Hi Dianna, I can’t believe this is the first
time that I’ve interviewed you, especially since I’ve become somewhat of a
stalker of you and your work (bugger, did I just write that down?). Anyhow
moving swiftly on, for those who follow our Facebook page in particular, you’ll
all know that I think Dianna Hardy and her flipping amazing The Witching Pen
Series are bloody out of this world, crazy wonderful! Just thought I needed to
get my fan girl moment out there before we move on Dianna! Lol!
So, thanks for taking the timeout to answer a
few questions. Hopefully, our lovely followers will also be able to discover a
little bit more about you and how awesome both you and your series are!
Thank you, Bex! And for the record, I think you and your blog
are awesome :) The way you’re so dedicated to your readers and books is a total
inspiration!
***
Bex: For those followers who’ve been
hibernating or are new to our page, could you please just tell us a little bit
about yourself.
Dianna: I always feel like a completely boring person when I answer this question, lol. I’m 34, a
mother, I live in the UK, I write adult paranormal romances and urban
fantasies, which have a edge of both darkness and humour to them, as well as
being erotic in places more often than not ;)
And actually, I am kinda boring, because at the moment, I’m sort of
married to writing and publishing, so other than look after my daughter, that’s
all I do! But you can read a much more in-depth and revealing Bio on my site
here: http://www.diannahardy.com/bio.html (at the bottom of the page)
Bex: Tricky this one, hence the reason why I’m
asking you to do it, and I’m not going to do it myself! Mwah! In 50 words or
less, sum up The Witching Series.
Dianna: Unique, fun,
fast-paced, sexy and passionate, this is paranormal romance that combines the
dark with the light, and the sweet with the gritty. It also had witches, demons
and angels in it ;)
Dianna: Oh, god, er … yeah, it is hard! For me, books two and
three can’t exist without book one! Having said that, I think that books 2 and
3, The Sands Of Time and The Demon Bride are my favourites, and no,
you won’t be able to get me to choose between those two, lol. The Sands Of
Time literally flowed from mind to paper for me, and there’s something so
beautiful and sorrowful about Pueblo, Amy and Paul’s story, which I haven’t
finished telling yet. But The Demon Bride … oh, I LOVED writing Gwain
and Mary. Those two rocked my world when I wrote them, and they didn’t always
let me have it easy either – they really tested me. They are a hard-hitting,
passionate couple and I loved bringing them to life!
Bex: I love that of range characters that you have created in the The Witching Pen Series. Their sassiness, kick-ass abilities and general awesomeness all tied in with an edge of normality is a pretty impressive achievement. Which character(s) do you relate to the most, or maybe see elements of yourself in?
Dianna: Why, thank you! (blushes…)
Now, I’ve spent AGES thinking about whether I should answer this
question or not, because I’m concerned that knowing the answer may ruin a
character for a reader. So, if you feel that you DON’T want to know, please
don’t read the answer below. I’d hate for the illusion of a character to be
spoilt for you once you know “the truth” :s
The answer...
which I’m sure makes me super weird because I’m a woman...
is...
Gwain.
I relate to Gwain the most and there’s loads of myself in him. I
think that’s why he was the most difficult character for me to write out of
everybody. (It does make me weird, doesn’t it … lol.)
Bex: Only a little, but we love you the more
for it! Lol!
I know
that you are so much more than this one wonderful series that I keep harping on
about, tell us a little about what else you have created.
Dianna: I’m currently writing the Eye Of The Storm
series, which is a paranormal fantasy, that’s heavy on the romance and the
erotic. This series is about werewolves, and it does have a different feel to
The Witching Pen books: it’s more raw, rough and animalistic in tone, pace and
language. The driving force of this series is the “lust and control” aspect of
us, as people vs. werewolves, or animal instincts vs. human consciousness.
Bex: Why the paranormal? Why do you love this
genre so much?
Dianna: In short, the paranormal is more normal for me than real
life is, lol. (Weird factor number 2 about Dianna…)
Bex: If there is one thing that you learned
since you started self-publishing that you wish you knew when you first started
out – what would that be? And can you talk a little about some mistakes you
might have made as a self-publisher so that others don’t make the same
mistakes?
Dianna: Where do I start? I’ve made SO MANY mistakes, and I
continue to make them, lol. But I’m also better at what I do because
I’ve made those mistakes, so the first thing I would say is don’t be afraid to
make mistakes. It’s one thing to learn from what others do, but you create a
much more solid foundation for yourself by making your own mistakes (as long as
you learn from them!).
a) You’ll never be able to catch all (or even most) of your
typos and grammatical errors if you edit and proof your own work; b) formatting
eBooks is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT to formatting paperbacks; c) do consider buying
your own ISBNs and having your own imprint name if you want to self-publish; d)
your work load doesn’t decrease when you begin to sell books and gain readers
and fans, it increases and you have to work harder than ever ;)
Bex: Wonderful advice – thank you!
What are some of your favourite things to do
outside of writing?
Dianna: Time outside writing??? I should probably make more of
that! I’m a full-time mum to a 3 year old as well as writing, but there are
things I miss doing that I’d like to start doing again once she’s older and
time and money allow: travelling, spending time in the countryside, going to
the gym, eating out, and many more things. I used to draw and paint a lot, but
all my passion that I put into that goes into my writing now. I would like to
draw again, but to be honest, I prefer (and am better at) writing.
Bex: What are five books that you recommend
reading?
Dianna: Can I list five authors instead? Pretty please? 1.
Stephen King (you have to read one of the modern masters); 2. Neil Gaiman –
he’s a very, very interesting person who is multi-genre and versatile; 3.
Shakespeare – how can you not read one of the founders of English Literature as
we know it? (Try Chaucer, too, while you’re at it.) 4. Any author(s) that write
your favourite genre – for relaxation, and because it’s important to see how
versatile you can be within your own genre … and then break the rules and write
how YOU want to write ;) 5. Read the Fifty Shades Of Grey trilogy. YES,
I’m serious. Because when a book captures the attention of the entire world in
such a monumental way, it’s important to know why and how, regardless of
whether you love it or hate it.
Bex: Is there anything you would like to say to
our followers?
Dianna: Just THANK YOU :)
Thank you, now just enough time for a few
randoms!
Do you ever write in your PJ’s? Yes – when I
wear them ;)
Sleep in or get up early? Can’t sleep in with a child, but I’m a
night owl and definitely NOT a morning person.
Pet peeves? That little bit of cereal left at the
bottom of the bowl when there's no milk left to scoop it out with... That
little bit of milk left at the bottom of the bowl when there's no cereal to
have it with... Eating satisfactory cereal is a skill in balance, damn it! A
skill!
What did Santa bring you? Vouchers for my local coffee shop ;)
Cats or dogs? Cats.
White wine or red? Rose. Red would be second choice.
Coffee or tea? COFFEE!!!
Favorite food? A roast lunch with all the trimmings.
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream? Vanilla with
real vanilla pods.
What is a movie or TV show that you watched
recently and really enjoyed? Firefly and Serenity,
by Joss Whedon.
Where can we STALK you?
My
facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/authordiannahardy
My
Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/diannahardy
Website:
http://www.diannahardy.com
Thank you so much for taking the time to do
this interview with us and allowing us a glimpse into your world. I, I mean we love you! Bex
Thank you! It was the definition of fun :) xxx
Dianna's Books
The Witching Pen Series
 |
| Released Autumn 2013 |
Eye of the Storm
Cry of the Wolf released 19th April 2013
Standalones
Bex, thanks so much for spotlighting me on your blog :) Those questions really got me thinking, lol. Dianna xxx
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