The research was probably the most challenging, because I’m apt to disappear down a rabbit hole of information whenever I’m on the internet searching for facts. Even though The Rogue Scorpion is fiction, I wanted to make sure my details held up. 

Lynda Faye Schmidt – 28 May 2023

The Back Flap

The Rogue Scorpion is the story of Isabella Ricci, an artist with an adventurous spirit and a deep desire to uncover her purpose. Her resilience is challenged after a traumatic event in Thailand. Later, she finds out her father is unwell and returns home to Winnipeg, but it isn’t long before her searching takes her to Vancouver Island. There, a dysfunctional relationship stifles her dreams and Isabella takes flight once again.

In Panama, Isabella learns to trust her intuition. Her life begins to shift, from a constant series of battles, into flow. She discovers the spiritual depth she yearns for and finds love where she never expected it.

About the book

What is the book about?

The Rogue Scorpion is the story of Isabella Ricci, an artist with an adventurous spirit and a deep desire to uncover her authentic purpose. As Isabella searches, the reader is invited into her inner world. The chapter sketches bring depth and meaning to Isabella’s inward journey as an artist who processes emotions through her drawings. A character-driven novel, The Rogue Scorpion is about hope, and the resilience of the human spirit.

When did you start writing the book?

The inspiration for The Rogue Scorpion first came to me just after the launch of my first novel, The Healing, in April 2021.

How long did it take you to write it?

After starting in April 2021, it took me until June 2022 to finish my first draft. At that point, I sent the manuscript to my publisher, Anne O’Connell of OC Publishing. The editing process took several months, and it wasn’t until January, 2023, that the final proofread from editor David Edelstein was complete. The total gestational period, from conception to birth was just under two years.

Where did you get the idea from?

I was in our vacation home in Panama, when I discovered a live scorpion in the folds of my bedroom drapes. There is a scene in the novel that closely mirrors the terror I felt, and my ensuing research into scorpion symbology. The layered symbolism of the scorpion gives insight into Isabella’s Scorpio resourcefulness, the scorpion message to be on guard for toxic people or situations, and is the artistic inspiration for Isabella’s first successful painting.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The research was probably the most challenging, because I’m apt to disappear down a rabbit hole of information whenever I’m on the internet searching for facts. Even though The Rogue Scorpion is fiction, I wanted to make sure my details held up. With some of the emotionally intense scenes, it took a few attempts to find the right balance of holding back and going deep.

What came easily?

I’ve been extremely fortunate that I dive deep into my creative flow throughout the writing process once I get going on a project. While some days were more productive than others, I felt like I had a very clear idea of the story I wanted to tell and I knew my main character, Isabella Ricci, extremely well. It was really fun when I went on a walking tour of St. Boniface with my in-laws while on vacation in Winnipeg, and writing those sections was made easier by all the great images I had swimming around in my head.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I think all authors borrow from real world people they know. Sometimes it is only in the inspiration, at others a gesture, habit, or physical trait that stands out as interesting. Isabella Ricci is a complicated composition of my imagination and a few talented, artistic, and courageous women I’ve met along the way.

Do you have a target reader?

I’m not an author who writes for an audience. I have a story to tell and it unfolds as it will. Even the task of pigeon-holing my novels into genres is a challenge for me. That said, I imagine that The Rogue Scorpion will be most compelling for women readers who enjoy character-driven stories with strong protagonists who undergo transformational growth.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?

Yes, I do have a writing process. Every day starts with time writing in my journal, to get my feelings down on paper and open the creative pathways. Mornings are my most productive and focused time of the day, so I’m in my office between 7:30 and 8:00 am, six days a week. I dedicate the first writing period to whatever novel I’m working on, then move into other projects or tasks like writing blogs, social media marketing, editing, and design. I write until my brain is drained, or my body is complaining, then take a break and resume again. I close my laptop in the late afternoon and transition to the other things that make my life full.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I recently heard the phrase, are you a pantser or a plotter, at one of my writing groups. Apparently, a pantser writes by the seat of their pants, a plotter outlines. For me, there’s no either/or. I move from one style to the other, usually quite seamlessly, as the need or desire arises during my writing process.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

Interestingly, I was just sharing with my husband that the more books I write, the more I find myself editing as I go. With more experience and knowledge under my belt about how to engage readers and improve my craft, my inner editor has evolved to join my inner creative and they work together as the manuscript unfolds.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Absolutely, yes! Editing is not one of my strong points, and it’s even harder when it’s your own writing. At least for me, I find that I become so intimate with the story, my eyes see what is supposed to be there – even if it’s missing. The developmental edit is the most valuable in my experience, especially when you have an amazing editor like Anne O’Connell, who supports you to make changes that make your story better while honouring the fact that the story is something very personal and meaningful to you.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Absolutely, no! I love music, but not when I’m writing. I find any noise or outside sensory stimulant distracting to my creative process. Sometimes the lyrics of a certain song will pop into my head as I’m writing. When I was writing the final scene in The Healing, I kept hearing Jennifer Hudson belting out “I’ve got this,” and during the scene where Alex abuses Isabella in The Rogue Scorpion I heard Taylor Swift singing, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I haven’t submitted any of my books to agents for representation. After I finished writing the manuscript for my first novel, The Healing, and before I’d started searching for agents or publishers, a chance meeting led me to Anne O’Connell of OC Publishing. She offered me a contract and we worked in partnership with all four of my books.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

As I hinted to in the previous question, it wasn’t a conscious decision that I deliberated over. I hadn’t queried any other publishers before OC Publishing took me on. I did know with complete certainty that I wasn’t interested in developing the skill set involved to self- publish. If I hadn’t found Anne to partner-publish with, I would have explored other hybrid and traditional publishing options.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The book cover for The Rogue Scorpion was professionally done and I’m so proud of it. I worked with UK artist, Ria Cornall, to bring my character, Isabella Ricci’s, sketchbook drawings to life. Ria created fifteen fabulous sketches, one for each chapter. David Edelstein was the talented cover designer who used the image of Isabella on her yoga mat from chapter nine to create a cover that incorporates the Scorpio constellation and the siren-red colour of the scorpion, to stunning effect.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I do have a marketing plan, but I can’t deny, marketing isn’t my strongest suit. I have updated my author website to include The Rogue Scorpion on both the Home and My Books pages, including preorder links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Chapters-Indigo. I worked with JR Marketing to put together a beautiful book trailer, which you can find on my YouTube channel and website. Interviews, like this one, are a great way to gain traction with readers. I’ve organized a launch day party at a local restaurant, as well as two author signing events at bookstores here in Panama. And of course, there’s always social media.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I’m not one to give advice, because I feel so strongly that each of us has our unique path, including our journey as authors. I suppose that would be my advice. Follow your heart. Do what lights you up. Research possibilities, including the choices that authors you enjoy reading have made. Be open to opportunities, that feel like coincidence, but just might be serendipitous by design.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a series of small Canadian prairie towns, beginning where I was born, in Canora, Saskatchewan. My family moved to our first big city, to Calgary, Alberta, when I was fourteen, and that’s where I went to high school and university.

Where do you live now?

After spending seven years in Saudi Arabia as part of my husband’s career path, we moved to Panama last July, 2022. Our hearts had been calling us here since our first vacation in 2015. The home we built in the Coronado area was completed in 2018, and it was a vacation home until our move last year.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I would like readers to know that I’m a storyteller who writes from the heart. I’m a sensitive, emotional, and passionate person who feels everything, deeply. I’m also a philosopher who is curious about life and drawn to write stories that explore the experience of being human. I’m an advocate through example, for freedom, equality, and love to prevail.

What are you working on now?

I’m super enthusiastic about the project I’m working on now. I’ve challenged myself to write a psychological drama with a male protagonist. I’m exploring the stigma, myths, and reality of living with mental illness. I’m researching the flaws in our justice system. I’m putting everything I’ve been learning about the craft of writing into creating the most well-written, emotionally impacting novel I’ve written yet.

End of Interview:

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