I’d like to welcome Diann Floyd Boehm to the blog for #WriterWednesday!

Favorite thing to do when you have free time:
It depends on the city we are visiting, but I love exploring museums, going to the theater, and enjoying different restaurants.

The thing you’ll always move to the bottom of your to-do list.
Mopping the floors. I like having the kitchen swept and the floors clean, but mopping is not my

Things you need when you’re in your writing cave:
The most important thing I need is my computer. Depending on the story, I also use music to help set the mood. When I was writing my young-adult historical fiction, I listened to music from the 1920s. When I am writing children’s books, I may play children’s songs to put me in the right frame of mind. One of my favorites is Joe Scruggs’ “Peanut Butter,” which was also one of my children’s favorite songs.

Things that distract you from writing:
Music with lyrics I know can be very distracting. If I sing along, I lose my train of thought because I want to join in or because the song brings back wonderful memories.

Hardest thing about being a writer:
Facing a blank page. I may know what I want to write about and who my characters are but finding that first sentence is often the hardest part. I have learned to simply begin writing, then go back and revise once I am in the zone.

Easiest thing about being a writer:
Visiting schools, meeting children, and reading to them. Seeing their faces light up as they tell me about a favorite character or illustration brings me so much joy.

The coolest thing you’ve bought online:
An electric wine decanter that I bought as a gift for my husband.

The thing you wish you’d never bought:
A dog ramp for our car. It did not work very well with an SUV, although it would probably be great for a sedan. I donated it to Goodwill in hopes that someone else could use it.

Favorite snacks:
I am a sucker for freshly baked chocolate cookies—the more chocolate, the better.

Things that make you want to gag:
The smell of brussels sprouts cooking. My husband enjoys them, but I cannot stand how they make the house smell. He usually cooks them when I am out with the girls and airs out the house afterward.

Something you’re really good at. I enjoy singing and I am working on a Christmas song list that I hope to perform at nursing homes. I also enjoy serving on the board at St. Michael’s Episcopal Day School. It is wonderful to stay connected to a school, learn about new teaching techniques, and know that I play a small role in supporting teachers and their students.

Something you are really bad at:
I am terrible at ice skating. I would watch my brother, Danny glide on the ice, skating with our aunt. I would hold on to the wall because I was so afraid of falling. I also do not trust myself on skis.

Something you wanted to be when you were a kid:
I wanted to be the next Singing Nun. I loved that the real Singing Nun, Jeanne Deckers, because she could sing professionally while still being a nun. I admired the idea of sharing love and joy with people through music.

Something you do that you never dreamed you’d do. I never imagined I would go spelunking in Dubai, rappelling in Costa Rica, or dog sledding in the Arctic. When those opportunities came along, I decided I could not pass up the chance to have those experiences.

Something you wish you could do.
I wish I had a gift for languages like my husband does. It is wonderful to be able to understand and communicate with people in other countries.

Something you wish you’d never learned to do:
I honestly cannot think of anything I have learned that I wish I had not.

Last best thing you ate:
When John and I were vacationing in Colorado, we went to a restaurant that served an incredible bruschetta appetizer, fig spread topped with a thick layer of whipped feta cheese. It was so delicious that we went back the next night just to have it again.

Last thing you regret eating:
I ordered fish at a restaurant that was not nearly as good as I remembered it being. I knew right away that I would not order it again.

Best thing you’ve ever done:
Marrying my husband was, and still is, the best thing I have ever done. Forty-seven years, three children, and one grandchild later, I am living a dream life.

Biggest mistake:
When I was a little girl, my dog got out and followed me to school. I took him back home three times, but eventually I had to get to school because I was already late. Sadly, he was hit by a car. I remember walking into my classroom crying hysterically, and my teacher could not calm me down. Eventually, he had a friend talk with me at recess and he gave me time alone to grieve. I have always wished I had stayed home with him that day, even if it meant missing school. I loved him very much.

About Diann

Diann Floyd Boehm is an award-winning international children’s author, educator, storyteller, and humanitarian based in Austin, Texas. Her stories encourage young readers to be kind, believe in themselves, and let their imaginations soar.

Diann writes children’s picture books and young adult historical fiction, drawing on her life in the United States, the Philippines, and Dubai to bring heart, hope, creativity, and a global perspective to every story. Her work celebrates kindness, peace, imagination, curiosity, confidence, and the power of storytelling to build bridges across cultures.

Her books include Boomer Sees the Town! - Boomer Hears the Forest! - Boomer the Curious Bunny, Book II, Rise! A Girl’s Struggle for More, Ruby Takes Chicago, and A Song of Peace, among other beloved titles for children and young adults.

A former classroom teacher in the United States and at the International School of the Philippines, Diann is a passionate visiting author and educator. She has worked with students and teachers in schools throughout Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and numerous U.S. states. Through author visits, workshops, readings, Q&A sessions, and creative-writing activities, she inspires young people to read, write, create, practice kindness, and believe in themselves. She also appears at museums, book festivals, and community events, engaging audiences in conversations about imagination, and creative writing.

Diann is also a dynamic speaker and media personality. She previously served as an expert correspondent and on-air host for USA Global TV & Radio and co-hosted the live-stream program Royally Confidential with Helena Chard. Drawing on her background in musical theatre and stage performance, she brings an energetic, engaging presence to events for audiences of all ages.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, as well as Kindergarten Certification from The University of Texas at Austin. Diann has received multiple honors for her international body of work in children’s books and young adult historical fiction, especially for stories that promote kindness, peace, self-esteem.

Beyond writing and speaking, Diann remains involved in humanitarian projects that support children, education, and connection across cultures. Shaped by extensive travel and years living overseas, her mission is simple, to use stories to uplift, encourage, and connect hearts around the world.