Nov
Today I’m excited to have author Linda Covella on the
Sunday’s Author Spotlight. Linda Covella is the author of two children books, one Paranormal Ghost story and a Historical novel for Young Adults.
About ‘Yakimali’s Gift’:
It’s 1775 in Mexico, New Spain, and 15-year-old FernandaMarquina, half Pima Indian and half
But when a tragic accident presents her with the adventure she longed for, it’s
at a greater cost than she could have ever imagined. With her family, Fernanda
joins Juan Bautista de Anza’s historic colonization expedition to California.
On the arduous four-month journey, Fernanda makes friends with Feliciana, the
young widow Fernanda can entrust with her deepest thoughts; Gloria, who becomes
the sister Fernanda always wished for; and Gloria’s handsome brother Miguel,
gentle one moment, angry the next and, like Fernanda, a mestizo–half Indian and
half Spanish. As Fernanda penetrates Miguel’s layers of hidden feelings, she’s
torn between him and Nicolas, who has joined the journey in the ranks of Anza’s
soldiers and whose plans include marrying Fernanda when they reach California.
But propelling Fernanda along the journey is her search for Mama’s Pima Indian
past, a past Mama refused to talk about, a past with secrets that Fernanda is
determined to learn. The truths she discovers will change the way she sees her
ancestry, her family, and herself.
Spanish, can’t seem to live up to her
mother’s expectations or fit into the limited female roles of her culture.
While she tends her garden, matches wits with buyers and sellers at the weekly
market, and avoids Mama’s lectures and the demands of Nicolas, the handsome
soldier pursuing her, Fernanda grabs any opportunity to ride the horses she
loves, racing across the desert, dreaming of adventure in faraway lands.
About ‘The Castle Blues Quake’:
Twelve-year-old Pepper Connelly leaves her best friend,Chrissie, behind when her family moves from New York City to Santa Cruz, CA.
Pepper discovers a boy, Corey, hiding in her backyard shed.
Unknown to Pepper,
Corey is a ghost trying to contact his grandfather, Boppie, before he crosses
over. He tells Pepper he must locate Boppie before Social Services finds him.
Pepper agrees to help. While Pepper’s communication with Chrissie dwindles, her
friendship with Corey grows. She tells Corey about her passion for writing
songs, and throughout the story, she composes a song about Corey. Corey teaches
Pepper to play the harmonica. Soon, she’s torn between finding Boppie and
knowing when she does, Corey will certainly go back on the road with his
traveling-musician grandfather. Other characters help her on her quest: new
classmate Ally Cressman, who dresses in an odd-ball, non-mall style; Sawtooth
Sam, the mysterious saw-playing street musician; and Madame Mchumba, who
performs her psychic readings at the Boardwalk amusement park. Earthquakes,
haunted house rides, poltergeists, and crystal ball readings propel Pepper
toward the end of her search as she learns about the give and take, the
heartache and joy, of true friendship.
Interview with Linda Covella:
far with associate degrees in art, business and mechanical drafting &
design, a BS degree in Manufacturing Management, but I never strayed from my
writing. On the side, I always did some freelance writing on numerous subjects.
Then when I published articles for children’s magazines, I realized I’d found
my niche: writing for kids and teens. With that, I became more serious about my
fiction writing, joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
(SCBWI) and started writing novels. It was a long road of perseverance and
learning (and rejections!), but I now have two novels published, another coming
soon, and another about to be submitted to my publisher for their review.
write your own book?
think of it as a profession until later in life. After many career paths, I
started pursuing my writing more seriously. That was about fifteen years ago.
your own experiences?
Know.” But I do incorporate some of myself and my experiences into my
characters and plots.
meet, places I visit, things I read. For example, I was inspired to write ‘Yakimali’s
Gift’ after I read about the Anza colonization expedition from Mexico to
California in 1775, something I had never heard of or been taught in school,
even though I grew up in California. I was further inspired to tell the story
from the women’s perspective when I learned more than half the colonists were
women and children.
to the idea of writing those stories?
Literary Classics. And ‘Yakimali’s Gift’ is a finalist for the RONE (Reward of
Novel Excellence) award in the Young Adult, General Category.
question), my other book is a middle grade paranormal story called ‘The Castle
Blues Quake’, which takes place in Santa Cruz, CA, where I live. It’s the first
book in The Ghost Whisperer Series. Book Two, ‘The Ghosts of Pebble Brook Lodge’,
will be out soon.
Pepper’s new friend, Corey, is a ghost, but she doesn’t know it. After leaving
her best friend behind in New York City, Pepper and her family move to Santa
Cruz, CA, where she discovers Corey hiding out in their backyard shed. He’s
waiting to make contact with his grandfather, Boppie, before he crosses over.
He tells Pepper he needs to find Boppie before Social Services sends him to a
foster home. Pepper agrees to help.
haunted house rides, poltergeist activity, and crystal ball readings propel her
toward the shocking end of her search, and an understanding of what it means to
be a true friend.
like Holly Black and all of Mary Hahn Downing’s books, which are all ghost
stories. I read a lot of Edgar Allan Poe when I was young. I also love time
travel stories. So those are part of the inspiration for The Ghost Whisperer
series. I’ve also lived through several earthquakes in California, so that
experience figured into Book One.
Is this how it is with you? And how did your characters come to life?
it means they delve so deeply into the character that they can visualize them,
hear what their voices sound like and their speech characteristics, see their
mannerisms. At least that’s how it is with me. For me, the characters aren’t
immediately fully realized. As I don’t spend a lot of time outlining, I “learn”
more about my characters as I write, adding more details with each draft, until
finally they become very real to me.
and taught me to love all the arts from an early age. She taught me to paint
and draw, and I started out in college as an art major. I love being creative
through art (which I still dabble in), cooking, gardening, and now most
importantly, writing.
sort of ritual you follow?
and complicated part of the writing process is the beginning.
novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your
headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
first drafts are the most difficult part of writing. But once I get past that,
I absolutely love revising—searching for that perfect word or phrase,
developing the characters, refining the plot. I could keep revising a story
(almost) forever!
through the first draft. I know many authors do detailed outlines before they
start writing. That’s not me. I have an idea for a story, I know the general
plot and the main characters, and I start writing. Along the way, things happen
that I never planned on. Characters appear that I previously had never
imagined. I love that part of writing. Maybe it takes longer and maybe it
requires more revision later, but that’s the joy I find in writing.
book(s)?
librarian, and taught me to love books. I must always have a book to read! I
read all different genres for adults, teens, and kids. I can never just choose
one book, but some of my favorites, in no particular order, are:
Mark Haddon
Pebble Brook Lodge’, will be out soon. I’m just finishing another middle-grade
novel called ‘Cryptogram Chaos’ and will submit it to my publisher for review.
In ‘Cryptogram Chaos’, 14-year-old computer whiz Cody Reynolds helps two
classmates create the ultimate virtual reality game. But fun and excitement
turn to fear and suspense as Cody battles an evil presence that takes control
of the game.
need time to research that!
excited to finally have made it to “published author.” I want to tell any
aspiring writers out there to Never Give Up. Though this might be a cliché and
something you’ve heard many times before, I really mean it. I’ve gone through
the tears and depression of all those rejections. But I kept at it. I never
gave up. I believe it’s very important to treat your writing as a craft. Take
classes. Read books on writing. Join a critique group. Study the industry.
keep improving, and you’ll find your dream will come true!
About the Author:
(associate degrees in art, business and mechanical drafting & design, a BS
degree in Manufacturing Management) have led her down many paths and enriched
her life experiences. But one thing she never strayed from is her love of
writing.
A writer for over 30 years, her first publication was a restaurant review
column, and as a freelance writer, she continued to publish numerous articles
in a variety of publications. But when she published articles for children’s
magazines, she realized she’d found her niche: writing for children. She wants
to share with kids and teens her love of books: the worlds they open, the things
they teach, the feelings they express.
The Castle Blues Quake, a middle-grade paranormal ghost story, and Yakimali’s
Gift, a historical novel for young adults, are her first novels.
She’s a long-time member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
(SCBWI).
No matter what new paths she may travel down, she sees her writing as a
lifelong joy and commitment.
For more information about Linda Covella please visit her
website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Pinterest and YouTube.
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Maureen is a mom, wife, nurse, and Ravenclaw living in the Netherlands. She spends her days juggling mom-life, reading, blogging, planning date nights with her husband and working as a nurse. Maureen also is a big Anglophile, loves cooking, Gilmore Girls, Bridgerton and Harry Potter.. Always! Facebook | Instagram
Thanks so much for spotlighting me and my work, Maureen!
You're very welcome 😉