An Interview with DiAnn Mills

I’m tickled to have award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, with us today. She launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book and hasn’t stopped since! Currently she has nineteen novels, fifteen novellas, a non-fiction book, several articles, and short stories to her credit and has sold more than a million books. (Can you say mouth-dropping-open sales? No drooling, please.)

DM: DiAnn, so great to have you here. Your tagline is “Expect an Adventure.” Tell us what this means for your readers.

DiM: My goal is for each reader to expect an adventure and not be disappointed. Whether the book is an historical or a contemporary, a romance or suspense, the reader’s journey will be exciting and memorable.

DM: Your new book, LANTERNS AND LACE releases today and is the sequel to LEATHER AND LACE. Are Casey and Morgan back for more adventures?

DiM: LANTERNS AND LACE, the second book in the Texas Legacy Series, is about Morgan’s brother Grant. Casey and Morgan play a role in this book, but the focus is on Grant. In the first book, Grant was seventeen years old and had much to learn about life. In the second book, he is a single doctor who takes on the task of raising an orphaned baby girl and protecting those he loves while in the midst of an evil plot.

DM: You’ve written suspense fiction as well, and even your historicals keep your readers turning the page. What’s your approach to finding the story you want to tell and keeping the reader interested?

DiM: In a word: characterization. A strong, well-defined character will accept challenges and seek to find solutions to problems. The character takes a leap into the unknown with knowledge and strong faith.

DM: You have some really rich historical details in you stories. How do you go about researching your stories?

DiM: I visit the area if at all possible. I read books. Search reliable sites online. I seek out historical documentaries. I always research more than I will need so I can better understand my characters life and culture.

DM: What makes your characters come to life for you?

DiM: Living with them. Interviewing them. Taking the character’s traits and applying them to various situations. Sensory perception is important to me.

DM: What do you find to be the most challenging part of the writing process?

DiM: Staying true to character in allowing them to fail before they succeed, allowing them to make mistakes in order to grow, and putting obstacles in their way that look impossible to overcome.

DM: How do you balance your faith with the demands of the writing life?

DiM: My day begins with a quiet time to worship and acknowledge the Creator who has the highest priority in my life and given me the gift of writing. I view my writing as a ministry—every opportunity to speak, teach, or write is an opportunity to mirror my faith and give others a glimpse of what it is like to live a Christian life. Of course, if I mess up, I have to ask forgiveness. ☺ The demands are a discipline.

DM: You’ve written both a fiction, WHEN THE LION ROARS and non-fiction, LOST BOY NO MORE about the plight of the Sudanese people. I hear you will soon be taking a trip to Sudan. Can you tell us more about that?
DiM: My Sudan trip is scheduled for November, and my friend, Rebeca Seitz of Glass Road Public Relations, is going with me. This trip is a combination of research and ministry to ensure my facts are correct in my writing, to help the Sudanese in any way I can, and report my findings to groups in the States. Since writing LOST BOY NO MORE, I’ve acquired a deep passion for Sudan. The ultimate goal is to make the international community aware of the critical needs there. And did I say I was excited? Moody Publishers is helping to finance this trip, which is quite humbling to realize they have faith in my abilities as a writer. This new novel will be released in the fall of 2007. The working title is WHEN THE NILE RUNS RED, but of course that may change.

DM: DiAnn, thank you so much for being here and sharing with us.

DiM: Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your author interviews! I encourage readers to subscribe to my monthly newsletter from my website. If you are not involved in a Christian writer’s group, I urge you to look within your community for a group and to research www.americanchristianfictionwriters.com. Let me hear from you!

Don’t forget to stop by DiAnn’s website for more information about her other books and her efforts to raise support and awareness for the Sudanese people. And be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of her new book! (Drawing held on Sunday.)

BIG FAT JUICY SIDE NOTE: Bailey Truitt is blogging over at Scenes and Beans today. I'm kind of partial to her posts. LOL! (wink-wink) Hope you enjoy today's post, which us Bailey girls worked very hard to create.