Hello, everyone! Thanks for stopping by today. Darlene here. I was a guest on a women’s radio talk show this week (Plaid For Women), and the host asked me a question that made me think, and that I’d like to share. “What’s the most important thing you want people to remember about your books?”

My answer is that I want readers to know that when they open a Darlene Deluca novel, they’re going to find characters they can relate to – people they could be friends with in real life.

My books, regardless of whether they are straight women’s fiction or romance, are primarily about women, and for women. There’s often a friendship theme, but there are also situations and stories relating to women’s careers, parenting, home and family – issues of interest to women.

“Meetings of Chance” features sisters as friends. In “The Storm Within,” the main character deals with death and divorce, and it’s the love and support of her friends that get her though the dark times. In “Unexpected Legacy,” the heroine is a go-getter high school principal. You can imagine all the issues she deals with, and when love comes knocking, career and personal life are at odds. My most recent novel, “Something Good,” is a contemporary romance, but again, it’s not just about finding romantic love. It focuses on Mandi’s concern for others, her generosity, and her friendships. It’s about digging deep, as women often do, to overcome struggles and keep going even when times are tough.

My characters are well-rounded women who juggle careers and personal issues, and find love whether it’s through romance or solid I’ve-got-your-back girlfriends. Like I said, the kind of women you’d want to be friends with!

By the way, the next book in the Women of Whitfield trilogy, which features a group of friends in the small fictitious town of Whitfield, will release Jan. 10, 2015. The story focuses on Dana, and includes Mary and Claire from “The Storm Within.” A great place to find a friend!

Plaid For Women interview