Author Interview: Sally Ling

Today, I'm interviewing fellow Anaiah Press author, Sally Ling. The more I learn about this lady, the more fascinated I am. Read on and see if you feel the same.

What started you down the road of writing books about Florida history?

I was a special correspondent for the Sun Sentinel newspaper and my editor assigned me a story about some old World War II buildings on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida that used to be part of the Boca Raton Army Air Field (1942-1947). After I wrote my article, I realized this was a much bigger story than the 700 words I was assigned. I wrote a second article for a local magazine (2000 words), yet the story still wasn’t given adequate space. My first book on Florida history turned out to be the amazing story of how the Boca Raton Army Air Field played a pivotal role in winning WWII. The story was made into a feature documentary by our local PBS station.

What is your favorite part of living in Florida?
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The weather. Although it’s hot in Florida in the summer, so is the rest of the country. Where I live (southeast coast), there is always a breeze, and the winter is beautiful. Typically, I go to North Carolina for the summer.

I know you write both fiction and nonfiction. Do you have a preference or like each for different reasons?
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I typically alternate my writing between nonfiction and fiction. Nonfiction involves a copious amount of research, so it typically takes me longer to write. I must say, however, that my fiction books also require lots of research as you’ll note in Women of the Ring. Regarding fiction, I’ve always had a vivid imagination, and for that reason I love writing fiction. The challenge of weaving a story together and not really knowing where I’m going until I get there is exciting to me. I’m a pantster writer (I write by the seat of my pants).

Is there a historical fact you've discovered you want to write about, but haven't found the time yet?

Yes. Few know that when the colonies were established the British also had established two colonies in Florida: East Florida and West Florida. So in essence, there were fifteen colonies.
I love that your book includes the history of the first engagement ring. As a romance author, I always love learning tidbits like that. What was something that surprised you when you studied rings?

When writing Women of the Ring, I was looking for a way to weave the story of the contemporary engagement ring into historic significance when I chanced upon the story of Mary of Burgundy who is actually credited with wearing the first engagement ring in history. What a fascinating story she has! That story became the catalyst for the book and how her ring, though redesigned, became owned by a number of historically significant women. 
Would you describe your fiction as more romance, mystery, or something else? What made you want to write in that genre?
My fiction is typically more mystery, though my current cozy mysteries with Anaiah Press do have a thread of romance in them. I also have a series of biblical mysteries (The Cloak, The Spear of Destiny, The Twelfth Stone), and one of my books (Who Killed Leno and Louise) is a mystery based upon the cold case murders of an Italian sculptor and his wife who were murdered in 1948 in Boca Raton, Florida. This turned out to be one of those stranger than fiction stories.
I know you're working on something new right now. Can you give us a hint about what to expect from you down the road?
I’ve taken a break from historical nonfiction and am currently writing a series of cozy mysteries. If they do well, I may stick to this genre for a while, but I’m also finishing a fiction book (The Man in the Red Flannel Shirt) based upon a story relayed to me about a contemporary encounter with an angel.      
I always ask my authors to tell us one fact about themselves that very few people know. What ya got?

I didn’t start writing professionally until my mid-fifties. I’m now 72 and am hoping to get all the stories in my noggin down on paper before I kick the bucket.
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Thanks for joining us today, Sally. Your stories sound fascinating and I bet a lot of us are looking forward to getting to read one.

Keep reading to find out more.

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Brooklyn jeweler Abel Moody thought cleaning and appraising longtime friend Julia Townsend’s heirloom engagement ring would be nothing short of routine. Instead, he discovers it matches a sketch of an ancient ring his deceased father left him. This remarkable coincidence prompts him to immediately close his shop and embark on a clandestine journey to Paris. 
At an ancient church in the heart of the city, a priest gives Abel a book–Women of the Ring. It reveals the long-hidden story of the world’s first engagement ring dating back to the late 1400s and the tragic death of its owner. The book also chronicles centuries of the ring’s ownership by women of historical importance from a reigning Queen of France to the world’s most beloved actress. 
The dangerous history of this ring prompts Abel to ponder the crucial question: If his friend Julia wears the ring, will she endure some heartbreak or catastrophe like the others did?  
Abel’s unconditional love for Julia proves the catalyst in wanting to protect her from the ring’s apparent past, no matter what the cost. 

A contemporary mystery bound to a historical past.  More here.

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​Sally J. Ling, Florida’s History Detective, is an author, speaker, and historian. She writes historical nonfiction, specializing in obscure, unusual, or little known stories of Florida history, as well as historical fiction and mysteries with a Florida connection.
As a special correspondent, Sally wrote for the Sun Sentinel newspaper for four years and was a contributing journalist for several South Florida magazines.
Based upon her knowledge as well as excerpts from her books, Sally has appeared in three feature-length TV documentaries—“Gangsters,” the National Geographic Channel; “Boca Raton: The Secret Weapon that Won World War II” and “Prohibition and the South Florida Connection,” WLRN, Miami. She served as associate producer on the latter production. She has also appeared in and served as production consultant for several short documentaries on South Florida history produced by WLRN, Miami.
Sally has been a repeat guest on South Florida PBS TV and radio stations, guest presenter at the Lifelong Learning Society at Florida Atlantic University and guest speaker at numerous historical societies, libraries, organizations and schools. 
Sally lives with her husband, Chuck, and splits her time between South Florida and western North Carolina.

​Follow here online here.