If you want to be entered in the drawing for Divas in Disguise, please leave a comment with your email address or email me at margaretdaley@gmail.com. The drawing ends this Sunday evening.
Leigh DeLozier
Divas in Disguise: Finding the True Diva in You
From Extreme Diva Publishing
What made you start writing?
Writing for me is like reading – I don’t remember learning how to do either, but they’ve always been part of my life. I’ve always enjoyed writing, even those research papers everyone else hated.
How long have you been writing? When did you sell your first book?
I started writing devotionals in 1999, when our son was a baby. Being a mom really helped me see things from a new perspective. It seemed like so many of the things I saw with him paralleled my relationship with God and I wrote tons of devotionals. Later I started looking for a devotional book for work-from-home moms but couldn’t find one. Many of my devotionals tied in with my life as a work-from-home mom so I felt God nudging me in that direction. My first book, Work-from-home Moms’ Devotions to Go, was published in 2006.
How do you handle rejections?
With chocolate! ☺ It hurts to have a rejection, so I have to be in a better frame of mind before reading it again. I set it aside and ask God to help me see what I can learn from it. Sometimes I can pick it up later that day, sometimes it has to sit a while. But it can always teach me something once I go back.
Why do you write?
I write because I can’t not write. A lot of my devotionals deal with finding God in the small things of life, so ideas are everywhere I turn. Now that I’m working on a novel, plots and characters pop in my head all the time too. My brain can only handle so much, so I have to get things out of my head and onto paper. When I do sit down to write, it becomes a really special time with God because I hope the words I write are really His.
What would you be doing with your free time if you weren’t writing?
I would either cross-stitch or scrapbook because I have plenty of unfinished projects and good intentions for both hobbies. First on the list would be finishing our daughter’s cross-stitch Christmas stocking.
What are you working on right now?
I’m tweaking the proposal for a devotional book and am working on some other devotionals to submit to other publications. I’m also working on a novel set in Georgia around the turn of the century. This is my first historical project, so the research is a bit overwhelming but more fun than I’d expected. I’ve mapped out the story and am beginning to write.
Do you put yourself into your books/characters?
I do this all the time with my devotionals – people have told me they learned a lot about our family when they read Work-from-home Moms! I’m still pretty new to fiction writing, but can already see parts of myself slipping into characters here and there.
Tell us about the book you have out right now.
My new devotional book is Divas in Disguise: Finding the True Diva in You, and it’s written for teen/tween girls. It looks at 30 women from Scripture and whether they were a “desperate diva” (who thought she had everything together but really missed the mark) or a “diva in disguise” (who might have been unimportant in the world’s eyes but knew and followed God). Every day has a key Scripture verse, devotional, prayer, and journaling activity. It also tells where you can look up the full story to learn more about that day’s diva. Each week ends with questions that compare the women. I’m hoping it’s a book that girls can use on their own or as part of a group Bible study.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write what God has laid on your heart, whether it’s novels or devotionals or skits … or something completely different. He can use it all! Study and learn to be a better writer, then put that knowledge to work and write! Ask for His guidance and He can use your words to touch people in ways you might never imagine.
How important is faith in your books?
Faith is very important, because that’s what devotionals are all about – quick reminders of who God is and how we can grow as Christians. I try to help readers see how God works around them in big or small ways every day. With Divas in Disguise, I hope to help girls see how important they are to God and how stories they might have heard in church can actually translate to their lives today.
What themes do you like to write about?
When I write for or speak to women’s groups, most of what I say comes back to “Slow down – see God – be changed.” I think many of us are so busy that we miss God and His miracles. Once we learn to slow down and start to see Him more often, we can’t help but be changed.
My main message for girls is that each of them is beautiful in God’s eyes and that He has a special plan for them. One of my favorite verses I like to remind them of is Psalm 45:11: “The king is enthralled with your beauty; honor him, for he is your Lord.” That’s what it’s all about.
What is your favorite book you’ve written and why?
As happy as I was when Work-from-home Moms was published, Divas in Disguise is definitely my favorite of the two. I remember how tough middle school was and have a special place in my heart for teen/tween girls. I enjoyed researching the women I wrote about and hope God will be able to use their stories to touch girls’ lives and help God come alive for them.
What is your writing schedule like?
I work from home as a freelance writer and editor, so I write all the time. The projects that help pay the bills have to come first, so my devotionals and novel get squeezed in around those. Most projects stop when the kids get home from school at 3 because we get busy with homework and such. Sometimes I have a phone interview or deadline in the afternoon and they’ve learned to deal with that pretty well. Most nights I’m back at the computer with work (or sometimes fun writing) once the kids are in bed. For someone who loves sleep as much as I do, I never seem to get much of it!
My website: www.leighdelozier.com
Divas in Disguise is available online through Amazon and Target, or any bookseller can order it for you.
