Welcome Award Winning Author, Dyanne Davis! by DL Larson

Dyanne Davis is a Multi-Published, Award Winning author of 16 novels. She has written dozens of articles for on-line magazines. She was one of the authors for the Premier Edition of, New Love Stories, magazines. Dyanne lives in a Chicago suburb with her husband of 43 years, William Sr.

She has been a presenter of numerous workshops.
She hosts a local cable television show in her hometown, “The Art of Writing,” to give writing tips to aspiring writers. Interviewing some of her favorite authors, LA. Banks, Robin Schone, Donna Hill, Melody Thomas, Ann Marcela, Cathie Linz, Jade Lee, Jenna Petersen and many more has been the highlight of doing the show. You can catch some of the clips on Youtube.

Her first novel, The Color of Trouble, was released July of 2003. The novel was received with high praise and several awards. Dyanne won an Emma for Favorite New Author of the year.

In February 2007, Misty Blue was a finalist for best cover and best romance sequel. Dyanne was a finalist for author of the year. Misty Blue garnered an Emma win for best book cover.

Dyanne writes under a pseudonym for her vampire series. Her first vampire novel, In the Beginning, was released in June of 2007 under the name of F. D. Davis.

Dyanne has a local cable show in her hometown to give writing tips to aspiring writers.

Dyanne also writes a vampire series under the name of F. D. Davis. You can reach her at:
davisdyanne@aol.com. 
www.dyannedavis.com 
adamomegavampire@aol.com
www.adamomega.com

An Interview with Dyanne:
1. You were a nurse for many years, what inspired you to turn to writing?

I've always written in one form or the other. I started reading at four and always wanted to be able to create my own stories. I tried many times to submit badly written work to magazines and book editors. After receiving rejections, there would be huge chunks of time where I wouldn't write at all. It wasn't until I joined RWA and Windy City that I learned the craft of writing. And more importantly, I learned how to develop a thick skin, how to take rejections. I was where I needed to be, with a group of writers who were going through the same things. We also had published authors in the chapter who gave us encouragement and the drive to continue. Not to name drop but I'd like to pay homage to a few of them, as they were very important in my writing career and to many of the other writers in our chapter who went on to become published.

Cathie Linz, the self proclaimed mother hen of the group who has given so much encouragement to all of us. I respect her and love her probably more than she will ever know. Then there's Lindsay Longford (aka Jimmie) When I sold my first book the editor wanted me to take something out, I refused because Jimmie had loved it. Later when I told Jimmie about it, she called me crazy, and advised me to always listen to my editor. Myrna Mackenzie and Margaret Watson were very giving of their time. Then we have our three time Rita winner, Susan Elizabeth Philips. At one of my very first meetings she asked me what genre I was writing and who I was targeting my work to. To me she was speaking Greek. I was just writing. LOL.

Of course that was almost seventeen years ago. Hopefully you can tell how influential ALL of the members of Windy City were in my career. They were my learning center, my support, and my inspiration.

2. Tell us about your TV show. How did you come up with the idea of interviewing writers?


The Art of Writing, is a cable show that is done in a state of the art studio, in Bolingbrook IL. My husband, Bill, is the producer. About nine years ago, Jennifer Stevenson of Chicago North was at an author fest in Bolingbrook, and Bill was filming it. She asked Bill to develop a show for romance writers. Several of us thought it was a good idea. I was assigned to badger Bill into doing it. At the time, then Chicago's number one female D.J of WGIC, Niki Woods, young and beautiful was going to be the host. I would pull guests from Windy City and Chicago North. Bill thought it best that I co-host just in case. During that time Nikki was super busy and much sought after so I reluctantly agreed. LOL. Turns out Bill had been seeing into the future on that one. Nikki was only able to do three shows. I've been doing the show for eight years now.

It has been one of my greatest joys. I am in awe of the amount of talent and never tire talking to writers. I love how their minds works, how their creative process mimic or differ from mine. And I totally enjoy showing my little corner of the world, that romance writers are so much more than viewers may have thought.

I have interviewed New York Times, and USA Today best selling, authors. I have interviewed Emma award winners (of which I am one. YEAH) and every writing award you can name. I've interviewed writers whose work I've loved, L.A, Banks, Robin Schone, Jade Lee, DL Larson. I've interviewed every writer at Windy city published and yet to be published who were brave enough to come on the show. I had Todd Stone, author of Boot Camp for writers, in a kilt, Philip E. Clark, a wonderfully gifted numerologist. Cindy Muntz, with so much positive energy it makes me smile just writing her name. She's a psychic medium and clairvoyant. She's also writing a book. There has not been one guest I haven't enjoyed. I even had Sarah Stone, the only guest who did a concert. If I continued on with the names I'd be writing until next week. Oh, what the heck. LOL. These are some of the authors who have graced me with their presence. And I want to publicly thank them and all of the rest. Seriously, I was told I didn't have a word count….but…..

Simone Elkeles, Barbara Keaton, Lisa G. Riley, Deadri King Bey, Earl Sewell, Ann Clay, Kathy Thigpin, Cathie Lintz, Ann Macela, Adrienne Giordano, Wendy Byrne, Luisa Buehler, Jenna Peterson, Jess Michaels, Melody Thomas, Kelle Z. Riley, Jackie (Wallis) Blythe Gifford, Tracey Devlyn, Denise Swanson, Mary Jo Burke, Margaret Watson, Allie,a Keena Kincaid, Susan Gibberman, Tom Hernandez.

3. You're an award winning novelist with 16 books to your credit! Tell us about your writing career and what book is your most memorable for you?

Make that seventeen novels, and eight novella! I was trying to think which so far would be most memorable and I think I'll say my second novel, because as writers we stress so hard over being a one book wonder. Also I learned a lot of great lessons from that book. I got lost in the telling of it and gave it over to the secondary characters. My three brilliant critique partners pointed it out to me, and of course by then I knew it as well. But that was the way my muse was giving it to me and I liked it. When my editor received it she politely told me the same things my critique partners had, but she also said the publisher had contracted for a romance, not a story about a brother and sister and that if I wanted the sister to have a story I should write her one. (I thought I already had) LOL. Anyway, because of my editor's forcing me to give all the great scenes to the heroine I received a contract for the third book, which was my first 4 star review from Romantic Times. My lesson: Do not allow secondary character to run away with the story.

4. What is your writing regimen? Do you use an outline or let your characters take you on a journey? Do you write everyday? Are you a morning or evening writer? Tell us!

Hmmm. My writing regime? Generally I work on at least two things at once. I'm a pantser so I almost never use an outline. The exception: My paranormals. I was forgetting who was in it and details about the characters. Because of it being a series, I had to have some continuity, especially about things such as eye color.

5. How do you reward yourself for your accomplishments?

I don't really reward myself I just start another project. I guess I should answer that by saying I don't deny myself anything before the accomplishment.

6. What are you reading right now? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Right now I'm reading a novel written by the son of my all time favorite vampire's writer's (Anne Rice) son, Christopher Rice. I'm only two pages in. Oh I just thought of a reward I give myself. When I write so many hours I reward myself by reading larger chunks of whatever book I'm reading instead of the snippets I do during little breaks. And I always have a book to read. I don't know how to survive a day without reading. Books are all over my house, in my car and in both bathroom. TMI…but I don't like idle time. I have to read.

7. How did you make the transition to sci-fi romance? Did you have to change your name or did you want to?

I don't really write sci-fi per say. I hate the idea of world building, for me it's too much info to remember. I write paranormal, vampires, demons, ghosts, and psychics. I use F.D. Davis because my readers were used to me writing romance. Readers will become very angry if they buy your book expecting one thing and get something else. It was because of L.A. Banks that I decided to go with my initials. Some readers of her vampire series may not even be aware that she began her career writing romances.

8. What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

For aspiring writers I would say first and foremost to finish the book. Then try as hard as you can to get a thicker skin.

9. Any other comments you'd like to share?

As a writer, it's not a necessity for you to attend, workshops, conferences, or to join RWA and a local chapter. But the support, the love, the learning, and to be with other writers who know the pain of rejections and will share in your hard won victories, is something that is worth more than the cost of belonging to RWA, It's like being in a family.
Thank you Dyanne!

Connect with Dyanne at:

davisdyanne@aol.com. 

www.dyannedavis.com 

adamomegavampire@aol.com

www.adamomega.com

Please leave a comment to welcome Dyanne Davis to Book Beat Babes!