Linda Berry is the author of nine mystery novels. Several have been Amazon #1 bestsellers, or ranked in the top ten, for psychological thrillers, female sleuths, and murder mysteries.
Linda writes fast-paced, suspenseful murder mysteries — most notably the Sidney Becker Mysteries. Her talent lies in seamlessly blending reality with fiction. She is a master at descriptive writing and evoking emotional responses from her readers. Extensive research and her law enforcement consultants ensure that her stories ring with authenticity.
Before she was a full-time author, Linda enjoyed a twenty-five-year career as an award-winning copywriter and graphic designer. In Los Angeles, she provided design services for several magazines and movie studios. Later, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, and Hewlett Packard and Fujitsu were among her many clients. Linda was also an award-winning Art Director for South Bay Accent magazine for six years.
Linda currently lives in Virginia with her husband and adorable toy poodle. A passionate animal and nature lover, and avid gardener, Linda provides habitat for an assortment of bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies in her colorful pollinator garden.
LB: Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to get acquainted. I enjoy getting to know my readers. Please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you!
To answer commonly asked questions, I’ve taken portions of three interviews I’ve given to other writers: Peter Kusta, Carmen Amato, and Hemmie Martin. In Peter’s interview, there is probably way more about me than you possibly wanted to know, so skip down to Carmen and Hemmie. Their focus is on “book” stuff. Namely, my novels Pretty Corpse and Hidden.
Interview by Peter De Kusta in his The Heroine’s Journey series.
Peter Kusta: What sparked your interest in writing?
LB: I’ve always been an avid reader. I was raised in a military family and we moved around the globe a lot. While living in Europe, we had no TV, so books became a ready source of entertainment. Reading sparked my interest in storytelling, and at a young age I started writing fairy tales accompanied by drawings of princesses with long flowing gowns. That interest developed over time. I ended up majoring in art, and enjoyed a twenty-five year career as a copywriter / art director.
What inspires you to write?
Everything. It’s more a compulsion than a necessity. I live and breathe writing. I’m always observing and listening to what unfolds around me, taking notes, seeing what might be useful to my writing projects.
What do you love most about your work?
I love the creative process itself—the challenge of developing and constructing plots that include mystery, romance, and suspense, told in beautiful prose. My greatest reward comes when my readers talk about my characters like they’re real people. Then I know I did my job well.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Simple pleasures. I find this planet miraculous, from subatomic matter to the galaxies in space. I enjoy the beauty of ecosystems, how so many forms of life—plants, birds, mammals, reptiles, insects—the smallest creature to the largest, are integrated and dependent on each other. My idea of perfect happiness is living on a healthy planet where people live together in peace, and are trusted guardians of nature.
What is your greatest fear?
Being impoverished, homeless, or mentally or physically impaired and dependent on others. I experienced a terrible threat to my health a number of years ago. I had a bout of debilitating pain for about 8 months. I was chronically depressed, dependent on pain pills. I’m now completely recovered, and feel I’ve been given a second chance at life. The experience sharpened my awareness of how fragile life is. It heightened my appreciation for the quality of life I have now, for every precious moment I’m healthy and independent.
What is the trait that you don’t like in yourself?
Lack of patience. Sometimes I get caught up in the everyday demands of life, and the illusion that I don’t have enough time. I remind myself to live in the moment, feel gratitude, listen to people. Giving someone a few minutes of attention can make a huge difference in a person’s life. Kindness goes a long way.
Which living persons in your profession do you most admire?
I read everything, and admire countless writers, from journalists to screen writers to poets to authors. I especially love mysteries, and I read an average of two books a week. If the writing is solid, and the story engaging, I’ll read it.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Disconnecting from the world. Getting out in nature with my husband and our dog in our motorhome. I love being on a lazy schedule, and the only decision I have to make is when to eat and where to hike. I can write in uninterrupted peace for hours at a time, surrounded by nature, sometimes listening to the gentle patter of rain, watching water drip off leaves. I love going to national parks, off season. One year, we went to Bryce and Zion and Arches and the Grand Canyon. Then we went to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Last year we went to Virginia and Washington, D.C.
On what occasion would you lie?
I don’t tell big, extravagant lies, but I do tell baby lies. For example: “you look marvelous” when in actuality, you look hung over and there’s a wine stain on your shirt. I’m frank about giving truthful opinions, albeit diplomatically. I refrain from giving advice, which can often sound like criticism. You can’t change people. People are going to live their lives exactly the way they want to. People are shaped by their own experiences, and life is the best teacher.
If you could, what would you change about yourself?
I would take twenty years of physical wear and tear off my body. But I wouldn’t change anything else. If I had to lose twenty years of life experience to be in a younger body, I would say no. I’m more at peace with myself at this stage than I have ever been.
Where would you most like to live?
I prefer rural areas that are relatively close to art galleries, good restaurants, culture.
What is your most marked characteristic?
My friendliness. I’m an optimist at heart, and I’ve been blessed with a jolly spirit. I’m also empathetic, and care deeply about others.
What is your most inspirational location in your town?
I like to get out on the wilderness trails with friends and dogs. We have a beautiful river, alpine meadows, sagebrush flats, waterfalls, and stunning views of the Cascade Range.
Who are your heroes and heroines in real life?
To name a few, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, all the suffragettes, Rosie Parks, and all the men and women in uniform who protect the freedoms of our great country.
What is your writing process?
I start a book by researching and outlining the main narrative, the characters, and the geography, until the story comes to life in my imagination. I draft one scene at a time, rewarding myself as I go along. The layering in of beautiful details is the fun part. By the time I get a few chapters completed, I come to understand the characters well, at which point they often take over the reins and guide the story for me, and write their own dialogue.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers reading this?
Learn how to steel yourself for criticism and rejection. Try not to turn it into something personal. What will please an agent or editor is subjective. Write about something you love, and then your passion will come out in your words. Write often, everyday, if possible. Read, read, read. Mostly your own genre. I read one or two books a week, and I also watch movies and TV productions that tell good stories. I take notes. I have volumes of notes, and refer to them daily.
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Carmen Amato, crime and mystery writer: Linda, thanks so much for stopping by. As you know, I write a police series and am always interested in the genre. I was excited to read your new police procedural PRETTY CORPSE. It was excellent! Tell us how you came to write such an authentic yet imaginative novel.
Linda Berry: Thank you so much for reading PRETTY CORPSE, Carmen. I’m thrilled that you enjoyed it.
To write authentically, I do extensive research. That doesn’t mean I let my fingers do the walking. For PRETTY CORPSE, I did dozens of ride-alongs with various female patrol officers in San Francisco. I chose the night shift when the city was rife with criminal activity, and I got to see these courageous women in action. Several of my characters were inspired by the female cops I came to know. Many of the side stories in PRETTY CORPSE are based on actual events relayed to me by police officers.
I lived in the bay area at the time, and happened to meet Officer Nancy Guillory. She had just won the medal of valor, the highest decoration for bravery exhibited by an officer. I asked if I could interview her for a police thriller I was developing. She enthusiastically consented, and that began our journey—real life feeding fiction.
CA: How do you create multi-dimensional fictional characters, including your lead character Lauren Starkley? Her life is very complicated, with a powerful backstory. Yet she’s a character we can all identify with.
LB: As a life long artist, I’ve learned to be a keen observer. I watch people—their nuances, expressions, body language. I spent a lot of time observing female officers, and I interviewed them extensively. I saw beyond the uniform, to women who LOVED their jobs, and had completely different personas in their personal lives, where they took on the roles of wives and mothers.
Creating multi-dimensional characters comes with years of writing experience. I was a copywriter/art director for 25 years. I now use words as my medium to paint a scene, to give breath to characters. I read great books, of every genre, and I study technique. I take what I learn and put it to practice.
CA: You chose San Francisco as your setting and described it so well throughout the book that I could feel the drizzle soaking into my shoes! Why is that city a good setting for a mystery? How do you use setting to create and build suspense?
LB: The story is set in San Francisco because that’s where I did my ride-alongs. I knew the city well, after living in the Bay area most of my life. It is a very atmospheric city—with the ocean, rolling hills, the mist, rain, and fog, the city smells and activity, and the rich diversity of architecture and people. Wonderful elements for an author to draw from.
Mystery Writer, Hemmie Martin: Some of our readers might not know much about your novel, Hidden. Can you tell us a bit about it?
The story takes place in 2006 and follows a young Marine veteran, physically and emotionally wounded, returning home to his Oregon horse ranch from combat in Afghanistan. While recovering, he attempts to make peace with his abusive father, and pull the family horse ranch out of near economic collapse. Layered into Sully’s story are horse theft, murder, and the seeming futility of pursuing the love of an older woman.
The story is interwoven with that of another young man, Justin, his hardscrabble life, and his attempt to rise above poverty by climbing the ranks of bull riding. There are several strong women in the book, who are instrumental in promoting character shifts in the men, and inevitably, in themselves.
What inspired you to use a war veteran as your main character in Hidden?
I like strong heroes. My protagonist, Sully, uses his military survival skills to combat murdering horse thieves that prey on his rural community. Also, I wanted to spotlight the struggle vets face here on the home front. The story takes place in 2006.
HM: What inspired you to take on this subject matter?
After 9/11, I witnessed our rush to invade Iraq and Afghanistan without a cohesive plan, long-term goal, or proper protection for our troops. My heart went out to the brave men and women in uniform who were being subjected to a new kind of warfare—suicide bombers and IEDs—that could take off limbs in the blink of an eye. When vets came home, there were no resources to help them adjust. Twenty veterans commit suicide everyday. It’s immoral to treat our surviving heroes that way.
HM: There’s also the theme of rodeo in your story. How did that fit in?
I wanted to pay tribute to what I see as a disappearing culture—that of the cowboy, and small ranches that are being swallowed up by suburbs. Our American heritage grew out of these tough-minded families who settled the west. I wanted to put in a time capsule the culture of folks who are their own bosses, live off the land, are raised on horseback, and are routinely taught to compete in rodeo as a coming of age. The courage and skill it takes to ride a bucking bronc or bull is extraordinary, and these athletes have fewer safeguards and economic rewards than athletes on other pro sports.
HM: It’s fair to say that most of your characters are deeply wounded, and searching for purpose in life.
Yes, that’s true. They all have grave emotional issues to overcome. They are the walking wounded, their pain invisible, hidden beneath their carefully arranged expressions: thus the title, Hidden.
Why did you choose Oregon as your setting?
I’m an Oregon transplant. I wanted to write what I know, what I’ve fallen in love with, and that’s the diverse, rugged beauty of this state, and the interesting mix of people that populate it.