Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I have written one novel — so far. Time opened up for writing when I went into what I thought was semi-retirement a few years ago. But with two part-time jobs and working on another novel, retirement has been postponed.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My novel is Red Dot. I didn’t actually have a burning inspiration for the book. Basically I wanted to write a novel and I thought it would be interesting to portray space aliens as other than murderous monsters.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Occasionally I will get an idea while I’m jogging or just daydreaming for a bit of dialogue or a scene that I like. When I get to the point in the story for that dialogue or scene, I’ll make stuff up to go with it. With Red Dot I had bits ready for different parts of the novel, including the middle and the end, but I didn’t plan out the whole book. I must say that having two good editors to work on the draft was a huge help.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I am definitely old school. In the last couple years I read, or re-read, novels by Dickens and Dostoevksy. I really like the short stories of Chekhov . The last two books I read certainly provided a look at different writing styles: The Aneid by Virgil and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.
What are you working on now?
Now I’m working on a sequel to Red Dot, looking at life after the massive social and political upheavals caused by the first alien visit.
Author Websites and Profiles
Eugene Linn Website