Diane’s Books
Brainstorming Brilliance
Omigod, what a great brainstorming session! I finished the draft of the first half of my work in progress today, knowing it was just not right, but keeping my writing friend Mary Kay Andrew’s words of wisdom in mind (“You can’t rewrite what you haven’t written”). Then I gave it to my sig other John…
Read MoreWin a Personalized Advanced Reading Copy of Necessary Lies!
I’ve seen a lot of Advanced Reading Copies (ARCs), but never one quite this pretty. I love how my publisher, St. Martin’s Press, incorporated the cover of the final book at the bottom of the ARC cover and devoted so much space to bestselling author Christina Schwarz’s wonderful quote—a quote that warmed my heart when I…
Read MoreCan We Have a Little Tolerance, Please?
Wow. On Facebook yesterday, I asked for suggestions for the name of an organization that would support gay and lesbian youth and that would form a good acronym. (The organization is created by a character in my work-in-progress.) I received tons of great responses. . . and a few not-so-nice retorts as well. I don’t…
Read MoreLibrary Love
When I first started writing fiction, I’d take my notepad to my local library, which was then in San Diego. There was no Internet. I’d never heard of a laptop. It was just my notepad and me. . . and joy. Every true writer knows the thrill of having an idea and a pen and…
Read MoreStory Weekend: What's in a Name?
How did you get your name? How did you choose your kids’ names? Your pet’s? What’s the story behind the names in your life? Names are on my mind, since I have a new cast of characters to christen. I often pick a name, then audition it by writing a few scenes using it to…
Read MoreMusical Nostalgia
I’m sitting in Starbucks (what else is new?) and they’re playing a song called “I Can’t Get Used to Losing You.” I just Googled to find out who’s performing it– a group called The English Beat. Has a bouncy little ska rhythm. And it’s bringing back memories that put a smile on my face. All…
Read MoreA Sneak Peek at a Sneak Peek
One of my readers just let me know that The First Lie is already available for preorder, so I think it’s time for me to tell you about it. The First Lie is a short story inspired by my next novel, Necessary Lies, which will be out in September. Set on a tobacco farm in…
Read MoreStory Weekend: Public Speaking
Sunday afternoon, I’ll be speaking to a group at the West Regional Library in Cary, North Carolina (come join us if you can!). I was thinking about that talk this evening when I suddenly realized it’s time to write my Story Weekend blog post. So that’s the genesis of this weekend’s topic: Public Speaking. The…
Read MorePlease Give Me Feedback on my Website!
Hi everybody! I’m considering a re-do of my website–perhaps small, perhaps large–as it gets closer to the release of Necessary Lies. I love my site, but I want it to focus more on that book in particular, plus the pic of me on the home page is three years old, so it’s time for an…
Read MoreEarly Peek at Necessary Lies
I just asked my Facebook readers what they’d like me to post about today and several of them asked to hear about my next book, Necessary Lies. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this book! I feel really confident in saying that if you love my books, you will really love this…
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