Linda Goldfarb and Linda Gilden
Welcome Readers. Davalynn Spencer here, pleased to introduce today’s featured author, Linda Goldfarb and her book, LINKED® for Couples: Maximizing Heart Connections One Link at a Time, co-authored with fellow CAN member Linda Gilden.
Linda, please give us a quick overview of your book.
Hitting #1 across five separate Amazon categories upon release, LINKED® for Couples Quick Guide to Personalities is a communication shovel to help readers dig deep into their relationships, their hearts, how they think, and how they react to situations, both big and small.
What inspired you to write this book?
Learning about personalities changed my relationship with my husband in a mighty way. In fact, it did for my coauthor Linda Gilden, as well.
Truthfully, I’d feel I was doing the world a great disservice by not sharing my personality knowledge, especially to couples. Creating the LINKED® Personality System and its subsequent quick guides feels natural to me. Relationships matter to the Lord; therefore, I teach about LINKED®, I write about LINKED®, I want everyone to get LINKED! Because relationships matter to Him, they should matter to me too.
This may sound like a question with an obvious answer, but what would you say is the primary focus of your book?
Linked for Couples by Linda Goldfarb and Linda Gilden
LINKED® for Couples concentrates primarily on marital relationships. We do have a section in the book called Before “I Do,” which addresses those engaged or contemplating marriage. We believe marriage is a relationship ordained by God and sacred among all others except your relationship with Him.
The unique thing we are focusing on in LINKED® for Couples is addressing two individuals doing life together who often have very different backgrounds and needs. Living in close quarters creates a need for deep understanding of each other. The four personalities are the get-it-done Mobilizer, the life-of-the-party Socializer, the keep-it-calm Stabilizer, and the everything-in-order Organizer.
Once you understand how your spouse acts and reacts and vice versa, along with your love you bring an understanding of how your spouse thinks and why he or she acts the way he or she does. For example, If Mary is a fast-moving, task-oriented, get-things-done-now Mobilizer, and she’s married to Ted, a slow-moving, people-loving, laid-back Stabilizer, you can already see there might be areas that are difficult for them to navigate. If Mary learns of a situation involving someone she loves, she may immediately get to her feet, grab a pen and paper, and start listing her ideas to find the best solution for the problem. Ted, on the other hand, may push back in his recliner, close his eyes, and spend some time just absorbing and assessing the problem before offering a solution. Though totally opposite by design, Mary’s “hop-to-it” personality is actually a compliment to Ted’s easy-going manner. Mary may feel that it has to be done now while Ted takes the time he needs to think through the best options and weighs the consequences before offering a solution. Neither is necessarily a wrong approach. But you can see how together they can make a decision and search for a solution using the best from both personalities.
LINKED® for Couples helps couples to first understand themselves, then understand those whom they love intimately. Even though LINKED® for Couples is for couples, the knowledge will carry over into every relationship they have.
Did you have a particular challenge in writing this book?
It’s not so much a challenge, but the fact that we, Goldfarb and Gilden, have opposite personality blends, Mobilizer-Socializer and Organizer-Stabilizer respectively, might be seen as one. Truly, being coauthors with opposite personality strengths and weaknesses has a positive impact on our marriages to Sam and John. In fact, we jokingly say to our audiences it’s like we’re married to our coauthor and what we discover about each other during our writing we implement into our marriages.
A key to conflict management via personality awareness, is our individual willingness to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses in ourselves and our spouses. Then to move forward in our common goal to live each day championing one another.
Do you have a favorite section in the book?
We talk about the Heart Language of your mate. In this section, we offer the reader activities they can implement to stroke the emotional needs of their mate.
I also like the concept of championing your spouse – it’s so good.
If you could pick the perfect writing place, what would that look like? And what does you’re your actual writing place look like?
A tropical climate with a sea breeze wafting through my cabana, my computer within reach, and my hubby by my side sounds like bliss to me.
Currently, I’m sitting in my recording studio/workout area/office space with the Texas sun shining through my window casting a promise of warm temperatures. I enjoy my life and anticipate more opportunities to walk it out as a full-time writer.
It sounds like you just might have a “day job.” Right?
I’m the Director of EABooks Audiobook Division and an Acquisitions Editor with EA as well. EABooks Publishing offers partnership publishing to authors who enjoy or prefer someone working alongside them on their publishing journey.
Does this work influence what or how you write?
I don’t see working for EABooks influencing what I write, but most certainly as you help others with their writing projects you continue to grow in craft knowledge as well – it’s a win, win!
What can you tell us about your next project?
Our next LINKED® book is LINKED® for Leaders: Maximizing Productivity One Link at a Time is a personality quick guide to help increase cohesiveness, strengthen unity, and maximize connections within your community, group, or business.
Davalynn Spencer
Thank you, Linda, for this encouraging glimpse of your work.
For more about Linda Goldfarb, check out Linda’s website and Linda’s blog.
Davalynn Spencer
May all that you read be uplifting.