Getting to know Linore Rose Burkard

Linore Rose Burkard's debut Regency romance has been republished by Harvest House and is available now. Seeing a gap in the Christian market for Regency novels, Linore combined her love of the period with her desire to write and Before the Season Ends was born.

It is great to have Linore at Relz Reviewz for this honest and engaging interview.

Thanks Linore:~

If you could have chosen your own name , what would it be?

That answer could change depending on my mood! I've never been attached to a single name really strongly. But I've grown happy with having a fairly unique name.

Your first pet's name?

Needles. He was this little black mutt that could jump over our fence which we children found endlessly funny and fascinating.

Your best friend's name in primary (elementary) school?

Juni. She was Chinese and lived one block away. Oh, my gosh, the fun we had! We still email each other on occasion.

Did you have a special toy that went everywhere with you when you were young? Please describe.

No, I never did. I had a tall doll named Denise that came to bed with me, and I was very attached to her, and whispered my secrets to her, though.

If you could meet a famous person, who would it be?

Amy Grant. Her music has been with me since shortly after I became a Christian in 1979-80.

If you were stranded on a desert island what one object would you want with you? (Besides your Bible of course)

My inclination is to say a boat--but then I guess I wouldn't be stranded, huh? I hate being thirsty, so this is a scenario that makes my skin crawl. I'd have to say, a HUGE supply of bottled water! (And pen and paper! Must have pen and paper!)

What's your favourite ice cream flavour?

Cookie Dough.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An interior decorator.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I'd tour England bottom to top, and then most of Europe.

Besides God, who has influenced you the most?

My husband, Michael. He's a theology buff and we spent the first year of our marriage discussing and debating issues in near-nightly talks. He really influenced me in which books I read at that time, and how I eventually ironed out my beliefs.

What's your favourite book?

Other than the Bible? Oh, dear! I have too many favorites to list! I'll mention some authors I love, instead. Austen, Dickens, Heyer, the Brontes, Pearl S. Buck and Rumer Godden, to name a few. The James Herriot books are wonderful.

What part of your daily routine do you enjoy most?

The first cup of coffee in the morning--just the thought of it can get me out of bed when nothing else works. I have this little trick I play, in which I allow myself to enjoy that coffee as though I have nothing else to do.

What's your favourite movie?

I rarely have one favorite anything. I love the Phantom of the Opera with Gerard Butler, and of course Pride and Prejudice, particularly the Garson/Olivier and Ehle/Firth versions. Period (costume) dramas make up a large portion of my favorites.

Where's the most interesting place you have been?

Art museums or--the library. As a former introvert, I never needed a great deal of outside stimulus to find life exciting or challenging. My vivid imagination was far too capable of infusing most any situation with dire or “interesting” overtones!

What's your most fervent prayer?

That my children will live their whole lives in obedience to the plan and glory of God.

What's the bravest thing you've ever done?

Not everyone will understand this, but there were days in my life as a teen or young adult when just leaving my house, and getting on a public bus, and going where I had to go, was intensely brave. God has brought me light-years away from all that angst and anxiety.

What gift have you received that you will always treasure?

I've had a few very “supernatural” experiences of God. His being beside me, his speaking to me, even one dream in which he appeared and spoke to me--oh, my gosh, when I woke up I could have cried. I did not want to leave him. God has given me absolutely no room to doubt His involvement in my life, and that is priceless.

What is your favourite Bible verse (or "one" of your favourites) and what does it mean to you?

Jeremiah 29:11. “A future and a hope.” God's plans for me. Knowing that God HAD plans for me was very liberating. For a time (during my teens and then during a post-partum depression) I was quite consumed with the idea of dying--soon. The Lord used this verse, (as well as speaking to me) to assure me that I had a future and a hope!

What was your most embarrassing moment in High School?

During one particularly bad day of low self-esteem, I suddenly decided I could NOT appear in school in what I was wearing. I went quickly with a friend to a nearby department store (this was in NY, so stores weren't far from the school) and I bought a different outfit. When I changed into it in the ladies' restroom, I was met at the door by a bunch of security guards and men in suits--MEN! They thought I was trying to shoplift the clothing. I was horrified, mortified, embarrassed, the whole gamut. Needless to say, I never used those restrooms again!

How did your husband propose to you?

We talked about marriage on and off for a few months until I finally agreed without changing my mind or calling it off. (I loved him, but I had baggage!) When he gave me my engagement ring, he dutifully fell to one knee, however, and repeated the question, though it was already a given that we were engaged.

What was the best advice you received on marriage before you were married?

The Lord actually used a book called, “Maximum Marriage” to deliver me from much of my fears. If I hadn't read that book, I would have been too afraid to take the plunge. It's written from a man's point of view about how his desire to truly love his wife could shape a marriage. God spoke right to my heart while I was reading it.

Before the Season Ends

Why a Regency Romance?

Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen books gave me a love for the period, and there weren't any Christian regencies to be found. I wanted to change that.

Where did you find your inspiration for Ariana and Phillip?

I'm not sure. I think they're both amalgamations of people I've read about and known.

England in the 1800s is a world away from the 21^st century. What do you think we could learn today from how society operated in the Regency period?

Times have changed, but people haven't. I think I can best answer that question by saying what benefits I hope readers will get from my books set in the period. My readers will feel as though they've been transported to the Regency for a good, satisfying visit; that they'll find hope that God is involved in THEIR lives; and that happy endings are possible for everyone.

Any Regency romance is going to be compared to Jane Austen's novels ~ how are your books similar/different?

Other people say my book is “Austen-like.” That is a huge compliment, and one I would like to live up to.

The sequel, The House in Grosvenor Square, is releasing in 2009. Do you have more Regency novels planned?

My editor and I are tossing around ideas right now. I do have a few more regencies in mind.

What are you working on at the moment? A sneak peek, please.

I'm exploring whether to do a third book in the Regency Series, which at present is comprised of Before the Season Ends, and The House in Grosvenor Square. Book three would begin about five years later (about 1818) and follow the lives of a number of people who were introduced in the first two books. I would also probably introduce one new couple.

Thanks Linore ~ it has been delightful and your genuineness is appreciated! Now, I must go and finish your book!

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