Interview with Sweet Romance Author Danielle Thorne

Danielle Thorne is the author of sweet romantic adventure books, both historical and contemporary. She currently writes from south of Atlanta, Georgia. Danielle is a former editor for Solstice and Desert Breeze Publishing, but freelance writing and blogging at The Balanced Writer (www.thebalancedwriter.blogspot.com) is now her day job when life isn't calling. She has four sons with her wonderful husband. Together they enjoy travel and the outdoors.

Welcome back to my blog, Danielle. Please tell us about your book, BY HEART AND COMPASS.

BY HEART AND COMPASS is about having the courage to follow your heart even when it seems crazy. It's about chasing dreams and having them come true. It was nominated for a Whitney Award when it was released, and I'm very proud of its great sales and reviews.

This story is about genealogist Lacey Whitman, who buys a restored Victorian home, but never dreams discovering an antique diary will lead her back to sea and into the arms of the dive bum she’d rather forget. Her habit of living in the past (like so many of us do) comes to a screeching halt as diver, Max Bertrand, and the diary of his ancestor take Lacey on the quest of a lifetime: to discover and raise the privateer ship, Specter, and bring the treasure and legacy of a true hero home again.

I love sweet romantic adventure stories. Where did you get your inspiration for this novel?

Believe it or not, I always wanted to write an adult version of my favorite childhood movie, Goonies. My historical novel, THE PRIVATEER, was a great springboard for going forward in time and unraveling a great treasure ship adventure

What kind of research did you do for this book?

I had a great time researching the Caribbean islands on a few cruise vacations. Luckily, I'm an Age of Sail nut so I had plenty of resources for refreshing my memory of the sailing world, and my scuba certification comes in handy, too.

You love to write sweet romances. What intrigues you most about writing love stories?

I've always been a closet romantic even though I sometimes take myself too seriously. Writing romances has given me the opportunity to make people smile and believe in fairytales. It's also a chance to share sweet love stories full of exciting adventure that takes the reader somewhere far away for a spell. I love to give someone that "awww" moment and make them want to give a hug to the one they love.

Thank you, Danielle, for this wonderful interview. It was fun talking to you. For those interested, Danielle’s book is available in print and as an ebook at: Desert Breeze Publishing, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo.