Interview & Giveaway: By Immortal Honor Bound by Danielle Ancona

Hello and Happy FriYAY, dear readers! Today on the blog I am very excited to be hosting Danielle Ancona who is currently touring the blogosphere for By Immortal Honor Bound and she is spending time with us today to talk about her new book, research, writing inspirations and more!

Be sure to enter the giveaway too! Hope you enjoy getting to know Danielle!


Hello Danielle and welcome to Passages to the Past! Thanks so much for stopping by today to talk about By Immortal Honor Bound!

Thank you for having me and for the warm welcome! I am thrilled to be here!

To begin, can you please tell us a little about yourself and your writing?

Sure. Thanks for asking. I am a full-time Lead Oncology RN Navigator and also have a background in critical care, ED, Bone Marrow Transplant & Admin – all of which have given me a lot to pull from, in terms of human interaction and dynamics. Science & history fascinate me, and I have a comfort level with the ethereal co-existing with science.

My writing is a reflection of my passion for science, history, the world we may not see which co-exists–entwined with ours, and all put, I hope, in such a way that one can escape into the story and enjoy themselves. What inspired you to write By Immortal Honor Bound?

Several things: my patients–wanting to write an adventurous escape for them, where adversity is overcome. A smidge of passion is woven through, in tribute to the story and these patients, for whom often, intimacy is a challenge. A melding of the things I love. A want to feature women of science through the years, and organically strong female characters.

What research did you undertake when writing By Immortal Honor Bound?

Great question! I used thirty-seven references, all validated sources; from Ancient History Encyclopedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, various science research abstracts, historical magazine and cooking articles by subject matter experts to help ensure accuracy. I also read the some of the translated letters of Julius Caesar to get a sense for the flow of the language and conversation, for the portions of the story taking place in antiquity. My references are listed at the back of the book.

What would you like readers to take away from reading By Immortal Honor Bound?

• I think that depends on the reader; first and foremost a sense of adventure and escape!

• I would hope that someone who did not like history, found themselves enjoying the historical aspects of the book & maybe give it a second chance.

• People appreciate how much Paracelsus, a 16th century alchemist and physician has laid the ground work for science, medicine and so many other disciplines.

• How difficult things were for women.

What was your favorite scene to write?

The River Styx scene. It is gritty and I cried while writing it. It was also a lot of fun to write, I could sink my teeth into it.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The opening chapter, the sword fight in the meadow. I think opening chapters are the hardest to write for a book. I bet I re-wrote that 50 times.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Ever since I could write.

What does your daily writing routine look like?

It’s a challenge with working full time, and then some. Social media also gets in the way, although I am typically fairly disciplined with such.

• I have my goals set for the week.
• I have what I want to tackle outlined for the morning or the night. I often write at 4am–before work–or after dinner.
• I either put my feet up on my bed or on a chair on the patio.
• I have coffee and lemonade.
• I have my phone for my thesaurus app.
• I have my research Word table open and ready to go, with my dates, historical figure and event occurrences I weave into the story, plot outline, character interactions.
• I write.
• I often inform my family of the time I have blocked out for writing, so they don’t make other plans which involve me, or so that I have fair warning I need to shift me schedule – my writing and sleep hours and precious.

My family time is also precious.

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer? Have you been able to overcome it?

• This changes as one moves through stages of writing. Primarily, the challenge is finding time & energy to write – or creating them.

• Overcoming interruptions with grace. Rolling with the punches when life does not cooperate, and kind to myself when things don’t work out.

• There are always learning curves – and you don’t know what you don’t know, until you realize you have a knowledge gap. Listen, listen, listen to other writers – pay attention. You will identify gaps if you pay attention. Twitter is a great place to find other writers.

Who are your writing inspirations?

Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, Lindsay Fitzpatrick, Anita Diamant, Brian Kilmeade

What was the first historical novel you read?

Little House Series, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

What is the last historical novel you read?

Dead Town by Anthony Redden – Historical Horror

What are three things people may not know about you?

• I biked 150 miles from Cumberland, Md to Pittsburgh, Pa with my husband

• I have two uncles who were engineers for JPL – so I can’t get away from the science – I could have been a “Sheldon” – lol

• I have been published professionally in Oncology for developing standards of care and staff education for sexual safety and intimacy for the oncology patient and survivor.

What appeals to you most about your chosen genre?

All the discoveries I make with the research; the adventurous rabbit holes, having fun with history.

What historical time period do you gravitate towards the most with your personal reading?

I find myself gravitating towards scientific discoveries and biographies of political figures, monarchs, and scientists – so not so much a time period, but rather movers and shakers of the academic, scientific and economic worlds.

What do you like to do when you aren't writing?

Bicycling on trails, catching up on sleep (lol), baking, vacationing with my family, watching shows concerning failure analysis (aka disasters).

Lastly, what are you working on next?

I am currently writing Book II, Dante’s Fire. This is Katherine’s story, if you have read Book I, you would be familiar with her. This story spans from 181 CE to modern day; taking place in York, England; Caledonia, the Wall of Hadrian, and the Five Rivers of the Underworld.

Katherine is prominent secondary character in By Immortal Honor Bound and has been many readers’ favorite. She is a Sekhmet Lioness Warrior, of the Goddess Sekhmet bloodline. Sekhmet is the Egyptian goddess of war, plagues & healing. Egyptian monikers for her were: “Lady of Slaughter” and “she whom before Evil trembles”, among others.

Katherine is aptly Sekhmet, as she is entwined with several plagues ravaging York from 181 through to the Black Plague. She serves as a fierce protector of York and another talisman, critical to the conflict–Isaiah, the Ancient, a druidic oak–undercover as an abbess. I have nicknamed Katherine “the badass abbess of York” in my head. The Philosopher’s Stone, a way to eternal youth, will be making an appearance in this book and be a center of conflict, gritty battles, fights to the death. Gideon and the Seraph really want to get their hands on it.

Thank you for your time and warm welcome. I hope my answers shed some interesting insight. I look forward to “meeting” everyone! I so appreciate your time in this interview, reading my story and blogging about it.

Thank YOU for stopping by today! It was a pleasure hosting you!


By Immortal Honor Bound by Danielle Ancona


Publication Date: November 4, 2020
Kyanite Publishing LLC
Paperback, 400 pages


Series: Of Alchemy and Angels, Book 1
Genre: Historical Fantasy





Intrepid warrior angel Malachi faces the fiercest of adversaries of warfare through the centuries, fighting alongside the boldest of gods to defend humankind from the Seraph Rebellion.

Sent to York in the 1620's, Malachi unexpectedly falls in love with keen and ardent alchemist Daphne Heatherton.

For Malachi, Daphne's returned devotion is a tenuous gift of fate.

Dark machinations set into play by the fallen archangel, Gideon-leader of the Rebellion-bring Malachi to the brink of defeat and put him to the ultimate test.

Will he choose a mortal love, or will he remain By Immortal Honor Bound?

Alchemy, history, passion, myth, science, legend converge in a timeless battle-will love or honor prove to be the most powerful element of all?

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

About the Author


Pittsburgh has provided an interesting, vibrant and eclectic place to grow up and eventually become a writer of stories. Stories through which History, Science, Alchemy, Romance, High Stakes, and Mythology are woven.

My writing is also touched by ghostly echoes which greet me as I hike or bike through what were once bustling sites from the age of industry of the region, now reclaimed by nature. These are the ethereal remnants of those who shed their blood, sweat and tears onto what is now sacred ground.

Come dive into the stories shaped by these unique forges. The twists in the path are unexpected, fraught with danger, but always worth the journey.

Where passion and love take root unexpectedly, bloom, and somehow manage to survive against all odds, one surprising way or another.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, February 15
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Tuesday, February 16
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Thursday, February 18
Excerpt at Books, Cooks, Looks

Friday, February 19
Interview + Excerpt at Scryptogram

Monday, February 22
Excerpt at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Tuesday, February 23
Review at Pursuing Stacie

Thursday, February 25
Excerpt at Novels Alive

Friday, February 26
Review at The Enchanted Shelf

Saturday, February 27
Excerpt at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, March 1
Review at Jessica Belmont

Tuesday, March 2
Excerpt at I'm All About Books

Wednesday, March 3
Review at Novels Alive

Thursday, March 4
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink

Friday, March 5
Interview at Passages to the Past

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away an eBook, a signed paperback, and a signed hardcover copy of By Immortal Honor Bound!

The giveaway is open to the US only and ends on March 5th. You must be 18 or older to enter.

By Immortal Honor Bound

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