When author Dione Martin was a girl, she often thought about her biological father. Who was he and what did he look like? Did he ever think about her and wonder if she was okay? 

Dione was born in New Orleans. She grew up with her African American mother and stepfather, as well as her four siblings. When she was just five years old she noticed she looked different from her brothers and sisters. She questioned her mother and that is when she found out that her biological father was white.

"It was surprising," said Martin. "I think there was a certain level of discomfort, there was also a feeling of not being fully accepted, really by my stepfather, but just this feeling of being different and what that means."

Although her childhood was difficult she says her mother's love and her faith are what helped her to get to where she is today. 

Dione is now a senior communications director at Brinker International and the author of a new book, The Wool Over Their Eyes.

The Wool Over Their Eyes is loosely based on Martin’s personal experiences. She drew upon her own memories and insights of growing up without her biological father and being betrayed in her own marriage to inform her narrative and give her characters depth and authenticity.

“I wrote The Wool Over Their Eyes for fatherless girls, for women who have been betrayed, for those who have been rejected because of their race (or otherness) and for families that have been torn apart by secrets, lies and deception,” Martin reflects. “Healing is possible – through change, through empathy, through faith and through forgiveness.”

Today on Connections, Dione shares her amazing story and the inspiration behind her book.