Why do you write the genre that you write?
I’ve always been drawn to history, always curious how my parents and grandparents and their parents lived. It seems like it was a different world, but it wasn’t, and that fascinates me. I also love mysteries. I was a proud member of The Mystery Guild for years, but somewhere in the 90s they got to be too creepy, too bloody, too much for me. I went back to reading historical fiction thinking I’d have to leave mystery behind. Then I found my first Anne Perry novel. How did I not know historical mystery was a thing? I love that genre. I devour those books. So, when it came to writing a book myself, there was really no decision to make. Historical mystery all the way. (Without the creepy, scary stuff.)

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
A recent addition to the cast is Lady Esther. She’s an elderly woman who feels she’s earned the right to have her own way at all times. She likes to rap her walking stick on the floor when she has something to say, to get attention, or just to get someone out of her way.

Tell us how you got into writing?
It’s something I’ve always done. I published a few articles and co-wrote a travel guide about Route 66 called Haunted Highway, but mostly I just wrote for my own entertainment. It wasn’t until after I retired that I wondered if I could write something anyone else would want to read.

What jobs have you held before, during and/or after you became a writer?
I’ve always worked in finance in some capacity, from paying bills to balancing ledgers to managing accounting departments. I’ve worked with a lot of accounting people in my life and we all have hobbies that are either very creative or very physical. Maybe to make up for what we do during the day. I went the creative route.

Where do you write?
I have an office in my home with a beautiful maple writing table. It’s five feet wide by two and a half feet deep, and when I’m working on multiple projects, I can fill every inch of that surface.

What is your favorite deadline snack?
Chocolates.

What is next for you?
The next book in the series, A Newlywed’s Guide to Fortune And Murder, will release next summer. Frances agrees to sponsor Lady Wingate’s niece, Kate for a presentation to Queen Victoria and finds herself caught up in a dastardly intrigue involving drugs, money, and a very dysfunctional family.

What are you reading now?
Alyssa Maxwell’s latest, Murder at Beacon Rock. I just finished A Trace of Poison, Colleen Cambridge’s next book in the Phyllida Bright series.

Where can we find you?
My website is the best place to find me at Dianne Freeman | Historical Mystery Writer. When it comes to social media, I’m most active on Facebook at Dianne Freeman Author.

Now to have some fun . . .

Vanilla or chocolate
I love chocolates, but when it comes to cake or ice cream, I want vanilla.

Ice cream or cake
Cake!

Broccoli or squash
Roasted broccoli

Pizza, burgers, or pasta
Pizza

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner
I’ll east breakfast any time of day!

Mountain or beach
Mountains speak to my soul!

City or country
Country

Introvert or extrovert
Introvertish

And even more fun . . .

You are stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
My husband—he has much better survival skills than I do. Food would be helpful. And what the heck, throw in a nice supply of wine and we’ll just stay here!

My bio:
Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series. She is an Agatha Award and Lefty Award winner, as well as a finalist for the prestigious Mary Higgins Clark Award and the Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award. After thirty years of working in corporate accounting and finance, she now writes full-time in her favorite genre of historical mystery. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband split their time between Michigan and Arizona.