Tuesday Talk with Diane Benefiel

Diane Benefiel is a fellow Boroughs author and one of the best storytellers in the business. Her books are absolute favorites of mine, with the perfect combination of action and romance. So here is Diane in her own words.

Diane, thank you so much for coming today.  What made you sit down and write your first novel? Have you always been a writer? Is it something you’ve done all your life?
I’ve been a voracious reader as long as I can remember and decided I can do that when I was in college. Kids, work, parents’ illnesses, and purchasing an extreme fixer house all kept me from pursuing publication until after my youngest was out of high school. I recently retired from teaching and am thrilled to be embarking on my second career as a full-time author.

What makes your stories unique? Is it the setting? The subject matter? The characters? What is going to distinguish your work from everyone else’s?
Most of my stories are small-town romantic suspense with family and relationships at their core. I love matching up my strong, protective heroes with smart and capable women and then throwing them into danger to see what happens.

How do you go about researching your work?
Google is my friend when it comes to research for my books. Additionally, I rely on friends and family members for their knowledge. Those who are doctors, firefighters, Marines, law enforcement, lawyers – they all get tapped for their expertise and help me by providing authenticity to the worlds I’m building as a writer.

If you could give one piece of advice to a beginning writer, what would it be?
My advice to a beginning writer is to find a writers’ organization (in-person or online) where you can learn about the writing industry, craft, and marketing. But, most critically, you’ll want to participate with a critique group where you can read the work of others while also having your work evaluated. It’s a critical step on the way to preparing your work for publication.