November 2025 Member Spotlight
Member Spotlight: Linda Saether
Linda Saether, author of “What We Can’t Forget: Beyond the Blood Road” and “The Angel of the Penny Rose, “describes her journey as a writer. Linda was the first-place winner of the 2025 GCWA Writers Contest, fiction category, with her story, “Twenty Minutes Until Showtime.”
- When and where did your journey as an author begin?
Growing up in Norway, I was reluctantly influenced by “Janteloven,” an unwritten cultural rule that discourages standing out and speaking up, which I found stifling as a child who had traveled far more extensively than my peers.
Luckily, I discovered that writing was something my teachers actually approved of, although they were often surprised that when my papers were read aloud, they would start conversations that could spill beyond the classroom, even if I had only described an elevator ride in a
skyscraper.
Ironically, I eventually conformed and didn’t dare pursue writing as a career until much later in life. But those early experiences showed me that writing was where I could be myself and let my creativity soar.
- What has been your proudest moment as a writer?
My proudest moment was becoming the first layperson ever granted access to King Henry VIII’s love letters to Anne Boleyn from the Vatican archives after months of negotiations. I was able to examine these 500-year-old royal love letters in the Pope’s private reading room and write an article about their condition and preservation.
- What has been your toughest challenge as a writer?
Reaching readers is definitely a challenge. When my first two books were published by a hybrid publisher, I didn’t quite grasp that when they said that selling books was a “grass roots effort,” they practically meant for me to get out the plow. I’m definitely looking forward to working with a traditional publishing team that has marketing skills and a distribution plan for my next books.
- What is coming up next for you – what are you (or will you be) working on next?
I’m exploring a different genre with two new female-driven crime novels set in the South. Both feature complex women navigating dark secrets in atmospheric Southern settings, marking a departure from my previous World War II fiction and historical adventure/romance work. I’m also laying groundwork for a documentary project exploring Elvis Presley’s enduring cultural legacy and what the future holds for the King’s influence on American culture.
- What’s your best piece of writing advice?
Every genre has something to teach you. My historical fiction taught me research discipline, romance showed me how to build emotional stakes, and now crime fiction is teaching me about pacing and misdirection. Writing is as much a skill as an art–you can learn, improve, and master the craft through practice and persistence. Believe in yourself and never give up, because every story you write makes you a better storyteller.
