Is the setting to your story important?
For me it is, especially considering the amount of research I did for it. The setting for Heart of Stone is New York City, and I took a trip there at Christmas time in 2014. I walked the streets for hours on end, trying to find the perfect location for Krystina’s apartment and Alexander’s Penthouse. I researched real-estate prices, took note of the smells in the air, and absorbed every detail about Washington Square Park. I fell in love with NY at Christmas time while I was there, and plan to incorporate the holiday season in the third book of The Stone Series.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
At one time, I wanted to be an English teacher. For some reason or another, that didn’t happen and I ended up with a business degree and a job in retail banking. I always wanted to be a writer through it all, but considered it a pipedream. Responsibilities of managing a job and a family always seemed more important. Then a few years ago, I met someone locally that wrote and published. She was a wife and mother of three – and just as busy as I was. It was then that I realized that I needed to stop making excuses and just do it. So I did. When my husband read what I had been working on, he became my biggest fan and encouraged me to quit my job to focus solely on finishing Heart of Stone.
When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?
That’s tough to answer…even now I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that I am a published author. It feels surreal.
How long did it take to get your first book published?
I started writing Heart of Stone in July of 2013, but I only wrote sporadically in between work and family obligations. I didn’t start to work on it full time until early 2015. I ended up finishing it in December of 2015.
What were your goals as an author and have any of them come true?
I published – that alone is a huge accomplishment, as many people never finish writing the story that they began.
What genres do you normally write in?
To date, only Romance. There is currently a debate on Goodreads about the subcategory, and whether it should be Contemporary or New Adult Fiction.
Is there a genre you haven’t written in that one day you’d like to tackle?
Fantasy/Paranormal – either young adult or romantic. I’m just nervous that I won’t be able to do it justice.
What was the first book you ever published?
Heart of Stone is currently the only title that I have published.
For me it is, especially considering the amount of research I did for it. The setting for Heart of Stone is New York City, and I took a trip there at Christmas time in 2014. I walked the streets for hours on end, trying to find the perfect location for Krystina’s apartment and Alexander’s Penthouse. I researched real-estate prices, took note of the smells in the air, and absorbed every detail about Washington Square Park. I fell in love with NY at Christmas time while I was there, and plan to incorporate the holiday season in the third book of The Stone Series.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
At one time, I wanted to be an English teacher. For some reason or another, that didn’t happen and I ended up with a business degree and a job in retail banking. I always wanted to be a writer through it all, but considered it a pipedream. Responsibilities of managing a job and a family always seemed more important. Then a few years ago, I met someone locally that wrote and published. She was a wife and mother of three – and just as busy as I was. It was then that I realized that I needed to stop making excuses and just do it. So I did. When my husband read what I had been working on, he became my biggest fan and encouraged me to quit my job to focus solely on finishing Heart of Stone.
When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?
That’s tough to answer…even now I struggle to wrap my head around the fact that I am a published author. It feels surreal.
How long did it take to get your first book published?
I started writing Heart of Stone in July of 2013, but I only wrote sporadically in between work and family obligations. I didn’t start to work on it full time until early 2015. I ended up finishing it in December of 2015.
What were your goals as an author and have any of them come true?
I published – that alone is a huge accomplishment, as many people never finish writing the story that they began.
What genres do you normally write in?
To date, only Romance. There is currently a debate on Goodreads about the subcategory, and whether it should be Contemporary or New Adult Fiction.
Is there a genre you haven’t written in that one day you’d like to tackle?
Fantasy/Paranormal – either young adult or romantic. I’m just nervous that I won’t be able to do it justice.
What was the first book you ever published?
Heart of Stone is currently the only title that I have published.
Heart of Stone
The Stone Series
Book 1
Dakota Willink
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Date of Publication: December 27, 2015
ISBN: 0997160314
ASIN: B019NXMK6G
Number of pages: 458
Word Count: 133,464
Cover Artist: Dakota Willink
Book Description:
Krystina Cole was a girl on a mission. She had big dreams and aspirations, none of which included a man by her side. She knew better than that – at least until she met Alexander Stone, the New York billionaire real estate tycoon. She saw the way that he looked at her, and the dark promises in his eyes. She was curious about his world and all that it entailed. But the shadows of her past haunted her, making her afraid to explore possibilities that she could never before have imagined…
Alexander Stone was a man who knew how to get what he wanted. He understood the value of finesse, and the importance of patience and diligence to achieve the desired result. He was successful and wealthy, relying on his naturally sharp instincts to guide him through life. But a chance run in with Krystina Cole quickly turned his world upside down. Her quick wit and firecracker attitude was the complete opposite of what he wanted in a woman, and his instincts failed him at every turn…
However, both Krystina and Alexander are clinging to the secrets of their past, and neither of them are willing to compromise. Krystina’s hardened heart makes emotional surrender a hard limit. But for Alexander, revealing his past could have devastating results.
Excerpt:
After unwrapping
the cellophane from the platter, I moved over to the minibar to choose a bottle
of white from the wine cooler. I perused
the selections, trying to decide what would pair best with the cheeses.
Sauvignon Blanc
or Chardonnay? Both will go nicely, but which would she prefer?
I glanced over
at Krystina, intending to ask her if she had a particular wine preference. However, she had a look about her that made
me pause, and I didn’t want to interrupt the picture that she painted before
me.
She was running
one delicate hand over the wooden top of my dining room table. She wore a soft smile on her lips,
appreciating the craftsmanship of the design.
She looked beautiful sitting there, feet up on the chair, seeming
completely at ease. And in that moment,
I realized that she had never before looked quite like that in my
presence. She had never appeared so
completely relaxed.
So unguarded.
I stood there
studying every beautiful line of her captivating face. Seeing her that way, it was almost hard to
believe she was capable of so many smart remarks and witty comebacks. Perhaps her sharp tongue and contentious behavior
was a defense mechanism, one that she relied on when she was uncomfortable. If that were truly the case, then I would
need to take corrective actions to remedy that problem. I had to calm her, or
else I’d never get through the weeks ahead.
Weeks?
Since when do I
think long term about these things?
The idea was
novel for me and I was stunned to discover that I liked the idea of her being
here more regularly. In my space. With
me. It was a distressing sort of
feeling.
This can all go
to shit at a moments notice. Take it one
step at a time.
A change of
tactics was needed, for Krystina’s sake as well as my own. My normal methods of
operation would have to be thrown out the window. Attempting to take control by laying down the
law would only backfire, so I began to construct a new plan – one that would
make Krystina feel more at ease. Once
she was relaxed, I would begin to work on her trust by giving her what she’s
been asking for.
Full
disclosure.
Krystina would
have no doubts about what I wanted from her after tonight. She would know exactly who and what I
was. She would either run, or she would
stay. If she stayed, then that’s when
the true test would come into play – tonight I would discover if Krystina could
put away that independent mind of hers long enough to pass her first lesson in
submission.
Finally feeling
like I had somewhat of a solution to Krystina’s argumentative nature, I turned
my attention back to the wine selection.
Smiling to myself, I settled on a bottle of Joh. Jos. Prüm Riesling.
Sweet. Like her.
I grabbed two
crystal wine goblets and went back to the dining room, focused on the mission
ahead. I could only hope that Krystina
would keep herself open to what I had in mind.
About the Author:
Dakota Willink is a self-employed writer and editor, and the author of Heart of Stone, a contemporary romance novel.
She has always had a passion for reading and writing. From the time she was an adolescent, she enjoyed curling up with a good paperback, reading genres that ranged from thriller and fantasy, to mystery and romance. She always dreamed of one day writing her own book, but had put her aspirations on hold to focus on her family and a career that would pay the bills.
Although she earned a degree in business and had built a solid reputation in retail sales, her heart continued to be with fictional characters – whether they belonged to a favorite author or if they were just stories that she made up in her own head.
In 2013, Dakota gathered enough courage to turn her dreams into a reality. In between playing chauffeur to two very busy children and working her job during the day, Dakota began to put words on paper. Eventually, she began to describe her life as a book. Everything she saw or heard throughout the day, intertwined with her imagination for the creation of future writings. By 2014, with the support of her husband and two children, she gave up the security of a steady paycheck and began working on her first novel full time.
Dakota Willink is a lover of music, and appreciates the power and stimulating effect it can have on the brain. She often uses lyrics and melodies to help her through bouts of writers block. At the end of her novel, you can find an authors note that recognizes and thanks the artists that gave her inspiration.
Dakota resides in the Western New York area, where she enjoys spending time with family, her two Labrador Retrievers, and her spoiled rotten cat. During the summer months, she can often be found on a boat, soaking up the sun on the Great Lakes with her family.
Official Website: http://www.dakotawillink.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DakotaWillink/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DakotaWillink
Amazon Author Central: http://www.amazon.com/Dakota-Willink/e/B019UOHLYO
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1 comment:
Thank you for being a host on my book tour!
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