Danielle Grandinetti on Juggling Motherhood, Writing, and More

Welcome back to the Diamond Mine, friends. I'm tickled pink to introduce you to today's guest. Danielle Grandinette writes historical suspense stories filled with great characters and strong mysteries.

Danielle is offering one of our blog readers a print copy (US addresses only). Plus, she's got a release week giveaway happening now, so you have double the opportunities to win. Continue reading to learn more about how to enter both giveaways.

About the Author

Inspirational romance author, Danielle Grandinetti, writes both historical romantic suspense and contemporary sweet romance. An avid reader, she became a book blogger in 2016 and has been reviewing books since. She also won the University of Northwestern Distinguished Faith in Writing Award.

Danielle’s educational background includes an M.A. in Communication and Culture from Trinity International University, a B.A. in Communication from Louisiana Baptist University, and an A.A. in Biblical Studies from New Tribes Bible Institute, as well the Apprentice, Journeyman, and Craftsman Level certifications from the Christian Writers Guild. She has taught college courses on intercultural communication and group dynamics at Trinity International University and worked for twelve years as a virtual middle school writing coach.

Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along the Wisconsin shoreline of Lake Michigan with her husband, their two young sons, and Labrador puppy. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com or @danielleswritingspot on Instagram and Facebook where she often posts book reviews and bookstagram pictures, and would love to know what you’re reading, too.

SW: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Danielle. We’re grateful to have you this week and look forward to learning more about you and your books. I always like to start with a couple book- and writer-themed would you rather questions.

Would you rather write in a rooftop garden surrounded by city noises — or in a quiet studio with cows as your neighbors?

DG: Rooftop garden sounds amazing. I love working with city background noise and when I lived

within public transportation distance of Chicago, used to travel down to the lakefront to work.

SW: I'm a fan of the city with those quiet touches of nature. Would you rather read a book with no page numbers or no chapter numbers?

DG: Page Numbers. I rarely look at them.

SW: I think with the popularity of ereaders page numbers aren't as important. Moving on from those questions, tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.

DG: I don’t have a green thumb, yet every year I plant a vegetable and herb garden. I’ve discovered I can’t make cucumbers grow, but my cayenne peppers do amazing. I plant enough to dehydrate them in the fall in order to make my own pepper flakes, which I put on everything.

SW: I'm impressed you keep at it. If I didn't see a good yield, I'd probably give it up the next year.

What are three books on your current tbr?

DG: My tbr list is overflowing, but to pick only three … Under Fire by Lynn H. Blackburn, A Model of Devotion by Mary Connealy, & Hearts of Steel by Elizabeth Camden.

SW: I can relate the the out of control tbr, but I have read all three of the books you mentioned, and you have some great reads awaiting you.

What does your writing space look like?

DG: As a mom of two little boys, I snag writing time whenever I can, so my writing space usually looks like the living room sofa.

SW: My sofa is often my spot too. That or the library when I need to get away from my to-do list at home. Would you share with us a little about your road to publication?

DG: Sure. I’ve been writing since elementary school and studying the craft of writing since high school. A few years ago, I submitted a story to the Great Love Inspired Author Search. It was a contemporary suspense. I made it to the second round before it was rejected.

Back at the drawing board, I reassessed not just the story, but my genre goals, especially when I learned an interesting historical detail, which turned that particular contemporary suspense into a historical romance. A Strike to the Heart was contracted by a publisher who allowed me to independently publish two companion stories to bookend A Strike to the Heart.

That experience gave me the confidence to begin a new series: Harbored in Crow’s Nest, which begins with Confessions to a Stranger.

So, what about Love Inspired? I never gave up that dream and submitted a new story, one without suspense, to the Great Love Inspired Author Search last year. And now my debut Love Inspired romance, A Father for Her Boys, will release in August.

SW: Congratulations on your published books and your upcoming Love Inspired Book. Persistence does pay off, doesn't it?

You write both romance and suspense. Do you prefer one over the other? What do you like most about each genre?

DG: I love both! I always say … what better way for my characters to fall in love than when running for their lives? Even better when the setting is historical. But all suspense all the time is a challenge. I’m thrilled to add category contemporary romance to my repertoire. Either way—whether historical suspense or contemporary without it—my romances are always sweet and clean.

SW: And our readers love sweet and clean. Tell us more about your newest release.

DG: Confessions to a Stranger is book one in my Harbored in Crow’s Nest series. It’s set in the fictional fishing town of Crow’s Nest, which is nestled along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline. The genre is historical romantic suspense as it takes place in 1930, during the Great Depression.

SW: Sounds like an engaging read! What are you currently working on?

DG: More books in the Harbored in Crow’s Nest series! The second book, Refuge for the Archaeologist is with my proofreader and is due to release in July. It follows Silas Ward, who you meet in Confessions to a Stranger. I’m also writing the next book, which features Silas’s sister-in-law. I hope it will release in early 2024.

SW: Wow, you are juggling a number of projects. This leads well into my final question: How can we pray for you?

DG: Being a write-from-home mom means balancing my kiddos’ needs and my writing goals. I would be honored to have you pray that I can be the best wife and mom I can be while also writing stories that touch my readers' hearts. If one of my books has been a blessing to you, I’d love to hear all about it!

SW: Thank you so much for taking time out to share with us, Danielle. I look forward to hearing about and reading more books from you in the future.

About Confessions to a Stranger

She’s lost her future. He’s sacrificed his. Now they have a chance to reclaim it—together.

Wisconsin, 1930—While fleeing for her life, Adaleigh Sirland’s rescue of a child introduces her to a family who provides her safe harbor. When her identity comes under threat of exposure, she must choose between running once more or helping the man who teaches her to hope again.

First mate David Martins is intrigued by the mysterious woman taken in by his grandmother, but she wrestles with a troubled past. When his estranged father is arrested for murder, can David put aside his own struggles in time to discern which secret threatens Adaleigh before it kills them both?

Welcome to Crow’s Nest, where danger and romance meet at the water’s edge.

Visit https://daniellegrandinetti.com/confessions-to-a-stranger/ to purchase your copy.

Giveaway x 2

Danielle is generously providing one of our readers a paperback copy of Confessions to a Stranger (open to US addresses only). To enter the giveaway, leave a comment and tell us which genre you prefer: historical or contemporary. Giveaway ends Tuesday, 3/21/22 at midnight EST.

To enter the release week giveaway, visit https://bit.ly/3mEKjlY or 

https://daniellegrandinetti.com/2023/03/14/confessions-to-a-stranger/ (subject to giveaway policies listed here.