About the author:
Diana Nixon is a poet and the author of fantasy and contemporary romances.
She was born in Minsk, Belarus, where she currently lives. In 2008 she graduated from Belorussian state University. She has a Master of Law degree and speaks several foreign languages, including English, Polish and Spanish.
Official page: http://www.diananixon.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianaNixon9
Buying books: http://diananixon.blogspot.com/p/buying-books.html
Question and Answer time
What inspired you to write your first book?
Love Lines was a combination of everything that I wanted to see in a fantasy book: a complex plot, with lots of unpredictable twists, mysteries, magic and love of course. I guess my desire to create something new and memorable was the main thing that pushed me to writing. Besides, I loved the result so much, I couldn’t stop at one book:)
Do you have a specific writing style?
Readers always ask me about it, but my writing routine is very predictable: coffee, chapter, more coffee, more chapters:)
How did you come up with the title?
It was supposed to reflect the main idea of the book: love spell and a golden tattoo symbolizing the bond created by magic.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I think everyone who read Love Lines could see the importance of friendship and family relations between my characters. The book if full of touching moments that only people who truly care about each other can feel. This is what I wanted my readers to read between the lines: the significance of those things that we all have but maybe not always cherish:)
What book are you reading now?
It’s Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren. I truly enjoyed the first two books of a Beautiful Bastard series, and I hope this one won’t be a disappointment:)
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I never thought I would become a writer. But once I started working on Love Lines, I couldn’t stop. I don’t regret switching from International Law to writing books. Apparently it was time to let my artistic nature take control over me:)
Can you share a little of your current projects with us?
A few days ago I finished writing another contemporary/new-adult romance, named Love Undone – a beautiful love story, full of touching and spicy scenes, humor and other things that will make you swoon:) Another project that I’m working on at the moment is a book of poetry, called The Prisoners of Dreams. It will be written from the POV of one of my Heavens Trilogy characters. The dates for these releases are not set yet.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I don’t have a favorite author:) There are too many great authors and books to name only one. But I like reading books that make me want to read them more than once; the books that make me look at things from a different point of view; the books with strong characters and profound meaning.
Who designed the covers?
The covers for Love Lines series were designed by Jennifer Wieland (J. M. Rising Horse Creations). The cover for Hate at First Sight was created by Amina Black, who’s also working on the cover for Love Undone.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
You guys ROCK! I would never be able to write so many great stories without your help and support. All those wonderful words that you say about my books are worth spending days and nights working on them:) Thank you for everything!
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life?
One of the main challenges is proofreading and editing of course – a real pain in every author’s neck, lol, but also an essential part of a writing process. One more thing that requires attention is a plot itself. I hate reading books that tell about one and the same thing, over and over again. I’m sure that even a love story can be unique. That’s why I try to make my books different, mixing beauty, puzzles and love together:)
What does your writing process look like?
First of all, I think about the title for a new book. It should be catching; and it should reflect the main idea of the story. Then I think about my character’s personalities and make a mental plan on how to describe them better. I never make plans on paper:) Then I choose names for my characters and places of the events. And then writing begins. I write about three chapters a day. Sometimes less, if my inspiration leaves me alone:) After the first draft of the manuscript is ready, I start reading it from the very beginning, making changes, adding or deleting things. When it meets my expectations, I send the text to the editor, after what I will read it at least two million times to make sure that it looks great:) That’s it. Then I publish the book and wait for the first reviews to be posted:)
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)?
Ahaha, no I don’t think so. The only writing habit that I can never get rid of is making new dialogs in my head, day and night. In other words, I never stop writing:)
What book do you wish you could have written?
Well, that’s a hard question to answer. One of my favorites is P.S. I love you by Cecelia Ahern. I hope people love my stories as much I love this one:)
If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?
Every time I see Taylor Swift I think she would by a perfect Eileen from Love Lines. I can see Chace Crawford as Christian Fairey and Ian Somerhalder as Evan Murray.
How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you recommend?
Only one of all my characters’ names was supposed to mean something special. Eileen. Her name means a bird. If you read Love Lines and Songs of the Wind (Love Lines, #2) you will find out what I needed it for:) The rest of the names were simply chosen to fit in the story, be beautiful and sound cool:)
What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
I think I have at least three things that I can be proud of and call my accomplishments. The first one was Master of Law degree. The second one was the birth of my wonderful daughter. And the third one is my writing of course:)
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?
Sometimes I do. It helps me see my stories through the eyes of someone who, unlike or like me, thinks that they are great…or not:) Reviews can be bad, but it does not mean that your book is a disaster. I rarely receive bad reviews (keep my fingers crossed, lol) but even if one person doesn’t like your work, it does not necessary mean that you did something wrong. No. We simply can’t make everyone like what we do. Besides, people are free to express their opinion. There are books that I don’t like, and yes I won’t give them 5 stars, but maybe someone else will. It’s just that readers have different preferences and what one might like, someone else might hate. I don’t respond to bad reviews, ‘cause I’m sure it’s pointless. So if you see a bad review, don’t panic. Read it and move on, I’m sure there will be many great reviews that will overshadow everything written in a bad one:)
What is your best marketing tip?
Uh, marketing…Promote as much as you can:) Especially if you are a newbie and need to find more readers for your books. Don’t sit and wait for the readers to find your work, MAKE them notice it! :) Create your author page, Facebook group and fan page. Use Goodreds, Twitter and other social networks to spread the news about your book. The more you work (whether on writing or promoting) the more readers you will find and the more books you will sell.
What is your least favourite part of the publishing / writing process?
Waiting for the book to come out:) Even though when it happens, I don’t feel the same rush of emotions as the day I finished the manuscript, lol
Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?
Violence, either physical or mental.
Do you have a favourite conference to attend? What is it?
I attended a few on-line conferences created for Indie authors. I’m a hybrid author now (hate the word, but still:)) and I hope I will attend more writing events in the future.
Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? Love? Action?
Love scenes require more time and patience, since they need to be emotional and touching. Somehow action scenes are easier for me to work on. I simply let my imagination do its best:)
Characters often find themselves in situations they aren't sure they can get themselves out of. How do you decide you are going to handle these situations?
I imagine myself being one of the characters and think of what I would do in the same situation. It always helps:)
What do you want your tombstone to say?
Oh God, the hardest question ever:) Can I leave it without an answer?:) I don’t think I know what to say. I only hope those people who will compose the inscription will never regret being a part of my life…
What literary character is most like you?
I guess it depends on my mood. Angel, demon, witch, lazy cat or a vampire dying to kill everyone of her way, lol
What is something you want to accomplish before you die?
I want to leave behind something that will help people remember me for as long as they are alive…:)
If you could have any accents from anywhere in the world, what would you choose?
Australian English:) I like its softness and melodiousness.
Thank you for the awesome interview! It was my pleasure to answer the questions:)
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