~Advice to the Unpublished ~

The visitor to my blog today is an amazing person. Diana Rose is one of my most loyal and supportive fans. We met during my first Facebook party and just hit it off.

Diana Rose writes YA Romance and is unpublished. But she will not stay that way for long.  Today she talks about her inspirations and gives some very pertinent advice to other unpublished authors.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Diana Rose. I am 31 years old. I want to be honest with you, I think it is hard for me to really describe who I am but I will try. Here is something that not many people know: I did not always think I would be an author and if you would have asked me when I was young, I would have said, “I don’t know what I want to be.” I studied Mental Health and Human Services in Kingsborough Community College   and I transferred to Brooklyn College to study psychology. Writing has been an unattainable dream until 2016. I thought I would be a psychologist, but my plans changed then.

I was always the shy girl in the class. But people who knew me and got me to open up, I was instantly friendly with. I did not have a lot of friends in college or school but I think I managed well with having my writing to keep me company. I always loved books about brave heroes and beautiful romantic stories. My love of romance developed from the story my grandparents told me of how they fell in love and they were married for 63 years and to be honest we still remember February 1^st as their wedding anniversary. They would have been married for 72 years now if they were both alive. I learned about true love from them.

Is writing something that comes easy to you or not?

Writing has always been my one true escape from reality. Nothing is easy in today’s world but creating the story in my first book, Book 1: Forbidden Love, that is unpublished at the moment, was probably the easiest book I ever wrote. It is my first book and remains my favorite beginning to a story I know very well.

I can tell you that once I start writing it is easy to keep going because I love my characters, and I absolutely love writing romance. Writing romance for me is fun and no, it isn’t hard. But like any author, I do sometimes lose my inspiration. It doesn’t mean that writing becomes hard, it means that I just need a little time to find my “muse” again.

When I was in school, writing seemed hard. I can’t write essays or final papers because it limits my creativity. However, writing my own books always gave me a sense of freedom to be creative, and I could write for hours if I did not have to eat or sleep. This is why I wanted to be an author full-time because I would be free to write and do what is easy for me. Writing is not a chore or a job. I think it is and always will be my favorite thing in the world.

What are some of your favorite things?

Foods. Flowers. Books. Whatever.

How did you choose the genre you write in?

I chose YA because in a way I am still a teenager at heart myself, and I love reading what Young Adult authors write. Next, I chose Romance because I love reading and watching romance movies and reading romantic novels. But not only that, I wanted to tell my grandparents’ love story for others to read. Their love story expresses true love and I wanted my future readers to know that true love still exists.

I chose Fantasy because I loved Disney fairy tales and any other fairy tales that had brave princes who saved the princess. I wanted that kind of fairy tale to be a part of what I wrote about. Writing in a fantasy world of royals and magic makes writing my books fun and easy because I am still a child at heart who wanted to be a princess.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Yes. As any author in the world, I, too, experience writer’s block. I try to avoid it as much as possible but it does happen. In the days when I was going to college, my writer’s block was more frequent and lengthier as I had to focus my energy on my homework assignments. I thought for sure that once I finished my college degree, my writer’s block would be less but even now it does happen sometimes. Why? I can only think of one reason, I am bouncing between two things at one time. That’s what also used to create the writer’s block before but also had stress added to it. If I’m focused on only one work-in-progress and run out of ideas, I just stop writing and move to something else but sometimes even that does not work.

Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?

Gladly. My writing plans are really endless because since I started writing books in series, I found that family stories are what I’m interested in, I want to focus writing more family series. Also, I finished Book 2 in February of this year which is the next book in my Power of Love Series and I do plan to give it to my editor as soon as Book 1 is done.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

My favorite chapters to write in Book 1: Forbidden Love were the chapters about Pond Water Prince and what happens to Princess Amy. I loved writing those chapters because Pond Water Prince is my first ever evil doer, and I wanted to give Prince Darien a chance to be heroic. I think with my antagonist I had the most fun because of the way he interacts with his captive, Princess Amy, and once Darien arrives on the scene, I believe Darien has a rather interesting interaction with the villain.

How did you come up with the title?

Coming up with the title for Book 1: Forbidden Love was something that came to me naturally.

I listened to my grandparents’ story and also when my grandmother told me about my great-grandmother’s love story, the title for my book just seemed to fit in. This book, Book 1: Forbidden Love is kind of a blend between my grandmother’s parent’s story and my grandparents’ story so I wanted to make my title resemble both stories of true love and make sure that the title fit in with the main theme of the book which is true love.

What project are you working on now or what book will be next?

Right now I’m working on the prequel to my series of Power of Love because something just struck me as I was editing my first book. I felt like I wanted to reveal the history behind the story of Amy and Darien. I felt like it needed to be told. It’s going to be Book 6 in my series and yes I am thinking that six books for this series is enough.

Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Wow, I’m flattered that you would ask this, Zara. You’re 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 the correct way. But…really, is there even a correct way?

I think my advice to pre-published authors who want to build a platform that they can “stand on” is to keep your “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 and 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 it 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 wrote 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 but 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.

Is there anything special that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

Of course, there are a lot of things I want to say to my future readers. But most of all, I want to say that I appreciate their support of my writing and my books. Without my future readers, I would not be able to do the things I am doing like having this interview with you, Zara West. I want to say that to those who came to my author page and read my blog, I am touched by your interest in my work. I hope to write more quality material and I hope that you will continue to support me in the future.

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Forbidden Love by Diana Rose

Fairy tales always say happily ever after comes right after a princess meets her prince. For Amy and Darien, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Princess Amy of the Moon Kingdom has led a sheltered life and dreams about escape. With a controlling mother directing her every move, she remains insecure in her abilities and afraid to disappoint her family. She doesn’t lack courage, but seizing it, even for what she wants most, is harder than she ever thought possible.

Darien, the young prince of the Earth Kingdom is ready for anything that comes his way. When he meets Princess Amy, he wants nothing more than the happily ever the fairy tales promised.

Amy’s mother doesn’t approve of the match, but she isn’t the only one standing in their way… When Pond Water Prince tears them apart, Amy and Darien must fight for their love or lose that happily ever after…forever.

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Learn more about Diana Rose

My Author Blog: https://themagicoftruelove.wordpress.com

Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianaRoseRomance

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/story_rose

Google+ Author Page: https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/101122361789806235405/101122361789806235405

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Diana Rose would love to answer your questions.

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