Guest Author: Denise Agnew & a Contest!!!
Please welcome bestselling author Denise Agnew, who writes sensual, steamy, and hell, amazingly well-crafted romances in multiple genres. AND she’s been nice enough to offer a contest for one of you to win a free book. Read on!
Meet Me At The Castle: A Fantasy That Came True
When Marie Harte asked me to be on her blog I was thrilled. Marie, like me, has been in this ole publishing world for a long time, and we’ve seen everything and anything happen.
It took me a long time to recognize that I was creative at all…I wrote my first short story at fourteen, then wrote a ton of gothic novels and poetry when I was a teen. Most of my stories were set in Britain or Ireland and featured castles. I loved to read and writing stories and poetry thrilled me on a level nothing else did. But I wasn’t confident and therefore didn’t believe what I wrote was good.
A wonderful creative writing teacher in high school finally made me realize that I could do this writing thing and maybe not too shabbily either. So I kept writing, but it was always in the closet. As a teen I had fantasies just like everyone else. One was that I’d meet my prince and live in a castle in Britain or Ireland. A pretty tall order.
In 1983 I took a nine-day trip to Ireland and loved it, although I didn’t meet my prince there. Still, it was one dream come true I’d fulfilled. In 1990, I did meet my prince in the form of Chief Warrant Officer Terrance B. Agnew.
It wasn’t until around 1991, when my husband Terrance said, “Why don’t you write for publication?” that the real light bulb went on. I went for it.
In 1996 we found out that we would be stationed in England for three years. I was ecstatic! England! One of the places I’d wanted to visit all my life. While in England lucky me had the opportunity to write full time and on the side I visited every castle I possibly could. In 1999 I was first published with a small electronic publishing company and it has been gangbusters ever since. After sixty novels/novellas and short stories, I’ve discovered that my creativity is an ever changing thing and that I’m writing the type of stories that mean the most to me.
Just a few years ago another light bulb came on. I’d married the prince, lived in England, and I was writing my novels. My teenage fantasy had come true. It was a true peak experience realizing this, and I am grateful every day.
To celebrate the release of Meet Me At The Castle May 12, I’m giving away a copy of my military romance novella (with suspense elements) Sudden Heat (Love Under Fire #1).
Tell me one dream you have and if it has come true for you yet. I’ll pick a winner from the comments below.
In the meantime, please stop by my website at www.deniseagnew.com and check out all my work. You can also find me on Facebook and on Twitter.
Big thanks to Denise for stopping by. Now if you want to win a copy of Sudden Heat, leave a comment about your dream. Has it come true?
My dream would be to travel. Go to places like Scotland, Ireland, Italy, France. 😉 It’s on my bucket list.
Hi Chaoscat! Good to talk with you. Loved Scotland to pieces and we were mega fortunate to visit many times. Have been to Ireland twice, but haven’t visited France or Italy. I’d love to see parts of Italy, especially Pompeii and Herculaneum. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
I want to visit Ireland. Always have since I was a child. Hasn’t come true yet but one day it will
Hemmad I hope you get the opportunity soon. 🙂
Nice to meet you Denise! 🙂
I have never honestly been real good at the dreaming thing but I can say that my husband and I had the opportunity to take a 7 day Caribbean cruise that took us to some of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen…it seemed like a dream! We revel in those memories often. Ireland & Scotland are 2 other places I would love to visit (have always had a thing for Ireland…thanks to the guy from the Irish Springs commercials when I was younger. lol *I wonder what ever happened to that guy?*)
Hi Teresa! Great to meet you, too. 🙂 And awesome question about the Irish Spring commercials. Hate the soap but loved the commercials. LOL. I’ve been on one cruise to Nassau but it ended up being kind of an unpleasant experience. BUT, I want to take take a cruise to Alaska some day.
I’m so glad your dreams came true. 🙂
Hi N.J.! Yep, you can’t ask for much more than that. 🙂
My dream would be to travel to The UK and explore everything I possible could. There seems like so much history there and I would love to see it. Not to mention I love their accents. I haven’t had the chance to do it yet but I will eventually!
Hi Jennifer! We really loved living there. We wish we’d been able to stay a bit longer so we could have seen even more castles! Hoping you get that trip very soon!
Loved reading your story Denise. And I love your books. My dream has always been to be involved in animal rescue in some way. I’m involved in small ways now, but when I retire in June, I will be volunteering at our local animal shelter–a real dream come true. Cannot wait to make a very small difference in these babies lives.
Hey there Pam! Thanks much for stopping by and for the kind comments. 🙂 I’m glad you’ve already discovered a new dream and inspiration for yourself and that you’re really looking forward to it. That’s great!
My dream would be for an Alaskan cruise and it hasn’t come true yet.
Hi Brenda,
I’d love to see the glaciers. 🙂
Me too, along with the wildlife and loooong days!!
I always wanted to travel, but as I was getting older, I thought it would never happen. Well off I went to RT in L.A in 2011, and there my second dream came true. I met my all-time favourite author, Dean Koontz. It was totally surreal.
Karen, how thrilling! Awesome. I love Dean Koontz, and he’s one of my top favorite authors, too. 🙂 You lucky lady you!
For some reason, I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand. Haven’t gone yet, but I will someday!
travel around the world; not yet