Behind The Book With Diane Bator 

Earlier this year I did a Q&A with Diane Bator who was introduced to me by Mickey Mikkelson! Now we reunite for a Behind The Book on book 3 of Diane’s Glitter Bay Mysteries series, All That Shimmers. 

Q: Would you like to tell the readers of the blog and I a little bit about All That Shimmers?

A:  The Glitter Bay Mystery series is based around two sisters, Laken and Sage Miller. Sage has run Vintage Sage, a boutique store for many years until her sister Laken, a former fashion model, is forced to retire due to illness. When Sage moves to Glitter Bay, people from her past seem to follow, including her ex-husband, a B-List actor known to all. In the previous book, the women have moved Vintage Sage into a beautiful Victorian style house that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. The store takes up the main level, while Laken has moved into the upper level, which is full of surprises.

In All That Shimmers, Laken discovers her ex-husband dead in the courtyard behind Vintage Sage. The new cop in town instantly makes her and her boyfriend, a local vet, suspects. To keep from going to jail for a crime she didn’t commit, Laken befriends the handsome cop and fills in as much information as she can about her ex’s private life since his public life is in tabloids for all to read, especially when her ex’s manager and other so-called friends put in appearances.

Q: Where did the idea for All That Shimmers come from?

A:  Oddly enough, I read an article in a newspaper years ago about a woman discovering her ex-boyfriend living in her attic. It stuck with me and I figured that was definitely something Laken’s ex would do to escape trouble. He never counted on being discovered and murdered, however. Nor would Laken have thought for a hot minute that he’d follow her to Glitter Bay!

Q: What lessons do you hope readers take away from All That Shimmers?

A:  One of the things I love about the entire Glitter Bay series is that none of the women need to stand alone. They are all surrounded by a supportive community – of both men and women. Even when things don’t work out the way they hope, or when something happens to cause friction, the sisters and their friends stick together to work toward a relatively happy ending.

The world we currently live in keeps us distracted on phones, separated from loved ones by hundreds or even thousands of miles, and teaches us how toxic other people are. No one is perfect, which is exactly why I make my characters flawed. We all make mistakes. We’re all trying to make not only ourselves better, but to improve the world around us.

My favorite lesson in the whole series comes in book 2, All That Shines, when Quinn Evans teaches Sage about standing on her own two feet and being the person she longs to be. I think that’s kind of the overarching take away from all of the books. To find your inner strength and build on it!

Q: How long did it take you to write the book?

A:  The rough draft took 30 days. Editing took a couple months longer. How do I know this? I wrote it for Nanowrimo 2022. I’ve actually written a few of my books during National Novel Writing Month which happens every November. I set the goal of 50,000 words in 30 days and go. The stories ebb and flow, but I always end up with some great stuff!

This year’s work in progress is Dead Without Malice, book 6 in my Gilda Wright Mystery series.

For more info:  https://nanowrimo.org/national-novel-writing-month

You can find me on there as: DianeRB