Linda McIntyre grew up in Quesnel, attended school, sought post-secondary education and worked in the television news industry as a producer, director and editor for 25 years. All the while she had a secret passion that she relegated to a hobby, stuffing her creative efforts in a drawer as she carried on with her busy life.
Linda is a writer, always has been, and has now published her first full-length novel The Exile – Lies of Lesser Gods Book One. She will be signing and selling copies at the Dec. 14 Farmers’ Christmas Market and looks forward to connecting with old friends, meeting new ones and introducing her first publication in her new career.
The genre is fantasy fiction, one you might not expect a first-time published author to take on but Linda says it’s probably her favourite because it’s every genre – it can be everything.
“I’m a control geek and I can create the whole world,” she said.
“And the nice part is it doesn’t have to reflect our world in any way. This fantasy world has broad appeal. It has so many elements.”
She said it has romance, murder mystery, adventure and so many other elements.
As with any novel, Linda says the cover is very important and Exile depicts a man in the woods in the dark with his wolf companion,
a full moon and lots
of blue tones.
He’s very mysterious and the book’s story plays on the fact that everyone fears what they don’t know and don’t trust, she added.
Thrust into the middle of a war between the last of humanity and the tyrant who rules them, Gralyre struggles to survive a world that is foreign to him, where even his name is forbidden and to carry a sword bears a death sentence.
These words are part of the trailer at Linda’s website lgamcintyre.com, teasing potential readers to buy the book and discover Gralyre and the world he lives in.
Linda admitted she’s been writing novels since she was a teenager but never took any out of the closet.
“Most writers have a writer’s drawer with work that’s never seen the light of day,” she said with a laugh.
“Those works may need a little polish but eventually you recognize that it’s not a hobby but something you are driven to do.”
With her background in media and training as an editor, Linda has no problem editing her own work.
“I can rip out scenes and delete characters. I’m not afraid to rip my pages down to bare minimum to create the best, fast-moving, intensely vivid writing.”
She knows a good
story keeps the reader coming back and propels you through the scary bits.
Linda is a self-published author and admitted having been a producer in the TV industry, she wasn’t prepared to give up control.
“I also enjoy the marketing aspect as I love talking to people interested in my book. And the royalties remain with me, the author. You put so much into your
art and you want to
make sure you get as much out of what you produce as possible. Self-publishing was a good fit for me.”
She added after talking to people in the industry, she heard lots of horror stories and self-publishing helped her to avoid all that.
As she began creating her novel, Linda was reluctant to expose her work to friends and colleagues but eventually started leaking chapters out to friends.
Well, they loved it and they would give her ultimatums about subsequent chapters, eager to read more.
Her finished novel has been receiving excellent reviews from those who’ve read it and online postings including the website goodreads.com which gave Exile a five-star rating.
However, she was strong in her belief that only the author can truly know when a novel is ready to be released and then they have the confidence and everything they need to stand behind their creation through the process.
The Exile – Lies of Lesser Gods Book One is the first in a four-book series and Linda says the characters will continue to grow and evolve while maintaining mystery and intrigue.
Drop by the Farmers’ Christmas Market, Dec. 14 or visit her online lgamcintyre.com.
