Author Guest Post: Linda Shenton Matchett -- Ivy's Inheritance

I want to introduce you to the awesome Linda Matchett!

Linda Shenton Matchett writes happily-ever-after historical Christian fiction about second chances and women who overcome life’s challenges to be better versions of themselves.

She is a volunteer docent and archivist for the Wright Museum of WWII and a former trustee for her local public library. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Linda was born a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry (of Star-Spangled Banner fame) and has lived in historical places all her life. She now makes her home in central New Hampshire where her favorite activities include exploring

the outdoors and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

Now for her post!

My Life as a Writer 

There are lots of clever memes on the internet depicting the life of a writer as alternately glamorous and a grind. Truth be told, it’s somewhere in the middle.

I’ve been writing stories ever since my parents gifted me with a notepad and package of pencils when I was around seven or eight. We moved a lot, and writing helped me process life and its many changes. I even wrote a story under a pseudonym, Miranda Gray. At one point, I published a family newspaper for which I was reporter, weather girl, and editor. Only a few issues of this Pulitzer Prize winning publication exist!

I continued to write until high school when preparations for college gave me little extra time. During my career I wrote technical documents: job descriptions, policies, and employee newsletters. Then in 2002, we decided to leave our corporate lives for a simpler existence, and we moved to New Hampshire to purchase and run a bed and breakfast. After we arrived, I fell into some freelance writing opportunities with travel and lifestyle magazines, but after several years I realized my true love was fiction, so I sat down to write the “Great American Novel.”

Rejected by dozens of acquisitions editors, I became discouraged until I received a two-page letter from an editor who took the time to tell me what was great and not-so-great about my novel. She indicated I showed promised and encouraged me to learn more about the craft through reading articles and attending writers’ conferences. Slow forward, because there’s little fast about learning to write, at least for me, and seven years later, I was part of a group that indie published a series of novellas. Mine was based on the biblical book of Ruth that I set during World War II.

The following year I received two contracts from traditional publishers. One published my WWII mystery, and the other included two of my stories in two different anthologies. I was on my way…until I wasn’t. Additional contracts weren’t forthcoming, and I wondered what would come next. I had several completed manuscripts. I continued to submit manuscriptions without success.

Three years later, I was offered a spot in the Westward Home and Hearts Mail Order Bride series, a series of books written by multiple authors (known as a multi-author project or MAP.) I was honored to be selected and jumped at the chance to be included. I was asked to join other MAPs which I happily accepted. Through the process, I discovered that I loved the world of independent publishing where I have control of my books, my art. I work with editors to polish the story and collaborate with cover designers to convey my story idea.

Since then, I continue to contribute to MAPs as well as write my own standalone books and series – all independently. I have an editor who ensures my writing shines and a cover designer who is among the best in the industry. I work a full-time job, so my writing life is very scheduled. Monday through Friday, I’m at my desk by 5:30 AM and write until 7:00 when I get ready for work. I outline my stories which means most of that time is spent writing, not figuring out what to write. Saturdays and Sunday mornings before church are for social media, writing blogs (my own and guest posts), marketing, research, and story outlining. Sometimes during my lunch break or in the evenings I’ll work on some aspect of my writing career, but I try to keep those times for me and my family. I typically invest 20-25 hours a week to my writing career, and as a result, I currently have forty published books with more in the works through 2027. I can’t imagine not writing.

Here's about her book!

Ivy Cregg’s father is a gambler, but this time he’s gone too far. He loses his mining fortune and her along with it in a high-stakes poker game. Unwilling to go along with the deal, she hides out with a friend who tells her about Ms. Crenshaw, owner of the Westward Home & Hearts Mail-Order Bride Agency who is in town. The prospective groom is a wealthy man which seems like an answer to prayer until Ivy discovers he made his fortune in mining. Is he as untrustworthy as her father?

Make sure to follow Becky on Social Media:

Website: http://www.LindaShentonMatchett.com

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