Thursday Thoughts on Reading and Writing
When
you leave a comment on THIS post by 6 p.m. CT Sunday, July 21, 2013 you'll be
entered in the DRAWING for a copy of the book mentioned below. If you
mention in your comment that you’re a follower (see in the left column “Join
This Site” and “Follow by Email”), I’ll add your name a second time in the
drawing. You must be eighteen, have a U.S. mailing address, void where
prohibited. You can read details
about my book giveaways at Disclaimers.
Winds of Freedom by Rebecca Carey Lyles
Today our guest is
Rebecca Carey Lyles, author of Winds of Freedom. Rebecca grew
up in Wyoming, the setting for her Kate Neilson novels. She currently lives in
Idaho with her husband, Steve, where she serves as an editor and a mentor for
aspiring authors and as a coach for women transitioning from prison to life on
“the outside.”
JO: Please tell us a little about yourself.
BECKY: My hubby, Steve, and I celebrated 39 years of marriage on July 13. We
are blessed with three great kids, a beautiful daughter-in-law, an almost
son-in-law, and three gorgeous grandchildren. I’ve been writing for more than
30 years. Until my first novel was released last year, I wrote mostly
nonfiction but was foolish enough to think the transition to fiction writing
would be easy. Other authors may find fiction easy, but the learning curve for
me was steep, and I continue to read how-to books, blogs and newsletters and
attend workshops and conferences to help me grow as a fiction writer.
JO: What fun or unique things can you tell us
about yourself that we don’t know?
BECKY: I’ve lived in the West all my life, so am fond of tall mountains, far
vistas and outdoor activities.
Thanks to two sets
of homesteading grandparents and DIY parents, I also tend to be a DIYer. I’ve
hung wallpaper, covered furniture, roofed houses, and made everything from stained
glass art and needlework wall hangings, clothing, cushions and curtains, to calendars,
designer t-shirts, soap, lotion and notecards, to yogurt, noodles, bagels, crackers,
sauerkraut and kombucha tea.
I don’t know if
you’d call this aspect of my personhood fun or unique, but it might interest
readers to know that after experiencing toxemic pregnancies many years ago, I began
studying nutrition and healthy living. You can read more at
grandmagonegranola.wordpress.com.
JO: Please describe yourself with three
words.
BECKY: Determined, focused, grateful.
JO: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not
writing?
BECKY: In addition to walking, hiking and camping, I like to snowshoe and
cross-country ski and I love to read (all kinds of stuff), study the Bible with
my women’s Bible study group and hang out with my family and my writing
friends.
JO: How did you become involved in writing?
BECKY: Although my high school English teacher encouraged me to go into
journalism, I earned a Church Education degree from a Bible college. Before I
had a chance to use the degree, Steve and I married and started having babies.
When our first child was just beginning to walk around furniture, I saw a
notice in the local paper for a community service writing class. Intrigued, I
signed up for the class, found a babysitter and ended up writing a couple
feature articles for the newspaper, thanks to the reporter who taught the
class. I’ve written articles and stories for a variety of publications over the
years and published two nonfiction books and two fiction books. I also edit
fiction and nonfiction for a variety of authors and publishers.
JO: Where do you write? Do you have a dedicated office or a corner or nook
in a room?
BECKY: I am blessed with a great office that has big windows and a wonderful
view of nearby mountains. In a couple of our former homes, my writing area was a
dark corner in a windowless basement. Although not the most pleasant places to
work, I probably had fewer distractions without windows. Even so, I love my
sunny workspace.
JO: Do you always know the title of your books
before you write them?
BECKY: The titles for the Kate Neilson series came together over time, but for
quite a while I planned to follow Winds
of Wyoming with Winds of Change and
then end with Winds of Freedom. However,
as I wrote the second book, I realized Winds of Freedom was a more appropriate title than Winds of Change, which should be perfect for the third and final
book in the series.
JO: Please tell us about Winds of Freedom.
BECKY: Here’s
the back-cover blurb:
Winter storms blast across the West and fuel the bitter wind
that ravages ranch-owner Kate Neilson Duncan’s soul. In the midst of shattered
dreams, she learns her best friend has not only disappeared, she’s been accused
of murder. Kate vows to find her and prove her innocence. When the Duncans’
Wyoming ranch is threatened and Kate's mother-in-law becomes ensnared by evil,
Kate and her husband, Mike, join forces with their foreman to fight for all
that is dear to them. Can the three ranchers defeat the lethal powers
determined to destroy Kate, their loved ones and their ranch?
JO: What takeaway
value do you hope your readers receive after reading this book?
BECKY: I hope readers are reminded of the power of prayer and the value of
hope (Romans 15:13) as well as the need to obey God’s Word and listen to his
Spirit. I also trust they gain new compassion for those caught in circumstances
beyond their control—or beyond their understanding.
JO: Where did you get
the idea for your book?
BECKY: The idea for Winds of Freedom came years ago when the relative of a neighbor walked into an
airport restroom and never came out—as far as her husband and children knew.
Although they didn’t see her exit the restroom, she must have snuck past them
wearing a disguise, because they later learned she’d snuck away to start a new
life. Several weeks after her disappearance, she returned to pick up her
clothing and other personal items. She didn’t tell her husband where she was
living or what she was doing, only that she no longer had to clean house or
take care of children. To add to the mystery, she was wearing a collar around
her neck.
JO: Did you have to
do any research for this book?
BECKY: For both Winds of Wyoming and
Winds
of Freedom, I had to research
bison. They’re fascinating animals. I also spent time online and at the library
looking up facts about Wyoming and other regions mentioned in the books. Quite
a bit of the action in the second book takes place in another state.
JO: How long have you
been writing? When did you sell your first book?
BECKY: My first
book, which was co-written with Larry Baker and titled “It’s a God Thing!
Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships,” debuted in 2000. A couple
years ago, I reprinted the book and made it available in paper and ebook
formats online. People are still enjoying Larry’s stories!
JO: What advice would you give to writers who
have been writing a few years but still haven’t interested an agent or
publisher in their novel?
BECKY: Be teachable and tenacious, develop a tough skin and self-edit like crazy
before you send your manuscript to anyone. Better yet, self-edit plus join a
critique group. One book I recommend is “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How
to Edit Yourself into Print” by Renni Browne and Dave King.
JO: What are you
working on now?
BECKY: I wish I
could say I’d started the third book in the Kate Neilson trilogy; however, I
probably won’t get to that until next fall (after our daughter’s wedding!). In
the meantime, I’m gathering ideas for Winds of Change and editing my
short stories to compile and sell online. I’m also editing a former classmate’s
memoir and a World War II novel by a new author.
JO: What advice would you give to writers just
starting out?
BECKY: Read, read, read, including how-to-write books, and write, write, write.
Whether it’s a journal entry or an email to your mom or a chapter in your book,
write something every day…well, almost every day. Vacations and breaks are good
for the soul!
JO: Please tell
our readers where they can get your books.
BECKY: My nonfiction books, It's a God Thing: Inspiring Stories of Life-Changing Friendships and On a Wing and a Prayer--Stories from Freedom Fellowship, a Prison Ministry, are available online (print and ebook formats) and can be ordered through bookstores.
Currently my indie publisher is offering Winds of Wyoming on Amazon (ebook and print formats) to take advantage of the KDP Select program. For the first three months following release, Winds of Freedom will be in the same program (and same formats) and then will become more readily available.
JO:
Please tell our readers where they can find you online.
Email: beckylyles@beckylyles.com
Facebook author page: Rebecca Carey Lyles
Twitter: @BeckyLyles
JO:
Any parting comment?
BECKY: Thanks so much
for letting me visit your blog, Jo. Bless you!
JO: Thanks for the interesting interview and for offering a copy of Winds of Freedom, which one of our commenters will win in a random drawing.
Remember: leave a comment on THIS post by 6 p.m. CT Sunday, July 21,
2013 and you'll be entered in the drawing for a copy of Winds of Freedom by Rebecca Lyles. You must be
eighteen, have a U.S. mailing address, void where prohibited. Please, please remember
to leave your email address or I cannot enter you in the
drawing. I’ll need you email address so that should you be
the winner I can get in touch with you for your mailing address. I’ll announce
the winner in Monday’s blog.
Till next time … keep on smiling.