About Danica ...
Who am I and why do I do this?
If I suddenly sold books hand over fist, I'd take my husband, my kids, my parents and go home to the Northeast--or at least somewhere that feels more like home. I miss mountains, sometimes snow. I miss my city--New York. More than anything else, I miss seeing the amazing friend network I built over the years.
But let's be honest: You can't always go home, because it changes after a while. I didn't want to move to Central Florida, but life throws you curve balls--and sometimes those curve balls pivot to new destinies for yourself and those you brought with you. And if you're open to silver linings--something that took me a while--you can find them. I have an amazing new friendship I might not have had otherwise, and my family recently adopted a beautiful cat we love to pieces. We hit Disney frequently, which is a super bonus. Storms are fun to watch down here, and I do love the palm trees.
It seems that, as with the characters I create, personal transformation isn't something you can avoid when life turns screwy. Actually, scratch that: Maybe you can, but you should NOT avoid transformation. I gather staying stagnant and fighting it might be more painful.
But let's be honest: You can't always go home, because it changes after a while. I didn't want to move to Central Florida, but life throws you curve balls--and sometimes those curve balls pivot to new destinies for yourself and those you brought with you. And if you're open to silver linings--something that took me a while--you can find them. I have an amazing new friendship I might not have had otherwise, and my family recently adopted a beautiful cat we love to pieces. We hit Disney frequently, which is a super bonus. Storms are fun to watch down here, and I do love the palm trees.
It seems that, as with the characters I create, personal transformation isn't something you can avoid when life turns screwy. Actually, scratch that: Maybe you can, but you should NOT avoid transformation. I gather staying stagnant and fighting it might be more painful.
I write what?
I'm obsessed with well-rounded fictional characters. Love to read about them annd live to write about them. When characters and their stories pop into my head, I never really finish exploring the what ifs ... the qualities and limits that make my characters who they are. And that means diving into their psyches as well as their most intimate moments.
I never wrote graphic spice, though. I was a fade to black sort of girl. Then I ran into Ren Hayden and Galen Zabriese, who simply popped into my head one day, pretty much fully formed. I arrived at an impasse: If those two didn't have sex 'on screen,' the reader (not to mention the writer) just wasn't going to feel them. Their pasts sort of demanded it. So I had to either ditch the story or ditch the idea that writing steamy love scenes was taboo for me.
I'm glad I chose the latter. And I learned something in the process: If writing is about exploring what makes us human, how can we limit what we write about?
I never wrote graphic spice, though. I was a fade to black sort of girl. Then I ran into Ren Hayden and Galen Zabriese, who simply popped into my head one day, pretty much fully formed. I arrived at an impasse: If those two didn't have sex 'on screen,' the reader (not to mention the writer) just wasn't going to feel them. Their pasts sort of demanded it. So I had to either ditch the story or ditch the idea that writing steamy love scenes was taboo for me.
I'm glad I chose the latter. And I learned something in the process: If writing is about exploring what makes us human, how can we limit what we write about?
Wait ... you said you have a cat?
I do! Thanks for asking. That's another story I love to tell. My good girl, Trinity, was a pregnant mom around 1.5 years old. Some jerk dumped her by the side of a road hours before giving birth. Imagine this poor little thing--born missing a back leg, by the way--all alone.
Luckily, some wonderful person called a cat shelter, and they took her in. She had five kittens the next day. Although in the loving care of amazing people, she was terrified of other cats and dogs. While her baby's found homes, she was in the shelter--mostly kept at a pet store for adoption to keep her from freaking out over the other cats, for over six months.
And that's where we found her. She's sweet, adorable, and within a year has become my writer's muse. We spoil her rotten as the baby of the family. And this is where I get on a soapbox: Tripawed cats are easy to care for, black cats are the very best of luck, and adopt--don't shop!
Luckily, some wonderful person called a cat shelter, and they took her in. She had five kittens the next day. Although in the loving care of amazing people, she was terrified of other cats and dogs. While her baby's found homes, she was in the shelter--mostly kept at a pet store for adoption to keep her from freaking out over the other cats, for over six months.
And that's where we found her. She's sweet, adorable, and within a year has become my writer's muse. We spoil her rotten as the baby of the family. And this is where I get on a soapbox: Tripawed cats are easy to care for, black cats are the very best of luck, and adopt--don't shop!
