or less, gets you a lift you can keep with you for a long time.

Where can readers buy your books? Bookstores everywhere. Barnes & Noble, Family Christian Stores, LifeWay, etc. If you don't see it on the shelf, it could be they've sold out, so just ask them to re-order. They're also on bn.com (Barnes & Noble), Amazon, Christianbook.com, Harvest House and other online booksellers' sites, or can be ordered autographed through my website, http://www.linoreburkard.com/books.html.

What is your next project? I'm working on book three in the Regency Series for Harvest House. This one is fun, too! Can't wait for my readers to start enjoying it.

What advice would you pass along at this point in your career? I would have started networking earlier in my career, if I'd known of organizations like ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) which offers great content and friendship opportunities, as well as an annual conference, online workshops, and more. It's really a terrific place for new writers. The RWA (Romance Writers of America) is another place where I got connected to other regency authors and like-minded writers, through their chapter, "The Beau Monde." In short, my advice is to congregate where other writers do, rub shoulders, make a few friends, learn the business from others who are on the same journey as you, or ahead of you. Don't go it alone when you don't have to.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?
I have some fabulous free resources for readers on my website that spring from my research into the Regency, and which anyone can access and download. Go to www.LinoreBurkard.com/resources.html and click on "Regency Articles." There's also material for reader's groups, discussion questions, and a nifty "Blogger's Book Review Kit" for anyone who could use an easy blog post for their blog. The articles are fun and illustrated, such as, "Getting Ready for the Ball," "Lizzie Bennet's Wardrobe," and "The Rise of the Silhouette." Enjoy!

Thank you for the interview, Linore. It was fun.

Thanks so much!

Linore spotlights the works and characters of other Christian authors at her blog, "She's Got Character."