Dianne Liuzzi Hagan's Blog

Read about the role animals play in A Cadence Mystery series

I’m so excited to share my interview with GO PETS! author and blogger, Marcia James. It isn’t often I get to talk about the role animals play in my books, and I enjoyed the opportunity to do so.

One lucky commenter on the GO PETS! blog will win one of my books– winner’s choice!

You can read the blog below, but please click on this link to read it at GO PETS! if you’d like to comment and enter to win a book. Here’s the link to the blog:

GO PETS!

1. I hear you have pets, as well as wild animals, in your multicultural mystery series. Tell us about the books.

I write “A Cadence Mystery” series. Six books are available and book 7 is with my editor and due to be released in December 2025. Cadence, located in the Finger Lakes region of New York, is a fictional Utopian community established in 1789 on sacred Seneca land, gifted by the Todadaho, the spiritual leader of the Six Nations of the Iroquois. This is a place where everyone is welcome, and people live in harmony with one another and with nature. The town is governed based on the Onondaga principles of equality, respect, collaboration, and unity.

But bad actors had been trying to destroy the town since its beginning. After a horrific race massacre in 1921 that left hundreds dead and hundreds more fleeing, the town agrees in a secret covenant to go into hiding for 100 years, when it is hoped that the country will have reconciled its racist past.

The stories pick up in 2021, when certain conditions of the covenant are met with the arrival of the three main characters in the book: Marian Greene, the narrator; her husband, Lester; and Enoch Shenendoah, who becomes the couple’s close friend and neighbor.

The books are character-driven cozy mysteries with strong elements of thriller/suspense, folklore, social justice commentary, and Gothic horror. Literary Titan compared my books to Louise Penny’s “Three Pines” series and Julia Spencer-Fleming’s “Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries,” while a reader review compared Fallen Deer [book 6 of the series] to Ray Bradbury’s Something Wicked This Way Comes.

Many of the stories, as I mentioned, explore the myths and legends of the First Nations People of the Americas and Africa. These are cultures that hold animals in high esteem, and animals play important roles in the Cadence stories. For example, Enoch Shenandoah has a Maine coon cat named Jí:hah, which is the Onondaga word for dog, who might or might not be a reincarnated tiger. His pet dog, Ęhní’da’, the Onondaga word for moon, is a silver-haired terrier who sometimes assists in solving crimes. Enoch, who is Onondaga, is known in the community for his special relationship and bond with animals. He’s assisted animals in crossing over and communicates with them.

Wild animals play important roles in the stories, too, and include Clear-Eyed bear, a bear with cataracts who may or may not be the reincarnation of Sheriff Craig Lawton, who dies in Stony Place (book 3), an eagle, an owl, deer, and in book 7 (yet to be released), bats. All the animals serve as warnings, messengers, or protectors, as Seneca Lake, or Assiniki, the Seneca name, releases the secrets it has witnessed. Each secret released is part of Cadence’s tragic past but is also connected to the secrets and tragedies of the present.

I’d like to highlight three of the books in the series:

Fallen Deer (A Cadence Mystery, book #6) blurb:

A penumbral lunar eclipse of the worm moon is imminent in Cadence where the spring rain is constant and the chill in the air is palpable. Lester Greene and Enoch Shenandoah are called to an emergency at the Hill Place Resort. Marian Greene decides to run errands. She is stopped in her tracks by a deer. And a dead body. When Police Chief George Powless receives a report that there are monsters in the woods, and two more bodies are discovered, chaos ensues. The community of Cadence is left to wonder once again what secret the lake is about to reveal. Will Cadence be destroyed when the secret is revealed, or will it be saved?

As far as the role of animals in the story, deer and the el cadejo of Guatemalan folklore play important roles, both as metaphors and as helpers/messengers to the people of Cadence, a sanctuary town. The town needs all the help it can get in discovering who the real bad guys are when two busloads of immigrants are sent to Cadence from one of the red border states. A secret from the past is revealed and connected to one of the passengers. The community is about to learn that the sins of the past cannot be buried and forgotten.

It’s sold on Amazon and Audible. You can purchase it here: https://tinyurl.com/25sk4r5n

Stony Place (A Cadence Mystery, book #3) blurb:

As dawn breaks on July 2, 2023, two brothers steal a vintage car, load it with assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and drive two hours to Cadence to start a race war. Their fantasy of mayhem and notoriety brings anguish and loss to the multicultural, inclusive community. Seneca Lake, known for millennia as Assiniki, or Stony Place, by the Seneca tribe, dredges up a shameful history of Cadence. Or perhaps it is the Great Serpent who orchestrates the shocking revelation. Once again, Marian and Lester Greene, Enoch Shenandoah, and their family, friends, and neighbors must rise to the challenge or lose everyone they love and the town they’ve committed to keeping safe.

This book introduces Ęhní’da’. He stops the brothers from finishing their deadly mission and teams up with Jí:hah to prevent Enoch Shenandoah from making a fatal decision.

You can purchase it here: https://tinyurl.com/3hxnxff7

Stone Coat Man (A Cadence Mystery, #4) blurb:

“What could possibly happen?” Marian Greene quips to husband Lester, as she sets out for a quiet walk in the woods. But life in Cadence is neither quiet nor easy. Stunned after a fall, Marian stumbles upon a mutilated corpse. Kneeling beside the corpse is a menacing giant. Is the ogre a figment of her imagination, or is it the Genoskwa, the mythical creature of Seneca legend?

Gunfire, a second body, and two missing people ignite a community-wide search for the answer. When hidden truths and secret agreements are uncovered, the Greenes and their friends are soon confronting their own demons and wondering, “Who is the real monster?”

In this book, Ęhní’da’ is with Marian when she goes on her walk but runs off to visit an old friend, causing Marian’s fall. He plays a crucial role in solving the mystery, too. Clear-Eyed bear is awoken from his state of torpor by nefarious characters. He serves as a protector in this book and others.

You can purchase it here: https://tinyurl.com/mu8r83jx

My cover drawings are done by Brad Jimmerson, a Seneca Nation artist. He brings my imaginings to life with his line drawings, and several of the book covers feature animals. AI covers are popular, but I’d rather stay authentic and unique, just like Cadence and the people and animals who live there.

You can purchase all “A Cadence Mystery” books here, including The Rightful Future (A Cadence Mystery, #1), The Eagle Speaks (A Cadence Mystery, #2), Improbable Future (A Cadence Mystery, # 5), and Creature of Secret Sorrows (A Cadence Mystery, #7) [to be released in December 2025]:

2. Why did you add pets to this book?

I’ve had pets my whole life. The neighbors called my childhood home The Liuzzi Menagerie. We had a cat and dog, of course. My Australian mother loved birds, so we had canaries, parakeets, and green parrots. We called them budgies. I had rabbits. We had pet turtles and goldfish. And we had a pet caiman. He wasn’t much fun.

My oldest brother was a psychology major, and when it came time to put down his lab rat, he brought him home instead and gave him to me. I named him Ratso and smuggled him into my dorm room when I went to college.

When our four-year-old twin daughters asked my husband and me for a cat, we ended up with Zara, a tabby who mostly terrorized us with her demands. I told my husband we couldn’t give her away, when he said she was mean and might seriously injure one of us. “What should I do?” I quipped. “Place a classified ad that reads, ‘Vicious cat needs good home?’”

Zara insisted we ruined her life when we brought China, our Shar-Pei, home. She made sure to remind us daily. But the two of them joined forces one evening on pizza night. China pushed the kitchen door open, and Zara jumped up on the counter to grab slices. Then, they made a run for the basement with their stash.

Our most recent pet, Ru, was a silver mini schnauzer. He was a man-about-town type, but he loved his people, especially his mama, and every night he and I would do floor time before bed. He never met a human he didn’t like, and he wore ties with panache. He kept an inventory of his toys, tossed our bed if he were angry at us, and was the only dog my mother-in-law wasn’t afraid of. She would pet him for hours. We lost Ru four years ago, when he was 15, but we still talk about him often and miss him so much. He lives on in spirit as Ęhní’da’. Here’s a pic of my handsome boy. He cut his eyes at me because he’d just come from the groomer and wasn’t happy. I know, what’s not to love?

Like my mother, I love birds. I don’t go to the beach to sunbathe. I go to photograph birds. An Eastern bluebird honors us with visits each morning. He goes from window to window searching for us. Sometimes he joins us at the dining room window, eating his worm while we eat breakfast. We talk to him, and he has a lot to say. Yes, I talk to animals and they talk back. The birders claim he’s seeing his reflection and being territorial, but we don’t believe that. Otherwise, why would he look for us? Share a meal with us? Here’s a pic of him. What a beautiful bird.

3. What other books have you written?

My two memoirs are also available on Amazon and Audible:

Another Day in Post-Racial America: To Mothers of the Black Lives Matter Movement, With Love blurb:

Dedicated to the mothers of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and set among the stories of unarmed black men, women, and children who were victims of excessive use of force and racial bias, Liuzzi Hagan’s memoir is a candid, emotionally intimate account of the devastating personal effects of politically motivated and systematized racism in America. She is white; her husband is Black. They have mixed-race twin daughters. Their relationship spans over forty years. As both a witness to and a target of racial bias, her stories, ranging from microaggressions to the truly terrifying, are told in vivid and affecting detail. Interwoven throughout the stories are appeals for empathy and insight, as well as suggestions on how to dismantle systemic racism and change the race narrative to make America safer, egalitarian, and a place where black lives matter. This is a story of shock, outrage, heartbreak, forbearance, love, and hope for her family, for the families who lost loved ones to racially motivated violence, and for America. It includes discussion questions for classrooms and book clubs.

Named one of the Best Black Lives Matter Books and Audiobooks by BookAuthority, and a semi-finalist in the North Street Book Prize 2020, you can purchase it here: https://tinyurl.com/2vem22ma

American Dreaming: A Memoir of Interracial Love, Estrangement, and Race Equality blurb:

In a country that can’t seem to close the divide between Black and white Americans, Dianne and Ronald’s enduring love shows how. In the 1940s, Liuzzi Hagan’s father, Frank, an Italian-American, met Ruth, an Australian of Irish descent, in Ryde, Australia, where he was stationed during World War II. They married and settled in Albany, New York, where Frank’s family refused to accept a foreigner into their fold. Much like our country today, the resulting division, vitriol, and isolation were overwhelming for the couple, and their relationship disintegrated into arguments and alcoholism.

Thirty years later, in 1976, their daughter, Dianne, met Ronald, who is Black, during their freshman year of college at Syracuse University. Against external judgments, threats of violence, and her family’s strong disapproval, they fell deeply in love. Unlike her parents, Dianne and Ronald found solace, equality, acceptance, and a peaceful reconciliation in their relationship–a lesson for America on healing the racial divide. Liuzzi Hagan artfully weaves the stories of two generations, who struggle against convention, with dreams, commentary about the state of systemic racism and race relations in America, and an intimate portrayal of fractured family relations.

Winner of an Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest 29th Annual Self-Published Book Awards. You can purchase it here: https://tinyurl.com/4j53aymb

4. Tell us about your kudos or reviews.

A Cadence Mystery is the winner of five Literary Titan five-star Gold Book Awards and four American Fiction Finalist Awards. Here’s what reviewers and critics are saying about A Cadence Mystery:

“What I love most is how effortlessly Hagan blends cozy small-town dynamics with high-stakes suspense. The relationships feel real—warm, complicated, and filled with the kind of teasing and deep loyalty that makes the town of Cadence feel like home. Every character feels like someone you’d meet in real life.” Literary Titan

“Small-town mysteries are nothing new, but Cadence certainly is, as are the inhabitants. It’s not simply a novel set in a small town, but a murder mystery, and not just a mystery, but one about long-buried (but still simmering) slights. It’s also a tale of community, spite, legacy, and, beyond anything else, healing. Hagan’s characters are realistic and vivid. The cast is lively and multigenerational. And Cadence, the town, is another character of sorts, the secretive kind who, when she finally does give up a secret, keeps a dozen more.” Booklife Prize

“A gripping, emotionally rich, and culturally aware mystery that exemplifies character-driven storytelling at its finest.” Reader Review

“Hagan’s ability to balance a deeply personal story of survival with a pulse-pounding mystery is exceptional.” Reader Review

5. How does the inclusion of animals help you deliver your main message to readers? 

The animals in my books are not props. They’re active participants in the stories. But they also represent truth, wisdom, knowledge, intuition, and trust. When Clear-Eyed bear nudges a shoulder with his messy snout, the receivers of his gesture must have trust that he is there to protect them. The mythical monsters that visit Cadence represent fear, secrets, distrust, sorrow, and the dark tragedies of the past and inside the hearts and minds of certain characters.

What I hope my stories convey is that although we may have cultural differences and different perspectives, one thing we share is our history. It connects us more than separates us. Much of our history is brutal and unforgiving. The legacy of colonization and subjugation hangs over us like a shroud. But I believe we can reconcile our past and heal the wounds it caused, as the characters in my books are learning to do as each awful secret from the past is revealed.

Cadence is a place that values and promotes stewardship of one another and of nature and the earth. They do that by treating everyone with respect; acknowledging each individual’s agency, which is the ability to make decisions and to act independently; and by believing that they’re on this journey together. They include, nurture, and support one another along the way, especially during the difficult times. Those simple acts can make the world a better, kinder, and more forgiving and accepting place. A place like Cadence.

Animals deserve the same respect and stewardship. They serve important roles in keeping our earth vital. We should honor them for their contributions, in the wider world, and personally in our lives. Our pets offer us unconditional love, emotional support, and joy. They teach children empathy and how to nurture and appreciate others. Some people claim animals have no souls. I beg to differ. Just like I know our Eastern blue bird is coming to visit us, not to stare at his reflection. We’re his people. And he’s ours.

6. Where can readers learn more about your books and connect with you online?

Website: https://diannelhaganauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianneLiuzziHagan
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17598423.Dianne_Liuzzi_Hagan
Amazon Author’s page: https://www.amazon.com/author/diannelhagan

WIN A Dianne L. Hagan Book!

One lucky commenter on Dianne’s interview will win one of her books—winner’s choice! So don’t forget to comment below!

MARCIA: Thank you, Dianne, for being my September interviewee!

MONTHLY BLOG EBOOK CONTEST! Would you like to win a Marcia James’ ebook? Visitors to this pro-pet blog can join in the fun, comment, and/or share photos of their pets for a chance to win one of my ebooks!

The post Author Interview at GO PETS! appeared first on Dianne L. Hagan.

Readers asked, “How do you come up with your book ideas?”

Every creative person I know has a particular way they like to create. Some people go to a cafe or coffee shop to write. Some go to exotic locations on a writer’s retreat. Others go to writing residencies where they can write and have their writing critiqued. Me? I like to write right here in my office.

When I met my husband, Ronald, fifty years ago, freshman year of college, he took me to his sculpture studio. It was so clean, I could have eaten off the floor. I didn’t understand it. Sometimes when I am at the height of creating, the space around me is blown apart.

Research books and articles totter in an unstable pile; a “junk drawer” folder exists on iCloud of things related to whatever I’m working on; Post-Its are stuck to everything with handwriting that even I can’t read at times; my worn-out, hard-covered notebook in which I scribble notes that slide up the page at sharp angles, or that are connected with arrows and circles, looks well-used. My creating space can be chaotic.

So it took me a while to understand why it was so important for some creatives to seek another place outside their daily routine, or why Ronald needs to have a pristine creating space. I took a lesson in watching the meticulous way he creates. Slow and measured. Detailed. Not afraid to start over. The clean space he needs to work unencumbered and the space some of my writer friends need away from the routine does something special for them. It frees their minds. When I understood that, it freed my mind, too. I understood my office is my creating space.

How mundane. A home office.

I won’t lie. That notebook is still a mess, and though I keep saying I’m going to start a new one, I keep squeezing more notes and folded articles into this one. I still have a few blank pages left on which to scribble my thoughts and details that I don’t want to miss, so I will keep on scribbling until there’s no place left. Ditto for the folders on iCloud. I was a career records manager who was a pro at bringing organization and access to millions of corporate records, yet my own files are left at the whim of my chaotic mind.

But my office is impeccable these days. And comfortable. And whimsical. I display glass plates of my book covers and all the awards my books have won. I have a reading nook with a rocking recliner and a stained glass floor lamp. And a TV on the wall for when I need to take a break. My desk is large and beautiful– a pleasure to work at– and situated right next to the window, with my camera always at the ready, in case a bird or butterfly comes to visit. A couple Christmas’ ago, Ronald bought me a very nice ergonomic desk chair. And then I have my whimsical kitsch: a twinkling tree with colored-glass ornaments; seashells; stuffed animals (including a mini schnauzer that looks just like my now-deceased dog, Ru, who was the inspiration for Ęhní’da’ in A Cadence Mystery series); a display of Funko Pop superheroes; photos of my kids and granddaughter, as well as a digital photo screen to display my favorite animal pics that I’ve taken over the years; and my newest edition: a metal wreath made out of ghosts!

My office is not mundane. It’s inspiring.

How can I turn out a book every six or eight months?

My writing process involves two things:

I keep my mind open to images, dreams, and ideas. It can’t be serendipity when I hear something that is relevant to my story at the time I am working on it. Unsolicited information helps me make the story better. My dreams often give me the answer to a scene I can’t get quite right, or they help me develop characters. The people of Cadence appear often in my dreams and so do the monsters.I write every day, whether it’s for a couple of hours or, at times, for up to ten or twelve hours, and never let the book I’m working on get pushed to the back of my mind. I allow my mind to work on it as I settle down to sleep, or when I’m just waking up in the morning, or cooking dinner, or cleaning up. I talk to Ronald about my projects and read him the manuscripts for his feedback. I communicate with my beta readers and editors and listen carefully to their feedback. All of that is essential to the “writing every day” mindset.I don’t stop writing. I move on to the next project.

Usually, when I turn a manuscript over to my editor, I am already thinking about the next book. The first thing that is clearly visible is the opening scene. That’s the catalyst of the story and it’s also my springboard to jump into the meat of the story. I identify one or two themes I’d like to explore in the book. Then, I begin research and taking extensive notes as I think about a storyline and which regular characters will be involved and which new characters will be introduced. I try to answer the question, “Where do I think the story is going?” And though I answer to the best of my knowledge, I don’t consider it the final answer. It gives me a roadmap and a place to begin my writing journey. I give myself the freedom of knowing I can veer off course, or go in a different direction, or even take a completely different route. My characters help me along the way to make those choices. I work like Ronald, meticulous and measured, and give my story space to reveal itself.

I once told another artist that I worked over forty years for someone else. I was a hard worker and engaged in my work. I used my creativity to problem solve. And I’ve loved just about every job I ever had. Why wouldn’t I feel the same way about writing books? I do.

So it’s no chore to write a book. Yes, it’s a discipline and it takes discipline. I’ve heard stories from so many writers saying it took a decade to write a book. There could be many reasons for that, but I’m sure one reason is that the distractions were, well, distracting.

Writing a book is hard work. It can be tedious to figure out if I have all the details straight, because mysteries rely on the details to take readers on a twisty, unknown journey. Researching different cultures and myths takes a lot of time. I feel lost sometimes when I’m trying to figure out scene placement and progression. But most of all, it’s joyful, fun, engaging, and freeing.

The icing on the cake? I love to entertain you and hear what you think about my stories.

What’s next?

Creature of Secret Sorrows (A Cadence Mystery, #7) is due to be released in December or early January 2026. It’s a gothic thriller!

Book 8, untitled, is in the incubation stage. A basic storyline is in place. Research has begun. Stay tuned! In the meantime, get caught up on the others and see what the buzz is all about!

Purchase A Cadence Mystery books here

The post My Writing Process appeared first on Dianne L. Hagan.

Fallen Deer Honored in the American Fiction Awards

I’m so pleased to announce that Fallen Deer (A Cadence Mystery, Book 6) was named a finalist in the 2025 American Fiction Awards. It was up against some stiff competition!

This is the book’s second award, and the 9th award for A Cadence Mystery! If you haven’t read the six books of this multicultural mystery series, you can order all six books on Amazon. The books are available in paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and audiobook. You can also order them on Audible.

The series is set in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Interracially married Marian and Lester Greene and their friend, Enoch Shenandoah, discover their destinies were predetermined long before they were drawn to Cadence, New York, a small town with a big secret. As they uncover the tragic, racially-charged history of the place and face external and internal threats as well as their own ghosts and imperfections, this trio realizes the hope of Cadence’s redemptive future and their own safety rest in the fulfillment a 100-year-old covenant.

Here are just a few quotes from reviews:

“Fallen Deer is a gripping, emotionally rich, and culturally aware mystery that exemplifies character-driven storytelling at its finest.” Reader Review

“Hagan’s storytelling is masterful, with a captivating plot filled with suspense and tinged with horror.” Literary Titan

“Hagan’s ability to balance a deeply personal story of survival with a pulse-pounding mystery is exceptional.” Reader Review

“The writing is a mix of sharp, punchy dialogue and beautifully immersive descriptions. It’s moments that showcase Hagan’s ability to build suspense without sacrificing the intimate, small-town feel that makes Cadence so special.” Literary Titan

“Hagan’s characters are realistic and vivid. The cast is lively and multigenerational. And Cadence, the town, is another character of sorts, the secretive kind who, when she finally does give up a secret, keeps a dozen more.” BookLife Prize

And guess what? I’m working on book 7! Stay tuned!

Purchase Fallen Deer and all the books in A Cadence Mystery series here!

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One thing I know about authors: they are artists. They paint pictures with their words. Perhaps that’s why I have always been drawn to movies, which I watch as much as I read. Both are immersive if you let them be, and I open all my senses and disappear inside them. I hope that’s what my stories do for my readers. 

BookLife Prize noted “The author’s gift for description will leave a lasting impact on readers.” While Literary Titan Book Awards wrote “The author’s meticulous attention to detail, from the vividly painted settings to the integration of folklore, creates an immersive experience that lingers with the reader.”

Most artists I know, including my husband, twin daughters, and myself, do more than one creative thing. My daughters are mostly retired dancers, but both are also visual artists and musicians and singers. One of them is an internationally-known dance filmmaker. My husband is a multiple instrument musician, singer, visual artist, photographer, and designer.

I, too, endeavor in more than one art. I take pictures of animals, mostly birds. Photographing birds gives me so much pleasure. It’s euphoric when I’m going through my take of the day and see how beautiful some of the photos are. I’m no professional. No one is standing in line to buy my photos, and my camera is a good one, but not the best. 

But my photos are personal. They capture the bird’s eyes. Their expression. Their attitude. Oh, yes, birds have attitude. And their beauty. I see beauty in even the most reviled birds, like mockingbirds, cowbirds, and crows. I’ve also had opportunities to capture both fresh water and saltwater birds. The photo below, recently taken on a trip to Cancun, is a cormorant, her brilliant turquoise and bejeweled eye staring.

Perhaps I enjoy birds so much because we always had them in my childhood home. My Australian mother was partial to canaries, and my youngest brother and I owned parakeets. One year, my oldest brother bought my mother a pair of green parrots. They were “noisy bastards” my mother often said. She called them budgies, a popular Aussie term for the green birds, and named them Pat and Mike. She averred that if she had any more children than the five she already had, she’d name them the same, “good Irish names,” she said, maybe to irritate my Italian-American father. 

My husband, Ronald, was our family photographer. He took classes as part of his art degree at Syracuse University, and I was often his model. He had a wonderful eye for capturing people just as they are, and when our twin daughters were born, he took many beautiful photos of them. Here’s a photo he took of me in college.

When I got a free digital camera as a fifteen-year anniversary gift at work, I worried my photos would be terrible compared to his. And they were. We’d go out on the boat, and I would take hundreds of photos of all the beautiful birds I saw. I couldn’t wait to share them with friends on social media. But it was so hard. The boat rocked, giving me vertigo and making it hard to keep my camera still, and the tiny digital camera, with limited zoom capability, left most of my captures blurry and tiny. Birds don’t sit and pose (sometimes the herons do), and getting aimed in time before they flew off was really difficult. Each time, Ronald would look at the photos and teach me how they could have been better and how to trust what I was seeing. Then, one Christmas, he bought me a digital camera with a zoom lens and a polaroid filter. I still had a lot to learn, but slowly my pictures improved and I learned what my eye and mind enjoyed seeing. My photos started getting likes on social media, and a few FB friends said I ought to publish a book because my photos were so beautiful. 

I know I’ll never be a professional photographer. I’d have to invest in much better equipment; lug a heavy zoom lens around; and be willing and patient enough to sit for hours amongst wet grasses and rocky shores. I’d have to learn how to manually focus with F-stops, when to use certain filters, and more. I can’t see myself doing all of that, especially the part where I am in the muck of nature, getting wet and hot. My screams, caused by being too close to spiders, bugs, and snakes, would scare the birds away.

However, there is an audience of one whom I decided might love books with my photos, and that’s my granddaughter. For the last two years, I have made photo books for her. They have titles like Nana’s Yard Birds and Nana and Papa’s Spider Condos (we have arborvitae trees in the backyard that are perfect homes for orb spiders). I also do a book of photos that I’ve taken of her, because she’s my beautiful, artistic, little sunshine.

Photography is my pastime, not my fulltime pursuit. I’d rather be an author and paint pictures with my words. But photography has taught me to trust what I see, and that has made me a better author. Click the link below to purchase my books on Amazon. They are available in paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and audiobook.

Purchase my books here

What are your artistic pursuits? Do they bring pleasure or do they elicit other emotions? How do your artistic pursuits interact and inform one another? How do they inform the way you perceive the world around you? Comment below. I look forward to reading them.

The post What Artistic Pursuit Inspires You? appeared first on Dianne L. Hagan.

Like many authors, I pour my  heart, soul, and time into writing stories that matter and that I hope will be received with anticipation. I’m always excited to hear back from my readers that they love my stories. It gives me pleasure and my own sense of anticipation when the next book is complete and ready to be released to the world.

I also rely on literary contests to get feedback on my works. They are marketing tools, because a book that has won a literary award gets needed visibility and also may help a reader decide to select that particular book over millions of others.

The latest book in A Cadence Mystery, Fallen Deer, was awarded a gold Literary Titan Book Award! That makes eight total literary awards for this series. 

And the reviews keep coming in. Here is a sample of what they are saying:

“Hagan’s writing style is lyrical yet grounded, with dialogue that feels lived-in and authentic. She skillfully balances cozy moments with the dark undercurrents of violence, injustice, and historical pain. Her prose doesn’t waste a word, and there’s a quiet power in how she lets moments unfold.” Reader Review

“Fallen Deer had me hooked from page one.” Reader Review

“What I love most about this book is how effortlessly Hagan blends cozy small-town dynamics with high-stakes suspense. The relationships feel real—warm, complicated, and filled with the kind of teasing and deep loyalty that makes the town of Cadence feel like home.” Literary Titan

“Hagan weaves a web of discord among the various characters. As an author, she proves herself adept at creating a pervasive sense of unease. Her language choices, dialogue, and the bleak tone make this a horror-mystery tale that is not to be missed.” Reader Review

“An intriguing mystery that kept me guessing the whole time. There were so many twists and turns that I could not put the book down.” Reader Review

“Hagan has a rare ability to make you care deeply for every voice in her ensemble, even when they’re flawed or in conflict. The intergenerational and multicultural dynamics in Cadence add profound richness and texture.” Reader Review

“The storytelling is beautifully layered: social commentary, mystery, and personal growth all weave together seamlessly. Fallen Deer isn’t just about solving a crime; it’s about healing, reckoning with legacy, and finding strength in community.” Reader Review

I received one other amazing piece of news this week. Every once in a while, I search my name to see if I missed any reviews or any other information about my books. One of the hits on my latest search revealed that my first memoir, Another Day in Post-Racial America: To the Mothers of the Black Lives Matter Movement, With Love, had been a semi-finalist in the North Street Book Prize 2020 literary contest! I contacted the administrator of the contest, and she verified I had indeed been a semi-finalist! I must have missed the email that announced the good news back in 2020. It was a hard time for all of us with the pandemic, and it was also the year my career as a records manager and archivist was coming to an end. So maybe I missed the email announcing the status of my submission. Or, the email went to junk mail, and I never received it. No matter. I’m happy that I learned about it five years later!

Another Day in Post-Racial America was also listed by BookAuthority as one of the best Black Lives Matter Books of all time and, after the audiobook came out last year, it was also listed as one of the Best Black Lives Matter Audiobooks. If you haven’t read it, you can purchase it on Amazon or Audible along with my second memoir, American Dreaming: A Memoir of Interracial Love, Estrangement, and Race Equality. Both books are relevant to what’s happening now in this country.

All good news for this independently published author!

Thank you for reading my books, writing those reviews, and staying in touch through this blog. Drop a comment and let me know which of my books is your favorite and why. Or, let me know what you think will happen next in Cadence, the small town with big secrets.

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Read about why I chose the title “Fallen Deer” for book 6 of “A Cadence Mystery” series, which scene I had the most fun writing, and how book 7 is coming along

Literary Titan helps independent authors showcase their work, so I am always happy to receive their professional review and to answer their questions about my latest work. Here’s the full interview, and a link at the bottom to see the interview on the Literary Titan website. I’m also excited to share a reader review of Fallen Deer.

Author Interview – Dianne L. Hagan

Fallen Deer follows a woman and her friends as the town they live in quickly spirals into an intricate mystery involving arson, hidden children, and a chilling murder that seems to connect to forces far greater than the town itself. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story? 

You might be surprised if I told you a deer fell out of the sky and landed on our car, but it’s true. My husband was driving during a rainstorm, and apparently the deer was hit by a truck in the other lane and went airborne. My husband never saw it coming since it fell from above the car. He only knew what happened because another driver stopped to tell him. He was in shock when he called me—he hadn’t even dialed 911 yet—and I was startled that a career fire lieutenant, who was trained to respond to danger, would react to a crisis the same way the rest of us do. As we talked about the accident in the weeks after it occurred, I knew it would be the catalyst scene of Fallen Deer. I just added a little Cadence extra to it. The symbolism of the falling deer gave me the title, too, and the storyline for the character who falls the farthest.

The other inspiration was the political battle over immigration reform during election season. I wanted to put a face on the individuals who sacrifice everything to come to a country where half the people hate them and describe them as “venom” or worse. What is their motivation and thinking behind the decision to embark on such a treacherous trek that may end in being sent back to the place from which they fled? What is the history of immigration and who gets to tell the story of it?

What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?

I wanted to explore greed; resilience; revenge; retribution; discovering one’s inner strengths and weaknesses; trust; redemption; and, finally, acceptance and love.

What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

Aside from the opening scene of the falling deer, I liked writing Oliver’s journey of self-discovery. His is a late coming-of-age story, and his scenes are fraught with terror, insecurity, angst, comic relief, and glimpses into his parents’ intrusive relationship with him. Oliver first appeared in Stone Coat Man (A Cadence Mystery #5), where he shied away from the action. I wanted to dig deeper into his story and take him on his personal journey from shy, reticent kid, whose parents still send him care packages of essentials, to a self-reliant adult, who may not like where his thoughts are taking him, but who knows he’s the only one in a position to act upon them. The scene in which he envisions his vehicle passenger and a huge stag standing in front of the vehicle as Minecraft characters was really fun to write, but I am no gamer. I had to do research and then revise and revise to get the right balance of humor and suspense. I especially enjoyed writing the dialog between Oliver and his passenger.

What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?

 I don’t have a title yet for the book I’m working on now, but it will be book 7 of the series, A Cadence Mystery, and it’s going to be a frightful thriller! I’ve had nightmares about the asanbosam, a creature from Ghanian mythology, that appears in the book. Often, my dreams take my books in directions I hadn’t considered, or they resolve questions when I feel stuck or suffer writer’s block, so I am always open to what they show me. The book deals with a terrible chapter in our history, doppelgangers, and the power of suggestion. I’m about 36,000 words in and plan to release the book in December 2025. 

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17598423.Dianne_Liuzzi_Hagan

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/diannelhagan.bsky.social      

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DianneLiuzziHagan/

Website: https://diannelhaganauthor.com

https://literarytitan.com/2025/03/15/treacherous-trek/: Author Interview at Literary TitanPurchase book here

5-star reader review of Fallen Deer that appeared on Goodreads:

Fallen Deer had me hooked from page one. Picture this: you’re driving down a rainy road, minding your own business, when, bam!, a deer falls out of the sky onto your car. If that’s not bizarre enough, a dead body follows right after. And from there? Things only get wilder.

This was my first book in the Cadence Mystery series, and now I need to read the rest ASAP. Marian Greene, our protagonist, is that one friend who always finds herself in the middle of chaos, whether she wants to or not. The town of Cadence may be small, but it’s packed with secrets, and I loved how the story blended mystery, history, and even a touch of folklore (because of course there’s a mythical monster involved).

Hagan’s writing is sharp, the dialogue crackles with personality, and the pacing is spot on. I devoured this book way too fast. If you love twisty mysteries, unforgettable characters, and small towns where everything happens, you won’t want to miss this one.

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Fallen Deer (A Cadence Mystery #6)

I’m so excited to announce that Fallen Deer (A Cadence Mystery #6) is now available on Amazon in paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audiobook edition. The audiobook is also available on Audible.

Excerpt from Fallen Deer

A penumbral lunar eclipse of the worm moon is imminent in Cadence, New York, where the spring rain is constant and the chill in the air is palpable. Lester Greene and Enoch Shenandoah are called to an emergency at the Hill Place Resort. Marian Greene decides to run errands. She is stopped in her tracks by a deer. And a dead body. When Police Chief George Powless receives a report that there are monsters in the woods, and two more bodies are discovered, chaos ensues. The community of Cadence is left to wonder once again what secret the lake is about to reveal. Will Cadence be destroyed when the secret is revealed, or will it be saved?

I hope you will join the community of Cadence as they discover which unexpected guests are in need and which are in want; and which ones seek refuge and which ones seek retribution. This fast-paced mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat!

“I highly recommend this series.”Reader Review5-star review

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Podcaster, Rosemary Armao, asked Victoria Houston and me to join her for a conversation about murder! And I’m so glad she did. We’re mystery writers and we talked about why we chose the mystery genre over others; our writing processes; our characters; and how we find ideas for future novels. I hope you’ll drop in and take a behind the scenes look at how the writing gets done.

Click here to hear the Podcast

You can purchase A Cadence Mystery series on Amazon and Audible in paperback, Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and Audiophile, or click on the link below:

Purchase A Cadence Mystery Series books

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The second award for this suspense-filled thriller!

Improbable Future was awarded its second award, the Gold Literary Titan Book Award. A Cadence Mystery series has now racked up SEVEN awards! Here are just a few snippets from the editorial reviews of Improbable Future:

Hagan’s storytelling is masterful, with a captivating plot filled with suspense and tinged with horror.

~ Literary Titan

Madison’s story is fascinating, her history horrific, and her chosen family has plenty of baggage as well.

~ The BookLife Prize

Purchase on Amazon

In other exciting news, my next book, Fallen Deer, is in the hands of my beta readers! Release will be in early 2025! You still have time to catch up on ALL the books from A Cadence Mystery series. Find them on Amazon and Audible! They are also great gifts for all the readers on your holiday shopping list, especially if they enjoy suspense, thrillers, multicultural books with a social justice theme, and “storytelling [that] is masterful!”

Purchase all the books in A Cadence Mystery Series

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Accountability and Redemption found in Improbable Future

Discover what I find interesting about the human condition and how I explore it through my characters in my stories.

LITERARY TITANAccountability and RedemptionBy Literary-Titan on August 17, 2024Dianne L. Hagan Author Interview
Improbable Future follows a woman who is trying to rebuild her life after facing numerous setbacks and decides to confront the traumatic events from her past by returning to the place she escaped from as a teenager, in order to uncover the mysteries that have haunted her. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?I draw from news stories and think about how the individuals involved would think, act, and feel in those situations. What gets them through unbearable times in life? What role does hope or the lack of it play in getting through those times? What are the lasting effects of trauma? How is trauma manifested in the individual? How does trauma affect that individual’s future and future generations? What happens when trauma is so overwhelming one can’t recover? Those are the questions I explored in Improbable Future.

What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?I find all of it interesting. I’ve been a people watcher since I was a child. When I look at someone I wonder what that person’s story is, because we all have stories. If anyone brags their life is perfect, they’re lying. Life is imperfect. The human condition is imperfect. And it can be difficult, sad, and sometimes terrifying. It’s what you do with what life hands you. It’s what you learn about yourself and others from the experience and how you evolve. It’s also about accountability and redemption. And while there are difficult times, there are also times of love, joy, and belonging. How do we navigate among them? That’s what I explore in my stories. What’s really important to me is that fiction allows me to explore the human condition in an intimate way through my characters.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?The family you were born into and the family you find. Sometimes they are one and the same. Sometimes they are polar opposites. As with the series overall, this book deals with the big themes of racism, misogyny, inequality, and physical and psychological abuse. New to this book is the exploration of religion and how it can be corrupted through power and control, and the way in which one’s faith and beliefs are challenged.

Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Cadence’s family and friends and the direction of the next book?I’m so excited about book 6 of the series. I’m working on it now, and it will be released in early 2025. It’s titled Fallen Deer and is about two busloads of undocumented immigrants who are sent to Cadence, a sanctuary city, by the governor of one of the border states. As with all the books in the series, this book is also about current events and putting a face on the people experiencing it.

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Purchase Improbable Future

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