Wednesday, December 15, 2010

In the Author Spotlight: Diane Craver

Cate: Please welcome Diane. Diane, will you please share a short bio with us?
Diane: I live about 26 miles from Cincinnati, Ohio. My husband and I met while teaching at an orphanage. We celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary last August. We were blessed with six children - five daughters and one son. Writing is my passion but I also enjoy scoring tests for various states several months out of the year. The weird thing is I’m great at scoring high school science tests and science was my weakest subject and least favorite in school.

Cate: What a great love story! Tell us about your latest release and where it's available.
Diane: I have two new releases – A Christmas Collection Anthology: Sensual and A Christmas Gift. My story’s title in the anthology is “The Proposal” and is a contemporary romance. A Christmas Gift is historical fiction but based on some true childhood experiences. Both releases are available in paperback and electronic downloads. The anthology is published by Victory Tales Press and A Christmas Gift is with Whimsical Publications. For the rest of the questions, I’ll focus on A Christmas Collection Anthology release.
Here are the buying links for it:
Amazon: Kindle
Print
Ebook, Smashwords
Create Space, Print book
Victory Tales Press

Cate: Double congrats! Please tantalize us with a story blurb or excerpt.
Diane: Jacqueline Andrews hopes her boyfriend Brad’s surprise is an engagement ring for her twenty-sixth birthday. Her best friend, Tyler Jordan, wants Jacqueline to be happy, but not with Brad. Tyler regrets blowing off Jacqueline’s confession of love for him before he left for college. When he returns to their small town as a physician’s assistant, he falls in love with her. He needs to win her love back. Will his hot kisses sway her? Or is she going to marry Brad?

Cate: Can you tell us why we're going to love your hero?
Diane: Tyler Jordan is hot, funny, sensitive, caring, adorable and persistent in getting his woman. He’s a guy who realizes he made a mistake in rejecting Jacqueline at their high school Prom.

Cate: I love reunion stories. Tease us with one little thing about your fictional world that makes it different from others.
Diane: I’ve had readers tell me that they find it refreshing to read a contemporary romance without the usual coy flirtatiousness and manipulative scheming that seems to be in a lot of romances. My heroes and heroines are open and honest.

Cate: Great traits. What's next for you?
Diane: I’m working on a story about a father and daughter, both teach at the same college in Virginia. The father is anxious for his daughter, Lexi, to get married and give him a grandchild. Lexi thinks her father needs to move on with his life. Her mother died three years ago on the way to the bridal shop to pick up Lexi’s wedding dress.

Cate: Do you have a writing routine?
Diane: I haven’t lately because I’ve been busy promoting my two releases plus had to take a break from writing to take care of my family. We were blessed with two daughters with special needs. I plan to get back to a writing routine after Christmas.

Cate: Where can readers find you on the web?
Diane: I have a website, www.dianecraver.com and a blog, http://www.dianecraver.com/blog. I'm also on Facebook. Another place is to visit Jewels of the Quill group. I happen to be in the Author Spotlight this month and this month’s winner will receive a signed copy of A Christmas Gift. To see my page there, here is the link.

Cate: Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?
Diane: I would love to send a gorgeous 5 x 7 postcard with some of my book covers to anyone who would like one. Email me at DianeCraver AT cinci.rr.com and give me your snail mail address.
Thanks so much, Cate, for having me here to visit.

Cate: Always a pleasure, Diane. Thanks for being my guest, and best of luck with your releases!
Readers, Diane is giving away a signed print copy of A Christmas Collection Anthology: Sensual to a random commenter. If outside the United States, an ebook download will be substituted... so start commenting. She'll pick a winner on the evening of Saturday, December 18 and post the winner's name here.