Dianna, you are such an intriguing woman and I’m happy to have you as my guest today! Born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria you now reside in Seattle, WA and you’ve written an incredible book — FIRE AND ICE. It’s romance, strength, perseverance, and abusive relationships all rolled into one powerful tale!
Please tell us about the journey to write this book.
It was an incredible journey for me. My book, “Fire and Ice” is a product of my inner calling. There was a voice inside of me so persistent, and it came at a time when I was so lonely and desperate to find what my purpose was in life. I remember, it was a sunny day in October, and I was sitting on the bench in my back yard, looking at the trees and bushes, so desperate to find answers. The same evening, I sat at the computer and started to write. It was the day my life changed completely.
It was the greatest satisfaction for me, everything was so easy, the plot, the names, the whole story. I am so grateful for having this opportunity to write this novel because life should be lived with happiness and joy, not with suffering and pain.
There is so much to learn from this book and I hope the readers will find a lot of useful information to apply in life. People who have read my book and have had to deal with abusive relationships were so thankful to me because my book impacted their lives. The other issue covered is that some women are perceived to be subservient to man and consequently treated in a relationship like that and not allowed to have time for themselves to pursue their dreams.
FIRE and ICE was an Award Winner, NABE Winter 2012! and you were featured on the pages of Woman’s Essence Magazine under Women Who Love to Write in the August 1, 2012 issue. Those are some memorable accolades! Can you share your joy regarding them?
When my book was published on November 9, 2011, the most memorable day in my life, I was referred by a dear friend to enter my book in this contest for a chance to win. I had no idea if I would win, but I remember the day I received an email very well because I started to cry. My tears were falling and I could not believe that I was a winner.
There was another surprise when I was offered a spot in Women’s Essence Magazine. The editor contacted me and told me I was chosen to be published on the pages of their magazine. It was another memorable day for me, and I did not expect to be in their anniversary issue, so it was an additional joy.
Your Amazon bio says that you also enjoy gardening (one of my fave’s too), but also photography, drawing, exploring other cultures, visiting interesting places, languages, and yoga. Can you share some tidbits about these passions? What do you like to photograph? What do you like to draw? Are you fluent in a few languages? Do you often do yoga?
When the weather in Seattle is nice and warm, I love to work in my garden. Usually, I have tomatoes, paprika, parsley and other vegetables. Most of my childhood was spent with my grandparents, and I learned a lot about gardening. My love for my garden comes from them and I enjoy spending a lot of time surrounded by nature.
I have these moments when suddenly I want to draw, so I sit on a chair in the middle of my yard and draw whatever catches my eye. It is the same with photography. I take pictures of the dog, he loves to pose. We find places around the yard, next to a flower or pot with strawberries that I have in my back yard.
Sunday is a day for yoga. I used to do it more often, but I do not have as much time now. I have two radio shows on A2Zenfm, and I use my three languages on every show. I am fluent in English, Bulgarian and Russian. The first show is about powerful women, and we have had huge success with it. There are a lot of people from so many countries who are our listeners and callers.
The purpose of the show is to empower women globally and help them cope with any situation. That is why; our guests are successful women who had been in difficult relationships or had to deal with a lot of obstacles, sharing their stories.
You’re currently working on your second novel. Can you whet our appetites with a few details? When do you think it will be released?
I’m working on the second book. It is going to be a sequel to Fire and Ice. It is going slow, but I am thinking it will be released at the end of August, 2013. It is a surprise with a lot of information, so many twists and turns. The title will be Ashes and Ice. What is next for the characters in “Fire and Ice”?
There is another book before that one, coming soon. I am a co-writer. It will be titled, The Monster in the Mirror. It is a heart touching story, so much life drama is incorporated. I cannot wait to see what readers will say about it.
You have a unique website/blog where you can hold a chat with a reader/writer/anyone wanting to discuss anything! That’s a sweet feature. Please tell us about that and about the rest of your site.
I love to interact with the readers, but I noticed that they are very shy and need special ways to overcome this barrier and respond. My observation is that most of the comments are coming on Facebook and Twitter. I create special ways of asking questions and people respond. I wish there were more comments from readers because I want to know their opinions about my book and what I do. This will help a lot and give direction not only to me, but to all authors who I am sure are ready to receive feedback.
There are authors that I talk with on a daily basis. They ask about marketing and publishing. I have gathered so much information because I do a lot of marketing also. When authors are guests on my website, we support each other and do a lot of cross promotion. It saves time and allows authors to work on their books and do other things.
Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers? Is there anything that you’ve learned along the writing/publishing route that you would do differently?
First, I want to say that writing a book is not the only thing involved. It takes time and dedication also. New authors should be prepared for a long journey and hard work, most of all, persistence. If you need help, ask other authors. They are always ready to give you the best possible answer. It is a good idea before publishing your book with a publishing company to learn about them. Do not hesitate to research, and I strongly recommend this; it saves time and trouble.
I am happy so far with how things have unfolded for me, I am so grateful for everything; the publishing company, people I’ve encountered and the opportunity I have been given to have my message heard around the globe. Thank you so much for this opportunity and good luck to everyone.
Love and Light,
Dianna Bellerose
Very impressive resume. Enjoyed this read.