M. Diane Vogt

 

M. Diane Vogt is the author of three novels in the Judge Wilhelmina Carson Series, Silicone Solution, Justice Denied, and just out in 2002, Gasparilla Gold. Diane is currently working on the fourth novel in the series, Six Bills. A lawyer by training and in practice for over twenty years, Diane is also an experienced public speaker, presenter and educator. Diane is a member of Mystery Writers of America and editor of The Rap Sheet, the quarterly newsletter of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. She has been a presenter and panelist at several mystery conferences, including SleuthFest, BoucherCon, Malice Domestic and the Edgar's Symposium. Diane is also a member of the Edgar Committee for Best Paperback Original published in 2002. Diane received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education, with great distinction, from Oakland University in 1974 and her Juris Doctor degree, cum laude, from Wayne State University in 1980, where she was Associate Editor of the Wayne Law Review.

Diane was an Adjunct Professor, teaching trial advocacy, at Wayne State University Law School for several years. Diane lives with her husband, Robert, and their Schnauzer, Molly, in Tampa and Northern Michigan. Visit Diane online http://www.mdianevogt.com

 

Pageonelit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing
a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

M. Diane Vogt: I grew up in Utica, Michigan, a far north suburb of Detroit. When I lived there, it was small and mostly a farming community. There weren't many kids in my neighborhood, so I did a lot of reading. I read anything and everything available to me, but I liked mysteries the best. Early on, I read Nancy Drew, of course. Then, Helen McInnes, Agatha Christie, and later Rex Stout and John D. MacDonald and others. I loved the puzzle aspects of the stories, figuring out whodunnit. My Dad and I would watch Perry Mason together and match our wits against his. We knew Perry's client was always innocent, so it was fun to see if we could figure out who the real guilty party was and what motivated him. That love of mysteries stayed with me through law school, law practice, and now my writing career.

 

Pageonelit.com: Why do you write?

M. Diane Vogt: Because I can. I have come to believe that writing is a gift, like other talents, and that one should not waste one's gifts. I love writing and everything about the writing life. I write every day, and I have for years. If I stopped loving it, I'd quit.

 

Pageonelit.com: Tell us about your novel GASPARILLA GOLD?

M. Diane Vogt: GASPARILLA GOLD is a story that I loved researching and writing because it focuses on Tampa's much smaller version of Mardi Gras, Gasparilla. The novel is set during Gasparilla month and all of the major events of the month are settings for the events in the book. We have the Parade of Pirates, the Illuminated Night Parade, the Distance Classic and the Festival of the Arts. These times have provided me and my friends with great fun and entertainment. Now, readers can share in our festival--and maybe come to visit during Gasparilla month, too!

 

Pageonelit.com: Alot of authors like Florida for their settings (ex:Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard ---) What is about Florida that you like for your setting?

M. Diane Vogt: Florida is a magical place--but don't tell anyone, they might want to move here! I loved reading about Florida myself long before I moved here. John D. MacDonald and Lawrence Sanders wrote about aspects of Florida that intrigued me. Florida has something for everyone--unless what you want is snow! Tampa, in particular, is a great place to live and a wonderful setting for mysteries. The Cuban heritage at one end of the spectrum and the Buccaneers on the other provides great fodder for stories.

 

Pageonelit.com: You are a practicing lawyer --- How much of your day job is in your heroine, Judge Willa Carson?

M. Diane Vogt: Lots. One of my goals is to write realistically about being a lawyer and practicing law--without being boring or reflecting lawyers in a falsely negative light, as some writers do. My view is that being a lawyer is one of the best jobs on Earth. But, like most jobs, lawyering is often just tedious work, frankly. I leave those parts out! And Willa is much more eccentric and flamboyant than any real judges I know. But other than that, the world Willa lives in is a realistic depiction of lawyers and the judicial system everywhere--the good and the bad.

 

Pageonelit.com: What has been your feedback from readers and book reviewers regarding your books? What do they like about the books?

M. Diane Vogt: Willa has been called "the most likeable heroine to come along in years!" by reviewers and that pretty much sums up how readers feel about her, too. Readers like the Tampa setting and the humor in the books. Willa's husband George is also popular. And all that scrumptious food!

 

Pageonelit.com: Tell me about your publishing experience -- The good, the bad and the ugly..

M. Diane Vogt: Like most things in life, you never really know what something is going to be like until you do it yourself. I've had mostly great experiences with all three of my publishers. Generally, publishing takes way too long, royalties are too low and slow coming in, and the promotion takes up much more time than I expected. I enjoy connecting with readers and getting their feedback. And sharing the love of books with writers and booksellers is a true joy.

 

 

Pageonelit.com: What's next?

M. Diane Vogt: The fourth Willa Carson novel is finished and with my agent. It's title is SIX BILLS. It's about six guys named Bill who were the members of a garage band in college at the University of Tampa. They went to Woodstock in 1969 and what happend there changed their lives forever. When one of them is murdered, Willa is asked to help, and she feels she can't refuse.After that is the fifth novel, tentatively titled WISHFUL THINKING, which I'm working on now.

Pageonelit.com: What was the last book you read?

M. Diane Vogt:To Kill a Mockingbird. It's been re-released and I hadn't read it in years. Before that, I'd finished "P is for Peril" by Sue Grafton, one of my favorite writers. I read widely, in most genres. But I enjoy mysteries most.

 

Pageonelit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing.

M. Diane Vogt: I enjoy going to the movies, both the art films and mainstream. I travel quite a bit and I love gourmet cooking as well as eating in fine restaurants. I also enjoy music and driving my car--Willa had such a good time with Greta that I had to get the same car! All of these pursuits end up in my books, one way or another.