Author Interview: Diamond Drake, Author of Imagined Love

Day 3 and our second author interview.

We have Diamond Drake, author of Imagined Love

Willa Caldwell jumps in and out of her volatile and sometimes violent marriage seemingly unaware of the affects her actions have on daughter Jade. Lonely and insecure, Jade often falls prey to those eager to take advantage of her desperate need for love and acceptance. And both she and Willa endure heartache at the hands of those who claim to love them most.
As a young adult Jade decides toleave her hometown of Gary, IN, as well as the pain of her past to start anew in sunny California. Sadly, things don't go ashoped and she's left wondering if she'll ever experience real love or if it will always be... Imagined Love.
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My Review

Tell us about yourself
I'm Diamond Drake, the author of three chick-lit novels; Imagined Love, For the Love of Jade (sequel), and Love's Fool. I was born and raised in Gary, IN but I now reside in northern California with my husband of seventeen years, two teenaged daughters, and two dogs.

One thing about you that's not in your bio
Diamond Drake is my pen name.

Have you always aspired to publish a novel? Which writers inspire/influence you?
Yes, I've ALWAYS wanted to publish novels! In the first grade I vowed to my granny that I would do it and I talked about it every day!

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest criticism I ever received came from one of my editors. She basically told me I "talk" too much and needed to learn how to get to the point.
The best compliment came from a group of readers who told me they changed their lives because of something one of my characters did. I still cry when I think about that.

If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be? Why?
If I could have dinner with anyone it would probably be Nicholas Sparks. I'd love to know the secret to having so many of his novels made into major movies. That has to be an amazing feeling!

What book(s) are you reading at present?
I'm currently reading Football Widows by Pat Tucker and my own novel, Love's Fool. I'm gearing up to write the sequel and need to get re-acquainted with the characters.

For the Love of Jade won the 2013 International Book Award Winner for the African American category? How was that experience for you?
Winning the 2013 International Book Award has been a great experience. It's validating in a lot of ways. And I find that readers respond differently to me as well. They're more willing to give my work a chance.

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
I think the cover plays a huge role in whether a reader will buy your book or not. As much we say don't judge a book by its cover, we often do.

Which of your characters do you relate to the most? Are any of them based on people you know?
The character I relate to most is definitely Jade from Imagined Love. That book was heavily based on my own life so I have a special connection with her.

What’s next for you? Any works in the making that readers should know about?
Currently, I'm working on my fourth and fifth novesl. One is the sequel to my last book and the other, Love's Choice, will introduce readers to a whole new cast of crazy characters! I love Dwight and Robin Haughton! haha

Random
Favorite season - fall.
Favorite dessert - cake!
Favorite book by another author - The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks
Favorite book that I wrote - Hmmm ... that's hard to answer. I love them all for different reasons.
Random fact - Let's see... oh, I'm absolutely terrified of opening a can of biscuits! I hate when it pops so I have my husband or daughter do it for me!

Author

Diamond Drake, the author of For the Love of Jade, is known for her emotionally gripping tales. Born and raised in Gary, IN, she currently resides in Stockton, CA with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs.
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REVIEW: Hussy by Selena Kitt

The Book
Source: free copy courtesy of author
Published: August 29, 2013
Publisher: Excessica Publishing
ASIN/ISBN: B00EVD3ZPE
Format: ebook (mobi)
Pages: 138
Other information: previously released as “Falling Down.”

Description
The Eskimos may have over a hundred words for snow, but that doesn’t even come close to how many words the English language has for “slut”—and Lindsey has been called them all. “Hussy” is Lindsey’s personal favorite, given to her by her own grandmother, who likes to pat her on the hand and whisper, “Don’t worry, dear—a hussy is just a woman with the morals of a man.”
But Lindsey’s not ashamed of her reputation. She knows she’s earned it—and she’s proud of it. After all, you only live once, right? In fact, she goes out of her way to make it known to every guy she comes in contact with, she’s available for the taking—the rougher, the better.
That is until Lindsey meets Lieutenant Zachary Davis, a man who refuses to treat her like the trash she believes she really is.
But can Lindsey change her impulsive ways and learn to value herself the way the Zach does?

My Review
The Cover
The cover is basic. It's very suggestive and bright.

The Characters
There are a few characters. Lindsay and Zach being the major ones.
Other characters that add to the story are Billy, Lindsay's mum and her stepfather.

In the beginning, we don't know much about Lindsay except that she likes sex and has a bad rep. Zach is the nice, kind guy who patiently helps Lindsay with her problems.

I'm indifferent to the characters. I don't like them and I don't dislike them.

The Story
It didn't grab me. I was actually bored for like the first 30 pages of the book. I had to flip through.
I didn't find it hot or steamy. It was annoying even.

I liked the romance between Zach and Lindsay. It was sweet. The proposals were my best scenes.

Generally
I've heard good things about the author so I had high expectations. The book was a bit disappointing.
It's a short read. Nothing fascinating.

This book contains sexually explicit scenes and graphic language which may be considered offensive

Find The Author
SelenaKitt.com
Facebook
Goodreads

Find The Book
Amazon
BN.com
Goodreads

Recommended To
I'll recommend this book to people who already read dark, heavy stuff or who can handle it.

Rating
3 stars

By the way, what do you think about my new review format.

REVIEW: The Ballerina and The Fighter by Ursula Sinclair

I received a free copy courtesy of the author.

Finished: September 11, 2013
Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 173
Format: ebook

The Book
I travel through life dancing.
All I ever wanted to do was dance, as did my best friend. We'd made so many plans together, but one night an explosion changed it all. Only one of us survived, and I promised myself I'd succeed for us both. And I did, until an accident almost ruined my career, but Maze came back into my life when I needed him most. He pulled me out of the depths of my despair. But could I save him now?

I travel through life fighting.
It had always been Ivy; from the first moment I saw her leaping through the air like she had wings to lift her from the ground. But she was my dream, something I wanted more than anything else in my life. I promised myself I would stay away from her. Violence followed me everywhere and I tried to keep her far away from it. She was my point of illumination in the dark tumultuous world I lived in. But I could not stay away from her. Not when I knew she needed me. As much as I needed her. But could she accept me as I am?

My Opinion
I expected a lot more from this book and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed.

The characters and the relationships they had were underdeveloped. The romance between Maze and Ivy was too rushed and could have been better.
I couldn't connect with the story.
I think the best relationship in the book is the one between Maze and his dad.

There was a lot of repetition whenever the author switched POVs. It kind of pulled me out because I wanted to skip the parts.

I didn't like Maze, per the romance. By the second page, he was already thinking "sexy" things. By the ninth, he seemed like a leery, creepy, disturbing guy. All this within 5 minutes of meeting Ivy.
As a fighter, I loved him. I liked the fight scenes best.

The blurb makes it seem like her friend's death was important to their story. IMO, it wasn't.

I also think that the last line was unnecessary. The book could have ended blissfully without the last line.

All in all, the plot had a lot of potential and it could have done a lot better. It was an okay read.

This book contains explicit scenes

Get it from
Amazon
BN.com
Diesel Books
Half.com
Kobo
Smashwords
Sony Bookstore

**blurb and image from goodreads

REVIEW: Imagined Love by Diamond Drake

I received this book free courtesy of the author

Finished: August 25, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

*The Book
This is book 1 in the series.
Willa Caldwell jumps in and out of her volatile and sometimes violent marriage seemingly unaware of the affects her actions have on daughter Jade. Lonely and insecure, Jade often falls prey to those eager to take advantage of her desperate need for love and acceptance. And both she and Willa endure heartache at the hands of those who claim to love them most.

As a young adult Jade decides to leave her hometown of Gary, IN, as well as the pain of her past to start anew in sunny California. Sadly, things don't go as hoped and she's left wondering if she'll ever experience real love or if it will always be . . . Imagined Love.

My Opinion
I really struggled with rating the book. I was trying to decide between 3 and 4 stars.

I didn't looove this book but I enjoyed it and I understood what the author was trying to pass across.

There were a lot of twists and turns but not so much that it became annoying. This book was very emotional. There were funny moments, sad moments, happy ones, annoying, jaw dropping and sappy ones.

The characters were real. The storyline and plot were on point.

I think a major thing that worked for the book was how relatable and real it was. It's something that most of the targeted audience can relate to. How people (women especially) put up with sh*t that they don't have to.

Get it on
Amazon
BN.com
Kobo
Sony Bookstore

*book description from goodreads