Linda found a love of reading early in life. One of her earliest memories is of reading under the bedcovers by torchlight, to finish a favourite book. She remembers the joyful discovery that anyone could write a book, and decided that one day she would write one. Because life has many journeys Linda was drawn to nursing. This became her career for over 20 years. Most of that time was spent as a registered nurse in aged care. Linda watched and listened to the rich fabric of the lives of others. She was fascinated by their stories from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Linda began to write, late at night, reliving the highlights and lowlights of life. She stored these outpourings in a box under the bed. When her youngest son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, Linda found a focus for her writing. She was determined to fight for the spirit and heart of her son and the chance for a normal life for him. The book, ‘I’m Not Broken, I’m Just Different’, was born.

Joining a local Fellowship of Australian Writers gave Linda confidence to share her writing with others. Writing under the name of ‘cobaltangel’, she uploaded many of her stories to the ABC (Australia) website, ‘The Making of Modern Australia’. Her story, ‘A Dangerous Time’, was chosen by the producers as one of the ‘Featured Stories’. Linda developed a readership on the site and through her writing for the local Gazette. She then caught the eye of a publisher, who requested an anthology of her childhood stories. ‘A Curious and Inelegant Childhood’ was the result. Linda also discovered a love of art. She paints the cover illustrations for her books. She has now also written and illustrated several children’s books.

The rich texture of Linda’s life is reflected in her writing, which is both joyful and poignant. She writes with a raw fearlessness, but an irrepressible humour is never far below the surface.