Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Diane Bator is a mom of three, a book coach, and the author of over a dozen mystery novels and many works-in-progress. She has also hosted the Escape With a Writer blog to promote fellow authors and is a member of Sisters in Crime Toronto, the Writers Union of Canada, and a board member of Crime Writers of Canada. When she’s not writing and coaching authors, she works for a professional theatre. No surprise she’s written her first play, which may lead to more.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Conned Lady is the final book in my Wild Blue Mystery series. It wraps up the story of Katie Mullins and Danny Walker and was inspired by moving across Canada from the city to a small town and not knowing anyone. My “what if” question was “What if I’d moved here on the run from someone who wanted to kill me?”
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’ve been known to write anywhere, anytime with pretty much anything! My kids used to catch me making notes or writing scenes while cooking dinner. Raising three kids, I learned to grab any extra few minutes in the day I could to write.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a kid, I read as many Hardy Boys books as I could. Also anything true crime and paranormal. I’m a big fan now of Karin Slaughter, Dean Koontz, and many other authors that I’ve come across!
What are you working on now?
With The Conned Lady now in print, my upcoming release will be Dead Man’s Doll in September 2022. I’m also editing a book I wrote a couple years ago and shelved. Hopefully, it will be picked up and published soon!
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I love doing interviews like this on blogs and podcasts! I’ve started working with Creative Edge Publicity to amp up my promotions. It’s a lot of work, but I’m enjoying it!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write your first draft before you start to panic about your opening sentence and paragraph. I guarantee whatever you wrote will change by the end of the book.
Don’t listen to the people who say you can’t do it. Follow your heart.
Oh, and get an editor!
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what YOU want to write and finish that first draft!
What are you reading now?
I have a lot of books on my desk that I need to dig into. Writing and editing right now has consumed a lot of my time. I was given a copy of Paulo Coehlo’s book The Devil and Miss Prym for Christmas, so that’s the book I’ve just finished reading. Good read!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Hopefully a lot more promotional stuff!
Dead Man’s Doll, book 2 in my Sugarwood Mysteries, comes out in September 2022.
Carved in Stone is the book I’m currently editing. Hopefully, I’ll be submitting it to a couple beta readers in May then submitting either to agents or publishers.
I’m also awaiting a reading for the first play I wrote called Secrets That Haunt Them!
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Probably a couple journals to write in as well as Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and something off my TBR pile!
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