Hey everyone! Today, I’m happy to have bestselling, award winning author Diann Mills on our blog today. I first met Diann in 2008 at a Christian Writer’s Guild conference. I was new to the writing world and she provided me with great advice and encouragement as I embarked on my own journey. Her latest release, The Survivor, releases this month.
I’m hosting a giveaway of one copy of The Survivor. To enter, leave a comment in this post. Winner will be announced on March 8th. Here’s Diann…
My second book in the Crime Scene: Houston series involved another solved cold case from FBI Houston’s files. Immediately I was drawn into the story of a nine-year-old little girl who’d survived a horrendous crime. The courageous little girl helped an FBI special agent put together a composite of her attacker, which led to an arrest twenty years later. Imagine, living with the fear of an abductor all that time. She was and is a true survivor.
In writing from a solved cold case, my goal was not to exploit the victim or shock the reader with gory details. The victim’s tragedy became her triumph. I looked for ways to massage facts and weave the real character’s strength into a fiction project. Today, this woman is a wife and mother. All I can say is “Wow” and applaud her shining hope in a world often dominated by despair.
My hope in writing is to always entertain the reader, inspire the reader to attempt what looks impossible, and encourage them in everything they do. When a reader sees courage in a character, she wants to experience the same in her life. The truth is if I’m not a better person by the time I finish writing a book, then I can’t expect the reader to grow and change. It’s a beautiful circle, making all of us better people.
I had a second person in my life who helped me create the victim. She’s a good friend who has always given her best to those around her. She holds two doctorates, one in psychology and the second in social science … and she’s deaf. It hasn’t stopped her from TV interviews, speaking events, fund raisers for her nonprofit counseling practice, and helping patients achieve emotional freedom. She’s another one of my heroes.
From two dynamic individuals, I formed one character who will forever live in my heart as a role model and I hope live in your heart too.
I love what I do. Can you tell?
About Diann:
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists and have won placements through the American Christian Fiction Writer’s Carol Awards and Inspirational Reader’s Choice awards. DiAnn won the Christy Award in 2010 and 2011.
DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also the Craftsman mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild.
She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
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