Born in 1949 in Hertfordshire, as an only child she started writing books early, if only in her head. Around the age of 14 she discovered the novels of Mary Renault, set in ancient Greece, and fell in love with historical fiction.
In 1971 she began a career in picture research in publishing and, after a few years, went freelance in order to devote more time to writing. The Botticelli Trilogy had seeded itself as an idea in 1974, but it was to take 11 years to do the research and develop writing skills. The first part, A Tabernacle for the Sun, was eventually published in 1997. It was not her first published book, however. Whilst trying to find a publisher she wrote Consider England, four essays on the elements of the nation, illustrated by the painter, Valerie Petts (Shepheard-Walwyn, 1994). Further commissions included three from Pitkin Guides: 2000 Years of Christianity, Icons – a Sacred Art, and Angels. She also wrote Knights of the Grail, stories of King Arthur for reading out loud to young children.
A Tabernacle for the Sun won a bursary award from Southern Arts and a month's residence at the writers' retreat of Hawthornden Castle. It was published by Allison and Busby in 1997.
Linda gave up picture research with the twentieth century, her skills and experience made redundant by the advent of the new technology. She also gave up the single life, marrying in 2000. She and her husband, David Smith, set up a small business in publishing services, doing editorial work and organising production and printing. Frustrated by the publishing business being geared to books of mass appeal, it was a natural and easy step to found Godstow Press.
The first publication was Pallas and the Centaur.
The third and final novel in The Botticelli Trilogy is called The Rebirth of Venus and was published in 2008.