Interview with Diane Kelly

What is the title of your newest book? How many books have you published?
My newest book is Paw of the Jungle, which releases the Tuesday just before Thanksgiving. I have

Diane Kelly and Reggie

published 26 novels and novellas to date. It’s been a busy and fun few years!

How did you develop your character and choose your location?
My two primary characters, Police Officer Megan Luz and her K-9 partner Brigit, came to me while I was attending the Citizens Police Academy in my then hometown of Mansfield, Texas. At the Academy, officers taught us the ins and outs of police work. At one of the classes, a K-9 handler performed a demonstration with his dog, Rocket. Much to the surprise of the class, Rocket spun around a few times and deposited some droppings at our feet before bounding off to do a building search. I knew right then that I had to write about these amazing handlers and their skilled, and sometimes amusing, dogs.

I lived near Fort Worth, Texas, at the time I started writing the series, and I decided to set the book there because the city has a fun western flavor. Fort Worth’s nickname is “Cowtown” because it was a major stop on the old Chisholm Trail back in the cattle drive days. It’s hung on to its cowboy identity, and the Stockyards area north of the city is a popular tourist attraction. The Will Rogers Center hosts lots of horse shows each year, too.

What do you enjoy about the author’s lifestyle? What do you not enjoy?
What I enjoy most about the author’s lifestyle is that every day is take-your-pet-to-work day! I love working from home, surrounded by my dogs and cats. I often work outside in a comfy lawn chair on my deck, and I dress in casual T-shirts and cozy yoga pants (shoes and bra optional). The hardest thing about working from home is the lack of human camaraderie, but I make up for it through my involvement in local writing groups.

Do you model your character after yourself or any one you know?
My characters are their own unique selves, though I do borrow personality traits and quirks from real-life people sometimes. They often reflect some of my values and opinions, but not always. It wouldn’t be much fun to be myself in my stories, too. Part of the excitement of writing is getting to play at being someone else who does something entirely different for a living, looks at the world differently, and has fun, sometimes dangerous, adventures.

How do you get yourself out of a writing rut?
I rarely have major ruts, thought there are days when the words flow much more easily than others. When I need to think a scene through, I do something mindless, like walking my dogs or dishes or laundry. My muse often visits me on long road trips, too, and whispers ideas in my ear when I’m in the shower or on my exercise bike. Getting away from the computer is the key to getting out of a rut!

If your books were made into a movie, who would you want to play the lead character?
If my Paw Enforcement series was made into a movie, America Ferrera (from Ugly Betty and Superstore) would be the perfect person to play Megan Luz. She’s just the right blend of strong, smart, and sexy, but with some vulnerabilities, too.

Who is your favorite author?
I have so many favorite contemporary authors, but I’d have to say my favorite author of all time is Erma Bombeck. Her humor columns taught me so much—how to laugh at life’s irritations, people’s quirks, and even my own imperfections. I read her columns in the newspaper growing up, and I consider her to be one of my early influences and inspirations.

If you could invite five people – living or dead – to a dinner party, who would they be?
The five people I would invite to a dinner party would be:
Leonard da Vinci – He was so smart and talented in many different ways, and so forward-thinking. He’d be interesting to talk to!
Carol Burnett – I loved her sketch comedy show when I was young, and I consider her to be one of my comedic influences. She wasn’t afraid to make a fool of herself for a laugh. Neither am I!

Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley – She was a former slave and skilled seamstress who supported her “master’s” extended family through her hard work and talents, and eventually bought her freedom and that of her son. She overcame so much—forced separation from her family, beatings, rape and resulting pregnancy—to become a sought-after dressmaker in Washington, D.C. and confidante to Mary Todd Lincoln. She spent some time in the town where I now live, Hillsborough, North Carolina. She wrote a great book about her experiences called Behind the Scenes, Or, Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House. I’m so intrigued by a woman who was so intelligent and determined, and who made so much of herself from such difficult beginnings.
Laura Ingalls Wilder – I loved her books as a young girl, and enjoyed the TV show as well. I’d love to talk writing with her!
My husband – If I left him out of a party with these other four fascinating people, he might file for divorce!

If you could not be an author, what would like to do as a career?
I love animals and nature, so probably something in habitat conversation, or maybe I’d be a park ranger, dog trainer, or wildlife rehabilitator.