Our Authors

Diane Anderson Doumas

Q: Could you share a little about yourself and what first sparked your love of storytelling?

A: I have always enjoyed writing! In my teens, I wrote songs and poetry. In college, I studied journalism and wrote for my college newspaper. When I was a stay-at-home mom, I volunteered as a reporter for a community newspaper.

Q: Can you tell us a little about what you’re currently working on?

A: My second book in the “Mack the Duck” series is almost complete. We are hoping to publish it next month.

Q: Do you prefer plotting everything out in advance, or do you let your characters surprise you as you write?

A: I usually have a story idea and think about it for a long time, trying to decide where I want the story to go before I start writing. Once I begin putting words on paper, I often discover surprising twists in the direction the story takes.

Q: What’s a recent book you’ve read that inspired you, and why?

A: When I travel in Europe, I often think about “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett. The idea of people devoting their lives to building a Gothic cathedral, knowing full well they will never see the project to completion, really sticks with me.

Q: If readers take one thing away from your writing, what would you hope it is?

A: I hope the overarching message is that everything we do, the choices we make, matter and have a ripple effect in the world around us. Knowing that, we should try to impact the world for good.

Barbara Mary Lantz

Q: Could you share a little about yourself and what first inspired you to write Power of Spirit?

I have been a singer-songwriter since I was a teenager, and writing stories seemed like a natural progression. I wrote the first draft of Power of Spirit after renting a movie called I Will Fight No More Forever. Chief Joseph's story broke my heart, and I was determined to write a happy ending to an ugly story that showed how horribly native tribes were treated. I became obsessed with uncovering all sorts of facts about him.

Q: Why did you start writing?

The first time I started writing a story was because of the news headline I was so passionate about. John Lennon told the press that the Beatles were bigger than God. It sparked this passionate crusader who wanted the world to understand why he would say that.

Power of Spirit started as a screenplay titled The Return of Chief Joseph. I was invited to the Sundance producers conference, where I pitched it to studio executives. The response was less than favorable. So I wrote the book, Power of Spirit, because I wanted the world to know this story.

Q: What message or feeling do you hope readers carry with them after experiencing your book?

What I hope the reader takes away from this story is a deep appreciation for native culture and some sense of remorse for the despicable way they were treated.

Also, I hope you enjoy the Power of Spirit song that I wrote and recorded with the Spudpuppies. We did this with the intention to sell records and raise money to help buy back the land for the Nez Perce tribe.

You can scan the barcode to listen to the song.

Created with systeme.io