AAD NOLA Author Spotlight: Diana Castilleja

Hi to all the Book Faery Readers! So, I'm here to charm and hang out for a while, huh? Well, let me share a little bit about me and my writing. Tori has been kind enough to put together an interview for me, so let's get rollin'!

What is your favorite genre to read?

This is very cyclical. For the last year or so, I've been reading almost exclusively Male/Male romance. But I also read paranormal and romantic suspense, so it depends on the mood more than anything. I also tend to follow authors, so what's next might not be the latest release, but how deep I've been able to get into my TBR pile.

 
Why did you choose to pursue this career path?

I'm not so sure I chose to pursue writing. It was more, it appeared out of a dark alley, beat me over the head, and mugged me. Only after I acceded to the will of my muse did I decide to outwardly go with the flow and attempt a full blown career at it. It wasn't easy, and it took years to get to this point, and it will take many more years before I can honestly say, I still have a lot to learn. 

 
When did you decide that you wanted to be a published author? 

I began writing in 2004, and at first it wasn't to publish my work. I began writing out of boredom, reading a lot of books that I enjoyed at the time and feeling I could do the same. I'm a bit of a "get it right" personality, so I joined a writer's critique group here locally and one of the group was a retired college professor. She, among the others, encouraged me to seek publication. I'm not sure how long it would have taken me to attempt that on my own otherwise. My mother has been a huge supporter of my writing, as well. 

What has the journey been like?
Oh, boy. A lot of ups and downs. A lot of success, and an equal if not larger number of failures and frustrations. Did I mention a lot of ups and downs? But each bump taught me something, gave me the strength to stand up for my work later down the road, or taught me what I needed to avoid like the plague *cofhistoricalcof*

What is the writing process like for you?

I sit down and usually play a little. Write a little or a lot depending on the flow and how caffienated my muse is. Play some more. Answer emails, write, play, write, and occassionally I remember to eat. 

 
Do you have any pre/post writing rituals?

I was going to say no, but that's not really true. Post especially, one of the things that is almost a winning bet is I'm going to sit down and read what I've written, end to end. I self-edit as I write, but I also tweak and then when it's all said and done, I do it again after it's officially finished. The only time someone sees raw work is on the fly, during challenges. And they're sworn to secrecy of how crappy that writing may be. :) 

 
If you could marry any fictional hero, who would it be and why?

Hm... That's a toughie. Let me think on that one. 

Coffee or tea?
Coffee. Though I drink tea during the winter when I want something hot and not loaded. 
 
Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate. It is its own food group, isn't it? 

Night owl, or early riser? 

Night owl. Ask anyone who knows me. I am not a morning person. 

Winter or summer? 
Actually, I'm a fall girl. I love the change in the seasons, the colors, and the cooler temps without quite needing to bundle up like a hill-billy sales rack to go get the mail. I do love snow, but there's very little that can ruin a brisk north breeze with sunshine on you. 
 


Diana Castilleja has been writing since 2004 with her first work published in 2006. She's since had over twenty combined titles published under her mainstream name and her psuedonym of Diana DeRicci. Her writing runs across the board in the romance genre and she's always on the lookout for anothe challenge--usually brought to her at right at the same time she's trying to fall asleep. It's a collision of Muse and Sandman and rarely does she get out of it easily. 
  Her latest works include Wolf Brother's Legacy: Resurrection (Castilleja) and Under One Roof (DeRicci). For more information, sample chapters and other bits about her work, please feel free to check out her websites. She can be reached through her websites and she loves to hear from readers.

www.DianaCastilleja.com
www.DianaDeRicci.com