About Diane
I am a high school English teacher, author of three novels and two novellas, and a watercolor artist from Central Massachusetts.
After ten years of Sunday-morning writing sessions and trading manuscripts, in the fall of 2022, Stephanie Monahan and I decided to start a joint venture of holiday-themed romantic novellas under the pen name Adele Adair. Steph and I share a love of tea, chocolate, reading by the fireplace, and books with happy endings, and we're excited to use our new alter-ego Adele to inspire fun and romantic stories.
In a happy outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have also returned to my childhood love of art. I am an associate member of both the New England Watercolor Society and the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, as well as a member of Arts Worcester. You can follow my painting progress on instagram, @dianepaintsflowers and you can subscribe to my Substack to be the first to know about upcoming art classes and events, and to read my meditations on art and life and juggling a busy day job with a thriving creative practice.
When I’m not teaching, writing, and painting, I can be found rock climbing or mountain biking with my hubby, strumming my guitar and singing sad, sappy folk songs, or spending long hours in my kitchen baking homemade bread.
About My Books
What She Inherits (2017) was named an Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest 25th Annual Self-Published Book Awards. My first novel, Watch Me Disappear (2012), was a finalist in the Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Book Awards in the Young Adult category in 2013, and my second, The Latecomers Fan Club (2013), was named a 2014 IndieReader Discovery Award winner. In 2015, I released a brief guide book to self-publishing called The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing. From 2012 to 2018, I was the managing editor of The Worcester Review.
Seven Fun Facts about diane
- I regularly participate in three sports, none of which involving throwing and catching, but all of which involve helmets: Mountain biking, downhill skiing, and rock climbing!
- I make the best sourdough waffles ever using my husband's grandmother's waffle iron.
- I used to be absolutely terrified of all dogs, and then my husband and I rescued our dog Amelia. Amelia only loves us. She is not interested in anyone else. Dogs like Amelia are the reason you have to ask, "Can I pet your dog?" instead of just petting strangers' dogs, because she might bite you. And yet she cured me of my fears. I love all the dogs now!
- In college, I took more French classes than English classes. I'm not a great French speaker these days (not enough practice!) but I love the language and culture.
- I got my first guitar for my 23rd birthday when my parents were trying to cheer me up after a big break up. The first long I learned to play was "Iowa" by Dar Williams.
- For my 16th birthday, my parents got me tickets to see the Grateful Dead at Giants Stadium. How cool are my parents?
- My idea of the perfect day involves being outdoors as much as possible with no smartphones or computers anywhere in sight.