Diana Rock

I grew up in a little town on the Connecticut River in north-central Connecticut. It was safe, congenial and rather idyllic. Everyone knew everyone else and all their dirty laundry.

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. I love the togetherness without the pressure of presents. And I love turkey with all the fixins’ and the pumpkin pie afterwards!

I wrote stories and poetry as a child, but I distinctly remember being in English class in 7th grade and thinking, “I want to write stories.” In my high school year book, I wrote my career goal in life as ‘to freelance write”. Over the next twenty plus years I did some non-fiction and professional writing related to my laboratory career. Otherwise, I neglected that ambition until my 40th birthday. I’ve been writing fiction ever since.

Writing is my second full-time job! LOL. I currently work in a veterinary pathology lab, doing testing on animal tissues to find out what is making them sick or why they died. Previously, I worked in hospital histology labs doing the same testing but on human surgical, biopsy and autopsy tissues. It’s a good career, pays well and is interesting. But my heart is happiest at my computer tapping out a new story.

A histotechnologist uses immunological, chemical and molecular techniques to provide disease detection in human or animal tissue samples (i.e. biopsies, etc.). With the test results, a pathologist can help a veterinarian or surgeon decide on the course of treatment needed for the patient.

I’ve always loved walking but I can’t remember my first hike. My favorite hikes have been in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, in Maine. It combines the two types of scenery I love: the ocean and mountains.

I enjoy getting lost in a good romance so it was just an extension that I should begin by writing the genre I’m most familiar with. The best part is there’s always a happily-ever-after (HEA) or a happy-for-now (HFN).

I can remember reading my first romance book: Kathleen Woodiwiss’ Flame and the Flower. It was a true bodice-ripper! Romance has come a long way since that book. Some of the changes in writing what I call modern contemporary romances, are that today’s women want stories that give them the same breadth of opportunities men have enjoyed, whether it be in a career or romance. The stories are less about heroine surrendering herself to the hero. My heroines don’t have to be with a man to feel complete. Marriage is not always the HEA. Neither are children. I like to give my heroines lots of room to enjoy their romances on their own terms rather than following blindly toward outcomes that have been dictated to women for centuries.

The first book grew out of an idea born during a writing workshop in 2011. I wanted it set in a small town in Vermont. Jamaica Jones, the heroine of the first book is my favorite character. She was born fearless, tender, provocative and yet she worries and cares for the people she loves. Other books in the series spring from her book because there’s so much going on in Fulton River! It’s a community of strong, active women and I love writing their stories.

They can be read as standalones, but I strongly suggest they be read in order. There are some community nuances that stem from each of the previous books. A reader will understand more clearly what is happening to the community and the residents by reading them in order. I have three released in the series now but the fourth, a Christmas novella, is coming out in early November and the fifth and sixth books in planning stages for 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Book one in the Colby County series is about newly graduated veterinarian, Doctor Hannah Woodbridge as she tries to buy the Colby County Veterinary Clinic. To get the business loan, she also needs to be selected as the town’s veterinary consultant. But Colby’s animal control officer, Andrew Kelly wants someone else in that appointment despite their growing attraction.

Not so much conversations, but Jamaica Jones is very loosely based on the personality traits of an acquaintance. I also use snippets of actual happenings people tell me about….such as the Thanksgiving day fiasco coming in book 5 of the Fulton River Falls series (no title yet). The mouse scene in Courting Choices actually happened to me! Just a warning, you should never tell a writer a true story if you don’t want to see it in their book someday!

I love cats. Over the years I’ve had seven in my adult life. Many more as a child. I currently have a 13 year old feline, Sadie, my diva. She’s a little kitty with a very big personality and active vocal cords. LOL But I also love dogs. I used to have two golden retrievers, Bonney and Flora. They’ve passed now but I miss them immensely. Someday I hope to have more dogs in my life. There’s not much sweeter in life than walking a dog.

I like to bake and cook. I also have gardens in the yard, an orchard, and a plot at the local community garden. For fun, I take Scottish country dance classes and dance with the New Haven chapter of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s a great cardio workout too. A whole week’s worth of exercise in one night. I try to do yoga at home during the week to increase my flexibility after sitting at the computer for hours 4-5 nights a week.

Lots of people encourage me to write about medical related genres, spinning off of my work in human and veterinary pathology. Someday, I hope to write a series like that, but not while I’m still working in the field. I prefer to leave the laboratory at my workplace and write something different. At least until I retire.

Where do I begin? I have about eight books planned. Some are already in rough draft form. Others are plotted out, and still others are just ideas slowly growing in the back of my mind. They like to work themselves out with alarming detail, usually at 3 am.

I don’t have a lot of time to write, but the ideas keep coming. There’s also a folder in my file cabinet (showing my age here!) that contains interesting notes, jotted ideas and newspaper clippings that will fuel future stories. I envision a laboratory science-based crime series in my future. (think Abby in NCIS).

My experience has been rather limited though I hope to change that soon. Unfortunately, there’s only 24 hours in a day and I would rather be writing than doing anything else.