Finding Home in Hard Times: Meet Danielle Grandinetti

Finding Home in Hard Times: Meet Danielle Grandinetti

by | Dec 6, 2022 | Author Interviews

I am so blessed to know Danielle Grandinetti and get to read her novels, rich with history, danger, and romance. It’s my favorite combination, and she does it so well. Allow mt to introduce her to you and her books.

Whether in her historical romantic suspense or contemporary sweet romance Danielle Grandinetti crafts characters finding home in hard times. She is also an avid reader and her writing has won the University of Northwestern Distinguished Faith in Writing Award. Originally from the Chicagoland area, she now lives along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with her husband and their two young sons. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.

You can connect with her through:

Website  |  Newsletter  |  Facebook  |  Instagram  |  Twitter  |  BookBub  | GoodReads  |  Amazon

 

Now for the fun stuff! I have to admit I am partial to my Fast Five. 🙂 So settle in as I hit Danielle with rapid-fire.

 

CC: Milk or Dark Chocolate?

DG: Dark

CC: Print or E-book?

DG: Print

CC: Cat or Dog Person?

DG: dog

Morning Person or Night Owl?

DG: Mornings

CC: Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter?

DG: Fall

I’m not really sure how morning people exist, but I’m glad that works for you! LOL Now let’s dive into the meat of the interview.

What do you like to do when you aren’t reading or writing?

DG: I love to cook. It’s hard to find the time to craft a meal with little kiddos, but putting together a meal is one of my favorite ways to let my creativity renew itself. I also enjoy photographing nature, especially Lake Michigan, and crocheting. Like cooking, these activities are often done in small, rare snippets, but I enjoy them whenever I get a chance.

CC: Oh the life of being a mom with littles. Those activities definitely sound renewing, and I’ll never be opposed to having someone else cook for me. . . or  at least someone who enjoys cooking. 😉 

What is your writing Kryptonite?

DG: Description. To compensate, I leave room in my word count to go back through after the initial draft to layer in the description. It keeps me from getting bogged down during the first draft and helps me bring each scene to life one at a time.

CC: Aren’t you so glad our stories don’t have to be done perfectly the first time around? That editing is really where we get to clean up our weaknesses and let God really shine through.

What is your writing schedule like?

DG: As a mother of young boys, I have to snag writing time when I can. When they’re playing well together, I pull out my computer. Or we all snuggle on the couch to watch a movie while I write. Sometimes, one of my kiddos will even grab a toy computer and pretend to write with me!

CC: That is so sweet. And grabbing time when and however you can is the only way to survive.

Let’s talk about your Christmas story, As Silent as the Night.

He can procure anything, except his heart’s deepest wish. She might hold the key, if she’s not discovered first.

Chicago, 1933―Lucia Critelli will do anything for her ailing grandfather, including stand in a breadline to have enough food to make him a St. Nicholas Day meal. When she catches the eye of a goon who threatens her grandfather, she discovers the end of Prohibition doesn’t mean the end of the mafia’s criminal activity.

Retired Marine Scout Giosue “Gio” Vella can find anything, especially if it helps a fellow Italian immigrant, so he has no doubt he can locate his neighbor’s granddaughter, who has gone missing from a local church. Keeping her safe is another matter. Especially when he chooses to hide out with his Marine buddy in Eagle, Wisconsin, the site of a barely-held truce among striking dairy farmers.

Will Christmas bring the miracle they all need or will Gio discover there are some things even he can’t find, particularly when he stumbles upon the most elusive gift of all: love.

Purchase your copy at  Amazon

CC: What was some of your favorite research for As Silent as the Night?

DG: The opening prologue of As Silent as the Night is based on a real event that occurred. It was also fascinating to learn more about the Chicago mafia during the years when Al Capone was in prison. Add in the challenge of the Great Depression, when half of the city, one full of immigrants, was out of work and it gave me plenty of fodder to create Gio and Lucia’s story.
CC: It’s always fun to play with criminal organizations. There is so much fascinating research involved with that.
Who was the most challenging character to create?
DG: Believe it or not, Gio was my hardest character. He was so beloved as a side character in A Strike to the Heart, that when I wrote As Silent as the Night, I worried whether I’d get him right. It’s also hard to layer flaws into a character everyone loves. Not to mention the challenge of putting him in life-threatening situations. Hopefully I have done him justice, because he is one of my favorite characters, too.
CC: That is a real challenge, but I believe you handled it beautifully!
What do you hope readers will take away from your story?

DG: That no matter your hardships, especially this Christmas season, you will remember the Light that shines in the darkest times. There is always hope, even when the world seems bleakest. And that Jesus came to bring love and peace to the world, and to you.

CC: Amen and Amen. It’s definitely one of those hard seasons for our family this year, and that reminder is so needed. As my final question, I have my usual “Fun Question”.
If you could travel anywhere without worry to cost, where would you go?

DG: I want to go back to the Alps! I saw a glimpse of them along the Swiss/Italian border and again from the air, and I’ve wanted to explore them more ever since. Ciao! Buon Natale!

CC: Thank you so much for joining us. Readers, I recommend you pick up her story As Silent as the Night for an exciting Christmas read. 

Reader, what Christmas reads are you diving into?

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