1. When did you know you wanted to be a
writer?
It was more a matter of feeling that I had things to say versus the
actual desire to write. My mom used to create fairytales on the fly for me, and
it’s something I still do to lull myself to sleep. Now that I’ve become an
insomniac, the stories are getting more elaborate, and I’ve started writing
them.
2. Do you plan on writing other genres?
My head dances with characters and scenarios. So far the ones that
have gripped me the most have been unconventional romances. It’s funny because
when I wrote my first book, I just plopped down words. When I went back to make
it pretty, I found my romantic voice. Now I wonder if could write any other
way. Generally speaking though, I can’t see ever writing something that isn’t
off-beat. As for genre, I think it’s more that I’ll tell stories and let the
genres fall where they may.
3. Is there anything besides music that
helps you to get into the zone when you sit down to write?
Lately I’ve been taking my iPhone on morning
walks. I’ve dictated pretty much all of the first draft of my next novel that
way.
4. What is your favorite genre to read?
I like anything that can make my mind
question possibilities. I also like outrageousness, and deep-felt emotions. It’s
the blurb that catches me, not the genre.
5. Who is the one author you put everything
down and have to have the newest book as soon as its released?
Admittedly,
I can put down any book and walk away for a month. It’s horrible, but true.
It’s not a reflection on the author, it’s just one of my quirks. I can be dying
to read something and take forever to get through it.
Diane Rinella FAQs
What
inspired you to write Love’s Forbidden
Flower?
One chilly fall afternoon I curled up
and watched an obscure counter culture film called The Buttercup Chain. In it, two cousins, related through identical
twins—thus making them genetic half-siblings—have a strong attraction. She is
fine with the situation, while he is a huge ball of denial. The entire film I
waited for the obvious to happen. When the film ended and the man was
heartbroken, I felt a huge opportunity had been squandered. Clearly they were
soul mates, and never once did we find out why he was so freaked out by his
emotions. All you could believe was that he hid from who he was because of
society. What a horrible world we live in where love is wrong.
The sadness of the situation stayed
with me, as did my anger at the author for not taking the story where it needed
to go, either by explaining the problem or by facing it. Upon doing research I discovered that
there are so many biases toward the subject that I could not find a single book
that really tackled it non-judgmentally. Yet the more I dug, the more common I
found the real-life situation to be. The
proverbial gloves came off and I started writing Love’s Forbidden Flower. What started as a story ended as a chalice
in which I placed my heart, all the while asking why we make love laws. How we
can tell others it is wrong to love, I will never understand.
What is something
you would tell readers that may make them more willing to read this book?
Love’s
Forbidden Flower is not an
incestuous work of erotica. It is a New Adult Romance novel about soul mates
and the unfairness that society makes love laws. If
you read the reviews, the general consensus is that the taboo nature is not
shoved at you. I’ve actually had several people tell me they kept forgetting
about the blood relation. Chapter one is posted on my website because I respect
people’s comfort zones. I encourage people to take a gander. If you can handle
the first chapter, you should be fine. If not, I appreciate the time you took
to read it. http://dianerinellaauthor.com/loves-forbidden-flower-chapter-1/
What
do you want readers to take away from your book?
We are told what to believe.
Society dictates right from wrong, and we are supposed to play along. In fact,
we are conditioned to do so. In Time’s Forbidden Flower, Lily jumps on
her soap box about the mixed messages society gives and how we are supposed to
follow like herded sheep, zigzagging through the muck without question. I see a
huge flaw there. I hope readers will leave the herd and ask their own
questions, find their own answers. I hope that
they will walk away questioning why we make love laws, even if they don’t
change their views. If they see the world more openly after reading my novel,
and many say they do, I have done something extraordinary.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as
an author? What has been the best compliment?
Other than from
myself, my toughest criticism came from my beta readers who are college
literature students. Harsh! They totally whipped me into shape though. As for
complements, there are two. From a writer’s standpoint it’s that several have
said that my words flow beautifully, like water from a faucet. (Makes me so
happy!) However, what really sends me is that Full Marriage Equality blogspot
has spoken out heavily in favor of the Forbidden Flower series, praising how I
have handled the subject matter. Recently they coined the term, “Friend of
Lily,” to be akin to the term, “Friend of Dorothy.” So someone in a consanguineous
relationship is now referred to as a Friend of Lily. From a writer’s
standpoint, to have a term coined after your character is incredible. From a
personal standpoint, it makes me tear every time I hear it. I’ve had a little
bit of positive impact on the world. It’s a huge deal to me.
Do
you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Write the story you want to
tell. We live in a wonderful era of a publishing revolution. There is no one
out there who can stop you from writing and distributing your work. However,
don’t just write and hit the publish button. Get as many people as you can to
read your story and give honest opinions. Make the improvements you feel are
needed and edit, edit, edit! Hire an editor. Do the best you can to catch every
tiny misusage of a comma, but respect that even major publishers miss a lot or
errors. Hit the publish button with pride. Know that bad reviews are
inevitable. (Even the greatest classics get bad reviews.) Celebrate that you
have done what so few others dare.
*** Please note: This is a New Adult Romance novel involving
two siblings who struggle with their emotions. This is not a work of
erotica.***
The heart cares not what society forbids.
Lily nurtures a secret love for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate.
Donovan is gorgeous, charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and
quirks. Their innate knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together
they interlock like fine threads creating luxurious silk.
But society dictates this picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all
possibilities.
As Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor
turns reluctant. Desperate to uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed
from a tender-hearted gentleman into a ferociously self-serving, cocky bastard,
Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the salvation of her soul mate.
However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of chess, leaving her to question
his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead
to an inconceivable truth, can she help Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?
Impassioned, witty, and deeply moving, Love’s Forbidden Flower is filled with
stunning controversies that will forever haunt your heart.
Click HERE to read chapter
one of Love’s Forbidden Flower!
Society’s torch only illuminates our path.
Very disturbing or somewhat intriguing? That is the question Donovan asks
himself over his soul mate’s latest idea for bedroom antics. Undecided, he
enters into a bet. If Lily wins, Donovan will become a willing participant in
an unsettling new adventure. If she loses… Well, does Donovan really want her
to lose?
Love’s Erotic Flower is an erotic, stand-alone, short story featuring the
characters from the controversial New Adult Romance novel, Love’s Forbidden
Flower. This piece is approximately 8000 words.
Warning: This title contains graphic language and raunchy sexual situations. It
is intended for those 18 years of age and older.
An eternity of passion cannot
be quelled by society.
Once upon a time Donovan assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But
how could he keep the promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not
involve him, though her deepest desires did? Now, Lily has it all—love,
passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something
is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the
soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all
she desires, even with Christopher in the way?
For Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to
the future that cannot be shattered.
Donovan is convinced Lily has been his love for all eternity. Determined to
unravel the past, they embark on a journey to discover where it all began. For
centuries Donovan has stolen Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love.
How much can a soul endure before the breaking point is reached and a monster
emerges? Can the demons of the past be combated to pave the way for happiness
in the next life? Or has the abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan
hell bound? Time and again, one woman has destroyed their happiness. It’s time
to silence her once and for all.
The light of the alarm clock
covers my face in a soft glow while its progressing numbers remind me
that life is passing by. Finally, Christopher's breath deepens into a
low snore. Like a paranoid ninja I slip out of bed and head down the
stairs.
Is the frigidity of the knob on
the library door brought about by the weather outside, or the
betrayal I feel stepping through this portal, knowing a letter from a
former lover awaits?
Grabbing the designated book off
of the shelf, excitement and apprehension course through my nervous
system. Hidden in the section on making gum paste lilies is a sheet
of stationary that bares an uncanny resemblance to the stationary on
which I once wrote letters to Donovan, sharing in the madness of an
alternate reality.
To My Lovely Lady,
You are, and will always be,
the force that drives and inspires me. On my brightest days, you are
the warmth that shines upon me. In the darkest nights, you provide
the voice that soothes me. Because of you I face each day knowing who
I am and the good I bring into the world. Because of you, I am whole.
Until the end of forever,
Donovan
Placing the book back on the
shelf, I head for the family room, unable to bring myself to return
to Christopher. Curling up on the sofa I turn on the TV where the A
Christmas Story marathon continues. Quickly I change the channel,
only to return to it, and then flee again. Finally I settle on an
infomercial, staring blankly, striving to force myself into panic
over the details of the New Year’s Eve party to come. The diversion
proves to be a terrible idea. This will be the first New Year’s Eve
Donovan and I have spent together since we split. How do I move past
the impending pain of the night while finding a way to heal?
“Cannoli,” I softly mutter aloud. “I’ll switch from cream
puffs to cannoli. Maybe I should stuff the cream puffs with cannoli
filling…”
Enjoying San
Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home
augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices
have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning
hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to
their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake
designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’
roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence
her idiosyncratic writing.
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Author
Bio
Enjoying
San Francisco as a backdrop, the ghosts in Diane’s 150-year old Victorian home
augment the chorus in her head. With insomnia as their catalyst, these voices
have become multifarious characters that haunt her well into the sun’s crowning
hours, refusing to let go until they have manipulated her into succumbing to
their whims. Her experiences as an actress, business owner, artisan cake
designer, software project manager, Internet radio disc jockey, vintage rock n’
roll journalist/fan girl, and lover of dark and quirky personalities influence
her idiosyncratic writing.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianeRinellaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeRinella
Buy links:
Love’s Forbidden Flower
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/372452
Love’s Erotic Flower
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/370616
Time’s Forbidden Flower
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Times-Forbidden-Flower-ebook/dp/B00ED4Y5RS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1-catcorr&qid=1379425716
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/372271
The
heart cares not what society forbids.
Lily nurtures a secret love
for a flawless man—the one who is her soul mate. Donovan is gorgeous,
charismatic, and delights in all of Lily’s talents and quirks. Their innate
knowledge of each other is almost telepathic. Together they interlock like fine
threads creating luxurious silk.
But society dictates this
picture-perfect adoration is the ghastliest of all possibilities.
As
Lily embarks on a quest for the romance the heavens intended, her suitor turns
reluctant. Desperate to
uncover why Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hiding decayed from a tender-hearted gentleman
into a ferociously
self-serving, cocky bastard, Lily is prepared for battle when it comes to the
salvation of her soul mate. However, Donovan traps Lily in a mental game of
chess, leaving her to question his sanity. When Lily’s revelations about
Donovan’s destructive alter ego lead to an inconceivable truth, can she help
Donovan survive fate’s cruel joke?
Impassioned, witty, and deeply
moving, Love’s Forbidden Flower is filled with stunning controversies that will
forever haunt your heart.
Society’s
torch only illuminates our path.
Very disturbing or somewhat
intriguing? That is the question Donovan asks himself over his soul mate’s
latest idea for bedroom antics. Undecided, he enters into a bet. If Lily wins,
Donovan will become a willing participant in an unsettling new adventure. If
she loses… Well, does Donovan really want her to lose?
Love’s Erotic Flower is an erotic, stand-alone, short story featuring the characters from
the controversial New Adult Romance novel, Love’s
Forbidden Flower. This piece is approximately 8000 words.
Warning: This title contains graphic language and
raunchy sexual situations. It is intended for those 18 years of age and older.
An
eternity of passion cannot be quelled by society.
Once upon a time Donovan
assured Lily all of her dreams would come true. But how could he keep the
promise of a fairy tale when her truest goals could not involve him, though her
deepest desires did?
Now, Lily has it all—love,
passion, a family, and the career of her dreams—with Christopher. But something
is lacking. She and Donovan have spent the last ten years living apart, and the
soul mates are eager to reunite. Can Donovan keep his promise to give Lily all
she desires, even with Christopher in the way?
For
Lily and Donovan, the past is a mirror to the future that cannot be shattered.
Donovan is convinced Lily has
been his love for all eternity. Determined to unravel the past, they embark on
a journey to discover where it all began. For centuries Donovan has stolen
Lily’s heart while forced to suffer for his love. How much can a soul endure
before the breaking point is reached and a monster emerges? Can the demons of
the past be combated to pave the way for happiness in the next life? Or has the
abuse suffered in this life already turned Donovan hell bound?
Time and again, one woman has
destroyed their happiness. It’s time to silence her—once and for all.
Ravishingly sinful, witty, and
controversial, Time’s Forbidden Flower, the sequel to Love’s Forbidden Flower,
is a barrier breaking love story of time unwound.
