I had the great honor of being the Featured Blogger for October on Rob Goldstein’s blog: Art by Rob Goldstein. His is a wonderful eclectic blog full of art, photography, poetry, writing, mental health education and awareness, social responsibility, and blogger support and kindness. If you haven’t run across Robert’s blog, here’s your chance. On to the interview….
My Featured blogger for October is author D. Wallace Peach from Myths of the Mirror. Before we begin, thank you for accepting my invitation.
Thanks so much for inviting me, Robert. I’m honored to be chatting on your blog.
Tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from and how that affects your point of view?
Great question as I do think our roots inform who we are. I come from a family that spent its free time in the forest. My parents used to drop my younger brothers and me off at a trailhead in the Green Mountains and pick us up 4 days later, 25 miles down the road. Sort of “Hansel and Gretel” except we carried maps. The first time we hiked without adults, I was about 11 years old and my youngest brother would have been 7. We were fearless and adventurous kids. Sometimes the raccoons got into our food or we got stuck in a snowstorm, but we survived. Those are some of the best memories of my life, and they had nothing to do with “things.”
I was also raised by left-wing liberals, and though I labored in business for 18 years, I hated the focus on money. After 9/11, I started working as a volunteer with grieving children, quit my job, and returned to school for a counseling degree, which I loved. Today, as an author, my fantasy books reflect an appreciation for a simple life, nature, and the human pathos that arises from choices: fear, greed, power, compassion, sacrifice, and love.
You mention that your profile that as a child you preferred television to reading until you read the Hobbit by Tolkien. What was it about the Hobbit changed your life?
Reading was b..o..r..i..n..g until I turned 13 and…
(Continue Reading: Featured Blogger: D. Wallace Peach)
Myths of the Mirror 
We lived past the county line in Sarasota, Florida, with a ranch behind our house and a citrus grove down the street. All the rest was woods and a few homes. My brother and I and the other kids spent all day outdoors, often out of sight of our parents. It was wonderful! I suppose parents would be afraid to do that now, but maybe they shouldn’t be. Popular media has made us more wary. I rode a train from Newark to Winter Park alone when I was about twelve. It was a great experience and I’ve loved riding trains ever since. I’ve made that trip as an adult many times, and I carry that first sense of adventure and self-sufficiency with me. As for being a late-blooming writer, I know what you mean. Learning to navigate social media takes some thought. The writing comes easily to me, but I am increasingly impatient with editing.
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I think times have changed, Mary, you’re right about that. That all day, unsupervised outdoor exploration and imagination doesn’t happen much anymore. I wasn’t nearly so free with my kids. I still feel like a social media newbie and giving blogging advice felt strange 🙂 Happy Writing!
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What a great interview, Diane. So good to get to know you some more.
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Thanks so much for reading and commenting, Linda. The questions were personalized and that made it different for me than the usual author interview. Have a lovely week 🙂
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Your parents abandoned you for 4 days in the wild? With a 7 year old in tow? In snowstorms? Was this a regular occurrance? I’m all for teaching kids independence and self reliance, but wow! What a way to do it. Hopping over to check the rest out now… 😁
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Yes, they did, multiple times. We grew up that way, so it didn’t seem odd at all, Ali. The snow was a fluke, and the raccoons only wiped us out once. A wandering forest ranger gave us a box of macaroni & cheese, and we still had the food in cans :-). I have lots of stories of our time in the woods, and fortunately, none of them frightening. (My mother admitted, years later, that she worried, but I’m glad she didn’t stop us.) Thanks for reading! Happy Sunday.
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Fantastic interview Diana. It was lovely getting to know more about you. It’s no doubt that your childhood spent going in the forest was a lead off to your imaginative stories for your books. And nice to see we’re on the same page about the importance of sharing on social media. 🙂
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I imagine that all books have bits of the author in there, Debby. I’m not surprised, though, that you noticed. Thanks for reading. It seems to be a month for interviews 🙂
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It sure does. 🙂
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Wow! What a childhood! I don’t think I could have coped doing that when I was 11. To be honest I’m in my 30s and I think I’d have trouble with it.
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We grew up that way, Lisa, so it was an average day. Put us in a city and we would have been stressed! It was fun thinking about how my early life affected the themes in my stories. It makes all of our books different and fascinating to read 🙂 Thanks for the visit!
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Rob, great questions and Diana, fabulous childhood details!
This helps me to relate better to you and understand better your other worlds you create! I was the oldest and we did have plenty of adventures, my two younger brothers and I were 3 Musketeers, swinging from trees, dragging a ladder, wood and nails into the woods. We would go hours building forts or wading in creek’s. It wasn’t nearly as bold as being left for days since we would run back into the house for bathroom or food.
I think the fact my friends and I were allowed at age 12 to ride a bus to Cleveland International airport to catch a Rapid Transit to downtown the Terminal Tower, is an equally exciting adventure, though! My friends say they cannot believe we were allowed to “disappear” as young children all day in summer and as middle schoolers, take off for downtown Cleveland! 🙂
I Love your books and hope to get them as a set for Christmas from my one grown child who has an account for buying online items.
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Thanks so much for the comment, Robin. It sounds like we’ve had similar adventures. The hammer and nails reminds me of my own efforts to turn the old chicken coop into a club house 🙂 How fun to head to Cleveland on you own with your friends. Times have changed, huh? Have a wonderful weekend, my friend ❤
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Yes, pretty scary and we tend to keep a closer eye on our loved ones, of any age now. It sounds like quite a project to convert chicken coop into a clubhouse. Have you thought of a memoir? Reminds me of the Boxcar Children adventures!
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I haven’t considered a memoir, Robin. It takes a special talent that I don’t have. I like reading them though 🙂
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Reblogged this on Ancien Hippie.
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Thanks so much for sharing, Penney 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend.
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Thank you for a great blog!
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Oh this is marvelous, Diana. I’m glad you shared it with us here. I enjoy Rob’s artwork and blog. Hugs
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Thanks for visting, Teagan 🙂 Now get back to your blog break! Hugs to you too ❤
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Another wonderful interview, Diana. It’s always a pleasure to learn more though your characters and the writer behind them. 🙂
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Thanks, Steven. This interview was a little different, which was fun. Have a great weekend, my friend. 🙂
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You too, Diana. 🙂
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Your pic is beautiful💞
The childhood adventures and trecks of yours through the forest sound like a fairy tale. I wish I had done something like this when I was younger.
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Thank you. I had some great adventures as a kid and luck seemed to be with us. Our numerous trips to the hospital were for the things we did when we were home in civilization. 🙂 I had plenty of adventures as an adult and plan to have more. It’s never too late! Go for it. ❤
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I really enjoyed learning about your background, Diana! Where are the Green Mountains? I can’t imagine dropping off children like that in the woods these days. We’d get arrested for child endangerment, lol!
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Vermont, Kathryn. You’re right about parents getting arrested these days. To my brothers and me, it was just what we did. Some wild stories. 🙂 Thanks for reading. Have a great weekend.
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You too!
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[…] Wallace Peach’s blog post today https://mythsofthemirror.com/2016/10/07/featured-blogger-d-wallace-peach/ inspires me to repost this piece I wrote some years […]
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Thanks for the link, Ann. 🙂
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You are welcome.
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Wonderful interview and thank you for sharing pieces of your life’s journey.
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Thanks for reading. It was a different sort of interview and fun to think about the answers. Have a great weekend 🙂
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Great interview, great questions. I cannot imagine parents leaving their young children off in the mountains to fend for themselves for 4 days!!
Great that you and your brothers actually loved the adventures. So glad it created the author in you 🙂
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I never did that with my kids, Ann, and if parents were to do that today, they’d be arrested! But for us, it felt normal. We even took friends with us on occasion. A different world. Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend 🙂
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It sure is a different world now. But stories like yours can inspire us to dream.
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How beautiful and inspiring that was. For someone who is making a similar career change and pursuing the same passion, that was exactly what I needed to read today. Thank you for being you and sharing with us.
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Oh, I’m so glad it helped. I have regrets here and there, but never about the career change and the choice to focus on the human journey and write. Good luck to you! I look forward to reading about your progress 🙂
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Hi, just a note that I can’t get to your site 😦 I think your gravatar is linked to an old website address (?). I’d love to visit.
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Fantastic, Diana. It was wonderful to learn about your adventures. I’ll head over to share the post everywhere! 🙂
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Thanks, Bette. I have a lot of adventures from my younger years. Now, they are all in my head :-D. So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing!! ❤
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Nice one, Diana… Well done! 😊
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Thanks for reading, Kev. Robert is another one of those generous bloggers that warms the heart. 🙂
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Glad to hear it. 😊
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Once again an incredible journey! I look forward to following your blog 🙂
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Thanks and likewise. This is awfully fun- so glad to connect 🙂
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Absolutely wonderful! I left my comment over at Robert’s blog 😉
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I saw, Christy. Thanks so much for checking it out 🙂
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What an amazing story–about hiking with your 7-year old brother. Why not? If you know how to survive–and don’t run into a problem. It must have worked out! What an education.
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Thanks for reading, Jacqui. I did more risky hiking/climbing as an adult, but for the most part I knew what I was doing 🙂 I’m a little too old now for the more daring adventures, but no regrets. 🙂
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Great interview! Look at you, becoming a celebrated blogger on top of a great author. You’ve come such a long way since your first timid steps on WordPress 🙂
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I know. It’s shocking! Who would ever have thought I’d be giving blog advice? Not me. 🙂 Thanks for filling the role of teacher. ❤
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I may have given you a small push, but you’re the one who made the journey. This success is all yours 🙂
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Awww. Thanks 🙂
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What a unique interview, Diana and Robert. I’ve definitely learned some new and very interesting things about you, Diana.
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Thanks for reading, Mary. The questions were unique and really made me think about my answers. Glad you enjoyed it ❤
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A great interview Diana. I share your view that the world is full of magic. Just because we can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Anyone who spends time in nature sees the end result of magic!
I’m still digesting the part about you and your siblings being left to hike out of the forest 25 miles (!!) on your own. Wow! A very different childhood which I’m sure made you very resilient.
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My parents used to drop us off on a river with a canoe (without life perservers) and tell us they’d pick us up in a few days under a bridge downriver. It seemed perfectly normal to us, and yet I would never have done that with my kids, ever. These days the parents would be arrested. Times change but I’m so glad I had those opportunities as a kid. Thanks for reading, Joanne 🙂
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Parenting is very different now that’s for sure. I don’t regret my wild and unsupervised upbringing either.
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Hello Diana,
Wow, this must be an interesting journey to be featured in others blog. I didn’t know that you were raised up in the piles. No wonder you’re very positive in almost all aspects in life, your articles have been a benefit to most of your readers. You have moved us because of owning a heart of truly inspiring others.
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Thanks for the sweet comment. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I do try to remain positive, Ariel, and if that’s what others take away from my blog, I’m delighted. Thanks for the visit, my friend.
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It was good to know more about you 🙂 Have a great weekend 🙂
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Thanks so much for reading the interview. Robert does a great job with them. Have a lovely weekend too 🙂
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Love the interview, Diana! So fun to learn more about you 😀
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Thanks, Julie. It was an honor to be asked by Robert, and the interview was a little different, which made it fun. Happy editing, my friend.
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Wonderful interview!
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Thanks so much, Jennie. It was a little different from most author interviews, and it was fun to think about the answers. Have a great weekend 🙂
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You are welcome, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A good weekend to you!
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