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.
It's always a pleasure to have DiAnn on this blog. Welcome, DiAnn. Why do you write the kind of books you do?
That’s a two-part answer!
1. I love suspense with a strong thread of romance.
2. I love to write strong women in traditionally male roles.
Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?
When I married Dean! He has always made me feel like I was the most important person in the world.
How has being published changed your life?
Being published has given me the reassurance that God purposed for me to communicate the written word to readers through fiction. So many people have no clue what Truth really is. Writing fiction is a way for them to see a Christian character solving his/her problems in ways that may not meet the world’s standards but honors God.
That's the way I feel, too. What are you reading right now?
The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
Dawn’s Light by Terri Blackstock
Story by Robert McKee
What is your current work in progress?
The third book in the Call of Duty series. It’s titled To Uphold and Enforce. But that could change. :-)
What would be your dream vacation?
A trip to the Holy Lands. We’re talking about taking that vacation!
How do you choose your settings for each book?
The setting has to fit within the plot and the characters. I want the setting to be more than where my story takes place. I want the place to be character too, an antagonist.
If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?
Billy Graham. One day all we’ll have of Mr. Graham are the written word and his recordings. I’d like to simply sit and listen to what he has to say.
I'd gladly join you in that. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?
Cooking and gardening.
What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?
What advice would you give to a beginning author?
1. Read the books written by writers you admire.
2. Read the books written about writing. And reread them.
3. Write everyday.
4. Pray for direction.
5. Network with other writers, and that means participating in conferences and critique groups.
Tell us about the featured book?
Sworn to Protect is the second book in the Call of Duty series. I am sooooo excited about this novel. The heroine is a Border Patrol agent in McAllen, Texas. I was fortunate to obtain permission to “ride the line” with a couple of agents, tour the border patrol station, and talk to several of the agents. I came away with such respect for these brave men and women.
But you asked me about the book. :-)
Danika Morales has sworn to protect our nation’s borders. But that oath has come with a price. Two years ago, her husband was killed trying to help undocumented citizens--the very people Danika is responsible for deporting as a Border Patrol agent. His murder was never solved.
Now a recent string of attacks and arrests leads Danika to believe her husband’s death wasn’t just a random act. It may be part of a larger conspiracy, and it appears that she’s the next target. When the Border Patrol discovers that one of their own is leaking top-secret information, Danika turns to the only person she can trust--a doctor at the local medical clinic. Together they search for answers before more innocent lives are destroyed.
Sounds very interesting. Please give us the first page of the book.
The Rio Grande was not just murky. It was toxic. Danika Morales respected the river’s temperament—lazy and rushing, crystal and muddy, breath-taking and devastating. To many illegal immigrants, its flowing water signified hope and an opportunity for a better tomorrow, while others viewed the river crossing as a means of smuggling drugs or spreading terrorism. But for Danika, the depths meant death, and it didn’t discriminate among its victims. That was why she chose a Border Patrol badge and carried a gun.
Shortly after the 8:00 a.m. muster, Danika snatched up the keys to the Tahoe assigned to her for the next ten hours and checked out an M4. A hum of voices, most with Hispanic accents and clipped with occasional laughter, swirled around the station. A labyrinth of sights and sounds had succeeded in disorienting her. A daze. She took a sip of the steaming coffee in hopes no one saw how the day’s date affected her. Her hands shook. The twelfth of July. The second anniversary of Toby’s murder. She thought she could handle it better than this, but the raw ache still seared her heart.
“Tough day for me too,” Jacob whispered beside her. “We can get through this together.” The familiar tone of voice, as in many times before, nearly paralyzed her. Jacob sounded so much like his brother.
She stood shoulder to shoulder with her brother-in-law and glanced at his muscular frame and the silver streaks in his closely cropped hair, everything about him oddly different from Toby. Gone were the gentleness, patience, and the out-stretched arms of love.
“Thanks. But I’m all right.”
He frowned, a typical expression. “Well, I’m not, and you shouldn’t be either.”
She was in no mood to rile him today. “I miss Toby every minute of the day, but we have to move on. He would have wanted it that way.”
“Not till his murderer is found.” Jacob’s jaw tightened. “I’m disappointed in you.”
Danika took another sip of the hot coffee, burning her tongue. Caustic words threatened to surface and add one more brick to the wall dividing them. “I want the killer found too. I’m committed to it. I think about him every day and mourn for our daughter who will never know her daddy. But I choose not to spend my time harboring hate and vengeance.”
“You must not have really loved my brother.”
Okay, bring on the book. How can readers find you on the Internet?
http://www.diannmills.com/ and sign up for my monthly newsletter!
Thank you, DiAnn, for once again giving us a peek into your life.
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