ℚ♫ The Crushing Depths: Coastal Guardians [2] - Dani Pettrey

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Dani Pettrey to talk about The Crushing Depths (30 June 2020, Bethany House Publishers, 371 pages), an Inspirational Romantic Suspense, book two in the Coastal Guardians series.

Dani Pettrey loves to take you on a wild ride. Her series Coastal Guardian is a read you won't want to put down. Crushing Depths is as good as the cover is beautiful. Add it to your summer reading list now. ~ Chris Jager, BBH Fiction Book Club

This book starts off with a bang and keeps right on going! I was hooked right from the first chapter! Dani Pettrey never disappoints when it comes to suspense. There's a plethora of suspects and just when I think I know who is behind it, something happens to change my mind. Dani Pettrey loves to take you on a wild ride. Her series Coastal Guardian is a read you won't want to put down. Crushing Depths is as good as the cover is beautiful. Add it to your summer reading list now. ~ Reviewer

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

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A very warm welcome to Dani Pettrey; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in The Crushing Depths, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I love music too!  I always do a story playlist, but I haven’t finalized The Crushing Depths yet. 

Here’s a list of songs and artists that will definitely be on it.  They just aren’t in any particular order and there are several ‘transition’ songs missing, but I hope you enjoy it.  Find My Way Back by Eric Arjes is Rissi and Mason’s song."

What was the inspiration for The Crushing Depths?

"My husband and I are both drawn to the sea.  He was in the Navy for years and I think God set the beach in my soul as a child.  We both feel more at home at the ocean than anywhere else.  We spend as much time away at the beach as we can get, but we also respect the strength and wildness of the sea.

We really enjoy watching movies like The Finest Hours and The Guardian—both about the Coast Guard as well as movies that take you even deeper into the unknown depths of the sea like The Abyss or The Meg.

It was while watching Deepwater Horizon that the setting for The Crushing Depths formed.  The majority of Rissi and Mason’s story would take place thirty-eight miles out at sea on an oil platform rig.  I loved the idea of isolating a group of people on a rig with a tropical storm heading straight for them and an active investigation for an employee’s death in Rissi and Mason’s hands."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"Basically, none of me is reflected in this book, but my husband is.  As I mentioned he was in the Navy, he’s a diver, can hold his breath under water for four minutes, always helps those being bullied, rides a motorcycle, has tattoo sleeves, and just like Mason, he’s fierce when he needs to be, but tender in a way that takes my breath away.

"My wonderful hubby! ❤️"

The CGIS team dynamic also mirrors my family in several ways.  We love spending time together, especially outside.  Our favorite meal of the week is Saturday brunch.  We love sitting around campfires roasting marshmallows and going for walks barefoot on the beach.  And, we live to tease each other. "

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover.  Can you tell us about your cover for The Crushing Depths.

"I’m the same way.  I’m such a visual person.  I’m always drawn by a book’s cover.  I’m extremely blessed to work with such a talented art department at my publisher.

Whenever it’s time for a new cover, my editor reaches out to me and asks me to send him any images I like, pictures of actors that resemble my characters, setting detail, etc.  Then they set to work.  I see a mock up about two months later and they’ve never ceased to astound me."

Why should we read The Crushing Depths and what sets it apart from the rest?  What makes your book unique?

"I found that there weren’t a lot of stories focusing on the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Investigative Service in particular.  I’ve loved exploring the dynamics between the team and the depth of relationships that grow from their dedication, service, and shared ideals."

Can you tell us something quirky about The Crushing Depths, its story and characters?

"I’m terrible at coming up with character names so I tend to grab names of those around me at the time I’m penning the novel.  In The Crushing Depths I named a character Lisha after a sweet gal I know.  But the story’s Lisha is nothing like the Lisha I know.  I’m half-nervous, half-amused for her to see her name in there."

Who would you recommend The Crushing Depths to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend The Crushing Depths to readers looking for a suspenseful romance set in coastal NC.

All my books have a faith thread and are considered ‘clean reads.’"

If you could / wished to turn The Crushing Depths and the Coastal Guardians series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I’d love Alexandra Daddario as my heroine, Rissi Mason, and Charlie Hunnam as my hero, Mason Rogers.

I’d love for it to be filmed on location in Wilmington, NC and all along the rugged Carolina coast.

Wilmington, NC

Director?  Hmmm.  That’s a fun question that I’ve never been asked.  There are so many directors I love and admire, but I think for The Crushing Depth I’d go with J.J. Abrams. He’s extremely talented, not afraid to go out of the box and is super creative. "

What do you like to write and read about?  Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I read Murder on the Orient Express when I was eight and I’ve been hooked on mysteries ever since.  I love trying to put the seemingly unconnected puzzle pieces together and, of course, seeing the bad guy get his comeuppance.  Every day after school, I’d sit down and watch Scooby Doo before I’d go out to play with friends.  The love of mystery was fed through Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew.  As I got older, I devoured Sue Grafton books.

I also greatly enjoy classics like Jane Austen’s body of work and Charlotte Brontë."

What is your writing process?

"My very orderly (lol) rewriting station I’m a summer girl and love writing outside!"

"I don’t know that you can actually call it a ‘process’, it’s more like a train wreck waiting to happen that somehow pulls into the station in mostly one piece.

I’ve tried writing so many different ways with more structure, with outlines, and plotting, but it never works for me.  I’ve been a daydreamer since I was a kid (it’s even noted in my kindergarten report card—my mom hung onto it).  That’s rather how I approach a story.

I daydream about it, then when I have an idea of the bare-bone basics of my characters (physical attributes and job) and a setting, I get out my yellow legal pad and my FriXion erasable pen and I just dive in.  Somehow, it turns into a book.  Although, thankfully I write much more cohesively during rewrites.  God bless my editors. "

What is in store next?

"The next title in the series is due July 15th and I’ll be working on rewrites for that over the remainder of the summer.  We just came up with the title and I’m so excited about it, I’d love to share it with your readers first--- The Deadly Shallows."

Oh, thank you!

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"We have a bear.

LOL.  Okay, he’s a big, black Newfoundland named Griffin after my hero in Cold Shot.  He’s three and definitely has a toddler attitude, but he’s the most loving, sweet friend.  Our grandsons—age 3 and 6 love him.  Except when he licks the three-year-old across the face with a wet, slobbery kiss.  Unfortunately, Griffin is right at Little Dude’s height."

LOL. Brilliant!
Hello gorgeous Griffin! Lots of head-scratches from all of us at BooksChatter!
Dani, thank you so much for sharing Griffin with us. We hope you are having a great tour :-)

"Thank you so very much for having me and for the really fun interview questions!"

they know the power and peril of the ocean.
but as they get closer to the deadly truth... an even
 greater danger lurks just beneath the surface.

The Crushing Depths
Available NOW!

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