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Introduction
Danielle Grandinetti is an award-winning inspirational romance author fueled by tea, books, and the creative beauty of nature. She mixes romance and suspense, and brings history to life while her stories show finding home and hope in hard times. Married to her hero, Danielle is a second-generation Italian-American, a dairy farmer’s granddaughter, and a boy mom from Chicagoland who now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.
Danielle’s Books
Interview with Danielle Grandinetti
Q: Let’s get started with an introduction. Can you tell me a little about how you first got into writing and what it felt like publishing your very first book?
A: I have always loved stories, but the first story I wrote will always stand out to me. It was 3rd grade. We had just finished listening to a lecture by an author, and our teacher had us write a story when we returned to the classroom. Mine turned out to be one-and-a-half pages, handwritten, about a basketball who went to space and met a star. I haven’t stopped writing since.
The first time I saw my name in print … it was either an op-ed in the local newspaper or short story in a magazine, I forget which came first. Either way, it never gets old seeing my name, my words, on paper.
Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies (other than writing)?
A: Besides writing, and reading? I love taking nature pictures and crocheting. I tinker around with my pepper and herb garden, and love dehydrating food (like making apple chips!) and want to do more pickling/canning. It’s very fun.
Q: What is your favorite strange food combination?
A: Wendy’s french fries dipped in a chocolate frosty. People think it’s weird (I did too at first), but now it’s my favorite!
Q: What book (other than your own) do you recommend to everyone that they have to read?
A: Anything by Roseanna M. White. Five of her historical romance heroes fill up my top-five favorite hero spots. She’s also my cover designer (for most of my indie books), and has become a sweet friend.
Q: Can you tell me a little bit about your writing process? Note taking; favorite place to write uninterrupted; etc?
A: I write when/wherever I can snag a spot, so the sofa while my boys play, the car waiting for school pick-up, sometimes on my phone, tablet, or computer – whatever I can use for the moment I have. This works well as a sprint writer. I do best in short, fast spurts. As a math person, I have word count sign posts, but otherwise, I’m a pantser and love seeing a story unfold.
Q: Tell us a little about what inspired your latest release.
A: The Italian Musician’s Sanctuary is a historical romance set in 1930s England. It was inspired by the research I did for another book: Sheltered by the Doctor, book five in my Harbored in Crow’s Nest series. I’m a second-generation Italian-American, and I was heartbroken by the atrocities faced in Italy before the start of WWII. When Anna Jensen invited me to join the Our House on Sycamore Street multi-author, multi-genre series, I knew this was the chance to tell Margherita’s story.
Q: Which one of your books was your most favorite to write?
A: Ooh, this is a hard question. Each has favorite parts (and challenging parts). Yup, I can’t pick one!
Q: If you were to ask your friends or family, what would they say your greatest “Superpower” is?
A: The ability to work (write) from home with my 7 & 4 year old boys. Yes, school year makes it easier, but this will be the first year I’ll have all five mornings to myself. People wonder how I can write with the noise/distraction, but I’ve worked from home for over 20 years, and used to work in a coffee shop because the distraction helped me focus. It trained me well for being a work from home mom.
Q: If you could be any fictional character (cartoon, movie, show, book, etc), who would you be?
A: I’ve always liked Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes, so perhaps being part of their worlds.
Q: What advice would you give to a new writer just starting out?
A: Keep reading your genre, and writing. The more you read and write, the better at reading you’ll become.
Q: You have 50 words or less to convince an audience why they should read your books. Go!
A: Step into a bygone era with me … Throughout the pages of my stories, you’ll encounter a world brimming with mysterious intrigue and vibrant historical detail. Discover books filled with wholesome romance, threads of natural faith, and relatable characters. And be whisked away to experience the nostalgia of the 1930s.
Follow Danielle
Do you love stories? I do. I especially love stories of romance and suspense. Two people defying the odds and getting their happily ever after.
Thing is, I also love history. A lot. Always have. It’s fascinating, especially once you get past all those stuffy old dates. It’s populated with people of all sorts who faced insurmountable challenges and changed the world. It’s also made up of regular people like you and me who gravitate toward stories of adventure and peril.
Historical romance makes these people come alive and takes us to times and places about which we can only dream. I’m thrilled to write both historical romance with suspense and contemporary romance.
I fell in love with stories from the very beginning. Now, not only do I read books, I love to introduce you to authors through my book blog. I share book spotlights, author interviews and other bookish news.
I’ve been connecting readers with their new favorite read since 2016 and gravitate toward the Christian/Inspirational market where the romance is clean and sweet and the suspense is free of gore.
You’ll also find some of my bookish highlights on my social media pages. Head over to my contact page for all those links.
For the first two decades of my career, I worked in education, first as a piano teacher, then as a writing coach for middle and high school students. It is such a joy to help young writers find their love of words. And I loved the opportunity to exercise my entrepreneurial spirit during those years.
My 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.
I’ve also taught college courses on intercultural communication and group dynamics at Trinity International University.
Reading and writing hasn’t been the only way I’ve experienced adventure. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of doing short-term philanthropy work in various countries, like Bolivia, Italy, England, and Uganda, as well as volunteer work with middle schoolers, which had me experiencing activities way outside my comfort zone. Like whitewater rafting down the Wolf River in Wisconsin. Or going on a zip line. Yes, I like my feet firmly planted on terra firma, no matter the continent.
The best adventure of all brought me, a Chicagoland girl, to eastern Wisconsin, where I live on the shores of Lake Michigan with my husband, two boys, and Labrador puppy. Minutes from fields of corn and farms of dairy cows, rolling hills and so many trees. It’s one of the most picturesque places I’ve lived.
So. If you’re ready for romance and adventure, grab yourself a cup of tea (or hot chocolate, since I leave the coffee for others) and a cozy blanket, and join me as we talk story, nature, and finding home and hope in hard times. I can’t wait to connect with you!
Looking for book recs…
Adventures in Literature 
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