About Diana Persaud:
Author. Businesswoman. Mother. Wife. Daughter. Sister. Like most women, Diana wears many hats, sometimes several at once.
Diana decided to write erotic romances so she could continue working while staying at home to raise her children. Although her life can be challenging sometimes, she would not have it any other way.
Between potty training and helping with homework, she has managed to write several erotic novellas and is working on two dozen more.
Diana has a degree in Science and is a former teacher.
The inspiration of her first erotic novella, Lucien’s Mate, came from her own experiences. Like Lanie, the central female character in Lucien’s Mate, Diana also heard warning bells when she first saw her husband. After a much longer pursuit, she finally agreed to be his mate.
What inspires you to write?
Love. I am happily in love with my husband and that inspires my stories. I want everyone to have a ‘happily ever after,’ which doesn’t always happen in real life, but does in my stories.
Tell us about your writing process.
I write what I’m inspired to write. Sometimes that means leaving one work in progress to begin (and sometimes end) another. I find that envisioning a scene helps me write. When I write what I’ve envisioned, it’s usually perfect and requires few changes.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
My characters control the story. I merely type what they tell me to.
What advice would you give other writers?
Keep writing. You really do get better the more you write. If you are stuck with one plot or scene, leave it and do something else. Sometimes I leave a manuscript and work on others (even publishing them) before I return to the problem manuscript. By then, I’ve figured out a solution and I can continue writing.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
Like most writers, I tried the traditional publishing route and then decided I would self publish. I’m glad I didn’t choose the traditional publisher, because they are having issues and might be going bankrupt. The scary part? Authors who are with that publisher don’t get their rights back if they go bankrupt- those rights will be sold as assets. I missed that bullet and I’m grateful for it.
I’ve also learned that going with a traditional publisher might get you more respect than being an “Indie” or self published author, but it won’t pay the bills. You get a much higher royalty rate (60-85% vs 8%) being self published, so I would say to new authors: do your research.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
I think eBooks are the future and Self Published authors are going to lead the way. Self Published authors can get their books out faster and with less overhead than a traditional publisher. E-books are better for the environment than paper books.
What do you use?: Professional Editor, Beta Readers
What genres do you write?: Romance, Erotic Romance, Suspense, Paranormal
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Website(s)
Diana Persaud Home Page Link
Link To Diana Persaud Page On Amazon
Link to Author Page on Smashwords
