- Diane Fanning
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Diane Fanning Born Diane Lynn Butcher
June 21
Baltimore, MarylandOccupation Crime writer Nationality United States Period 2000-present Genres Crime fiction Subjects True crime
dianefanning.comDiane Fanning is an American crime writer who writes nonfiction and mystery novels.
Contents
Biography
Early life and education
Fanning was born Diane Lynn Butcher in Baltimore, Maryland. She attended Perry Hall High School, then Lynchburg College in Virginia, where she majored in chemistry.
Career
After college, she wrote for the advertising field, earning more than 70 Addy Awards for her work. During that time, she also wrote magazine articles and personal essays as a freelance writer.
Her career shifted into nonprofit work with a move to New Braunfels, Texas. Fanning worked for fundraising groups, including Another Way Texas Shares[1] and the National Association for Choice in Giving. She began her first book while living in Texas and eventually quit her nonprofit day job to write full time. In addition to writing books, she is co-founder of Women in Crime Ink,[2] described by the Wall Street Journal as "a blog worth reading."[3]
One of her titles, Written in Blood, received an Edgar Award nomination.[4]
In 2002, Fanning corresponded with serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells, who, in a letter to Fanning, confessed to murdering 10-year-old Joel Kirkpatrick, whose mother was convicted of killing her son. Fanning's testimony before a prison review board about her letter from Sells, according to the Innocence Project, helped land Harper a new trial and, ultimately, an acquittal. Fanning's book, Through the Window, which details Sells' crime spree, was also said to help prove Harper's innocence.[5] In 2011, Fanning was given the Defenders of the Innocent Award by the Illinois Innocence Project for getting the confession from Sells.[6]
Fanning has been interviewed for national TV news shows, including CBS's "48 Hours Mystery" in November 2009.[7] She regularly makes speaking appearances, including, as examples, the Texas Book Festival[8] and, locally, the Blanco (Texas) Woman’s Club.[9] In November 2009, 48 Hours' "Crimesider" column featured her in a story about the Casey Anthony case.[10]
Personal life
Diane and Wayne Fanning have three children: Pete Fanning, Ivy Johnson and Liz Nichols.
Awards
- 2001: Freedom Fighter Award, National Alliance for Choice in Giving[11]
- 2011: Defenders of the Innocent Award, Illinois Innocence Project[12]
Published works
- Red Boots & Attitude with Susie Kelly Flatau (Eakin Press, 2002)
Fiction
- Bite the Moon (Molly Mullet mystery; Five Star, 2007)
- The Trophy Exchange (Lucinda Pierce mystery; Severn House, 2008)
- Punish the Deed (Lucinda Pierce mystery; Severn House, 2009)
- Mistaken Identity (Lucinda Pierce mystery; Severn House, 2010)
- Twisted Reason (4th Lucinda Pierce mysery series; released in the UK. Severn House, Sept 2010)[13]
True crime
- Through the Window (serial killer Tommy Lynn Sells; St. Martin's Press, 2003)
- Into the Water (serial killer Richard Evonitz; St. Martin's Press, 2004)
- Written in Blood (Kathleen Peterson murder; St. Martin's Press, 2005)
- Baby Be Mine (Bobbie Jo Stinnett murder; St. Martin's Press, 2006)
- Gone Forever (Susan McFarland murder; St. Martin's Press, 2006)
- Under the Knife (Dean Faiello case; St. Martin's Press, 2007)
- Out There (Lisa Nowak case; St. Martin's Press, 2007)
- The Pastor's Wife (Matthew Winkler murder; St. Martin's Press, 2008)
- A Poisoned Passion (Wendi Mae Davidson case, St. Martin's Press, 2009)
- Mommy's Little Girl (Casey Anthony case; St. Martin's Press, 2009)
External links
- Diane Fanning's blog on Amazon.com
- Official Website
- Author's "Writing is a Crime" blog
- St. Martin's Press author bio
- "Lucinda Pierce" Facebook page
- Publishers Weekly "Double Duty for Fanning," (scroll down), Nov. 16, 2007
References
- ^ Ball, Andrea (2005-10-16). "Charity workers also adventurers, athletes, writers". Austin American-Statesman. "Diane Fanning, who works with the nonprofit fundraising group Another Way Texas Shares, spends her time writing true crime books."
- ^ Contributor, Women in Crime Ink
- ^ Wall Street Journal article featuring Women in Crime Ink
- ^ Listing, MacMillan Books, Edgar Award nomination
- ^ Illinois Times, "Who Killed Joel?" October 2003
- ^ Downstate Illinois Innocence Project site, "Events," April 25, 2011
- ^ "Book 'Em: Mommy's Little Girl -- Casey Anthony and her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate," "48 Hours Mystery," November 9, 2009
- ^ Participating author, Texas Book Festival, 2007
- ^ "True-Crime Writer Diane Fanning Speaks to Blanco Woman’s Club," Blanco County News, November 21, 2007
- ^ 48 Hours' "Crimesiders," "Book 'Em: Mommy's Little Girl -- Casey Anthony and her Daughter Caylee's Tragic Fate," Nov. 9, 2009
- ^ Award listing, National Alliance for Choice in Giving, Austin Chronicle
- ^ The State Journal-Register, "3 honored by Downstate Innocence Project," May 16, 2011
- ^ Twisted Reason (Lucinda Pierce), September 2010
Categories:- American bloggers
- Living people
- American crime fiction writers
- American mystery writers
- American non-fiction crime writers
- American women writers
- People from Baltimore, Maryland
- Writers from Texas
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