Diane’s Books
An Inventive Book Club Discusses Necessary Lies
I Skyped with a book club recently as they discussed Necessary Lies and the host forwarded me a copy of the invitation she sent out to the members. I love it! She really took the story to heart. She gave me permission to share the invite with my readers (I blanked out all the members…
Read MoreCan We Talk? Should I or Should I not Publish Private Relations (Revisited)?
June will mark the 25th anniversary of the publication of my first novel, Private Relations, which has me pondering–yet again–whether or not to release it for my 21st century readers. I’ve had this chat with some of you before, but I need to have it again. I need your help in making the decision. I…
Read MoreWhy this Box Made Me Cry (and a Give-away)
In the days before e-books, here’s how it went for most authors: you spent a couple of years pouring your heart and soul into a book, which was then published, sat in the bookstores for a few months and then quietly disappeared forever. This was a typical scenario for most novels (and still is for…
Read MoreWhy I can no Longer List my Top Ten Books of the Year (and a Giveaway)
UPDATE: We have a winner! Thank you all for sharing your favorite books. The Random Number Generator picked Rhonda Baker. Congratulations, Rhonda! For the past few Januarys, I’ve posted my ten favorite books of the previous year on my blog. Some of you have been asking me when I’d be posting my list for 2013…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Acting (and a Giveaway of a Large Print Edition of Necessary Lies)
As a kid, I always wanted to be an actress. My friend Joyce and I would practice a scene from the movie The Bells of St Mary’s, in which the priest (Bing Crosby) tells the nun (Ingrid Bergman) that she has leukemia, and she cries (with relief, because of the storyline). Joyce and I would…
Read MoreBirth Control Craziness
I lost my virginity at the age of eighteen. I loved the boy; in retrospect I can’t imagine why. Still, I was head-over-heels smitten, the sort of smitten that had me sketching his picture in my notebooks and skipping classes to be with him. I hadn’t completely lost my mind, however: I knew I didn’t…
Read MoreQuestions from a Reader
I did a live Google+ Hangout yesterday during which several of my readers participated. One of my readers, Amy Feld, was unable to hook up with the Hangout (it was a technological challenge, for sure!), so she sent me her questions separately, and I thought I’d answer them here for everyone to see. (Here’s the…
Read MoreToday's Pub Day for Necessary Lies!
I’m inviting you to join me in 1960 rural North Carolina, where a fifteen-year-old girl named Ivy Hart wants only two things: to hold the tattered remnants of her family together and to one day marry and have children with the boy she’s loved since she was a little girl. I’d like you to see…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Resilience (and a contest)
I know you thought I disappeared from the blog for good! My deadline had to take precedence, and I’m still not finished with my work-in-progress, but I’ve missed my blog readers so here I am for the weekend! I’ve been dealing with deadlines, all sorts of great promotions for Necessary Lies (which just happens to…
Read MoreIt's Pub Day in the United Kingdom for Necessary Lies!
For once, my UK, Irish and Australian readers get to go first! For those of you in North America, your turn will come soon: September 3rd. (That’s the UK cover on the left; the North American cover on the right). I’d wanted to write this book for many years and I’m thrilled it’s finally seeing…
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