Interview Diana Lee Johnson

by

Tamia Dawn Osburn

Can you tell us something about your book?

Too Late for Tomorrow is the story of a family with plantations in North (father's) and South (mother's) Carolina who realize that slavery should be ended and are trying to prove free plantations can still be profitable. Moreover it is the story of the family itself with many twists and turns, surprises, mysteries, and humor that carry them through 20+ years. It covers the period from 1842 through the Civil War. It is the first in a family saga series.

How do you find the time for writing?

It isn't easy with a high-pressure job as a municipal purchasing agent, but, like any other passion, somehow you squeeze it in. The biggest challenge is not letting it take over your mind when you're working at your paying job.

I notice you also write historical, contemporary and paranormal, which describes you the best?

Some people might say "paranormal" suits me perfectly, as they think I'm a little strange at times, (grin) but then, some would say I must have had other lives in the past, because I can see with historical eyes in my mind. I'm just as eclectic in my tastes of reading, writing, movies, etc., with one binding thread. I'm a hopeless romantic, who likes to write hopeful stories which are usually as much mainstream as romance and don't fit into niches anymore than I do.

Which of the three do you like writing about the most?

I never set out to write a time-travel, it just happened. I thought it was going to be a contemporary story about a woman falling in love with a Civil War re-enactor. I never know until it starts to take shape in my mind. But I think history is my forte. The time-travel has history in it, and one of my contemporaries already out, has a flashback to the Jacobite rebellion time in Scotland.

What do you like the best and the worst about your characters?

The villains disgust me, the heroes and heroines amaze me, the "characters" make me laugh, and I never know what any of them will say until I "hear" it in my head. I'm often surprised as the dialog flows out of my fingers to my computer screen. They are as much a part of my acquaintances by the time I finish a story as the people I meet every day.

Where do your ideas come from and how do your hero and heroine react to them?

Things that have happened to me or people I have met inspire some. Some gel from a slush pile in my subconscious of everything I've ever heard, read, or seen, and they just creep out like ghosts in a haunted house.

Which types of heroine do you like the most, the weak or the strong?

I don't think heroine's can be weak any more than heroes can, but they can have very different strengths, and no one can be strong about everything, even if she doesn't show or admit it in public. That's what makes them human.

What other books are you planning for the future and can we expect any sequels in the future?

The only series I have planned is the one that started with Too Late for Tomorrow and continued with Tomorrow Came Early which was published in 2003 by Wings. I am about 1/3 of the way through the third, and I think final, in the "tomorrow" series. I have a short contemporary coming out in May 2004, and a longer contemporary coming out in Feb. 2005. I have three others with several chapters waiting for my time, and a finished Mystery-Suspense to polish up, and an endless list of ideas. The trouble is finding time.

What kind of advice would you give to those who want to become published authors?

Never lose faith in yourself, even if others scoff at your desire.

How do you find the time to relax?

Writing is cathartic, movies are relaxing, and audio books, listened to while commuting to and from work, are inspirational and entertaining. All of those things relax me.

How did you get started on writing and who's your best inspiration?

I started by writing poetry--rhymed and metered poetry, when I was six years old. That continued through school and I took a shot at a couple of short stories when I was about 12. But poetry continues even today as I concentrate on prose. I sometimes write lyrics to well-known tunes for special occasions to entertain others, like each of my employees' retirements this past summer, or to thank someone for something.

Oddly enough, the writer I would credit with firing my imagination for poetry and prose was Edgar Allen Poe. His imagery was so brilliant, and his poetry so passionate, that his was the first to keep my attention long enough to read. Perhaps, however, I should also say each of my parents for different things, and my best friend who encouraged me since I was 7 years old to keep writing. Too Late for Tomorrow is dedicated to the three of them.