What about Kate Maxwell and Luke Gallagher made you want to tell their story?
I’m not a plotter per se. I’m more of a daydreamer. I play with ideas and then sit down and just start writing. I love watching the story unfold on the page.
Writing this way results in numerous drafts, but it’s how my brain works. Luke and Kate really developed as I wrote each story, resulting in a great desire to tell their story in the final book of the series.
I love the dynamic between them, the mystery of why Luke left, and the heartache they have to work through before they can move forward. It was a fun romance to write and I learned a lot about forgiveness in the process.
What do you hope readers come away with after reading Dead Drift?
I hope they will experience the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of their faith and the beauty of falling in love. I hope they will come away with a deeper understanding of the freeing nature of forgiveness and the joy of reconciliation.
You’re one of three authors in The Cost of Betrayal collection. What’s your novella about?
“Deadly Isle” is my first stand-alone story, and I had a blast writing it. The setting and background of the story is based off a real island in the Chesapeake Bay called Smith Island.
The island has a fascinating history that I found intriguing and beautiful at the same time. I loved taking the basis of Smith Island and playing with it until the fictional island setting for “Deadly Isle” became Talbot island.
How are the three novellas connected?
The three novellas are connected by the exploration of betrayal and the different forms it can take.
What are the pros and cons of writing a novel vs. a novella? Do you prefer one over the other?
I love both, but I find novellas a really fun creative exercise. It’s difficult telling a complete story in a shorter word count, but it’s also great to get to tell a story over a couple months verses eight. It makes it come alive faster and the pacing has to be quick while at the same time presenting deep, real romance, suspense and faith threads. Writing a novella is an adventure, but one that I love.
Want to know why Dani felt pressured while writing for the book? Click through to find out…