Denise K. Rago's Blog

Halloween is here, so I wanted to share some of my favorite vampire novels with you. How many of these have you read? What's on your Halloween TBR list?

Happy New Year!

I hope your year has been a happy and healthy one so far. Yes I know we are only two weeks in but being a "list" person I have started the year with my share of "to-do's which vary from items like: shred old papers and files, clean out my closets to more important and thought -provoking tasks such as updating my will; consider long term health care, etc. Each task carries significant weight, some more than others, but still these are things I want to complete this year. There will always be more to do so I figure I might as well get a jump on some things.

I have lowered my to-be-read book list for 2024 in order to give myself time to finish my fourth novel in The Enchanted Blood Line series. Yes, I promised myself this would be the year I would finally get it out into the world. Tentatively titled Blood and Ashes it features all of my favorite vampires and a few mere mortals as well. At any time the title could change but for the moment Blood and Ashes will do. For those of you who have read my previous novels perhaps a title jumps out at you. If so, please let me know.

I am also working on a novella titled Annie Frost. I hope to share her adventures with you this year as well. Yes, I have put snippets of both pieces in my newsletters but my goal is to complete both for you dear reader. My editor Eleanore will be very busy! I am thinking Fall of 2024 to launch both of them.

Aside from my other "to-do" items like eat healthier, exercise more, I have added a few unusual ones such as complete the daily Connections puzzle, finish the word play puzzle, have one friend or neighbor over for dinner each week; get involved with volunteering, go on more adventures with my husband. Listen more, be there more for others.

I ended the year reading Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll and Sun Damage by Sabine Durrant. All excellent novels.

I would love to know how you are doing. What adventures you have planned for this year as well as some of your hopes and wishes.

Thank you for being here. Happy New Year!

Denise Rago

It's been quite a while since I posted here. This is what happens when life gets in the way. I mean this in a good way as I work on not one, not two but three pieces which I hope to publish next year.

Coupled with settling into my new life here in South Florida, the days fly by at such a rapid pace. Soon Thanksgiving will be here (my favorite holiday) followed by Hanukkah and Christmas. The town where I live decorates for both observances with beautiful light displays, festive music and activities for kids. It's truly joyous.

I promise to be more "present" no pun intended, in the new year. Blogging more, sharing more. I'm not good at it but I am certainly grateful any time you drop by to visit. As the holidays approach, my advice: pick up a good book and sit back with your favorite beverage. Mine happens to be coffee. When I used to have a fireplace, the combination of all three was heaven. Enjoy the colder weather and be well.

Not to give too much away but here is a glimpse of Christian's ancestral home aptly called Vallee D'Arbes ~ Valley of trees for it sat in a forest. Michel describes his best friends home for all of us readers.

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Vallée D’Arbes was a typical country manor house built in the seventeen hundreds in the Meudon valley. Two short wings flanked the main house which created a court yard. One wing was the stables and the other the barn. Well water served us, our livestock and our fields. A dirt path lead from the front door to another dirt road. The spring rains made it unbearable and the winter snow trapped us all inside.

The main house was one story. Most people could only afford to heat only one floor which consisted of several bed rooms, each with a sal de bain and a chamber pot, a kitchen, a larder or pantry as you call it today. Needless to say, we kept our windows open as much as possible. The Du Maurés had a small library, a sign of wealth in our times. The stone floors were cold in the summer and even colder in the winter months too. Each end of the house had a fireplace which required constant cleaning and hauling of wood from the barn.

Don’t ever romanticize the eighteenth century. We worked constantly, were either always hot or cold and died very young… well, most of us.

I'm thrilled to announce I'm partnering with WereVamps Romance Reviews this year on a series of events.

Each month of 2023 will feature a different event, and February begins the three months of events I'll be featuring in (followed by October and November).

On February 11th, Immortal Obsession will be featured in WVRomance Month with a host of goodies. First, will be a character interview with everyone's favorite vampire, Christian. Then, enjoy an excerpt from the novel, along with WereVamps Romance's original review of the book a decade ago! Finally (and best of all), will be a giveaway of Immortal Obsession to three lucky winners.

It's not just my books you'll find here, though. You'll also be introduced to other paranormal romance authors and books you might not have been familiar with, and some of them will be doing book giveaways as well! You'll also be able to connect with other readers who love the same types of books you do. Honestly, what's better than free books and a new community of book lovers?

So, if you're ready to discover your new favorite author, connect with like-minded readers, and possibly win free books (including Immortal Obsession!), you'll want to RSVP now.

Don't miss out on this amazing event (or the other upcoming events)!

P.S. Don't forget to share this event with your friends and fellow readers so no one is left out!

I recently relocated to Florida and after three weeks my husband and I drove back to New Jersey for Thanksgiving, our granddaughters seventh birthday and the birth of our first grandson. Honestly, I was not sure how I would handle the cold weather and gray tones of the northeast. I missed the blue skies, palm trees and sunlight, but the gifts I received on this trip made up for the dullness of early winter.

I have had some truly poignant moments with family and friends and as our trip winds down and we are ready to head south once again I am left with a a small chasm in my heart as I say goodbye to family and friends. Sadly, I was not able to see everyone I wanted to see. There just wasn't enough hours in the day. Plus I find that I the more time I spend with my loved ones the more time I want to spend with them. This craving will never be satisfied.

I'm not sure what our summer plans are so who know when we will return to New Jersey but I encourage family and friends to come and enjoy Florida with us; if only for a long weekend. The holidays are rough for most of us, filled with complex emotions and expectations as we look back on years past. Missing loved ones no longer with us can make the holidays even harder. I am trying to stay in the moment and enjoy my time spent with my loves ones. We never know what tomorrow will bring so count your blessings, stay in the moment and may your holidays be filled with peace, hope, happiness and the love of family and friends.

Those of you who follow me on social media know that I have been "toying" with the idea of relocating to south Florida for some time. Every year my husband and I found a reason to remain in the northeast, enjoying our friends and family yet not enjoying the winters there. We slowly transitioned to spending our winters in the warm weather and then we finally took the plunge and headed south and are now in the process of becoming legal residents of the Sunshine State.

There are lots of boxes yet to unpack and much redecorating to do as we settle in to our new yet familiar surroundings. It's strange but this has been our vacation home for many years and now it is home. I have no regrets just pangs of missing my friends, some family and of course my beloved grand daughters. My role in their lives will change as I will see them much less, but I have no doubt that we will remain close.

As we approach Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas I realize how much family and friends make this time of year so special. I will be back in New Jersey for Thanksgiving but will remain here in Florida for Christmas. I always have a contemplative moment as I soul search for what gives these holidays meaning for me. I am sure you do the same. At the same time, I must give thanks to everyone and everything I hold dear in my life. My "to do" list for the new year includes finishing book four in my Enchanted Blood Line series and the novella I shared with my newsletter readers last month.

May we all have a safe, happy and healthy Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas or whatever or however you give thanks to the universe. To those of you who continue to support my writing, I cannot thank you enough. You mean more to me than I can put into words and your devotion to my novels fuels me when I think I cannot write another word, or have nothing else to share with you in the lives of my vampires.

A Happy and A Merry to all.

God Bless.

Judging by my posts on Instagram and Facebook you can guess that I love the beach and the summer months. Right behind summer is Autumn, up until November 1st when the leave are gone and I know that winter lies ahead. Well, no more winter for this gal. I am heading south this fall, becoming a Florida resident. It's time and though I will miss my family and friends I will see you either in Florida or when I return over the summer. I have taken a hiatus from my writing to focus on packing and getting ready to jet to Florida.

My goal of having one more book signing here in NJ will not be realized until perhaps next summer. I am presently working on book four in The Enchanted Blood Line series; a vampire novella and a murder mystery. So I have plenty to keep me busy. Thank you for dropping by and checking out my website and my books. If you have not had a chance to read them, please take a chance and give at least my first novel, Immortal Obsession a try.

I wish every a wonder transition into the fall.

Stay happy, healthy and look out for one another.

Writers know that book titles are not easy to come by. After much jotting down and erasing, I think I have come upon the title for book 4 in my series. Blood and Ashes has stuck with me for more than one week so I tentatively added it to my manuscript. Unless lightening strikes, I believe this will be it. Though the title sounds dire this is a story of rebirth, rediscovery, the power of love and hope. I think it ties well with the Easter season, don't you think?

In other good news, I have completed a rough draft. Yes, writing takes a long time, even under the best of circumstances. My goal while spending four months in south Florida was to complete a draft. I even have the Epilogue written. So now it is a matter of rereading and rewriting as the world of my vampires expands to create a beautiful story worth reading. I love and care about them so much. Once I have a decent enough draft to send to my editor she will then read it and make copious edits. So it's a long process.

I head north this weekend. I am not a winter, cold-weather person and I still am hesitant after spending so much time among the warm sunlight, blue skies and palm trees. The pace of life is slower which I love and in turn, it energizes me. What gives you hope and joy in waking up every morning? Find it and treasure the love and joy you feel and do not let it go.

It's been a long winter for all of us which began in 2020. May we see the light at the end of this pandemic tunnel. May we have learned so much from it that we cannot return to our previous lives. May we embrace a new "self" and revel in the changes that have come our way. There is no way out but through.

Have you a story or a hobby or a dream inside of you that you wish to share with the world? My story began in October of 2005 and I have been writing about a certain vampire ever since. As I finish this latest book I realize there must be another looming on the horizon. I am far from done.

How about you?

Two years ago this week I packed up my files, binders and office supplies and said goodbye to my co-workers. It was my last day at work in the non-profit, private school I have called home for decades. Working in Human Resources and the Business office I had no idea how I would work from home. How can I do my job in isolation?

As it turns out, I worked from home for the rest of the school year, throughout the summer and into the early fall when we returned on-sight, wearing our masks, taking our temperatures daily and living in fear for our future. My husband and I had our groceries delivered, washed everything we could in our kitchen sink and went outside only to exercise. We huddled around our television to listen to the New York State governors daily noon updates while we ate lunch and hoped for any signs that this nightmare would end.

I'll never forget the day we stood on my stepsons front lawn while our grand kids waved from their living room window. My husband and I wept as I could not imagine not being with them. I kept my faith and honestly, there were so many acts of kindness among family members and friends they are too numerous to list here. I missed seeing everyone from friends, siblings, co-workers but I managed one day at a time.

Once vaccinations became available my husband and I took them, hoping they would provide immunity to this disease. We continued to wear first cloth masks and then transitioning to paper. I was reminded of my grandmother sharing her experiences as a young mother during the Spanish Influenza. My father had been born in 1918. How did they survive? I saw all of my grandparents in a different light and wished I had asked her more about that period of her life.

Through all of this I found the strength and true desire to retire from my position. I knew it was time and maybe it was being isolated from my co-workers that helped me to know I could survive without them. I took a risk to leave both my job and New Jersey for the winter. I has been nothing but a blessing for me and I have never looked back. The sun, surf and blue skies have been such a balm for my soul.

During the summer of 2021 I began to enjoy having dinner [outdoors of course] with friends and family. I was filled with tears of joy and yet, the virus was not done with us. I know many folks who have had COVID-19 and some who have not survived. I ask myself what will the next two years will look? I have put many vacations on hold and I pray there is not yet another variant to contend with next winter. I still live one day at a time. I take more risks but I have become much more patient. I'll get to where I need to go and I find it's more important to spend time with folks I love, to listen to them and laugh with them whether over coffee, a glass of wine or a dinner.

Stay safe and love one another.