Diane C. McPhail, author of THE ABOITIONIST’S DAUGHTER, began her career and built her reputation as an artist and gallery director. Life led her to become a therapist, working with a large metropolitan hospital in outpatient mental health.

When she moved to the mountains, her curiosity and compassion led her to complete a Doctorate in Ministry, focused on creativity and spirituality. She resumed the writing she had begun in college, initially just for herself. As the writing progressed, enriched by her experience, Diane pursued studies in multiple workshops, conferences, and coursework, including the University of Iowa distance learning and the Yale Writers’ Workshop,

In addition to her M.F.A., M.A., and D.Min., Diane is an active member of North Carolina Writers’ Network and the Historical Novel Society.  She is a recent presenter at various literary events, regional and national. She lives in Highlands, North Carolina, with her husband, Ray, and dog, Pepper.