Interview with author Diana Dilcher ~There' s Plenty of Room at Haven Inn

Diana Dilcher, April 23, 2016, Graduation from Grand Canyon University, Arizona

 Hi, Diana, I’m so pleased to have you as my guest on Whispers in Purple today. Welcome. You’ve agreed to answer some interview questions, so let’s get to it. Most of all, have fun with this!

*Tell us a little about yourself. 

I was born in May of 1942 in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I am an only child but had lots of cousins who made up for the lack of siblings.  God blessed me with a Christian grandmother who was used by the Lord to bring me to Christ in my adult years.

Because the expense of living in California exceeded my income and I was single I moved to Reno, NV to be with relatives.  In 2011, the Lord opened the doors for me to fulfill a long-time dream … to get a BA Degree in Communications. Because I was living in Section 8 Housing and going to school full-time I moved to Phoenix, AZ and on April 23, 2016, I graduated as an online student from Grand Canyon University.  

God is opening opportunities for me despite the fact that I am living in a health care facility.  I praise God for this because I have inspired young people who work here to fulfill their life dreams, something I wasn't able to do until I was 74.  I am completing my short novel entitled “There's Plenty of Room at Haven Inn.” It will be appearing on Kindle on Wednesday, January 30^th, after delays with health care issues.  

*What is your typical day like?

In our health care facility, we have full-staffed services and activities.  Bingo, arts and crafts, and when the weather is nice, trips to local parks and other recreational sights.

Our rent, which is reasonable since it also includes meals, new wide-screen TVs with cable and Wi-Fi, phone service and transportation to medical appointments.  Our laundry and housekeeping are also provided.  Physical therapy has exercise equipment.  So I am kept very busy around here.

*Besides writing, what other hobbies/activities do you enjoy?

I love the old classic movies because of the plots and the acting.  I enjoy all kinds of music, especially classical.  But my favorite pastime is surfing YouTube.  Through their variety of categories, I have taken train and bus trips across the United States and Canada, watched the launching of some of the world’s greatest ocean liners, and watched past Oscar presentations in both black and white and color. 

*When reading, what is your favorite genre? What are you reading right now?

Historical novels are my favorite.  At present they're keeping me busy with therapy, so I don't have much time to myself. 

*Fun question: If you’d been born into the animal kingdom instead of the human race, what would you be, and why?

I’d want to be a horse and run free with my mane and tail flying.

Oh, I like that image!

*Let’s talk about your book. (Sorry, readers, no book cover image available yet.)

• Title: There' s Plenty of Room at Haven Inn
• Author: Diana Louise Dilcher
• Publisher: Kindle
• Release Date: Jan 30, 2019
• Genre: Christmas Romance
• Stand-alone or part of a series? Stand-alone
• Target readership: Older Teens and Adults
• Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/2WOWk71 

*Give us the back-cover blurb/synopsis.

When Joan Cameron and brother David Brandford inherit their parents’ bed and breakfast inn, their Haven in The Woods becomes a battleground involving a corporate takeover.  Can the inn become a symbol of healing?  And can Joan's civil engineer husband Philip prevent the collapse of a nearby dam as a major storm threatens Northern California with disaster? 

*Finally, how did you come up with the concept for this story?

Having grown up in Northern California and experienced torrential rainstorms, I witnessed what water can do.  I've fallen in love with Bed and Breakfast Inns and hope to stay in one someday.  I put a lot of hard work into this story, and hope that at least one person will be blessed by its message.

Peg here: About the B&B … I hope you get a chance to do that, Diana. About fifteen years ago my sister and I ‘ran away’ from our husbands and flew to San Antonio for five days and stayed in a converted old Victorian B&B right on the Riverwalk. What unforgettable fun.

Thank you so much for being my guest today, Diana. God bless your writing, and may He bless those who read it.