Today I'm excited to host author Danielle Grandinetti as she shares about her most recent release, answers some questions that we know you're longing to know the answers to, and offering a giveaway. Read all the way through to find out how you can enter to win.

You're on, Danielle.

Thanks, Donna. I thought I'd answer some questions first so you can get to know me a little better.

●         Giveaway - 1 e-book copy of A Strike to the Heart, open internationally

●         Please give us the first page of the book:

Friday, October 13, 1933

Northern Wisconsin

Miles Wright pressed his eye to the A5 telescopic sight attached to his Springfield long-range rifle. Instead of being hunkered down in the trenches of Europe or in the humidity of Central America, as he would be if he’d stayed in the army, he flattened himself against the rough branch of a monstrous pine one hundred yards from the ruins of a stone house lost amid the forests of northern Wisconsin.

He breathed deeply, the smell of decaying leaves filling his nose even as the action calmed his heart. Dusk had come, but he could still spot the shadows of his four fellow retired soldiers darting from tree to tree toward the stone structure where Lily Moore’s kidnappers likely stashed her. His team was tasked with a simple rescue and had yet to meet any resistance. Miles’ job was to keep it that way.

Tommy Darens, the lone British ex-soldier and their company leader, halted, and the others stood motionless. What had Tommy heard? Miles used his scope to scan the remnants of what could have been a happy home decades ago. Before the Depression. Before the war.

In the small clearing rose a four-foot-tall, hollow square of tightly layered stone—the roof now part of the forest floor that covered the interior with a bed of grass, rock, and saplings. A chimney, still intact, anchored the rear foundation wall.

Nothing moved. No breath of wind to stir the trees overhead. No scamper of chipmunks on the leaves below. No lifting of the rock sitting in Miles’ stomach. Something was wrong.

●         What (2 or 3) fun or unique things can you tell us about yourself?   I love to crochet - my grandma taught me when I was ten and I even taught crocheting for a few years while working at a craft store. I’m 2nd-generation Italian-American and have a love for the language and culture of the Italian people. I enjoy sports of all kinds. Nowadays I prefer watching rather than participating. In baseball and basketball, it’s been fun to be a (SouthSide) Chicago and Milwaukee fan, but not so fun to be a Chicago football fan …. :)

●        What do you enjoy doing for relaxation? Reading is my most favorite form of relaxation. I also love spending time by Lake Michigan. We live nearby and I always drive by when I’m out and about. It’s vastness always brings me a sense of peace.

●        What can your readers expect from you next? This is a fun question because not only will As Silent as the Night be released in September, I’m working on my next novel, too! It’s top secret right now, but readers can expect more news on it this summer. I can say that it will have sweet romance, plenty of suspense, and be set in Depression-era Wisconsin.

Giveaway: Leave a comment in response to the question below, and we will do a random drawing for 1 free ebook of  A Strike to the Heart - open internationally

Question: What is your favorite decade or era to read about?

Excerpt from A Strike to the Heart:

Friday, October 13, 1933

Northern Wisconsin

Miles Wright pressed his eye to the A5 telescopic sight attached to his Springfield long-range rifle. Instead of being hunkered down in the trenches of Europe or in the humidity of Central America, as he would be if he’d stayed in the army, he flattened himself against the rough branch of a monstrous pine one hundred yards from the ruins of a stone house lost amid the forests of northern Wisconsin.

He breathed deeply, the smell of decaying leaves filling his nose even as the action calmed his heart. Dusk had come, but he could still spot the shadows of his four fellow retired soldiers darting from tree to tree toward the stone structure where Lily Moore’s kidnappers likely stashed her. His team was tasked with a simple rescue and had yet to meet any resistance. Miles’ job was to keep it that way.

Tommy Darens, the lone British ex-soldier and their company leader, halted, and the others stood motionless. What had Tommy heard? Miles used his scope to scan the remnants of what could have been a happy home decades ago. Before the Depression. Before the war.

In the small clearing rose a four-foot-tall, hollow square of tightly layered stone—the roof now part of the forest floor that covered the interior with a bed of grass, rock, and saplings. A chimney, still intact, anchored the rear foundation wall.

Nothing moved. No breath of wind to stir the trees overhead. No scamper of chipmunks on the leaves below. No lifting of the rock sitting in Miles’ stomach. Something was wrong. 

About Danielle:

Danielle Grandinetti is author of To Stand in the Breach and a book blogger at DaniellesWritingSpot.com. Her short stories have appeared in several publications 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. Join her newsletter for a free short story: bit.ly/FiresideNews.

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o    https://www.amazon.com/Strike-Heart-Danielle-Grandinetti-ebook/dp/B09DT89SR