~ Writing Inside Your Head ~

Awesome Romance author Nadine Dandorf writes romantic suspense. In her interview, she shares her writing influences, how she handles writer’s block and talks about her favorite authors and how-to writing books.

Welcome Nadine…

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Hi! Thanks for letting me join you. I write from northwestern New Jersey where I was born and raised. I married my high school sweetheart, and we have a grown son and daughter who live too far away for their mother’s liking. If you ever thought you couldn’t love your children more, wait until you have a grandchild. Ours is eighteen months old, and we couldn’t love her more.

What do you do when you are not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m working my day job or reading my favorite genres, suspense and romance. My favorite authors include Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills who now writes his Mitch Rapp series, Brad Taylor, Nick Petrie, and too many others to name. For romance, Nora Roberts (of course), Linda Goodnight, HelenKay Dimon, and many of my NJRWA sisters. I also love to decorate (I have lapsed Certified Interior Decorator creds), to garden, and to go to the movies.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I started writing in 2011 to vent some personal frustration and to purge the story that kept spinning in my head. My favorite genre has always been suspense (my husband got me hooked on Robert Ludlum) but I also love smart romances with strong heroines, so my writing blends both ideas. I published my first novel in 2016 and my second last year. I’m working on my third novel now and hope to have it ready in early 2019. It’s not a trilogy in the true sense, but it is the journey of the same characters. I devour everything I can about craft and style and although I feel like I’ve come a long way from that first draft that I thought was “done”, there’s still so much to learn.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

With my current project, yes, but not so much a block, just overwhelmed with all the different places the story could go. What I originally had planned wasn’t working. I’m not a plotter or pantser, and while I had a framework, the story was all over the place. I also got extremely distracted with my day job (gotta pay the bills) and family issues. However, while I wasn’t writing, I was thinking and re-thinking. I took one piece at a time, fleshed it out, and either tossed it or kept it. I was frustrated at how long it took, but it was worth it. Someone once said most of the writing is done in your head and now I know what he meant. Breaking it down into manageable pieces helped, too, so it was no longer overwhelming.

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest was that I should throw away the lead in paragraphs to my current WIP and start again. Ouch. The best was having Contingencies compared to a Clive Cussler story. That was awesome.

Do you have any websites, blogs, or books about writing that you would recommend?

I have so many favorite books. On structure, I keep going back to Story Engineering by Larry Brooks, Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland (her blog is great, too), and The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maass. Mastering Suspense, Structure & Plot by Jane K. Cleland and Conflict & Supense by James Scott Bell are stacked with great information when writing suspense. Another great book is Verbalize, by Damon Suede. If you ever get a chance to attend one of his classes, don’t miss it. He is amazing.

Is there anything special that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

First, thank you for spending your precious time to read my stories and for the positive feedback. The support has been amazing, and I am truly grateful. I hope my novels get better with each new one published and they continue to enjoy them.

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Contingencies by Nadine Dandorf

Recalled for a secret task, former U.S. Army Ranger Staff Sergeant Adrian Reilly must bring the CIA definitive proof that its deputy director of National Clandestine Services, Charlie O’Donnell, is the master manipulator behind the deaths of covert operatives, agents and Reilly’s brothers in arms. Reilly’s motivation is simple: to clear his name for being wrongfully discharged and avenge the deaths of both his best friend and the CIA Special Agent who warned him that O’Donnell was an enemy from within. But O’Donnell’s web of deceit and lies is spun with devils and innocents, including Trent Mariner, a rouge sniper Reilly believed dead and Daniella St. Sauveur, the daughter of the agent who warned him about O’Donnell.

When Dani discovers she’s been used as a pawn in O’Donnell’s murderous games, she must summon the strength of warriors twice her size in order to survive the betrayal and the ache for a man with a player reputation and a laser-focus on only his mission.

Reilly’s strength and resolve are tested and his ability to battle any contingency cannot fully prepare him for the depth of O’Donnell’s conspiracies and what Mariner has planned. More than his military expertise, Reilly will need faith, hope, and a special woman’s unwavering love in order to stop a madman’s vengeful quest to destroy them all.

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Buy link

AMAZON

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Learn more about Nadine Dandorf

Website: www.nadinedandorfauthor.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nadinedandorfauthor

Twitter: @dandorf_8