Monday, 12 August 2013

Author Interview: Diana Baron






About the Author:


Diana began writing the moment she learned how to hold a pencil. By elementary school, she was writing and directing plays for kids in her afterschool program. Over the years, short stories piled up on her nightstand. At night, she could always be found holding a flashlight and a book under her blanket.

She studied writing and literature through high school and into the first two years of college. But then, her fascination with other cultures and religious practices took over. She has degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Religious Studies from San Jose State University and is published in non-fiction.

After college, her life took an unexpected turn. She's currently a project manager and technical spec writer for a Silicon Valley computer company by day and a daring novelist by night. When she's not tearing up the felt playing at the World Series of Poker, she's traveling to her favorite Caribbean islands.

Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I have a general idea of what I’m going to write before I begin, but I go with the flow once I start writing. Sometimes the characters go off in a direction I didn’t think of before I started. I like to let the characters lead.

Do your characters ever want to take over the story? 

My characters tell me what they want to do next and as long as it makes sense I go with it. All my stories are character driven so I usually let them take over.

What is your favourite food?

Mexican food. I could live on burritos and tacos for the rest of my life. Nom nom.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I’m a night owl for everything except writing. I tend to write better and faster first thing in the morning.

Where do you dream of travelling to and why?

I want to go to Machu Picchu. I don’t know why but I’ve been drawn to going there ever since I first saw photos. The mountains look magical and I want to see the ruins. I’m a huge fan of archaeology so anytime I can travel to ancient ruins I go.

Do distant places feature in your books?

Not yet, but I have a Romantic Suspense book I’m working on which is set in France. Since I live in California, it’s a distant place for me.

Do you listen to music while writing?

No. I find it distracting and prefer to write in silence.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Training Temptation is an erotic romance set on a ponygirl ranch. The heroine, Lady Caroline, is about to lose the family home and must win a ponygirl race if she has any hope of keeping it. Her longtime rival Edward Hastings offers to train her with the goal of seducing her. His plan backfires and he ends up in a precarious battle for her home and her heart.

What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I’ve learned to write the first draft as fast as possible. Don’t worry about the sentence structure, just get the story down on paper. Once I have the first draft, I have something to rework. Good writing happens during revisions.

Is there anything you would do differently?

I wish I would have pursued publication sooner. But I don’t regret anything. It would be pointless to think about what could have happened. It’s better to focus on the amazing things that can happen in the future.

Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

When I was in my early twenties, I met Dean Koontz at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I asked him to autograph a book he’d written on writing (his first book on writing). He asked if I wanted to be a writer and I said yes. He told me to never stop going after my dream because with some hard work I could get there. I’ll never forget those words of encouragement.

Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Write the first draft fast. Don’t let the evil little critic in your head destroy your creativity. Once you have a draft, you can always go back and polish the syntax. I toiled over the first chapter of Training Temptation to make it perfect before I started the second chapter. By the time I finished the book, I had to re-write the entire first chapter from scratch, twice. Don’t waste time on something you’re probably going to re-write anyway once the book is done.

What are three words that describe you?

Determined, Fun, Crazy

What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

My favorite writer is Dean Koontz. My favorite book of his is Whispers. The ending of that book was so unexpected and so chilling, I still remember it fifteen years after reading it.

Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Training Temptation
The Stable Book One
Diana Baron
Genre: Erotic Romance
Date of Publication:  4/23/2013
ISBN: 9781301637034
ASIN:  B00CIEBODI
Number of pages: 115
Word Count: 28,000
Cover Artist: Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers.com

Book Description:

Caught in a web of deceit, Caroline must run the race of her life to save her family home. Her reputation as the high society owner of the #1 stable for Ponygirls in the world is on the line. And, there’s only one man who can help her win.

Edward Hastings is steamy, passionate and dangerous. With molten brown eyes and a rock hard body, the notorious playboy could have any woman in the world, but he only wants her. The first time he’d seen Caroline dressed like a pony, he’d been enthralled. Now, nothing will keep him from her.

They strike a deal. He’ll train her if she sticks to his rules. But rules were made to be broken. The moment he slides the bit into her mouth, she knows she’s in trouble. As he ignites a fire in her body and her mind, will she make it through the week without losing her heart to him? Or will she be able to train temptation?


List of previous books if any

N/A

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

Visit my website at www.dianabaron.com

Friend me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DianaBaronAuthor
Follow me on Twitter @DianaBaronBooks


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