Author Interview: Diana S. Zimmerman

How long have you been writing?

Since I was a young girl. When I was child, I wrote plays and stories about faerys and magic. Then I wrote my own scripts as a magician. As an adult in the business world, my left brain kicked in and I began writing marketing materials, executive speeches, and articles for the couture jewelry industry. I didn’t write my first novel until 2008. “Kandide: The Secret of the Mists,” along with the other two books in the series are my first fiction books.

What is your favorite part about being an author?

Creating new worlds and the characters in them. The juxtaposition of being able to transform the challenges of everyday life, such as those Kandide faces in her magical world of Calabiyau, and solve them through intelligence, wit, and cunning, along with her magic, is irresistible. I also love the marketing challenges of being an author and making a book successful.

If you could jump inside the world of your book, what would you be and what would you do?

Wow! What a great question. In many ways, I have jumped inside Calabiyau, the magical land of the Kandide trilogy. So much of what Kandide, the lead character, fights to do, including overcoming her own insecurities, and then working to eliminate prejudice and bullying, comes from my own belief that people, regardless of who they are, should be afforded the opportunity to achieve. Not handed success, but allowed to be more than they ever dreamed. That is the true magic of life. Each of the characters such as Teren, who is a wannabe wizard and prankster; Tara, who loves animals; or Viviana, who is a powerful High Priestess, all possess qualities I embrace. Even Lady Aron, the horrific villain, has a few qualities that can be appreciated. 

Could you talk a bit about your publication process?

I first published “Kandide: The Secret of the Mists” through Greenleaf. Then Scholastic picked it up for Book Fairs and Book Clubs. It sold double what they expected, but was a most frustrating experience. So, I decided to re-publish Book 1 and Book 2, “Kandide: The Lady’s Revenge,” myself, through CreateSpace and Amazon Kindle. The experience has been wonderful, and I could not be happier as an independant publisher. 

Are you working on any other projects?

I am currently working on the third book in the series, “Kandide: The Flame is Fleeting,” as well as my second business book, “Why Most Branding Fails – What Stanislavsky knew.” Both books are due out the first half of 2015. 

 I would love to find some pre-readers for “Kandide: The Flame is Fleeting.”  Anyone who has read Book 2 and would like a pre-pub copy of Book 3 can send me a note through my website. www.kandide.com

If you were a newsie from the turn of the century and your book was an article in the paper, what would you say to get people to buy the issue? 

Another great question... 

You won’t like Kandide. But you will find her irresistible. Welcome to Calabiyau, where magic is as normal as the sunrise and evil is on a rampage. Some days being Queen just isn’t what it’s cracked up to be.

Kandide and the Secret of the Mists: The Calabiyau Chronicles-book 1 on Amazon
KANDIDE THE Lady's Revenge: Book Two on Amazon