By Shirley Shuman
When she was 12, Hannah Linder wrote and self-published her first novel. She has since written 15 books and has self-published all except the last one. Linder explained how that has changed. “My dream was to see my books traditionally published and in the hands of readers across the country. Ten years and 15 books later, I signed with a literary agent from Books and Such Literary Management which then led to a three-book contract with Barbour Publishing.,” she said.
Her novel, Beneath His Silence, a Gothic-style Regency Romance, will be released October 31. The book tells the story of Ella Pemberton, daughter of a baron, in search of the truth of her sister’s death. In that search, Ella pursues a position as governess in the home of Lord Sedgewick. Definitely not a governess, the young woman realizes that the pretense is necessary if she is to discover what happened to her sister. Exposing the man who killed her sister is all that matters.
Lord Sedgewick realizes “there is blood on his hands.” He recognizes that lies have been told, but he also recognizes “the power of truth would be too great.” Now, he has “only his son and his hatred.” However, the governess’s intrusion into his home begins to cause a tearing away of his cover of bitterness. The question here is : “Could Ella, despite the lingering question of his guilt, fall in love with such a man? Or is she falling prey to him?”
Those are the questions which face readers and which the young writer hopes will draw them into the novel. She is proud of her latest book and hopes her audience will find it spellbinding. H
Linder’s past work has earned two 2021 Selah Awards and the 2022 Selah Award. As her latest book shows, she currently writes Regency romantic suspense novels and said, “{she feels so blessed to have the opportunity to share [her] stories with the world.” She added, “I can’t wait until my debut hits the shelves.”
Not only does Linder write, she also has her own business of cover designing. She explained, “Ever since I was young, another near-to-my-heart dream was to design book covers. In 2019 that dream became a reality as I launched my own cover design business. With an associate’s degree in graphic design, she designs for both traditional publishing houses and individual authors such as New York Times, USA Today along with national and international bestsellers.
Linder, born and raised in Braxton County, stressed the importance of following one’s dreams. “I believe my journey will encourage other young West Virginians to pursue their dreams. After 10 years of waiting, with many tears and rejections along the way, what a blessing it was to finally sign a contract with a publisher who believed in my books,” she said.
She continued by directly addressing those young people pursuing dreams. “Your dream may take waiting,” she noted. “It may take tears. But all of us can learn from the lesson that good things come to those who wait. Just keep on dreaming —until you see that dream come true.”
Linder will be available for a book-signing from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Nov.5 in the Mountain Lakes Marketplace in the Flatwoods Outlet Mall.
