Wow.

Many thanks to Melissa at Paperbacks and Things for a GREAT booksigning experience. She throws quite a party, let me tell you! If you ever get the chance to go to her store, DO IT! She's an incredible lady who makes everyone feel at home. Her store is great, too...with places to sit and chat about books, philosophy, or the kids at home. And believe me, we covered all those bases and more this past Saturday!

Also, I need to send some thanks over to Debbie E for the pictures you can find here. My Dear Heart and I decided to turn this tour into a family vacation, so we went to Cedar Point last Thursday, the booksigning in Cleveland on Friday, Paperbacks and Things on Saturday and Greenfield Village yesterday, the Ford plant and Henry Ford Museum today and home tomorrow. My Internet usage is spotty, so am posting this now while I can. Will post a LOT more when I get home.

till then, play safe!
Diana

For those of you who don't know, my husband is a theatre director...directing several high school plays a year at two different local high schools (he says he likes working with high school kids 'cause they haven't developed any bad habits in acting yet. Gives him a chance to set them on their way with good skills). He also directs one community show in the summer...a big musical that people from all over the Finger Lakes come to see. This past week has been production week, sandwiched in between my own booksignings. LOL A busy time here, that's for sure!

But I do need to share with you a great set of pictures taken at the GreeceRidge Mall Waldenbooks booksigning. Judy Mays is on the left, Jennifer Dunne in the middle and me (in white and red) on the left.

As you can see...Jeanette (the store manager) loves EC books and had us out front and center. We got some strange looks, I can tell you! Especially when Rose and Rick Taubold showed up with their Got Sex T-shirts! Some of you may have met Rick at the RT conference...he was also in Heather Graham's vampire show! But many thanks to both Rick and Rose for creating quite a bit of buzz with those wonderful shirts!

It was also a chance to get to meet a long-time fan...auntcaffey! She's an absolutely charming woman...I only wish we had more of an opportunity to visit.

Don't forget! I'll be in Cleveland, Ohio at the Borders Express and in Westlake, Michigan at Paperbacks and Things this coming weekend. Stop in and say hello!

As always, play safe!

Diana

Quickie reminder...I'll be signing books at the GreeceRidge Waldenbooks from 2:00 - 4:00 pm tomorrow (that's Saturday, July 8th). I'll be joined by Jennifer Dunne, Nikki Soarde and Judy Mays. If you're in the Rochester, NY neighborhood...stop by and say hello!

Play safe,
Diana

One of the questions I'm frequently asked is, "Where do you get your inspiration?" I thought I'd take a moment today and give at least a part of the answer.

The plot lines of my stories are driven by character (those of you who read my blog often already know this...and the troubles I've had when characters choose to act independently of their author!). But those characters must come from somewhere. Some of them are composites of people I actually know...taking a gesture from this person, a phrasing from that...a turn of the head or a favorite activity...and combining them into a unique character that is brought to life only by the words on the page and the workings of our imaginations.

But many come from art. Yes, you heard me. There are some magnificent BDSM artists out there painting, drawing, sketching some wonderful works of art. The Drunna series by Serpieri, the pin-ups of Greg Hildebrandt, the work of Ken Marcus and Eric Stanton, and then a site I found most recently: some wonderful photographs by William are among the many I have used as inspiration over the past few years.

(sidenote on the Hildebrandt brothers: they are perhaps most famous for their Tolkien artworks, however, stop by their website and you will see they have incredibly eclectic tastes!)

In any case, feel free to visit the galleries of the above artists...and email me with artists you've found. If I get enough, I'll add a page to my website in the future...a listing of great BDSM art!

Play safe,
Diana