InfoBarrel Author of the Week: Deborah-Diane

This week, I decided to visit Sin City [Las Vegas] to interview the lovely and talented InfoBarrel author Deborah-Diane.

Since Deborah is familiar with Las Vegas (having written Your Guide to a Fabulous Las Vegas Wedding), she convinced me to try on some Vegas showgirl costumes with her.

Here we are outside the Bellagio Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip in Paradise, Nevada.

InfoBarrel authors RoseWrites and Deborah-Diane (heads) added to photo by Brian Whitmarsh on flickr (CC-by-2.0)

Both DebW07 and mommymommymommy (Hannah Gold) remarked they'd love to see you interviewed. They added you've been on InfoBarrel forever, produce "top-notch" work and "we can all learn a thing or two from" you.

When you answered my question about HubPages in InfoBarrel's forum, you proved to me that you aren't afraid to tell the truth. I doubt you know this, but you are quoted on Wikipedia. When I read how much factual information was either missing (or not updated) about HubPages, I decided to update their Wikipedia page for the public.

At first there was some resistance to have my edits approved, but eventually my proof won over the Wikipedia editors. Below is a screenshot of where you are quoted on the HubPages Wikipedia Talk page (click to enlarge). It's near the end of the screenshot (and on the Wikipedia Talk page).

May 1st, 2015 Wikipedia Edits for HubPages by RoseWrites and Quote of Deborah-Diane in InfoBarrel's Forum

Back to Deborah-Diane

Avatar and photo of Deborah-Diane on InfoBarrel (used with permission)

Okay sister, I read your Google Plus "About" page where you admit you've been married "over 40 years" but you left out how many husbands you've racked up.

I read your "From the Author" section on Amazon. Let's see now . . you said (and I quote): "many people don't realize how simple it is to get married there [in Las Vegas]." Is that the voice of experience, hmm? Further along you asked, "How much easier can it get?"

Come on, don't you think these people just wanna have "a good time" without the guilt? I mean they don't call it Sin City for nothing.

But here's something I did discover in Las Vegas: the future career path of those small elf-type men in Brownies. Apparently, most of them end up being FTD guys.

Left image of The Brownie Handbook (Book 3) cover illustration by Frances Shadbolt | Right image by Celine Mosnier (hirondellecanada on flickr) both CC-by-2.0 images

I'll have to check this out with Hannah Gold on her Girl Scout Leader blog. This could explain a lot of dysfunction in my life.

Without Further Ado

I present to you my interview with Deborah-Diane (who also goes by the pen names DeborahDian and Deborah75).

Deborah began: First, Rose, I wanted to compliment you on your well researched questions. You obviously spent time looking at my profiles on InfoBarrel and Google Plus and that really impressed me. Thank you. [Blushing.]

Writing-related questions:

Q: When I glanced over your InfoBarrel profile page, I noticed that you have a degree in Human Environmental Design. What's that all about? Sounds like something far too advanced for me.

A:  Human Environment Design is similar to Interior Design, but is not the same as Interior Decorating. For example, I had to take classes in architectural drawing, engineering drawing, architectural history, and housing design. When I graduated, I went to work first for a restaurant design company and after that I worked in the construction department of a grocery store chain. Later, I became a Realtor, often working with people on construction projects, including on a high rise condominium complex. My husband and I have also built several homes during our marriage. In one way or another, I worked in housing and construction until my early 50s.

Q: What brought you to InfoBarrel and what do you love most about it here?

A: I have always loved writing and have frequently written detailed and informative brochures for other people. When I was a Realtor, I wrote a 30-page booklet for my buyers and a similar one for my sellers, which explained the process step-by-step. I granted my firm permission to adopt it, so that all their agents could use it. I enjoy explaining things in writing, and InfoBarrel is the perfect outlet for that. I feel very fortunate to have found InfoBarrel, because I think it is one of the most respected sites on the internet.

Q: Okay, so why haven't you written on InfoBarrel for a couple of years then?

A: After I wrote over 327 articles on InfoBarrel, I began to go back and edit the earlier ones ... which has been a time-consuming process. I continue to go back and improve articles on all the sites where I write and, in general, I don't produces as much new work as I used to. Although I haven't written anything new on InfoBarrel in a while, I still spend time on the site nearly every day. i also have some ideas for new InfoBarrel articles I would like to write, but I am waiting for the upgrades that will come with InfoBarrel 4.0, which should be available soon. I want to see how my new pieces will work with the improved format. I am very excited about the changes they are making.

I also believe that every online writer needs to check their old articles occasionally to make sure the links still work, the advertised products still exist, and the material is still relevant. That takes time. Writers who do not do that usually see their income drop off dramatically from their older material. You need to keep your work fresh if you want it to keep earning money for you!

I also have thousands of articles on other sites, so just maintaining my current library of articles keeps me pretty busy. However, whenever I want to write a really informative article, InfoBarrel is always my first choice. I can't imagine writing one anywhere else. I often recommend the site to retired teachers and other intelligent people I know. I don't think there is any other site like it! [Nods.]

Q: I looked at your Kindle books and I must say this: it looks like you are a romantic who wants to protect children from dirty politicians. Can you tell my readers more about those endeavors?

A: Ha! Ha! I think you summed my writing up very well. I write about wide-ranging topics, don't I? Here are a few two or three sentence summaries for each of the books I have written:

"Your Guide to a Fabulous Las Vegas Wedding" – I wrote this after my daughter, sister, niece and a friend were all married in Las Vegas. I did a lot of research and, after learning how easy it is, I wanted to simplify the process for other people who were also thinking about getting married there.

"Romantic Budget Wedding Ideas" – After raising four daughters and paying for all their weddings, my husband and I picked up a few tips on how to have an elegant wedding without going bankrupt! I thought I would pass on what I learned to other people who don't know what they really need, how to set up a budget, or where to find the best deals.

"The Mayor and the Garbage: The Teen Who Saved His Town" – This is a fictional account of a teenager who becomes the mayor of his tiny town in order to become a voice for the residents who experience an environmental crisis. I came up with the idea after a real life 12-year-old boy became mayor of his Texas town in order to keep it from being annexed by Houston.

"Dangerous Lies We Tell to Children and Ourselves" – When I was in my 50s, I worked for a decade at a local high school and discovered that many teens have a lot of misconceptions about their abilities, the world of work, how to find a job, good careers that will be interesting to them, their family history, death and so much more. I did some research on the harmful effects of lying to children or misrepresenting things to them, and I decided to write a book about my findings.

"What Would Jesus Tweet?" – I wrote this book because, as the granddaughter of a Pentecostal minister and a lifelong Christian, I realized that a lot of Christians believe almost everything in the Bible ... except what Jesus actually said. I am shocked sometimes that there are Christians who do not believe in supporting peace, providing affordable medical care to the sick, food to the hungry, or clothing to the poor, although Jesus clearly told his followers that this is what he wanted them to do. He also said we should not judge others harshly. In addition, since the Good Samaritan was a non-Jewish foreigner, Jesus also made it clear that we were to extend these services to everyone, not just people like us.

Highly inappropriate questions (entirely voluntary):

Q:  For a bride with Wedding night jitters (not me, of course) what would you tell her?

Red-ruffed Lemur by Mathias Appel on flickr (Public Domain)

A:  I'm the mother of four grown daughters and the grandmother of three teenage granddaughters, so I have had my fair share of embarrassing conversations. 

I have always encouraged young brides to talk to their doctors about things like birth control, lubrication and any questions they have ... and to do it at least a couple of months before the wedding!

My jaw drops open and Shocked Lemur shows up: And by "do it at least a couple of months before the wedding" you mean . . . 

ohhhh, talk to my doctor. 

For a second there I thought I might not be going to h*ll.

Deborah cont'd: Some preparations take a little time. I think the right preparation can go a long way towards preventing jitters about the wedding night!

Q: I noticed on your Google Plus page that you've been married over 40 years. What's the secret to staying with the same man that long? More importantly, how did you change him? (JK)

A: Ha, ha! I actually think marriage does involve a bit of training, but not necessarily changing your spouse. Of course, training takes time! If you marry a guy who is basically nice, he will try to please you, as long as you are self-aware enough to be able to tell him what you want. [Not a prob for me, Deborah.]  

Deborah cont'd: However, if you expect a guy to really change who he is, you are going to be disappointed. If you marry a jerk, he never will try to make you happy. He will just get worse!

In October 2015, my husband and I will have been married 44 years. That is a long time. I tell him I'm looking forward to our 50th anniversary, because I want some new gold jewelry!

So what is the secret to staying with the same man that long? You have to be willing to stick it out through the hard times ... and there will be hard times. You also have to take the time to have fun with each other.

Women also have to recognize that if they really enjoy their physical relationship with their spouse and let him know, he'll overlook a lot of missed meals and forgotten household chores! It is NOT true that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach ... if you know what I mean. [Ohh, I gotcha.]

Q: What did you tell your kids or grandkids when they asked where babies come from?

A: I think you can tell from my last answer that I am pretty honest and blunt, and not easily embarrassed. All our children knew where babies came from by the time they were in elementary school! Of course, when they were very young, I just read them little age appropriate books and, as they grew up, I gave them more information.

Q: What author, famous person, TV character or cartoon character do you most relate to (and why)?

A: Honestly, I struggled with this question the most. I have never been much of a hero worshiper. While I enjoy reading biographies of famous people, including authors, I rarely compare myself to them.

Q: What's the smartest move a man can make to get a woman in the bedroom?

A: The dishes! Honest! I read once that it really turns a woman on when a man helps her get the housework done so she isn't too tired to be romantic. After nearly 44 years of marriage, I still think that is true. (I told you I did a good job training my husband!)

Q: How did you meet your husband and does he have any remedies for "Dishpan Hands"?

A: My husband was a young stockbroker and he did a mass mailing to thousands of people. I filled in the postcard he sent out and returned it. He called me and I went to meet him at his office. He asked me how much money I had to invest. When I told him i had $100 in savings, he took me out to dinner, instead! I was a "flower child" living in Berkeley; he was a conservative Republican. We were married six months later in a park in Berkeley. No one expected our marriage to last ... but it did!

One reason we get along so well is that he has ALWAYS supported me in everything I wanted to do. I could choose to work or be a stay-at-home mom. When I worked, I could take the jobs that interested me. I could be a writer, a Realtor or volunteer for a charity (and I have done them all). I have also supported my husband in his career choices. When two people support each other, it really helps their relationship.

Back to you and your work:

Q: Name four InfoBarrel articles you'd like readers to check out.

A: Here are four articles that I enjoyed writing and people seem to enjoy reading. They are the type of articles that seem to do the best for me on InfoBarrel ... informational pieces that fill a need or satisfy someone's curiosity:

How to Write a Compassionate Letter of Sympathy

American History of Women in the 1980s

The Murder of Lee Harvey Oswald

Why America Should Use the Metric System

Q: Where can readers find you?

A: The best way to find me is on my retirement blog: Baby Boomer Retirement. It contains hundreds of articles about where to retire, financial planning, common health concerns, family relationships and more. I have been writing it for four years and it is now read approximately 12,000 to 15,000 times a month. It is completely free, so I encourage everyone to check it out. If you leave a comment on one of the posts, I'll know you were there!

I also have hundreds of articles on HubPages (as Deborah-Diane and DeborahDian), Daily Two Cents, and Bubblews (as Deborah75); I have answered over 6,000 questions on WebAnswers (as DeborahDian). However, my blog is the best place to find me.

Q: Are there any other writers on InfoBarrel you'd like to see interviewed? And if so, are there any questions you'd like me to ask them?

A: I would love you to interview JudyE and ask her about her life in Australia. I know she is traveling in Europe this summer for a wedding, but when she returns I think she would be an excellent person to interview.

Q: Is there anything you would like to say to the other InfoBarrel writers?

A: In the past few years, I have come to appreciate the other writers at InfoBarrel so much. Whenever I have had a question over the years about how to do something, there has always been at least one writer who was willing to step forward to help me out, in language I could understand. I'm not sure if new online writers realize how unique the InfoBarrel forum is. The people there have been genuinely kind, helpful and supportive, and I cannot thank them enough. I am sure that I would not have been very successful as an online writer, if it had not been for the help I received from the staff and writers on InfoBarrel. Rose, you are a perfect example of that! [Ditto for you too, Deborah.]

Again, thanks so much for the opportunity to be interviewed for your site. [The pleasure was all mine, Deborah.]

In Closing:

I had a blast interviewing Deborah-Diane. I vaguely recall her on Squidoo and I've barely gotten to know her on InfoBarrel (until now). I guess because I joined InfoBarrel January 2014 and she's been off doing her own thing elsewhere online for the last couple of years.

I'm so glad to hear she'll be writing more on InfoBarrel (and the new version is coming any day now).

Be sure to drop by next weekend for another installment of InfoBarrel Author of the Week.

NEW

On July 20th, 2015 I designed this coffee mug for guests on my blog.

It is also available in other styles and sizes. Plus you can customize it further with a photo and text on the other side (if you wish).

You can find it on my Zazzle store. It's called A Blog for the Underdog MUG by RoseWrites.

Shown is the 11 oz. "Ringer Mug."

NOTE: I will not be posting this item on every interview. Instead, it will be available through my Google Collections page where every InfoBarrel Author of the Week can be found.