Meet Linda Hanna!

 

I’ve known Linda for quite a few years, thanks to the miracles of technology like Facebook and Twitter. She’s a dear lady and I always enjoy her posts, and comments on my posts, so I thought you'd enjoy getting to know her a little better, too!

So Linda, how old were you when you first realized you loved books and reading?  

I was about 4 years old – but it was just picture reading at that point since I couldn’t read real words. 

Do you recall the titles of some of your earliest favorites?

It was a Flash Gordon book about people running through a jungle trying to get away from flying spears and dangling tree snakes. Dad bought it to keep me quiet in the library while he studied. It traumatized this 4 year-old little girl who loved tea parties and baby dolls! The Poky Little Puppy would’ve been a much better choice. However, it didn’t ruin my love of books. Later on I devoured Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and many other mysteries. 

Some of my favorites, too! (Except for the spears and dangling tree snakes! Ewww!) Do you have a favorite genre?  

I enjoy clean inspirational romance and cozy mysteries.  

Something else we have in common! How do you make time to read, with so many other demands on your time?

Sometimes it’s difficult. It takes me a long time to read a book due to injuries from an accident. 

We’re sorry to hear about that, dear Linda, and we’ll pray your injuries will heal 100%! So, do you have a 'Favorites’ bookshelf? How many shelves are filled with books?

Yes, I do have a favorites shelf. Actually, about 16 shelves are filled with my favorite books.

How do you choose a book: Cover? Title?Author’s name?

Author’s name and the first few paragraphs.

And do you read the back jacket of a book before buying it?

Yes, but I still read the first few paragraphs of the story before deciding. 

Do you prefer print books to e-books? Why?

Print books because I really like to hold an honest-to-goodness book.

Yet another thing we have in common! So Linda, do you enjoy interacting with your favorite authors online? Which social networking site is your favorite (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Other)? 

I do enjoy interacting with my favorite authors. Facebook is the only social networking site I’m on now. Twitter made me nervous for some reason. It just wasn’t my ‘thing.’ 

Yeah, a lot of people feel that way…me, included. Took a while, but once I got the hang of it, I liked it quite a lot! But I digress…. (Surprise! LOL) How many book signings have you attended? 

Maybe a dozen – not that many authors visit our little town. I’ve gone out of town, and would do it again, but only for one of my all-time favorite writers. 

What did you like best about it? 

Meeting and chatting with the author during a slow time was pretty cool. 

What did you like least?

One time I checked out the book of a little known author and realized it wasn’t something I wanted to read after all, but we were the only visitors to her signing. Since she was practically drooling and watching our every move, I felt obligated to purchase it. That was a wasted $20. 

Ugh. A horrible situation to be in, I’m sure! Something more palatable (literally! LOL): Do you eat and/or drink while you read? If so, what’s your go-to snack?

I usually drink iced tea while reading. 

Same here! And do you have a favorite hobby?

I enjoy crocheting. I also like to cook and bake, which is the hobby my family enjoys most.

Oh, I’ve always envied people with the talent and patience to crochet and knit! My mom, aunt, and grandmother made so many beautiful things that way! Speaking of family, can you share a little something about where you live, your work and family? (We’ll press you for a recipe in just a minute… <wink> )

We moved around a lot when I was little, so I’ve called several states “home.” Our last move was to Indiana in 1966.

Bill and I have been married since 1973. We settled our family of three daughters in this little town back in 1989. I’m perfectly happy being rooted right here. We’ve been blessed with six grandchildren – 3 girls and 3 boys, ranging in age from 18 to almost 2.

I was a secretary for several years until we moved to our current location. At that time, a friend (Debbie) and I became the district directors of a senior adult ministry for the northern third of Indiana. We enjoyed every creative minute of it. An accident in 2001 caused my unscheduled retirement, so Debbie (Deborah Dulworth) and I decided to write a cozy mystery we had simmering on the back burner for many years.

 

 

Can you tell us a little something about it?

 

Sure, I’m happy to! This is the back jacket copy:

 

REFLECTIONS OF A STRANGER:
 
Cora and her husband, PGA golf pro Steady Eddie Timms, live in a safe gated community, so when Cora witnesses a murder, she’s shocked and frightened. But without a body, murder weapon, or evidence of a crime, Cora’s sanity is called into question—especially when it comes to light that Cora’s not been dealing well with the stress and grief of losing a daughter, and her memory of late hasn’t been all it should be.

Determined to prove her sanity, Cora bursts into a flurry of danger and unanswered questions as she sets out to find evidence of foul play. With the help of a bumbling security guard, a loyal best friend, and a neighbor's yappy dog, pieces finally fall into place. By all appearance, the mystery is solved...until Cora is kidnapped and implicated in a case of hidden identity and an old embezzlement scheme.

It will take more than the national attention garnered from Steady Eddie’s status to clear Cora’s name, rescue her from the kidnappers, and help find her way back to the peace and sanity found only in God’s loving arms. 

http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Stranger-Linda-Hanna-ebook/dp/B0091XFU5W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1435167244&sr=8-2&keywords=Linda+Hanna

Sounds so exciting, Linda, and I can’t wait to order my copy!

 

So about that recipe… Is there something in one of your cookbooks that has become a family favorite? 

This is a recipe my grandma made back in the 1930s when my mom was a girl. When I was growing up, we had a lot of company, and this was ALWAYS on Mom’s menu: 

Pineapple Cream Salad

 

 

1 large box orange flavored Jell-O

2- 20 oz. cans crushed pineapple with juice, not syrup

1 c. sugar

1– 8 oz. block cream cheese

1 pint whipping cream

Whip cream and set in refrigerator.

Add undrained pineapple, sugar, and Jell-O to sauce pan. Boil about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool – but not gel

Add cream cheese, breaking it into small pieces, then set in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled.

Carefully fold in whipped cream and put into a 9” x 13” dish.

Refrigerate to set up for at least 3 hours before serving.

*Lime or Lemon Jell-O can be substituted for the orange

**recipe may be cut in half

 

Omigarsh! That sounds divine! I’m definitely testing this one out on my bunch! 

Thanks so much, Linda, for taking time from your schedule to visit with us for a while! It’s been a genuine pleasure, learning a little bit more about The Lovely Lady Online, and it’s no surprise to me that you’re even nicer than you seem on Facebook! Don’t you agree, friends! <grin> 

Stay tuned, my friends, because I’ll share another interview with another LL&F member, real soon! <GRIN> AND REMEMBER...EVERYONE WHO COMMENTS ON LINDA'S INTERVIEW IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED IN A RANDOM DRAWING FOR A SWELL PRIZE!