Diane Whiteside Winner

The random winner of a copy of The Shadow Guard by Diane Whiteside is....
fsbuchler
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Today's Special -- Interview With Diane Whiteside

We are so happy to welcome Diane Whiteside to The Romance Dish today. She writes historical and paranormal romance and many times the two combine. Her latest book, The Shadow Guard, is a paranormal contemporary that combines action, magic and of course, plenty of heat.

In addition to being a busy author, Diane is a government contractor---she's been doing this for over 20 years. Writing romance is a great escape from the day job. When she's not working and writing, Diane enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and reading.

Please join me in welcoming Diane to The Romance Dish.


Gannon: Hi, Diane. Thank you so much for being with us today.

Diane: Hi there, Gannon! It's a privilege to be here at The Romance Dish.

Gannon: You mention on your website that you are the third generation of your family to get paid for your writing. Have you always wanted to write? What made you choose romance?

Diane: Everyone else in my family writes non-fiction and that's where I started out, too. Then a true story smacked me in the face while I was visiting Tombstone, Arizona, and I wanted it to be re-told as a romance. The only way for that to happen was to do it myself---and that story became The Irish Devil.

Gannon: What a great story! I also read that you were born on Sunset Strip in Hollywood---such a glamorous address. *g* Were your parents in the entertainment industry?

Diane: Both of my parents were working in the theater when they met. My mother was an actress and my father was a stagehand---and ex-combat photographer. But I was born on the Sunset Strip because that's where the Kaiser Hospital was located. It's still there and other authors love to tell me stories about how it's still going strong.

Gannon: Pretty exciting place to start your life. *g* You write historicals and Texas vampires (love that!) and now you've turned to paranormal with your newest book, The Shadow Guard. Which one is your favorite to write?

Diane: I like to write about strange worlds you won't discover at your neighborhood coffee shop. Historicals fit that description---and so do paranormals. Both genres are fun to write and I'll stretch my wings in any direction that sounds interesting.

Gannon: I guess I never thought about historicals and paranormals having that in common, but you're right. Maybe that's why I enjoy them both. Can you tell us a bit more about The Shadow Guard?

Diane: The Shadow Guard is about Jake Hammond, a homicide cop, who finds a corpse but has absolutely no clues as to who killed the lady. His only hope of finding the murderer is to team up with his online gaming buddy---a government sorceress, who's hiding more secrets than the dead woman.

Gannon: That sounds really intriguing. If you could pick anyone to play your latest hero and heroine, Jake and Astrid, who would you choose?

Diane: My choice for Astrid would be Ashley Greene (as a blond). Jake is trickier, since he looks like a very tough professional athlete, not an actor. Perhaps a pro football player, who can rough it up but still move fast enough across the field not to get injured too often. I'm open to suggestions!

Gannon: I'll put on my thinking cap. There are quite a few sexy football players out there. *vbg* I know you get asked this question quite a bit, but where do you get your ideas, particularly for The Shadow Guard?

Diane: I've wanted to write The Shadow Guard for years! It was inspired by the old blue-collar towns across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. and the movies about 1930's like The Maltese Falcon and Sin City. Fog creeping across a nighttime city where the rich get richer while the working guys never get any credit, the river whispering in the background, the tough guy detective, the untrustworthy dame with an agenda, the brutal killer on the loose, and magic which makes everything and nothing look exactly what it seems...

Gannon: Wow! You really set the scene---I can see it all now. What's up next for you?

Diane: "Talbot's Ace" appears in Improper Gentlemen in July 2011. It's about a western gunfighter who's forced to choose between his only friend and that most appalling of all females---a Northern aristocrat.

Gannon: Sounds like fun---plenty of tension, I'm sure. Who are some of your favorite authors?

Diane: I'm very fond of Elizabeth Lowell, Lora Leigh, Angela Knight, Georgette Heyer, and more. (How much time do you have to listen to me rave about my adored ones?)

Gannon: It is so hard to narrow our favorites down to just a few, isn't it?! When you're not working and writing what do you like to do to relax and recharge?

Diane: I enjoy reading, gardening and spending time with family and my dog, Honey who's a rescue German Shepherd. She's always ready to go for a walk or eat another garlic chicken cookie. She's convinced that my true job is to stay at home and help her chase squirrels.

Gannon: Ah, the life of a dog. I often envy my two dogs. Thank you again, Diane, for spending time with us. It's been such a pleasure.

Diane: Thanks for inviting me to join you! If you'd like to learn more about The Shadow Guard or any of my other books, please check out my website at www.dianewhiteside.com where you can find excerpts from every book, sign up for my newsletter---with exclusive excerpts---and more.

I've also been known to blog and tweet.

Happy Reading!

Well, readers, it's your turn to ask Diane some questions. One lucky commenter will win a copy of The Shadow Guard.