Will and Davy : A Colonial Virginia Childhood

Diana Johnson, a direct descendent of the great medieval king, Charlemagne, is a member of the Order of the Crown of Charlemagne in the United State of America, as well as the Conejo Valley Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for which she is Recording Secretary; and First California Company, Jamestowne Society. A fourth generation Californian, she was born in Los Angeles, attended Occidental College, graduated from UCLA, and earned her master's degree from California State University, Northridge, both with honors. She taught music in the Los Angeles and Beverly Hills Unified School districts. She and her husband Bill live in the San Fernando Valley. They both hold private pilot's licenses and have traveled most of the United States by private plane as well as more conventional means. They have also toured Europe, Scandinavia, Africa, China, Australia and New Zealand, Russia and the Baltic Countries. Diana, a frequent flute soloist, also enjoys singing in the church choir and playing bridge. As a member of the San Fernando Valley Branch of the California Writers Club, Diana served as co-treasurer with her husband, and president. She has been a delegate to the California Writers Club State Board of Directors and served as State Treasurer. She was the 1995 recipient of the coveted Jack London Award for service to the California Writers Club. Diana has been a repeat workshop leader for the CWC State Writers' Conferences at Asilomar, on the Monterey Peninsula. She was also founding President of the West Valley Branch of CWC established in 2006. Diana's first historical novel, Destiny's Godchild, winner of the B.P.S.C. IRWIN Award in fiction for 1999, creates a medieval beginning for the Carolingian Dynasty. Her Charlemagne Trilogy also includes Pepin's Bastard: The Story of Charles Martel (Charlemagne's grandfather) and Quest for the Crown: The Story of Pepin the Short (Charlemagne's father). All are based on members of her family tree. Cradle of a Nation: a story of Colonial Virginia, is a family saga of Diana's Colonial ancestor, William Daingerfield, and his faithful companion and personal slave, Davy, from age six in 1718, to their sons' return from the French and Indian War in 1759. The childhood years have been rewritten for children 10-14 in a historical novel titled Will & Davy: a Colonial Virginia childhood. She is currently working on her great, great grandfather's story of coming to California during the Gold Rush.Johnson, Diana M. is the author of 'Will and Davy : A Colonial Virginia Childhood', published 2006 under ISBN 9780966150452 and ISBN 0966150457.