I met DiAnn Mills through ACFW – better known as American Christian Fiction Writers. DiAnn was one of the founding members of that organization, which has grown from a group of six women to around 100 when I joined in September 2000 to over 1000 members today. DiAnn and I also share the same wonderful though we have different agents.

DiAnn is the author of twenty-one books, fifteen novellas, a non-fiction book, several articles, and short stories in print. One of her most recent stories Leather & Lace is part one of a new series with book two Lanterns & Lace releasing next month, September 2006.

Here’s the blurb for Leather & Lace:

Casey O’Hare forsakes the years she spent in an outlaw gang for a chance to start her life anew. But no one leaves Davis Jenkins and lives. Pursued by the gang, Casey is trapped by a mysterious stranger who takes her as a pawn to get to Jenkins. A strikingly handsome lawyer, could this Morgan Andrews be an angel sent to deliver her—or the devil setting her up for the kill?

You can find Leather & Lace at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Christian Book Distributors.

And here’s the blurb for the upcoming sequel Lanterns & Lace:

Moments before she dies giving birth, a tormented resident of the Kahlerville brothel persuades the town doctor to adopt her infant daughter. Two years later, Jessica Martin’s sister, Jenny, comes to Kahlerville determined to find and claim her niece. From the moment she arrives, though, her meticulous plan begins to unravel.

DiAnn is a disciplined and dedicated writer. Her day begins at 4:30 a.m. with Bible study, then she dives into homework (she recently went back to school) and e-mail. At 6:30 she works out, then after a shower and breakfast, work begins again. She breaks for lunch, sometimes taking time to meet with friends. Working through the afternoon, she stops to cook dinner. She works in the evening if she hasn’t met her word count or completed something that needs to be done. Besides actually writing, she keeps up with book promotion, marketing, new proposals, book signings, speaking engagements, mentoring students through Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild, teaching writing classes, attending and conducting writing conferences, ladies’ retreats, and other church activities. On a personal note, she loves coffee and haunts those specialty coffee shops.

(Jill’s comment here – DiAnn is a wonderful speaker! I took one of her classes at the ACFW Conference in Nashville last year and learned how to turn real life stories into fiction. She is an engaging teacher and a fun person to get to know!)

DiAnn lives in Houston where she shares an office with her husband, who is a software consultant for Lucent Technologies and provides technical post sales support. DiAnn says she’d be lost without his computer knowledge. She and her husband have four adult sons and are members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

I asked DiAnn to give us some insight into the calling behind her writing ~

Jill: When and how did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

DiAnn: As long as I can remember I wanted to put words on paper and create stories.

Jill: Tell me a bit about what you write now and what you hope to write in the future.

DiAnn: I started out writing romance—contemporary and historical. I also wrote novellas during this time. Gradually, I began adding more suspense into my books. In 2002 I was asked to write a non-fiction book about the Lost Boys of Sudan. That became the story of Abraham Nhial, one of the Lost Boys: Lost Boy No More. Soon after, I wrote When the Lion Roars, a fiction story set in Sudan about the slavery issue. Since then I’ve written The Texas Legacy Series, historical suspense. This is a three book series: Leather and Lace, Lanterns and Lace, and Lightning and Lace. Recently Moody Publishing contracted with me to write another novel set in Sudan. This is very exciting—an international suspense novel.

Jill: If and when did you realize your writing was a calling?

DiAnn: I actually heard the audible voice of God calling me to write for Him. I don’t say this lightly. And…I argued with him that I wasn’t qualified. I know I’m doing what God wants me to. If He hadn’t purposed a writing ministry for my life, He wouldn’t have opened the doors He has, or expanded my boundaries in such a huge way.

Jill: What means did God use to confirm in your heart that this is exactly what He has prepared for you to do for Him?

DiAnn: As I stated above. There was no doubt in my mind what God wanted. The problem was my insecurity, which means a lack of faith.

Jill: I can definitely relate to insecurity! :)

Jill: When and how did you come to realize that writing meant more to you than a means to meet physical monetary needs or fulfill your dreams?

DiAnn: I never considered my writing as a means to make money. I write for those people who would never open a Bible or attend church. My prayer is for the unbeliever to see a glimpse of Jesus in a character and begin the journey to Him.

Jill: May it be so! And from the stories I’ve read, you do create believable characters!

Jill: How would you say that God has used writing to change you – to strengthen your faith and to make you more like Christ?

DiAnn: I am definitely more confident in Him. I didn’t think I could ever speak or teach writing. Now I give writing workshops all over the country and speak about various topics to men and women. I always have these doubts, and that’s when I hold on to God with both hands.

Jill: Has writing opened opportunities for you to give your testimony and witness for Christ or minister to fellow believers? If so, can you give one example?

DiAnn: Always. I was incredibly shy until I began publishing and was asked to speak. I feel I can be transparent and allow others to see my only hope is in God. I’m often called upon to speak about the situation in Sudan. This is extremely difficult and can be emotional. I always receive comments afterwards how God moved them during my presentation. I’m currently planning a trip to Sudan in the fall. This will pave the way for me to minister to the Sudanese and return to minister to others here.

For a look at all of DiAnn Mill’s books or to get to know DiAnn better you can visit her website here. DiAnn also invites her readers to sign up for her monthly newsletter, which contains information for both readers and writers.

I hope you have enjoyed this interview with author DiAnn Mills. Please click on over to one of the above online stores and look for Leather & Lace or one of her many other novels.

And this month we have a special treat – DiAnn is offering to give away one of her books – either Leather & Lace, Lost Boy No More, or When the Lion Roars. To win the free book, go to my contact page and send me an email with Free Book in the subject line and put your choice of book in the body of the email. At the end of August, I will draw the winner. (Please note: in order for the email to go through please click on my name – jill@jilleileensmith.com – and send a normal email. The webmail account is giving an error at this time. Thanks!)

Thanks DiAnn for joining us this month on Spotlight.

Don’t forget – check out DiAnn’s books for an enjoyable summer read!