Interview with DiAnn Mills and book giveaway

Narelle here. I’m thrilled to welcome DiAnn Mills to our blog. Today we’re giving away a copy of DiAnn’s April release, Sworn to Protect.

Award-winning author DiAnn Mills launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has fifty books in print and has sold 1.5 million copies.

DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.

Six of her titles have appeared on the CBA Bestseller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2008, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.

DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.

She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. They have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Website: www.diannmills.com

Narelle: In Sworn to Protect, Danika Morales is a Border Patrol Agent. What drives her passion for her job with the Texas Border Patrol?

DiAnn: Danika became interested in the immigration process during her college years. Her decision came after volunteering at a mission and seeing how gangs from South America persecuted Americans and illegal immigrants. She saw the controversy and heated debates and concluded that US laws were to be enforced until the laws were changed to help the less fortunate.

Narelle: How tough is it for women who work on the front line as Border Patrol Agents? How does Danika cope with her demanding job?

DiAnn: Women more so than men have to prove their mettle. Although women experience the same training and continuous testing of skills, many of the men want to see a woman agent perform in the line of duty before they not only feel safe with a woman agent but respect her as a professional.

Danika has proven her abilities and is an accepted Border Patrol Agent. She faces danger with the knowledge that she's been trained to handle critical situations.

Narelle: Human smuggling receives international media attention. In Australia, maritime security is an area of focus for our border protection. Boat loads of asylum seekers make the treacherous journey toward the remote North Western Australia coast. Please share with us the unique challenges your characters in Sworn to Protect face as they patrol the US-Mexican border.

DiAnn: The biggest challenge is putting aside personal sentiments for hard working people who are seeking a better way of life versus those who are gang members smuggling drugs, weapons, illegal entry etc. Danika's problem in Sworn to Protect is that someone within the ranks of the Border Patrol is giving the illegals classified information that allows them to cross US borders undetected.

Narelle: Human smuggling and the plight of asylum seekers is also a humanitarian issue. Do the residents in Danika’s home town have different perspectives on this issue and does this create conflict in your story?

DiAnn: Absolutely! Danika, as well as other agents, often change into their uniform at the station so neighbors and others do not know their profession. Often children are not told what their parent does to earn a living. Family and friends live on both sides of the border.

Narelle: Sworn to Protect is the second book in your Call of Duty series. Please tell us about the other books in the series.

DiAnn: Breach of Trust is about a CIA operative posing as a librarian in a small town in Oklahoma. She is forced to make a decision of bringing a corrupt politician to justice or endangering the lives of those she loves. The reality is who can she trust, and the one man she loves may be the enemy.

Pursuit of Justice is about an FBI agent who is sent to West Texas, her former home, to help solve a series of murders surrounding an over three hundred year old legend about hidden Spanish treasure. She finds the killer may be her own father, and the once prime suspect has stolen into her heart.

DiAnn, thanks for joining us today. I really enjoyed reading Breach of Trust and the story kept me up until 2am because I had to find out what happened next! Breach of Trust is also a Romance Writers of America 2010 RITA® finalist in the inspirational category - congratulations DiAnn! I’m looking forward to reading Sworn to Protect.

By commenting on today’s post you can enter the drawing to win a copy of Sworn to Protect. The drawing will take place on Friday, May 7 and the winner announced on Sunday, May 9. Please leave an email address [ ] at [ ] dot [ ] where you can be reached.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

To learn more about DiAnn Mills and her books, please visit her website.

Narelle Atkins writes contemporary inspirational romance. She resides in Canberra, Australia with her husband and children. She can also be found around the inkwell at the Inkwell Inspirations blog. To learn more about Narelle, please visit her website.