New book feature
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Guest Author Friday – Diana Wallace Peach and Kari’s Reckoning

May 26, 2017 /

Who Has a New Book?

 

New book feature

 

I’m thrilled to welcome today’s featured author, friend and guest, Diana Wallace Peach. Diana is a dynamo author who writes and produces books at lightning speed these days. She has disciplined herself well with the time she commits to her writing, yet manages to make time to blog about all things writing on her blog Myths of the Mirror .

 

Today we’re going to get to know Diana and learn about what inspires her writing, and I’m going to be asking her about the ‘book writing break’ she is threatening to take, to find out if that can actually happen.

 

Diana Wallace Peach

 

About Diana:

I didn’t care for reading as a child – I preferred Bonanza and Beverly Hillbillies reruns, Saturday morning cartoons and the Ed Sullivan show. Then one day, I opened a book titled The Hobbit.

Tolkien … literally changed my life.

I love to write. It’s a luxury I never expected I’d have time for – life got in the way. You know how that goes – kids, work, chores… sleep. I worked for 18 years in business where amassing coin was the all-consuming objective. It required huge amounts of time and mental energy. And for me personally, it was soul-slaying.

Then on September 11, 2001 two planes flew into the World Trade Center. I was working in Connecticut, about 2 hours from ground zero, and remember sitting in a conference room, watching the second tower fall. That tragedy initiated a process of redefinition for me, an evaluation of what was vital and important. Life felt short and precarious, and I started to wonder if it was time to do something that actually mattered.

In a moment of loving kindness, my husband suggested that I quit my job and go back to school (he still wonders what he could possibly have been thinking). I graduated with a Masters in Counseling and a mountain of debt. Oh well. I worked in Burlington, Vermont for peanuts – but, oh, they were chocolate covered! The human experience was sweet and rich. I had the pleasure of working with people who cared deeply about the challenges facing children and families, and I came to understand how the power of relationship, in all its myriad forms, can change the world. In Myths of the Mirror it is called the Belonging.

Then life got in the way again, and Randy and I made a move to the lush, wet, green wilderness of the Oregon rainforest. We live on a mountain a half-hour beyond the edge of civilization in a wonderful community where, once again, I encountered the Belonging. In another regrettable moment of loving kindness, Randy suggested that I write a book rather than work, and Myths of the Mirror poured onto the keyboard. Fast forward some years and more than a dozen books line my Amazon shelf. They have each been labors of love and I hope you enjoy them.

 

Diana’s latest book, Book IV in her Rose Shield Tetralogy:

Kari's Reckoning by Diana Peach

Get this book on Amazon! 

The Blurb:

 

The epic adventure concludes as the Shiplord vies for what he desires—the throne of Ellegeance. Their power in jeopardy, influencers surrender their oaths, their loyalties fractured. Rose, a child of untrained and reckless talent, once again becomes a pawn in the quest for control.

As the Cull Tarr solidify their rule, Guardian plots rebellion. Catling and Whitt, each gifted with singular skills, seek to sway the course of the conflict. Oathbreakers, traitors, and those desperate to save Rose collide in a final battle for the realm.

Yet, a third player emerges in the deadly game. The kari, spirits of a sentient planet, command the air, water, and land. They manipulate events to satisfy their sovereign designs and care not who survives the human war.

 

About the Rose Shield Series:

The Rose Shield Series – A blend of science fiction and fantasy.

Welcome to a world of three moons, a sentient landscape, rivers of light, and tier cities that rise from the swamps like otherworld flowers. A planet of waterdragons, where humans are the aliens living among three-fingered natives with spotted skin. Where a half-blood converses with the fog and the goddess plans her final reckoning.

Follow Catling’s journey as she grows from childhood into the deadly force that shapes the future. She is the realm’s shield, an influencer, assassin, healer, mother, and avenger. And all she wants is to go home.

 

Visit Diana’s Book page to view all 4 books in The Rose Shield series HERE  and visit her Amazon author page to check out her many other books!

 

Now, let’s dig in to our interview! Welcome Diana, it’s a real treat to have you here today.

 

 

How did you come up with the name for your blog, Myths of the Mirror?

 

Myths of the Mirror was my first book and my publisher told me I needed a blog. A what? A blog. My daughter helped me set it up since I’m technologically clueless, and as a newly published author with one literary offspring, I named the blog after my baby. I probably should have named it after moi, but the name’s grown on me, so I’m sticking with it.

 

You write fantasy, fiction, where do you get your ideas for characters from? Are any taken from real life or are they all fictional?

 

There’s a scene in the movie Ghost in which Whoopi Goldberg suddenly discovers her ability to talk to the dead and her apartment is crowded with all these characters who want her to deliver messages. That’s what it’s like for me; they just pop into my head with their stories. The only book in which I based the characters on real people is The Sorcerer’s Garden. The three main characters are a version of my brothers and me (without the romantic elements, of course).

 

You speak of having a muse. Does your muse have a name, and does she nag at you in unexpected moments or must you summon her?

 

No name for the muse since she’s a changling, and she’s rather miffed at me right now because I’m taking a little writing hiatus. I told her I want her looking for the next book, either an intricate stand-alone or something epic that I can turn into a series. I assume she’s off in the woods or jumping through portals trying to roust it out. She has until the end of the summer, so I’m not worried.

 

I read on your blog, after completing your recent Rose Shield series that you were going to take a break from writing books. Do you actually believe that will happen or are you already brewing up ideas? (lol)

 

Oh, I really am taking a break, and it feels good because there are things I’ve neglected for six years that need attention – like the spouse! I’m still being creative, but in different ways, and I plan to get a hammock and indulge in plenty of reading!

 

You are such a disciplined writer, strictly abiding by your own self-imposed writing time commitments, no doubt you’ve produced many books. Can you please share your ‘secret formula’ with us by telling us what a typical writing day is like for you?

 

I’m super disciplined and intense about things I like doing, Debby. (The stuff I don’t like? I’m a procrastinator and lazy bum.) My writing routine is to start by 4:30 AM and write until 4:30 PM. No getting dressed, eating, errands, etc. Coffee and bathroom breaks only. In 12 hours, I can cough up about 3000 words.

 

Now the truth… that’s what I would like to do, and it’s easy-peasy for me to work at that intense level of focus. But… I’m also a blogger, so I make room in there to blog and blogging is Time-Consuming! I made a deal with the muse that I’d write 2,000 words a day, 5 days a week, and I’ve been able to stick to that.

 

There are many advantages and disadvantages between being traditionally published and self-publishing. I know that your earlier books were traditionally published and now you’re a self-published author. What do you think it was that made you decide to turn to self-publishing?

 

There were a host of factors that compelled me to cancel all my contracts and go indie. The most significant of them was marketing control. As a traditionally published author, I had no control over pricing and I couldn’t discount, which made promotion almost impossible.  My sales were abysmal. After the switch, which included new covers, my sales and profits increased overnight. It was the right choice, and I haven’t regretted it for a moment. It anyone is interested, I wrote a series of posts about the decision starting with: https://mythsofthemirror.com/2016/01/15/goodbye-traditional-hello-indie-part-i/

 

Can you share with us what inspired you to write the Rose Shield series and please share an excerpt with us from the last of the series, your most recent publication, Kari’s Reckoning.

 

I think life is more mysterious than our puny brains can imagine, and I like musing over possibilities. I honestly believe that our emotions define us more than our thoughts. Our emotions drive our choices, our relationships, our attitudes. I believe that we have emotional auras or energy fields that interact not only with each other but, collectively, with the world. I also believe that the planet is sentient, a living organism that seeks balance and takes corrective measures to repair itself, just like our bodies do.

 

So, what if I created a world where emotions could be manipulated by modifying the planet’s “blood.” And what if someone had the ability to shield or block that power. And what if the planet had a voice and an agenda to stop its destruction. All those elements come together in the book.

 

A short excerpt from Kari’s Reckoning: Book 4.

 

The sun peeked in the east, the sea a satin sheet of rumbling luminescence. An offshore breeze blew at Gannon’s back, the white haze of smoke bending as he stood on the ridge among the blackened trees. As he expected, the Cull Tarr had incinerated the city, yet they hadn’t stopped there. The crops and pastures and forests smoldered, a legacy of soot.

Except for a frosting of ash, the tiers looked pristine. Had they sagged and reformed? What a strange sight… if anyone had seen it. He chewed on a nail, his hand shaking. The leaden sky rested silently on the tiers, too silent, so silent he heard the crows as they fluttered their wings and alit on the promenade rails.

Men had begun searching the tiers and outer-city rubble at the bleak sunrise. At the bottom of the ridge, Parrie beckoned him with a wave. Gannon ambled down, unsure of his feet. The land smoldered, unbearably hot, red embers glowing in the crannies beneath downed trees. Enough smoke wafted through the air to hurt his lungs, and he coughed.

When Parrie finished with the last sooty man to offer a report, Gannon faced him. “Just tell me.”

The captain spat a wad of blackened phlegm and cleared his throat. “We located a score or two of survivors, maybe double the number in bodies. The rest of them are gone.”

Tragedy gathered on Gannon’s brow. “What do you mean ‘gone’? There were mostly women and children here.”

“All of them, Gannon. They’re gone.”

 

Connect with Diana:

 

Website/Blog: http://mythsofthemirror.com

Website/Books: http://dwallacepeachbooks.com

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/D.-Wallace-Peach/e/B00CLKLXP8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myths-of-the-Mirror/187264861398982

Twitter: @dwallacepeach

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7068749.D_Wallace_Peach

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dianapeach33/pins/

 

You can also visit Diana’s book page HERE to read snippets about all of her books.

 

Thank you so much Diana for being here today and sharing some of yourself with us. I read and loved The Sorcerer’s Garden and reviewed it HERE  I look forward to reading more of your books that await me on the big fat TBR.

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D.G. Kaye is a nonfiction/memoir writer, who writes from her own life experiences and self-medicates with a daily dose of humor.

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113 Comments

  • Tina Frisco

    May 26, 2017 at 2:17 am Reply

    Fabulous interview, Deb and Diana! It’s such a pleasure getting to know more about you, Diana. I love your premise for the Rose Shield series and expect it holds more truth than fiction. You’re an inspiration and a model for disciplined writing. Thanks so much for sharing. And thank you, Deb, for hosting our lovely – and amusing! – friend ??

  • D. Wallace Peach

    May 26, 2017 at 10:26 am Reply

    Thanks so much for the great questions and the feature, Debby! It’s an honor to be over here on your blog, enjoying the day. 🙂 I’ll reblog on Tuesday for more fun. 😀

      • D. Wallace Peach

        May 26, 2017 at 12:30 pm Reply

        I’ll continue to do so, Debby. It’s great fun. I leave on vacation to visit my folks next Saturday, so this will be a great post to leave on my blog until I return. Couldn’t be better timing! Thanks again. 😀

        • dgkaye

          May 26, 2017 at 12:44 pm Reply

          Wonderful Diana. I know you’ll enjoy you’re well deserved vacation!!! I’ll pop by your blog intermittently after you post. 🙂

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 26, 2017 at 12:39 pm Reply

      Thanks for the cheers, Jacqui. I’d hardly say I’m amazing, but I am having FUN at this stage in my life. I can’t ask for more than that. Glad I found you too and your wonderful books. Mutual appreciation! Have a great day. 😀

      • Jacqui Murray

        May 31, 2017 at 10:36 am Reply

        2,000 words a day, regardless. I love that. I always (really, always) get distracted by research, my dog, and my non-fic hat (that usually articles, not as much fun as fiction).

        I hope you blog about your writing hiatus. I tried that once and couldn’t escape. I want to see how you do it.

  • balroop2013

    May 26, 2017 at 1:56 pm Reply

    Hi Deb, your questions have added an extra charm to Diana’s wonderful persona! Her books are so different from usual fantasy and the way she finishes…you have rightly said ‘at the “lightening speed” is a marvel!
    I liked reading this interview Diana, you inspire with your creativity, poetic prose and multifaceted personality. The artist in you may be overpowering your muse right now but I am sure the muse is the ultimate boss! 🙂
    Love and hugs to both of you dear friends. Have a wonderful weekend!

    • dgkaye

      May 26, 2017 at 4:01 pm Reply

      Hi Balroop. Thanks a bunch for stopping by and leaving your lovely compliments and comments. I’m so glad you enjoyed reading about Diana here today. 🙂 Happy weekend to you to my friend. 🙂 <3

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 26, 2017 at 4:22 pm Reply

      Thanks for the visit and comment, Balroop. Yes, the muse is a little impatient. But there’s a garden to get in and some painting to get done in the near future. I so appreciate your comments and glad you enjoyed the interview. Happy Writing!

  • Christy B

    May 26, 2017 at 5:36 pm Reply

    Well done with this interview, Debby and Diana! You’re two of my faves <3 I loved reading about Diana's routine, including writing 5 times a week. As for the 4:30 am work start time, I think the great thing about that is that the house would be so quiet at that time 😉 Wishing you both all the best! Diana I have the first book but haven't started it yet – I'm looking forward to the read!

    • dgkaye

      May 26, 2017 at 11:43 pm Reply

      Thanks so much Christy for dropping by and leaving your lovely comments. I too have a few of Diana’s books drowning in my big fat TBR, with yours! I swear I’ll get there eventually. <3

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 27, 2017 at 11:57 am Reply

      Thanks for the lovely comment, Christy. The best thing about starting at 4:30 is that by noon, I’ve already got almost 8 hours in! If I quit then, there’s the whole afternoon ahead to do other things. And thanks so much for buying the first book in the series. It’s the place to start for sure. <3 <3

  • Jessica Bakkers

    May 26, 2017 at 9:21 pm Reply

    Thanks for the interview! I’m a big fan of D – she’s such an amazing inspiration to a newbie, wannabe author (namely me)! I’ll be following your blog to see who else you interview and will check out your own works while I’m here ?

  • Terri Webster Schrandt

    May 27, 2017 at 11:23 am Reply

    I love reading about a “new-to-me” author! Hi Diane, glad to meet you and I am following your blog, twitter and authoroughly page. I love fantasy and yours looks amazing! Thanks for the lovely interview and introduction, Debby ⚘

  • Annika Perry

    May 28, 2017 at 3:59 pm Reply

    Debby,this is a super interview and the questions are well thought out and give a lot of room for considered answers!

    Diana, it’s great learning even more about you, your writing, your muse. I know the scene from Ghost you mention very well and one of my favourite from the film…now I can visualise how your creative powers work! As someone who always seems to be in a battle between the emotional and rational brain thoughts your answer about the inspiration for Kari’s Reckoning struck a chord with me…a lot to mull over, I just have to quiet that mind of mine! Finally I’m so happy how well self-publishing is going for you. Congratulations! ?Wishing you lots of continued and expanding success! ??

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 29, 2017 at 11:01 am Reply

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Annika, and for the great comment. That scene in Ghost is so funny, and I think a lot of us feel invaded by our characters. I like taking things from “real” life, like the power of emotion, and stretching them into the fantasy realm. Happy Writing, my friend. <3

  • Sarah Brentyn

    May 29, 2017 at 8:29 pm Reply

    Thanks for hosting and coming up with such great questions (these are perfect), Debby. Wonderful interview, Diana. Love your “ideal” day. Mine would be very similar. Glad you’re taking that break (and look forward to the children’s books that might come out of that break). Also, very much looking forward to the Rose Shield series.

    I absolutely love this intriguing idea, Diana: “emotional auras or energy fields that interact not only with each other but, collectively, with the world.”

    Have a wonderful week ahead to you both. <3

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 30, 2017 at 8:34 am Reply

      Thanks for stopping by to read, Sarah. There were some fun questions. And it’s nice to get new ones that I haven’t answered before (for me and the visitors!). I do believe that our “energy” works individually and collectively. That’s why kindness is so important even if we only act within our own little corners of the world. Have a lovely week, my friend.

  • roughwighting

    May 30, 2017 at 7:51 am Reply

    Sigh. I love everything “Diana,” and your interview and Diana’s thoughts here did not disappoint, Debby. So much to react to, so I’ll keep it short (or as short as possible). I generally don’t read ‘fantasy,’ but downloaded The Sorcerer’s Garden over a year ago, and it’s still one of my favorite books. I think I’ll next go with Myths of the Mirror, and then to Diana’s new series. I’m so with her about our sentient Earth with emotions and shared energy. Oh. YES. Now, lastly, I think Diana’s muse and mine are cavorting together in the ocean surf and beach along the coast of Kauai, having a terrific time. They needed the break, but they better return in a few weeks!!

    • dgkaye

      May 30, 2017 at 9:23 am Reply

      Lol Pam, I love your comment. We all have our favorite genres we gravitate toward and sometimes we’ll read books in any genre just because we love the author’s writing. I too am not a big fantasy fan and thoroughly enjoyed The Sorcerer’s Garden. Now, I’m wondering if maybe that’s where my muse has gone too, lol. 🙂

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 30, 2017 at 10:30 am Reply

      Ha ha ha. Kauai?? That sounds marvelous. How about we go in February?? Lol. Thanks so much for the ongoing support and friendship, Pam. I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Debby asked some fresh questions, which made it all the more fun. Happy Writing, my friend. 😀

  • Sharon, Leadership2Mommyship

    May 30, 2017 at 9:11 am Reply

    Diana your story is so inspiring, and I am sorry to hear that it was such horrific events that moved you to start your writing career. You have such a wonderful personality, and I really enjoy reading your thoughts–struggles on writing, etc. I am a horribly slow reader. I blame my toddler…lol. I am currently reading a book at the moment and plan to check yours out. I love Amazon and this post has really peaked my interest. Wising you all the best!

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 30, 2017 at 10:35 am Reply

      Thanks, Sharon. Toddlers have a way with interfering in most grown-up plans! Ha ha. And they are to be enjoyed because childhood races into the past whether we enjoy it or not. Thanks so much for stopping by to read and leave the lovely comment. Have a wonderful day and Happy Writing. 😀

  • amreade

    May 30, 2017 at 10:26 am Reply

    This was honestly one of the best author interviews I’ve ever read. I loved learning more about Diana, her work, her personal muse, and her writing habits. Thank you for such a wonderful introduction to Diana!

    • dgkaye

      May 30, 2017 at 11:26 am Reply

      Wow, thank you so much Amy for your compliments on the interview. It helps that I had great subject matter here too. 🙂 And btw, I have you on my list of authors to interview here if you’re interested. 🙂

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 30, 2017 at 12:35 pm Reply

      Thanks so much, Amy. Debby pulled this all together like a real pro. All I had to do was answer a few questions. Definitely take her up on the offer. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Happy Writing!

  • L. T. Garvin, Author

    May 30, 2017 at 11:07 am Reply

    Marvelous interview with one of my favorite writer/bloggers, Debby. Diana is so gifted, and her prose is simply magical. She is a good friend and a fervent supporter of so many WordPress writers. I love how she described her characters coming to her like a scene from Ghost. I agree with her also about the power of emotions, and how fascinating that she took the precept and entwined it with the planet’s “blood.”

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 30, 2017 at 12:41 pm Reply

      Thanks for stopping by to read, Lana. I like that scene from Ghost, and I think many writers can relate to having characters barging into their heads with their ideas and opinions. And I’ll second your thoughts on this blogging community we all have going here. It’s a warm and friendly place with some great heart. Happy Writing, my friend. 🙂

  • lynne hoareau

    May 30, 2017 at 1:37 pm Reply

    Absolutely brilliant interview Debby and Diana. Congratulations ! Diana what you said about emotions really rang true with me….and…I do foresee you and that hammock in your pajamas of course. Have a lovely day 🙂

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 30, 2017 at 5:41 pm Reply

      I agree. I left a fat salary in corporate life for a job caring for people (more education but not considered as valuable, I guess). The chocolate-covered peanuts were delicious, though.

  • Sean P Carlin

    May 31, 2017 at 4:44 pm Reply

    Excellent interview, Debby! I am a huge fan of Catling’s Bane (as well as the Myths of the Mirror blog), and it’s nice to get a little insight into Diana’s creative process!

    • D. Wallace Peach

      May 31, 2017 at 6:10 pm Reply

      Thanks for stopping by, Sean. Debby put this all together without me. All I had to do was answer some tailor-made questions! She’s a dream. Thanks so much for the kind comment. I can “talk writing” for hours and it was nice to have some fresh topics. Happy Writing, my friend.

  • Julie Holmes, author

    June 1, 2017 at 8:58 am Reply

    Excellent interview! I love learning more about authors, especially ones who are wonderful blogging friends as well. And yes about Whoopi and Ghost and all those spirits; sometimes I make them take numbers so I can actually hear what they’re saying 😉

    Can’t wait to read these (and all the other ones!) Happy Hiatus 🙂

  • D. Wallace Peach

    June 1, 2017 at 12:26 pm Reply

    Ha ha ha. That would make a fun skit, though only other writers would understand. Have the characters fill out resumes and audition for the part. Thanks for the visit and the laugh, Julie. Anytime. 😀

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