"QUEEN OF THE WEEK"
CELEBRITY AUTHOR
DIANE MCCLOSKEY
Welcome! let me pour you a cup of Lemon Lift tea and we'll get started. Please help yourself to sandwiches and scones. I made your Yoghurt Pie for dessert!
Thank you!
And thanks so much for having me!
Where do you live?
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I currently live in Killeen, Texas, about
an hour north of Austin, with my husband, Jim, and our two dogs, Shadow and
Moe. We moved to Texas after a house fire in New Jersey, to be closer to our
daughter and four grandkids, who live about five minutes away. We also have
lived in Florida, New Jersey and New York, where I was born and raised. We have
three sons, all married; one in Florida, one in New Jersey, and one in
California! (Lends itself well to traveling!)
Are you a
traditionally published or Indie author?
My only published work, Through
Jenny’s Eyes, was picked up by BluewaterPress, LLC, after my having sent
out queries to only 12 publishing houses! The proposed acceptance of my
manuscript and subsequent contract were a great validation of my work, and I
found the whole cycle quite exhilarating and totally rewarding.
What are your
hobbies?
Besides writing, I have dabbled in both oil painting and photography,
and I love gardening, “The Great Outdoors”…things like that.
Tell us about your
current book. What was your inspiration?
My inspiration for the book actually
was a random act, and had neither anything to do with the book nor any intent
on my part to write a book. It was my being “held hostage” in my car by a
fierce thunderstorm while waiting for my mom to come out of Church. If you’ve
ever lived in Florida, you know that the storms can be quite ferocious, and
this one was no exception. So I sat in the car and began writing on this little
piece of paper about the storm…how forceful it was, the feeling of gloom and
doom it brought with it…and then I just thought about who those feelings
belonged to, and it was Jenny, as an adult, having to confront something
painful in her life…thus began the book.
How did you become a
writer? When did you start?
I wouldn’t say I became a writer…I believe I was
born a writer. I wrote a poem in Kindergarten, that I recall about 90% of to
this day. I think it was a combination of my having deep feelings about things,
and being a perfectionist that made writing come so easily to me…I wanted to
express what I was feeling and not have it be misunderstood. With writing, you
can get it exactly how you want it.
How long did it take
you to finish your first book?
That’s a hard question to answer because I’m not
sure when I started it or when I finished it. It was also in the midst of
caring for aging parents and raising four children, as well as working on a
book about my dad.
Where do you like to
write?
Wherever I am when something needs to be written. Like I said, Through
Jenny’s Eyes began in a parked car. I have, most recently, revamped my desk
area to create a centralized location for all of my writing tools and the like,
but I am essentially a rule-breaker, and I seek a sense of freedom to write
wherever. I am not a disciplined write-at-a-certain-time, write-in-a-certain
place kind of gal.
Favorite author(s)?
Myself, of course, and then it’s more a matter of favorite books, not favorite
authors. Claude Brown (Manchild in The Promised Land) because of its raw
truths, Fynn (Mister God, This is Anna) because of the unique relationship and
this unique child, J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings Triology and The Hobbit)
because of the author’s ability to make it all so believable, Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry (The Little Prince) because of its lessons in simplicity….
How many books have
you written, so far? Do you plan to write more?
I was just taking a tally the
other day, and between books and short stories and a poetry collection, I currently
have twenty projects, some done, some in-progress. As for planning to write
more, that’s a given, it’s what I do.
Would you like to
share a link where we can purchase your books?
What about a link to
your website?
Diane, it was such a pleasure to have you join us. Thank you, and the best success is wished for your writing endeavors. Here's Diane Mckloskey's recipe.
Yoghurt Pie
It’s extremely simple to make, and utterly delicious!
Two containers of
yoghurt, any flavor (can be the same or different, doesn’t matter)
A graham cracker
crust
One 8 oz. tub of Cool
Whip
Mix the two yoghurts
with the Cool Whip, and scoop into the graham cracker crust.
Freeze overnight with
the cover on.
Remove from freezer
at least 5 minutes before attempting to cut.
Run knife under hot
water if need be; cut and serve!
Mmm, mmm, good!
