Dispatch from Danielle Trussoni - October 2023
It’s a beautiful October morning in my office in San Miguel de Allende, and I thought I’d take a moment away from my work to send a note to say hello.
It has been a month filled with intense work here in the writing cave, and I’m happy to share some exciting news: I finished a draft of a new novel, The Puzzle Box! This novel finds Mike Brink, an ingenious puzzle solver who you’ve met in my novel The Puzzle Master, in Japan, where he’s been invited by the imperial family to open a 19th century puzzle box commissioned by the Emperor Meiji. When he does, he’s thrust into an adventure that teaches him something surprising about himself, and the nature of his abilities.
I am in the middle of editing the manuscript, and it will be available next fall. I am so excited to share this book with you!
#TruReaders
If you’ve been spending time with me on social media these past months, you’ll know that I’ve started calling my readers TruReaders. I’ve been astonished by, and very grateful for, the level of support I’ve had from my readers over the years. And so I’ve decided to create a way for me to stay in touch with those of you who are truly passionate about my work by creating a small community of TruReader insiders.
The idea to create this community within a community was brought to me by Patty, who was featured last month in my newsletter. We believe that there are readers out there who feel strongly about my books, and would like to help us spread the word together as TruReader ambassadors. As a member of this group, you will be invited to regular meetings with me and each other via Zoom, be the first to receive information on my projects, and exclusive advanced copies of my work, and other information about my projects. If you’re interested in being a part of this group, send me an email at dtrussoniassistant@gmail.com
#TruReader of the Month
As a continuation of a newer feature in the newsletter, here is the next 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 Steve.
Steve lives in Winters, CA and works for the U.S. Geological Survey as a public affairs specialist. He is married to his wife Natasha and has three adult children and two adult step-children. He also has two sisters (who are the most voracious readers he knows). He and his wife also have two dogs and have just started raising chickens. Here is some more information about Steve.
Q) What are your favorite kinds of books to read?
A) For fiction, I like mysteries with supernatural or dark-historical themes. In addition to Danielle's (or Ms. Trussoni's) writing, I enjoy authors like Anne Rice and Dan Brown. For non-fiction, I read a lot of religious history and theology. But I also like beatnik poetry.
Q) What are some of your hobbies and passions?
A) I'll say, with all humility (given where this will appear), that I too am a writer. That is how I first learned of Danielle's work. I wrote my first novel, Our Lady of West 74th Street, in 2014. It was about angels. After self-publishing the book, as a way of letting the world know, I decided to reach out to other authors who had written about angels. This led me to Angelology and Danielle.
(If you're curious, I have a website devoted to my writing: https://harrystevenackley.com.)
I also play stand-up bass in a jazz trio called YOLO HOT CLUB. And I've just started playing the cello. I'm learning a bunch of Christmas tunes on the cello and plan on doing some street music around the holidays.
Q) Why do you love to read?
A) The adventure! I once asked my cousin, who is an actor, for advice on scriptwriting. He told me that with a good plot you feel like you're along for the ride. When a story is working for me, I feel like I'm part of it, learning new things and going through emotions, right along with the characters.
Thanks for joining us Steve!
If you would like to be featured in my newsletter, please send an email to dtrussoniassistant@gmail.com
Voices for Color Auction
In other news, I have a consultation up for auction until Tuesday October 3rd. Don’t miss the Voices for Color Auction! Here’s the link to bid: https://e.givesmart.com/events/y6C/i/_All/nl0f/?search=
Q&A
Fianlly, 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) How did you know you wanted to be a writer?
A) Like many writers, I was a reader first. I would spend hours and hours lost in novels that transported me far from my Midwestern childhood. I remember loving fantasy novels, mysteries, and anything that made me experience the world beyond my bedroom. When I was in high school, I started writing my own fiction and poetry, and found that it was the one thing I always wanted to do. I think it was then, when I began filling notebook after notebook with writing, that I knew that I wanted to be a writer.
Thank you for spending your time with me. For updates, join me on my website, and across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Yours,
Danielle