We always enjoy hosting authors here on Rebekah Lyn Books but today is special because we are hosting one of our own, DiVoran Lites! If you are a subscriber, you may have read parts of Go West as she published a weekly chapter on the website. Now she has polished it up, sent the manuscript to the editor and finally it is available on Amazon. Onisha, our webmaster and head cheerleader conducted the author interview.
Onisha: I enjoyed your descriptions of the terrain in Colorado, especially the shelf road and the train trip through a tunnel. Were these actual places?
DiVoran: Shelf roads actually exist in many parts of the state, but I made up the one for the cattle push. Our dad took us fishing in the mountains and we had to ride on a trail that was so rocky and narrow that I had to sit still and shut up so as not to distract my horse from picking his way across it. As far as the train trip goes, you can still take that trip on the track running alongside the Arkansas River. I recommend it.
If you are interested, explore these links for a drive over a shelf road and information on booking a rail trip on the Royal Gorge Train.
Shelf Road https://youtu.be/dS1Krc8YbpA
Royal Gorge https://royalgorgeroute.com/
Onisha: Each of the characters in Go West have distinct and interesting histories. Did you pull their characteristics from family stories or people you knew growing up in Colorado?
DiVoran: We’ve heard that characters find the writers. That’s true for Aldon, Ellie, and the rest of the characters of Go West. But, yes, their motives and personalities came from people I knew in the small town and ranches of Westcliffe where I lived as a child. It felt good to show a melting pot where several cultures knew and loved each other because of, and in spite of, their differences. They had to get-along in order to survive.
Onisha: I found all of your characters to be interesting, did you have a favorite that you couldn’t wait to tell their part of the story?
DiVoran: Did you notice how much of the thinking, and actions Aldon did in Go West? Writing his part of the story fascinated me. For one thing I have always pondered the differences between men and women and tried to understand a grandfather, a dad, a brother, a husband, a son, and a grandson. Being a side-kick to Aldon helped me gain insights for my life-long research about men.
About the Book
After duty as an ambulance driver in World War I, Ellie Morgan returns to Chicago to take up her share of the work in her grandparents’ department store. Ellie doesn’t want to alienate her family or disappoint them, but despite a six year effort to settle in, she feels increasingly trapped in store routine. Meanwhile, her grandmother urges her to marry a local politician and help him succeed in his chosen field. Ellie’s grandfather, however, wants to see her happy and independent. “Go West, young woman, go west,” he advises paraphrasing a popular quotation of the day. So with Granddad’s help, Ellie secures a job on a ranch in Colorado and sets out to prove that she has the necessary character to succeed at a third vocation.
When Aldon Leitzinger meets Ellie’s train in Clifton Colorado, he introduces himself as the foreman of the ranch. But the more people Ellie meets in the community, the more apparent it becomes that she is in demand to fill a number of roles for which she is not prepared. Desperate to prove herself, she settles in to please everyone, a task that puts her at risk of failure in every attempt at finding a new and happier life.
About the Author
DiVoran has been writing for most of her life. Her first attempt at a story was when she was seven years old and her mother got a new typewriter. DiVoran got to use it and when her dad saw her writing he asked what she was writing about. DiVoran answered that she was writing the story of her life. Her dad’s only comment was, “Well, it’s going to be a very short story.” After most of a lifetime of writing and helping other writers, DiVoran finally launched her own dream which was to write a novel of her own. She now has her Florida Springs trilogy and her novel, a Christian Western Romance, Go West available on Amazon. When speaking about her road to publication, she gives thanks to the Lord for all the people who helped her grow and learn. She says, “I could never have done it by myself, but when I got going everything fell beautifully into place, and I was glad I had started on my dream.”
Giveaway
DiVoran has five prizes for five people! First to go will be the beautiful art cards and then we’ll have the two eBooks. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule
July 10
Bookish Orchestrations – Tour introduction
Rebekah Lyn Books – Author Interview
Janice’s book reviews – Review
July 11
Frances Hoelsma – Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano’s Words – Author Interview
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections – Character Interview
July 12
Shout Outs – Book Spotlight
July 13
Laurel’s Leaves – Author Interview
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae – Book Spotlight
Old Things R New – Book Spotlight
July 14
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima – Book Spotlight
Stephany’s BLOG Snippets – Character Interview
July 15
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway Winners
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