This Tuesday At The AuthorIsland Tiki Hut - Author Dianne Miley

Today's special guest is author Dianne Miley.

Dianne grew up in northeastern Ohio as the oldest of four children. Growing up, she always loved to write. She began writing poetry in second grade. During high school, she wrote for the yearbook and school paper. Now she flexes her imagination through inspiring tales of romance and mystery. Best of all, she's found a way to share her faith through fictional characters in a fun romance.

In her spare time - ha! - she enjoys gardening, flower arranging, decorating, cooking, baking, and entertaining. She also loves visiting tea rooms and quaint little shops like the ones in Crystal Falls, the fictional town where her series of books is set. See the FUN PAGE on her website for the favorite tea party recipes of one of the characters in the Crystal Falls series. The recipes will change often, so be sure to check back!

Visit Dianne's Website *** Visit Dianne's Myspace *** Get Dianne's Newsletter

Thanks for being our guest today Dianne!


Hello everyone,

I’m so glad my writing journey has brought me here to the Island. Along the way, I’ve learned a few things about writing and about myself. While this is a tough way to make a living, it’s also lots of fun and very rewarding.

Many years ago, I started out with some perfect characters and a small town I loved. But I didn’t have a story. Then I found out I had to make bad things happen to them in order to create “conflict.” I don’t like conflict. Really, who does? Yet once I got started, my poor characters didn’t know what they were in for.

So why did I choose to write inspirational romantic mysteries? I couldn’t choose just one. Kidding! Since I’m a romantic at heart, what more interesting conflict than between a man and a woman? That part came naturally. The same thing happened with the inspiration. Being a Christian is such a huge part of who I am, it came through without my realizing. I actually tried once to write “mainstream.” A critique partner suggested I market it as inspirational. It’s my natural voice, so why fight it?

Writing not only allows me to flex my wild imagination by creating wonderful characters, places, and plots, but I can also share a message of God’s love and forgiveness. In my stories, morals are a standard to live up to, cussing is not allowed, and each story makes it clear that every human being is God’s child and He loves us no matter how badly we mess up. If we only ask Him, God happily forgives us.

With this in mind, don’t be surprised to find some seedy characters in my inspirational romances. Alcoholics, cheaters, and even a stripper might show up. In real life, Christians share the world with unsavory people who can be neighbors, coworkers, or even family members. While moral standards remain paramount in my stories, I write about the real world, and Christians mess up too.

After all, not meeting the goal is what makes an interesting story. Faltering Christians are so much more fascinating… and so much more like me!

Which brings me to another fascination of mine - an intriguing mystery. I love trying to figure out whodunit – whatever it is. When writing my first novel, Lilacs for Laura, the storyline stumbled into a murder. While I certainly didn’t want to make my heroine the murderer, the question of who would be had me spellbound. Mystery is the most captivating part of the writing for me. However, it’s also the most challenging. I have to keep my poker face intact until the end of the book. And in a series, I don’t want the second book to reveal whodunit in the first book – just in case someone hasn’t read that one yet. This can be tricky, but so far I’ve managed.

I hope you’ll take a look at The Crystal Falls Series and let me know what you think. Lilacs for Laura and the sequel, Roses for Rachel, are both available from TheWildRosePress.com. I’m currently revising the next book in the series.

To learn more about me and my writing, please visit my website: http://www.diannemiley.com/. For bi-monthly updates, sign up for my newsletter by emailing me at: Dianne@DianneMiley.com.

Happy Reading and God Bless!

Dianne

My hubby and me on Christmas