Now it’s time to learn more about the authors we read. . .
What drew you to the genre you write?
I love putting the puzzle pieces together in a mystery whether I’m reading it or writing it.
What’s the quirkiest quirk on of your characters has?
Liza Johnson in the Liza and Mrs. Wilkens mysteries has a ghost twin sister Charlie who harasses her, advises her and helps her. Is she real or imagined?
Tell us how you got into writing
I grew up in a writing family. My dad was a small-town newspaper editor and my mom wrote a column for the paper. Writing was revered. I started my first novel when I was about ten. I’d just read a book narrated by a doll and decided to write one narrated by a puppy. It started out, “I take pen in paw (with difficulty) to write my memoirs.” Sadly, the book is lost to time.
What jobs have you held before, during or after writing?
My work career was in nursing. I spent many years working on improving care at the end of life including hospice nursing. I believe my experience has added depth to my writing.
How many books do you have published?
I have three non-fiction books on end-of-life care and eight mysteries including the Cabin by the Lake mysteries, the Liza and Mrs. Wilkens mysteries and the Sheriff Red mysteries.
Where do you write?
I have a small desk in the guest bedroom filled with post-it notes, scribblings and maps of my fictional settings.
What is your ideal time to write?
I’m best in the morning. I never write after six in the evening. The times I’ve tried, I’ve had to spend the next day deleting!
What is your favorite deadline snack?
In truth, I’m not much of snacker.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’ll read just about anything. However, I always find my way back to mysteries.
What is something people would be surprised to know about you?
I once rode a bicycle from the west bank of the Mississippi River in Minnesota to Boston Harbor carrying a sleeping bag, tent, change of clothes and a water bottle. No fancy gear and I ran out of money halfway there.
What is your favorite beverage to end the day?
A glass of pinot grigio.
Who is an author you admire?
Currently William Kent Krueger especially his non-series books like “Ordinary Grace.” He’s one of the nicest people I have ever met. As a teenager I was addicted to John D. MacDonald and his Travis McGee series.
Have you advice for aspiring or beginning writers?
Write what you love, not what you think will sell. (And don’t quit your day job.)
What are you reading now?
I just finished the mystery “Deep Beneath Us” by Catriona McPherson. Twisty and fascinating. I also highly recommend “Memorial Days” non-fiction by Geraldine Brooks particularly for anyone who has suffered a loss.
What is next for you?
The second in the Sheriff Red series, “The Pines Were Watching” is now out. The third in the series, “What the Fields Saw” will be published in March of 2026.
Where can we find you?
On Facebook, my website at www.lindanorlander.com, or you can sign up for my newsletter HERE.
Now to have some fun…
Breakfast, lunch or dinner
Dinner is my big meal
Fruits or vegetables
Vegetables always. I admit I love beets!
Sweet or salty snacks
Potato chips forever
Cooking or baking
How about microwaving?
Dining in or out
My age is showing. I like dining in.
City life or country life
While I live in the city, I’m still a small-town girl and love the idea of the quiet of the country
Beach or mountain
Mountain. Hiking through the forest in the Pacific Northwest is a joy.
Winter spring summer or fall
Fall brings incredible color, nostalgia and a promise of a new year
Extrovert or introvert
I almost fall off the scale in the introvert category
Early bird or night owl
Despite efforts to sleep in, I am usually up and going by seven.
Favorite movie
“All that Jazz”
Three must haves on a deserted island
A box of books, a water purifier kit and a solar powered microwave oven (in case I catch a fish.)
My bio:
Linda Norlander is the author of the Sheriff Red Mysteries beginning with And the Lake Will Take Them. Additionally, she has two other mystery series—A Cabin by the Lake Mysteries and Liza and Mrs. Wilkens Mysteries. All are set in Minnesota. Norlander has published award winning short stories, op-ed pieces and short humor. Her most recent short story was featured in the Malice Domestic anthology Mystery Most Devious. Before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked in end-of-life care and hospice. Norlander resides in Seattle.