Indie Author Week - Desni Dantone

From debut author, Desni Dantone, Ignited is a tale of first love, mystery and adventure that will introduce you to an exciting new world.

Ignited is the first book in Desni's Ignited Series!

Desni Dantone first put pen to paper in the creative sense when she was eleven years old. Her mother was her first fan, and critiqued her not-so-good stories with a smile. She likes to think that her writing has gotten much better since those first few rough drafts.

She resides in Greensburg, Pennsylvania with her husband, Stephen; son, Nicholas; dog, Bo; and their three cats, Jackson, Itty, and Yoshi. Her only claim to fame is that she hails from the same hometown as Dean Koontz, and she does try to find a way to bring it up every chance she gets. Her dream is for Everett, PA to be put on the map because it boasts not one, but two, best-selling authors.

She has a weakness for young adult paranormal romance books, but loves to write them even more. Her first novel, Ignited, is the first book in a series that she has enjoyed every minute of writing. Completing this series and pursuing a writing career is her goal in life--right after potty training her son and puppy!

Welcome Desni, it is a pleasure to have you here! Can you tell us your main inspiration behind this novel, be it person, book(s), random occurrence, ect?

I read a Dean Koontz book, called Lightning, when I was a kid. In it, there was a time traveler that returned to spare the life of the main character on several occasions. I loved that novel, and ever since, I had a fascination with the idea of a guardian-like character that falls in love with the girl he is protecting. I didn’t necessarily want to go with time travel, so I agonized over how to convert this obsession in my head into a story with a plot that made sense, and that others would want to read. One day, I had an epiphany. Greek Mythology, special powers, magic... and all things paranormal! That was the day Ignited was born as a young adult paranormal romance novel.

Was self-publishing your first choice? What was the most nerve wracking part of the process? 

After reading of the successes of other self-published authors like Amanda Hocking and Colleen Hoover (I know, I aim high!), I must admit that self-publishing certainly wasn’t my last choice. I did submit to several agents, with the thought that if I got picked up with a huge deal, I would go that route, simply for the benefit of someone else doing the publishing and promoting part for me. I also knew the chances were slim to none. So, as I awaited responses from agents, I researched my self-publishing options. The most nerve wracking part is happening currently: the promoting, the feedback, the waiting to see how it is being received...the hoping. Ignited is doing well on the Amazon new releases list, so that helps ease my nerves somewhat.

As a self-published author, did you choose to edit your novel yourself? What was the biggest change you made to the story and/or characters? 

I did the bulk of the editing myself. It took about six months to get down the rough draft of Ignited, and another year to edit it. I wanted it to be as perfect as I could, but I also didn’t have a lot of cash to spend on a professional editor. I joined several writing communities where other writers read and critiqued my work, helped me with grammar, punctuation, etc in exchange for me to do the same for them...For Free! They were amazing, and they helped me in ways that I cannot even express. The biggest change?...Oh, boy, that happened so long ago, I can’t remember exactly. I think I had been going with some secret government agency with time travel capabilities kind of idea for a while, before I opted to go with a Greek Mythology angle. I know, right? Thank God!

Do you have any unusual writing habits that aide your process and/or character development?

I’m a very visual writer. I write things like I see them happening, almost like a movie playing out in my head. I will get these ideas for scenes one at a time, and sort of play them out in my head. Then I have to hurry up and write it down before I forget how it played out. And sometimes it happens in the most unexpected and inconvenient places. Usually the shower. I can’t tell you how many scenes I created when in the shower. My husband will tell you how many times I’ve come running downstairs soaking wet for a pen to jot down the scene before I forgot it. 

Is there one passage or scene from your novel that you are most fond of?

While the situation my main character, Kris, finds herself in is very serious, she maintains her witty personality, supplying moments of comedic relief—even in the midst of life and death moments. This scene takes place during a “down time” in the action, and I particularly enjoy getting into her head at times like this. I hope you enjoy.

After lunch, he suggested a lesson in hand-to-hand combat and that was when things got interesting. I shouldn’t have been excited about it, considering he was about to hand my ass to me without breaking a sweat. I had a moment of trepidation when we reached a flat area in the field Nathan declared a suitable location. That anxiety vanished when he removed his sweatshirt and tossed it to the ground. Luckily, his back was to me, and he didn’t catch my eyes bugging out of my head. The black torn sleeveless t-shirt he had on underneath revealed the sculpted biceps he’d been hiding all along, and the sides of the shirt scooped low enough that I glimpsed a smooth ripped chest when he turned. I was acutely aware that this was the first time I was seeing so much of him. It was nice, really nice. His upper left arm was marked with a tattoo I couldn’t make out from the distance. Other than that, his skin was unmarked and flawless. Lean and smooth muscles blended and moved together like a marvelous piece of well-oiled machinery. I’d bet he had one hell of a six pack. “You change your mind?” “Huh?” It took me a moment to realize he had been talking to me as I was ogling him. That was what, the third time he’s busted me now? “I asked if you were ready,” he said slowly, like I was an idiot, which he probably thought I was by now. “Yeah,” I said quickly. “Let’s go.” I swung my arms and clasped them in front of me with a sharp nod of my head. “Alright, then.” He took a wide stance, crossing his arms in front of him and, God help me, all I could think about was how sexy he looked. “What do you do if someone attacks you?” It didn’t help my case that I hadn’t been prepared for a quiz first, and stared at him dumbly. He tilted is head. “Take your time, Kris.” “Shut up.” I could do this. I jutted my chin out at him. “Man or woman?” He hesitated, clearly wondering where I was going with this. “Man.” That was easy. “Kick him in his happy place.” His lips twitched and I caught a brief twinkle in his eyes. It took visible effort, but he managed to keep a straight face—something he seemed to have a hard time doing around me lately. He considered my answer and nodded objectively. “Good tactic, and probably effective, but I think we’ll skip over practicing that one, if it’s okay with you.” “Sure thing, coach,” I snickered.

Thanks so much Desni. Ignited sounds like a great read and I look forward to reviewing it in the near future! I hope you enjoyed your time in the Spotlight!

Seventeen year old Kris Young is on the run from a throng of superhuman golden-eyed freaks hell-bent on seeing her dead, and she doesn't know why. Good thing she has her guardian angel to protect her...sort of.Kris is aided by Nathan, the mysterious man that ends up being anything but angelic when he rescues her for the fourth time in fourteen years. Even if the handsome hero illusion is shattered by his harsh treatment of her, he knows how to fight this strange enemy and is determined to keep her safe at all costs. 
As the body count rises in their wake, Nathan introduces Kris to a world in which not everyone is human and the battle lines between good and evil are clearly drawn. Kris's piece in the puzzle is something neither is aware of and, as they uncover the truth, neither is prepared for what they find. Overcoming twists and revelations that shatter both of their lives, they discover that nothing is as it seems and nothing, least of all their hearts, are safe.

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Ignited is available for purchase on AMAZON!