Thursday, August 2, 2012

What Was I Thinking: Paranormal Romantic Suspense Author Danica Winters


What was I Thinking?
by Danica Winters


It is inherent as an adult of the human race that you will be held down by the weight of your memories, whether you are free of sin, or identified by it.  I’m a fiction writer, and as such, I can manipulate my characters, twist their memories to motivate them into situations and to take action in plot twists.  When I’m done, I can smile proudly at the mêlée I have caused in my little pseudo world.  However, as I walk away from these worlds and come back to reside in my peanut-butter-and-jelly-centered land, I am constantly reminded that like my fiction, real life is just as affected by memories.  

We all have memories that change us, little moments in our life that hold us back or help us to rise to the next level.   The other day, I read an inspiration post that read something like, ‘Night is the time when all the things I have done wrong in my life come back to haunt me.’  I don’t know about my readers, but this is certainly the case for me.  Now, I’m only an ax-murderer in my fiction, so my sins are not as extreme as my characters, but I find that I am often unrested when the alarm clock beeps.  

How can a person/character free themselves of the memories and faults which have occurred in the past?  How can we break free from the viscous cycle of ‘What was I thinking’?

I believe that there is a simple affirmation.  We must forgive ourselves.  We must let go of the past.  We must respect and love ourselves as much as an unencumbered new lover would.  We all make mistakes, we all make poor choices, and we all say hurtful things.  

We must reach inside the fire that rages within us and pull out the helpless, shivering soul that resides within us and nurture the best aspects of our character.  We will fail again, we will make mistakes, but we must never forget to love ourselves (just as our characters do).  

If you are able to do this, you will be able to fall back into whatever role you must play, and you will do so as a better person—I am a better writer because I’m no longer as haunted by the mistakes and missteps of my past.  My hope is that you may you move forward and like the characters of my romances, forgive those memories that hold you back.

The Books

Curse of the Wolf

Blurb: For cursed, shape-shifting Veela, Gloriana, following her heart and giving her body to sexy, tortured werewolf Alexander means one thing-he will die and it will again be her fault.
Once only a man, Alexander finds himself scarred by the memories of his former life and the deceptions and lies that surround him. When a glimmer of light breaks the madness, he must let go of his misguided preconceptions and the hatred that consumes him.
On a mission for blood, they find unity in their desire for revenge, but are driven apart by their pasts. Traveling the darkest paths and fighting the very people they think they can trust, they draw closer to one another's hearts and further into danger.
Will the curse prove to be unstoppable... or is there hope in forbidden love?
 
            CHAPTER ONE
In her human-like Veela form, Gloriana Canis was at a distinct disadvantage. Her feet pounded against the ground as she ran, she crashed through the underbrush, and tripped upon the branches that reached up to snatch her legs. With a muffled growl, she paused as she forced her body to shift into her more powerful wolfen shape.
Dashing after the intruders, she silently passed beneath the low lying branches and bounded over the roots. Her paws silently ab­sorbed the sounds as the ground blurred beneath her. She saw none of the pack that had invaded her territory, so she lifted her snout and sniffed.
The scent of the gray Werewolf was a mix of triumph, malice, and anger, but there were no traces of fear.
He’s a fool. The thieving Were should feel fear above anything else—because I soon will be upon him.
When she found the beast, she would tear at his soft flesh…the least vital parts first. Before she finished, he would undoubtedly cry for mercy, but no matter how hard he cried, or how desperately he pleaded, he would find none. The man had tried to steal Bal­dur’s Vitam Aeternam, the ring of eternal life, from her. The ring was the final memento of Baldur’s existence, of their fight for love against all odds and the curse that had taken his life. The Were who attempted to take it from her would have no easy death.
Deeper into the woods, the scent of the gray alpha Were less­ened and was replaced by the musky scent of the brown beta she had seen circling the alpha.
Her strides grew more rapid. She was close.
Weaving around a boulder, her body collapsed as the ground gave way. Her paws clawed at the soft earth, desperate to stop the fall, but the dirt crumbled beneath her touch. She yelped in fear as she clawed, but it was too late. Her body flipped into the earth’s open maw.
The stakes ripped into her soft flesh. Hot, searing pain invaded her body.
Howling, she tried to leap, struggle—anything to free her
body—but the motions only drove the stakes deeper, worsening her agony.
A fire burned deep in her flank and she caught the scent of blood on the stakes that now were wedged in her flesh. Hydra blood.
The venom pumped through her veins, she could taste the acrid poison in her mouth. Slowly her vision began to fade. She was forced to find refuge from the pain inside of her mind.
My dearest Goddess, Epione, do not let the curse of the loving Veela take me. I promise that if you let me live, I will find Baldur’s killer and make him pay. Please, please do not deliver my soul to the underworld. I must complete my task.
She could feel the sun rising in the distance. Would this morn­ing be her last?
A light illuminated the grave-like pit.
Expecting a torch-bearing lampade to lead her to the under­world, she was surprised when a tall man appeared with a flash­light in his hand. He stood at the edge of the pit, his other hand on his hip and a scowl on his face.
She growled, but as the rumble escaped her, it was replaced with a yelp.
The thief had returned to finish her.
He reached down to her and said something, but it sounded as if he was talking through water. When he spoke again, she heard him say, “Shifter, I’m Alex…” but the rest of his words were lost in the muffling pain circulating through her body.
She tried to pull away from his touch, but her paws felt like lead weights and she struggled to move.
The pain radiated from the stakes in her flesh. Unable to fight the poison any longer, her eyes closed. Her mind went black.

            Ravenous Romance: http://www.ravenousromance.com/fantastica/curse-of-the-wolf.php
            Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/curse-of-the-wolf
            (and will soon be available in over 10 other locations)


 The Devil's Angel
 
Blurb: Even though Sarah Dawes is only dressed like an angel, acting like a saint isn't easy. Especially not at her sex toy company's Halloween party, where hedonistic desire is the name of the game and the Devil is her partner.

Playing with dangerous pleasures, she follows him to Hell, where he shows her he is more than the monster society has deemed him, and he offers her a chance to become his queen. Should she stay at his side, where her days will be filled with pain, but her nights with pleasure? Or, should she return to earth and the dream of a man who may or may not even know her last name?
            Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/the-devils-angel


The Christmas Miracle (BTGN Holiday Short Story Award-winner)

Blurb: Christie has defined herself by her wheelchair and has created a world filled with ‘I can’t’.  When she meets her marathon running, salsa dancing neighbor, Marcus, he tries to show her that there is more to life than self-imposed limits and other peoples’ judgments.
Will Christie open her heart and her mind to her sexy neighbor, or will the pain of her past keep her a prisoner in her own life?
            Barnes and Noble: (Currently off of B&N for KDP Promotion, but will return to B&N after 90 days after publisher’s promotion)  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/danica-winters?keyword=danica+winters&store=allproducts
            Books To Go Now: http://www.bookstogonow.com/achristmasmiracle.html     

      


The Author

Danica Winters is an Amazon best-selling romance author based in Montana. She is known for writing award-winning books that grip readers with their ability to drive emotion through suspense and often a touch of magic. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Montana Romance Writers, and Greater Seattle Romance Writers. She is a contributor to magazines, websites, and news organizations. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, the outdoors, and the bliss brought by the printed word.

  


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1 comment:

  1. I think it's only by the fire of past mistakes that we are burnished into better humans. I can definitely see it in you, Danica.

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