Writers with Dienece-Danielle Grandinetti
Welcome, Readers!
I'm so glad you've joined us for another Writers with Dienece. This is the last one for 2026, but I've already got one scheduled for January, 2027! So, we will be back in the new year with more authors for you to meet. :)
But first, let's chat about the last book to be released in the Our House on Jakaranda Laan series, even though it was book #2! (And yes, we talk about why it happened that way!)
Dienece: Welcome, Danielle! So, pleased to have you with us today. I've been a guest on your blog so many times and even on your podcast, I'm thrilled to have the chance to return the favour and have you on mine!
You leave me in awe with the variety of ideas you come up with for your stories. No less so because of the niche genre you've chosen to write. Why don't you share that with us?
Danielle: 1930s historical romantic mystery
Dienece: See what I mean, Dear Readers? One would think you would exhaust the span of 10 years rather quickly, and yet every series Danielle starts is so unique!
Danielle, you've covered so many different things from a milk strike, newspaper journalists, lawyers, doctors, and even spies around the world. Your latest release is set in the 1930s South Africa (I told you, Readers, that she comes up with things you've never thought of for the 1930s!).
Tell us, Danielle, have you ever been to Africa?
Danielle: I spent about a week in Uganda and fell in love with East Africa. Getting to return to the continent through story was such fun. As was learning about a whole new area, culture, and history of such a vast land.
Dienece: Oh, that would have been such fun. My best friend has been to Africa, and she had such wonderful stories and pictures to share when she came back. What was one thing that really stood out about your Uganda trip?
Danielle: One of the most impactful moments during my trip to Uganda was participating in a prayer time with fellow Christians. They spoke their native language, so I did not understand what they said, but I have never felt so close to Heaven than I did during that prayer time.
Dienece: I love that. I sort of expected you to talk about the animals (most people do!), but I really, genuinely love that you shared this moment of prayer with us.
Did this moment happen to make it into your new book or inspire a part of your book at all?
Danielle: The verse at the front of the book will be: For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:26 (KJV)
Dienece: Oh, I love that. It matches perfectly what you were saying before about that special prayer time.
God is our Father, and He can speak to us all and find us wherever we are, whoever we are. Thank you so much for sharing that.
While we're talking about Africa and your new book, why don't you tell us about your latest release?
And Readers, if you buy directly from the author, the eBook is available for a limited time on her website before it's official release on November 13th! You can also grab it on Kobo and a few other places, but only BEFORE November. 13th.
After the official release, eBook will be exclusive to Kindle and Kindle +. The paperback is available widely through several retailers, including signed copies from the author!
This page-turning novella offers an unexpected romance mixed with cozy suspense. Set during a high-stakes transition in 1933, it unfolds against the backdrop of a remote South African small town. Perfect for fans of Kate Breslin and Roseanna M. White looking for an inspirational read.
Cedarfontein, South Africa, 1935—Ilse van der Berg’s mother is dying, and her last request is for Ilse to travel to her mother’s hometown of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Though she and her widowed mother are unwelcome amongst the locals after her Afrikaans father sided with the British during the Maritz rebellion, Ilse can't imagine leaving the people she knows for a country of strangers.
Lieutenant Quincey Pryor of His Majesty’s Royal Navy arrives in Cedarfontein on orders from his father, who works for the Admiralty and British Intelligence. He must personally collect and ferry back to London a package from a retired captain who lives in this small town near Knysna. What Quin doesn’t expect to find upon his arrival is a beautiful young woman kneeling over the captain's dead body.
Unexpectedly tied together by an undercurrent of espionage, Ilse and Quin must untangle the thread of secrets before the dark clouds of Nationalsozialismus overtake them and Ilse has to flee the only home she's ever known.
Dienece: When I first read your blurb, Danielle, I stumbled over the term Nationalsozialismus for a second and wondered if it was the Nazis. Readers, if you're wondering, it is. But I'm getting side-tracked, so let's go back to the book.
I've been looking forward to this book, Danielle. You spin a great story, and I know I'll be transported back in time and caught up in the mysteries you bring to your books.
You normally connect your stories and several of your series with each other. I would have thought it might be hard to figure out how someone in South Africa connected to the other things you've written which are usually set Stateside. Was that the hardest part to write with this book?
Danielle: The hardest part about writing The Daughter’s Goodbye was knowing the heroine would lose her mother. That’s not a spoiler, it is the heart of the story. What made it even harder, however, was losing my grandmother-in-law while writing The Daughter’s Goodbye. The grief I personally felt definitely spread to my character.
Dienece: I'm so sorry for your loss. I remember when you told us about it, and how hard you found getting back into writing again.
This, Dear Readers, is why House #2 is actually the last book to be released in the series. Grief never really hits at a 'convenient time'--mostly because it's never convenient to lose someone you love, and Danielle needed some time to grieve before trying to write a book about it.
However, as Danielle once put it, it does seem fitting that the last book released for this series is about saying goodbye since we are saying goodbye to Cedarfontein. Although, I am loathed to leave our beautiful town. I've really come to love it!
Before I start to get all weepy, what was one thing you loved about writing this book?
Danielle: I’m a quarter Dutch (my maternal grandmother’s parent(s) immigrated to America from The Netherlands), so it was a blast exploring a bit of my heritage through a Dutch character living in South Africa.
Dienece: That would have been fun. Do you speak Dutch, or did you learn some of the language while writing this book?
Danielle: No, I don't speak Dutch. I wish! I know a few words but have focused on learning Italian (my primary ancestry). This was my first opportunity to explore my Dutch heritage, and I hope to do more.
Dienece: A little birdie told me that you may have that opportunity sooner than some people expect! But we won't spoil that surprise today. Just stay tuned, Dear Readers, for that announcement!
Speaking of which, just before we go, where might my readers best learn of important news like the possible upcoming announcement, leading you back to your Dutch roots? [Dienece grins]
Danielle: My newsletter for sure! I send a weekly email filled with all sorts of bookish news. New subscribers receive an ebook gift, too.
My newsletter sign up, and all my links, can be found at https://daniellegrandinetti.com/links/
Dienece: Readers, I'm signed up to Danielle's newsletter. She writes awesome ones with personal news, book recs, and giveaways!
I don't know how she has the time to write so many books and her awesome newsletters, but you should totally sign up. If for nothing else, then to find out what happens in the free eBook Danielle offers to her subscribers, Fire and Water!
Thanks for being with us today, Danielle. I enjoyed chatting with you, and I can't wait to read The Daughter's Goodbye and to hear more about what you're going to write next!
Readers, this doesn't have to be then end. If you have any questions for Danielle, feel free to pop them into the comments!
We'll be back in the new year to meet Laura Frantz towards the end of January, right around the release of her newest book.
And of course, don't forget to check out Danielle's latest release which is available right now on the author's website for a limited time. After November 13th, the eBook will only be available on Amazon (and Kindle +). So, be quick if you'd like to buy it direct from the author!
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