~ * ~
I want to start by thanking Linda for
inviting me to her excellent blog. It is fascinating to read the journeys of my
fellow writers.
As with most authors, “becoming a writer”
didn’t happen overnight for me. There has been a lot of patience, hard work,
and unexpected twists in my life path, to get here. Now that I am here, I find being a good
writer is a moving target. I’m constantly striving to improve, to stretch
myself, and hone my craft.
I have always loved stories. As a child,
even before I could write words, I drew pictures to make stapled, construction
paper books. Once I learned to read and write, there was no stopping me. I
joyfully read aloud to anyone who would listen, memorized fables and myths to
retell, and began writing my own creations.
At sixteen I tried my hand at becoming a
novelist. I almost finished that first one, before teenage life distracted me,
and I put it away. It’s just as well, as the writing was not great. Over the
following years I tried twice more. In my mid-twenties I managed to complete my
first fully-realized book, The Song of
Sehdra Mor.
In the meantime, I got married, had a
child, got divorced, went back to school as a single mom, got remarried, and
became a teacher. Needless to say, there wasn’t much time in all that for
writing. I managed to complete some short stories, a few of which got published
in literary journals. I have since self-published twelve of them in a
collection titled, The Dream Seller’s
Wares.
I enjoyed teaching art and special
education both. It was a deeply satisfying career, though the writing urge
still nipped at my heels. During breaks in the school year I would dabble, even
starting another two novels, before realizing I just didn’t have the time to
complete them. Teaching, (even more so with special needs students) is an
all-consuming occupation, especially if you love it, as I did.
About two years ago, my health gave out.
It was partly a result of overworking and also being exposed to so many cold
and flu bugs. I spent my last teaching year struggling against a series of
viruses. This triggered an auto-immune reaction in my body. I became seriously
ill, so much so I could barely get out of bed, for weeks on end. In time I was
diagnosed with auto-immune thyroiditis and chronic fatigue syndrome.
With the help of an excellent specialist,
(I will be grateful to her forever), I have learned how to manage my condition.
I have regained a portion of my earlier health, though I still function within
challenging constraints. One of the
limitations is that I can no longer teach.
Giving up my work with children was painful,
but I began to recognize a new path was opening. With my medical condition, I
have to work at something with flexible hours, and preferably from home. It
just so happens my bliss, my life-long passion, WRITING, fit the need
perfectly.
Once I saw writing as a profession,
rather than a hobby, things began to happen. I signed my first book contract,
this past March. It was for a romantic science fiction adventure titled New Sion, which has just released with Champagne Books. In August, I sold the first
book of a fantasy/romance trilogy, Dragon
Clan, to The Wild Rose Press. The novel, Dragon Wife, will be released some time in 2014, and I am currently
working on the second book, Dragon
Warrior.
Clearly, it has been an exciting time,
leaping into the world of publishing, with so much to learn and so much to do.
I love being able to share my stories. I have ideas for many more, and now I
will have the time and means to write them. It is a blessing for which I will
never stop being thankful.
Thank you for taking the time to read
about my journey. I encourage you to visit my website dianagreenbooks.com to learn
more about my books. There are excerpts, book trailers and more.
Pretending to be a man isn’t easy. Finn
Colville has pulled it off for years, but things get complicated when she falls
for her new bounty hunting partner, Eamon Sullivan. On the planet New Sion, it’s
against the law for a woman to wear pants and carry a gun, much less shoot
people for a living. What will happen if Eamon discovers her secret?
On a backwater planet, at the edge
of a galactic war, one man, one woman, and one desperate alien cross paths.
Together they embark on the road trip of a lifetime, bound for revelation, and
redemption.
Available from Champagne Books, Amazon,
Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers.
Diana’s Books
The Dream Seller’s Wares
The Song of Sehdra Mor
Diana
Green's Bio
Since her childhood,
growing up in New Zealand, Diana has been an avid storyteller. For years she
enjoyed teaching art and special education, while continuing to write as a
hobby. After she developed chronic fatigue syndrome, a career change was
necessary, but happily this led her to become a professional author.
Diana’s favorite
genres are fantasy, science fiction, historical, and romance. She currently
lives in beautiful Washington State where she writes for Champagne Books and The
Wild Rose Press.
Visit her website
at: DIANAGREENBOOKS.COM
No comments:
Post a Comment