I had the pleasure of meeting Diana at The Fairy Society some time ago and have been planning to ask her to participate in Fearless Friday to talk about publishing her book, Kandide And The Secret Of The Mists. The book is first in a series and the story takes us on an enchanting adventure through a magical world. It’s been received with excellent reviews. There’s a flurry of activity around the book as we speak and I thought that sooner would be better than later; hence, we have our first Success Sunday! Diana’s currently out of town and spending her weekend conducting book signings, so the interview is brief but she’s provided her amazing bio. Here’s her inspiring story.
Like her fantasy adventure novels, Diana’s role in the performing arts as well as the business world transcends the ordinary. She has been a performer, entrepreneur and businesswoman since the age of eight when she invested all of her resources into a small magic trick. With a total capital outlay of 47 cents, she parlayed her investment into a spectacular 25-year stage and television career as the “World’s Foremost Lady Magician.” Leaving home at the age of 18, she filled her car with magic tricks, costumes, and a whole lot of ambition, and headed to Los Angeles with $45.00 to her name. “Even back then,” she explains, “that wasn’t very much money. But when you grow up living on the wrong side of the tracks, what have got to lose?” She wasn’t always sure where her next meal would come from and nothing mattered except pursuing her dream of becoming a top performer. Doing magic to support herself (and pay for college), the novelty of a women magician, along with her remarkable creativity and talent, eventually catapulted her into the limelight. She choreographed magic illusions for Lance Burton and David Copperfield, among others and remains a highly respected lecturer, writer, and teacher in this field, sponsoring the Junior Magicians’ Club—a youth group she founded in 1974 with the help of legendary actor, Cary Grant—at Hollywood’s famous Magic Castle.
Diana has hosted her own television show and created CMS Communications International, named by Successful Meetings Magazine as one of the “Top 50 Event Companies” for an unprecedented seven years straight. She sits on three Boards including the prestigious Academy of Magical Arts Educational Foundation, Inc., was an Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” finalist, and 2008 nominee for the Los Angeles Business Journal “Women Making a Difference” award.
What got you interested in writing?
I’ve written for magazines for about six years, but I was inspired to begin writing Kandide’s stories by a painting that I bought from my illustrator, an amazing Faery artist named Maxine Gadd.
Who has supported and encouraged you?
Almost everyone. My friends are soooo supportive!
What was the first experience that made you feel you were really a writer?
Seeing my manuscript in book form from the publisher.
How long have you been writing professionally?
Six years. I also write for a JQ international, a haute couture jewelry trade magazine.
How long did the creative process take?
Five years for all 3 books.
Tell us about the submission and publishing process.
Rejection, Rejection, Rejection. Not as many as JK Rowlings – she got 125! But finally a publisher/distributor named Greenleaf BookGroup picked it up.
Do you have a website?
What advice would you give to other writers?
NEVER, EVER give up, and hire a great copy editor!
So there you have it, another Fearless Diva with the tenacity to overcome circumstances and make her dreams come true!
Kandide And The Secret Of The Mists is currently #4 at Amazon.com. If the book sells 500 copies within a three day period, it will catapult to #1 on the Best Seller List! Purchase your copy today HERE
Don’t forget to check out this week’s Fearless Friday:
Carla Spurgeon – Jafra District Manager1
