Diane Yates writes inspirational romantic fiction and nonfiction. Her Fate Series, published by Forget Me Not Romances an imprint of Winged Publications, begins with Melissa's Fate and continues with Impossible Fate. The third book in the series will release in the near future.
Diane is the author of two biography/memoirs, Pathways of
the Heart and All That Matters, published by W&B Publishers.
She has served two terms as President of Ozarks Writers League and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writer's Guild, Boonslick Creative Writers, and Clean Fiction Writers.
She teaches writing workshops and has spoken at various
organizations. She and her husband, Rick, work in youth and adult ministries in
their church, where she writes plays and skits as well as Sunday School
curriculum and Bible studies. She has three children and eight grandchildren
who are the crown of her life.
Check out her website at www.dianeyates.com for her schedule and contact information.
Check out her website at www.dianeyates.com for her schedule and contact information.
Author Links
Amazon link for All That Matters
Q & A
Tell me about yourself. What got you started writing?
Q & A
Tell me about yourself. What got you started writing?
My English eighth-grade teacher tried to persuade me to take my writing
more seriously. Even until my adult years, whenever I would see her, she’d want
to know if I’d written a book yet. I started the first creative writing club in
my junior high school and worked on my high school newspaper.
After marrying and raising three children, I finally wrote my first novel
in my early forties. While my mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s, napped in
the afternoon, I rested in front of my personal computer and lived in the
imaginary world of my characters. I felt empowered because I was the one
creating their destinies; finally, something of which I was in complete
control!
How did you come up with your book ideas? What inspired you?
When it stopped to pick up the
new girl, she climbed aboard and sat next to David. The next thing I knew, she
was Jewish! They grew up together with her parents forbidding them to be
together, but God had other plans. It appeared there was no world where the two
of them could exist together, but God can make a way when there seems to be no
way.
What was the most difficult part of writing this book? How did you overcome this difficulty?
Since
I’m not Jewish, I had a lot to learn about the belief and passion Aliyah’s
family had for God and their religion. Her parents objected to Aliyah’s
relationship with David, but they loved their daughter. I had to see things
from their point of view and empathize with what they were feeling.
Who is your favorite character from the novel? What about them makes them your favorite?
This
is a difficult question. My first answer is Aliyah because she speaks her mind.
She’s adventuress and at the same time obedient, with the only exception being
her love for David. And then there’s David—he’s bright, caring, devoted to God
and knows what he wants.
Do your characters (or message) ever seem to have a life of their own or an agenda?
Yes.
Many times, I have an outline or a plan for my characters, and the next thing I
know, they are doing something different because of who they are and how they
interact with one another. This particular book has a subtle message of not
being unequally yoked.
How has writing this book impacted you personally?
There
is a fire burning within me for the people of Israel, and indeed all people who
need to know Jesus.
How many books do you currently have published? What genres?
I have four books in print. The first two are true stories about a spunky
young lady, named Clella. She is the daughter of a judge who falls in love with
and marries the son of schoolteacher two months before the Great Depression in
the Missouri Ozarks. It’s easy to walk down the aisle and say I do. It’s much
harder to live happily ever after. Couples often make mistakes that affect the
whole family, but no mother could do more for her husband and children. The
family names haven’t been changed in these true stories. She was my mother and
I am her seventh child.
Melissa’s Fate is my first fiction novel. Phil Drake will do anything to
save the little girl he didn’t know about, but will he ever forgive Beth? With
Phil and Beth at odds, it will take a miracle from God to save Melissa’s
Fate.
What is your favorite thing about writing? Your least favorite?
What authors in your genres inspire you most?
The
first answer would have to be Janet Oke, but I love reading Karen Kingsbury and
Francine Rivers. Recently I’ve found some new authors, at least to me, such as
Kimberly Grist, Christy LaShea, and Robin Densmore Fuson.
What would you tell a beginning author that wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?
Remember Proverbs 3:5-6. I believe the desire you have to be a published author was put there by God. Whatever He has called you to do, He will give you the ability to do it. You can do it, not by your will but by His might. I know this because you can do all things through Christ.
As the Drake family story continues, David Drake falls in
love with his childhood best friend, Aliyah Zimmerman, but theirs is an
impossible love.
They seek to find ways to be together, although her parents
forbid their friendship. In middle school, their hearts are shattered when Mr.
Zimmerman moves Aliyah and the family to the other side of the world. David and
Aliyah lose all connection until college, but by then David is dating someone
else.
Is their love still strong? Can David bridge the gap between
his Christianity and Aliyah’s Jewish faith in time to save their relationship
and prevent her impending marriage or is theirs an impossible fate?
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