Interview with Djuana Berlin
Published 2015-04-22.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
The first stories I remember that had an impact on me as a child were the Chronicles of Narnia series. These books, especially "The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe", took me away to a different land and a different time.but they also made me want to be a writer myself, because I discovered that when writing, I could go into my own world, just like I did in Narnia. I have reread these books so many times that I can almost quote them by heart. I have read them to my children many times. They have a great influence on the way I write.
How do you approach cover design?
I took my favorite scene in my book, an action scene, and I wrote out a synopsis in pictures.Then I looked for a designer that could take my word picture and expand it. With my Land of Nubbins series, I had some of the characters that were not quiet human. They had to have human features but also look like nuts. That is where my cover artist's talent came through. She took my ideas and created a picture of them, and she made my Nut children come alive!
What are your five favorite books, and why?
My top 5 favorite books are, Number One: "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" By C.S Lewis, which helped me to want to write like him,
The second one is also By C.S Lewis, "The Last Battle" which is very dear to me because I really opened my mind to what I think the afterlife will be like.
The third one has to be Stephen Kings "The Gunslinger" Because Kings characters are so real and so flawed.
The fourth one is Stephen Kings "On Writing : A memoir of the Craft" I learn something new everytime I read this book about how to write. an excellent writing tool.
The fifth book is actually a series by Charlaine Harris. Her "Sookie Stackhouse Novels" just make me happy, The gore and the vampires and the love are all fun!
What do you read for pleasure?
I love horror like Stephen King or any Weston Ochse Horror military books. Weston's "Seal Team 666" novels are so much fun!
What is your e-reading device of choice?
I love me ipad! I can read my Kindle books and my ibooks and many other kinds of books on one device!
What book marketing techniques have been most effective for you?
Having my own website and Facebook page has helped me tremendously. I am heavily marketing my books on all of the social media outlets.
Describe your desk
Oh boy, my desk is not very organized. I take a lot of physical notes. I write on a laptop and I usually have my coffee cup next to it. On the other side I have my ipad. My desk faces a window so I can look out at the world going by as I write.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was born in Oregon but have lived most of my life in Arizona. I was never an active sports person, although I was in marching band all through high school and some college.Very warm summer temps kept me inside, reading books and using my imagination to build new worlds. i was a great comic book reader/collector. So every week my brothers and I would walk down to the local mart and each buy a comic book and candy bar.
When did you first start writing?
I have always written but I didn't start writing seriously until I was in college. But I never had the courage to publish until I started writing in NaNoWriMo in the fall of 2013. That was really the thing that pushed me to become an author and not just a writer.
What's the story behind your latest book?
It is a modern day Wizard of Oz story.One late night over 10 years ago, my husband and I came up with an idea about a world whose inhabitants were all Nut people. That was the beginnings of the Land Of Nubbins.
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