Stitches Thru Time: A Chat with Author Linda Shenton Matchett

Linda Shenton Matchett writes about ordinary people who did extraordinary things in days gone by. She is a volunteer docent and archivist at the Wright Museum of WWII and a trustee for her local public library. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, a stone’s throw from Fort McHenry, she has lived in historical places most of her life. Now located in central New Hampshire, Linda’s favorite activities include exploring historic sites and immersing herself in the imaginary worlds created by other authors.

A Doctor in the House (part of The Hope of Christmas collection):
Emma O’Sullivan is one of the first female doctors to enlist after President Franklin Roosevelt signs the order allowing women in the Army and Navy medical corps. Within weeks, Emma is assigned to England to set up a convalescent hospital, and she leaves behind everything that is familiar. When the handsome widower of the requisitioned property claims she’s incompetent and tries to get her transferred, she must prove to her superiors she’s more than capable. But she’s soon drawn to the good-looking, grieving owner. Will she have to choose between her job and her heart?

Archibald “Archie” Heron is the last survivor of the Heron dynasty, his two older brothers having been lost at Dunkirk and Trondheim and his parents in the Blitz. After his wife is killed in a bombing raid while visiting Brighton, he begins to feel like a modern-day Job. To add insult to injury, the British government requisitions his country estate, Heron Hall, for the U.S. Army to use as a hospital. The last straw is when the hospital administrator turns out to be a fiery, ginger-haired American woman. She’s got to go. Or does she?

STT: A Doctor in the House is an intriguing story. Where did you get your inspiration?

Linda: My background is in corporate Human Resources, and I am fascinated by the history of women in the workplace. Wives, sisters, daughters, and grandmothers went to work during WWI, but not at the record levels experienced during the second World War. Society was turned upside down when women successfully stepped into jobs previously held by men. When researching another story, I stumbled on a reference to Margaret Craighill, the first female doctor in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. At the same time I saw a documentary about the thousands of country homes requisitioned by the British government for use as orphanages, troop housing, and hospitals. The British people had mixed feelings about U.S. service people. A common expression in England was "overfed, overpaid, oversexed, and over here."

STT: You have written and published ten books with more on the way in 2020. How do you balance your writing career with your other commitments?

Linda: Sometimes not so well-ha! I tend to be organized in all areas of my life, and that trait has served me well in juggling two careers. My full-time job is as the dining services and catering manager at a boarding school, and I invest about twenty-five hours a week to my writing. On most days I get an hour's worth of writing done before work, and one day a week I work at night, so I have almost an entire day to put words on paper. Saturdays are geared for marketing and social media, and Sundays before church are when I write my blog posts. Before I say yes to anything, I check my schedule so I don't double book myself!

STT: With the exception of one of your books, you write historical fiction. What draws you to history and what is your favorite era?

Linda: Despite being married to a software engineer, I am not a very technology-driven person. Having said that, I appreciate modern conveniences such as washers, telephones, and computers. What fascinates me about history is what people accomplished with their own two hands (clearing the land, building homesteads, and raising families). Many of our "modern" inventions got their start decades, even centuries ago. My favorite era is World War II, a time when people pulled together to "do their bit" for the war effort. Whether they wanted to or not, women entered the workforce, often working ten-twelve hours days, sometimes six days a week. In addition, they fed their families under the duress of rationing, they created victory gardens, preserved food, and "made do and mended" their clothes all while wondering if their husbands would return safe and sound.

STT: What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Linda: I love coming up with the story ideas. I'm a planner, so I outline my entire book before beginning to write. I enjoy brainstorming what I can do to and with my characters.

STT: What are your upcoming projects?

Linda: I have lots of irons in the fire. January and February will see the release of books two and three in my Ruth Brown Mystery series, and during March A Love Not Forgotten will be re-released on its own (It was part of a collection). Then in April, May, and June, a trilogy about three sisters will be coming out. I'm very excited to be part of a multi-author project featuring mail-order brides, and my story Dinah's Dilemma will be coming out in August.

STT: Where can people find you on the web?

Linda: