Saturday, February 4, 2017

Interview with Romance Author Linda Baten Johnson

Linda Baten Johnson loves reading and writing, especially about historical events. She currently volunteers as a docent for the Frisco Heritage Museum where she dresses in costume and tells Frisco second-graders about the lives and difficulties of pioneers to the Blackland Prairie of Texas. 

She manages to write at least two books a year when she is not having fun with friends and family. Linda is the author of 14 books, including those of romance and books for young readers.


Welcome to my blog. Please tell us about your novella, Magnolia Morning.

Magnolia Morning is part of the state flower series and represents Louisiana. I chose to write about this state flower and include a fictional account of the love story of my great-grandparents, which began after the Civil War.

Energetic, hard-working Martha Bodine and her mother survive the war, but Captain Bodine does not return from the Confederate Army when expected. Threatened with the loss of their farm unless Martha agrees to marry a neighbor, they offer lodging to a controversial Northern gentleman, which causes a rift between them and those in the community.
Peyton Anderson, a soldier in Captain Bodine’s unit pays a condolence visit and offers to help the feisty Martha and her gentle mother get on their feet, but he has his own family obligations and practical concerns about their situation. Even his best efforts may not change the course mapped out for Martha’s life or his own.

Where did you get your inspiration for this story?

This is loosely based on the story of my great-grandparents.

What kind of research did you do?

We had letters my great-grandfather wrote to “Most Honorable Miss Martha” and in them, he described sections of Louisiana and his hopes and dreams. My two sisters and I went to Louisiana to find some of the places they lived. We also visited a living history museum in the state to get a feel for the time period, and enjoyed good Louisiana food. Yummy.

Tell me about one of the main characters and what you love about him or her?

I tried to be true to what I knew about my relatives. Martha was not a beauty. She had a rounded figure, freckles and a no-nonsense attitude, but she was a loving and caring woman. I hope that comes through in the book.

Where is your website so my readers can check out your recent and past books that you have written?

My website is www.lindabatenjohnson.com. I would love for readers to visit.

Thank you for this wonderful interview. I have read this novelette and enjoyed it. Here is my review below:

This is an adorable story that has a few surprises toward the end! Knowing it was loosely based on the love story of the author’s great-great grandparents made it even more fun. I was taken into the past during the 1860s after the civil war and learned what life was like. I loved Martha’s character right off and how feisty she was. It’s fun to learn about our ancestor’s and what their lives were like, especially after hardships from the civil war and how they recovered. I totally enjoyed this story.”
–Written by Linda Weaver Clarke

17 comments:

Nancy said...

I love the sounds of this one, the time period, the internal and human conflicts, etc.

Edye Nicole said...

What a lovely sounding book! Thanks, Linda :)

mia2009(at)comcast(dot)net

Judy said...

This looks like a very good read and love the cover. I love flowers of all kinds and especially the Magnolia!!

Judy
magnolias_1(at)msn(dot)

Adik Miftakhur said...

The cover is so good and eye-catching.. :3 thanks for the chance. :))

adikmiftakhurr (at) gmail (dot) com

Unknown said...

Sounds like a very interesting series. I'll have to check out the one for Alaska, too. I love Alaska and want to move there so bad. Thank you for the chance at the giveaway! authorangelachristinaarcher(at)gmail(dot)com

bison61 said...

based on the story of her great-grandparents-sounds exciting

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Unknown said...

What an amazing sounding book. A love story based on real relatives of the author. What could be better?

marymargaretdevine@gmail.com

Linda Moffitt said...

Sounds like a great book. What an interesting way to come up with the idea. Thanks for sharing it with us and for the chance to win a copy Linda. Thanks iamabho (@) gmail (dot) com

Melanie Backus said...

Sounds like a winner! Thank you for the opportunity.

mauback55 at gmail dot com

Becky Michael said...

A captivating story with a strong sense of history. Well done, Linda!

Shirley said...

Thank you both for taking the time to do this interview and for the giveaway. This sounds like an amazing story. I too have family that settled in Louisiana after to Civil War. I look forward to reading this books.
Linda, thank you for introducing me to a new author.
Shirley
straitfromthehive(at)gmail(dot)com

Anonymous said...

this sounds like an amazing read..thanks

Kreaka said...

Looks like a lovely book! Beautiful cover, too. Thanks for the opportunity.

Sandra said...

That sounds like a good story and great idea about the State Flowers thanks for the chance
sandrarodriquez@yahoo.com

Linda said...

Thank you Linda for inviting me to be on your blog. My grandson selected the winning number of 10 from the comment pool. Becky Michael will receive the pdf of Magnolia Morning.

Becky Michael said...

Thank you!!!

Linda Weaver Clarke said...

Congratulations to Becky Michael! I know you'll enjoy this book. I know I did.