Dishin' It Out: Spotlight: Diane Bator, Author Interview By Connie Vines #Author Interview, #Spotlight on author Diane Bator, #Diane Bator, #BWLPublishing

Today's Spotlight Interview is with the author Diane Bator.

Diane Bator, author

Welcome to Dishin' It Out!

Connie: Diane, Please tell me about your current release.

Diane: Eccentric romance novelist Mimsy Lexington has a secret.

When she approaches Katie Mullins to help find details about her late husband’s death, Katie and her boyfriend Danny Walker are drawn into a web of lies and deceit. The deeper they dig, the more they realize the biggest dangers may lurk close to home and need to suspect everyone—including Mimsy.

My most recent book, The Conned Lady, is the fifth book and conclusion of my Wild Blue Mystery series. Where the first book, The Bookstore Lady, tells readers how Katie Mullins and Danny Walker first arrived in Packham, The Conned Lady wraps up their story and puts an end to Katie’s struggles with the bosses she’s been evading.

Connie: What was the inspiration for this story?

Diane: The Bookstore Lady was the first in the series and was actually inspired by my move across Canada to a small town where no one knew me. I kept thinking “What if I had a huge secret like I was on the run from someone?” and wrote my book from there. The entire series features some great local things from where I currently live but is set in a small, fictional town in New York State.

Connie: What would you like to see more/less of in the mystery genre?

Diane: As much as I enjoy cozies, I like to see a bit of variety and adventure in my mysteries. Smart sleuths who can be a bit quirky.

Connie: What, in your opinion, makes a good mystery writer?

Diane: I love puzzles and enjoy being kept guessing! I’m not a fan of stories that tell me the killer upfront and then go back to fill in the gaps. Or of books that start off with a bang and then fizzle out for about 6 chapters before the mystery returns.

Connie: Do you have a favorite paragraph/line of dialogue in this novel?

Diane: Mimsy Lexington: “I’ve committed a murder and can’t seem to remember how.”

That was the launching point for me to write The Conned Lady!

:Connie: Why did you choose this location for your mystery novel?

Diane: As a Canadian author, I was advised to choose a US setting if I wanted to be published in the US. Since I’m in Southern Ontario, I kept my location close to the border, just on the other side of the Great Lakes! I also modeled the fictional town of Packham after the lovely little town where I currently reside.

Connie: Who would it be if you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters?

Diane: I think Lucy Stephens and I both live a similar life already. She’s a mystery writer with three kids. If I was forced to live an alternate life, however, I’d choose Katie who runs a bookstore and constantly gets in over her head. Life would never be dull!

Connie: What are your hobbies? Do any of your characters share your hobbies/interests? Do any of your hobbies play a part in your novels?

Diane:: Lucy, Katie’s sidekick, loves reading and writing. Mimsy Lexington is a prolific romance novelist.

I also have another series, Sugarwood Mysteries, that takes place in Canada. Audra and her best friend Merilee run a craft shop and host a sewing circle for the locals. This stems from my love for needlepoint, diamond art, and crafting in general.

Connie: Diane please share your Buy Links and Social Media Links with our readers.

* Diane forgot to mention that her novels have received numerous awards, too! 🥇🥈🥉

I hope you’ll check out some of my fun mysteries and join me on more great adventures!

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Links for website/buy links, etc.

Website: https://dianebator.ca/

BWL Publishing (book links): http://bookswelove.net/bator-diane/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianebatorauthor/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DianeBator

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-bator-35b63418/