Eve's Fan Garden

Today I have a little treat for you! Dia Reeves, author of Bleeding Violet was kind enough to take some time out of her schedule and answer some questions for us! Thank you so much Dia!

EFG: When writing Bleeding Violet, did you find that you related to any of your characters? Do any of your characters remind you of your friends or family?

Dia: No. My friends and family are almost as boring as I am. I know they don’t wanna believe that, but until one of them morphs into a monster and goes on a rampage, they will never find themselves within the pages of anything I write.

As for me, I guess I relate the most to Rosalee. Not in EVERY way of course, ye gods, but I understood her desire to be left alone. I gotta have my space.

EFG: What was your favorite scene to write? Which was the most difficult?

Dia: My favorite scene to write was the one with Wyatt showing off in the field after he learns how to go through the doors. And the scene with Wet William. The funny scenes are my favorites.

The sexual scenes were harder to write, not because they were a chore–I had GREAT fun writing them–but because I knew when my mom read all that stuff, she’d hassle me about it later on. And I was right. But even if I were one of those prissy types, I couldn’t have avoided sex in this book. Bipolar people are sexually impulsive–that’s just how it goes.

EFG: While writing Bleeding Violet, did you find yourself having to do much research? If so, what is the most interesting thing you learned?

Dia: I had to do a lot of research on bipolar disorder. That’s how I learned that during particularly manic episodes, sometimes people hallucinate. And hallucinations come in all types, not just visual ones but auditory and tactile hallucinations as well. Having a tactile hallucination would creep me out even more than a visual one–can you imagine feeling something touching you even though you can’t see it? *shudders*

EFG: Can you describe your publishing journey for us? Were there any difficult parts for you?

Dia: I wrote Bleeding Violet for NaNoWriMo 2005, then spent about two years revising it. In June of 2008, I began querying agents, and by June 19, I scored a really good one. I revised BV again for her in July, and by August, she was shopping it around to publishers. At the end of August, we hooked up with Simon Pulse, and that was that. The most difficult part of publishing in general is all the endless waiting.

EFG: What has been the biggest change for you in your personal life now that you are published?

Dia: People pester me at work a lot more than they used to. xD It wouldn’t be so bad, but I have a tendency to be very awkward around people I don’t know that well, so I’m sure I must seem like a complete spazz. Oh and the paparazzi are camped outside my house night and day. It’s so hard being a celebrity. ;p

EFG: How on earth did you come up with all the different monsters in your book? And speaking of monsters, can you tell us more about the mayor? Clearly she is not human!

Dia: The Discovery Channel. I just take regular critters, like scorpions, and just, you know, embiggen them. And the Mayor? She’s a god in her own mind, but whether she actually is one is suspect. I don’t think she’s one thing or the other–she’s just the Mayor of Portero. That’s a supernatural category all its own.

EFG: What is your favorite, and also the strangest thing you have either recieved or been told by a fan?

Dia: FAN ART! A lady named Ka-Yam from Germany drew pictures of Hanna and Rosalee, and it’s just the coolest thing ever! I have the pictures on my site if anyone wants to see them. I even have them framed on my wall. I LOVE them.

As far as strange, well, a lady at my job chased me across the library because she wanted to see what a real live writer felt like. But she’s not technically a fan, so I guess that “strangest ever” spot is still up for grabs.

EFG: What music is on your ipod right now?

Dia: I have so much stuff on there: Tranquilize by the Killers, You Scared the Lovin’ Outta Me by Funkadelic, Amarra Tchan by Joe Luciano, Corporate Cannibal by Grace Jones, and that new Massive Attack song, Paradise Circus. Lots of good stuff.

EFG: What are your 3 favorite books of all time?

Dia: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgsen Burnett, The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and The Melting Season by Celeste Conway. And those were just the first three that came to mind–there are many others.

EFG: For our last question, can you please tell us a little about your next project?

Dia: My next book is Strange Fruit (except we’re in the process of renaming it) and it’s about the two daughters of a convicted serial killer who, like their father, are also killers, but only kill bad guys. There’s also romance because the sisters end up falling for the sons of their father’s last victim. There’s also plenty of violence and weirdness so no worries about that. ;p

Once again, thank you so much Dia for answering our questions! I am totally intrigued and want to know more about Strange Fruit, can’t wait to read it when it comes out!

To learn more about Dia and her book Bleeding Violet, please visit her website HERE.