About the Author

Diana was born in Clarksburg, WV and is the daughter of the late Louis and Anna Allessio Pishner. She attended Notre Dame High School and graduated with the class of 1977. She attended Fairmont State College and is a former employee of the Marion County Board of Education as a “Fast ForWord” computer aide at East Dale Elementary School. Diana has recently retired her job to pursue her love of her heritage through her Italian American books. She is visiting schools through out the US to present programs on Immigration, Heritage and love of the Italian customs and traditions.

​Diana resides in Fairmont, WV with her husband Mark and they are the parents of three children; Curt and his wife Allyson, Courtney, Chris and his wife Ashley. They have three grandsons; Ashton Louis, Austin Maddox, and Ace Ervin and two granddaughters; Carmen Marie and Leni Rose.

Diana as a first time author shared her non-fiction book ” I Don’t Want To Sit In The Front Row Anymore”, written as a memoir after the loss of both of her parents Anna and Louis Pishner within 7 months of each other.

​Diana's second book entitled “Spaghetti and Meatballs: Growing up Italian” is a children’s book about her childhood. 
Diana has created a book series entitled Hopping to America. The first is Hopping to America A Rabbit's Tale of Immigration, the second is Hopping to America A Rabbit's Tale of LaBefana.

Diana's children's books published by Headline Books.

I Don't Want to Sit in the Front Row Anymore is published by Lulu Press.

About the Illustrator

Award-winning author and illustrator Ashley Teets Belote is a 2012 summa cum laude graduate of Alderson-Broaddus College where she earned a B.F.A with a minor in creative writing. She has illustrated multiple award winning children's books that include seven Mom's Choice Awards, three Indie Book and an Indie Excellence Awards, an International Book Award, a USA News Best Book Award and two Creative Child Magazine Awards. Ashley is also a portrait artist, muralist and painting instructor. For more information please visit www.ashleybelote.com.