Get to know Dineen…

Dineen Miller readily admits one of life’s greatest lessons is that there’s purpose in our trials. Her years as a youth counselor, Stephen Minister, women’s ministry leader, and small group leader fuel her desire to ignite the souls of others through words of truth.

In addition to writing for Spiritually Unequal Marriage, Dineen is the co-author of Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage and author of The Soul Saver.

She lives in the Bay Area with her husband, two precious daughters, and their dog Shasta, who no doubt is an angel in disguise. Be sure to check out her newest book, coming soon, titled Central Park Rendezvous. To learn more about her books, visit her website.

Let the conversation begin!

What initially drew you to writing?

I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. I loved to write poetry in high school, then wrote a lot of what you might call devotionals over the years. It’s just always been a part of my life. I had periods that I didn’t write, but I’ve always been actively creative in some way. I get grumpy if I’m not. LOL!

What was your favorite book to write?

Whatever book I’m writing at the moment. Funny how it works out that way. I’m glad it does because I don’t think I’d like to write a book I didn’t feel passionate about.

Who or what inspires you?

God, the Bible, my family, my friends, seeing a person make a sacrifice for a complete stranger. Inspiration is all around us. We just have to look for it.

Where do you get your ideas?

Lots of places. From reading about the characters in the Bible, a news story, from my own life. 

Tell us about your first novel, The Soul Saver.

It’s a story of a heroine who translates into sculpture faces of people God gives her to help. Her husband is an atheist, and her latest “mission” is a pastor who has a demon for a sidekick.

I wrote this book to reflect the struggles and intense spiritual warfare that’s inherent in mismatched marriages. My own husband is an atheist so I had lost of experience to draw upon. Plus, as I was writing it, my daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We spent a lot of time at Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital which is connected to the Stanford hospital grounds and university. This was all part of my setting in The Soul Saver. Amazingly, I had that in place before my daughter was diagnosed. Again, more hands-on experience to draw upon.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Don’t compare yourself to other writers. Early on I never felt like a real writer because I didn’t seem to fit anyone’s mold of what a writer was. Don’t compare what you do and HOW you do it to other authors and writers. Glean what you can from them, then do what WORKS for you. It’s not easy, but it’s a whole lot more peaceful.