This interview gives the reader a glimpse of what Linda was thinking when she wrote Touched.
iUniverse author Linda Armstrong-Miller
by Denise Fleischer
Linda Armstrong-Miller was born in Queens, New York on April 22, 1963. At a very early age, her family moved to Thomson, GA. There she attended high school, graduated and moved on to Mercer University in Macon, GA. She graduated with a degree in Human Services, which is a combination of social work and psychology. After graduation, Linda accepted various jobs before pursuing a nursing degree at Augusta College, now known as Augusta State University. Linda currently works at a hospital in Augusta, GA. She and her husband, Michael, have been happily married for nearly eight years. Their family includes two dogs, named Pepper and Sadie and a cat named Oscar.
Linda recently discussed her first book with me during an interview. Touched is available through all online and local bookstores as well as Writers Club Press, an imprint of iUniverse.com, Inc. For more information, log on to iUniverse Bookstore
Denise : When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
Linda : I've always liked writing. When I was in junior high, I enjoyed the writing assignments my teacher gave the class.
Denise : What were your first efforts?
Linda : I think it was a play about the Underground Railroad. The class was divided into groups of four. The teacher gave us about a week to work on the play. After that, she took the best parts of all of the plays that had been written. The class was then divided again. We were instructed to put those pieces together to form one play. My group's play was chosen. It was then that I discovered I loved writing.
In high school, I took English comp class that turned me against writing for awhile. That's because I was given a C+ on a short story. The teacher wrote on the top of my paper that she didn't like the way it ended. That's when I put my pen and paper away. However, I love to read. Six years ago I decided to give writing another try when I kept buying books that I could figure out "who done it" by about page 30.
Denise : Why did you write Touched ?
Linda : I started writing Touched out of anger. My husband and I were traveling through a town in which two men had finally been convicted of raping and torturing a young woman. The circumstances relating to what she endured before she died made me furious. I told myself I was through writing. Prior to this incident, I'd already written two books and was in the process of waiting for my agent to find a publisher for them. When I read that story I wanted to write.My problem is that I can only write when I'm angry. Being angry is not only harmful, but also counter productive. So, I had to step back and decide what I wanted to say and change the way I had to say it.
Denise : Tell us who the characters are and what challenges they must confront.
Linda : The main character in Touched is Matthew Allen. What Matthew has to do is stop running from his past, learn to deal with it, then he can move on to his future. Another important character is Grandma Morris. She intentionally stands in Matthew's way until he comes to terms with his past.
Denise : What is the message you share with your readers?
Linda : Be careful who you turn your back on. The very person you decide is not worthy of your time may be the same person that throws you a life jacket when you're about to go down for the third time.
Denise : Is this fiction or non-fiction?
Linda : Yes and no. The characters are fictional. The book has a SF feeling, but the issues are real.
Denise : Why did you choose iUniverse.com?
Linda : After six years of trying to get published the conventional way, I decided I had nothing to lose. My agent has the second book that I wrote with him. He's been trying to get it published for almost two years now.
Denise : Did you send it to traditional markets?
Linda : No, I have one book out there now and I'm in the process of revising my first book. My husband and I agreed to just send this one to iuniverse and see what happens and here I am.
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