Hello, everyone! Welcome to this weeks author interview with Dienece Darling!

Before we get into the interview, I wanted to take a moment to share a little about Dienece’s upcoming book.

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The vicar’s son and the draper’s daughter have fought against all odds to be together, but a storm is coming. One that will shatter everything.

Life hasn’t been easy for Obadiah Howard, especially not after that misstep at Oxford which nearly obliterated his chances of ever joining the church. Added to that, he fell in love with the draper’s daughter, Eliza Hill. But a miracle revived his dreams of having a curacy and his strict father allowed his betrothal to Eliza. Only, what if there was no miracle? What if all of Obadiah’s bright future is built on a lie?

Eliza Hill never expected a gentleman to pay her court, let alone ask for her hand in marriage. With their wedding day less than a fortnight away, life is an impossible dream come true. Although, it would be nice if Obadiah called her Eliza instead of the more genteel Elisabeth, and she finds the rigors of acting like a perfect lady stifling. But, surely, being married to the man she loves will be worth wearing a mask for the rest of her life.

When the fierce storms of life break over their world, the cracks in their relationship don’t just show. They shatter. Can two hearts torn apart by pride find their way back to each other?

Expected Release Day:
October 10, 2025

Genre(s):
Historical Christian Romance
Broader Regency

| Goodreads || Amazon |

Hello, and welcome to Books Less Travelled! I’m so glad to have you join us here today. To start off, care to tell us a little about yourself and the stories you write?

Hi, I’m Dienece Darling, and that’s pronounced Denise. My mother picked my name for its unique spelling. And I’ve always loved that I’m the only one of my sisters my mum named. Dad hogged the other two, and when I came along last, Mum insisted she got to pick my name. Which has always made me feel special.

As a kid, I wasn’t a good reader. But we didn’t have a TV, and my whole family read books for entertainment. I tried so hard to keep up, and for years, I really struggled. But all we had was books! So, I persevered partly to keep from being bored, partly because I liked the idea of reading (thought it would make me look smart), and partly because I wanted to be like my family. It took a while, but I got better at it. Now I’m the bookworm of the family, up all hours of the night reading and even writing books. 🙂 And I love it!

That’s so neat! I love the spelling, and that your mom picked it.
I was also a slow bloomer and took a while to be able to read on my own. I read all the time now, but always struggled as a child to be able to read. It’s interesting the things we struggle with at first, and then years later seeing which of those things we had dedicated so much time too actually stay important to us.

1. What is your favorite part of the writing process?

When the characters really start to come alive. This can happen at the beginning when I’ve been playing with ideas for a book. It can even come somewhere in the middle when something finally clicks into place, or when I’ve finally figured out the character’s voice. Since I write in first person, it can take me a little bit to work out how my character talks, what their verbal tics and cadence is. But it’s a lot of fun when I do figure it out!

Oooh, that does sound like a fun part! I know as a reader I always love when I truly connect with a character or their story, it changes the whole reading experience. I imagine being the author, it’s like that but perhaps even better in a way, since you have the added benefit of getting to write their story along the way.

2.  What type of scenes do you find are the hardest for you to write? Which scenes are your favorite to write? Why?

Ugh, when I have to explain what happened in between scenes. Some things would be boring if I wrote them, but the reader still needs to know what happened. So, trying to quickly sum up the pertinent information in a creative and interesting way is the worst! I write and rewrite those all the time.

As to which are my favourites, the romance scenes are a lot of fun to write, and I also love putting my characters in moments when they have to face themselves, what they fear, believe, their past, and their future. I have a lot of fun writing those. Although they can be hard to write sometimes as well. I spend most of my time editing the spiritual and character journeys in my story.

I think transitions and the scenes from point A to B are the most common answer I’ve seen from authors on this question, and no wonder! I think it’s natural for us as humans to want to get to the ‘next big thing’ whether it’s a romance scene, action, or something else. It’s those little things and in-betweens that we struggle with, and it’s interesting to hear that it’s that way with writing too.

I love that you mentioned enjoying the scenes where characters are forced to face personal challenges though. As a reader, I know I love these scenes, and they are a great place for character growth, but also really make the reader think and self-reflect at times too. Romance is another fun one, but when included together in a book the balance of personal growth and a touching romance can make some of the most wonderful stories.

3. What’s the most interesting thing you’ve learned while researching for a book?

There are so many! But my latest weird moment happened when I learned that the red dye made from insects used back in the Georgian/Regency times for fabrics and food is still being used today in some countries for dyeing food red. I thought that was interesting and a little bit gross too.

Haha, true! I had heard of them using it today, but never realized they used the same sort of red dyes all those years ago! It’s always fascinating to realize where things come from, and how old some practices really are. I hadn’t even thought of it being over a hundred years old, and likely fairly common at some point after that. Definitely gross to think about, especially for foods, but interesting nonetheless!

4. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I hate picking! There are so very many great authors. But if I have too, I love Erica Vetsch, Susanne Dietze, Toni Shiloh, Amanda Dykes, and many, many others. I did mention I’m the bookworm of the family, didn’t I? 🙂 

Ah, very true! I think we all hate this question, and yet the answers never lack value. I admit that my answer for this one is always changing and often reflects my most recent reads, not necessarily ‘favorites’ overall. This is a wonderful list, thank you!

5.  If you had to describe your book(s) to a new reader in just three words, what words would you choose to let them know what to expect from your stories?

History, faith, and love

That sounds delightful!

6.  What is a trope you adore, but rarely hear talked about?

I hate calling this a trope because that sounds terrible. But side characters with mental disabilities in romance books. I see it a bit more in suspense and thriller novels and usually in a negative way. I’d like to see more positive portrayals of this in romance.

Yeah, trope tends to have a negative connotation, but the themes and story elements we adore are beloved for a reason, even if it’s difficult to find more positive terms for them. I do love your point here. We don’t see much of that, although it might be slightly more common and even acceptable, as I’ve seen a few more positive examples occasionally. I don’t think the mental disabilities are very often addressed directly, but there are times when I’ve noticed it in a more positive light lately.

7.  What can readers expect to find in your upcoming book(s)?

Right now I’m working on Broader Regency. So picture Jane Austen in her late teens to early twenties with strong and relevant faith themes.

Interesting! I hadn’t heard that term before talking to you, but I do know that the ‘regency’ period was actually rather short, so the need for some branching out in stories regarding that time period makes sense and has me intrigued!

8.  What makes a good story?

When I get lost in the story and it makes me think. I love sweet thoughtful stories which encourage my faith, but of course, there needs to be a good romance going on too!

This sounds like the making of a lovely read!

9.  Is there a historical time period you would like to try writing that you haven’t yet?

Well, I’ve written quite a few books that aren’t published, and those include Western, Australian (historical and modern), Georgian, Regency, Victorian… To be honest, if I wanted to write it, I used to write it! I’ve narrowed my genre down mostly because I needed to stop writing and start publishing.

Interesting! I think this one’s often an either or, and the author had written everything or hasn’t tried branching out much at all, at least not yet. I love that you’ve tried so many different time periods, and are focusing on one you enjoy. That’s the beauty of art, and I’m excited to see you getting to publish your stories.

10.  What is a piece of advice that you’ve found helpful as an author?

Write what you love and what resonates with you. And find a way to match it to reader expectations. You don’t have to tick all the so-called boxes. You do want to be unique, but there is a fine balance between unpleasantly weird and wonderfully unique. 😉 In time, you’ll work it out!

This is wonderful advice! I love hearing the excitement and passion for what you do in this reply, and absolutely love that reminder to be unique, while still balancing it with the reader’s expectations. I think this often comes with branding and with the author finding their own ‘voice’ in the stories they write, but also likely comes from the concept to ‘write what you love’ since many writers are also readers, it makes sense for them to have a preferred style or ‘feel’ too. You put that so beautifully in your answer, and I’m excited to see you living out that advice as you pursue publishing your stories. May they be a blessing to you and your readers.

What a lovely interview. I’m so glad I got to feature Dienece Darling here on Books Less Travelled today, and had so much fun talking with her and working on this interview together. We also have another surprise coming up, so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, if you would like to know more about Dienece Darling, or would like to support her and connect on social media, I have included a link to the places your can find her and her books down below.

Multi-Award Finalist, Dienece Darling is a former Georgia Belle and missionary’s kid who calls Australia home these days with her Aussie husband and two sons. Her first name is a variant spelling of Denise.

As a teen, Dienece would greet the dawn with a paperback in hand, but she constrains herself now to eBooks and the more respectable hour of midnight. Her eyes and pocketbook might be grateful for the invention of eBooks, but Dienece still loves a good paperback whenever possible. Libraries are one of her favourite places to visit. Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by books?

Dienece writes first-person inspirational historical romance and was a finalist in the ACFW First Impressions Contest 2024 and 2023, the Florida West Coast Writers Competition 2023, and the CALEB Award 2022. Dienece was also a semi-finalist for the ACFW Genesis Contest 2022.

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| Newsletter | Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook |

Where to Buy –
| A Heart to Treasure || Hearts Unknown |

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