Rebekah Lyn

Researching Jessie Has Been More Fun Than I Ever Imagined

Researching my current work in progress, Jessie, has been more fun and educational than I could have ever imagined. I grew up in the shadow of the Space Shuttle program. Nearly everyone I knew had a family member working at Kennedy Space Center, and we were all personally touched by the Challenger disaster, and yet, there was so much I didn’t know about the early years of this amazing endeavor. I’ve read books and news articles, watched television specials and documentaries, but what really made the stories come to life for me was taking a tour of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where the first launches took place. (The tours have since been suspended due to sequester.)

For those of you who may not know, the original space missions took place on land owned by Air Force that was used as a long-range missile proving ground. These sites are not available on tours available through the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex.

My heart broke when we drove through the dilapidated blockhouses, cracked pavement spattered with weeds, and encroaching mangroves of launch sites one through three. However, the Launch Complex-26 blockhouse where misson controllers stood by breathlessly watching Explorer I, America’s first satellite rocket into orbit and nearby LC -5, the site of Alan Shepard’s triumphant race into space are better preserved. We even had the chance to walk through LC-26 and learned that our basic digital watch is more technologically advanced than all of the computers in that room combined. It’s pretty amazing how much the early pioneers of space exploration were able to accomplish.

The moment that nearly brought me to tears though, was when I walked out on LC-34, where the

Memorial Benches for Grissom, Chaffee and White

Apollo 1 fire killed Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffey. Gus Grissom plays a role in Jessie’s story and being in this place I felt a deep connection with Jessie, almost as if he was walking the site with me. Off to the side, there are memorial benches for each of these brave men, although I’m not sure how many other members of the tour even noticed them. I don’t know that I ever took the Space Shuttle program for granted, especially after the Challenger tragedy, but I can tell you that I have an even deeper respect and admiration for all those who have shed their blood, sweat, and tears to provide us with the advances in our daily lives that are by products of space exploration. Many of the crew at Kennedy Space Center had vehicle license plates that read “Doing what others only dream” I pray that the hunger to learn more, travel farther, and risk it all will take the baton passed by these leaders and push us to even greater things in the coming years.

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“Writing with the Roots On”

Welcome to our first post of DiVoran’s Writing Tips. She has a rich history not only in writing but in editing and poetry. Her tips will of course, be wrapped in one of her delightful stories

Most of my life, Mother said, “Make yourself the best you can and then be yourself.” When that wasn’t enough, God sent a friend to chime in with, “Nobody else can be you, so be yourself as much as you can.” They must have been trying to tell me something. I ignored them. I was a people pleaser, always figuring out what I could do to make people love, admire, and respect me more.

One day I let a painting teacher read the journal I had carefully written while on vacation. She had the gall to tell me it was pretentious. Believe it or not, I didn’t know exactly what she meant by that. Didn’t matter anyhow. I was mad (hurt). I figured I was the writer and she could just stick to teaching me how to paint and mind her own business. Then in another painting class, someone pointedly mentioned people who were pretentious and I knew she meant me, and I was hurt again, but I didn’t know how to fix it.

If I can study things I enjoy, I love studying, so when going through John Fox’s book on writing poetry, Finding What You Didn’t Lose, I discovered the answer. The title of the chapter is, “Leaving the Roots on Your Writing.” He says writers need to, “tell about those aspects of ourselves we tend to conceal.”

I think about that when someone talks about things I don’t understand. I have to make a decision every time to reveal my ignorance by asking questions. I think about it when I’m with people who know God better than I do. Can I share an honest testimony with them? I find it difficult. I don’t want them to know I’m not as advanced as they are. They might start telling me how to improve myself.

I’ve recently had the ultimate pretentious experience of my life, or so it seems now. One of my Beta readers told me the first-person character I was writing was too sophisticated to be true. I struggled with that. I couldn’t let myself understand what she meant. I wanted to argue and vent and well, you know…have a pity-party cupcake. But when the light when on and I finally understood, I was so grateful I could hardly thank her enough.

Here’s what happened. I got this college course on CDs that told how to write longer, better sentences. I am of the Guideposts and Reader’s Digest school of writing which is to write short and as plainly as possible. (Yes, White and Strunk started it). I got this course and I could barely understand it, but I decided to experiment anyhow. You wouldn’t believe the beautiful lace-like creation I crocheted my character into. It was hard work, but I felt I was learning how to write better. I was learning all right, just not what I thought. When the light went on and I realized my Beta reader was right-on, my stress left me. Let the character write as I naturally write. Now I get to rewrite many passages yet again. To tell the truth, I can’t wait. Writing simply has become like riding a bike, swimming, reading, in another word—fun! Next time through, I’ll leave the roots on. I hope the Beta reader likes it. Thank the good Lord, I have her to tell me the truth.

Happy writing,

Love,

DiVoran

I Love Crime Shows

I love crime. CSI, Criminal Minds, Magnum PI, NCIS, The First 48, I find them all fascinating. I also love reading crime novels from David Baldacci, to Brad Thor. When I saw a Groupon for the CSI Experience, I gobbled it right up. Now, I’m supposed to be dedicated to completing the first draft of my work in progress. I’ve worked on nothing else in my few spare moments and I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I needed a break, and my Groupon was getting ready to expire, so I called up a fellow crime junkie and we went to check out this CSI Experience.

There were more people at the venue than I expected, but the staff processed them effectively and before we knew it, we were zipping up our “official” CSI vests. We were given a clipboard and assigned to one of three crime scenes, then we were off. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who might do the experience themselves so I won’t go into detail. We gathered our evidence, “ran” all of the forensic tests on computer simulators, and came to our conclusion who the killer was. Along the way there are videos with cast members from the original CSI series and when you think your know who did it, you file your report. I can’t imagine how you wouldn’t be able to solve the case, but it was still fun to have Gil Grissom tell me how well I did. There is certainly room for improvement in this experience, but I’m glad we did it and I even feel more energized in my writing quest after taking the afternoon off. You can find out more about this experience at CSI Crime Exhibit

Maybe one day I will even write my own crime novel, but for now, I need to finish my work in progress. What fun things have you done to take a break from writing?

Michael Findley Interviews DiVoran Lites

Michael Findley, blogger at Elk Jerky for the Soul, author of fiction and Bible studies interviewed DiVoran Lites on his website August 28,2013. I have included some of the hightlights below.

Tell us about things you enjoy – what you do for fun or personal satisfaction.

Writing is the greatest enjoyment in my life. But, I love to read fiction and non-fiction as well. I like to swim, take long walks in the woods, paint, draw, and journal, both art journal, and writing journal. I enjoy good, clean movies. I like to cook for my husband and meet family and friends for dinner. I enjoy singing on the church praise team and I like to dance in my kitchen to lively music. The neighbor kids come over for short stretches of time and I like visiting with them. My husband loves to travel and I enjoy it when he goes away for a week to see an aviation museum or four, because it gives us a chance to miss each other and refresh our relationship when he comes home. Yes, I live a quiet life. I feel as if this time truly is, “the best of life for which the first was made.” Robert Browning.

Clear Spring is my newest book. It’s about Mel Nicolaides, who is one of five children. She has lived a happy but sheltered life. When her parents and siblings go to Europe for the summer, Mel opts to stay home and take a job, at a remote North Florida spring. There she begins illustrating a botanical book while learning about Seminole Indian medicine and culinary herbs from its author. This is her opportunity to fulfill her deepest desire, which is to become an independent woman who needs no one. She throws herself into the experience with enthusiasm. But the sudden revelation of a family skeleton forces her to find the rhythms of a power within herself that will profoundly change her life.

You can read the rest of this interview with Michael Findley at Got You Covered: Proofing, Formatting, Cover Design

DiVoran’s final book of the Florida Springs Trilogy will be releasing some time this fall. Here is a sneak-peak at her cover. All of her covers are hand painted.

Contemporary and Enviormental Romance — Clear Spring