Monday, June 9, 2014

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.


22 comments:

  1. As always a most excellent, insightful and inspiring post, Dyanne.

    A.M.

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  2. I guess my comment didn't post. Even though you weren't sure what you were going to write, you sure provided a lot of information for us writers. Full Circle sounds absolutely great and I'm glad you listened to the voices in your head to write this series. There are so many avenues to publishing open to authors now and the fact you can take advantage of traditional and independent to get your work out is excellent. I'm looking forward to reading about these characters and past life regressions.
    Yasmine

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    1. Yasmine, actually your comment did post. A couple of weeks ago someone posted on face book about a 3 year old boy who stated he'd lived before and had been killed. He led the police to the man and his body and the weapon used in his murder. Interesting, right?

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  3. Hi Dyanne, How are you? I look forward to re-reading/reading your trilogy. :)

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    1. Hi Carmen,

      I'm good. I'm hard at work on making sure the Frog Prince is as free of errors as I can make it.

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  4. Enjoyed the blather Dyanne. Love your work!

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    1. Hi Wanda,

      LOL. You should know I love the term, blather. It is so me. Thank you for the compliment.

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  5. Thanks A.M. Did I tell you how much I enjoyed your last blog, on http://dyannedavis.blogspot.com

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  6. Dyanne, are you going to continue with this type of subject matter or is your romance muse still alive?

    Lynne

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    1. Hi Lynne,

      As far as I know, I'm done with reincarnation. My romance muse is alive and well. Frog Prince will be out fairly soon. I'm also working on Secrets of The Orient. I know it looked like all I was writing for a time was vampires, ghosts and demons. LOL. I think romance will reign supreme for the next year.

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  7. From the moment I met you, I knew you was something special. I love this interview and your insight into wtiting. I have to go and check out the other interviews you have done. I have seem some but I need to go and check out you tube.

    Once again great informations.

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    1. Louise,

      You get a big hug from me. Something special. Wow. Thank you. Then again, you're something special yourself and so is that grand-baby of yours

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  8. I don't know what happen to my comments before.

    Thank you for the insight into the minds of a author. Great interview.

    Louise

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  9. Glad I got the chance to read your "blather" Dyanne. Keep on writing and we will keep on reading.

    Patsy Nelson

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    1. Patsy,

      LOL. Thank you. I will definitely keep up the blather.

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  10. Great post. Keep on doing what you do, Dyanne!

    Lisa G.

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    1. Thanks, Lisa.

      When is your next book coming out. And what is the title?

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  11. I like that no one writes the same too. It makes it so original! I am play scenes in my head, talk somethings through that don't make sense, and hear voices (in a good way). Writing can be fun!

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    1. Hey Nikki,

      You're so right about the voices. Sometimes they're so insistent they take over until you write what they want to say. But....you all should watch out and if my voices become scary other than in my paranormal...run,.LOL

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