Author Interview (and Giveaway!): Linda K. Rodante & Roar

I’m delighted to have author Linda K Rodante on the blog today to chat about her new novel, Roar!

Linda K. Rodante is a lover of sweet tea and lives in Tennessee—a Florida transplant, who loves the seasonal changes in her new state. Her work with crisis pregnancy centers and anti-trafficking groups has given her a heart for hurting women, as well as respect for the role God has given men. She’s a member of ACFW and Word Weavers International. Her books wrap sweet romance in real-life issues then adds an edge of mystery and suspense. She desires to entertain with a good story while encouraging others in their walk with God.

You can connect with Linda on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

ROAR by Linda K Rodante
SERIES: Spiritual Warfare #2
GENRE: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
RELEASE DATE: November 29, 2019
PAGES: 272

For a year now, New Life Church has reached out to the gangs of the north side neighborhood. Faithful member, Becca Stapleton, lives to magnify the Lord through dance, but when she becomes involved in a gangland murder, her life becomes anything but the dance she imagined.

Wes Lloyd helped her pull the body from the waves. Classically tall, dark and handsome, Wes should have swept her off her feet, but is his innocent bystander persona real or an act? And how will she know?

Luis Ramirez, the gang leader accused of murder, has hardened himself to the role he’s playing. Drugs, gang wars, and robbery are his life. But Becca and the man they call Reece have something he doesn’t have—peace. He’s not sure he wants it, but he can’t seem to get free of them or their caring. Not only are the police after him, but a larger gang is advocating for war, so he might have nothing to lose by investigating this Jesus. If, that is, he lives long enough

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Hi Linda! Welcome to the blog!

Linda: I am a tea drinker from way back. Being from the South (as in Florida), I’ve been drinking iced tea all my life. I switch to hot tea (like Black English Tea) when it’s cold. I just never got into coffee. I like the smell but not the taste too much.

Carrie: If only coffee tasted as good as it smelled…. lol

Linda: I love praise and worship music when it’s quiet in the house or when I’m writing. I’m not a TV or audiobook fan because I like the silence of reading a book to myself and immersing myself in it. My husband, on the other hand, likes TV, audiobooks and all things that make noise. 🙂  We have an interesting relationship.

Carrie: haha sounds like my husband and myself

Linda: I love both but find myself reading more ebooks as I can download them at any time and start reading—or take them with me on a plane or roadtrip much easier than taking five or six books because I really don’t know what I’ll read next. 🙂

Carrie: Yes! I agree!

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Linda: Telling people what to do. Haha! My husband would agree with that. And it’s not so much that anyone has to do things my way, I just want them to do things that won’t hurt them. So, I’m always jumping in with advice when it’s not usually needed. Mom syndrome. 🙂

Carrie: haha!

Q: If you knew you were only going to be allowed FIVE books for the rest of your life, besides the Bible, which five would make the cut?

Linda: Okay, besides the Bible which I definitely would have, I’d pick one or two of Mary Stewart’s romantic suspense books from the sixties (My Brother Michael and Madam, Will You Talk?). I just love her writing. She inspired me to write. I’d also pick Dee Henderson’s True Devotion and maybe The Guardian. I loved True Devotion. Just enough romance, suspense, and education about the way SEAL teams really act and deploy. I’d probably pick one of Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels, too. Let me see that would make five, but there are sooo many more!

Carrie: I know – it’s such a cruel question LOL. Love your answers though 🙂

Q: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

Linda: Personally, when I flew to my nephew’s funeral just recently. The army decided they were not flying his body home on the date they had first given his wife. She had to change the viewing date, the funeral date and so much more. The family from out of town had to change flights and reorder places to stay and some had to change their days off work. I thought I had cancelled my first flight and booked another, but when I went to pre-check in, I found I had no flight! The prices had more than doubled by that time. I panicked for a few minutes, then I prayed, got on the phone and just booked the best flight I could. God gave me peace and a decent priced flight even though it was more. 

Carrie: oh goodness – what a tough situation made even tougher. I’m so sorry! Thankful that God provided for you ♥

Q: Which character in this series was the most difficult to write?

Linda: Luis Ramirez from Warrior and ROAR was difficult. Trying to get inside a gang member’s head, trying to find out his motivation, seeing him as God would see him. I did a lot of research and study on gangs—there is much more violence and legalism than I portrayed, but I wanted to keep the balance of a Christian book (the Bible has a lot of violence and immortality in it but not portrayed graphically as we all know) and give Luis redeeming qualities so that we could look upon the heart as God does.

Carrie: I bet that would be difficult!

Q: What do you most want readers to take away from Roar?

Linda: I really hope that God touches each reader in a way that lifts them up, and gives hope and joy in their hearts. I want them to put the book down feeling good inside, smiling on the outside.

Carrie: I love that!

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Linda: I will be writing the third (and last) book in the Spiritual Warfare series. God has touched me during the writing of this series. I’ve had to reach deeper in myself with the characterizations and how these characters relate to each other and to God.

Linda K Rodante is offering one of my readers a copy of Warrior AND Roar (winner’s choice of print or ebook; print is US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

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What about you? What interests you most about Roar and/or Linda K Rodante?