"TEARS ARE TRUTH ...intimately portrays
from a personal and professional perspective the importance and
beauty of tears and their healing power." John Gray, author
od MEN ARE MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS
Pageonelit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading
and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences
and why?
Dianea Kohl-Riise: I grew up in Ithaca,
NY, where I was more of an outdoors tomboyish girl...so reading
and writing had little importance to me other than school work,
or writing letters, especially in college to my father who wrote
every week, sometimes more often. I have his letters and they
are one of my most precious possessions... thinking of publishing
them someday in a book about my father.
Pageonelit.com: Why did you write TEARS
ARE TRUTH? Tell us about this book --- How long did it take
to write?
Dianea Kohl-Riise: I wrote TEARS ARE
TRUTH from 1994 -1997, part-time as I had to make a living
as a psychotherapist. The 
book
is in three parts, revealing the vulnerability of my clients
in Part 1, then myself in Part 2, and in the third part I tie
in the vulnerability of tears as the essence to being connected
to the Real LOVE of the child within us all when we are born.
Our true spiritual birthright that becomes buried by repression
of our feelings.
Pageonelit.com: Where did the title TEARS
ARE TRUTH...WAITING TO BE SPOKEN come from?
Dianea Kohl-Riise: The title came from me
recognizing the times and things that triggered my tears...and
then connecting them to the source of my pain...mostly from my
childhood. (Tears are like electricity, which is only available
when plugged into the source-outlet)
Pageonelit.com: In your introduction you
say that, "Tears are the wellspring of healing."
Please explain.
Dianea Kohl-Riise: The deeper well of my
pain came up to the surface when I would speak with my voice,
and not just cry when I wrote. Some things when written would
not prompt tears, but when read to someone, or just spoken in
conversation to someone, tears would appear. Therefore, the "wellspring
of healing" because tears would spring up at surprising
times, at special words, and they would lead me into investigating
the well from which they sprang. In so doing, I cried more deeply,
sobbed, and let go of pain that had been repressed for years,
that drove my behavior and reactions to people. Therefore, healing
old dysfunctional patterns and reactions. My responses to relationships
are so much different now! I am much more understanding and loving
and compassionate, for REAL. It's like finding an oasis in a
desert...love instead of pain.
Pageonelit.com: What has been your feedback
from readers and book reviewers? What do they say to you about
their interpretations of TEARS ARE TRUTH? What do they
like about the book?
Dianea Kohl-Riise: Feedback from readers
and book reviewers has been positive: easy to read, identify
with, as well as my honesty and vulnerability shocking some.
Pageonelit.com: Tell me about your publishing
experience -- The good, the bad and the ugly...
Dianea Kohl-Riise: I was highly optimistic
about being published, after writing to 30 or so with an outline
and chapter summaries...no go, unless I wanted to pay part. So,
I self-published with the help of Dan Poynter's book, and support
from another self-published writer friend.
I used a small printing press in rural NY, and was happy with
the outcome, and personal
attention. It's great to have a book done just the way you want
it!
The ugly is putting out the $...but as with most
writer's, I'm not in it for the $, but the need toexpress a very
important message to the reader's...to society, for change for
the better.
Pageonelit.com: Are you working on a follow
up? Or something totally different?
Dianea Kohl-Riise: As stated in the back
of TEARS ARE TRUTH...I plan 2 sequels, TEARS ARE TRUST
has been started, but way laid because I felt more need to write
another book, called "Evolution of an Orgasm," which
integrates my personal journey of sexuality with spirtuality.
(through my healing tears of course) I also self-published a
children's picture book in 2000, called "EVERYBODY CRIES."
I have donated about half of them to HEADSTART programs
all over the USA.
Pageonelit.com: What was the last book you
read?
Dianea Kohl-Riise:The last book I read is
"Honest to God," by Neale Donald Walsh and Brad
Blanton (of Radical Honesty series) It is not a religious book,
but one which addresses social change thru true honesty on an
emotional/spiritual level...like crying when you feel
like it, not hiding. I usually read 3or4 books at a time, so
am reading Mary Oliver's book of poetry "American Primitive"
and "The Poisonwood Bible" by Kingsolver, and
"May the Angels Be With You," by Quinn.
Pageonelit.com: Do you have any hobbies?
What are they? How do they enhance your writing.
Dianea Kohl-Riise: My hobbies are dancing
swing, tango, hustle and ballroom...girl, do I love to dance!
Also, love to pick wildflowers, hike and
camp especially in the National Parks, and knit for friends and
family. Most of all, BE a kid again:)
heard."
After graduating from Cornell University's School of Nursing,
she worked in various nursing arenas until she found her niche
as a clinical nurse specialist on a psychiatric unit for five
years. Since 1985, when she received her Master's Degree in Marriage
and Family Therapy at Syracuse University, she has worked as
a psychotherapist at Family and Children's Service and continues
this work, in private practice, in the city of Ithaca, NY, where
she was born and raised. For a year, (96-97), she attended The
Primal Center, in Venice, California. Dianea's inspiration is
greatly due to her deceased father, Michel's love, as well as
from her two daughters, Erin and Megan. Her spirit is expressed
most freely and joyously on the dance floor, and while hiking
in the National Parks. Dianea plans to write two books as sequels
to TEARS