Welcome to my site!

I write books for all ages, for young children to teenage and adults. I have also written a book on writing - Writing for Children - for both aspiring and newly published authors.

While I spend quite a lot of time visiting libraries, schools and festivals talking about my books and running creative writing workshops, I do manage to find time to write, too!

You can download the free story: Hamish McHaggis and the Aberlady Gala Mystery.

Latest News:

Happy New Year

I wish you all a Happy and Healthy year in 2025.

Please come back soon for some very exciting NEWS and events coming up in late spring and summer of 2025

RE school visits. Thank you for considering me, but for the moment I am not currently available for school visits ( in person or virtual)

More information about author visits is available on this link

If you are considering using the Hamish McHaggis series for a school project you can find some free teaching resources

https://www.lindastrachan.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/hamish_mchaggis_notes-School-resources-2020.pdf

and also Video readings of some of my books on my STORYTIME YouTube channel ( link below). https://www.youtube.com/user/wordsmithshe/videos

If you are considering starting to write for young people or wanting to know more about what it means to be a writer, the nuts and bolts of the business; – my writing guide The Writers’ and Artists’ Guide to writing Children and Y A (young adults)

described by former Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman as

‘An essential guide for everyone interested in the art, craft and business of writing.’

Review of Spider a gritty crime novel, for Young Adult readers.

Many thanks to Kirsty Crommie for featuring a review of Spider on her excellent book review blog for children’s books : Unicorns and Kelpies. ‘This is teenage fiction at its best. Definitely a must read!’

Spider was my first YA novel, it also won the Catalyst Book Award and was shortlisted for several others. It was published in 2008 but it is still relevant to today’s audience. Kirsty calls it ‘An uncompromising, intense novel which hits you full force and leaves you gasping for air’

Read the full review here- https://unicornsandkelpies.home.blog/2021/07/28/spider-by-linda-strachan/ and you can find out about other excellent books for a variety of ages at https://unicorns and kelpies.home.blog

Video Readings of my books

On my YouTube Channel you can find

Hamish McHaggis and the Search for the Loch Ness Monster with Hamish and friends there to assist.

A NEW #HamishMcHaggis Christmas story. CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE HOGGLE premiered in 2020. in support of SUPERTROOP an Edinburgh charity, running summer holidays for children and young people with learning disabilities.

My picture book What Colour is Love? With some lovely cuddly toys.

AND extracts from Greyfriars Bobby

Some exciting stories and information in the extracts from The Dangerous Lives of the Jacobites ,

some readings of my Zoola books

Coming soon will be some extracts from my Young Adult books.

so keep coming back and subscribe to my channel ( free)

Hope to see you soon!