Seven Lives: A Diva's Story

by Diane Morrison

Witty, profound and a bit cheeky, Seven Lives: A Diva's Story is a journey through seven stages of life marked by seven nicknames: Rare Orchid: a survivor, Tough Cookie: a performer, Ginger: an academy girl, Princess: a wife, Gypsy: a free-spirited single woman, Diva: a wealthy entrepreneur, Collector: an art connoisseur. Over the years, I discover being a Diva is not limited to being a show off, self-important, pretentious, or even obnoxious. I'm certainly not an opera singer, the definition of the word Diva in Webster's dictionary. I define Diva as a person who is strong, self-aware, and free of society's boxes.

Genres: Nonfiction

238 pages, Paperback

Published January 19, 2021

About the author

DIANE MORRISON has published and taught thirty graduate courses in the last twenty-one years. "Seven Lives: A Diva's Story" is the author's debut memoir. She is the founder of Diane Morrison Consulting and is a speaker, professor, life coach, and online gallery owner. An expert on the Enneagram, a personality study, she types herself as a positive, adventurous, risk-taker who has survived many difficult experiences in her lifetime. Diane and her husband Alex, both avid art collectors, live in a 100-year-old house in Colorado.

Reviews

[Maureen Pena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Goodreads giveaway. The book is a memoir, but I’m sorry, I didn’t read anything in it that was worthy of a novel. This book was very hard to even finish. The author is a narcissist, too into labels, and vain. The writing itself lacked structure. Very disjointed and jumped from subject to subject, time period to time period with no rhyme or reason. Im just glad it’s over now.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved her writing style and storytelling! A great memoir!

[Lucy Reoh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane’s debut novel is a rich portrayal of her life’s journey from early childhood to present day. From the very beginning her life was littered with difficulties imposed on her by dysfunctional family members. The artwork of her life circumstances could have easily painted her as a victim. Instead, she chose to be the victor. Rather than succumb to her circumstances, she bravely hurdled each roadblock coming out on top. Her resolve to be successful carried her through.

Her writing style draws you into her personal journey. This honest account of her life required a level of vulnerability which creates an intimacy with her reader. The drama of her life both entertains and moves you. There were times I was laughing out loud at her comical predicaments. Still others were poignant and deeply touching.

This book was an enjoyable and entertaining read. It is sprinkled throughout with descriptive gems that draw you into each period of her journey. It’s a wonderful account of her life swept up into words and crafted into a memorable story.

[Steve Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Morrison is a brutally honest story teller

I really enjoy a good biography or autobiography! It’s like watching someone else live a life that you couldn’t imagine to be true. Diane tells an intriguing story about herself and growing up as an everyday Diva. She has a really easy writing style that grabs your heart and then gives that brutal twist of truth to set the stage for her next Diva moment. You can’t wait to turn the page to see what she’s up to next.
Anyone that knows a diva will get a kick out of 7-Lives: A Divas Story. You will recognize the persona quickly and easily fall in love with Diane and this book. There are some very poignant moments that will make you both laugh and cry. She obviously has led a very interesting life, with many more adventures ahead of her. I can’t wait for her next book. I’m certain this Diva has many more stories to share with us, at least I true hope she will give us more to devour.

[Coleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This memoir is relatively short and reads fairly easily. I enjoy memoirs and have read many of them, always remembering to give the author a lot of consideration for baring his or her soul...telling it like it is.

So in this memoir, the clue is in the title- Diva. I referenced the word and found a number of definitions, several of which explain most of the substance of the book. A Diva behaves as a Goddess or a Queen and thinks the world revolves around her. Divas feel self-important and are temperamental and difficult to please. This describes the author really well.

Sympathy can certainly be given to her for both having breast cancer and having a husband who divorced her because of the cancer. What man would do that? But I could empathize with her on both those counts. Nevertheless, reading the book about a diva once in my life was one time more than I needed.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Obligatory I won this in a giveaway.

I’m going to say right off the bat that Diane’s personality is grating to me. It’s obvious she’s obsessed with appearance and herself. Unfortunately, I think some of that comes from how she was treated as a child. The writing is mediocre, but it does have potential. I was caught by Scott’s remarks on page 218 on how to improve her writing. I’m amazed she included this in the book, as it’s clear she didn’t listen. But then again, she doesn’t listen to many people, it doesn’t seem. She’s all about labels, finery, sex, and doing what she wants. I’m really not sure how she ended up with Alex, as they don’t seem terribly compatible except for their love of art. Anyway. She needs to listen to Scott and really edit this book so it’s not so all over the place and you can tell the difference between the story and flashbacks.

[Deishima · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this memoir as a blessing from one of the Goodreads giveaways. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to go on this journey with Diane. Her lifestyle is full of change and growth. I wished Diva was not used so much because I think each stage of her life reflected another word as she searched to figure out who she was spiritually. Yes, she loves beautiful things but her soul was craving something more than physical items. I thought of Blanche from Golden Girls and Sex in the City when reading about every rendezvous with laughter, but I felt sadness when I read about her childhood and her relationship with her mother. Parents are such an important part of our wellbeing and our confidence. Her relationships with her parents and grandparents played a part in Diane’s self belief system. I understand that impact. Thank you for sharing your experiences, Diane.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I liked reading about Diane's life through her eyes from birth to her current age. It was nice to "see" how other powerful woman are shaped and how they become who they are. She does bounce around a lot between different time frames and stories, so it makes you pay attention and ask yourself, "what is going on here?" I won this book in a giveaway and she personally signed it for me. I like this woman and will definitely read her next book, if she writes one.

[Alex Glassman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane’s writing style drew me into her personal journey quickly. I literally had trouble putting her novel/memoir down! Written in present tense, the book is riveting, heart wrenching, and humorous. You will enjoy the read!

[Sunny Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diane Morrison encourages the reader to "take the risk to be brave enough to live artfully." Reading her memoir was a delightful experience, and even those of us who are not risk-takers can learn to leave our comfort zones and live our authentic lives; to become divas, as it were, in our own ways.

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book finally arrived today!

I LOVE that Ms. Morrison wrote me a quick note, saying "enjoy the read"! I plan to do just that!

It's now October 13, and I'm on chapter 6. I started reading this yesterday, and I'm really enjoying it! As I read, my mind pictures the events as they happen, and it's an interesting experience so far! I'm from New Orleans, and reading the adventures of someone from another region of the U. S., from a time in which my parents grew up, is enlightening.

12/9/21: I finished the book this morning; it's an excellent memoir that takes you right up to the present! I highly recommend it!