Author Interview About Mystery/Adventure Series

ADVENTURE...SUSPENSE...ROMANCE...INTRIGUE...HUMOR!

Today is a special day. I usually interview authors and have a book giveaway every Monday. But today I’m being interviewed by someone special in celebration of the Book Release of my 3rd book in this mystery series.

George (my hubby): Will you please tell us about your new book, Montezuma Intrigue?

This novel is about the search for Montezuma's treasure, family secrets, and a good-looking rogue! How many of us love a good rogue in a story? Haha. When a leather parchment of Montezuma’s map is found in great-grandfather Evans’ old chest, April and the twins know this summer is going to be a memorable one. The girls want to search for it but their father is against it for some mysterious reason. With Julia’s help, she and the girls convince John to go on a treasure hunt. Is Montezuma’s treasure a legend or reality? Whatever the case, John insists on keeping their little treasure hunt a secret. If certain people find out about it, the family could be in danger.


George: What made you decide to write about a married couple as the main characters in this mystery series?

Linda: When I was young, one of my favorite television shows was Hart to Hart, which featured a married couple investigating and solving crimes. The couple was madly in love. You laughed at the humor and sighed at the romance. I wanted to create something similar with a little suspense and adventure. In this series Julia is a reporter for a daily newspaper and John is a professional knife maker. Just like Hart to Hart, because of her curiosity, Julia gets herself into a bunch of trouble. Before long, she finds herself and her husband up to their necks in danger and running for their lives. There is one difference that I include. John and Julia Evans have three teenage daughters. I feel this makes the couple have more appeal to a larger audience.

George: Your new mystery series concerns the ancient American past and artifact theft. Why did you choose this subject?

Linda: I have always been interested in the ancient American Indians and their way of life. We have the Anasazis, the Mayans, and the Aztecs. The first book in this mystery series is called Anasazi Intrigue. I wondered who the Anasazi Indians were because their heritage is right here in my valley in southern Utah. Many people wonder why they disappeared, leaving behind their belongings. Indian art engraved in rock gives us an idea who the Anasazi were, their beliefs and lifestyle.

In Mayan Intrigue, we learn about the Mayan culture, and their magnificent temples and buildings in southern Mexico. Archaeologists don’t understand why they abandoned these huge cities. There are 172 sites open to the public but more than 6500 structures have not yet been uncovered. As I learned about the culture of this people, I was amazed. They knew the constellations and had an observatory. The people were very intelligent. Their sophisticated knowledge of mathematics and astronomy is just amazing. Their calendar was so perfect that they didn’t have to have a leap year like we do.

The search for Montezuma's treasure is one of the themes for Montezuma Intrigue. The question is, does it really exist? When Cortez arrived in America in the early 1500s, Montezuma thought he was the Great White God Quetzalcoatl, who had promised to return one day. It didn’t take long for Montezuma to realize he had made a mistake. After a great battle, the Spanish conquistadors were driven back, but Montezuma was killed. While the Spaniards were taking care of their wounded, the Aztecs quickly bundled up their treasure and took off with it. They had to protect it with their lives because it was sacred. For years, they kept the treasure in honor of their god when he returned. It was estimated at around $10,000,000 worth of gold and jewels.

George: What is it like to switch from historical romance to mystery?

Linda: The writing process between romance and mystery is quite a change with a completely different mind set. With romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you write, you develop some sort of charisma between the characters, making the reader feel excited that one day they're going to hit it off and fall in love. You, as the reader, know the outcome.

But with a mystery, the reader is in the dark. The author has to come up with a plot that no one knows about until towards the end of the story and hope they haven’t figured it out. In a mystery, you may or may not allow your reader to know who the bad guys are, according to whether it’s just a mystery or mystery suspense. In a mystery, the reader doesn’t know who the bad guys are until the end of the book. With mystery suspense, the reader knows who they are and it makes for a more suspenseful outcome.

George: Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

Linda: What? Now that’s not fair. That’s what I ask all the authors I interview. You can’t do that!

George: Oh yes, I can! Tell your readers about the time I took you shooting with me and we sat an empty can in a pile of shaving cream and you kept shooting at it. I couldn’t figure out why you couldn’t hit that blasted thing with your little 22. Haha.

Linda: Now wait a minute! Just because it wouldn’t fall on the ground didn’t mean a thing. Something was definitely wrong and it wasn’t my aim. I shot that can six times. How do I know? Because it had six holes in it.

George: That was so funny! It was stuck to the shaving cream and kept twirling around in circles instead of falling on the ground. I laughed so hard. Okay, below are 3 short reviews of each book

  

Anasazi Intrigue

The Adventures of John and Julia Evans

Socrates Book Review: Anasazi Intrigue received the Socrates Great Book Alert Award: “The first pages grab you right in. When Julia and John fight for their lives, readers will be on the edge of their seats for this one. There’s also romance in the mix. John and Julia’s marriage is strong and they are quite supportive of each other. Even when they have their ups and downs, it’s not for long and they get right back into each other’s arms. It’s nice to see a relationship portrayed this way. Very realistic and believable. In fact, all the characters are portrayed realistically including their three daughters.”

Synopsis: Stolen artifacts, a devastating flood, a snoopy newspaper reporter, and mysterious events begin to unfold in this mystery adventure novel. When a devastating flood takes out several homes in a small town, Julia realizes the story and investigation are much bigger than she thought! Julia and her husband find themselves on the run trying to save their lives while finishing the story of a lifetime. She never realized that being a reporter could be so dangerous.

Mayan Intrigue

The Adventures of John and Julia Evans

Suko’s Notebook Review wrote: “Excitement prevails…this book is full of mystery and suspense… Linda's writing is lively and down-to-earth; she has the ability to make you feel as if you're in these stories, along with John and Julia, trying to decipher the truth and escape from harm.”

Synopsis: The jungles of the Yucatan, Mayan ruins, looters, a mysterious artifact, and a nosy reporter are focus of Mayan Intrigue. The discovery of a priceless artifact soon puts Julia’s life in great danger. From valuable artifacts to shady businessmen, the Yucatan Peninsula becomes a dangerous vacation spot for John and Julia Evans. Before they realize what is going on, they are both in danger and find themselves running for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan.

Montezuma Intrigue

The Adventures of John and Julia Evans

Suko’s Notebook wrote, “In the latest book by Linda Weaver Clarke, Montezuma Intrigue, the mysteries continue as this author entrances us with life-like characters and electrifying adventures. The search for Montezuma's treasure is both exciting and memorable. I enjoyed the adventure and suspense in her latest novel, which kept me reading well into the night!”