A happily ever after to be found in God…

Thank you for joining me today on Anna's blog. My name is Danielle Grandinetti. I'm a US-based author of 1930s historical romance. 

I got to know Anna through the first Our House on Sycamore Street series. Our characters shared house number one, and out of that project, a friendship was born.

I'm also thrilled to be part of Our House on Heather Wynd, the second season of the Our House books, and can't wait to share my Scotland story with everyone. The Recluse’s Vindication releases on September 12 (daniellegrandinetti.com/the-recluses-vindication).

But before I talk about what will be my 16th published story, including novellas and novels, I wanted to back up. Here's a little bit more about me and why I love what I do.

I have loved stories since I was little. Honestly, I can't remember a time when stories didn't touch my heart in some form or fashion. I even wrote my first short story in third grade. My career began because of all the short stories I wrote. I had several published well before I became a published novelist. And haven't looked back.

One of the things I love about stories is the blend of romance and suspense, two people defying the odds and getting their happily ever after. But I also love history … visiting historical sites all across the country, going to museums, understanding our place in the world.

I love it because history is, once you get past all those stuffy dates, populated by people who have faced all sorts of insurmountable challenges. It's also made up of people like you and me who gravitate towards stories of adventure and peril. Historical romance makes these people come alive and takes us to places and times we can only dream about visiting.

Which is why I love writing historical romance set against the backdrop of the 1930s. Why the 1930s, you might ask? Well, that is another part of my story.

I thought I would always write romantic suspense, or maybe just simply romance. But that historical piece was always knocking at the door.

When I was a preteen, my paternal grandmother came to live with us. She grew up in 1920s–30s Chicago, the daughter of Italian immigrants in the Italian community. I have fond memories of summers spent in the backyard, Grandma on the swing, me hanging on the monkey bars, and her telling me story after story of younger years. So I grew up on firsthand accounts of what it was like to live in Al Capone’s Chicago.

As fascinated as I was with those decades, I hadn't planned to write stories set then. That changed when I received my first rejection for what would become my first full-length novel, A Strike to the Heart. Originally, it was a contemporary romantic suspense, but the editor explained that while my story was good, something was missing.

Then, during the pandemic, Wisconsin dairy farmers were dumping their cows's milk because the supply chain had been interrupted. Well, like any good author, I asked, "What if? What if it had happened before?"

And it had! In the 1930s.

Setting that particular romantic suspense story in the 1930s was like taking a black and white film and adding Technicolor. Everything made sense in a vibrant fascination. It reminded me of how much I loved my grandmother's stories, and I knew I never wanted to stop writing stories set in this decade. In fact, The Recluse’s Vindication will be the 14th of my stories that I've set in that particular decade.

Most of all, I love writing the 1930s because it's a decade filled with desperation. Since I tell stories of finding home and hope in hard times, it provides the perfect backdrop against which to show the light and love of Jesus. No matter how dark the world gets, there is still a happily ever after to be found in God. And I hope this shines in each of my stories.

So I love the history. I love the romance. I love the danger. I love wrapping it all up against the backdrop of the 1930s. And of all my books, The Recluse’s Vindication gathers all of these pieces together in a pre–World War Two story of forgiveness and restitution and hope and, well, vindication.

So if you're ready for romance and adventure, grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate (since I leave the coffee for others), and grab a cozy corner to curl up with one of my stories or join me for my weekly Fireside News email (daniellegrandinetti.com/firesidenews). Perhaps you'll also see why I love what I do.

Danielle Grandinetti is an award-winning author of 1930s historical romance, where mystery and suspense intertwine with hope. Her work has received recognition, including a Distinguished Faith in Writing Award, two National Excellence in Storytelling Awards, and finalist honors in the FHLCW Reader’s Choice, Selah, and Daphne du Maurier contests.

A second-generation Italian-American rooted in Midwest traditions, Danielle draws inspiration from tea, books, and the creative beauty of nature. Holding a master’s in communication and culture, and driven by a lifelong love of stories, she crafts tales that celebrate resilience, diversity, and belonging. Danielle lives along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline with her husband and two sons. Find her online at daniellegrandinetti.com.