I'm Interviewed by Mel Comley!!!!

Today I'm interviewed by Mel Comley on her blog!!!!!

http://melcomleyromances.blogspot.com/p/interviews-with-other-romance-writers_06.html

Enjoy!!!!

This Picture Says It All

Bonny Raitt video - I Can't Make You Love Me

Video's a bit blurry, but what a GREAT song sung by a GREAT singer!

Time to Get Back to Work

Time is definitely flying! Won't be long until Amazon makes another deposit into my bank account. I'm so excited to see these monthly statements.





















At the moment, I'm working on another short story that's in the same style as The End of the Tour. Then, there's the fantasy to finish, edit, and upload as well as a paranormal that I'm working on.

Being a writer requires a lot of self-discipline. There's no behind you cracking a whip and telling you to get off Facebook and get to work. There are times when I think that "Procrastination" is my middle name. But, as we all know, the work won't get done if you don't do it. So, I'll be disappearing from Facebook and my writer's loops and concentrating on new work that I hope will please my readers.



The End of the Tour - a 99 cent Kindle Short Story!!

Deer Guarding Goose and Goose's Nest

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid51295468001?bckey=AQ~~,AAAAB_xxTdk~,2G9NX7dxSucGnGzMLycYUKyubm2RqiC1&bctid=890318766001

The above link goes to a newscast which is well worth watching. In this case, a deer and a female goose have bonded and the deer has taken on the protective role of the male goose. Geese mate for life, so obviously the male goose is now deceased.

Enjoy the video!!

Book Trailer - The Maya, People of the Maize

The Maya, People of the Maize a nonfiction companion book to the fast-paced suspense novel, Ninth Lord of the Night.

April's Rune - Eihwaz

Eihwaz - my rune for April

Eihwaz is the 13th rune in the Futhark. and the translation of the word is yew, which represents the World Tree, Yggdrasill. Yggdrasill's branches reach up into the heavens and its roots reach deep into the lower worlds. It holds the nine worlds and it was from Yggdrasill that Odin hung for nine days and nine nights in order to receive knowledge.

"I know that I hung on a windy tree

nine long nights,

wounded with a spear, dedicated to Odin,

myself to myself,

on that tree of which no man knows

from where its roots run.

No bread did they give me nor a drink from a horn,

downwards I peered;

I took up the runes, screaming I took them,

then I fell back from there."

Eihwaz is a powerful rune. According to Freya Aswynn (Northern Mysteries and Magic) this rune can be used in "shamanic traveling" or in the killing of another's soul.

 On a lighter and more positive note, its basic meaning is spiritual enlightenment, endurance, initiation, protection, and the motivation as well as the action needed to complete a goal. As I'm not into any kind of astral projection or travelling or stealing souls, I'm hoping that when I look back on the month of April I'll see that 1. I've used my time productively. 2. I've completed my writing goals. And, 3. I've continued on my path to learn and experience the deeper meanings of the runes.

Any accomplishments are dependent on a person's own will and desires. I look upon Eihwaz as a positive rune which is meant to inspire and encourage me.

Good Friends are Hard to Find

As we go through this tough world it is always good to have a friend by your side to share your ups and downs and keep you centered. For me that's Cherri Galbiati. Cherri and I have been down the same publishing roads together. We've watched as our excitment over having our books "traditionally published" turned to dismay as our books languished in the ozone due to publisher indifference. For many years, I thought poor book sales were my fault. I spent money and time on marketing and promotion and I just couldn't get ahead. Then, Cherri helped me begin to think straight. She'd been watching how well the Indie Authors were doing financially and she was learning about the different avenues that were available for Indie Authors that just aren't available to traditionally published writer. Together, Cherri and I, saw the writing world open up.

I have to say, that I was a little leery about breaking with my publisher and going off on my own. But, I'd been down the Indie Author road before and I'd been making great headway when I gave it up and signed with a traditional press. I knew I could pursue avenues on my own that I couldn't pursue with a traditional press and it wouldn't hurt to try. After all, my last royalty check from my publisher wasn't even worth depositing. (In fact I have it here in front of me and every now and then I let my Bengal cat chew on it.) But, the proof is in the puddling so to speak. I uploaded my first Indie project on January 18, 2011. As of this date, March 29th, 2011, I've made more sales than I ever imagined! Obviously, I'm stunned. Me? Make money writing? Who'd have thought such a thing?

Good friends are hard to find. Friends that are truthful about the road less traveled and how that road is actually the better path than the one you're currently on - and why. Bless her heart. Cherri never let up, she guided me and lectured me and argued with me until my vision cleared and I saw the world and its opportunities through her eyes. Anyone else would have walked away from my stubborness.

Good friends are hard to find and I bless the day I found Cherri Galbiati. Cherri has two short stories Yesterday's Chance, and Halo and Holly on Kindle, but her first Indie Novel, Tracking Perception is now available (also on Kindle) for 99 cents. It's a good! mystery written by a cop's wife, and although Cherri is now retired from Search and Rescue, she writes about the lifestyle of being a handler, owning (and training) these incredible dogs, and what it's like to go on a "mission." All the elements of this well crafted cozy mystery will keep you turning the pages until you find out "who done it."

So, plunk down your 99 cents, sit back and enjoy a good, well-crafted cozy mystery, and when you're done send Cherri an email and say, "Diana sent me!"

Ninth Lord of the Night - Trade Paperback available

Ninth Lord of the Night - Trade Paperback

We're still in an age where readers enjoy holding a paper book in their hands so I'm pleased to have Ninth Lord of the Night out in trade paperback and selling for $9.99 on Amazon.com. The Kindle version of Ninth Lord of the Night is currently selling for $1.99, however that price will increase on April 1st to $4.99.

Speaking of pricing - there's a pricing war going on among Indie Authors with many dropping their novel prices down to 99 cents. They won't make much money, but they raising their sales numbers is more important to them than recouping expenses. At least, that's what I think their reasoning is. I set my prices according to the length of the work. Short stories are 99 cents. Novellas should be around $2.99 and novels - which take so very much time and effort to write - should be more than $1.99, but less than $6.99. And, personally, I think that the 99 cent range for novels simply cheapens the work effort. These are my thoughts only and the great thing about being an Indie Author is that each and every one of us is in control of our own pricing structure.

I've been pulling back this month - just as the Ingwaz rune predicted I would - to get Ninth Lord of the Night up in print and then finally I was able to get back to The Amber Stone, my work in progress. It's been so long since I worked on this manuscript that I spent a couple days rereading the material and I must say I'm happy with my work up to this point. Hopefully, this book will make its debut sometime this summer.

Right now, I'm researching Power Places and in particular Rollright Stones. The powers they are thought to possess are of peace, comfort and security as well as vibes of extreme negative energy. It's been reported that the ripples and vibrates in waves. It has also been reported that these stones house animal spirits and the forms of the animals can be seen upon occasion.



Ninth Lord of the Night - Print copy is coming!

From its inception, Ninth Lord of the Night is a project that I've refused to let go away. First published independently, it was then re-released by a trade publisher whose business model was mainly selling books to their own authors. Doors that I'd opened as an Indie Author were no longer available to me and my publisher was lax about taking opportunities available to them.

I believe in this book. I've always believed in the storyline of Ninth Lord of the Night. And, I'm not the only one. The book was optioned by a local film production company for over 5 years. Also, when the book was Indie Published, the B&N CRMs selected it as one of the top books by a local Indie Author, showing that these CRMs believed in it as well.

The rights to Ninth Lord of the Night have reverted back to me and is NOW available as an ebook in the Kindle Store for the low price of $1.99.

Soon, the trade paperback version of Ninth Lord of the Night will be for sale for $9.99 on Amazon. Of course I'll make a Big Announcement when the print version is "live".

I've now come full circle and can hunker down and work on other stories. It's been a long road, but my novel - Ninth Lord of Night is once again all mine!
  

Interview Today on Deatri Writes

Check this out! From Geophysicist to Fantasy writer - what a journey!

http://deatrikingbey.com/2011/02/25/meet-author-diana-driver/

The Saga of Biorn

A Facebook Friend posted this yesterday and I wanted to share. Enjoy!

The Saga of Biorn