The Last Diva profiles the return of 80s diva Pearl Sorelle who quickly realises that the music industry is very different to the one she left behind. Her ‘gifts’ are restored by music mogul Thomas Devlin who manages her comeback however Pearl soon finds that nothing in life is free.
Will Pearl find that her musical comeback is worth the price paid? Lee Connor is spending a little time with me today to guide us through the ups and downs of Pearl’s journey in the novel ‘The Last Diva’. Lee, let’s get straight down to business, what inspired the notes of Pearl’s life that make the melody of ‘The Last Diva’?
As someone who spent a lot of time with stars such as Whitney Houston and Gladys Knight, I wanted to profile the state of the current music industry by exploring the concept of one of the divas of years gone by making a comeback.
Wow, so you’ve had direct access to these divas in the past?
Yes, I spent a lot of time during the 90s with music stars as I lived in London and often met with them. This gave me an interesting insight to what really goes on behind the scenes.
Few people would have the luxury of an insight into the lives behind these scenes. Without any direct experience into this world myself I imagine that some of the things that you saw during this time may have been out of the ordinary for the readers. Did you feel the need to make these real-life events more accessible by injecting other ideas into the story?
It’s based mainly on personal experience and views however I did a lot of research into the music industry.
It must have been heaps of fun harmonizing these real-life insights and music industry research. What gave you the most rewards along this journey of music and divas?
Hopefully I have demonstrated the need for real talent in the entertainment industry to shine through.
Was this message of the need for true talent the most important idea that you hope readers take from the novel?
Yes, true talent will always shine through and love conquers all.
As you strongly believe that true talent needs to shine through, how do you try to entice your own writing talent to emerge? Do you use music to coax it out?
I like to write in silence so I can fully concentrate.
What happens when the concentration just isn’t happening? What do you do to try and get the concentration sparked?
Go for a walk.
And when you’ve walked your way into concentration and have a finished draft in existence, how do you go about polishing it off? Are you into self-editing?
I pass it to my most honest and trustworthy friends to proof read first.
If one of your honest and trustworthy friends proofread your book, and then asked for your advice on how to kick off their own writing career, what advice would you share with them?
If you believe in your work, then never give up.
You can’t afford to give up! Do you find that your day job helps you maintain your commitment to not giving up?
I am a journalist and illustrator. My jobs allow me to continually develop my writing skills.
As someone who will never give up and already has a professional career that lets you improve your writing every day, I’m sure that you have big plans for the next step in your writing career. What moves are you currently making in the writing space?
Watch this space – I’m writing a humorous novel on life in England.
I will keep my eyes at the ready for it! Lee thanks for sharing the melodies within the pages of ‘The Last Diva’ with the readers and myself today. And I’m sure both myself and the readers will keep that eagle eye ready to follow your writing talent into humor.
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘The Last Diva ( ASIN: B01KSDB4XU )‘.
Want to find out more about Lee Connor? Connect here!