All Things Jill-Elizabeth

Today I’m pleased to introduce you to Diana K. Robinson, whose new novel Who Are You? is a dark look at marriage and the secrets people keep about who they really are… To set the stage, you’ll first see the description of the book, then her guest piece on writing it. She is offering us a peek behind the curtain – a perspective I always find fascinating – and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

About the Book
Born and raised on a remote farm in South Africa, Elisabeth Pieterse, a young, naive trainee nurse meets Dion Du Toit, a wickedly handsome salesman whose suave exterior hides a monster within that she discovers only after their wedding.

His addictions, adultery and insatiable desire to be in the limelight turn their lives into a roller coaster of erotic highs and death-defying lows leaving leading psychiatrists confused and Elizabeth shattered.

She knows instinctively that if she wants to stay alive it is safe to remain with him.

Finally, in a courageous but ill-advised attempt to quickly resolve her company’s financial problems, caused by Dion, Elizabeth then fails to answer the one telephone call that would have changed the course of the life forever.

How the Book Came Into Being
by Diana K. Robinson

I felt Elizabeth’s heart wrenching story had to inspire others; what to do and what not to do when faced with extreme adversity.

After an unfortunate incidence with a staff member in my business I began the tedious task of interviewing. ‘Elizabeth’ was the third person I interviewed, and we clicked immediately. I sensed she was holding onto trauma but of course one doesn’t ask. Elizabeth completed her three-month probation with excellence. Just the sensible, down to earth, reliable person I needed to manage my factory.

We were sitting together one day during a lunch break after having cut out thirty horse blankets. She indicated there was something personal she felt compelled to reveal and prudent to be honest about her past before I heard some twisted version through rumour. She shattered me by explaining she’d spent time in a Japanese jail. Instead of feeling guarded, having unknowingly employed a criminal, I felt instant empathy for her, wondering how she’d come out of a life so traumatic and was still so grounded, caring and authentic.

She asked if I would write her story. What an amazing honour but could I do it justice? I’d only ever written articles on horses for magazines and local newspapers.

‘I love writing, but I’m not trained with the skills to write such an epic story, Elizabeth.’

She was convinced I could do it and three years later this inspiring story of a mother’s powerful love of her children and the need to protect them from their father, risking her own life with such commitment is truly admirable, and then, to come out of jail with a heart full of forgiveness and love is an example of an exemplary human being.

My next inspiring novel is also based upon the true story of a truly powerful and inspirational man who lost the use of his legs in a polo accident and raised three very young children after losing his wife to cancer only months after his accident. ‘Muchingura’ an African name given to him, has a dual meaning- one who stays or one who sits. There will be a sequel to this novel.

About the Author
Diana is a country bumpkin at heart, born and raised on a farm in Rhodesia – now Zimbabwe, then Lived in South Africa for the better part of her adult life. Since then, Diana is now happily living in England, where all her family are originally from.

Diana’s qualifications are in the Equine world and the only writing she has ever undertaken is articles for various newspapers and magazines on her equestrian practices and even her own amazing horses. Furthermore, the topic of her next book plays into this very theme, a manual called the ‘Equus Soul Technique’. This technique developed over many years and grew organically when Diana ran workshops for CEO’s mimicking the herd leadership skills and putting them into practice in business to enhance productivity and unity within the work force. Her four-day equine-facilitated therapy workshops for traumatised women opened the door to evolving the technique into healing traumatised horses and grew from there.

“One could say I was just about born on the back of a horse.”

Diana’s father, a farmer, owned racehorses and played polo for many years until his accident on the polo field that put him into a wheelchair for life.