Meet Author Danielle Keil
Genre: Young Adult/New Adult Contemporary Romance & Young Adult Fiction.
About Danielle Keil
Danielle Keil grew up in the Chicagoland area. A recent transplant, she is enjoying the Mississippi life, especially the pool in her backyard.
Danielle has been happily married for over 10 years, and has two young children, a daughter and a son, who are exact replicas of her and her husband.
She also is a fur mom to their Corgi, Cozmo, who loves barking, mud, and peanut butter.
Danielle’s love language is gifts, her Ennegram is a 9w1, and she loves everything purple.
The way to her heart is through coffee, chocolate and tacos (extra guac).
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We asked Danielle a quick round of questions, and here are her answers:
Q1: Who is the most supportive person in your life when it comes to your writing?
A: My author friends! Finding two authors right after I published my first book became the best thing that could have happened. Not only do we bounce off ideas, ask opinions, and all other things relating to being an author, but they have become some of my closest friends!
Q2: If you have pictures on your writing desk, who/what are they of?
A: I have some on my bulletin board next to my desk—pictures of my daughter, Cassidy, my son, Weston, my late mother, and one of my old dogs (not sure why he’s there, but he is!)
Q3: What is your favorite genre to read, and why?
A: Romance! I like contemporary romance the best, any age. I love a good rom com, some angst, and always the HEA!
Q4: Do you use any special writing software? If so what is it, and what are a few of your favorite perks of it?
A: I write in Scrivener—I like to be able to separate out my chapters so I can easily go back in and fix something or move them around as needed! I don’t always write in order, so being able to plop a chapter into another spot is the best part.
Q5: What does being a successful author look like to you?
A: Being successful is just having done it! To be able to tell someone “Oh yes, you can buy my book on Amazon!” is pretty dang cool.
Q6: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?
A: I do. I know a lot don’t, but I’m super curious! I stalk Amazon and Good Reads for weeks after a release. I’ve gotten better lately, but I always want to know! For the bad ones, I brush it off. My books wont be for everyone and that’s okay! They’re balanced out by the good ones too.
Q7: What are five words that describe your writing process?
A: Procrastination, half-plotter, comfortable, coffee, coffee.
Q8: Do you write listening to music? If so, what music inspired or accompanied this current book?
A: I do! It has to be on softly, but I listen to a different Pandora station for each book. Oddly enough, the music usually ends up opposite theme to the book— pop music to a darker book, rock to a lighter book. Not sure why!
Q9: How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?
A: Too many. I have one womens fiction/contemporary romance in my head. Another one is a darker Young Adult fiction I thought I was going to do that one next, but I flipped it for my next series; hopefully it’ll get done late 2021! It deals with an 18 year old boy who suddenly has to deal with the loss of his BFF (a girl). It goes through the stages of grief, but with some twists and turns. It uses lots of letters, texts, emails, and flashbacks. I’m enjoying the concept, but had to shelve it for a bit longer!
Q10: Which of your books were the most enjoyable to write?
A: My last one was probably my favorite, Cast from the Shadows. I liked having a set timeline and the struggles to get what I wanted the characters to do within that timeline. Also, the ability to visit multiple places in one book was fun; not just staying at home or at college, that type of thing. The ending is my absolute favorite out of all of them—I actually jumped and wrote the ending before I was even a quarter of the way through the book!
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Danielle agreed to participate in a little flash fiction.
This is the cover of your next book, write the opening paragraph…
“Another day, another tourist. I hauled the last beach umbrella over my shoulder, taking a step back to regain balance from the weight threatening to tip me over. My muscles grew stronger since May; I could easily carry three umbrellas now instead of struggling with one. Taking the job at my dad’s beach resort wasn’t on top of the list of things I wanted to do this summer, but everything else on that list required money. Money I didn’t have. So, hauling umbrellas and chairs up and down the sand became my new normal. Dealing with upset tourists demanding a better chair location became second nature. And dealing with the seagull crap became routine. Anything for a buck, right?“
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Books by Danielle Keil
Out of the Darkness
He’s the All-American boy, she’s the quiet bookworm girl. But things aren’t always what they seem. Will their love survive when the summer’s over?
Brandon:
As starting QB for two state football championships, and recipient of a full ride to a Division 1 school, you could say I was the King of Parkdale. And I was ready for the best summer of my life.
What I wasn’t ready for was Claire. From the moment I met her, she forced me to uncover parts of myself I didn’t know existed. She showed me that the mask I wore every day as the All-American boy was a façade. This girl was the sun that brightened my world, and I would always protect her.
The problem was, could I protect her from my own self destruction?
Claire:
I fit the quiet bookworm stereotype to a T, and that was okay with me. I thrived on routine and consistency. This summer was going to be simple — hanging out with my best friends and working as a lifeguard.
Until Brandon came into my life like a whirlwind—strong, forceful, and just about knocked me over. His love helped me move on from events in my past with grace. Being with Brandon pulled me out of my shell. I handed him my heart, trusting him to protect it like he always protected me.
The question was, would it be safe?
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Into the Light
When Jackson gets to college, he finds the girl of his dreams right away. The only problem? She’s his roommate’s girlfriend.
Jackson:
College. A new place, new people, new relationships. Everything was going to be perfect. Life would be perfect balance of partying and studying.
What I didn’t plan on was falling head over heels for a girl first semester. Especially when that girl was my roommate’s girlfriend. Emmy put me in the friend zone, but I was okay with that at first. I would do anything for her.
Anything except hold back how I felt.
Emmy:
College was only a small part of my life plan. I had my classes organized for all four years to maximize time and efficiency. It was color coded and laminated as well. Couldn’t be too careful; failure was always imminent.
What I didn’t count on was life getting in the way of my big plans. I had new friends and a new boyfriend, yet letting them in proved difficult. I began to lose control, allowing one failure after the next.
But what if something, or someone, better came from those failures?
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Cast from the Shadows
Free from his father’s shadow, Landon has decided to hit the open road. What happens when a pretty girl hops in the car and invites herself along?
Landon:
After defying my father’s wishes and dropping out of West Point, it was time to take my future into my own hands.
I hoped the open road would become my salvation, saving me from my inner demons.
My plan failed and a return home seemed imminent. Until a beautiful girl with purple streaks in her hair became determined to join me, turning my entire trip upside down.
I had my share of regrets.
Letting Whitney in my car was not one of them.
Whitney:
Life in my small town slowly sucked the soul out of me. I dreamed of escaping and exploring the world.
All I wanted to do was get out of Pine Hill and keep the promises I made my mother before she died.
So, I jumped straight into a stranger’s car and hijacked his road trip. We couldn’t have been more different, but our chemistry was undeniable.
I had my share of regrets.
Giving Landon my heart was at the top of the list.
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GIVEAWAY click here to win an eBook copy of Out of the Darkness.
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Danielle, thank you so much for being a featured author in our spotlight blog. It was wonderful getting to know you. And if like us, you are desperate to find out more about what she’s up to next, you can follow her on the links below and visit her website HERE.
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