Today I have the pleasure of interviewing Dani Pettrey. She is the author of The Alaskan Courage series and her first book, Submerged (Bethany House, 2012) is a romantic suspense set in the coastal town of Yancey Alaska and recently garnered 4 1/2 stars from Romantic Times.
So let’s dive right in!
1. Dani, what interesting facts about the way you write or research might surprise readers?
I write all my first drafts longhand. I know it’s unusual in this day of technology but put me in front of a computer screen for a first draft and I freeze up. There’s something about having pen to paper that helps the words flow.
Wow, that’s pretty amazing! You must have much better penmanship than I do 🙂 (Ok…and patience) I can just imagine all the notebooks you’ve filled up. They must make a nice keepsake. I imagine it’s fun to go back and look at those first drafts.
Thinking about how you begin, what is it about your time period and setting that stirred you to write this story?
Once I knew that I wanted to write a story about a family that owned an adventure outfit company, I began searching for the perfect location. I wanted it to be someplace where a variety of adventures could happen—diving, white-water rafting, rock climbing, snowboarding, etc. I wanted someplace ripe for adventure with an inherent risk of danger and Alaska, in all its rugged beauty, seemed perfect.
It truly was. I’ve never been to Alaska, but after reading Submerged, I hope to see it even more now. The McKenna family makes it look like a ton of fun! You have some great characters.
Thinking of your story on a heart level, What do you hope readers will take away from this story? What aspects might encourage them to reflect on their own lives or the world today?
God showed me that even when we are forgiven, sometimes we let our past sins weigh us down. Instead of embracing the new creation we are in Him, we let the past hinder our future, and it keeps us from fully experiencing what God has planned for us.
I really saw this reflected in Bailey’s story. I kept wanting to reach out and give her a hug! I think readers will find your characters very relateable. Dani, thank you for sharing your heart and some of the inspiration behind your Alaskan Courage series. For more on Submerged or her upcoming titles as well as fun facts and tidbits about Alaska, visit Dani’s website or her Facebook Page.
what a great interview!! I am looking forward to reading her books!!
So glad you enjoyed the interview, Julie! Hope you enjoy Submerged 🙂
Julie, it’s a fun read!
Thanks so much for having me, Joanne. Really enjoyed chatting with you 🙂
Dani, it was a true pleasure! I loved your answers. I’m looking forward to the release of your next book, Shattered. 🙂
Can’t wait to add this book to my “must read” list. Enjoyed the interview! God’s blessings on your ministry of writing.
You’re in for an Alaskan adventure. Bring your flip flops! I’ts fun because the book takes place during the warm months. It’s a whole new side to Alaska then I’ve pictured and was a great twist.
Thanks so much for the encouragement, Janette 🙂
Loved the book, and I think it is awesome that you write out your first drafts! 🙂
Right, Libbi?! That’s amazing. I love learning about some of the unique quirks and ways that writers work. So glad you stopped by to comment today. Take care!
Thanks so much for stopping by, Libbi. So glad you enjoyed Submerged 🙂 It’s funny, when I tell most author friends that I write my first drafts longhand they scrunch their nose. It’s probably not the most time efficient manner, but put me in front of a computer for the first draft and I freeze. There’s something so freeing and creative about putting pen to paper…at least for me. Everyone works differently. That’s the key for any writer. Learning how you write best 🙂
Well put, Dani! I admire that you follow your instincts, and your heart 🙂
I really loved Submerged! I’ve loaned it to several friends and they’ve loved it too. Just the right amount of romance and suspense. I can’t wait for Piper’s story… 😛
Hey Lindsay! Nice to see you here 🙂 So glad you’re friends are enjoying Submerged too! Thanks for spreading the word. Blessings.
I’m excited to see what Piper’s up to. With her taste for adventure (and stubborn streak) I have a feeling it’s going to be quite a story!
So fun that you got to interview Dani! And I can’t imagine writing things out in longhand. I like being able to move things around too much! But that’s a cool idea for the rough draft!
Hey Heather! Hope you’re doing well :))
Thanks, Dani! Doing well, now that our power is back up! Life in WV is definitely WILD and wonderful! Grin.
I’m thinking of you and your power outage and it’s amazing how much we use computers, isn’t it? It must have been a tough week! I move things around a ton, too. I like the idea of writing it out for the first draft, I could just imagine finding a cozy quiet spot with just a pen and paper. It must be really nice!
Longhand?!?! Wow! I was just telling my husband yesterday what respect I have for authors who lived before computers were invented. 🙂
Submerged sounds like an amazing read! I can’t wait to dig in.
Hi Gabrielle,
I also have a lot of respect for pre:computers authors. Not sure what I’d do without the internet :))
Hi Gabrielle! It’s a really fun read :
The internet makes research so easy these days. And I’m pretty addicted to the online thesaurus and dictionary. I’m plugging in words all the time.
I have this book at home waiting to be read. Can’t wait!!
Writing longhand…I think my fingers have forgotten what that feels like!
Melissa, is your writing as sloppy as mine? My penmanship is so out of practice I can hardly read my own grocery lists!
Joanne,
Writing first drafts longhand and good penmanship don’t necessarily go together, I’m sorry to say 😉
Hi Melissa,
Hope you really enjoy Submerged!
WOW – you write out your first drafts long hand, Dani? That deserves some sort of award or something. Great interview, you two!
Hey Stacy,
So glad you enjoyed the interview.
The bigger reward would be if I could actually read what I wrote half the time 😉 I tend to write all over the page with arrows here and there and doodles when I’m thinking….
Great interview! Thanks for stopping by with your inspiring comment.
Jody
Hi Jody,
So glad you enjoyed the interview :))
Oh, wow! Longhand! Does it take forever to transfer everything onto the computer?
Loved this interview. 🙂
Hi Rachelle,
It does take a looong time to transfer everything, but I use that period to revise and edit as I type in 🙂