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Diane Kinman

Biography

Diane Kinman

Award-winning author Diane Kinman graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. in Liberal Studies that emphasized English, Technical Journalism, Marketing, and Psychology. Shestudied writing at the University of Washington and at Field's End, a writers’ community on Bainbridge Island, WA. Diane provided business development consulting services to architecture and engineering firms for over 25 years. She has been published in trade magazines and newspapers, and has consulted on community outreach, public relations, and special events. Diane is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA), Book Publishers Northwest (BPNW), Small Publishers Association of North America (SPAN), and Publishers Marketing Association (PMA). 

Franca Mercati Martin was born in Florence, Italy, in 1926. She was the youngest artist ever to be accepted at the Santa Dorothea Academy of Art. She studied under Santini and Krimer, both well-known pre-war artists and teachers. Franca is a well-known West Coast artist who compares her experience in World War II to a young girl's version of "Tea with Mussolini." Her art is featured throughout the book. Aside from numerous exhibitions, she has had solo shows at La Galleria Della Versilia, Italy; Viani Gallery, Italy; Old World Art, Arroyo Grande, CA; and Tolles Gallery, Mercer Island, WA. 

Franca agreed to let Diane write her memoir because she wants the world to remember what happened to Italy in World War II.

Diane Kinman