A page-turner from a local volunteer hospital radio presenter has been presented with an international book award.
Linda Dooks, from Billingham, has been volunteering at Radio Stitch, the volunteer-run hospital and community radio station which serves University Hospitals Tees, for more than ten years. As if presenting a show with daughter Emma, called ‘Emma’s Afternoon Tea’, wasn’t enough, retired council housing officer Linda also has a side line in writing novels.
Debut novel
Her debut novel, ‘Land of Opportunity’ is set in the late-1800s. It tells the story of 15-year-old Rose Watson who lives on a farm on the Yorkshire Moors who escapes her brutal life to New York where her tale truly begins. The book was entered in to the International Impact Book Awards, winning in the historical fiction category.
Linda said: “It all started as short story. I joined Stockton Scribblers a few years ago. During lockdown, we all used to meet online we’d read each other our work.
“As we shared our work, someone said they thought I could expand my stories into a novel.
“The idea took hold about life on a farm – it might have been linked to my farming days as a child! I sat down and Rose’s story poured out. With the encouragement of the club, I developed it into a novel, writing a chapter a fortnight.
“I had to do a lot of research into historical events and real-life people to make sure I’m staying accurate, like including the immigration office at Ellis Island burning down. That really happened so I put Rose there to witness it first-hand.
“I was chuffed to bits to win the award. I was so excited. When the email arrived, I wasn’t sure it was real and I sent it to the publisher to check it was legitimate! Being recognised for the book is so rewarding.”
Part of the family
Andy Tingle, Radio Stitch studio engineer, said: “Linda is part of the Radio Stitch family. The show she presents with Emma is really popular and fun; Emma plays the records and Linda reads her own short stories.
“We are so proud of Linda winning the prize. She loves writing and works really hard at it. We know there are more books to come and we all wish her the best.”
‘Land of Opportunity’ is Linda’s first novel published by Blossom Spring with subsequent novels, Land of Opportunity Books 2 and 3, charting Rose’s life already available. Linda is currently writing the fourth and final book, taking the story through the Great War and into the Roaring Twenties, as it continues to chart Rose’s life in New York.
Follow your dream
Linda commented; “Anyone can write a book! I always loved reading but growing up on a farm, if I was ever reading my parents would soon find work for me!
“So to find time to read and scribble ideas, I used to take the dogs on longs walks. My mum was always asking me why the walks took so long.
“I’d say to anyone, ‘follow your dream’. Whatever it is, you can do it. It took me until retirement to fulfil my ambition of becoming a novelist and that still included nine rejections from publishers before I got a ‘yes’. I danced about the kitchen when I got the call.
“You can do what you dream of. Just give it a go.”