SPOTLIGHT – DENA WEIGEL
Dena Weigel’s fabulous new release – The Byzantine Cross – a historical paranormal thriller is available in all good bookstores, Amazon, Kindle, Nook and Kobo! But lets find out a little bit more about Dena first…
BIO
Dena Weigel was born and raised in Western Kansas, where her active curiosity stoked her growing imagination.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she studied art and culture in over thirty countries before settling in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and building a career writing for businesses and non-profits around the world.
Dena enjoys hiking with her husband and daughter, painting, and relaxing on her deck with a cup of coffee and a great book. She is currently working on the next Sarah Kraft novel, The Argentinian Affair.
Blurb:
Former OSS spy, Sarah Kraft, thought she’d left her dangerous past behind in 1950s New York City. But when her former boss tracks her down and convinces her to accept a new mission—steal the ancient Byzantine Cross from inside the Kremlin for the CIA—she’s dragged back into the world of espionage. Once in Moscow, she’s promised the aid of a Russian double agent, Nicolai Rodzyanko, but things aren’t as they seem. Someone hired a hitman to eliminate Sarah, and she and Nicolai realize they’re not the only ones after the mysterious cross. As the two dig deeper into the history behind the oldest known biblical relic, they discover it’s far more than a simple artifact. Sarah starts questioning the motives of her former boss and the agency she once trusted, and when supernatural forces come into play, she must make a decision that could change the course of history.
I love the book cover, and naturally I’m fascinated to hear more about your novel Dena, so thank you for kindly providing an excerpt, which, after reading, is all pretty exciting!
“Here you go,” he said, removing the box through the hole and handing it to Sarah.
Sarah didn’t respond. She blew a layer of dust off its lid and ran her finger over the double-headed eagle to see the rubies flash red in the light. She lifted the lid and lying inside on a cushion made of purple silk was the Byzantine Cross.
No decoration, no jewels—just a simple wooden cross.
“That’s what you’re after?” Nicolai glanced over her shoulder. “Rather plain, isn’t it? The box is worth more.”
“You would think so, wouldn’t you?” Sarah murmured.
Nicolai glanced at his watch again and said, “We should get going. The power will be back on in nine minutes.” He took the box from Sarah and carefully put it back on the shelf. “Hopefully, this will go unnoticed until you’re back in Rome.”
Sarah tucked the cross into the waistband of her trousers and pulled her sweater down as she jogged back through the galleries behind Nicolai. When they got to the main hall, they rushed toward the stairwell but stopped when she heard the click of a gun behind them.
“Stop where you are, or I’ll shoot!”
Of course, if you have visited my blog before, you will know I’m always pushing authors to share a bit more, either about themselves or something different.
One of my own favourite things to do is to is an interview a character from the novel. I always feel like it gives more insight into their personalities, and in my opinion is great fun to write.
Dena has come up with the goods, and I thank her for taking the time out of her busy schedule to do this and know you will enjoy it as much as me:
Interviewer:
Sarah, you grew up on a ranch in Colorado. What skills did you learn there that helped you as a spy in World War II?
Sarah:
My family was always outdoors, working or playing, so I came into training for service with a lot of different skills. I learned to ride horses as soon as I could sit up in a saddle and hunted right along with my father and brother, pitched in to help build all kinds of things, etc. There’s also a lot of practical skills I picked up, like first aid, vehicle maintenance, navigation by the stars, preparing wild game, things like that.
Interview:
Wow! You sound very adventurous! Is there anything you’re afraid of?
Sarah:
Oh, yes! Falling from a great height. I’m deathly afraid of that. It’s something I’ve been afraid of since I was a little kid when I saw a calf slip and fall over the edge of a cliff. He looked so helpless. He grabbed the edge for a moment, and I could see in his eyes how scared he was. I think it’s one of those early memories that sticks with you for the rest of your life. I also hate snakes-I’m repulsed by them.
Interview:
What was your main role as a spy during the war?
Sarah:
I was a liaison between the Operations of Strategic Services (OSS) and the French Resistance. I assisted with sabotage missions, transferred downed airmen to safety, and carried messages between MI6 and OSS spies to people in their networks.
Interview:
What would you say is your deepest desire?
Sarah:
That’s a great question! It’s something I’m trying to figure out. Now that I’m in my forties, I think about settling down, having a family and staying in one place. But there’s a part of me I can’t ignore that craves adventure and independence.
Interview:
Have you met that special someone whom you’d like to spend your life with?
Sarah (with a slight smile):
I have, but neither of us aren’t in the right place right now to make that commitment. We’re staying in touch, but we’re on different paths. Maybe sometime in the future we’ll find each other again.
I could tell you enjoyed interviewing Sarah, Dena, and as you know I’m often asking for more from my authors, so I wonder if you would mind sharing your writing journey, and any hints or tips you have learned along the way.
DENA: it’s been a long and winding road to publication! I started with an outline that I was just doing for fun. I followed the plotline of an Indiana Jones movie, and my husband thought it was good enough to start writing. I hadn’t done any writing other than essays prior to that, so I spent time in writing workshops and critique groups, and I wrote little pieces for my blog. When my circle of friends heard I was writing, I was recruited to write for their businesses and organization, which slowed down finishing my story. During the pandemic, I committed to finishing it, then I pitched it to a publisher, and they like it enough to take it on. Now, my debut novel is set for release on November 11!
My advice is to not wait to chase after the dream of writing your book. Whether it’s just taking a class to improve your writing, or it’s buckling down to finish the manuscript—just keep working at it until it’s finished. You never know if you’ll be able to do it later.
It is so exciting when you finally see your book in your hand and know it is finally published.
Thank you again, Dena. It really has been a pleasure working with you and I wish you every success with your new release.
Of course that’s not all folks…
I’m sure you would like to find out more about Dena’s new release and with that in mind below are her links – and you can also follow her progress.
We would love to hear from you, and it would be great if you would leave a comment, all things writerly of course. Also, we are happy to answer any burning questions you may have.
Thank you once again Dena, and to all my lovely readers for joining us today.
Links:
Website: http://www.denaweigel.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/denaweigelauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denaweigelauthor/
TikTok: https://www.instagram.com/denaweigelauthor/
Comments (6)
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Dena Weigel
Wonderful!! I hope the story takes you on a fun adventure. I'm planning on creating another page on my website to explain some of the history that I've pulled from for this book, so keep watch on www.denaweigel.com for some interesting facts. And, I would love to hear your thoughts in the reviews on whatever selling site you are purchasing it from. Thanks again for finding The Byzantine Cross! If you decide to purchase a copy, I hope you enjoy it!
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Kim Janine Ligon
Sounds quite exciting. Congratulations for sticking to it and seeing your dream come true! There is nothing like the rush of holding your book. And it never gets old!
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Dena Weigel
Thank you! I hope you'll check it out. It's quite an experience to see it in book form after it lived in my head for so long!
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C. Becker
Compelling character interview. Lots of info about Sarah's spy background. Congratulations!