Author Spotlight: Diana J. Febry

Maria Ball, also known as Diana J. Febry, is an author with multiple books under her belt, and she has no intention of stopping. Febry’s characters are very real and true, and may even cause readers to wonder if she somehow based her characters off of them. She was kind enough to take the time to talk about her work.

 

What made you decide to chose a pseudonym instead of your real name?
~My mother died suddenly when I was in my early 20s. I still miss her terribly but her death taught me the importance of appreciating every moment and not putting off your dreams until tomorrow. To use her maiden name as my pseudonym felt right. Like all teenagers, I perfected her signature for school letters and I use that signature to sign my books.

At what point did you realize that writing was your passion?
~I discovered it by accident, only a few years ago. I was in a stressful situation and felt betrayed by the people around me. Rather than retaliate I focused my energies into writing, and discovered I could use a story and fictional characters to organize and understand my own emotions. At first it was, ‘for my eyes only.’When I finally allowed my husband to read my book he encouraged me to try and get it published, and I did!

How long had you been writing before you were published?
~The publishing industry is changing all the time. From my first typed word to publication was only 18 months.

Do any of your works reflect things that have occurred in your personal life?
~Everything I write is a reflection of past experience and people I have known but I play Frankenstein with those details.

Where do you find your inspiration for your writing?
~I love making up characters and putting them in difficult situations and seeing what happens. I write without a clear plot in mind, rather than wait for a moment of inspiration to arrive. When those moments do come, it tends to be 3am in the morning and leads to a number of re-writes.

Which book was your favorite to write and why?
~That is like asking me to name my favorite child. My first book, The Skeletons of Birkbury will always be special, but I love each book, with their own strengths and weaknesses just the same.

Febry’s books are available on Amazon UK and Wings ePress. She can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.