Author Spotlight - Dyanne Davis

Throughout the summer, I will be featuring a number of writers in an Author Spotlight. Award winning author, Dyanne Davis, is the first. A frequent workshop presenter, Dyanne has written 20 novels and hosts a local cable television show The Art of Writing to help aspiring writers. She also pens a vampire series under the name, F.D. Davis. Dyanne lives in a Chicago suburb with her husband of 43 years, William Sr. 

Welcome to Book Blather, Dyanne. I’m so glad you found time in your busy schedule to drop by.

First and foremost, I want to thank Marilee for her open invitation to authors on the Pan loop.

On Monday May 12th, I participated in a blog tour that a friend asked me to be a part of.  My blog mostly talked about how I promise to do things (like blog) and then worry about what the heck I'm going to talk about.

On Tuesday, May 20th, I saw a post from Marilee on the RWA PAN loop looking for guest bloggers and emailed her before I could stop myself. In my defense, on Monday, I'd had a couple of medical procedures and was more than likely still under the effects of anesthesia.  When Marilee emailed me back, and said, "sure you can blog," I went into an immediate panic and asked if I could send it to her the next day.

This morning I woke and wondered, why, why, why, did you ask to blog? LOL. So I thought about the title of Marilee's blog, Book Blather and I thought to myself, I can totally blather, that's what I do. Besides, I love books and I've been reading since I was four.

And this is what I'm going to blather on about: Writers and the process of writing. For the past eight years I've done a cable TV show, The Art of Writing, in my home town and I've interviewed countless writers, many NYT and USA Today bestselling authors. To name drop a few: L.A. Banks, Jade Lee, Cathie Lintz. Simone Elkeles, Donna Hill, and Elizabeth Hoyt. For several years I also interviewed award winning authors for the Romance Slam Jam blog and for various on-line magazines

Now this is the beauty of writing and writers. In the eight years I've been doing the show there has not been two writers who have ever had the exact same process. They are all as unique as their works. For me there is nothing better (well almost) than listening to a writer tell about the characters.

Even the most shy becomes filled with passion when telling of their characters. That elusive muse that we speak of is real and at times will bring the germ of an idea to a dozen writers at the exact same moment. None of them however will write the same story.

The things I've learned from other writers: Their process change with age and family obligations. They soak up ideas like sponges. Everything their friends and family talk about may one day wind up in a book. They have no idea what their muse will bring them next. And, oh yes, they all hear voices.

I suppose I love listening not only to the process of other writers, but knowing I'm in this huge group of people who hear voices. I hear the voices when I'm in a packed movie theater, or in a group of people having a very pleasant conversation. I have scenes play out in my mind while soaking in the tub and having the answer to a plot hole magically appear. Even in the most intimate of moments characters decide to show up and tell me what they want me to write.

I've been traditionally published for over a decade and for the last three or so years have decided to go the Indie route with the good and the bad. The bad being that I have to force myself to do things I might not want to. The good being that I can finally write about things that my ex-agent wasn't able to sell and that editors didn't want. And the thing of it is that I understand that generally in a trilogy all the books are in the same vein. My aren't.  My muse thought I needed to shake things up with first person, paranormal and the divine.

And that's my segue into the book I'm going to tell you about. One week ago I put Full Circle out for the world to read (wouldn't that be nice if it came true) Full Circle is the last book of a trilogy about reincarnations and psychics.   I'll give you a brief overview without the blather.

The Affair. A married woman, Michelle Powers meets her past life husband, Chance Morgan and begins a torrid affair. Together they meet their son from their past life, famed psychic Blaine Madia.

In the second book, The Gift, Blaine Madia, more famous for being a medium meets a female psychic who's running from a prophecy. He wants to help and they become embroiled in an all out psychic war.

In, Full Circle, Chance has to discover why he and Michelle did not meet in this lifetime before she'd begun a life with Larry. It had always happened before. Chance, a cardiologist goes to India in order to not be so close to Michelle. He has to find out how to get rid of his karmic debt in order to be reunited with his family in the next life.                                                  

                                              

Chance wants to be with Michelle in this life and is ready to ignore that he's already built up karmic debt by having an affair with her. He hates that she uses that word and still thinks of her as his wife.

While an India Chance begins a study of the Runes, a tool that is intuitive in nature and speaks to the spiritual side. Every stone he pulls point him in a direction he does not want to go.

When finally he's regressed by a group of mystics he learns the full scope of his past life debt. It is his fault that he did not find his wife until it was too late. He knows and finally accepts that Michelle can not be with him in this life. And he must wash the sins of the past away in the only way possible, one that he abhors.

More blather

I have to tell you this.  I did a ton of research for this trilogy and worked with a psychic for several years. I interview a dozen people who had experienced past life regression. ( I was too afraid to do it myself)  I personally experienced several seemingly impossible things of a psychic nature. I wrote several things that my critique partners for a decade thought were impossible, things, that I found out had actually happened to others. I was  aware that something, or someone wanted me to write this trilogy. Even knowing that my fan base would more than likely not be interested in the subject, I felt compelled to finish the books. I'm a romance writer, hmm, an award winning romance writer who was now writing things my readers most likely wouldn't read. Whatever was I thinking?

I confess, writers are strange indeed. I count myself lucky to be among that strange group, and to be able to pick the brains of my fellow writers, published and not yet published alike. They are all fascinating. It's a pleasure to find out their unique strangeness. Everyone has a story and I've been fortunate enough to hear a lot of them. Just in case you'd like to watch one of the streaming interviews on line, here's the link.http://www.bct.org on the left hand side click on web videos. When the box pops up scroll down to The Art of Writing. I also have several clips on Youtube. Just put in my name, Dyanne Davis.  One day when I have the time I plan to put a clip from all of the shows on Youtube. 

Thank you again, Marilee for giving me a chance to Blather.

http://www.dyannedavis.com/

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