DT: Who is Linda Wattley?
LW:  First of all, I am a woman who delights herself in God. I was born in Akron, Ohio. I graduated from Akron South High School and joined the U.S. Army where I married my husband, Robert Wattley Jr. Together we have two sons, Robert III and Marcus. Widowed early in my marriage, I made sure I was there for my sons through their growing years. Now that they are adults, I am allowing God to direct my life. Unbeknownst to me, I ended up being one of His authors to deliver an earthshaking message that transforms life.

DT: What do you like doing in your spare time?
LW: In my spare time, I enjoy listening to instrumental music and meditating on the wonderment of the universe. One of my physical enjoyments is actually attending CURVES three times a week and I also enjoy long walks. When I have time to spare, I enjoy spending it with my family-- especially my new and only granddaughter, Jae’lyn.

Daddy's Girl by Linda Wattley

DT:  How long have you been writing? And, who or what motivates you?
LW: Before I began writing books, I was a religious/philosophical columnist for a newspaper in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Frost Illustrated Newspaper allowed me to cover church events and share my thoughts and views on religious and controversial topics. After over twelve years of writing, I knew eventually a day would come that I would have to write books because my columns were getting longer in content.

When I embarked upon becoming an author, it was a surprise to me as well. One day after reading a book by Dr. Phil, Self Matters, I began to feel internally fragmented. Thoughts and emotions were not connecting to keep me in touch with my daily life. Then, one night while working my second job on third shift, it happened. Daddy’s Girl was born. At the time it was [titled] Molested Angel. In less than six weeks the story was written. Immediately following this book, the sequel came forth and it was completed in less than a month. It finally dawned on me I was going to be an author. I found the more I wrote, the more I knew God wanted me to do something for Him. Reluctant at first due to the topic being molestation, I finally accepted the call.

What motivates me to write is the certainty that God wants me to do it and I know my writing is a healing tool for the broken hearted and those who seek spiritual renewal.

DT: Who are the authors you enjoy reading?
LW: I find Leslie Banks to be awesome. I really enjoy her writing style because it has such a spiritual base to it that even those who are not seeking it ends up touched by it. I'm also fascinated by the way Banks brings light out of darkness.

M. Briggs is another author I hold in high reverence because she writes with her soul. I feel there is no secret place in her heart she will not visit, revealing the attitude and heart of a woman.

Finding something new in my life to experience, I picked up a book by Barry McLeod, Heart Inside My Rib. I am fascinated with this experience because it is written by a black man with a heart for humanity. What impresses me the most about reading his work is how he can use a poetic style of writing to explore the hearts of both the male and female soul.

DT: Did the self-publishing route hold pitfalls for you? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?
LW:  My first encounter with self-publishing was when I did my first edition of Daddy’s Girl which was Molested Angel at the time. This POD (print on demand) company did a beautiful job on my cover and typesetting. They [also] offered me their editing services. At the time, I didn't understand how it worked so I went along with everything. I was just so glad and thankful that a publishing company wanted Molested Angel. By the time I found all the typographic and grammar errors, my deadline was about up and I didn't have the additional funds needed to make corrections. Either I took a complete loss, or have a beautifully covered book with errors. I took the book with its errors and hoped I could live with it. At the time, I thought the fact it was on the Internet, that many books would automatically be sold. I quickly learned this was far from the truth. The POD publisher did one press release and gave me a media kit and that was the end of it. [What I didn't know is] self-publishing companies do not care what is inside of the covers of books that have their name and logo on them.

The next encounter with self-publishing took place when I thought I was rescued from my POD experience by taking a contract with a small press. At the time, I thought I was with a traditional publishing company that was small and growing. The difference in this company and the POD was this company did not come out and say it was a vanity press or self-publishing company. Once I reassessed the situation after taking a loss, I realized I had paid for the exact same services from the small press as I had with the POD.

[Since] my experience with self-publishing companies has been such a great disappointment, a partner and I decided God’s work was going to be handled properly and the only way to ensure that is to do it ourselves. Together we came up with Angel Press Publishing, a publishing company fueled by God. Even after great disappointment, I used my experiences as a milestone, instead of a stumbling block.

Keep in mind, I had no idea I would be an author or what the literary world was about. All I knew was God gave me an awesome assignment to write these novels and the Spirit told me the books would get where they had to go. Little did I know that authors must not only follow the Spirit, but have some business sense about this market as well. Tough lesson learned but much needed for the journey ahead.

DT:  Who is your target audience?
LW:  The novel is targeted towards professionals, nonprofessionals and victims of sexual abuse and all other forms of abuse. Daddy’s Girl is an eye-opener for those assisting in the healing process of abuse. It is also one of the most in depth sources of reality, recapturing soulful experiences to the point where loved ones can understand without a doubt.

When I wrote Daddy’s Girl, teenagers and young women touched my heart because I see their lack of self value. So, I am reaching out to them in sincerity, knowing they are much more than asleep in the hay.

DT:  What's next for Linda Wattley? Any upcoming signings? Discussions? Writing Projects?
LW:  I am hoping my trilogy will be published and available for the readers because of the healing process each book takes the reader through. Deeper Than Love and This Thing Called Love are making their way for my next big project: Mixed Signal Syndrome, the tool for re-establishing the foundation of our souls after painful experiences over the years of our lives.

I'll be appearing on the Artist First Radio Show with Tony at http://www.artistfirst.com on March 6 at 7:00 PM and again on March 22 at 8:00 PM. I'll also be attending the 3rd Annual Indianapolis Book Fest, June 16-17, 2006. Upcoming events will be posted on my web site at http://www.lindawattley.com and http://www.lindawattley26.com.

DT:  We appreciate this candid interview and wish you well!