Author Bio
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Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination.
Favorites
1. What is your favorite color? Turquoise, which I always spell incorrectly.
2. Favorite food? I hate cooking, so anything someone else makes for me tastes great. I am partial to homemade mac & cheese, though.
3. Favorite movie of all time? The Thomas Crown Affair. I had a copy on VHS, but sadly, I haven’t been able to watch it since VHS players became extinct.
4. Favorite song? Sometime Around Midnight by The Airborne Toxic Event.
5. Favorite book of all time? That’s a tough one. I would say the book I’ve read the most number of times is Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly, but I’m currently enamored with Maggie Stiefvater’s Raven Cycle.
All about Writing
1. How did your interest in writing originate?
I’ve always been a big reader, but I never tried my hand at novel writing until a co-worker suggested giving it a go. At first I was terrible at it, but I’ve gotten a bit better after seven years of practice. Writing is the perfect job for me because I am such a daydreamer. I have always loved coming up with elaborate stories in my head, so the hardest part has been learning the craft of getting them on paper.
2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I try to do a bit of work every day, but writing has to be second priority to my day job. One of my most favourite daydreams is a day in the future when that doesn’t have to be the case :)
3. Do you work with outline or just write?
When I first start a new project, I just write. But once I’m happy with the beginning, I tend to mentally plot the major milestones of the novel, including the ending. However, because Stolen Songbird is the first in a trilogy, I had to provide detailed synopses for the second and third book, which was really hard for me.
4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?
I find the middle the most difficult. The beginning is always exciting, because it contains the initial conflict, and the ending is always itching to get out by the time I get to it. But the middle is tough because you need to get a lot of the plot details on the page without it becoming boggy and boring. I’m currently writing the middle of my book 2, and it’s a challenge. Even with a detailed synopsis.
5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I don’t have a lot of spare time in my days, but I like to read in what free moments I have. I also have a real fondness for celebrity gossip, so I like to indulge myself with reading blogs like Lainey Gossip. It’s my guilty pleasure.
Finish the sentence
1. The difference between fiction and reality is that fiction is dominated by the best and the worst of life. The imagination is no place for the mundane.
2. Research is what I'm doing when I realize I’ve been grinning like a crazy person while running on the treadmill, and that everyone in the gym thinks I’m nuts. They might be right.
3. I can write better when I’m alone. I can’t write in the presence of others – I’m too self-conscious of the crazy faces I make.
4. Sleep is an excellent way to spend one’s free time. If one happens to have any.
5. A room without a book is not a room in my house.
Books
Title: Stolen Songbird
Genre/s: Young Adult, Fantasy,
Released Date: April 1, 2014
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Synopsis:
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.
Giveaway !!!
The Rules:
- Open Internationally
- Must be 13+ to enter
- Winners will be notified via email
- A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
- Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
- Contest ends April 1, 2014 (Released Date)
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