Authors – Page 16 – Rebekah Lyn Books

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

Bacon, Eggs and Eavesdropping

I mentioned on Face Book that after I had my blood drawn for routine blood work, that I’ve been putting off since last year, we went for bacon, eggs, toast, jelly, and coffee. Delicious after fasting since I got up two hours before.

The diner style café was one of a modern chain, but the clients at the table next to us gave it a down home, old timey feel. First there were three men sitting at the table talking, you get a lot of that in Florida during the week. We heard one man called Shorty. You could tell they had known each other a long time. For writers, a cardinal rule is: eavesdrop in public places whenever possible. You may even be able to take it off your taxes as research. (Not really). Anyhow, I heard one of them say something and the other answer, be careful you don’t get shot. Down here in Deep South Florida, we call that Red Neck talk, no offence.

An elderly couple came in. The man was pale and tottery. There was only one seat at the men’s table and the husband walked around to the empty chair while the wife went to the counter to order. To the tottery man, Shorty said, “You better sit down before you fall down.” I haven’t heard that since I was a child and I have never heard it spoken more appropriately. When the wife came back they offered to move a table, but she said, “No thanks, I’ll just sit here by myself.” She had her newspaper and therefore only had to listen to the parts of the conversation that interested her. A jolly waitress bustled over and set something in front of the tottery man.. “This is for you, sweetie, “she said. “You’ve got to eat something.” He said thank you and asked what it was. “Fried Pie,” said the waitress. That’s what I want when I get tottery, I thought.

“I got two coupons for those,” said Shorty not wanting to be left out.

“I’ll bring you some, honey,” said the waitress,” just as soon as they come out of the fryer.”

The men talked some more the way friends do. They casually mentioned their grandchildren. Then the woman at the next table took a page from her newspaper and offered it: “Anyone want to read the obits?” she asked.

A man took the paper from her and looked at it. “This isn’t the news, he said. “It’s the obituaries.” But then he set to reading it and silence reigned. “Edgar’s in here.” The man looked up. “He died at 83. There’s a whole page write-up on him.”

We left before they did. My dear husband who also must have been eavesdropping gave the tottery man his free coupon for fried pies. Everybody thought that was real nice of him. It felt good to be with just plain folks like the ones we came from and remain to be to this day. We wish them well. Fried pies, anyone?

DiVoran Lites

Have You Ever Written a Letter to God?

The best bit of advice I ever got was to write a letter to God. Why? Well, it got me started communicating with Him and by default with myself. I’ve written a letter to him almost every day

since about 1970 or so. Some were short, most were several pages long. I learned from doing it that God is always there for me and he doesn’t care what I say or how long it takes me to say it. I’ve learned that He really loves me, and that to him, I’m a unique and special person.

Now some people just talk to him, and I admire that way of doing it, but it doesn’t work as well for me. Maybe I I can’t concentrate, or I get bored with hearing my own voice, or thoughts run away with me and I get distracted. But a letter? That’s different. It’s as if my whole mind, soul, and body gets into the exchange, and exchange it is because God writes letters to me as well, in many different ways. I’ll tell you about some of that later on. For now, though how about you? Are you a talker or a writer?

A “Go” Bag Isn’t Just for Conspiracy Theorists

There are lots of survival shows on TV these days, and many of the people on them probably look crazy,

Do they have a go bag? — Wonder if they have a “go” bag?

with their plans for getting out of town fast in the event of a variety of disasters. I’ve learned from these shows though that a “go bag” isn’t just for conspiracy theorists. Living in Florida, I deal with torrential downpours, tornados, hurricanes, wild fires, and highways shut down due to major wrecks. In 1997, I was working the night shift and wasn’t able to get home because all routes were closed due to wild fires. Fortunately, I was working for a hotel at the time and was able to get a room for the night. We wore uniforms so I didn’t have to worry about fresh clothes, but sitting up that night, watching the news coverage of the fires burning, inching closer to homes and threatening to keep the roads closed for days, I vowed that I would never make my commute without at least an overnight bag from then on.

Building my go bag has taken years. It started with a basic change of clothes and a blanket, in case my car broke down somewhere. After a particularly good session working with my technical guru

Musician and Photographer — Mike Thomas My Technical Guru

on the video trailer for Summer Storms, I was too tired to make the drive home and had to be back in to work in only five hours any way, so I crashed in a hotel with my trusty go bag. When I got in the room, though, I found out my bag wasn’t as trusty as I thought. The pants I had didn’t match my dress shoes, I didn’t have any toiletries, contact lens case or solution, not even a hair brush. Fortunately the hotel gift shop was still open and I was able to buy the few things not provided complimentary. When I got home the next night, I made a list of the things I needed to add to my bag.

Now, I feel confident that my bag will get me through just about any spontaneous situation, well, except an invitation to a formal event. I haven’t figured out how to cram an evening gown in the bag. I guess I’ll have to depend on my fairy godmother for that.