Behind the Pages #30: Dana Volney on Sexy Suspense to Sweet Holiday Romances

It's exciting to have Dana Volney as the last Behind the Pages featured author of 2016, because not only does she write in one of my absolute favorite genres, she also writes stories perfect for Christmas. And since it is the holiday season, Dana is contributing a digital copy of her latest to one lucky ready. So check out her awesome interview below and enter for the chance to win A Heart for the Holidays.

1. Where are you from and when did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

I am from Casper, Wyoming (where I currently live), but when I worked in Seattle I was reading a lot and caught the bug to write there. I didn’t do anything about it for a number of years, until I was back in Casper and my sister urged me to take a class at the college on writing fiction. It opened my eyes to my love of the industry and I’ve never looked back!

2. I read that you also work with a marketing consulting company. How does that impact your life as an author, and how do you balance the two?

I run my marketing business, so I can, mostly, set my own hours. I have made an effort in the last couple months to divide out my schedule to make sure my clients are taken care of and I still get my writing time in—unfortunately, I have yet to have a week where it actually works out that way, but I get in the time for both. Some days my sleep is what suffers though!

3. Tell us a little about your latest, A Heart for the Holidays. How did you come up with the plot?

I love writing a holiday novella every year. From The December Deal, I knew Silver would be the next one to have her own story. I knew she’d been out of town for a while and that she was smart and driven. I also knew I wanted it to have something to do with a heart transplant situation. Last summer at the lake with my sister (who is a nurse which came in very handy for research) and brother-in-law, we formed the general story picture after a harrowing game of Yahtzee. It took some turns when I actually sat down to write, but the general premise was kept. I love Fisher and Silver and I hope people enjoy their heart-tugging story!

4. What do you hope readers will take from this story and from the characters, Silver and Fisher?

There’s always hope. Never give up. You never know when your Silver Morgenstern will walk through your doors!

5. How challenging is it to transition between suspense and holiday romances?

They definitely take two different strategies when I plot and when I write. When I am writing the sweet, holiday stories, I have to think about all the season entails both with the festivities and weather (which is funny because I usually write them in the summer). When it comes to the suspense, they’re all about the danger, mystery, and generally darker thinking. Sometimes the worlds collide, but that’s what editing is for. 😉

6. Have you considered writing outside of both genres? If so, what other genre would you like to tackle?

At the moment I haven’t. I enjoy a couple different Sci-Fi shows and think that would be fun to write, but I don’t know enough about it yet. I generally read romantic suspense and contemporary and haven’t strayed too far out of those zones. Hopefully someday!

7. Dana, since your debut till now, How have you evolved as a writer?

I’m sure there are numerous ways in which I’ve grown—thankfully! One that’s been more evident to me lately is my plotting. I’ve come to realize my life is a bit easier (especially with the suspense novels) when I plot my stories out in more detail before I start. I still stray from my original notes here and there, but overall it creates an easier flow of creativity during my writing time.

8. Was there ever a moment that you wanted to focus on your business and step back from writing?

I think that every day it is a choice. I’ve thought about a lot of different scenarios (clients, time, etc) over the last couple of years, but never once did I commit to quit writing. Even if I take a couple of months off, I always come back to it. I’m constantly thinking of plots and characters and scenes. It’s a part of me now and I truly love it and hope to be publishing for years to come.

9. How do you unwind after finishing a book?

I usually binge watch a show I’ve been saving or order pizza or get some serious family time in, sometimes all of that in one weekend. But mostly I just start thinking about the next book and the timeline. I think if I give myself too much time to relax then nothing really gets done and it’s harder to get back into the routine.

10. What's next for you? 

I am working on my next series, and I’m pumped! It will be a romantic suspense series following assassins on the road back to redemption. Look for the first novel in the series on February 22, 2017!

11. Thank you so much for taking the time. Please leave any tips for aspiring writers. 

One of the best pieces of advice I ever received (or that truly resonated with me as a new writer), is that “there are no new stories, just new voices.” This actually helped me a TON. When I first started exploring writing fiction I was almost paralyzed because I thought “I have to come up with something that has never, ever, EVER, ever been done before”. And while, of course, fresh ideas are never a bad thing, chances are some form of an idea has already been written. That one simple tip put my mind at ease and allowed me to be creative.

Thank you so much for having me! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

More About the Author

Dana Volney lets her imagination roam free in Wyoming, where she writes romances and helps local businesses succeed with her marketing consulting company. Splitting her time between telling sexy, fast-paced suspense stories and sweet holiday romances, she likes to try new adventures in real life whenever she can (which, let’s face it, means tasting all sorts of delicious cuisines). Dana is bold, adventurous, and—by her own admission—good with plants, having kept a dwarf lemon tree alive for six months.

www.danavolney.com | facebook.com/DanaVolney

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Behind the Pages #20: Kimberly Belle on Crime Fiction and More

As a lover of suspense, I'm always on the prowl for novels in that genre. While browsing I came across a book titled The Ones We Trust and my interest was instantly piqued by the intriguing blurb. I'll be picking up this novel later in the month, but really wanted to connect with the author Kimberly Belle. Thankfully, she accepted my invitation and is now the next the author to be featured in the Behind the Pages series. Check out our interview below and enter for the chance to win a copy of The Ones We Trust. 

1. When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?

It wasn’t so much a realization as it was being faced with a major upheaval. Writing was something I’ve always loved in theory, but for the longest time, it always felt like a pipe dream. Beyond the shaky economics of the profession, writing meant putting myself out there in ways that can be really, really uncomfortable. Writing a story and sending it out into the world is a humbling, unnerving, terrifying thing. Did I really want to roll over and show the world my underbelly? Did I dare? But then in 2008, when the economy crashed, so did my job. By that time I was pushing forty, and I still hadn’t written that novel I’d always dreamed of writing. It was a now-or-never moment for me. I could either go find another job, or I could go for it. I decided to go for it, and now that I have, I can’t imagine doing anything else.

2. Who are some of your biggest influences in literature?

Oh my gosh, how much time do you have? I adore so many of my colleague authors – Cathy Lamb, Mary Kubica and Pam Jenoff to name just a few – but there are so many other good ones out there, and of all genres. In women’s fiction, Heather Gudenkauf, Steena Holmes, Laura Dave, and Allison Winn Scotch are automatic buys for me. Jonathan Tropper can always make me laugh out loud, and whenever a new Black Dagger Brotherhood book from J.R. Ward comes out, I will literally block off a day or two on my calendar to read it. I’ll read pretty much anything, and everything I read has an influence on my writing, from how the author builds suspense to their tight and fast-moving plot-lines, to the clever ways they lighten up dark subjects with humor. It’s every writer’s affliction; I read with an eye to writing.

3. Tell us about your debut novel, The Last Breath. What inspired the story?

In The Last Breath, chasing disasters around the globe keeps humanitarian aid worker Gia Andrews away from her own ground zero. Sixteen years ago, her father was convicted of the murder of her stepmother in small-town Tennessee. Now he’s coming home to die of cancer, and Gia is responsible for his care. But resuming the role of daughter to the town's most infamous murderer means confronting the past she's spent over a decade avoiding. 

As for inspiration, I read an article once about a sick prisoner being sent home to die. It had something to do with budgetary restrictions and the prison not having the facilities to care for his terminal illness, but I was fascinated. I began thinking about what that would be like for his family–-how would they receive him? Would they step up for his care? Would they mourn his death? All these questions and more led to The Last Breath.

4. How challenging is it to write books surrounding crime? 

It definitely requires a lot of research, and maybe a bit of a twisted mind, lol. For me, the hardest thing about writing crime is putting myself in the mind of the criminal. Criminals don’t always think like you and me, and crimes aren’t always rational. This is a big part of the reason why the stories I write concentrate more on how these crimes affect those left behind, rather than the criminals who commit them. It’s easier for me to come at it from the victim’s point of view, to think about the aftershocks rather than the reasons why. 

5. Your second release, The Ones We Trust, involves a cover-up in the U.S Army. How did you come up with the plot?

The inspiration for The Ones We Trust began with an idea for a person who’s done something dishonorable for (in his mind, at least) all the right reasons. When things are not as they seem, it’s incredibly easy to misjudge that person’s behavior, to assume the worst of them, to react inappropriately because you don't understand. And even in the closest of relationships, trust is not a given, and we don’t give it infinitely. There’s a point where doubts start to surface and we draw a line in the sand, where we can no longer justify what we are experiencing with the belief that the other person is behaving with good intentions. This is the case with Abigail and her father. I wanted to explore how far they could stretch the father-daughter bond before it breaks.

6. What would you like for readers to take from your stories and these strong female protagonists?

I write the kind of heroines I like to read, the kind of women I like to be friends with. They’re strong and smart and educated. They’re fairly settled in their lives and relationships, but they’re also dealing with some pretty major traumas from their pasts. They’ve lost sight of their abilities and strengths, and they don’t always remember how to tap into them. That’s part of what my books are about—and what I hope readers take away from my stories—that when you dig deep, you can find more strength than you ever thought possible.

7. How has the years spent living in the Netherlands impacted you as a writer?

My travels have impacted me as a writer because they have changed me as a person. I grew up in Eastern Tennessee, in a small town nestled up against the Appalachians. It’s a beautiful but remote area, a place where the towns are small and insular, where everybody knows everybody and everybody knows your business. I couldn’t wait to escape. Leaving showed me the world, but it also taught me new appreciation for a place I thought I’d left firmly in my past. For the blue ridges and the green valleys and the trains rumbling in the distance. For a place where you know all your neighbors, and they know you right back. For the peace and serenity of a small town set against mountains that are big and wide. No, I'll never move back permanently, but I now know I can have roots and wings. I don’t have to choose.

8. Is there anywhere else in the world that you've traveled to or would like to experience the culture?

Yes, pretty much everywhere! Traveling is my hobby and absolute favorite way to spend money. I love exploring the world, seeing new places and meeting new people, eating the food and experiencing the culture. I’ll go just about anywhere, but I prefer places that require a plane ticket and a passport. 

9. Outside of writing, something else you're passionate about:

I am a yoga fan, some might even say a fanatic. For me it’s more than getting up and out of my writing chair; it’s about getting grounded, about letting the story go long enough to let my subconscious take over. Especially when I’m stuck, I’ve found that as soon as I let go of the story and do something physical, my plot knots unwind and I figure out how to move forward. The longer, leaner yoga bod is an added bonus. 

10. Are you working on anything at the moment? Can you give us a snippet?

Always, and absolutely! The Marriage Lie is a story about Iris Griffith, and how her husband’s untimely death unravels a web of secrets and lies. Especially once the letters start arriving, postmarked after the crash and written in the husband’s distinct scrawl, revealing a man very different from the one she married, one whose past could make her the next victim.

11. Thank u for taking the time, Kimberly. Please leave any advice you may have for aspiring writers.

Thank you for having me! It’s a pleasure and an honor to be here at Itching for Books.

The biggest advice I can give to any writer, aspiring or otherwise, is to keep writing. Letter for letter, word for word. Don’t wait for an agent, a publisher, a contract, just keep writing and polishing your craft, every single day. Treat your writing like a job. Set your alarm and got to “work” behind your laptop every day, five days a week, because if you wait for inspiration to strike—or for a story idea to come upon you—you’ll never get anything written. Some days you’ll end with a lot of words, other days you’ll stare at your screen and pull out your hair. In the end, it all evens out and eventually, you have a book.

About the Author

Kimberly Belle grew up in Eastern Tennessee, in a small town nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians. A graduate of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, Kimberly lived for over a decade in the Netherlands and has worked in marketing and fundraising for various nonprofits. Her debut novel, THE LAST BREATH, was published by Harlequin MIRA in September 2014. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.

www.kimberlybellebooks.com | twitter.com/KimberlySBelle | facebook.com/KimberlyBelleBooks

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Review: Come Dancing (Jack and Julia #1) by Leslie Wells

Release date: June 8th 2014
Publisher: Allium Press
Purchase: Amazon | B&N

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It’s 1981. Twenty-four-year-old Julia Nash has recently arrived in Manhattan, where she works as a publisher’s assistant. She dreams of becoming an editor with her own stable of bestselling authors—but it is hard to get promoted in the recession-clobbered book biz. 

Julia blows off steam by going dancing downtown with her best friend, Vicky. One night, a hot British guitarist invites them into his VIP section. Despite an entourage of models and groupies, Jack chooses Julia as his girl for the evening—and when Jack Kipling picks you, you go with it. The trouble is … he’s never met a girl like her before. And she resists being just one in a long line. 

Jack exposes her to new experiences, from exclusive nightclubs in SoHo to the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood; from mind-bending recording sessions to wild backstage parties. Yet Julia is afraid to fall for him. Past relationships have left her fragile; one more betrayal just might break her. 

As she fends off her grabby boss and tries to move up the corporate ladder, Julia’s torrid relationship with Jack takes her to heights she’s never known—and plunges her into depths she’s never imagined. 

With a fascinating inside look at publishing, this entertaining story of a bookish young woman’s adventures with a rock superstar is witty, moving, and toe-curlingly steamy.

*I was gifted the ebook by the author in exchange of an honest review.

I read Come Dancing a few weeks ago but wanted to let it soak in before writing a review. Let me just say, the story was quite enjoyable. Loved the 80s setting and how the main character worked in the publishing industry. I found her likable and her daily life to be quite interesting. Her relationship with Jack, a rock star, is one that doesn't happen often and seemed unlikely, but I'm happy they pulled through. Although, there were times I wanted to snap at them both.

Julia was trying to step up as an agent in her company, and not without facing problems with a sleazy boss. She already had a lot on her plate and then when Jack came along, more was added because she wasn't used to being apart of his lifestyle. I liked that she was hard to get and made him realize that just because he's a musician doesn't mean every woman will fall at his feet. Julia gave him quite the work, and the process of him trying to win her over was quite funny and sweet. 

However, there were times that Jack's unflattering musician ways would pop up and Julia would deliberate these things, but she never said anything. She'd started to develop strong feelings for him but still wouldn't speak out against certain things that would upset her. She'd often use his status as an excuse and say he didn't owe her any loyalty. Now, if this was some fling on her part and she wasn't as emotionally invested, I would understand what she was saying and ignore it. But no, she liked him. A lot. So I wish she had spoken out more in the beginning, then maybe when it all had built up towards the end, they wouldn't have ended up in that situation that caused a problem between them. Just saying. 

Still, the story was interesting from start to finish. I loved the writing and how vivid the descriptions were. I felt like I was tossed to the 80s with how Wells described the setting and how things as important today weren't back then, some not even released yet. That was a big plus in the story. I also liked Julia's best friend, Vicky, and how carefree she was. I feel like her role in the story was to keep Julia relaxed when she'd get too high-strong on something. 

Other aspects of the story included Julia's relationship with her mother and how something that happened in the past between her parents sort of made Julia distant. She'd blamed her mother for a lot of things, but I'm happy that they'd managed to resolve their issues and were able to move on. 

There were other things well constructed in the story, from the activities of rock stars--lavish parties, tours, women, and other unappealing stuff--to the workings of the publishing industry. But the strongest thing about Come Dancing was the blossoming relationship between Julia and Jack, and how deeply they felt for each other. I feel the characters and overall plot was greatly developed and I look forward to reading the sequel. Good job Leslie!

About the Author

Leslie Wells has edited forty-eight New York Times bestsellers in her over thirty-year career, including thirteen number one New York Times bestsellers. She has worked with numerous internationally known authors, musicians, actors, actresses, television and radio personalities, athletes, and coaches. She lives on Long Island, New York.

www.lesliewellsbooks.com

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