Friday's Guest - Diana Cosby Talking About Heroes, Heroines and Villains #MFRWauthor

1. Do you write a single genre or do your fingers flow over the keys 
creating tales in many forms? Does your reading choices reflect your 
writing choices? Are there genres you wouldn’t attempt?

~Though I love reading many genres, my favorite story is a Scottish 
medieval romantic suspense, which is my favorite type of book to write 
as well.  I plan on remaining in the medieval time frame for the 
foreseeable future.  As far as genres that I wouldn't attempt, I enjoy 
writing a bit of comedy in my stories, so I would avoid writing horror.



2. Heroes, Heroines, Villains. Which are your favorite to write? Does 
one of these come easy and why?

~I love writing all three and find each book will come with a character 
who is clearer in my mind than the others.  As to which character that 
will be, each book is different.




3. Heroes. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or plain 
imagination create the man you want every reader to love? Do they come 
before the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

~There is no set way for how a hero appears to me.  At times, I see a 
photo and 'know' this will be a future hero, or while plotting a new 
book, the hero will appear.  Other times, like my hero Alexander 
MacGruder, he pesters me and wakes me up at night to write his story.



4. Heroines. How do you find them? Do pictures, real life or imagination 
create the woman you want the reader to root for? Do they appear before 
the plot or after you have the idea for the story?

~My heroines arrive the same way as my heroes.  I've long given up on 
trying to get my characters to cooperate.  I let them evolve as they 
choose.  They all tend to be stubborn.  :)



5. Villains or villainesses or an antagonist, since they don’t always 
have to be the bad guy or girl. They can be a person opposed to the 
hero’s or heroine’s obtaining their goal. How do you choose one? How do 
you make them human?

~For me, the 'threat' of the story, if it is indeed a person, is ALWAYS 
a human first.  In the villain's mind, they are never evil, but are 
driven, have a clear agenda, and are innovative in achieving their 
goals.



6. What is your latest release? Who is the hero, heroine and or the 
villain?

~My latest release, the first book The Oath Trilogy, is "An Oath Taken." 
  My hero is Sir Nicholas Beringar an English knight, the heroine is Lady 
Elizabet Armstrong a Scottish noble, and the villain is the Scottish 
Earl of Dunsten.



7. What are you working on now?

~I finished copy edits this past week on book #2, An Oath Broken, which 
will be released on 22 June 2015, and I'm currently working on edits for 
book #3 An Oath Sworn, which will be released on December 23rd of 2015.

8. How can people find you?
Website:  http://www.dianacosby.com/
Facebook:  
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diana-Cosby-Romance-Author/150109024636?ref=ts

Saturday's excerpt featuring Born To Bite Anthology Diana Cosby

Turquoise eyes darted toward the entry, shifted back.




Bedamned, he should take her blood and be done with it, but Aedan could not risk scaring her. With his body so weakened, if she broke free and ran, he’d not have the strength to will her back or give chase.



After a long moment, Rowan withdrew her dagger. “But a few drops.”



“Aye.”



Precious seconds passed. On an exhale, she slid the honed blade against the pad of her thumb.



A drop of blood beaded upon the sharp metal, and the rich scent filled the air, infused Aedan’s every breath. His body demanded he take. He waited, preserved the last of his meager energy in case she decided to bolt.



Rowan’s eyes locked upon his, she held her thumb a hand’s breadth above his mouth. The beads of red grew, wobbled upon the honed tip, fell.



The warm salty drops landed upon his tongue. Aedan savored sweetness unlike anything he’d ever tasted. He swallowed. Strength flooded his body, and his senses heightened to a dangerous edge. As deep keening ignited within his soul. A completeness he’d never experienced filled him.



He stilled. By the sword’s blade, this woman was his mate!

How She Does It featuring Diana Cosby

Today's guest is a fellow member of an RWA chapter to which I belong.


We all know there are six elements in writing fiction and often fact. Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. I believe the first five lead to the sixth which for me is the plot. What's your take on this?



~I agree. Each element is imperative in setting up a clear goal, stakes, and emotional stakes for the respective character. In addition, I believe it's important for a writer to incorporate the 8 senses that we deal with when we craft our story. They are:

Touch Taste Smell Sight Hearing



Sense of time Sense of space Sense of the unknown







1. How do you create your characters? Do you have a specific process?

~I never know how each character will come to me. As a major plotter, I've tried to 'know' about my characters from the start by completing character interviews, but I've learned they will tell me about themselves when they're good and ready. Some appear complete, like Alexander and Duncan MacGruder, brothers from the best-selling MacGruder brothers series. But their eldest, Seathan MacGruder, I had to write the story to learn about him.





2. Do your characters come before the plot?

~Each story dictates who comes first. I've had both character before plot and plot before character.





Do you sketch out your plot or do you let the characters develop the route to the end?

~I'm a major plotter and I like to have a complete synopsis before I begin writing. As I write and learn more about the character, the character updates happen to change the plot, as long as the changes are properly motivated and make the story stronger, I let the change happen.





3. Do you know how the story will end before you begin? In a general way or a specific one?

~I know how a story will end in a very specific way. My plot is designed to ensure that the plot and characters are strong, properly motivated, and the story leaves the reader satisfied.





4. Do you choose settings you know or do you have books of settings and plans of houses sitting around?

~I normally choose the setting. I use pictures from both magazines and on-line for visuals of scene layouts.







5. Where do you do your research? On line or from books?

~Both. I have several 'must have' research books always on hand. At times, I use on-line sources for facts. I use the rule of 3 - find three sources to confirm facts as much as possible.

My bibliography:

http://www.dianacosby.com/oldpage/bibliography.html







6. Are you a draft writer or do you revise as you go along and why?

~I revise as I write. When I finish a book, it's normally pretty tight. I have no idea how fast draft writers write a whole book knowing they'll have to go back and revamp the entire story. Holy cow, my hats off to them.



On a side note, each year I run an International Food Bank Food Drive. If you donate to a local food bank, please leave a post beneath my Facebook post about the food drive, and you'll be entered to win a signed copy of the award-winning MacGruder Brother's to-date, and a copy of the anthology Born To bite, with Hannah Howell, Diana Cosby, and Erica Ridley, which I'll sign as well. Details:

http://www.dianacosby.com/authorevents.html



My sincere thanks for having me on The Eclectic Writer today, and another sincere thanks for everyone who stopped by. I wish each of you a wonderful holiday season!







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