Dianna Nicolai

My Writing

My mother gave me some papers recently, which were written in grade school, so apparently I began writing at a very young age. But I didn't start writing professionally until 1988, shortly after I won the Golden Poet award at a poetry conference in  California for my poem Mother. An editor/publisher I met at that conference invited me to write for her magazine, United Poets Press.

Over the next years, I won a few more poetry awards and had articles published in newspapers and magazines.

When my first novel, A Love Like That, was published, I resigned as Director of the Riceville Public Library and began writing full time, mostly for Evans Printing and Publishing, owners of six newspapers in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, and Womeninc Magazine. In April of 2010, I retired from the newspaper and worked on completing my second novel, Mountain of Love, which was released in November.

 I have also been privileged to speak at various groups and teach about writing at several conferences.

I have to admit to being hooked on acting lately. I had a major part in one play and have written and acted in six one-act one-person skits.

It’s all lots of fun – God has surely blessed me.

My Family

For most people talking about their family would be straightforward and simple, but for me it is sometimes difficult due to losing two of my children. I gave birth to three sons – Craig, Chris and Casey, and have a stepson, Troy, and stepdaughter, Josie, from my husband Delgene.

 Craig is married to Kellie and has four daughters – Courtney, Taylor, Morgan and Cierra. They live near Des Moines, Iowa.

Chris died when he was 16 years old. Casey died at age 33 and left behind children Cole and Cayla. Troy is married to Kim and they have two children, Addison and Jack, and live near Mankato, Minnesota. Josie is married to Troy (no, not her brother). They have two children, Sydney and William, and live in Zumbrota, Minnesota