Davalynn Spencer
Hello from Colorful Colorado. Davalynn Spencer here with guest author Linda Kozar who will be sharing a little of her author’s journey.
The publisher, DaySpring, has this to say about Linda’s featured book, Sunshine for the Soul, Morning Devotions to Warm the Heart.
Linda Kozar
Written in the light and humorous style of our farmhouse devotions, yet still packed with inspirational insights and truth, this devo will be a treasured coffee-ring-stained companion to start the day. This book is for anyone who enjoys a cup of coffee, a sunrise, a quiet moment with God and wink and a smirk at the day to come.
What a great lead-in, Linda. What was the reason you wrote this particular devotional book?
To brighten someone’s day with an encouragement from God’s Word, and to bring a smile to their day.
Is there anything in particular you hope readers will take away from this book?
I hope they will take what they learn and share it with others in the course of their day and also share some of that sunshine with others too, with a smile and a good mood.
Sunshine For The Soul by Linda Kozar
It seems that sharing Christ in your writing is important. How do you go about this?
In both my fiction and nonfiction, God is woven throughout. I would find it difficult if not impossible to write anything without Him in it in one way or another. You might say we’re inseparable.
Are there any themes to which you return again and again in your writing?
Weight issues. In my fiction, I always go back to it because body image and weight are constant issues for women, including me. The message I want to share with women is that God loves you no matter what. You are of great worth to Him. He loves you the same at 120 pounds as He does at 250 pounds, or more. Some of us need to lose weight to be healthy, but we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us. So, I try to share that encouragement through my characters, often in very humorous ways.
How has being a writer impacted your relationship with Christ?
I realized early on that even though I was teaching Bible Studies, I would only reach a certain amount of people through the years. And that’s okay. God gives us our circles of influence in which to help and nurture others. However, it dawned on me that if I wrote books, those books could travel all over the world and reach people in countries I’ve never heard of, in nursing homes, in the hopelessness of prisons, in the homes of the poor and the wealthy, in the hands of those who need to read about the God I serve and to inspire hope in them. Words travel where we cannot.
What an insightful and encouraging observation: Words travel where we cannot.
Clearly, you enjoy your role as storyteller. Do you have other talents you enjoy sharing as well?
I sometimes dabble in oil painting. I’ve had some wonderful successes. Those hang on my walls. The rest wound up on the scrap pile. Painting is wonderfully peaceful and calming. Painting engages a different part of your brain than writing. It’s kind of a palate cleanser. I go back to writing afterwards and feel refreshed.
Such an important balance in life to find two opposite things to enjoy. Do you also have a “day job” or a previous career?
I was a college writing tutor in an ELC (extended learning center) for a while and really enjoyed helping students to bring out talents and gifts they didn’t know they had.
What about pets? If you have any, do they inspire your writing or hinder it?
Gypsy, my Jack Russell terrier does not care about what I’m writing. She only cares about yellow squeaky balls she drops in my lap or on my laptop when I’m trying to write. And sometimes, her tactics work.
Tell us about your next project.
I just finished a new devotion proposal I’m super excited about. That’s all I can say for now.
Thank you, Linda, for uplifting us today with this interview and encouraging words.
For those who are interested in learning more about Linda, connect with her at Linda’s website.
Davalynn Spencer
~May all that you read be uplifting.~