April 26, 2025 • 42 mins
Join us for an insightful conversation with author Diane Clarke as we discuss her book, The Bracelet. Get to know the inspiration behind the story and the creative process of this talented author.
In this episode of 'Stories and Stanza,' host Abhra from Melbourne interviews author Diane about her second book, 'The Bracelet.' They discuss the book's plot, centered around Monica's quest to build a relationship with her estranged father. Diane shares insights into the themes of family sagas, the impact of dementia, and the challenges of writing and editing her novels. The episode highlights the significance of emotional connections, mystery elements, and the personal inspiration behind Diane's writing. Tune in for an engaging discussion on family, identity, and the art of storytelling.
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Episode Transcript
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Diane (00:07):
She's had to put up with people telling her that this boy didn't exist.
Even her husband has questionedher sanity at times about
this obsession with this boy.
But then he turns up really unexpectedlyat her grandmother's funeral.
but I think my dad turned up today.
(00:31):
I examined my glass, rubbing mythumb along a finely etched groove.
Your dad, but I know Ican't quite take it in.
You've always said you didn'thave one subject closed.
I thought.
Thought he was dead.
(00:51):
He arrived during the service outta theblue, but June's husband sent him away.
How could I begin to articulatethe empty space in my life?
The sense of rejection.
I pushed down, stamped on whenever itbegan to rise, even as my childhood.
the books actually dedicated to mumand I just hope she would be proud.
(01:18):
Interestingly she, really disliked my vermy opening paragraph chapter to this book.
And described Monica as a drunk, sadsack and that you could not start a
book with Monica as a drunk, sad sack.
Abhra (01:41):
Life flows like an endless ocean of stories.
We often miss these precious talesas we rush through our days, too
consumed by daily struggles tonotice the poetry swirling around us.
Yet within these stories lie the keysto our past, sparks for our creativity,
(02:02):
and fresh wings to fill our sails.
I'm Abhra, a writer based inMelbourne in quest of those stories
with diverse voices that tell themfrom every corner of the world.
Welcome to Stories and Stanza.
(02:22):
Hi Diane.
Welcome to Stories in Stanza.
How are you doing today?
Diane (02:26):
I'm very well.
Very well.
Thank you so much for inviting me back.
Abhra (02:31):
I am looking forward to talking to you again on stories and stanza.
And for our listeners, I wanted to saythat we recorded an episode a couple of
months ago, which was about Dan's firstbook, the Photograph, and today we will
be talking more about our second book.
(02:54):
But before we step into the second book.
I want to hear something about the firstbook, as in it got such a good success,
such a warm reception with the readers.
Can you share what are the best thingsthat you've heard about the book,
how it was received, how you feelabout the success of the first book?
Diane (03:19):
Yes, thank you.
It's lovely to just reflect on what'shappened in the last few months, really.
So the book was a mix of timelines someof it historical around the evacuation
of children during World War ii.
(03:39):
There was a sort of amiddle timeline where.
My main character was searching for amissing brother, and then a much more
up to date timeline where the daughterhelps her with that with that quest.
And it's been really well received.
(03:59):
I think people enjoyedthose elements to it.
The historical element, the very upto date timeline actually involved
a family struggling with the Covid.
Lockdowns.
I. And they liked the characters.
They loved Carol and I'm so thrilled'cause Carol was the main character
(04:24):
of the whole story looking for thisbrother that she always believed.
She once had and has beenmissing for all those years.
People said to me how muchthey rooted for Carol.
You know, they wanteda happy ending for her.
And and I think people became veryinvested in her story because she had
(04:52):
such, she's got such great attributes.
She's a very determined woman.
She's had to put up with peopletelling her that this boy didn't exist.
Even her husband has questionedher sanity at times about
this obsession with this boy.
And so I think that was lovelyto hear that people really
(05:20):
were so keen to see, carol achieveher goal at the end of the day.
And then the second timeline, ofcourse, with the covid backdrop.
I think people related tothat because it's so recent.
(05:41):
And I tried to make it as as sort of.
General as possible that people wouldrecognize certain aspects to it.
And also I think people recognizethat there was some parallels there,
really, that separation from familyduring the lockdowns was not so
(06:06):
different from the separation fromfamily that the children had in had.
Lived through when they were evacuated tofamilies in other parts of the country.
So, so yes, it's, it it got reallygood feedback and some lovely reviews.
(06:29):
So I'm thrilled.
I'm thrilled with, how that all went.
Abhra (06:34):
I'm so happy to hear that and especially.
Because we talked about the bookin this podcast, and I like to
take that opportunity once againto tell our listeners today that if
you haven't checked out the firstbook, we will put both the book
links in the episode description.
(06:55):
So feel free to take a look atthe summary and we will also link.
The previous episode, ifanyone wants to listen to that
interview and then go from there.
Diane (07:09):
Thank you.
That would
be great.
Abhra (07:11):
As you know, that , I request my guests to read something from
their book to get started with.
Can you tell us briefly about theplot of this book and then read
something from the book as you like.
Diane (07:31):
Yes.
This second story is also a family saga.
It is more up to date as, youmentioned, and the main character in
this book is a woman called Monica.
And her main question, this bookis to build a relationship with
(07:54):
a father who she's never met.
And the reason for that is that herfamily have been so tightlipped about who
this man is, and they just would nevertell her the man's name, but she's, even
as a teenager, she's a bright girl andshe put things together and she had.
(08:22):
She was pretty sure she knew who thisperson was, and he was now living in a,
totally different part of the country.
And you might ask, well, why didn'tshe just go looking for him herself?
Particularly once she became an adult?
Why didn't she try to find him?
(08:47):
A, a hurdle in her life somethingthat happens in her childhood that
made her believe that this manwouldn't want a relationship with her.
But then he turns up really unexpectedlyat her grandmother's funeral.
And the piece I'm going to read in aminute is a conversation she has with
(09:10):
a very good friend of hers, Ralph.
Immediately following the funeral.
But in terms of the rest of thestory, there is that incident in
the past that's always stopped herlooking for her dad, but then up even.
Then as the story progressesand her courage builds other
(09:36):
hurdles are thrown in her way.
And one of them is a bracelet andone of them is to do with her mom's
behavior which changes and causesconcerns and challenges for her.
(09:57):
So I guess the question in this bookis, well, does Monica end up forming
that relationship with her dad?
You know, that is the,main question of the story.
Abhra (10:11):
Thank you for sharing that.
Diane (10:14):
So, if I just read the, this little bit, so as I said.
Monica has attended hergrandmother's funeral.
This man who she thinks is her father, hasturned up and she's now talking to her.
Very, good friend.
They both work in a theater.
(10:35):
She is a theater director, andRalph is a theater manager.
Ralph settled in the opposite chair,leaned back and extended his legs
to rest his feet against my boots.
I've been worried about you.
Long, hard day, I suppose, honestly,I dunno where to start Losing grandma.
(11:02):
Grieving for her.
All that got completelysteamrolled in the end.
Trouble with your mom?
Did someone cause a scene?
Sounds like you were there.
I tapped my glass consideringwhether I should break a golden rule.
Only my friend June knew about mycomplicated past, and normally I
(11:26):
preferred it that way, but somethingexhaustion maybe drove me on.
Don't get cross that.
I've never told you.
It was always easier that way.
Fewer questions, fewer memories,but I think my dad turned up today.
I examined my glass, rubbing mythumb along a finely etched groove.
(11:52):
Your dad, but I know Ican't quite take it in.
You've always said you didn'thave one subject closed.
I thought.
Thought he was dead.
Goodness.
This is a shock.
He blinked.
So what happened?
Was it him?
(12:12):
I mean, why the uncertainty, huh?
Exactly.
I'm on Monica, don't be a tease.
I'm lost here.
His name's Harry Powell, aschool friend of my mom's.
For as long as I can remember,I've suspected he was my dad.
(12:33):
He arrived during the service outta theblue, but June's husband sent him away.
June and Mick were around when momfound out she was pregnant with me.
So when Harry buggered off and left momin the lurch, they've always thought
the worst and never forgave him.
The only problem is no one'sever confirmed it's him,
(12:56):
particularly mom who should know?
I paused.
Now, do you see why I'vestuck to the simple version?
I looked up to see Ralph staring.
And please, for God'ssake, don't tell Helena.
She'll turn it into somekind of Dickensian sob fest.
(13:16):
Those without saying she phoned while youwere on your way wanting to come over.
But I put her off.
I didn't think you'd want hersparkling rep of tea tonight.
He took a long slug of Tawny liquid.
I have to say it's a lot to take in a lot.
You've never told me.
Sorry.
(13:38):
So it still might not be him, and yourmum's never said, why all the secrecy?
Don't you have the right to know?
Apparently not.
Besides bad things alwayshappened when I asked.
A purple dress flashed through my mind.
The woman who looked likeverity, like I debated swiftly,
(14:03):
then told the easier story.
Ros with mom.
Grandma's accident with a cup of hot tea.
Besides if it's him, he livesup north and has his own family.
Now how do you feel about that?
I pressed my lips togetherto hold in the sorrow.
How could I begin to articulatethe empty space in my life?
(14:27):
The sense of rejection.
I pushed down, stamped on whenever itbegan to rise, even as my childhood.
Childish fantasy endured.
I still dreamed of that firstmeeting my body tingling with
anticipation and hope in the moment.
It was breathtaking, exuberant.
(14:50):
Yet I hated myself for craving thosemoments of acceptance, each time
promising I wouldn't summon them again.
Today's strange events might have prompteda shift in my perceptions, but until now,
the hole in my heart had refused to heal.
You think about him allthe time, don't you?
(15:12):
I fought back tears.
Abhra (15:17):
Thank you for sharing that quest and the building of tension is
an important part of the storylineand, I'm sure that this gives the
readers a promise to find out what,look, what happens in the book.
(15:38):
And this book is called The Bracelet.
So do you want to talk about itssignificance in the storyline?
Diane (15:48):
Well, I suppose I can't tell you too much about it, but I have
thought about this as a potentialquestion, and I it's something
that's passed to her from her mom.
And I think that
anything like that's inherited in familiesit, will always have a story of some sort.
(16:12):
And sometimes those stories arejust really lovely stories that it
was a wedding present or it was.
Given by someone special or, but sometimesthings get passed down that have.
A real mystery about them.
And I guess I can say thatis the case in this story.
(16:34):
There is a definite mysteryabout this bracelet.
It's given to Monica whenher mum forgets her birthday.
And she says that she's bought hersomething else, but she can't find it.
And so she gives her this braceletas an alternative, I suppose.
(16:57):
And yeah, so mon and it's in tryingto unravel the secrets of the bracelet
that more and more hurdles get inthe way of this quest that Monica
has to reconnect with her father.
Abhra (17:15):
Very interesting.
Yes, there will always be such tokensin the family, which will yes be a
source of storyline and discussion.
I can totally relate to that.
And you know, in the first bookyou mentioned that it took a lot of
preparation, understanding historyand talking to people and all of that.
(17:42):
And you know, in this story also thereis a quest and search and mystery.
So for our listeners, do you want toshare anything that was particularly
challenging or interesting inpreparation of the second book?
Diane (18:00):
Well, there is a challenging storyline to this and you'd,
you've already mentioned dementia.
And interestingly, this book wasn'twritten after the photograph.
It was actually written before.
(18:20):
But in the end it was the photograph that.
Drew the eye of a publisher firstand now they are publishing this
book second, and I wrote it theoriginal draft many, years ago.
(18:40):
It's been changed and developed and.
Significantly improved over time withthe help of, you know, a professional
editor, but it was really a verypersonal story at the beginning.
Involving what happened to mymother who developed dementia.
(19:06):
So you could say that there was acatharsis to this novel and, it, and
the reason why I wrote it so earlyin my writing career because it was
still something that I thought abouta lot and it was a difficult time
for me and the rest of the family.
(19:29):
And that's why I chose itas a theme in this novel.
And as I began writing, Ishowed it to people, obviously.
A good thing to do, havingyour book critiqued by others.
It's all part of that editingprocess, and a lot of people
(19:53):
were really moved to buy it.
Often people who had friends or familymembers themselves with dementia and
their comments were very supportive of.
Writing about it and very complimentaryin terms of how authentic it sounded.
(20:14):
And of course it should be because alot of the stories that I include are
drawn directly from my experience of mom.
The character of Celia isn't mum.
She really isn't.
Mum wasn't like Celia, but theway the dementia impacts Celia
(20:42):
and the things that happened toher, I did draw from that period.
So I've, I have, I've had to talk tomy family about this obviously and
find out what they think about this.
Fortunately they were of the same view,that it was an important topic to to
(21:03):
write about that if it helped otherfamilies then that was a good thing.
So the books actually dedicated to mumand I just hope she would be proud.
Abhra (21:19):
I'm sure she will be.
From what I have personally seenmy maternal grandparent, he had
dementia and he was a in his prime.
He was a very active and knowledgeable,self met businessman and.
With age, with dementia, he just allof a sudden kind of got disconnected
(21:44):
and you know was left in his own world.
He wouldn't recognize us.
He wouldn't recognizeanyone, talk to anyone.
I can kind of sense that how dementiaitself can be a character within the plot.
Yes, per se.
Yes.
Diane (22:04):
Yes, because the person almost becomes a different person, really.
And yes, that's certainlywhat happened with mom.
She became unrecognizable as, you knowthe mom I'd grown up with which is sad.
And it's very common, very.
Very typical, unfortunately.
(22:27):
And I should say, just when you wereasking about things I had to find out
about one, once I committed to thisstoryline and people were talking about
the authenticity of the anecdotes, ifyou like, I suppose I did then spend.
Quite a lot of time researchingthe subject more generally.
(22:50):
I have an allied healthbackground myself, so I had some
knowledge of it professionally.
I had my mom's lived experience, but I didalso do a lot of reading to make sure that
I kept it as accurate as I possibly could.
Abhra (23:10):
How did you balance the mystery elements and the humanitarian elements
with such a sensitive subject,such a sensitive theme in the book.
Diane (23:24):
I've just actually thought that through.
Now.
I think one of the things that allows.
Us the, when we start the storyand this had nothing to do with
celia's development of dementia.
(23:45):
There were all sorts of
what's the word?
Flashpoints in the relationshipbetween the mother and the daughter.
So Monica, my main characterand senior, her mom, they really
didn't get on well at all.
They hardly saw each other there.
There had been things that hadhappened in the past that had caused
(24:08):
these rifts between the two of them.
And so in and actually asthe story progresses, you
see that relationship heal.
So
monica is unraveling things.
She's dealing with the mystery andin many ways her mom is helping
(24:30):
her with that, surprisingly.
And the dementia helps toheal that relationship.
So if that answers thequestion then, good.
Yeah.
Unless there was something else you were,
Abhra (24:51):
There is no right or wrong answer of course.
I am just being curious about thisbecause it is a mystery story.
Yes.
But there is such an amazing human elementto it and at some stage you probably
need to balance one over the other.
But how you say that the dementiahelps breach that connection, so yes.
(25:14):
Yeah.
I wanted to hear from your point of view,what was your thought process around,
this thank you for sharing that and forpicking up such a beautiful, you know,
thematic element so that it it's ofcourse it's a homage to your personal
(25:35):
story and at the same time it createsan social awareness as well, I believe.
Diane (25:42):
I hope so.
Yes.
I hope so.
Abhra (25:46):
You mentioned that, this book was written before, and then it has
developed and has been edited over time.
So as a writer, what would you knowsuggest or share with fellow writers
(26:07):
that I know a lot of people who havewritten a story and then they are not.
There with publishing it yet and theyprobably need some direction about
how to improve that and how to get,
make it of course interesting andbuild it and find out what what
(26:33):
it lacked in the first place.
And some people are neversatisfied with what they have read.
So, as a writer can you shareyour journey around that?
Would you share something withfellow writers what they could do?
Diane (26:48):
Certainly when I decided.
I, it's a long story.
I kind of retired unexpectedly.
And I won't go into the reasons for that.
But I was suddenly left with no work andI needed to, find a hobby or something
(27:13):
to occupy myself, keep my mind active.
I'd always wanted to write.
I decided that's what I was going tofocus on, and immediately came across
a local writer's critique group thatwas running in my local library.
So, perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
And the Queensland Writer'sCenter was running a six week.
(27:40):
Beginner's writing course.
So I signed up for that.
And so right from the beginningparticularly in the critique group, I
was sharing my work with other people.
And so I almost didn't.
I ever learn or allow myself to, tofeel too nervous about doing that
(28:05):
because it was part of my writingjourney from the very beginning.
I've.
I've always shared my work withothers and getting other people's
perspective is just so, so important.
You get too close to your work andI'm sure other authors have talked
(28:27):
about this, that you, it's just toodifficult to step back and see it
from a fresh reader's perspective.
The other thing that happened for me.
Oh, so, so there was theWriter's Critique group.
I had this book and anotherbook looked at by a manuscript
(28:55):
getting a manuscript assessment done.
And that's a very broad.
Overview of a book, which is extremelyhelpful, but it still doesn't give
you someone going through thingsat a sort of a more micro level.
(29:16):
And then I one of those assessors Ithen had some mentoring work with.
Interestingly she, really disliked my vermy opening paragraph chapter to this book.
And described Monica as a drunk, sadsack and that you could not start a
(29:42):
book with Monica as a drunk, sad sack.
And when I looked at it, I thought,well, she's actually right.
I had a reason for Monica having thissort of rant at the beginning of the book.
I wanted it to raise lots of questionswith her, just saying, why has this
(30:04):
happened and why did that happened andwhy didn't such and such, you know?
And I thought that was such cleverwriting technique, but she saw it through.
Completely different eyes.
And then of course I I was picked up byan agent and had the benefit of an editor
(30:24):
to work with me and that editor broughther own perspective to the story too,
and really took it to a level where itwas ready to be pitched to publishers.
So, so yes.
(30:45):
Lots of different peopleoffering different perspectives.
Some of them,
some of them more as a contemporary,a peer beater reader, if you like,
and others that had much more inthe way of professional skills
(31:06):
and they all offer something.
But I personally don't think you can getaway with not having an editor at some
point if your goal is to be published.
Abhra (31:20):
Thank you for sharing that.
I understand it can be a very,you know, difficult phase to yeah.
Have written a story and thenworking through it, working
with editors and better readers.
And I find it very fascinatingthat, you know, in both your books
(31:42):
you have this theme of, aquest, a search that unknown.
And I want to hear from you whatwas the reason for picking that
theme and then working on it.
Diane (31:59):
Yes, it's interesting, isn't it?
And it's often about identity.
So Carol was trying to find her familyand her identity by reconnecting with this
brother that she was so sure she once had.
And of course, Monica is, doingsomething similar trying to connect
to a father and you know, potentially.
(32:22):
Other members of the family, youknow, half sisters, brothers,
that, that sort of thing.
And I don't have anything in my personallife that might encourage that I, I. I'm
not adopted or have lost family member.
(32:43):
You know, I grew up in a very sortof traditional nuclear family with
a mom and a dad and two sisters.
But I think there's just something
I think my writing will always havea very emotional element to it.
And so the idea of family members.
(33:07):
Not being around or being missing orthere being a mystery around family
members, I suppose I'm very interestedin the effects that has on an individual.
And you know, those missingspaces in their life.
You know how does someone live with.
(33:31):
A mystery around a brother thatthey always believed they had, or
how does someone deal with beingsure they know who their father
is, but for various reasons, never.
Being able to reconnect with him.
I think there's, you know, there'sso much there that you can you can
(33:55):
sort of mine in terms of emotional.
Emotions and relationships, you know,the effect that might have on someone.
Someone's relationships withother people, for example.
The knock on effects of thatfor them and their life.
(34:18):
So, so, yes.
It's and I and it's not particularlyunusual either, I suppose
It's just the way you writeyour story about those themes.
Abhra (34:35):
Thank you and I am assuming the second book is from the same publisher.
Diane (34:42):
Yes, that's right.
Yes.
Abhra (34:43):
Do you want to share anything about the publishing experience in
particular in relation to the second book?
Diane (34:52):
Well, I suppose it's been a little bit easier because
I know the process this time.
And so far so good.
It's all going quite smoothly.
I also had the opportunityas I did last time to
she's my own cover designer and they'vedone an absolutely fabulous job.
(35:17):
This isn't it.
I actually don't have a book to show you,but but that's a mockup that I've just
made as a sort of temporary dust cover.
But that's what the cover isgoing to look like, which, you
know, I'm very excited about.
Very thrilled about.
(35:40):
So yes, I mean obviouslythere's the actual.
Day it, it gets released andhoping that all goes smoothly.
And then the promotional side ofit, again, I've had to do quite
a lot of that myself becausemy publisher is based in the.
(36:02):
In the United States that they do thingsthere, but they don't really have a
presence here in Australia, which is whythe opportunity that you give me and other
people are is just so important because.
It's things like this that allow me toreach a wider audience here in Australia.
(36:27):
Along with you know, all theother things that I try and do.
Sometimes, well, sometimes I'll.
Post things that seem to get a goodresponse and other things not so much.
I'm still learning how to dothat well and effectively.
(36:50):
But things like this are just fantastic.
Abhra (36:54):
Thank you and I find that very difficult myself too, you know, promote
your own work out there which is whatinspired me to start this podcast.
That, because we are recording thisonce, but we can share it multiple times.
Exactly.
And what I have started doing now inmore recent times is that create a
(37:23):
short episode, which is maybe three tofour minutes, and put that in social
media directly so that anyone who isinterested, they can listen to that
segment and if they're interested,they get to the main episode.
Diane (37:40):
Yes.
I think that's a brilliant idea.
Thank you.
I should say that I've tried tokeep up with the times as it were,
knowing that reels and video generallymore attractive or appealing.
So I actually have a YouTubechannel now, and I've made a couple
(38:05):
of book trailers, one each forthe photograph and the bracelet.
And of course they are very short.
They're only 30 seconds or something.
But again, just a teaser to attractpeople's attention to finding
out more about the book, I guess.
Abhra (38:24):
Do you want to share anything about your next steps as a writer?
What are you looking forward to?
I know there's a lot of workfor sharing this book and
promoting the book in Future.
Do you have you startedthinking about what to do next?
Diane (38:46):
A little bit.
I don't have.
Another completed manuscript.
Oh, no.
That, well, no, that's not actually true.
I do have a crime novel, whichis a completely different genre.
I still really love the characters andthe story, but it wasn't well written and.
(39:10):
If I were to re resurrect that, itwould take a lot of work, I think.
And I suppose the question is, well, doI do that or do I start on something new?
I've had a few ideas that havegrabbed me for a day or so, and
I've, you know, juggled ideas in myhead because they're often not a.
(39:37):
They wouldn't make a whole novel.
It's just a kernel of an idea.
And so I've tried to see whetherthere are some other roots and
paths to make it more interesting.
And at this stage, I haven't gotanything that would be enough
(39:59):
to sustain a full length novel.
But then I haven't really spent alot of time thinking about it either.
And as you say, with the promotionalwork, that will all follow
the release of the bracelet.
I may not have time for anotherfew months either, so I'm not
(40:21):
really sure at this stage.
I want to just focus on that.
I want to get the book outthere, give it, you know, six
months at least of some solid.
Solid attention and support.
And then maybe go back and havea look at that crime novel again.
(40:41):
Or maybe sit down with a bigsheet of paper and start to see.
'cause I am a plotter.
I don't ever imagine myself.
Starting a book without any ideaof where the story is going.
I know a lot of people do, but I'mnot, that's not my personality type.
(41:06):
So I would need to have a plan, I thinksomething to to work from before I
committed to starting something new.
Abhra (41:18):
I think we have covered everything that we wanted to in this episode.
But before closing do you want to share,say anything else to our listeners?
Diane (41:32):
Well, only that's I. I appreciate anyone that's taking the
time and time to listen and watch this.
If people are interested in eitherof my books, then they are available
as digital books on various I. Onlinebookstore platforms, but if people want
(41:55):
a paperback version, then they wouldneed to order that through Amazon.
And yes, and thank you to an thankyou to people who have already read
the photograph, and if that encouragesthem to pick up this new book.
That would be fantastic and I hopeyou enjoy the bracelet as much.
(42:18):
And thank you to you too, Ebra.
As I've said these opportunities aregold dust for us as authors and I
really appreciate the chance to talk topeople about, the books I've written.
Thank you.
Abhra (42:36):
Thank you for taking the time to talk the stories and stem I get.
Diane (42:40):
Thank you.
She's had to put up with people telling her that this boy didn't exist.
Even her husband has questionedher sanity at times about
this obsession with this boy.
But then he turns up really unexpectedlyat her grandmother's funeral.
but I think my dad turned up today.
(00:31):
I examined my glass, rubbing mythumb along a finely etched groove.
Your dad, but I know Ican't quite take it in.
You've always said you didn'thave one subject closed.
I thought.
Thought he was dead.
(00:51):
He arrived during the service outta theblue, but June's husband sent him away.
How could I begin to articulatethe empty space in my life?
The sense of rejection.
I pushed down, stamped on whenever itbegan to rise, even as my childhood.
the books actually dedicated to mumand I just hope she would be proud.
(01:18):
Interestingly she, really disliked my vermy opening paragraph chapter to this book.
And described Monica as a drunk, sadsack and that you could not start a
book with Monica as a drunk, sad sack.
Abhra (01:41):
Life flows like an endless ocean of stories.
We often miss these precious talesas we rush through our days, too
consumed by daily struggles tonotice the poetry swirling around us.
Yet within these stories lie the keysto our past, sparks for our creativity,
(02:02):
and fresh wings to fill our sails.
I'm Abhra, a writer based inMelbourne in quest of those stories
with diverse voices that tell themfrom every corner of the world.
Welcome to Stories and Stanza.
(02:22):
Hi Diane.
Welcome to Stories in Stanza.
How are you doing today?
Diane (02:26):
I'm very well.
Very well.
Thank you so much for inviting me back.
Abhra (02:31):
I am looking forward to talking to you again on stories and stanza.
And for our listeners, I wanted to saythat we recorded an episode a couple of
months ago, which was about Dan's firstbook, the Photograph, and today we will
be talking more about our second book.
(02:54):
But before we step into the second book.
I want to hear something about the firstbook, as in it got such a good success,
such a warm reception with the readers.
Can you share what are the best thingsthat you've heard about the book,
how it was received, how you feelabout the success of the first book?
Diane (03:19):
Yes, thank you.
It's lovely to just reflect on what'shappened in the last few months, really.
So the book was a mix of timelines someof it historical around the evacuation
of children during World War ii.
(03:39):
There was a sort of amiddle timeline where.
My main character was searching for amissing brother, and then a much more
up to date timeline where the daughterhelps her with that with that quest.
And it's been really well received.
(03:59):
I think people enjoyedthose elements to it.
The historical element, the very upto date timeline actually involved
a family struggling with the Covid.
Lockdowns.
I. And they liked the characters.
They loved Carol and I'm so thrilled'cause Carol was the main character
(04:24):
of the whole story looking for thisbrother that she always believed.
She once had and has beenmissing for all those years.
People said to me how muchthey rooted for Carol.
You know, they wanteda happy ending for her.
And and I think people became veryinvested in her story because she had
(04:52):
such, she's got such great attributes.
She's a very determined woman.
She's had to put up with peopletelling her that this boy didn't exist.
Even her husband has questionedher sanity at times about
this obsession with this boy.
And so I think that was lovelyto hear that people really
(05:20):
were so keen to see, carol achieveher goal at the end of the day.
And then the second timeline, ofcourse, with the covid backdrop.
I think people related tothat because it's so recent.
(05:41):
And I tried to make it as as sort of.
General as possible that people wouldrecognize certain aspects to it.
And also I think people recognizethat there was some parallels there,
really, that separation from familyduring the lockdowns was not so
(06:06):
different from the separation fromfamily that the children had in had.
Lived through when they were evacuated tofamilies in other parts of the country.
So, so yes, it's, it it got reallygood feedback and some lovely reviews.
(06:29):
So I'm thrilled.
I'm thrilled with, how that all went.
Abhra (06:34):
I'm so happy to hear that and especially.
Because we talked about the bookin this podcast, and I like to
take that opportunity once againto tell our listeners today that if
you haven't checked out the firstbook, we will put both the book
links in the episode description.
(06:55):
So feel free to take a look atthe summary and we will also link.
The previous episode, ifanyone wants to listen to that
interview and then go from there.
Diane (07:09):
Thank you.
That would
be great.
Abhra (07:11):
As you know, that , I request my guests to read something from
their book to get started with.
Can you tell us briefly about theplot of this book and then read
something from the book as you like.
Diane (07:31):
Yes.
This second story is also a family saga.
It is more up to date as, youmentioned, and the main character in
this book is a woman called Monica.
And her main question, this bookis to build a relationship with
(07:54):
a father who she's never met.
And the reason for that is that herfamily have been so tightlipped about who
this man is, and they just would nevertell her the man's name, but she's, even
as a teenager, she's a bright girl andshe put things together and she had.
(08:22):
She was pretty sure she knew who thisperson was, and he was now living in a,
totally different part of the country.
And you might ask, well, why didn'tshe just go looking for him herself?
Particularly once she became an adult?
Why didn't she try to find him?
(08:47):
A, a hurdle in her life somethingthat happens in her childhood that
made her believe that this manwouldn't want a relationship with her.
But then he turns up really unexpectedlyat her grandmother's funeral.
And the piece I'm going to read in aminute is a conversation she has with
(09:10):
a very good friend of hers, Ralph.
Immediately following the funeral.
But in terms of the rest of thestory, there is that incident in
the past that's always stopped herlooking for her dad, but then up even.
Then as the story progressesand her courage builds other
(09:36):
hurdles are thrown in her way.
And one of them is a bracelet andone of them is to do with her mom's
behavior which changes and causesconcerns and challenges for her.
(09:57):
So I guess the question in this bookis, well, does Monica end up forming
that relationship with her dad?
You know, that is the,main question of the story.
Abhra (10:11):
Thank you for sharing that.
Diane (10:14):
So, if I just read the, this little bit, so as I said.
Monica has attended hergrandmother's funeral.
This man who she thinks is her father, hasturned up and she's now talking to her.
Very, good friend.
They both work in a theater.
(10:35):
She is a theater director, andRalph is a theater manager.
Ralph settled in the opposite chair,leaned back and extended his legs
to rest his feet against my boots.
I've been worried about you.
Long, hard day, I suppose, honestly,I dunno where to start Losing grandma.
(11:02):
Grieving for her.
All that got completelysteamrolled in the end.
Trouble with your mom?
Did someone cause a scene?
Sounds like you were there.
I tapped my glass consideringwhether I should break a golden rule.
Only my friend June knew about mycomplicated past, and normally I
(11:26):
preferred it that way, but somethingexhaustion maybe drove me on.
Don't get cross that.
I've never told you.
It was always easier that way.
Fewer questions, fewer memories,but I think my dad turned up today.
I examined my glass, rubbing mythumb along a finely etched groove.
(11:52):
Your dad, but I know Ican't quite take it in.
You've always said you didn'thave one subject closed.
I thought.
Thought he was dead.
Goodness.
This is a shock.
He blinked.
So what happened?
Was it him?
(12:12):
I mean, why the uncertainty, huh?
Exactly.
I'm on Monica, don't be a tease.
I'm lost here.
His name's Harry Powell, aschool friend of my mom's.
For as long as I can remember,I've suspected he was my dad.
(12:33):
He arrived during the service outta theblue, but June's husband sent him away.
June and Mick were around when momfound out she was pregnant with me.
So when Harry buggered off and left momin the lurch, they've always thought
the worst and never forgave him.
The only problem is no one'sever confirmed it's him,
(12:56):
particularly mom who should know?
I paused.
Now, do you see why I'vestuck to the simple version?
I looked up to see Ralph staring.
And please, for God'ssake, don't tell Helena.
She'll turn it into somekind of Dickensian sob fest.
(13:16):
Those without saying she phoned while youwere on your way wanting to come over.
But I put her off.
I didn't think you'd want hersparkling rep of tea tonight.
He took a long slug of Tawny liquid.
I have to say it's a lot to take in a lot.
You've never told me.
Sorry.
(13:38):
So it still might not be him, and yourmum's never said, why all the secrecy?
Don't you have the right to know?
Apparently not.
Besides bad things alwayshappened when I asked.
A purple dress flashed through my mind.
The woman who looked likeverity, like I debated swiftly,
(14:03):
then told the easier story.
Ros with mom.
Grandma's accident with a cup of hot tea.
Besides if it's him, he livesup north and has his own family.
Now how do you feel about that?
I pressed my lips togetherto hold in the sorrow.
How could I begin to articulatethe empty space in my life?
(14:27):
The sense of rejection.
I pushed down, stamped on whenever itbegan to rise, even as my childhood.
Childish fantasy endured.
I still dreamed of that firstmeeting my body tingling with
anticipation and hope in the moment.
It was breathtaking, exuberant.
(14:50):
Yet I hated myself for craving thosemoments of acceptance, each time
promising I wouldn't summon them again.
Today's strange events might have prompteda shift in my perceptions, but until now,
the hole in my heart had refused to heal.
You think about him allthe time, don't you?
(15:12):
I fought back tears.
Abhra (15:17):
Thank you for sharing that quest and the building of tension is
an important part of the storylineand, I'm sure that this gives the
readers a promise to find out what,look, what happens in the book.
(15:38):
And this book is called The Bracelet.
So do you want to talk about itssignificance in the storyline?
Diane (15:48):
Well, I suppose I can't tell you too much about it, but I have
thought about this as a potentialquestion, and I it's something
that's passed to her from her mom.
And I think that
anything like that's inherited in familiesit, will always have a story of some sort.
(16:12):
And sometimes those stories arejust really lovely stories that it
was a wedding present or it was.
Given by someone special or, but sometimesthings get passed down that have.
A real mystery about them.
And I guess I can say thatis the case in this story.
(16:34):
There is a definite mysteryabout this bracelet.
It's given to Monica whenher mum forgets her birthday.
And she says that she's bought hersomething else, but she can't find it.
And so she gives her this braceletas an alternative, I suppose.
(16:57):
And yeah, so mon and it's in tryingto unravel the secrets of the bracelet
that more and more hurdles get inthe way of this quest that Monica
has to reconnect with her father.
Abhra (17:15):
Very interesting.
Yes, there will always be such tokensin the family, which will yes be a
source of storyline and discussion.
I can totally relate to that.
And you know, in the first bookyou mentioned that it took a lot of
preparation, understanding historyand talking to people and all of that.
(17:42):
And you know, in this story also thereis a quest and search and mystery.
So for our listeners, do you want toshare anything that was particularly
challenging or interesting inpreparation of the second book?
Diane (18:00):
Well, there is a challenging storyline to this and you'd,
you've already mentioned dementia.
And interestingly, this book wasn'twritten after the photograph.
It was actually written before.
(18:20):
But in the end it was the photograph that.
Drew the eye of a publisher firstand now they are publishing this
book second, and I wrote it theoriginal draft many, years ago.
(18:40):
It's been changed and developed and.
Significantly improved over time withthe help of, you know, a professional
editor, but it was really a verypersonal story at the beginning.
Involving what happened to mymother who developed dementia.
(19:06):
So you could say that there was acatharsis to this novel and, it, and
the reason why I wrote it so earlyin my writing career because it was
still something that I thought abouta lot and it was a difficult time
for me and the rest of the family.
(19:29):
And that's why I chose itas a theme in this novel.
And as I began writing, Ishowed it to people, obviously.
A good thing to do, havingyour book critiqued by others.
It's all part of that editingprocess, and a lot of people
(19:53):
were really moved to buy it.
Often people who had friends or familymembers themselves with dementia and
their comments were very supportive of.
Writing about it and very complimentaryin terms of how authentic it sounded.
(20:14):
And of course it should be because alot of the stories that I include are
drawn directly from my experience of mom.
The character of Celia isn't mum.
She really isn't.
Mum wasn't like Celia, but theway the dementia impacts Celia
(20:42):
and the things that happened toher, I did draw from that period.
So I've, I have, I've had to talk tomy family about this obviously and
find out what they think about this.
Fortunately they were of the same view,that it was an important topic to to
(21:03):
write about that if it helped otherfamilies then that was a good thing.
So the books actually dedicated to mumand I just hope she would be proud.
Abhra (21:19):
I'm sure she will be.
From what I have personally seenmy maternal grandparent, he had
dementia and he was a in his prime.
He was a very active and knowledgeable,self met businessman and.
With age, with dementia, he just allof a sudden kind of got disconnected
(21:44):
and you know was left in his own world.
He wouldn't recognize us.
He wouldn't recognizeanyone, talk to anyone.
I can kind of sense that how dementiaitself can be a character within the plot.
Yes, per se.
Yes.
Diane (22:04):
Yes, because the person almost becomes a different person, really.
And yes, that's certainlywhat happened with mom.
She became unrecognizable as, you knowthe mom I'd grown up with which is sad.
And it's very common, very.
Very typical, unfortunately.
(22:27):
And I should say, just when you wereasking about things I had to find out
about one, once I committed to thisstoryline and people were talking about
the authenticity of the anecdotes, ifyou like, I suppose I did then spend.
Quite a lot of time researchingthe subject more generally.
(22:50):
I have an allied healthbackground myself, so I had some
knowledge of it professionally.
I had my mom's lived experience, but I didalso do a lot of reading to make sure that
I kept it as accurate as I possibly could.
Abhra (23:10):
How did you balance the mystery elements and the humanitarian elements
with such a sensitive subject,such a sensitive theme in the book.
Diane (23:24):
I've just actually thought that through.
Now.
I think one of the things that allows.
Us the, when we start the storyand this had nothing to do with
celia's development of dementia.
(23:45):
There were all sorts of
what's the word?
Flashpoints in the relationshipbetween the mother and the daughter.
So Monica, my main characterand senior, her mom, they really
didn't get on well at all.
They hardly saw each other there.
There had been things that hadhappened in the past that had caused
(24:08):
these rifts between the two of them.
And so in and actually asthe story progresses, you
see that relationship heal.
So
monica is unraveling things.
She's dealing with the mystery andin many ways her mom is helping
(24:30):
her with that, surprisingly.
And the dementia helps toheal that relationship.
So if that answers thequestion then, good.
Yeah.
Unless there was something else you were,
Abhra (24:51):
There is no right or wrong answer of course.
I am just being curious about thisbecause it is a mystery story.
Yes.
But there is such an amazing human elementto it and at some stage you probably
need to balance one over the other.
But how you say that the dementiahelps breach that connection, so yes.
(25:14):
Yeah.
I wanted to hear from your point of view,what was your thought process around,
this thank you for sharing that and forpicking up such a beautiful, you know,
thematic element so that it it's ofcourse it's a homage to your personal
(25:35):
story and at the same time it createsan social awareness as well, I believe.
Diane (25:42):
I hope so.
Yes.
I hope so.
Abhra (25:46):
You mentioned that, this book was written before, and then it has
developed and has been edited over time.
So as a writer, what would you knowsuggest or share with fellow writers
(26:07):
that I know a lot of people who havewritten a story and then they are not.
There with publishing it yet and theyprobably need some direction about
how to improve that and how to get,
make it of course interesting andbuild it and find out what what
(26:33):
it lacked in the first place.
And some people are neversatisfied with what they have read.
So, as a writer can you shareyour journey around that?
Would you share something withfellow writers what they could do?
Diane (26:48):
Certainly when I decided.
I, it's a long story.
I kind of retired unexpectedly.
And I won't go into the reasons for that.
But I was suddenly left with no work andI needed to, find a hobby or something
(27:13):
to occupy myself, keep my mind active.
I'd always wanted to write.
I decided that's what I was going tofocus on, and immediately came across
a local writer's critique group thatwas running in my local library.
So, perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
And the Queensland Writer'sCenter was running a six week.
(27:40):
Beginner's writing course.
So I signed up for that.
And so right from the beginningparticularly in the critique group, I
was sharing my work with other people.
And so I almost didn't.
I ever learn or allow myself to, tofeel too nervous about doing that
(28:05):
because it was part of my writingjourney from the very beginning.
I've.
I've always shared my work withothers and getting other people's
perspective is just so, so important.
You get too close to your work andI'm sure other authors have talked
(28:27):
about this, that you, it's just toodifficult to step back and see it
from a fresh reader's perspective.
The other thing that happened for me.
Oh, so, so there was theWriter's Critique group.
I had this book and anotherbook looked at by a manuscript
(28:55):
getting a manuscript assessment done.
And that's a very broad.
Overview of a book, which is extremelyhelpful, but it still doesn't give
you someone going through thingsat a sort of a more micro level.
(29:16):
And then I one of those assessors Ithen had some mentoring work with.
Interestingly she, really disliked my vermy opening paragraph chapter to this book.
And described Monica as a drunk, sadsack and that you could not start a
(29:42):
book with Monica as a drunk, sad sack.
And when I looked at it, I thought,well, she's actually right.
I had a reason for Monica having thissort of rant at the beginning of the book.
I wanted it to raise lots of questionswith her, just saying, why has this
(30:04):
happened and why did that happened andwhy didn't such and such, you know?
And I thought that was such cleverwriting technique, but she saw it through.
Completely different eyes.
And then of course I I was picked up byan agent and had the benefit of an editor
(30:24):
to work with me and that editor broughther own perspective to the story too,
and really took it to a level where itwas ready to be pitched to publishers.
So, so yes.
(30:45):
Lots of different peopleoffering different perspectives.
Some of them,
some of them more as a contemporary,a peer beater reader, if you like,
and others that had much more inthe way of professional skills
(31:06):
and they all offer something.
But I personally don't think you can getaway with not having an editor at some
point if your goal is to be published.
Abhra (31:20):
Thank you for sharing that.
I understand it can be a very,you know, difficult phase to yeah.
Have written a story and thenworking through it, working
with editors and better readers.
And I find it very fascinatingthat, you know, in both your books
(31:42):
you have this theme of, aquest, a search that unknown.
And I want to hear from you whatwas the reason for picking that
theme and then working on it.
Diane (31:59):
Yes, it's interesting, isn't it?
And it's often about identity.
So Carol was trying to find her familyand her identity by reconnecting with this
brother that she was so sure she once had.
And of course, Monica is, doingsomething similar trying to connect
to a father and you know, potentially.
(32:22):
Other members of the family, youknow, half sisters, brothers,
that, that sort of thing.
And I don't have anything in my personallife that might encourage that I, I. I'm
not adopted or have lost family member.
(32:43):
You know, I grew up in a very sortof traditional nuclear family with
a mom and a dad and two sisters.
But I think there's just something
I think my writing will always havea very emotional element to it.
And so the idea of family members.
(33:07):
Not being around or being missing orthere being a mystery around family
members, I suppose I'm very interestedin the effects that has on an individual.
And you know, those missingspaces in their life.
You know how does someone live with.
(33:31):
A mystery around a brother thatthey always believed they had, or
how does someone deal with beingsure they know who their father
is, but for various reasons, never.
Being able to reconnect with him.
I think there's, you know, there'sso much there that you can you can
(33:55):
sort of mine in terms of emotional.
Emotions and relationships, you know,the effect that might have on someone.
Someone's relationships withother people, for example.
The knock on effects of thatfor them and their life.
(34:18):
So, so, yes.
It's and I and it's not particularlyunusual either, I suppose
It's just the way you writeyour story about those themes.
Abhra (34:35):
Thank you and I am assuming the second book is from the same publisher.
Diane (34:42):
Yes, that's right.
Yes.
Abhra (34:43):
Do you want to share anything about the publishing experience in
particular in relation to the second book?
Diane (34:52):
Well, I suppose it's been a little bit easier because
I know the process this time.
And so far so good.
It's all going quite smoothly.
I also had the opportunityas I did last time to
she's my own cover designer and they'vedone an absolutely fabulous job.
(35:17):
This isn't it.
I actually don't have a book to show you,but but that's a mockup that I've just
made as a sort of temporary dust cover.
But that's what the cover isgoing to look like, which, you
know, I'm very excited about.
Very thrilled about.
(35:40):
So yes, I mean obviouslythere's the actual.
Day it, it gets released andhoping that all goes smoothly.
And then the promotional side ofit, again, I've had to do quite
a lot of that myself becausemy publisher is based in the.
(36:02):
In the United States that they do thingsthere, but they don't really have a
presence here in Australia, which is whythe opportunity that you give me and other
people are is just so important because.
It's things like this that allow me toreach a wider audience here in Australia.
(36:27):
Along with you know, all theother things that I try and do.
Sometimes, well, sometimes I'll.
Post things that seem to get a goodresponse and other things not so much.
I'm still learning how to dothat well and effectively.
(36:50):
But things like this are just fantastic.
Abhra (36:54):
Thank you and I find that very difficult myself too, you know, promote
your own work out there which is whatinspired me to start this podcast.
That, because we are recording thisonce, but we can share it multiple times.
Exactly.
And what I have started doing now inmore recent times is that create a
(37:23):
short episode, which is maybe three tofour minutes, and put that in social
media directly so that anyone who isinterested, they can listen to that
segment and if they're interested,they get to the main episode.
Diane (37:40):
Yes.
I think that's a brilliant idea.
Thank you.
I should say that I've tried tokeep up with the times as it were,
knowing that reels and video generallymore attractive or appealing.
So I actually have a YouTubechannel now, and I've made a couple
(38:05):
of book trailers, one each forthe photograph and the bracelet.
And of course they are very short.
They're only 30 seconds or something.
But again, just a teaser to attractpeople's attention to finding
out more about the book, I guess.
Abhra (38:24):
Do you want to share anything about your next steps as a writer?
What are you looking forward to?
I know there's a lot of workfor sharing this book and
promoting the book in Future.
Do you have you startedthinking about what to do next?
Diane (38:46):
A little bit.
I don't have.
Another completed manuscript.
Oh, no.
That, well, no, that's not actually true.
I do have a crime novel, whichis a completely different genre.
I still really love the characters andthe story, but it wasn't well written and.
(39:10):
If I were to re resurrect that, itwould take a lot of work, I think.
And I suppose the question is, well, doI do that or do I start on something new?
I've had a few ideas that havegrabbed me for a day or so, and
I've, you know, juggled ideas in myhead because they're often not a.
(39:37):
They wouldn't make a whole novel.
It's just a kernel of an idea.
And so I've tried to see whetherthere are some other roots and
paths to make it more interesting.
And at this stage, I haven't gotanything that would be enough
(39:59):
to sustain a full length novel.
But then I haven't really spent alot of time thinking about it either.
And as you say, with the promotionalwork, that will all follow
the release of the bracelet.
I may not have time for anotherfew months either, so I'm not
(40:21):
really sure at this stage.
I want to just focus on that.
I want to get the book outthere, give it, you know, six
months at least of some solid.
Solid attention and support.
And then maybe go back and havea look at that crime novel again.
(40:41):
Or maybe sit down with a bigsheet of paper and start to see.
'cause I am a plotter.
I don't ever imagine myself.
Starting a book without any ideaof where the story is going.
I know a lot of people do, but I'mnot, that's not my personality type.
(41:06):
So I would need to have a plan, I thinksomething to to work from before I
committed to starting something new.
Abhra (41:18):
I think we have covered everything that we wanted to in this episode.
But before closing do you want to share,say anything else to our listeners?
Diane (41:32):
Well, only that's I. I appreciate anyone that's taking the
time and time to listen and watch this.
If people are interested in eitherof my books, then they are available
as digital books on various I. Onlinebookstore platforms, but if people want
(41:55):
a paperback version, then they wouldneed to order that through Amazon.
And yes, and thank you to an thankyou to people who have already read
the photograph, and if that encouragesthem to pick up this new book.
That would be fantastic and I hopeyou enjoy the bracelet as much.
(42:18):
And thank you to you too, Ebra.
As I've said these opportunities aregold dust for us as authors and I
really appreciate the chance to talk topeople about, the books I've written.
Thank you.
Abhra (42:36):
Thank you for taking the time to talk the stories and stem I get.
Diane (42:40):
Thank you.
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