Ghosts of Trumball Mansion: Interview with Author Linda Rondeau

Please welcome today's guest, Author Linda Rondeau. Her latest title releases on March 15, 2022. I hope you enjoy my interview with Linda.

 

The title of your upcoming release is Ghosts of Trumball Mansion. What's the story behind the story? Are there ghosts in the book?

I was mowing the lawn one day, and I noticed how the yard was overcome by weeds. I thought about how marriages are often soured, not by infidelity but by lack of proper attention to one another. Henry and Sylvia began to take shape in my mind, a romance writer and her publisher husband. I wanted to write a story about a marriage on the rocks and how Satan will use anything at his disposal, including rumors of hauntings, to keep an injured marriage from healing. I chose New Haven, Connecticut, and Manhattan for the settings because of some familiarity with these cities ... my son lived in each location for several years. With the exception of the Battle of New Haven, the city was kept from most of the fighting during the revolutionary war. Governor Trumball was allowed to retain his political position, one of the few who did during this time thus providing opportunities in New Haven for the patriots to gather to make war plans. the mansion on the cover is actually a photograph of the governor's mansion in Colonial Williamsburg.

 

ABOUT THE GHOSTS OF TRUMBALL MANSION: Romance writer, Sylvia Fitzgibbons, aka Lana Longstreet, impetuously purchased the Donner Estate, the former Trumball Mansion built by a relative of Governor Trumball and rumored to be haunted. Lana Longstreet thought the estate and the rumors would be a great backdrop for publicity. Though Henry is claustrophobic and the commute to the Manhattan office would be grueling, he does try to stay at the mansion. For the love of his wife and children, he would endure the emotional struggle to commute ... but there are ghosts in the ballroom. They taunt him as they dance the minuet. This proves to be more than he can handle. He returns to their Manhattan apartment. They decide to keep the marriage in name only because they have a business to manage. Henry does come to Connecticut on occasion for the children and launch parties, but the ghosts continue to haunt him with every visit. The only draw to the mansion is the rose gardens. They're symbolic ... how they fight to survive against all odds gives him hope that by some miracle he and Sylvia can salvage their love, even given the challenges that face them.

 After fifteen years of masquerading as husband and wife, however, both Henry and Sylvia, independently consider if the time has come to end the marriage. Like the rose gardens,  now threatened by encroaching vines, their love for one another has been neglected, perhaps beyond hope.  Sylvia realizes how important the roses are to Henry. But since she has a deadline on a new detective series, she knows Henry must help her save the gardens. He agrees to move in for the summer ... he owes the roses to do whatever he can, though his knowledge of roses could fill the tip of the proverbial pin. When the housekeeper is injured and unable to return to work, Sylvia is more dependent on Henry than ever. As the summer progresses, the couple begins to rediscover one another and reconciliation seems almost possible until the evil in the home becomes more aggressive and a lawsuit threatens to destroy their business. Only faith can rid the home of the evil presence and save their marriage.

Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09SH2LRSH

View the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/9zSXM-K9m8I

ARE THERE GHOSTS?

Although, once they become Christians and they realize the presence in the home is most likely Satanic, I do leave the reader the option for deciding for themselves. Henry asks, "I wonder, Sylvia, do we bring the evil upon ourselves?" The title is also symbolic for the ghosts in Sylvia and Henry's past, their emotional baggage, hurt, and misunderstandings, that intrude on their marriage and keep them from committing their lives to the Lord.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

My husband and I enjoy spending time with our children and grandchildren. We also enjoy museums and are appreciative of living near our nation's capital to have access to the Smithsonian. We are both avid golfers and are active in our church. On occasion, I have the privilege of leading a workshop on writing. I am a managing editor for Elk Lake Publishing, so my spare time is limited. I'm fortunate that my husband enjoys cooking and has taken over much of the household duties.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

With fourteen traditionally published books, trying to choose a favorite is like trying to choose a favorite child. They are all my babies. Perhaps my futuristic political thriller, The Fifteenth Article, was the most fun to write because it was so far afield of my typical contemporary general fiction. I am now working on the prequel as well as a Biblical Fiction ... Babel's Children ... again not what I normally write. I do like a challenge.

 Author Bio:

Award-winning author, Linda Wood Rondeau writes stories that grip the heart, inspired by her nearly thirty years of social work. When not writing or speaking, she enjoys the occasional round of golf, visiting museums, and taking walks with her best friend in life, her husband of forty-five years. The couple resides in Hagerstown, Maryland where both are active in their local church. Readers may learn more about the author, read her blog, or sign up for her newsletter by visiting www.lindarondeau.com.

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lwrondeau

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/linda-wood-rondeau

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Linda-Wood-Rondeau/e/B006FNG1BI

Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/lindawoodrondeau

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlindawoodrondeau/