Tag Archives: magical realism

Superb editorial review for my novel, “Eva,” from Feathered Quill!

Eva, a riveting suspense, receives superb Feathered Quill review! READ HERE

I am thrilled!

My thanks to Lily Andrews, of Feathered Quill.

I am so delighted she enjoyed the book.

Here are snippets. To read the whole review, click here: Feathered Quill Eva Review

“A gorgeous tribute to the newest genre of magical realism, Diane Solomon’s novel Eva wears its influences on its sleeve as it sublimely melds intriguing suspense, supernatural elements, and romance.”

“Diane Solomon has written a resplendent delight for the heart and soul. Written in taut, evocative prose, this novel conjures up the literal specter of false accusations and their possible effects, what it means to be different and unique, the common human longing for honest connections, and what it takes to protect special skills. The text further explores the distinctness and sameness of people and animals through the protagonist’s inexplicable relationship with the animal world. Solomon writes like a tightrope artist, keeping the tale’s balance in place. She beautifully recreates the time and space allowing readers to experience Pine Hill in the state of Connecticut along with the Rhode Island Coast straight from their living room through her apt descriptions.

With a touch so sure, the exuberance of the author shines in the many trenchant lines that are marvelously quotable and suitable as excellent takeaways. The simmering romance between Michael and Eva is not rushed and ample time is given in the narrative for it to grow right before readers’ eyes. The touch of mysticism displayed by Eva’s ability manages to explore the boundaries between the real world and the imaginary, ultimately enticing one to embrace the enigmatic by incorporating it into a realist framework of real people and places.”

Read the entire review

 

Another author interview question

Another Author Interview Question

Here is another question I recently answered while promoting my new novel, “Eva; a riveting romantic suspense with a supernatural twist.” 

CHECK OUT EVA HERE

When you write a novel, are you a plotter? Or are you a seat of your pants writer?

I am definitely a plotter. I lay it all out in advance. First, I tend to brainstorm with my wonderful husband Mark Carey, and he’s a brilliant thinker and writer. Then as I’m getting down into the details, I scribble down the jist of each scene on a postcard, and then pin the cards up on a large corkboard. Then I can move the scenes around as needed to get the structure and pacing right. I spend a long time on character development, even down to drawing the family tree, deciding each character’s backstory, their likes and dislikes, what their tragedies were, etc. How they became who they are.

But then the real fun starts! When I write the first draft, I just let go of everything; I try not to edit myself in the first draft. And as I’m sinking more and more into each character, I find they take over my fingers on the keyboard or my voice as I’m speaking into the mic for voice recognition.

This is the part I love the most; they write the book to a great extent! If I’m deeply involved with the character, it is similar to acting (my first career was as a singer and actor in the UK). As I begin a scene, I know what is going to happen, in general, and what I need to achieve in that scene. But what the characters actually say, and the things they do is a continual surprise. It can be delightful! Sometimes I find I pull sharply out of the moment when something unexpected occurs. I read what I wrote and say out loud, “Oh that’s cool!” How to explain this? I get the distinct feeling that I’ve opened up a channel to some creative source out there in the universe. As if there is an ocean of creativity we can all access.

I hope I answered the question. I’m a plotter, but I let it rip and let it flow in the first draft. It is enormous fun!

 

 

EVA: sold 105 books in eight hours!

EVA: a riveting romantic suspense with a supernatural twist

We are jazzed: we have 27 five-star reviews so far on Amazon, and sold 105 copies since midnight last night! 

I am thrilled that people are enjoying my new novel. Read the first three chapters here: EVA chapters

REVIEW SNIPPETS:

***** “a thrilling romance with a paranormal twist”

***** “Eva is a triumph of storytelling that reminds us of the indomitable spirit of the human soul.”

***** “a captivating blend of romance, suspense, and the supernatural that kept me on the edge of my seat.”

***** “Thank you, Diane Solomon, for producing something that provides a beautiful escape and leaves you filled with inexplicable joy.”

***** “honest, magical, spiritual, thought-provoking!”

***** “a poignant and captivating novel that explores the depths of human resilience and the power of redemption.”

***** “Eva is an enchanting tale that blends romance, suspense, and the mystical”

***** “Diane Solomon’s writing captivates from the first page, weaving a mesmerizing journey of self-discovery, love, and resilience. “

***** “this book is an absolute must-read!”

***** “one of those books that you don’t want to put down.”

80 bloggers posting EVA in a Book Blitz next week!

XpressoTours is kindly hosting a Book Blitz for Eva: a riveting romantic suspense with a supernatural twist. From the 24th through the 28th.

Blitz Sign-Up: Eva by Diane Solomon

 

80 reviewers and bloggers have picked it up for promotion!  

I am thrilled and grateful. Hope they enjoy the book!

Eva possesses a unique and powerful gift. But is it a curse? Never having known her father and having lost her mother when she was young, Eva believes she’s better off alone. She only connects deeply with animals, they are her first love. But another great love is on the horizon, along with other life-changing discoveries.

When they learn of her gift, the media jackals gather, and Eva is forced into the limelight she’s avoided all her life. Facing challenges at every turn, including her own inner demons, she must fight to protect, even embrace, her newfound ability.

But someone wants her dead.

*     *     *

Best-Selling Author Review:

 “I was captivated by Eva’s story and riveted to the end. Diane is a beautiful writer who has captured the essence of Eva’s unearthing of her true self. A story that is timeless. Bravo!” Laurie Seymour, M.A., twice a #1 international best-selling author, host of Wisdom Talk Radio, Executive Coach, international speaker and Founder/CEO of The Baca Institute.

5.0 out of 5 stars “Beautiful story!”
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2023
“This is such a beautiful, heartfelt, uplifting story! It grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go!! As you arrive in Eva’s life, she is just finding out that she has life-changing abilities. She is loving and true to herself in the best of ways! Once you start reading this story and the wonderful world of Eva, you can’t stop! The ending left me barely able to breathe and just full of awe. Beautiful book!!“This book grabs you by the heart and doesn’t let go!”

OTHER AUTHORS:

~ You will love Eva if you’re enchanted by the magical realism of Sarah Addison Allen or Emily Colin, or are inspired by the thoughtful women’s fiction of Barbara Delinsky and Kristin Hannah.

 

Great interview on Linda’s Book Bag!

Linda Hill, of Linda’s Book Bag.

Linda kindly invited me to contribute to her website. Linda has an award-winning blog, reviewing and sharing good books with her vast ocean of fans and followers.

 

Check it out: https://lindasbookbag.com/

“Lovely Diane Solomon has appeared here on Linda’s Book Bag a few times and when I heard she had a new book, Eva, I simply had to invite her back.  I asked Diane about her experience of writing Eva and she kindly provided a super guest post and an extract from the book that I’m delighted to share today.

Let’s find out about Eva.”

A Guest Post by Diane Solomon

Welcome back to Linda’s Book Bag Diane.  And congratulations on your new romantic suspense novel, Eva. Has writing this book helped you realize anything about yourself in the same way Eva has a voyage of discovery?

It’s nice to be back, and that’s a great question! I came up with the idea for this novel 20 years ago, but it took me until now to feel ready to write it, to truly understand what I wanted to say.

Here’s a wee bit about the story. Eva, the 26-year-old protagonist, has not committed to love since the day when she was eleven, when she found her mother dead on the kitchen floor. Since then, believing she is better off alone, she has kept a safe distance from people, only connecting deeply with animals.

Then she discovers she possesses a powerful skill. Maybe it is a gift. But it might be a curse. She realizes she can heal an animal simply by holding it and meditating to a deep inner space where she connects with its spirit. Things get even more shocking when she finds she can heal humans as well. When through her healing, her grandfather recovers miraculously from the incapacitation of a stroke, word spreads quickly and her life is no longer her own.

Journalists hound her relentlessly and hand-delivered death threats confirm someone wants to kill her. Forced into the limelight she’s avoided all her life and facing challenges at every turn, Eva must fight to protect her newfound ability while also doing the most difficult thing of all: staying alive.

Eva is a deep love story, full of twists and turns, with the theme of our universal yearning for connection. Plus, it is loaded with heart.

I resonate strongly with the path Eva travels, that of her struggle is to overcome her inner demons in order to own her power and to flourish. To grow. Eva is continually challenged, when all the time, all she wants to do is look after animals. That’s where she feels safe and loved and where she can give love unconditionally without fear.

Some of that is me! This hit home as I wrote the book. What kept me from connecting deeply with other people my whole life was very simply the walls I created to protect myself. The walls Eva created. The walls we all create! We hide behind those walls, protecting ourselves from pain. Yet, ironically, those walls insulate us from the very thing we need to alleviate the pain. Connection to other people. I believe we all yearn for that connection.

Writing this book has been one of the most fascinating and rewarding experiences of my life. And I wrote it from my heart, hoping to grab yours!

 

Eva sounds fabulous Diane!   CLICK HERE TO READ “EVA” EXTRACT