We are honored to host Delaney Diamond on the first stop on her blog tour. Delaney just released her latest novel called ‘More Than A Mistress.’ We chatted about her new release, life, writing, and more. Check it out and let us know what you thought.
A Cleavester Interview
Black Page Turners: Hi Delaney, How are you?
Delaney Diamond: I’m doing great. Hope you are, too, and thank you for having me.
Black Page Turners: Congrats on your new novel ‘More Than A Mistress.’ Tell the readers about it?
Delaney Diamond: Thank you! More Than a Mistress is the 5th book in the Latin Men series, about wealthy Latin men from Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Ecuador who fall in love, and fall hard. It’s an interracial series that I started back in late 2010 (can’t believe it’s been that long!), and this particular story has been on the backburner for about four years. It’s about Sonia Kennedy, a sommelier who’s a little bit down on her luck but still pushing through to achieve her dream of becoming a certified sommelier. As the story opens, she meets Esteban, a wealthy restaurateur, who pursues her until she becomes his mistress—or a kept woman. The story follows their journey from mistress/benefactor, to the conflict that arises as they fall deeply in love with each other. Click to purchase: http://amzn.to/2nwGe2H (Kindle) or http://amzn.to/2ni0NQ5 (Paperback)
Black Page Turners: How long did it take for you to write ‘More Than A Mistress?’
Delaney Diamond: Normally it takes me a couple of months to write a novel, but this one took about three months because it was about 25,000 words longer than my normal novel length.
Black Page Turners: What kind of man is Esteban Galiano?
Delaney Diamond: Esteban Galiano is a go-getter and a no-nonsense type of person. He’s a self-made man, making his money in restaurants and other investments such as real estate. He’s also a complex man, who doesn’t like dealing with details in his business life—so he leaves those things to his assistant. Yet he has no problem paying attention to the details when it comes to Sonia. He wines her and dines her, but pays attention to what she likes, such as the kind of candy she prefers or the fact that she’s a fan of Jill Scott. Basically, what every woman wishes her man would do, lol.
Black Page Turners: How would you describe Sonia Kennedy? Will she appear in a future book?
Delaney Diamond: Sonia is kind-hearted, has a sense of humor, and cognizant of the fact that she’s attractive and often judged based on her appearance. She’s very passionate about wine, an appreciation she developed even before she was legally able to drink it. She may have a cameo in a future Latin Men book, but More Than a Mistress is her complete romantic story.
Black Page Turners: What has writing this book taught you about yourself and others?
Delaney Diamond: It taught me that the role of a kept woman is not so black and white, and much more complicated than those of us looking on from the outside would think. It’s easy to throw around words like “whore,” but I read a nonfiction book to prepare me for writing this one, called Kept Woman: Confessions from a Life of Luxury, and it opened my eyes to the lifestyle these women live. It’s not hard to believe a woman could be seduced by the riches offered by these wealthy men. Some women are with a particular benefactor for financial reasons, while others have self-esteem issues behind the beauty and glamour. Even some of the men have self-esteem issues, thinking that all they have to offer a woman is material things. You see a little bit of that in my novel, but I don’t get too heavy into the psychology of the relationship. I chose to write more about their growth as a couple and why they work. I think they’re perfect for each other. What I’ve learned about others is that just having the name “mistress” in a title can create visceral reactions in some readers that ultimately turns them off. But that’s fine. Not every book is for every person. What I wanted to do is show how that kind of relationship can grow into something more meaningful, and I accomplished that with this book. You get a sense that this couple, despite how their relationship started, really care for and love each other. And since it’s a romance, they do manage to move past their problems and get to the happily ever after.
Black Page Turners: Please give the readers a brief bio on you and as a writer/author?
Delaney Diamond: I am a USA Today Bestselling Author of sweet, sensual, passionate romance novels and the owner of Garden Avenue Press, a digital-first press that publishes romance novels and women’s fiction with people of color. Born and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Atlanta, Georgia is now her home. She reads romance novels, mysteries, thrillers, and a fair amount of nonfiction. When she’s not busy reading or writing, she’s in the kitchen trying out new recipes, dining at one of her favorite restaurants, or traveling to an interesting locale. Visit her website to learn more: http://www.delaneydiamond.com.
Black Page Turners: What is your writing process?
Delaney Diamond: I’m a pantser, which means I don’t outline my novels. I generally have an idea of the characters and the storyline, and I start writing. As I write, more ideas come, but they might not come in order, so I often write out of sequence. I use Scrivener software, which allows me to rearrange chapters (it’s a godsend!). After I finish my first draft, I export the entire document to Word and flesh out the story with additional details, such as describing what characters see, what they smell as they’re eating, or feel in a particular scene, that kind of thing. Then I send the book to my critique partners, who tear it apart, lol. I make changes, and then it’s off to the editor for one or two rounds of copyedits.
Black Page Turners: What advice would you give to writers wanting to publish a book?
Delaney Diamond: Learn all you can about writing and the publishing industry. Learn how to write prose that’s grammatically correct and as error-free as possible. Get a critique partner–not someone who’s related to you–or join a critique group to help you catch plot inconsistencies and mistakes. If you’re submitting to publishers, don’t get discouraged when you receive rejection letters. Even bestselling authors get rejection letters. Don’t give up. You’ll eventually find a home for your manuscript.
Black Page Turners: If ‘More Than A Mistress’ is made into a film, who would you like to play Esteban Galiano and others? Why?
Delaney Diamond: With each book, I prepare a Pinterest page with images that help me write, and the actors or models I think come closest to representing the characters in my head. For this novel, I chose D.J. Cotrona, an actor on From Dusk Till Dawn, for Esteban Galiano. He’s Italian but has the same smoldering sexiness I imagined for Esteban. I chose actress Grace Gaeley from Empire for Sonia Kennedy. She has the same features I imagined for Sonia. What is next besides your blog tour?
Black Page Turners: Have you started working on your next book?
Delaney Diamond: Yes, I’ve started working on my next book, although I’m not completely sure which one it will be. #WriterProblems I’ve started two. One of them is That Time in Venice, which is part of a different interracial series called Love Unexpected. The other book is titled Seasoned, and it’s about three friends in their forties and older. Their love stories unfold over the course of one summer. Whichever novel comes to me most will be the next one released.
Black Page Turners: When this life is said and done. What do you want your legacy to be?
Delaney Diamond: I want to be remembered as a decent human being who was kind and gave a helping hand to others, and who wrote sexy romance novels that gave hours of entertainment to readers.
Black Page Turners: Thank you so much, Delaney!
Delaney Diamond: Thank you for having me!
Click here to enter the Contest. Click to purchase: (Kindle) or (Paperback)
