A Letter from Danielle for October ‘17
Hi Everyone,
Happy October!!! There’s still a taste of warm days here and there, but for the most part we are launching into October with beautiful leaves turning red and yellow in some parts of the country. We’re rushing toward the winter, and the holidays will be here before you know it!!
My book THE MISTRESS just came out in paperback on September 26th, which is a special date to me … my youngest daughter’s birthday!! The date is precious to me because it’s not only her birthday, but was her father’s as well. When I went into labor with her 3 weeks early the night before her father’s birthday, I thought how fantastic and fun it would be for them to share a birthday forever… not. She was born at 1am, just into that date by an hour, which I thought was a major coup. My husband John looked at me like a crushed five year old after he had expressed his joy over her birth, and said “Does this mean I have to cancel my birthday dinner?” I hadn’t even thought about it, but we decided to have the dinner go on anyway, even with me in the hospital. He LOVED his birthday, and celebrated all month. My daughter had no comment on it the night she was born, but she had plenty to say about it in the years afterwards – and so did John.
They started complaining weeks before…”Why does she have to ruin it and take over my birthday ever year?? (uh, because she’s five… or twelve…. or fifteen), and she’s grousing just as loudly, “he ruins my birthday every year, why cant he pick another day?” They growled at each other for the rest of his life, each one feeling that they had a right to the day, but the other didn’t. So that day particularly makes me smile.
THE MISTRESS is a fun, fast-paced book about a beautiful young Russian woman, working in a factory, starving on a Moscow street in winter. She is discovered by a Russian Oligarch, and slowly gives in and becomes his mistress. He introduces her to a golden life, and she knows not to ask questions about his somewhat shady activities. She gives up all her freedom for him, and shares a life of enormous wealth, comfort, and security. But eventually, the lack of freedom becomes an agonizing burden, and when she discovers just how dangerous he truly is, she has some important choices to make about him, and most of all about herself. If you haven’t read it, I hope you love it!!! it was really fun to write!! And hopefully fun to read as well. It’s a world and a life few of us get a glimpse into, even from the distance – a life of unimaginable wealth (there’s a yacht the size of a cruise ship with a crew of 100, and that part is actually real in today’s world.)
My new hardcover FAIRYTALE will release very soon – on October 10th!, It’s a simple story with some amazing twists and turns, set in the vineyards of the Napa Valley, which is also a fascinating world. The main character of the book leads a fairytale life as a child. Her life becomes more complicated when she grows up, with an evil stepmother, dangerous stepbrothers who are out to take everything they can from her (including her life,) and a modern day “Fairy Godmother”, who is a wise and wizened elderly French woman, with red hair. She’s funny and charming, and becomes a powerful and kind force in the heroine’s life. Modern day fairytales do happen – but they’re not quite as simple as they used to be. I hope that makes them all the more fun to read about, in the rarefied world of the Napa Valley, where evil lurks even in an idyllic setting. Happy Reading!!
October was always my children’s favorite month, with Halloween to look forward to. The entire month was always about who would wear what costume. They put a lot of thought into it, and loved to turn our house into a haunted house, where they would jump out of a closet screaming, scare me to death, and drip fake blood all over the carpet!! And we had some very funny tamer costumes too. I took them trick or treating every year, and they still love wearing costumes to Halloween parties they go to.
So whatever you’re doing, whether you’re going to celebrate Halloween or not, I hope that this month is all treat for you, and not ‘trick’. Have a great month!!
Love,
Danielle