Interview with Mystery & Sweet Romance Author Linda Weaver Clarke

THE BALI MYSTERY: Amelia Moore Detective Series 

“Linda Weaver Clarke paints a beautiful portrait of the island of Bali. In fact, she made me wish I were there. I’ve read her books before and she has a wonderful way of drawing the reader right into her stories. Amelia and Rick were very realistic to me. I thought Rick’s Bucket List gave readers a great insight into his character. Throughout the book you couldn’t help pulling for these two to realize they were more than co-workers. The mystery and romance flowed beautifully through each page.” –Socrates Book Reviews

George Clarke: Welcome to Linda Weaver Clarke’s blog! This is Linda’s husband and I’m interviewing her today. We've been married 41 wonderful years. We met at college and now have six daughters and 5 super grandkids. Linda usually interviews authors, but today I’m interviewing her. Now the shoe is on the other foot!

Linda: So does the shoe fit, Sweetheart?

George: Not as good as it fits you, I guess. So Linda, you have written both sweet romances and adventure/mysteries. I have read all your books and your mysteries are my favorite. Why did you change genres?

Linda Weaver Clarke: Because of the challenge! I wanted to see if I could do it and in the process fell in love with this genre.

George: How does writing a romance differ from writing a mystery?

Linda: The writing process has 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 fall in love. You, as the reader, know what the outcome will be. 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, depending on the plot of the story.

George: What is a cozy mystery?

Linda: Cozy mysteries are in a genre of their own and are usually a series of stories. It should be a G-rated story with no swearing or sex. It has many twists and turns and must have likeable characters. A cozy mystery focuses on the plot and characters, and the main character is usually an intelligent woman.

George: You have a new cozy mystery series named “Amelia Moore Detective Series.” This cozy mystery is different from the usual mysteries. Instead of solving a crime, in each story Amelia and Rick will find a missing person. Will you tell us about The Bali Mystery?

Linda: Amelia Moore, the founder of the Moore Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. Her cases have taken her to some very interesting places and put her in some dangerous situations, but she always solves the case. With the help of Rick Bonito, her business is flourishing.

When Mrs. Brody hires Amelia and Rick to find her missing brother, they find themselves in Bali, Indonesia. They are mystified why her brother quit his job, put his home up for sale, and ran off to this mysterious and exotic island without telling a soul.

To read an excerpt, go to http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/bali.html

George: How much research goes into writing a book like this?

Bali means “The island of the gods.” My research about Bali Island was so much fun. The Hindu temples are unique and the gardens surrounding them are absolutely beautiful. The ocean is a turquoise blue and dolphins can be seen in the water around the island. The island is known as one of the most romantic spots and affordable places to visit.

I learned what a religious people the Balinese are. They pray with their families daily and visit their temples weekly, giving thanks to God. Another interesting fact is that Indonesian law requires that everyone hold an identity card. Included on the card is the person’s faith or religion. Indonesia does recognize Christianity but does not recognize atheism. By the way, blasphemy is illegal in Bali and in any of the Indonesian islands. I read that you can be arrested for profanity.

I also had to do research on self-defense techniques so Rick could teach Amelia how to defend herself if the need should arise.

George: What is your next cozy mystery about?

Book two has already been written and it’s with my editor right now. It’s called The Shamrock Case. When Amelia is hired to search for her client’s grandparents, the case takes them to Ireland. Kate must learn about her heritage. Who are her grandparents and could they still be alive after all these years? Why did her parents leave Ireland suddenly and move to America? Is there more to this case than meets the eye?

George: Where can you find The Bali Mystery?

Linda: At Amazon and Barnes and Noble. E-books are also available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

George: Thank you for this interview, Linda. I have read The Bali Mystery and found it very enjoyable and can’t wait for the next one.