It is a pleasure to welcome Young Adult Fantasy Author, Diana Rose, to my blog. I originally connected with Diana through social media and our mutual love of romance and fantasy made us fast friends.
Diana is the future author of Forbidden Love and other romantic titles for Whippoorwill Press. I'm looking forward to reading all of her stories one day soon!
Thank you Diana, for joining us on Passion Between the Pages!
You write about true love and how to find it. In a world where true love is, too often, not
at the forefront of people’s minds and hearts, what inspires you and what
inspires your romantic stories?
When I began
writing Book 1: Forbidden Love, I knew that it would be a romance fantasy novel
right then. My inspiration for writing romance came from the most unexpected
place, I think. It came from my grandparents. My maternal grandparents had a
very interesting love story that I fell in love with. I wanted to express that
kind of love in my books. I believe that this is the reason why I myself
believe so strongly in the existence of true love. My grandparents lived
together for 63 years and would have celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary if
they were still alive.
I do also, read a lot of romantic novels and watch
different romantic movies which also help to inspire me but the biggest
inspiration, I still think was the story of the love my grandparents shared. I
hope that one day I will find this kind of love for myself. Also, many
fairytales of princesses, and brave princes fueled my idea that true love
exists. “A true love’s kiss is the most powerful magic in the world.” I grew up
to believe that this is true.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
A typical writing day, for me usually begins after I
get a big cup of fruit flavored tea and some food. I watch a romantic based
movie and then I am off to write. I usually try to write as much as I can
before I get stuck. I like writing after breakfast and in the evenings late
into the night.
Tell us about your writing style and process. Are you a plotter? A "panster?" Do you do a lot of research before you begin writing your stories?
I usually like to have an idea in my head of what I
want to write about but I don’t like to plan. Maybe I’m a “plotter” more than a
“panster” as I can easily figure out the main idea but it takes me longer to
figure out the details and especially character names. However, in relation to
Book 1: Forbidden Love and Book 2: Sacrificed Love, I think details were easier
in Book 1.
Research? I don’t think that I have done much
research for this series other than listening to my grandparents tell me their
love story. I think that all I wanted to do for the Power of Love Series that
started with Book 1: Forbidden Love was retell a story I knew by heart and tell
the story in such a way that it did not sound like a biography. I choose
fantasy, magic, royalty because those are also things that I enjoyed when I was
little.
I’ve heard great things about your upcoming debut
novel! What is this story about and what
inspired your characters and premise?
The first book in my Power of Love Series, Book 1:
Forbidden Love is about Princess Amy from the Moon Kingdom and Prince Darien
who is from the Earth Kingdom. They fall in love with each other and Princess
Amy’s mother, Queen Alyona is against them being together so she attempts to
separate them. But Prince Darien goes out to find her. The story is about how, despite all the obstacles Princess Amy and Prince Darien faced throughout
their lives, they still manage to find a way to be together. This book
shows that true love can conquer all evil no matter what that evil is.
The inspiration for Amy and Darien came from my
grandparents’ story essentially. It amazed me how two people can love each
other so much no matter what is going on in their life. In a world that was
just coming out of WWII, my grandparents managed to find love and have a
wonderful family. That was probably what sparked the idea for this book and
series. I wanted to let people see that “Darien” can exist in real life. My
grandfather’s care and love for his wife and children and grandchildren was so
beautiful that I truly believed that I was living among the most real Prince
Charming as I grew up. I believe that my grandparents deserve the attention
and respect of the people in today’s world.
My first ever editor, Professor Susan Ednie at
Kingsborough Community College used to joke a little. She used to ask me, “How
old is our Darien now?” Of course, she meant my grandfather and I always smiled
at that question. I think that the Darien I write about in my book is a true
novel-made version of who my grandfather was. Amy is made up of two women, my grandmother and my great-grandmother on my mother’s side.
You write stories for young adults which is
something I, as an author, have yet to attempt. What are the challenges that come
with writing for this age group in today’s world, and what do you find most
rewarding about doing it?
Hmm….I would say that the first challenge in writing
for Young Adults is that my chapters have to be smaller. I write 20-30 page
chapters at a time so when I wanted to submit this book to a publishing company
I had to divide the chapters into five to six pages long.
The most rewarding aspect of writing for young
adults is that I believe that I can make a positive change for today’s children
by showing them that even though a boy is young he can still perform heroic acts and
protect the people around him and that girls will appreciate it. Chivalry and
romance and the expression of feelings to the one you love is still as
real as having a wedding to celebrate the union of two hearts. Of course, I
write about royals, but some things are always present and exist even in today’s
world. I want today’s children and teens to have hope that somewhere out there
is someone who will love them forever and never betray you. After all, every
fairytale starts with hope and it is that hope that helps us to move on in life
and believe that better things are possible.
My favorite part about writing is that I can express
my ideas in a way that shows truth about life in a whole new way. I can write
books that people can relate to and see their lives reflected in my stories. Having a talent to create stories, books, and characters that
are realistic is my favorite part of writing. Yes, I did fall in love with
Darien and I still am in love with him because he represents what I want to find.
My career as an author is something that I keep
thinking about. The most important thing that I want to achieve is giving
people hope and making people believe that true love is possible and it can be
found not only in a book but outside in our daily lives. I want to keep writing
and finding new ideas that center around the idea of true love. I have been
saying for a long time that I want to see my name in lights. But what does that
mean? I think it means that I want to have as many people as possible read
my books and see that I don’t just write books, I put my heart, my soul and all
my emotions into my writing. I want people to ask each other, “Have you read
the new Diana Rose novel?” Ha ha, yes, that would be the best thing in the
world, to be one of the great authors of our time!
I’ve heard many people make the suggestion that
pre-published authors should begin to build a web presence as early in the
process as possible, so that once their debut novel is released a digital
platform has already been established. You’ve done this better than any anyone
I know! What advice do you have for pre-published authors regarding marketing
and social media?
Wow,
I’m flattered that you would say this, Jessica. You asking me for advice
makes me feel like I’ve done something right, and here I was thinking that I was
not doing this marketing thing the correct way. But…really, is there ever a "correct
way?"
I
think my advice to pre-published authors who want to build a platform that they
can “stand on” is keep your marketing “voice” the same as in your book. Your personal
style for writing things and expressing ideas should be your own. Do not copy
anyone unless they are doing something that you think is important. Be
yourself.
For
example, my style is to write “I thank you all for your infinite support” at
the end of my posts on my blog and author page. But that is my way of writing
and it might not be yours.
Also,
social media marketing always needs something new every day. If you can put out
quality work every day, great, but if it takes you more time to work on
something worth showing then don’t feel pressured that you did not do a post
yesterday. Today, you do two or three. I believe that quality matters. You
want your future readers to see you at your best. Just like you would not
publish a book without editing it, you don’t want to put out something in
social media that everyone will see and isn’t your best work.
Pre-published
authors, make an author page, blog!! It’s your way to show agents and
publishers that you are not in some dark corner and that people actually know
who you are. Be consistent and if you write on social media that you are going
to do something on this day, do it. People expect things and they get
disappointed if you don’t give them what they are waiting for. Really, even I
still have a lot to learn about marketing at least I’m half way there. I
know things may seem impossible but you need to try. Try to do something if you
don’t try, you will never succeed.
What kinds of books do you most enjoy reading? Do you read mainly YA Fantasy or do you enjoy
a variety of genres?
I
read romances and some are YA and some are not. It depends on if I like the
author or what the book is about. I read romance and romance is a large genre
in and of itself. The books I would never read are thriller, mystery, crime. Those
would give me nightmares.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our
readers?
Yes, I’m a romantic at heart. When I’m not writing
my books, I like to read romance to see what others write. I like to talk to my
friends who may also give me ideas. I watch Once Upon A Time which has all
the fairytales set in a modern day setting - my guilty pleasure. I like
helping my friends and I always try to give good advice.
Thanks so much for stopping by, Diana! You can visit Diana online at the following links:
Facebook Author Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1146910298682392/ Come and join in the fun.
The Magic of True Love
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