ME/CONTACT | jilldiamond

Hello, my name is Jill Diamond and this is a little bit about me:

Jill Diamond has loved children’s literature for as long as she can remember, thanks to her school-librarian mother and long, cold winters in Maine. In addition to writing middle grade fiction, Jill practices law, dreams about her next travels, eats soft-serve ice cream, and wears cowboy boots. Jill now lives in San Francisco with her husband, their son, and the ghost of her favorite cat.

Questions & Answers

Do you have questions? I have answers! And if you're still wondering about something, feel free to contact me.

Q1: How did you come up with the idea for LOU LOU AND PEA AND THE MURAL MYSTERY?

A1: Lou Lou and Pea's neighborhood, El Corazón, is based on my home in San Francisco, a multicultural community filled with colorful murals and interesting people. We also have a large Día de los Muertos celebration, a sugar skulls studio, and (formerly) a mystical candle shop, just like in the book! Friendship is very important to me so I wanted it to be a big theme in the story. Most of all, I wanted to write something fun that I would have wanted to read when I was a kid!

Q2: What were some of your favorite books growing up?

A2: There are so many! A few are: THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin, THE CHRONICLES OF PRYDAIN series by Lloyd Alexander, THE WEDDING PROCESSION OF THE RAG DOLL AND THE BROOM HANDLE AND WHO WAS IN IT by Carl Sandburg, THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster, and THE SONG OF THE LIONESS series by Tamora Pierce.

Q3: Why soft-serve ice cream? And what are your favorite flavors?

A3: Um, because it's the best! And, because I worked at Dairy Queen for many years when I was much younger. My favorite flavors are good ol' vanilla, green tea, and salted caramel from Bi-Rite Creamery here in San Francisco.