Daily Archives: April 2, 2019

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How to Write a Zillion Books An Interview with Jacqueline Diamond by Jann Ryan

April 2, 2019 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . .

Joining us today is USA Today bestselling author Jacqueline Diamond.

Jacqueline Diamond has sold romantic comedies, medical romances, Regency romances and mysteries—more than 100 titles. A former Associated Press reporter and TV columnist, Jackie is best known for her Safe Harbor Medical romance series, beginning with The Would-Be Mommy. She currently writes a spin-off series, the Safe Harbor Medical Mysteries. Jackie has been honored with a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award and is a two-time Rita Award finalist. You can sign up for her free monthly newsletter at www.jacquelinediamond.net.

Jann: More than 100 titles!! How did you do it?

Jacqueline: One step at a time! I didn’t set out to write a zillion books; this has happened over the course of about forty years. When I was writing for Harlequin, I had to work on multiple books at once but at different points in the process. One book might be a short proposal waiting for a contract (or rejection); another book, already contracted, might be in the writing stages, while a third, completed book might require revisions at the editor’s request.

Frankly, I wish I had had more time per book, and am delighted to be self-publishing my mystery series (Safe Harbor Medical) at my own pace. When I regain rights to earlier books and prepare them for new editions, I rewrite and polish. It’s mostly minor stuff but I just didn’t have the time for it due to contracts (and need for money!).

Jann: Your Safe Harbor Medical romance series is a great success. Why switch to a medical mystery series?

Jacqueline: Three reasons. I basically felt that, in seventeen books, I’d completed the romantic storylines that felt natural for me in this setting. The second is that I’d been longing to return to mysteries (such as Danger Music, which had been published years earlier, and His Secret Son, a romantic intrigue). Third, I wanted to write and self-publish these mysteries to suit myself not some publisher’s requirements for length or subject matter.

Yet the setting and supporting characters of my fictional Safe Harbor Medical Center still resonate with me. I’ve enjoyed bringing them back to life while creating new major series characters—Dr. Eric Darcy, his PI sister-in-law Tory Golden, and a couple of frenemies, including a homicide detective and a schizophrenic doctor (sympathetic, contrary to stereotypes).

Jann: You have written Regency Romance, romantic comedies and romantic mysteries. Have you ever thought about a women’s fiction or another genre?

Jacqueline: I have also written fantasy (Shadowlight), s.f. (Out of Her Universe) and of course straight mysteries. Some of my romances border on women’s fiction (e.g. The Family Next Door, which is the first book in my Harmony Circle series).

Jann: Throughout your writing career, what changes have you seen in the romance genre?

Jacqueline: The biggest change is that the whole field has opened up. This is largely due to the freedom provided by self-publishing as well as to changes in society. Authors are no longer restricted by whatever publishers believe is selling today or subject to the whims of editors. Of course, there’s a downside as well, because we’re required (whether traditionally or self-published) to promote, promote, promote.

Jann: You have published 3 Safe Harbor Medical Mysteries, The case of the Surly Surrogate, The Case of the Questionable Quadruplet and The Case of the Desperate Doctor. Tell us about this series.

Jacqueline: My protagonist, Dr. Eric Darcy, is an obstetrician in a small town who cares deeply about his patients, family and colleagues. He’s a young widower whose closest friend is a homicide detective and whose crusty sister-in-law is a private investigator. He becomes involved in cases that affect his patients, their families and his own circle of acquaintances.

I’m sometimes put off by mysteries in which the amateur detective has no real reason to be snooping around and, frankly, would get in the way of the police. However, doctors have access to private information as well as the trust of their longtime patients, who might be reluctant to speak to authorities. In The Case of the Questionable Quadruplet, the mother of grown triplets stuns him by claiming there was a fourth baby, a quadruplet stolen from her at birth, many years ago. Was there really a lost child? If she’s still alive, where is she? When someone murders his patient, Eric believes the police are dismissing a vital clue, and feels a responsibility to the victim to discover the truth, aided by his sister-in-law. Night Owl Reviews called it “a very clever mystery where emotions and feelings ran deep.”

Jann: Is there a book 4 in the works? What can you tell about the characters and story?

Jacqueline: Currently, I’m about two-thirds of the way through the fourth mystery, The Case of the Long-Lost Lover. Eric learns that an old flame is missing and might have been trying to reach him when she disappeared. Even more stunning is the discovery that she had a baby that might have been his. When her body is discovered in an unmarked grave, he’s thrust into a quest for the truth, including the whereabouts of a girl who could be his daughter.

Look for Long-Lost Lover this fall! To make sure of being notified, you can sign up on my website, www.jacquelinediamond.net, for my free monthly newsletter. Also, you can follow me on Amazon or Bookbub.

Jann: What kind of writer are you?

Jacqueline: I jot a lot of notes before I start writing, and organize (and reorganize) them as I go. To me, it’s vital to incorporate both structure based on turning points, so that the pace never lags, and springing-to-life characters that I and the reader care about. I also place a lot of emphasis on accurate research in the medical field and in police work. My Beta readers include a retired sheriff’s investigator and an obstetrical nurse. I also consult other experts and do research online.

Jann: How do you stay motivated? What drives you to keep writing?

Jacqueline: Honestly, I knew from the age of four that I was meant to be a writer. Something inside drives me, which is fortunate, because there’ve been a lot of rejections and other setbacks along the way. If this were just a hobby, I’d have quit long ago!