Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Linda Budzinski!
Linda is the author of four young adult novels, The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0, The Boyfriend Whisperer, Em & Em, The Funeral Singer. When she’s not writing, she works in nonprofit communications and outreach. She lives in Northern Virginia with her husband, Joe, and their crazy pup, JoJo, and is active with her church youth group. She’s a sucker for romance and reality TV and has been known to turn off her phone’s ringer when watching “The Bachelor.” Her favorite flower is the daisy, her favorite food is chocolate, and her favorite song is “Amazing Grace.”
Tell us about your latest book.
The Boyfriends Whisperer 2.0 is a fun, sweet YA romance that released in February. It is the second in a series, and the main character, Alicea Springer, runs a matchmaking business called Boyfriend Whisperer Enterprises.
Alicea has developed a computer program with a fantastic success rate. So why, oh why, has it matched her with the last boy in the world she would ever want to date? If you like opposites attract stories with some covert matchmaking action on the side, this might be the book for you!
Buy The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0
Now for the fun stuff!
What’s your favorite genre? Do you read what you write?
I love YA and definitely have a soft spot for YA romance, so yes!
I feel like that’s all I’ve been reading lately. <3
What’s your favorite part about writing?
My favorite part is writing “THE END.” It makes me so happy! But aside from that, I love revising. I love going back through the story and figuring out what works and what needs some extra love and figuring out how to fix it. So often, I discover little themes and instances of foreshadowing I had no idea I was writing at the time. The subconscious mind is an amazing thing!
Those hidden themes are so great, aren’t they?
What’s the hardest part of writing for you?
Oh, my. I feel like this varies from book to book, and sometimes from day to day! I think I do a good job of writing scenes, but weaving it all together into a continuous narrative is tough! So I think that’s my answer.
That’s so true that it varies from book to book. They all have their own challenges!
What’s an activity unrelated to writing that you love?
I’m going to name two. I work with my youth group at church, and I have such a great time with the teens/preteens and am constantly so inspired by them. I’ve been doing it for about 13 years, so seeing them grow up and into adulthood is very cool. I also am a total puzzle nerd and love to do online logic puzzles, Boggle, and, of course, crosswords. The New York Times Crossword is often the highlight of my day!
I’m amazed by anyone who loves crosswords puzzles. I adore word games but have no patience for crosswords.
Who’s your biggest cheerleader?
Wow, that’s the toughest question yet! I am blessed to have so much support from my family and friends. I honestly cannot pick one. They mean the world to me.
Having a supportive family is such a huge thing. I don’t think I could do this without my husband cheering me on.
Now I’d like to play a fun little game called This or That. As a writer, I find that a lot of interviews ask the same questions, so I always appreciate sharing something new about myself. I’m super excited about these questions—and I hope you enjoy them!
Introvert or extrovert? Ahahaha, I once took the Myers Briggs test and on a scale of 1-100, 1 being total introvert and 100 being total extrovert, I scored a 3. So, yeah. The math on that one is pretty clear!!
Morning or night person? Night.
Coffee or tea? Iced tea.
Sweet or salty? Both. Preferably together.
Eternal summer or four seasons? Four seasons (and I am typing this in February so that is saying something!)
Mountains or beach? Beach. Usually.
Dogs or cats? Dogs.
Over 5’5” or under? Over.
Left or right-handed? Right.
Hoodie or yoga pants? Yoga pants.
Now I’m really curious how I would rate on the Myers Briggs test in terms of extroversion…
Anything else you’d like to add?
Just a plug for the Sweethearts of YA, for readers who LOVE sweet YA romance! Thank you so much for having me on your blog!
Linda, thank you so much for spending this time with me and my readers. Readers, you can find Linda at these links and be sure to order The Boyfriend Whisperer 2.0!
Website | Facebook | Twitter
If you missed the previous interviews, you can read them here.
