CFBR: Thank you for giving us this opportunity to sit down with you. You have had such an exciting career. It is always a challenge for us to narrow our questions down to the "few" and the "poignant". For this interview, let's take a peek at A Woman Called Sage. What can you tell us about this remarkable novel?
DiAnn Mills: I write about strong women in unique and unlikely roles. These women are courageous and yet feminine. Sage, a part Ute bounty hunter, knew the pain of death and the bitterness of revenge. She had a great capacity for love and a need to help other women who'd met tragedy.
CFBR: What research went into writing it?
CFBR: What research went into writing it?
DiAnn Mills: My husband and I hiked the Rocky Mountains several times, took over 300 pictures, and drove through the area in order for me to have a feel for the area. I also read many books and researched the Ute Indians and the role they played during this time in history.CFBR: What makes your heroine tick?
DiAnn Mills: Sage is motivated by a need for justice. She understands revenge is not a good trait, but she is driven by the need to not only find her husband's killers but to also aid women who had experienced a tragic loss by unscrupulous men.
CFBR: All your characters are so rich and engaging, what are your methods for developing them?
DiAnn Mills: Oh, my! I use a character sketch, a personality assessment, psychology books, counseling books, and I spend many hours "living" with them before I begin to write.
CFBR: What was your journey to publication?
DiAnn Mills: My journey began in 1996 when my husband challenged me to write a book. He suggested I quit my full-time job and write. I accepted the challenge and began learning the craft while writing and submitting. In 1998, my first novel was released. I've never stopped writing!
CFBR: What advice would you give an aspiring Christian writer?
1. Read the genre in which you seek to write.
2. Write everyday.
3. Attend writer's conferences and learn the craft.
4. Share what you learn about the craft with other writers.
5. Pray for direction.
CFBR: What is on the horizon for you?
2. Write everyday.
3. Attend writer's conferences and learn the craft.
4. Share what you learn about the craft with other writers.
5. Pray for direction.
CFBR: What is on the horizon for you?
DiAnn Mills: I'm writing and I'm the Craftsman Mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. I love both aspects of my writing ministry.Currently, I'm working on a romantic suspense in which my heroine and hero are Secret Service agents.
My October 1 release is Pursuit of Justice, the 3rd book in my Call of Duty series. http://www.diannmills.com/contemporaryfiction/49pursuitofjustice.shtml
January 1, 2011 will be the release of The Fire in Ember, a historical romance that includes some of the same characters in A Woman Called Sage.
CFBR: God bless you for your hard work and dedication. We wish you great success in all you do and write.
From DiAnne Mills (Christy Award winner)
I had always dreamed of becoming a writer, but I didn't have the courage to take the first step. I wrote poetry and stories and even books, but as soon as they were completed, I tossed them in the trash. Looking back, I think some of them weren't so bad and maybe I should not have given up on them so soon. So if I can encourage you in whatever life holds for you, don't give up on your dreams.
I had always dreamed of becoming a writer, but I didn't have the courage to take the first step. I wrote poetry and stories and even books, but as soon as they were completed, I tossed them in the trash. Looking back, I think some of them weren't so bad and maybe I should not have given up on them so soon. So if I can encourage you in whatever life holds for you, don't give up on your dreams.
Books by DiAnn Mills:
