Kalispell, MT, August 17, 2024 –Diane Merrill-Wigginton of Kalispell, Montana, has been named a Woman of the Month for August 2024 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized) for her outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of writing and publishing.
About Diane Merrill-Wigginton
Diane Merrill-Wigginton began her career as an author at the age of 50. She is the founder of Jeweled Dagger Publishing and has published several novels and a children’s book. Diane’s novels are a mix of romance, suspense, and adventure, appealing to readers who enjoy complex characters and engaging plots.
“I always wanted to be a writer, but between working full-time and raising my children, I didn’t do anything about it until I was nearly 50. Then I figured that life was too short to miss out on my dream. My first book took me six months to write,” said Merrill-Wigginton.
Merrill-Wigginton’s published works include “Angelina’s Secret”, “Isabella’s Heart,” “Olivia’s Promise,” “Lara’s Story,” “A Compromising Position,” and the children’s book “The Secret of One-Eyed Cogburn, the Dreaded Pirate Captain,” available in both English and Spanish. She has a seventh book in progress. Diane’s books are available on Amazon and her award-winning Jeweled Dagger series is available to order through Barnes and Noble bookstores or Amazon.
A multi-award-winning author, Merrill-Wigginton has received numerous accolades for her work, including the Benjamin Franklin Digital Award (Angelina’s Secret); the Most Inspiring Author Award 2017 from International Writers Inspiring Change (The Jeweled Dagger Series); the Reader’s Choice Awards 1st place Historical Fiction 2019 (Lara’s Story), the Reader’s Choice Awards Grand Prize Winner 2019 (Lara’s Story); the Outstanding Creator Awards 2023 1st place Suspense (A Compromising Position); the Outstanding Creator Awards 2023 2nd place Romance (A Compromising Position); the Outstanding Creator Awards 2023 2nd place Women’s Fiction (A Compromising Position); the Outstanding Creator Awards 2023 Honorable Mention Best Character (A Compromising Position); The BookFest Awards 1st place Winner Fiction Romantic Suspense (A Compromising Position); the 2023 International Firebird Book Award Winner Suspense Romance (A Compromising Position); the Readers’ Favorite 2023 International Book Awards Finalist Romance-Suspense (A Compromising Position); the IAN Book of the Year Awards 2023 (Independent Author Network) Finalist Romance “A Compromising Position” and the 2023 Global Book Awards Silver Medal. Her children’s book, “The Secret of One-Eyed Cogburn, the Dreaded Pirate Captain” was the 1st place recipient of the Literary Titan’s Book Award and won 1st place from the BookFest 2024 Spring Book Awards.
Diane was born in Riverside, California but moved to San Diego, California when she was seven. She spent her summers in Burley, Idaho on her grandparent’s farm, riding horses, learning to herd cattle, taming wild kittens, and dreaming of becoming a rodeo queen. Diane met her husband Dave at a New Year’s Eve Dance in 1997 and married him by March 20, 1998. They have a blended family with six children and 11 grandchildren. In 2017, Diane and her husband retired, sold everything, and moved to Kalispell, Montana.