Good morning, readers. Welcome to another interview with Women of Faith and Fiction. This morning I am talking with the lovely Linda Yezak. Linda is an author and editor. You can find her offering writing advice and bits of humor on her blog. Now, let’s get started.

Personal

Good morning, Linda. Tell us a little about yourself.

I’m getting old. Strands of gray are filtering in with my red hair, my right hip occasionally refuses to bear my weight, and I’ve learned the truth about looking around to see what else I can do while crouched on the floor. Sixty may be the new forty, but sometimes it is every bit my sixth decade. Good news is that I’m more comfortable in my wrinkling skin, my forgetful mind tends to hold more wisdom and patience, and my failing eyes behind these trifocals tend to overlook a lot more than they used to. It’s all good.

Linda, I love the way you express truth with a dash of humor. Next question…

 

Professional

Linda, I made sure to include coffee in this picture. I know how much you love it. 🙂

Where did you get the idea for your latest WIP or your current release? And what inspired you to choose the setting of your story?

Ride to the Altar is the third and final novel in the Circle Bar Ranch series. When I first started the series, my mother had just sold her family’s ranch near Stephenville, Texas. It’s a beautiful ranch, horseshoed by massive hills, with plenty of natural grass and ponds, so it was painful to watch the deed shift hands. The Circle Bar Ranch ranch is based on my too-short time in the area.

The ranch sounds lovely. It’s always sad when deeds shift hands. Now, what’s your favorite thing to do when not writing?

I love to fish. Doesn’t mean I get to do it often, but it’s my favorite thing to do when I’m not writing. But even then, I’m writing. Doesn’t much matter what I’m doing. I’m writing.

I totally understand that statement. Whenever I relax, my characters show up and begin talking. 🙂 Please share a writing quirk—a ‘must have’ or a ‘must do’ to get words down on paper.

I can’t remember who said it, but some famous somebody said to leave a sentence unfinished at the end of your writing session, so at the beginning of the next session, you can be off to a running start. I’ve adopted this technique. It works.

I love that. Not sure if it would work for me as a writer but as a musician…definitely. Final questions…

 

Inspirational

This year’s theme is First Things First. Setting our priorities is a must if we’re to be about our Father’s business. What advice would you offer someone struggling to spend time with Him? And, how has spending time with Him changed your life?

I’m not capable of staying up late, so I get up early to spend time with Him—used to be 5:00, but now it’s more like 4. I love studying His word and learning from Him, so I try not to miss. When I have my full time, I flip through the hymnal I keep beside my chair and sing to Him. Then I engage in whatever study I’m working on. Afterward, I read the day’s devotional, then I meditate on what I’ve learned, pray for those who enter my mind, share my plans and concerns with Him.

Spending time with Him is fortifying. It starts my day on the right note. It feeds my yearning to be with Him, to be more like Him. It reminds me to see Him in everything, seek Him in everything, acknowledge Him in everything.

Create the habit of devoting time to Him. Carve out time in your day. It’s just like your writing. If you really want to do it, you’ll figure out how. There aren’t any valid excuses. Get up early. Go to bed late. Skip a TV show. Lock the bathroom door. If you don’t have hours, dedicate minutes to Him.

Stick to your set time the best you can given your circumstances, but don’t beat yourself up if you miss a day or if things don’t work out. Sometimes, all you need to do is to thank Him for being there with you. Acknowledge Him so you don’t lose your connection with Him during a busy day. The more often you do that, the more likely your day will go smoothly and your emotions will remain in check.

I love that advice! I agree that acknowledging Him daily strengthens the bond. Linda, thank you for joining us today on WFF. It has been a pleasure talking with you.

Readers, Linda’s book (paperback) is up for pre-order. Cl

Click to Tweet: I love to fish. Doesn’t mean I get to do it often, but it’s my favorite thing to do when I’m not writing. #Interview with @LindaYezak #WFF

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Ride to the Altar

Cattle are dying on the Circle Bar, putting the Texas ranch in financial jeopardy. Newly engaged Patricia Talbert and Talon Carlson must root out the cause before they can concentrate on wedding plans.

But that mystery isn’t their only obstacle. To placate her father, Patricia must return to her hometown of Manhattan to make amends with her mother, the interfering, dominating woman she has hardly spoken to in a year. Her father decides it is time for them to declare a truce, but considering the depth of anger she holds against her mother, how can she?

While she is away, Talon discovers that the attacks on the ranch are connected to the murder of his first fiancée over eight years ago. Memories plague him and emotions confound him as he scrambles to discover who is trying to destroy him and the ranch. By the time Patricia returns from New York, the strikes against the Circle Bar have become more aggressive, to the point of injury for one of the ranch hands.

Before they can move forward together, each have to resolve the past. Their Ride to the Altar has twists and turns neither ever considered. Will they be able to start their new life with a clean slate?

Amazon Link

Barnes and Nobel Link

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Linda W. Yezak lives with her husband and their funky feline, PB, in a forest in deep East Texas, where tall tales abound and exaggeration is an art form. She has a deep and abiding love for her Lord, her family, and salted caramel. And coffee—with a caramel creamer. Author of award-winning books and short stories, she didn’t begin writing professionally until she turned fifty. Taking on a new career every half century is a good thing.

Website: http://lindawyezak.com

Newsletter: http://dld.bz/CoffeewithLinda

Facebook: Author Page

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lyezak/

Twitter: @LindaYezak

Amazon Page: http://dld.bz/LWYAmazonPage

Goodreads: Linda W Yezak