INTERVIEW WITH BECKY LYLES

With 2013 in full swing, I get to do one of my favorite things: chat with other writers! I’m looking forward to many more authors visiting with me on these pages.

Today, I’m delighted to welcome Becky Lyles to my blog. Writing under the pen name, Rebecca Carey Lyles, Becky is a freelance writer and editor whose articles and stories have appeared in magazines and compilations.

Her debut novel, Winds of Wyoming, was released in 2012. The sequel, Winds of Freedom, is scheduled for a Spring 2013 release. She’s also written two 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. She and her husband, Steve, live in beautiful Boise, Idaho.

Here is a peek into Becky’s story, Winds of Wyoming. It will make you want to get a copy of this book!
Fresh out of a Pennsylvania penitentiary armed with a marketing degree, Kate Neilson heads to Wyoming anticipating an anonymous new beginning as a guest-ranch employee. A typical twenty-five-year-old woman might be looking to lasso a cowboy, but her only desire is to get on with life on the outside—despite her growing interest in the ranch owner. When she discovers a violent ex-lover followed her west, she fears the past she hoped to hide will trail as close as a shadow and imprison her once again.

Becky has graciously agreed to give away a free copy of one of her books, either in paper or e-format, whichever the winner prefers. To be entered in the drawing, simply leave a comment on this blog. A name will be chosen on Friday.
And now, without further ado, here’s Becky:

Hi, Becky. I’m so glad you’ve joined us today. I’m sure the readers are as anxious as I am to pick your brain, so let’s get started.
They say to write what you know, but sometimes we’d rather forget what we know! Have you ever drawn upon your own gut-wrenching life experiences and injected them into your characters’ lives?  I’ve experienced the heartache (and the joy!) of walking alongside hurting individuals through prison and post-prison ministry. Women behind bars are daughters and sisters and wives and mothers who care deeply for their families and friends and who feel the pain of empty arms when they’re separated from their loved ones. They long for wholeness and oftentimes struggle with low self-esteem as well as recovery from addictions or abusive relationships.
       Despite the thrill of freedom when they’re finally released from prison, life on the outside can be difficult for ex-offenders. If they don’t quickly find a healthy support system, they can easily slide back into sin. Landing a job is tough for them as is figuring out where they fit in society, which includes the question of whether or not they’ll be accepted in churches.
       To highlight the challenges former inmates face, I created an ex-offender heroine who starts her life anew in a totally different environment, a heroine whose past refuses to release her. Plus, I added a great group of supporting characters to help her walk in the Light day by difficult day.

Has a character ever made you laugh out loud?
A character in “Winds” named Dymple makes me laugh. Readers find her funny, too. Here’s what Pat Dyer said in her insightful blog about the characters in my debut novel: “Dymple-with a y-Louise Forbes is undoubtedly my favorite character. Spunky and full of grit, the tiny old lady befriends Kate early on, and demonstrates her testimony of faith through her actions.”
http://patsydyer.com/2012/11/28/meet-the-characters-in-winds-of-wyoming-by-rebecca-carey-lyles/

Do you have a favorite character? It can be from a book you wrote years ago or last month, or it can be from a story you wrote that has not yet been published.
Like Pat Dyer, many readers have said Dymple is their favorite “Winds” character. I have to agree. She’s a one-of-a-kind lady.
Connie here: Dymple sounds like someone with whom I’d like to have coffee!!

How do you work through writer’s block?
My mind is always reinvigorated by reading and editing the previous day’s work. That’s probably because I find rewriting much easier than the initial coming up with words to put down on paper—or into the computer.
Connie here: Author James Michener once said, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent re-writer.” I think this is true for many of us. We have to get it down first before we can decide which words to keep, which ones to rearrange, and which ones to toss.

Have you ever served as a judge for a contest? What is the best advice you can give to an unpublished writer entering their story in a contest?
Yes, I’ve served as a judge for several writing contests. My best advice is for writers to ask two or three savvy people to critique their work before they submit it. Those who want their stories to impress judges must make every effort to “put their best foot forward.”

What is your most memorable writer’s conference?
This may seem a bit morbid, but my most memorable writers conference was held the week my mother died. I knew she was ill and her time on earth was limited but, of course, didn’t know when she’d pass away. So I attended a conference for which I’d registered months earlier. Not only did late-summer temperatures climb to all-time highs, the sleeping cabins and some of the meeting rooms were not air-conditioned. I’m known in my family as the Queen of Hot Flashes, so you can imagine the sweat dripping off my brow, to put it delicately.
Between the heat and my concern about my mom, I stumbled through the conference in a fog. In the midst of the sessions, I remember meeting with a literary agent on a hot, stuffy, narrow balcony overlooking a workshop in progress. I sweated, and the agent whispered, her words colliding in my head with those of the speaker below us. She quickly skimmed a couple pages of my story, while I fought to breathe the stifling air. To be honest, I didn’t care whether she liked my story or not; I just wanted to escape to cooler quarters downstairs. I think she had the same overwhelming desire because it didn’t take her long to say “thanks, but no thanks.”
In the midst of the heat and wondering if I should have stayed home, God used music to comfort me. A man on an acoustic guitar led the group in simple worship songs before each general session. I don’t remember what we sang, but the melodies and the words spoke to my heart and salved my soul—and prepared me for the sad news I received shortly after I returned home. Through the days of grief and loss that followed, I felt carried by God’s goodness in my time of need.
Connie here: That must have been an excruciating time for you. Love the way God ministered to you.

Check out Becky’s website:
http://www.beckylyles.com
beckylyles@beckylyles.com

And her blog:
http://widgetwords.wordpress.com

And look for her on Twitter and Facebook:
Twitter: @BeckyLyles
Facebook: Rebecca Carey Lyles or Becky Carey Lyles

Thanks for visiting with us today, Becky. Readers, don’t forget: to be entered in the drawing for a free copy of one of Becky’s books, leave a comment.

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