Danielle Trussoni's Newsletter - March 2023
Reality and the supernatural collide when an expert puzzle-maker is thrust into an ancient mystery—one with explosive consequences for the fate of humanity—in this suspenseful thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Angelology
“In short: The Puzzle Master = (The Da Vinci Code + The Silent Patient + sprinkle of Stephen King) x gorgeous writing.”—Angie Kim
Good morning on this Monday in March. I’m sitting at my desk here in San Miguel de Allende having something of an existential moment about writing. This happens every so often. Something in the world happens–either to me personally or on a larger geopolitical scale–and I begin to wonder at the compulsion to go to my desk each morning and write. Why do I do this, I ask. This need to write is more than habit or ambition or even an artistic impulse. It is, I’ve realized after years of interrogating this seemingly solitary and individual act, a way of being in the world that demonstrates how I think life should be– an imaginative, curious, creative existence, one that can be shared with other people.
Of course, the decision to live this way comes with drawbacks. It is laborious, filled with uncertainty, and often feels isolated. Professionally, it can feel limiting. I’m not out founding a company or running for a political office or doing another job that transforms the world. But I feel that we writers are doing something equally important. We are developing a world of “unreal estate” (as Nabokov called it), in which beauty and connection live. And I’m glad you’re here with me for it.
In other news, I was just part of the incredibly fun San Miguel Writers Conference. If you’ve never heard of it, check it out! Here is a picture of me with the literary agent Susan Golomb and the writers Angie Kim, Janelle Brown, and Jean Kwok.
Goodreads Giveaway!
First and foremost, I want you to have a free early edition of my new novel, The Puzzle Master. You can do that by entering a giveaway going on over at Goodreads. When you’re done reading this, please go to Goodreads and enter this contest for one of 20 copies. It only runs until March 15th, so please don’t linger. Good luck!
Enter my Monthly Giveaways!
Some of you entered last month, but there are more prizes to be had as we countdown to the release of The Puzzle Master. Every month, I’ll be offering new prizes such as exclusive fiction, personalized editorial feedback, a custom crossword puzzle, signed first editions of my previous books and advanced copies of The Puzzle Master.
With that, I am pleased to continue our giveaways with these exciting prize opportunities!
Do you want a free advance copy of The Puzzle Master?
Post about my novel on social media, send a screenshot of the post to dtrussoniassistant@gmail.com, and I’ll enter you into a drawing to win an advance copy of my new novel. I’ll send it to you before anyone else can buy it!
Are you on Goodreads?
Add The Puzzle Master to your Want-to-Read shelf and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a first edition hardcover copy of Angelology.
Are you in a book club?
Invite 5 members of your book club or 5 bookish friends to subscribe to this newsletter and you’ll be entered into a drawing for an advanced copy of The Puzzle Master. I will also visit your book club via Zoom the month my novel publishes (that’s not part of the contest: that’s just because I love book clubs)
This is an ongoing contest, and the winner will be announced in an upcoming newsletter.
Are you a writer?
Pre-order The Puzzle Master and you’ll be entered to win an editorial evaluation by yours truly. The winner will receive editorial advice on any piece of writing (up to 15 pages). This is an ongoing contest, and the winner will be announced in May 2023.
How to enter:
You can show me which prize(s) you’re entering by emailing me screenshot proof that you qualify (a screenshot of your Goodreads shelf, proof of pre-order, and/or your 5 friends’ names) to dtrussoniassistant@gmail.com by March 31st at 11:59:59pm ET.
Winners will be announced in the April newsletter. US only.
I’ll be announcing new and continuing opportunities with each newsletter, so be sure to check back next month to find out what else you can win!
With that, I am happy to announce the February winner of the Giveaway:
Congrats to Kim Gillespie, who added The Puzzle Master on Goodreads, sent me a screenshot and she won a copy of A hardcover copy of Angelology.
Reader of the Month
As a continuation of a newer feature in the newsletter, here is the fourth installment of Reader of the Month. Each month I’ll feature one of my extraordinary readers. If you’d like to be featured, write to me at danielle@danielletrussoni.com.
Please say hello to Kayla Habeck. She works at Barnes & Noble as a lead bookseller and is also graduating this spring with a degree in radiography.
Here is some more information about Kayla.
Q) What are your favorite kinds of books to read?
A) I read a little of everything, my main genres are romance, fantasy, fiction and memoirs that revolve around dogs.
Q) What are some of your hobbies and passions?
A) Between working full time at Barnes and being a full time student I don’t have a lot of free time but I love to read and spend time with my two perfect dogs Bella and Hudson.
Q) Why do you love to read?
A) I love being able to set aside all the stress of life and get lost in a good book. I always have my current read on me and take every opportunity I have to read. I am part of a private book club and I run the Barnes & Noble book club for the store I work at. My Barnes & Noble book club is always one of the highlights of my month. We have some of the best members and I love being able to sit down and have open and meaningful discussions about the pick for the month.
Thanks for joining us this month, Kayla!
Q&A
Finally, I opened the floor to my friends on social media again this month to take any questions about my new books or the writing/reading/publishing world at large.
Q) I’m almost done with the first draft of my novel; what do I do next?
This is a question every writer asks themselves. It feels like such a momentous moment to have finished the first draft of a novel, a little like making it to the top of Everest. When you get there, you want to pop open the champagne and celebrate. And you should!! But then you must realize that getting to the top of Everest is only half the work. You need to get yourself to the end of the journey.
The next step? Revision. Some people put the draft away for a month or two (or more) and then go back and revise. Some people (like me) revise right away and keep revising until the the very last minute (which is, when the book is being published, the third pass pages).
When you get your novel to a point where you feel it’s as polished as possible, then it may be a good idea to share it with some readers you trust. Get their opinions. Think about who your readers are, what genre the book fits into, and (finally) if you feel ready to submit it to an agent.
As always, a big thank you to everyone for spending your time with me, on my website, and across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. My books wouldn’t be possible without your support! Please stay in touch and let me know how you’re doing.
Yours,
Danielle