Please introduce yourself and your book(s)!
I’m Linda Bartee Doyne aka The Immortal Alcoholic’s Wife
http://www.lindabarteedoyne.com/
I’ve written five books concerning alcoholism and two that are not alcohol-related:
The Immortal Alcoholic’s Wife – My journey from childhood through being an alcoholic’s wife
The Immortal Life of Riley – Sequel to The Immortal Alcoholic’s Wife. Focus is more on my alcoholic husband, his life and his addiction to alcohol.
Workbook for Caretakers of End-Stage Alcoholics – Explanations of the biological disease created by alcoholism. Forms and worksheets to track the disease and aid in communicating with the medical community
Surviving the Chaos – How to survive and thrive in life in the chaos of alcoholism.
Postings – A compilation of postings from Immortal Alcoholic blog.
https://immortalalcoholic.blogspot.com/
That Reminds Me – Short stories centered around growing up in the central California agricultural region during the 1950s-60s.
HUH? The ABC’s of Understanding Women – A simple fun booklet that every woman wants her man to read.
All my books are available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Linda+Bartee+Doyne&ref=nb_sb_noss
What is/are the real-life story(ies) behind your book(s)?
My husband’s drinking became a concern near the end of his Navy career. I separated from him shortly after he retired. 15+/- years later, he was very ill from the alcoholism and needed care. I took him back into my home to give him a soft place to die. I was told he had less than a few weeks to live. But he didn’t die. For the next ten years I was his sole caregiver.
What inspires/inspired your creativity?
I’m inspired by other people’s journeys as well as my own life. Everyone has a story to tell even if they don’t think they do. All of us has something that is uniquely ours.
How do you deal with creative block?
I use a free writing technique which means I just write anything that pops into my head. Sometimes I will write about the neighbor’s yard or the weather. Once I start in one direction, my mind will take me off into a different direction which opens my imagination.
How do bad reviews and negative feedback affect you and
how do you deal with them?
I accept that not everyone likes me. That’s OK because other people DO like me. I believe the world would be an awfully boring if we all agreed on everything.
What were the best, worst and most surprising things you
encountered during the entire process of completing your book(s)?
BEST – Having people enjoy reading what I write
WORST – Recounting the painful times in my life, such as, my son’s death.
SURPRISING – Sometimes I read back what I have written after a significant amount of time and I am surprised that I actually wrote some of the things that I have written. It’s like… OMG… I really wrote that??
Do you tend towards personal satisfaction or aim to serve
your readers? Do you balance the two and how?
I write for both personal satisfaction AND to serve my readers. I find it satisfying when my readers tell me that my books have helped them through difficult times. My books on topics other than alcoholism are written purely to satisfy my need to write. The ABC’s of Understanding Women was written in response to a challenge from a male friend.
What role do emotions play in creativity?
For me, emotions play a huge part in my creativity. I must be able to “feel” the words that go into my books. If I can’t do that, the book simply becomes an instruction manual.
What are your plans for future books?
The future will bring more volumes of Postings from the Immortal Alcoholic blog. I’m in the process of writing When the Fat Lady Sings which will detail my life after the passing of my alcoholic husband. It isn’t what I thought it would be. There will also be some fun stuff coming up… a romance novel very loosely based on a couple’s real story. Also, in the works are more “ABC’s” books on things that make on difference in the world on any level.
Tell us some quirky facts about yourself
I have a second writing persona as Outrageous Suzy Q who has no filters. Suzy Q doesn’t care about being politically correct or who she offends. She only writes blog posts on my website, but a book may be popping up at some time.
http://www.lindabarteedoyne.com/o-suzy-q.php
I don’t care for “chick flicks.” I don’t like tear-jerkers such as Steel Magnolia’s or Titanic. I will watch them once but only once. I prefer action, mystery and crime dramas.