Author DiAnn Mills - BREACH OF TRUST - Free Book

I'm really happy to welcome DiAnn back to my blog. She's been a good friend for a long time. I haven't ever included her bio in the blog, but I think you'll be interested in reading it.

Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold a million and a half copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.
Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.
She lives in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Welcome, DiAnn. Since you’re being published regularly, what new avenues will your future books take?

I love the challenge of writing romantic suspense. It’s a stretch worth the research and the effort. I also enjoy writing a historical – an edgy historical. But there too I want a spin of suspense in an older setting. Although a historical isn’t as fast paced, the thrill of another era. I plan to continue in both of these genres.

What conferences will you be attending this year? Will you be a speaker at any of them?

April 3-7, I’ll be attending Mt. Hermon. This is the one conference I always attend to recharge my professional and spiritual life. This will be my 10th year, and every year I’ve participated at Mt. Hermon, I’ve always sold at least one book.
http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference

May 17-21, I’ll be teaching at the Blue Ridge Writer’s Conference at Ridgecrest, NC. Wow, this
conference has a sweet personality all it’s own. The faculty and attendees love Jesus and want to teach others how to write for Him.

June 5, I’ll be teaching an all-day fiction workshop for the San Gabriel Writers League in
Georgetown, TX.

You'll love that group. I have done a workshop for them.

August 1, I’ll be teaching two fiction workshops for Inspirational Writers Alive in Houston, TX.

I know you've taught there before. So have I. I love the group that comes to this conference.

September 11-12, I’ll be teaching a Fiction Mentoring Clinic for the North Texas Christian Writer’s Conference in Keller, TX.

I will be teaching a workshop at that conference, too.

September 17-20 is the ACFW Conference. This year the annual conference will be in Denver, CO. I don’t know if I’ll be teaching there.

I'll be attending there, but don't know yet whether I'll be teaching again.

October 4-8, I’ll be teaching at the Blue Ridge Novel Writing Retreat at Ridgecrest, NC. This is a
dynamic mentoring-type opportunity for writers to deepen their novel writing skills.

You are one busy woman. If you were in charge of planning the panel discussion at a writing conference, what topic would the panel cover, and who would you ask to be on the panel, and why?

I’d like to cover the topic of professionalism in approaching agents and editors. I see far too many writers “stalk” potential agents and editors. Unfortunately that doesn’t help the writer. Another problem that falls right in line with that issue is writer etiquette.

For the panel, I’d like to see Karen Ball from B&H, Sue Brower from Zondervan, Janet Grant from Books and Such, Chip MacGregor - agent, Stephanie Broene and Karen Watson of Tyndale, and Steve Laube – agent.

Why is it important to you to be active in writing organizations?

Two reasons: to deepen my writing skills and to help other writers deepen their skills.

Where in the community or your church do you volunteer?

I’m a church librarian!

Our church doesn't have a library, but I volunteer in the church bookstore. Who are the five people who have made the most impact on your life, and how?

1. Tracie Peterson – dynamic encouragement
2. Dean Mills – my husband who is my best cheerleader and my worst editor
3. Janet Grant – her professionalism and her belief in me
4. Kathy Olson – my copy editor at Tyndale
5. Lauraine Snelling – she’s a giver and a keeper

If you could writer the inscription on your tombstone, what would it be?

She is a daughter of the King

Tell us about the featured book.

Paige Rogers is a former CIA agent who lost all she treasured seven years ago when her entire
team was killed in a covert mission. She blames their leader—Daniel Keary—whom Paige believes betrayed them. Disillusioned and afraid for her life, she disappeared and started a new life as a small-town librarian. But when Keary announces his candidacy for governor of her state, he comes after Paige to ensure that she won't ruin his bid for office. He threatens everything she holds dear, and Paige must choose between the life of hiding that has become her refuge . . . or risking everything in one last, desperate attempt to right old wrongs.

Readers, I've read this book, and it is awesome. DiAnn, please share the first page with us.

Librarian Paige Rogers had survived more exciting days dodging bullets to protect her country. Given a choice, she’d rather be battling assassins than collecting overdue fines. For that matter, running down terrorists had a lot more appeal than running down lost books. Oh, the regrets of life—woven with guilt, get-over-its, and move-ons. But do-overs were impossible, and the adventures of her life were now shelved alphabetically under fiction.

Time to reel in my pitiful attitude and get to work. Paige stepped onto her front porch with what she needed for a full workday at the library. Already, perspiration dotted her face, a reminder
of the rising temperatures. Before locking the door behind her, she scanned the front yard and surveyed the opposite side of the dusty road, where chestnut-colored quarter horses grazed
on sparse grass. Torrid heat and no rain, as though she stood on African soil. But here, nothing out of the ordinary drew her attention. Just the way she liked it. Needed it.

Sliding into her sporty yet fuel-efficient car, she felt for the Beretta Px4 under the seat. The past could rear its ugly head without warning. Boy Scouts might be prepared; Girl Scouts were trained. The radio blared out the twang of a guitar and the misery of a man who’d lost his sweetheart to a rodeo star. Paige laughed at the irony of it all. She zipped down the road, her tires crunching the grasshoppers that littered the way before her. In the rearview mirror,
she saw birds perched on a barbed wire fence and a few defiant wildflowers. They held on to their roots in the sun-baked dirt the way she clutched hope. The radio continued to croon out
one tune after another all the way into the small town of Split Creek, Oklahoma, ten klicks from nowhere.

After parking her car in the designated spot in front of the library, Paige hoisted her tote bag onto her shoulder and grabbed a book about Oklahoma history and another by C. S. Lewis.
The latter had kept her up all night, helping her make some sense out of the sordid events of her past. She scraped the grasshoppers from her shoes and onto the curb. The pests were everywhere this time of year. Reminded her of a few gadflies she’dbeen forced to trust overseas. She’d swept the crusty hoppers off her porch at home and the entrance to the library as she’d done with the shadow makers of the past. But nothing could wipe the nightmares from her internal hard drive.

Her gaze swept the quiet business district with an awareness of how life could change in the blink of an eye. A small landscaping of yellow marigolds and sapphire petunias stretched toward the
sky in front of the newly renovated, one-hundred-year-old courthouse. Its high pillars supported a piece of local history . . . and the secrets of the best of families. Business owners unlocked their stores and exchanged morning greetings. Paige recognized most of the dated cars and dusty pickups, but a black Town Car with tinted glass and an Oklahoma license plate parked on the right side of the courthouse caught her attention.

Why would someone sporting a luxury car want to venture into Split Creek, population 1,500? The lazy little town didn’t offer much more than a few antique stores, a small library, a beauty shop, Dixie’s Donuts, a Piggly Wiggly, four churches—including one First Baptist and one South First Baptist, each at opposite ends of town, one First Methodist, and a holiness tabernacle
right beside Denim’s Restaurant. She wanted to believe it was an early visitor to the courthouse. Maybe someone lost. But those thoughts soon gave way to curiosity and a twist of suspicion.

With a smile intended to be more appealing than a Fourth of July storefront, she crossed the street to subtly investigate the out-of-place vehicle. Some habits never changed. Junior Shafer, who owned and operated a nearby antique store, stooped to arrange his outside treasures. Actually, Paige rarely saw an antique on display, just junk and old Avon bottles.

“Mornin’, Mr. Shafer. Looks like another scorcher.”

“Mornin’. Yep, this heat keeps the customers away.” The balding man slowly stood and massaged his back. “Maybe I’ll advertise free air-conditioning and folks will stop in.”

“Whatever works.” She stole a quick glance at the Town Car and memorized the license plate number. No driver. “Looks like you have a visitor.” She pointed to the car.

Mr. Shafer narrowed his eyes and squinted. “Nah, that’s probably Eleanor’s son from Tulsa. He’s helping her paint the beauty shop. She said he had a new car. The boy must be doing fine in
the insurance business.”

“Now that’s a good son.”

Mr. Shafer lifted his chin, then rubbed it. “Uh, you know, Paige . . . he ain’t married.”

“And I’m not looking.” She’d never be in the market for a husband. Life had grown too complicated to consider such an undertaking, even if it did sound enticing.

“A pretty little lady like you should be tending to babies, not books.”

“Ah, but books don’t grow up or talk back.”

He shook his head and unlocked his store.

“I have a slice of peach pie for you.” Paige reached inside her tote bag and carefully brought out a plastic container. “I baked it around six this morning. It’s fresh.”

He turned back around. A slow grin spread from one generous ear to the other. “You’re right. You don’t need to go off and get married. I might not get my pies.” He did his familiar shoulder
jig. “Thank you, sweet girl.” He reached for the pie with
both hands as though it were the most precious thing he’d ever been offered.

To read more of Chapter 1 please visit the author's website - http://www.diannmills.com/

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Thank you, DiAnn, for spending this time with us.

Readers, for those of you who don't live near bookstores, here's a link where you can order Breach of Trust.

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