Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am currently in full time employment, so I don’t get the time to write that I would like, but I managed to get a publishing deal for Rings of Smoke last year. This is my début novel, and I am well under way with the sequel.
I have always wanted to write and many of my friends encouraged me to do so, but most were surprised (some shocked) when they read Rings of Smoke. They thought I was going to write comedy – maybe I will one day – not this dark, disturbing thriller.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book has a working title of Cold Blooded, but that may change before it is completed. The title Rings of Smoke came from a song by Led Zeppelin (Stairway to Heaven), and sprung to mind when Billy, one of the main characters in the book, spotted the smoke through the trees in the forest, and assumed it to be the lodge where Fitch, the antagonist, was staying. Originally I had the line ‘In my thought’s I have seen rings of smoke through the trees’, but had to remove it for fear of being sued!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
When I paint a wall (which isn’t often), I start in the middle and work out from there. Rings of Smoke was a bit like that. I started at some point in the middle with Erin incarcerated in a secluded lodge, and worked from there.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews was an important book for me. The fact that is was a family deserted by their mother, with no father to help them, leaving them at the mercy of their wicked grandmother, probably resonated with me.
John Grisham has been one of my favourite authors over the years. with a list too long to include here.
Frank De Felitta’s ‘The Entity’ because I just love anything about the paranormal. Lancashire Witches was another one.
And of course, the classics. Dickens, Trollope, Eliot and Hardy all made me realise how wonderful words were.
What are you working on now?
I am currently working on the sequel to Rings of Smoke, but also have a few other ideas floating around. I have a desire to write comedy and have many funny tales to tell, so watch this space.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
My best method? I ask my husband. He’s in charge of that. ‘Readers in the Know’ has been a great source of websites that promote free or discounted books, and ‘Ask Dave’ was very useful when I first published RoS on Amazon KDP in 2012.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up on your dream. I’ve had countless rejections from Literary Agents, but kept plugging away. Eventually I found somebody prepared to give a newby a chance.
Work hard at the craft, never stop learning and always have time to read other books.
Keep a notebook handy to write down ideas, especially when you’re reading. If you come across a line that you think works well, write it down.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The first point above, never give up on your dream.
What are you reading now?
Right now? ‘I had to let you go’ by Clare MacIntosh. I go through one or two a week, so that will soon change.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I really want to make a success of this, so I will be pushing and pushing until my career takes off and I can quit my day job to write full time. I do believe that the sequel will be the catalyst that sends Rings of Smoke to the top. We already have a film deal, just need the funding.
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?
Tess of the d’Urbervilles, The Brethren (John Grisham), and Post Mortem (Patricia Cornwell).
Author Websites and Profiles
Diane O’Toole Website
Diane O’Toole Amazon Profile
Diane O’Toole’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
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This lady has a wonderful gift, it’s her ability for her work to flow with easy, which in turn makes for a fantastic reading experience.