Promotional Interview with Linda Mooney

You have been invited to share you experience with our readers.

Name: Linda Mooney

Tell us about yourself – where you are from, how you got started writing, what you do when you are not writing (or anything you want our readers to know)

I am a full time Kindergarten teacher who writes sensuous romances at night (and during her summers off). My home is a small town in south Texas where I live with my husband of 25+ years, and we have two sons.

I started writing when I was in elementary school, graduated to fanfiction in ‘89, and didn’t start to branch out into my own worlds until ‘96. After my hubby’s successful heart transplant, he encouraged me to start submitting my books to publishers.

Gee, when I’m not writing? LOL! I like to travel and visit friends and family. If I’m home, 99% of the time my butt’s parked in front of the computer.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Umm, truthfully, I was writing fanfiction but I was tired of having to restrict myself to someone else’s world. I wanted to create my own characters, give them my settings and personalities and problems. Writing fanfiction gave me a great start in how to keep focused, how to be creative, and how to think outside the box.

How many books have you written?

To date I’ve written 19 books and 7 short stories. Some are already published, some are contracted, and the rest are in submission.

The majority are sci-fi or fantasy (or a mixture of both) romances, one short is a contemporary, and some are erotic which I write under a pen name.

How do you decide on their topic?

Oh, geez, a hard one! LOL! I have NO idea how I come up with them. But I do know that I can take a photo, or a title, or a simple phrase and come up with a book if I want.

What works best to keep you focused and on track?

My iPod. I make a little “soundtrack album” of each book I’m currently working on, and I listen to it to keep me in the right mood, frame of mind, and focused.

Do you write to make money or for the love of writing?

For years it’s been the love of writing. The money is a perk.

What are some traditional methods of marketing you have used to gain visibility for you and your book(s)?

My personal website (lindamooney.com). Email loops. Book trailers of my own creation that I upload on YouTube (as LindaM54), MySpace (myspace.com/lindamooney), and My Book Place. “Free” sites like MySpace and Book Place. The Romance Galleria. Amazon.com.

What are some unique methods?

The newest wave is Book Trailers. These are a wonderful way to create interest in a book! I believe that in that short 1-2 min. bite you can catch a prospective reader’s eye that you may not have had otherwise.

Do you sell through a website?

Yes. Through my publishers’ websites, and through my own (lindamooney.com) where I offer autographed copies of my paperbacks.

Do you plan on writing additional books?

That’s a given. LOL! I love what I’m doing! Hopefully in 3 years I can retire from teaching (I already have in 30 years) and do this full time.

Thank you again for interviewing me! I am honored!