A Warm Welcome to Author Diane Craver


You'll want to leave your comment and email address for a chance to win a copy of Diane's book!

How long have you known that you were a writer? Did you receive a clear “call?” Or have you just loved writing all your life?

I’ve always enjoyed writing but when our oldest daughter Sara was a toddler, I started writing nonfiction. I wrote a partial manuscript, Born to Love, about her and how my faith became stronger as a result of having Sara. It was very therapeutic for me to examine my faith and to learn to give thanks to God for our situation of having a child with special needs. I never finished the book, but several articles about my faith journey were published in various Christian magazines. I also have had articles published in Woman’s Weekly and other publications. Later, I started writing fiction.

What is the genre you write in? Would you explain what it is?

I enjoy writing in several genres. They are: inspirational and contemporary romances, sweet chick-lit mystery, women’s fiction, young adult and historical.

How do you spend your writing days? Do you set goals to reach a certain number of words per day? Can you give us a general idea of how long it takes you to write a novel?

Once I have a publisher’s deadline for a particular book, I am very disciplined. I always finish the final editing on time. While writing a new book, I try to write so many pages a day, but I’m afraid that I don’t always meet my personal writing goals. We were blessed with two daughters with special needs plus I have a seasonal scoring job. I score the tests that students hate to take. LOL

I’m a slow writer. It takes me on the average seven to nine months to write a book from beginning to end, but I’m not writing daily. Although I consider my writing as a career, family and promoting my published books all take time away from my writing.

You recently had a book published. Would you take this time to describe it to us? How and where can readers buy your books?
Here’s the blurb for my recent release, A Christmas Gift:

Justin Reeves is a man who has it all: a good job, a loving wife and children who are the center of his universe - or so it seems. Justin also has a secret he's hidden from everyone his entire life. Quite innocently his small daughter, Debby, stumbles upon his secret and is shocked by what she finds. She confronts her father with the awful truth, and together they embark upon a journey which takes her father from the darkness of shame into the light of victory.

Drawing from true events in her own childhood, author Diane Craver captivates the reader from page one to a stunning climax which will touch your heart and impact your life forever in this must-read story of love's triumph over adversity.

My books are available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, my publishers’ websites, and many other places online. By the way, A Christmas Gift is available in paperback and in ebook formats.

What is the spiritual message in your book? What can readers expect to get from reading it?

The spiritual message in A Christmas Gift is all about having enough faith to overcome obstacles at any age. Also another important message is how one prayer can start a whole chain of events that will solve problems for several people. Readers can expect to find an unforgettable story that will touch their hearts because of the closeness and family values the Reeves parents and children share. A Christmas Gift is not just for Christmas time but is a book to be enjoyed all year long.

Do you ever feel like giving up? Most people don’t understand the stress, the work, and the joy of being a writer. How tenuous becoming a writer is. Do you care to share how it feels, what discouraging/encouraging times you’ve gone through?

I have often felt like giving up on writing, but whenever that happens, I might receive a fantastic review from a reader or book reviewer, so that to me is confirmation from God that I need to continue. Sometimes I feel like quitting because writing is so time-consuming and rejections seem to be part of the business. Even after you have several published books, rejections still occur.

Would you explain how you “chose” (or were chosen by) a publisher? Do you just go “inny, minny, miny, moe?” Now, that you’re published, can you sit back and relax from the success you’ve experienced?

I carefully read the publisher’s submission guidelines and also check to see what they publish. Sometimes I ask my author friends what they think of their publishers if I think theirs might be a good fit for what I write. Also if I don’t like their book covers, I might not submit to them. Of course, writing the best book possible is the most important thing, but an eye-catching book cover does help sell the book too.

I thought once I had a book published, it would get easier but it hasn’t. Publishers don’t have the resources to spend a lot of money to promote each author’s books…so I need to spend time doing interviews, blog articles, book signings, contest giveaways, and just doing anything that will get my name out to readers. Apparently, a reader has to see an author’s name seven times before recognizing it.

Do you mind telling us some of your likes and dislikes? Hobbies, interests? Where would you like to travel if you could?

I enjoy spending time with my awesome husband and six children. Some of my interests are: reading, going to movies, swimming, bicycling, watching college football (big Ohio State Buckeye fan), and walking on trails.
My favorite vacation is going to the beach but I don’t get to go often enough. If we ever leave Ohio, my first choice would be to live close to the ocean. I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii for a vacation. The problem is my husband doesn’t want to fly there, but I’m still trying to convince him that we should go. We are hoping to travel out west this summer.

Would you give us your blog or webpage so everyone can check it out? Anything else you’d like to share? Promotional information?
My blog is http://www.dianecraver.com/blog and my website is http://www.dianecraver.com/ To read book excerpts and other writing information, please visit my website and blog. If you leave comments on my blog, you’ll be entered to win my frequent giveaways.

Thank you so much, Carole, for hosting me on your lovely blog
And I wish you much success, Diane, on your writing journey
Blessings, readers. Don't forget your comments and email addressess.