Meet Best Seller Linda O.Johnston

Meet Linda O Johnston, author of more than 40 books in diverse genres including mystery, paranormal romance, romantic suspense and more. I am proud to say I was recently in a critique group with Linda. She just shared a chapter of her latest Barkery and Biscuits mystery and I can’t wait for the next section.

Linda, can we have a brief bio?

Photo by Dan Irvin Photography

Hi, everyone. 

            I'm Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer.  I currently write two mystery series for Midnight Ink: the Superstition Mysteries, where my protagonist runs a pet boutique, and the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, where the protagonist, a veterinary technician, also owns a barkery and a bakery. I've also written the Pet Rescue MysterySeries, a spinoff from my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime.  See a pattern here?  I'm a dogaholic!

I've also written the mystery series for Midnight Ink involving dogs, My latest releases are   CANADIAN WOLF for Nocturne and the second Superstition Mystery, KNOCK ON WOOD, are my fortieth and forty-first published novels.

I also currently write for Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries about shapeshifters for Harlequin Nocturne.  

I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you they wanted to publish your book.

      I'd already had some short stories published and had won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for best first mystery short story of the year.  I'd been trying for a while to get a novel published, though.

      At the time, I was an in-house attorney for Union Oil Company of California.  I was in my office one day when my phone rang--my business line, since this was before cell phones.  The editor at Dorchester Publishing to whom I'd sent my manuscript for my time travel romance A GLIMPSE OF FOREVER was on the line, and she told me they wanted to publish it.  I was thrilled!  After our call ended, I went around the office telling all my closest business associates about it.

How many books do you write in a year?

     These days I tend to write about three books a year: one each for my two mystery series, the Superstition Mysteries and the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries, and at least one Harlequin romance.

What is your favorite pastime, other than writing?

      Obeying the commands of my Cavalier King Charles Spaniels Lexie and Mystie.  Also, anything else to do with dogs, although I unfortunately haven't had the time recently to volunteer at a rescue shelter as I used to.

How do you motivate yourself when inspiration takes a vacation?

      What does that mean?  My inspiration never takes a vacation!

Got a recipe you want to share?

      Frankly, I'm not much of a cook, but I do share recipes for dog and people treats in my Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries.

Any advice for new writers just starting out?

            Keep on writing!  And join writers' organizations, especially in the genre(s) you write in, to network and learn more about writing and publishing.

I know you have more than one book coming out soon. Could you tell us about them?

      My next book will be TO CATCH A TREAT, the second Barkery & Biscuits Mystery, to be published in May.  By the way, the first one is a finalist in the fiction category of the Dog Writers Association of America Maxwell Awards!

      After that, in August, comes COVERT ALLIANCE, a Harlequin Romantic Suspense novel.

      And then, in October, my third Superstition Mystery, UNLUCKY CHARMS, will be published.

What’s your current WIP?

      I'm currently working on the third Barkery & Biscuits Mystery.  The title hasn't been confirmed yet. 

And finally, where can we find you?

      My website is: www.lindaojohnston.com

      Please friend me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LindaOJohnston

      I also blog every Wednesday at Killer Hobbies: http://killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

      and on the 18th of each month at Killer Characters: http://www.killercharacters.com/

      and on the first Monday of each month at InkSpot: http://midnightwriters.blogspot.com/

      and on the 6th of each month at A Slice of Orange: http://occsliceoforange.blogspot.com/
You are one busy lady! Thank you so much for being here Linda. 

Linda had graciously offered a giveaway of  a print copy of her latest Superstition Mystery KNOCK ON WOOD

Rory Chasen, now the manager of the Lucky Dog Boutique in Destiny, California, is delighted when her best friend Gemma arrives a day early for her visit. Gemma’s just broken up with her boyfriend in Los Angeles, so Rory is especially eager to cheer her up. But before they get a chance to talk, two of the town’s most eligible bachelors sidle in. Their amorous advances—and an unexpected job offer—seem to take Gemma’s mind off her ex . . . until he arrives in Destiny.

As Gemma tries to sort out what to do, one of her suitors is murdered, leaving Rory to wonder if a black cat has crossed Gemma’s path. Is Rory’s friend guilty of murder—or is she just having a run of bad luck?

Enter below. Happy reading.

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