Interview with Romance/Suspense Author Diane Dean White

Diane started writing for newspaper, covering hard news and feature stories including a column called: “Yankee Viewpoints”. Her writing includes ancestral history and writing donor appeal letters for non-profit organizations. She wrote for Frank Talk, a weekly magazine for over four years, with her column, “Caroline Calling,” and is the author of Carolina in the Morning, Texting Mr. Right, Stories from a Porch Swing, On a Summer Night, and Winter Wonderland. Diane is also the author of over three-hundred short stories. She and hubby, Stephen, have been married for forty-three years, and they are the parents of three grown children and three granddaughters.

Welcome back to my blog, Diane. We’re going to talk about two books today. The first one is an Inspirational Romance called Winter Wonderland. Please tell us about this story.

While most young women are looking for husbands, Ruth tries to further her career and concentrates on obtaining a job with her business skills at Detroit’s J. L. Hudson Department Store. She feels good about her new office position and then meets Clint…who changes everything.

Was he part of the reason for their move? During a health problem will their faith hold them together or threaten a loving relationship? Celebrate the Christmas holiday and follow Ruth in this romantic story, during Detroit’s heyday, in Winter Wonderland.

Where did you get your inspiration for Winter Wonderland?

Being raised next to the capital city of Michigan, we often visited relatives and went shopping in the much larger city, Detroit. JL Hudson Company was a huge department store, and well known. It was a fun adventure, and especially during Christmas with “Toyland” a great place to visit Santa. I was aware of the number of families that came from various states to seek employment with the growing auto industry, after WWII, and it was something I wanted to capture in my book. It was also important for me to share about my character Ruth and her walk with the Lord, her sweet spirit, and ambition to work as a secretary for Hudson’s. As happens in true life, something often gets in the way of our best laid plans, and Clint was a distraction for Ruth. Not without glitches, readers can enjoy a 1951 romance. Once the tallest department store in Detroit, and due to the increasing malls, Hudson’s was sadly taken down in the late 1990’s, with camera crews to capture the historic moment.

The second book is an inspirational suspense/romance. Please tell us about On A Summer Night.

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I loved writing this book. I’m pretty much a fly by the seat of the pants writer, but I had an event I wanted to share with readers. Things have changed greatly from the 1960’s when this story starts out, and captures something two high school graduates discover. Coming back to present day, my main character Kate and her husband return to the area, and she struggles with how much to tell her husband. The book takes a number of twists and turns and readers enjoy a trip to beautiful Montana and the snow-covered mountains, a visit to Lansing, Michigan and the town near Everglades, I call Gladesville, is where the story takes place. The plot deals with a scene that stays in Kate’s mind, and abused women, an uncle whom Kate loved, and redemption all come full circle.

Where did you get your inspiration for On a Summer Night?

I spent time visiting the Everglades in the late 60’s and I also attended college in Florida around the same time. There were a lot of things I was familiar with having grandparents who had a winter home in Florida, but I was from the North and many things happened that I’d never seen in an active University city. I knew the suspense I wanted to share, and I wanted to work spousal abuse, something too many women deal with, into the chapters. It’s important for me to share the plan of salvation in my books, and this has a large influence in two of my characters lives, and something as a Christian, Kate has a hard time accepting. I was happy to see the reviews and that readers enjoy the turns and action that takes place. When the publisher first came out with my book he priced it at a very high cost, and didn’t do an ebook, which was promised. I retained my author rights and cut the paperback price in half, and offer it on Kindle now too.  

Where can my readers find you online?

Website: www.DianeDeanWhite.com

Facebook

Amazon Winter Wonderland

Amazon Summer Night

Thank you so much, Diane, for this wonderful interview. I hope my readers will check out your books.