For 20 years, Diane lived in Victoria, British Columbia, where she taught French Immersion and wrote books in both French and English. She had the incredible luck of living in Emily Carr's home for her first year and, for her last year in Victoria. Her family was involved in saving some of the world's tallest trees on Vancouver Island. Both experiences inspired her award-winning books such as the bestseller, Maxine's Tree.

She is now living near her native village of Memramcook. It was her homesickness for the Maritimes that led her to writing her first book, La butte à Pétard. Published in 1989, this popular novel is the story of a family who escaped deportation by hiding in the woods. Since 1989, this book has been studied in Canadian and Cajun schools. The augmented edition won the Hackmatack Award in 2006.