#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Diane Floyd Boehm

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Please help me welcome Diane Floyd Boehm to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

Hardest thing about being a writer: The hardest part of writing for children is making sure every word is age-appropriate and engaging. Editing is a labor of love—it always feels never-ending, but I know it’s essential for a good story.

Easiest thing about being a writer: The easiest part is coming up with ideas; inspiration seems to pop up everywhere I look!

Something you’re really good at: I love performing in musicals, whether it's in the chorus or a small role. There’s real joy in helping an audience forget their worries and seeing smiles at curtain call.

Something you’re really bad at: Advanced math isn’t my strong suit. Arithmetic is fine, but once you get to trigonometry, I’m out—I’m all about creativity over calculations.

Last best thing you ate: A homemade pimento cheese sandwich from a local restaurant—absolute perfection.

Last thing you regret eating: Sushi. It’s just not for me. I’ll take good old barbecue any day!

Favorite music or song: My taste is broad—showtunes, Karen Carpenter, Anne Murray, Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston. Anything with story and emotion.

Music that drives you crazy: Heavy metal is a bit much for me—it gives me more headaches than happy feelings.

The last thing you ordered online: Pirate ship decorations for my grandson's birthday cake. Creating themed cakes is one of my favorite traditions, and practicing icing waves brings me joy!

Favorite places you’ve been: Travel has been a gift. Two favorites: joining a group of women to the Arctic with Mountain High, where I learned sled dog care and explored ice caves for breast cancer research; and Kenya/Tunisia with Free the Children, building a library before heading out on safari to see wildlife in its natural habitat.

Places you never want to go to again: Honestly, I’d revisit any place—I find wonder in every journey, and some trips, like the Badlands of South Dakota, are so awe-inspiring I’ve returned just to share them with loved ones.

The first record/cassette/CD you ever bought: The Carpenters—Karen Carpenter’s pure voice brings magic to every song.

A type of music that’s not your cup of tea: Heavy rock just doesn’t speak to me the way storytelling music does.

My favorite book as a child: Little Golden Books—especially when my mom read Hansel and Gretel with dramatic voices. Her witch voice was unforgettable!

A book I’ve read more than once: Beautiful Joe, which our class read in fifth grade, fascinated me with its unusual history and heartfelt story—I still return to it.

Your favorite movie as a child: Pollyanna, starring Hayley Mills. My mom loved the book, and watching the film together made it a family favorite that shaped my love for optimism.

A TV show or movie that kept you awake at night: The British drama Silent Witness. My husband and I have watched every season, some episodes are so intense they gave me nightmares—thank goodness for Home Improvement to lighten the mood afterward!

About Diane:

Diann Floyd Boehm is an award-winning international author of children’s books and young adult historical fiction. Her stories inspire kindness, peace, and self-love, encouraging children and adults alike to “Embrace Imagination.” In addition to her writing, Diann loves connecting with audiences through school visits, book signings, and speaking engagements.

She is the co-host of Royally Confidential with Helena Chard on USA Global TV™ and Radio and brings a background in musical theatre and education to everything she does. Having lived in the Philippines and Dubai, Diann weaves her global experiences into her work while calling Austin, Texas home.

A wife, mother, grandmother, and humanitarian, Diann is dedicated to inspiring others through storytelling, creativity, and community service. Learn more about her books and projects at https://www.diannfloydboehm.com.

Let’s Be Social:

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Diann-Floyd-Boehm/author/B019HR4KXE?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1757365263&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=4ff1f87c-fb42-49bf-8a69-2537e70da4c7

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/diannfloydboehm/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/diann_floyd_boehm/

Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/diannboehm/

X

https://x.com/diannfloydboehm



#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Doug Lawrence

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I’d like to welcome Doug Lawrence back to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need for your writing sessions: I need a creative environment to work within. I did a private writing retreat one time that seemed to work alright. I was able to write 30-40 pages of content.

Things that hamper your writing: Trying to write in a place where there are too many distractions.

A few of your favorite things: My favorite thing is my laptop. I would break into a cold sweat without it. I took a short break and went to visit a dear friend for a week. I was without email and other things for a few days and I was panicking. Sounds funny but it was stressful.

Things you need to throw out: I have two closets of clothes that I need to cull out. I also had some food in the pantry that needs to go. I had a friend who was kind enough to help me purge some of the stuff but we could do more. It is like a new beginning.

Favorite foods: I like steak and mushrooms

Things that make you want to gag: Liver and onions. I can handle the onions but the liver is definitely off limits.

Something you’re really good at: Mentoring others to help them grow personally and professionally. That would include help with their healing journey from mental health and grief related issues.

Something you’re really bad at: I wouldn’t say I was bad at something. I would say that I had room to grow. Using negative connotations doesn’t improve things.

Last best thing you ate: Schnitzel

Last thing you regret eating: Liver and onions

Favorite places you’ve been: Dubai

Places you never want to go to again: Shanghai

People you’d like to invite to dinner: Ken Blanchard or Oprah Winfrey

People you’d cancel dinner on: I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head. I would look at this as an opportunity to learn more about someone and to also learn something more about myself.

Best thing you’ve ever done: Mentor a young entrepreneur with mental health challenges

Biggest mistake: Allowing a mentee to not be accountable for her mentoring sessions. Only happened once and that was the last time.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: Zip line in Mexico

Something you chickened out from doing: Bungi cord jumping

About Doug:

Doug Lawrence is the founder of TalentC® and is focused on all things mentoring as a solution provider. Doug Lawrence is an International Certified Mentor and holds two Mentor Certifications; Certificate of Practice – Mentor and the Certificate of Practice – Journey Mentor from the International Mentoring Community. Doug is the only one to hold the Certificate of Practice – Journey Mentor in the world today.

He has over 30 years of mentoring and leadership experience and is recognized as a thought leader in the mentoring space. Doug authored the book entitled, The Gift of Mentoring and his second book entitled, You Are Not Alone became an Amazon #1 Best Seller in North America and the UK and is a bronze medal recipient in the Global Book Awards. Doug’s third book, Grief, The Silent Pandemic was published April 20, 2025 and was the recipient of two bronze and one silver Global Book Awards. Doug is an International Best - Selling Author.

Doug works as a volunteer mentor with the Sir Richard Branson Entrepreneur Program in the Caribbean and with American Corporate Partners (ACP) in the United States helping military personnel transition from service life to civilian life.

Let’s Be Social:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doug.lawrence.1610/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/douglawrence-mentor

Twitter: @DougLawrenceJM

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE4YC1GkfHrQtFYgYrf8baQ

Website: https://www.talentc.ca


Writerly, Bookish, and Fun Resources

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I subscribe to a lot of newsletters and podcasts, and I want to share some interesting ones with you. These are great for research and ideas.

Newsletters - I love keeping up with authors and what they’re writing, and bookish events. Here are a few that are worth checking out:

Podcasts

What are your favorite newsletters and podcasts?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with J. Kent Holloway

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I’d like to welcome the amazing J. Kent Holloway to the blog this Thanksgiving to celebrate his new Christmas mystery.

Hardest thing about being a writer: Prioritizing the zillion story ideas that spring to my mind unbidden at any given moment so that I can actually finish a book.

Easiest thing about being a writer: World building and plotting ideas.

Words that describe you: Vivaciously infectious!

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: Dwarf-like (but in a fantasy sense…in high school, my nerdy Fellowship of the Ring nickname among my peers was Gimli!).

Something you’re really good at: Dreaming big. There’s nothing I feel like I can’t accomplish if I put my mind to it.
Something you’re really bad at: Holding a grudge. Sometimes I’d like to just be angry at someone for a few minutes.

Favorite music or song: Big Band music of the 1940s…oh, and Oingo Boingo!

Music that drives you crazy: Definitely rap. Or maybe Taylor Swift. It’s a tie.

The last thing you ordered online: Meta Quest 3S VR with Batman: Arkham Shadows.

The last thing you regret buying: A new shirt that didn’t fit right (see the Dwarf-like comment above).

Things you always put in your books: Lots and lots of folklore (usually folklore involving various mythologies of Death (Grim Reaper, Psychopomps, etc).
Things you never put in your books: Romance or sex. Also never use cuss words.

Things to say to an author: I love your stories…they’re so creative and fun!
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: I wrote a book with AI…will you read it and give me a blurb?

Favorite places you’ve been: St. Petersburg, Russia
Places you never want to go to again: New York City

Favorite books (or genre): Mysteries with supernatural or fantasy elements.
Books you wouldn’t buy: Romance or erotica.

The funniest thing to happen to you: Performing an autopsy, I got blood all over my clothes and had no spares. After taking a shower at the morgue, I had to put on a Tyvek (white paper) suit…which was basically see through because I didn’t have a towel after my shower. Then I had to scramble into the parking lot, covering my nethers with my hands (front and back) as I ran to my car to drive home and get new clothes!

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: Um, see above!

My favorite book as a child: Pippi Longstocking (the whole series)!

A book I’ve read more than once: The Lord of the Rings (read it at least twelve times).

About J. Kent:

Bestselling Christian author Kent Holloway isn't just a storyteller. He isn't just a forensic death investigator. He's also a Bible Teacher, preacher, speaker, and best of all...Santa Claus (this year, he saw over 500 kids alone at his Santa engagements!)!

For the last 30 years, Kent Holloway has lived on death. Literally. As a forensic death investigator. he's seen it all. Experienced the worst that life has to give. Yet he never let it dim his sense of wonder or humor or, most importantly, his Faith in Jesus Christ! 

Now, he brings all this experience, along with a zeal for living an abundant life to the written page with fun, adventurous mysteries, middle grade fantasy, and an upcoming library of exciting and inspirational nonfiction similar to his book I Died Swallowing a Goldfish and Other Life Lessons from the Morgue!

Kent Holloway also has a Master’s degree in Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary (yes, he's very Southern Baptist). He has served as singles minister, evangelism pastor, and director of discipleship and education. He is now focusing on three very important ministries to further the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let’s Be Social:

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

 

#WriterWednesday Author Interview with Patrick Sangimino

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I’d like to welcome Patrick Sangimino to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave: Most of all, I need to be ready to write. It’s a mental state. Once there, music is a requirement, with no lyrics. Jazz or classical. With words, I find myself singing, which hinders my ability to get lost in the story I’m trying to tell.

Things that distract you from writing: Conversation. Human interaction. I love good conversations. Unfortunately, they can’t happen when I am in a writing zone. Years of working in a newsroom – surrounded by others – trained me. I learned to put on headphones when it was time to write.

Favorite snacks: Without question: Nothing fancy. Poporn or chips and salsa. Maybe some fruit.

Things that make you want to gag: tofu, definitely tofu.

Something you’re really good at: I’ve been told I am a great storyteller. I’ve made a living telling stories in the written form but have entertained loved ones with my ability to tell a story that will cause laughter.

Something you’re really bad at: Playing any kind of musical instrument, guitar especially. I have a profound respect for musicians and their ability to make magic. Much of that respect comes from my own lifetime of musical failures that have become some of the stories in my repertoire.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid: Originally, I wanted to be a lawyer, but that ambition changed the first time I saw Jack Klugman in the old sit-com “The Odd Couple.” From that point on, I wanted to be a sportswriter.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do: After years as a newspaper columnist, writing a book always seemed like a bridge too far. And then I found the wherewithal to write one. Holding it in my hand for the first time – seeing my name on the cover – was an emotional experience.

Something you wish you could do: I wish I could play the piano. I always wanted to be that guy who could walk up to a piano at a party or crowded barroom and belt out something that would leave people speechless.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do: While paining houses – interiors and exteriors – is a good skill to have acquired, it’s something that friends and family members have taken advantage of over the years. As if helping to paint your best friend’s house over the course of a weekend can be compensated with pizza and beer. The things we do for love.

Last best thing you ate: The crab cioppino at a small family-owned Italian restaurant in San Francisco.

Last thing you regret eating: The four-alarm buffalo wings at a national chain. The wings were good at that moment. The heart burn that followed wasn’t nearly as pleasant.

Favorite places you’ve been: St. Thomas, the U.S. Virgin Islands. Great beaches and weather. Clean place with friendly people. Wonderful food and a good place to recharge.

Places you never want to go to again: Las Vegas. Sin City earned its monicker. And while, I’m not a prude, such sin comes with a heavy price tag – figuratively and literally – I’m not willing to pay anymore.

People you’d like to invite to dinner (living): Billy Joel, Warren Buffet, Paul Giamatti and Tiger Woods.

People you’d cancel dinner on: Any politician, television evangelist or anyone who judges someone else simply by who they voted for.

Favorite things to do: I adore being outside, working in the garden or playing golf. I also enjoy going to a ballpark on a warm day to watch school-aged kids – say, ages 12-18 – with a passion for the game and enough skills to catch my attention – play baseball.

Things you’d run through a fire or eat bugs to get out of doing: Paying the high-dollar costs for parking, concessions and entry to the ballpark to watch professional ball players, without a doubt world-class athletes, often times go through the motions while taking part in a game once meant to be played by children. Ironically, there was a time when I earned my daily bread by chronicling their daily endeavors. Sports writing, it’s been said, is a young man’s game.

Best thing you’ve ever done: My daughter is evidence that I did something right in this world. She is smart (an attorney), funny and grew up with a love for “Seinfeld” reruns and an early knowledge of how to read the Major League Baseball box scores each morning. She’s a daddy’s girl and the apple of my eye.

Biggest mistake: My biggest regret is failing at marriage. Two meaningful careers took precedence over what should have been a happily-ever-after. We never factored job relocations into the equation. Happily, my ex-wife has become a dear friend, but our divorce is my greatest failure.

The funniest thing to happen to you: Running a five-kilometer race the morning after staying up to hit a late-night deadline was an achievement, especially since I ran a personal best. However, just a few steps from the finish line, I threw up, sending my morning coffee spewing like a geyser toward those congratulating the finishers. It was a moment that was captured and chronicled in my best friend’s next column.

The most embarrassing thing to happen to you: My embarrassing moment has evolved to shame. My bad behavior as a boy after my father’s best effort to turn my bicycle into a motocross by painting my handlebars black and screwing a broomstick across the bars, a makeshift renovation that was ridiculed by my friends. Years later, I am more embarrassed by the way I lashed out at my father, who was only trying to give me something our family just couldn’t afford.

About Patrick:

Patrick Sangimino worked as a journalist for over forty years, writing for large newspapers throughout California and the Midwest. He worked during the print journalism golden age and saw it slowly shift into the digital age. From beat reporter to award-winning columnist, Patrick wrote about some of the biggest sporting stories of all time, including eight seasons of the National Football League, World Series games, and local legends who made athletic history.

A self-described “ink-in-the-veins” writer, Patrick was not merely a journalist, he was a weaver of tales. His craft was motivated by a native curiosity, relentless doggedness in pursuit of fact, and the deeply human understanding that accompanied membership in the communities he served. His columns were read devotionally, acclaimed for their humor, pathos, and biting acuity.

Having retired in 2024, Patrick devoted himself to fiction. But whereas his columns were anchored firmly in the real world, so too is his fiction. Dogs Chase Cars is his first novel, but it feels like the accumulation of a lifetime of experience unvarnished, perceptive, sometimes self-aware, always uncompromisingly truthful.

Sangimino now spends his retirement doing what he’s always done best writing. Whether looking back or making up stories for the future, his pen still pursues meaning, memory, and perhaps a little bit of mischief.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: www.patricksangimino.com

Instagram: @patricksangimino

Twitter or XL: @psangimino

 Facebook: @patsangimino

Use Your Books to Generate Ideas for Social Media, Blogs, and Events

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Use your books to help you generate ideas for social media and blog posts and events.

Do some brainstorming. Make a list of 10 or 15 words that relate to topics and subthemes in your stories. Think about:

  • Settings/Locations

  • Hobbies

  • Your Character’s Job

  • Music

  • Popular Culture

Examples from my Series:

  • Delanie Fitzgerald: Sassy Private Eye, Richmond, Computer Hacker, English Bulldog, Sears Catalog Houses

  • Jules Keene: Glamping, Blue Ridge Mountains, Vintage Trailers, Jack Russell Terrier

  • Jade Hicks: Beach Town, Christmas Shop, French Bulldog, Tuxedo Cat

  • Cassidy Jamison: Event Planner, Blue Ridge Mountains, Chihuahua, Music, Honky Tonk, Cave, Serenity Garden

Then create social media and blog posts that highlight these. Look for groups and hashtags on social media that are similar and follow people with similar interests.

Connect to a “holiday.” There are lots of online calendars that show all kinds of holidays for any occasion or celebration (e.g. Taco Day, Chocolate Lovers’ Day, Dog Lovers’ Day). Target posts for these special days and highlight your book.

You can use your list to come up with some creative book signings. I was part of a wine-themed anthology, and we scheduled signings and readings at wineries all across our area. There are all likes of places and small businesses that may work with you to do a signing or to sell your books. Think beyond bookstores, libraries, and conferences.

What would you add to my list?

#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Rose Kerr

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I’d like to welcome the fabulous Rose Kerr to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday!

A few of your favorite fall traditions: Driving to see the fall colors (yes, we’re leaf peepers!); enjoying lunch in a park; visiting a local farm with our grandkids.

Something autumn-related that you’ll never do again: Drive in an early season snowstorm! I was driving home after dropping my mom at the airport, and fifteen minutes into the three-hour drive home, I found myself driving in white-out conditions. There was a transport truck in front of me and one behind me. It was an hour before I could pull off the highway at a rest stop.

Favorite fall treat: Butter tarts, although they are good any time of the year!

A fall treat that makes you gag: Pumpkin spice lattes, not for me.

Something you only do in the fall: Rake the leaves and decorate pumpkins.

Something you’d never do in the fall season: Swim in a lake.

Favorite fall smell: Fresh air out in the woods.

Something that makes you hold your nose: Rotting vegetation.

Best fall memory: Clearing leaves from the lawn with our kids and the dog. It took a long time, but it was fun. The dog would chase our kids through the piles of leaves, and they’d all jump in them.

Something you’d rather forget: The bear that strolled through our backyard looking for something to top up its belly before hibernating! Kids and the dog were safe in the house, but the dog was barking up a storm.

A tradition you share with others: Visiting farms with our grandkids

A tradition that can be retired: Decorating the entire house for Hallowe’en

Best thing you ever cooked/baked in autumn: Apple Crisp, my great aunt’s recipe. One of our favorite fall desserts.

Your worst kitchen disaster: I tried a new recipe for bread; you would think that would be fool proof. It wasn’t. The loaf didn’t rise and was very dense. My husband called it “participaction bread” because you had to chew it a long time before you could swallow it!

Favorite place you spent a fall day: Walking along trails in Northern Ontario, especially nice by a lake.

The worst place to spend a fall day: Stuck in the office for meetings.

Funniest pumpkin-carving story: We had carved out the pumpkins after school one year, and after dinner we couldn’t find one of our cats. Turns out that cat had climbed into the pumpkin before the lid was put on it. Fortunately, the cat didn’t eat any of the pumpkin and was okay!

Your worst pumpkin-carving story: We picked up our pumpkins too early, and when we started carving them, well, they had mushy insides and a bad smell. The kids were so grossed out!

Best Halloween memory: When our daughter went out for her first “Trick or Treat”. She was so excited to come home with candy.

Worst Halloween experience: A snowstorm for Halloween! Our roads were in covered in snow and you couldn’t see across the street. That’s the only time I remember Halloween being cancelled.

About Rose:

Retired in Southern Ontario with her husband, Rose spends her days crafting mysteries featuring strong, smart women who use their resourcefulness to solve crimes. When she’s not writing, she enjoys discovering the hidden gems of the region she lives in.

Rose’s newest release features a modern day archaeologist turned amateur sleuth.

Retired in Southern Ontario with her husband, Rose spends her days crafting mysteries featuring strong, smart women who use their resourcefulness to solve crimes. When she’s not writing, she enjoys discovering the hidden gems of the region she lives in.

Rose’s newest release features a modern day archaeologist turned amateur sleuth.

Let’s Be Social:

Website: http://rosekerr.com

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r.m.kerr/?hl=en

Pinterest: https://ca.pinterest.com/RoseKerrauthor/