When I was a kid, I used to get spanked for telling tales. Now I get paid for it! Ah, such is the life of a fiction writer.

Hi, I'm DiAnn Mills and I'm one of the new kids on the block at Avon Inspire. I live in Texas, the Lone Star State, where history and adventure are carved out of ordinary people and presented in novels and across the screen.

Texas provides the perfect setting for tales of adventure. Here you can find cowboys and rodeos, deserts and mountains, bluebonnets and cactus, rattlesnakes and alligators, trail rides and space exploration.

You name it and Texas has it. The romance and intrigue of those who helped build this state weave powerful stories. But it's the stories about the courageous people who stand tall and make this state what it is today that captures the readers' attention.

Let me introduce you to my February 2008 release!

AWAKEN MY HEART is set back in 1803, when Texas was known as Tejas, a colony ruled by Spain. Indians, Mestizos (native-Spanish lineage), and the elite ruling class of the Spanish lived and died here. The priests living in the Catholic missions helped educate and train the people in various crafts and how to serve God. From this culture was born my story of forbidden love.

Which brings me to one of my greatest heroes--Zorro. Who can forget the handsome, daring, masked man who championed the poor and fought the injustices of his people? His flashing sword, generous smile, and chivalry would bend the strongest woman's resolve. It also helped Zorro's cause to be portrayed by Antonio Banderas in THE MASK OF ZORRO (1998) and THE LEGEND OF ZORRO (2005).

Is it no wonder that I call AWAKEN MY HEART my Zorro book? My hero, Armando Garcia, is passionate about the cause of his poverty-stricken people, but his passion also extends to Marianne Wharton, the daughter of a wealthy American rancher. The wealthy and the peasant. The Diablo and his angel. And her daddy ain't happy. Oops! I mean Marianne's father is out for blood.

This isn't the first book I've written about historical Texas. The Texas Legacy Series was set in the period of the Old West when lawlessness and unscrupulous characters crawled out from under rocks and attempted to claim the state. I chose unlikely heroes and heroines who made a spirited stand for what they believed in.

Hop into the saddle and grab the reins. This ride is sure to keep you up all night. Check out my website at www.diannmills.com and sign up for my newsletter!

DiAnn Mills