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]]>Hello friends, I’m Darlene Panzera, and today I want to tell you a little about myself and my writing journey. I’ll take you behind the scenes and share how I began writing my first stories, the challenges I faced while continuing to write through life’s hardships, and how I finally became a published author.
If you have a dream that you wish to pursue, I hope my story inspires you to take that first step, believe in yourself, push past the obstacles, and keep going…
Until you, too, turn your dream into reality.
My Introduction to Storytelling:
Ever since I was little, I have loved reading books and so it was natural for me as I grew to start writing them.
- I remember writing simple six-page dinosaur and Godzilla stories for the illustrations my younger brother drew with his crayons. I taped the small pages together and we made covers from a brown paper bag to create our own books.
- Then when I was fourteen, a friend showed me her notebook at school, and I discovered she was writing her own romance novel.
I thought to myself, how cool was that?
And I decided I wanted to write one too!
Over the years I changed the entire story at least six times but the one thing I kept the same was that the names of the romantic couple were “Jenny & Nick.”
Following Life’s Unexpected Turns
In college I took English literature & creative writing classes, dreaming I’d get a job at a New York City publishing house (and get my novel published.) But I also knew it could take years of waiting without any guarantee my novel would ever be published.
I needed a ‘real job’ – one that could pay bills and give me the money to support myself. Facing this reality, I switched schools and became a dental assistant to bring in a paycheck.
I also had my own real-life romance, got married, and had three kids. But I never stopped writing (although now I had to do it during my children’s naptime.)
And I never stopped dreaming of having my books published.
Perseverance & Action Steps
- I read how-to books on the craft of writing fiction.
- I worked with a mentor who critiqued my pages and sent them back to me.
- I took writing classes.
- I joined local writing groups.
- And I was so excited to go to my first writing conference. There were editors and agents there! I had stayed up all night long practicing my pitch – yes, it was the latest version of the ‘Jenny & Nick’ story – and I was devastated when the editor told me my story wasn’t ‘enough.’
What did she mean by that? It didn’t have enough plot? She hadn’t even read it yet. How could she tell me it wasn’t good enough without reading it first? She wasn’t even interested in reading it. The rejection stung, and I took it personally, like ‘I’ wasn’t enough.
But I didn’t quit.
- I learned as much as I could from my new writer groups.
- I continued to go to conferences, which also taught me more about the publishing industry.
- I wrote more stories.
- And I joined a small critique group to help polish my pages.
The Plot Twist I Never Expected
At this point I’d been working on my novels for over 20 years. My kids were teenagers. And in 2008 when the economy collapsed, my husband’s construction company collapsed with it. It was a dark, emotionally turbulent time for our family and after not working for 13 years, this stay-at-home mom had to get a job.
Except…
- Dental offices weren’t hiring, and my skills from the past were completely outdated.
- The best paying job I could find was in a windowless gray warehouse.
For a while, I enjoyed working there and my co-workers became friends, but I longed to see the sunshine on nice days, and to have the freedom to choose when ‘I’ wanted to work. I wanted more time with my family, and more than anything, I really wanted to see my book published after all the work I’d put into writing it.
Each day one particular warehouse employee would pass by and ask me, “Are you living the dream?”
I’d paste on a bright smile and say, “I’m trying!” But on the inside, I felt miserable.
Especially when one day, a new author set up a table across the aisle from me, and I watched as a line of people formed, and the author autographed book after book. It hurt, because ‘I’ wanted to switch places with that author. He was sitting where I wanted to be. The truth was, I wasn’t living the dream. My dream of having my own book published seemed so…. far away.
There were many tears, not just from unfulfilled dreams but because my personal life was a mess. I was also dealing with a string of family deaths, the threat of bankruptcy, and other things causing a whole lot of stress. It was too much.
The Turning Point—Seizing an Opportunity
Finally, my husband said, “If you want to write, then write.”
So, although it didn’t make sense, because we still needed the money, I quit my job.
And shortly after, a friend told me about a contest being run by Avon Impulse, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. Ironically, the name of the contest was the ‘Make Your Dreams Come True’ contest. Yes, really!
They were looking for a sweet, wholesome novella to publish along with NYTimes bestselling author, Debbie Macomber’s story. My sweet cowboy-ranch ‘Jenny & Nick’ story would be perfect! This was my chance to have it published! Except…my book would need to be cut in half to fit the page count required for a short novella.
Determined to give it my best shot, I worked day and night over the next three weeks – in 90 degree summer heat - with only a fan, no air conditioning.
I had to condense the story and see how many pages I could possibly cut. Somehow, I managed to send it in before the deadline.
Then on the day the winner was to be announced - at 8 am. – nothing. No phone call. No email. Nothing revealed online.
Dejectedly I assumed I did not win. I started to go on with my day.
Then about an hour later, I did get a call, not from an editor, but from my friend. And she said congratulations.
I said “What for?” It was then that she told me I had won. But I didn’t believe it. There had been no notification, no confirmation. Nothing.
Then my daughter ran down the stairs and told me she saw it online – I ‘did’ win! Breathless, my excitement grew, but I was still too scared to believe it.
A Dream Come True
Then the phone call from the editor finally came to reassure me that yes – I did win, my dream had finally come true. My ‘Jenny & Nick’ story was going to be published and distributed worldwide.
I did my best to act professional while on the phone but after I hung up?
I was jumping up and down squealing – yes – squealing with high-pitched delight.
My daughter was jumping up and down with me.
I could hardly believe it was true. In June of 2012, my novella would be printed behind Debbie Macomber’s new release titled, “Family Affair.”
Three stories had been chosen as finalists, and it had been Debbie Macomber herself who picked the winner. Which is such an honor!
A Second Contract
Then the editor called back a few days later with more details and wanted to know how I came up with the idea for my novella.
I told her, ‘Well, actually, it was a full-length novel I had cut in half to enter the contest.’
She asked me to send in the full manuscript and two weeks later, the publisher sent me a contract to publish the full-length Jenny & Nick story in addition to the novella.
The novella was titled, The Bet, and they needed a slightly different title for the full-length novel, so I said “How about, “Bet You’ll Marry Me.”
Life as a Published Author
- That contest win launched my career, and I went on to publish The Cupcake Diaries, a 5-book romantic comedy series about three women who open a cupcake shop in Astoria, Oregon.
- And Montana Hearts, a 3-book cowboy romance series with a twist of suspense.
- And when the publishing company switched me to another editor to work with, guess who it was? The same editor who first rejected my ‘Jenny & Nick’ story! But now I see that she’d been right—the story had not been ready for publication at that time.
- Next, I was offered several contracts to write Christian Historical novellas with Barbour Publishing—and my story, The Groom She’d Thought She Left Behind from The Runaway Brides Collection won the prestigious American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award.
Paying it Forward
Today I write both Sweet Contemporary and Christian Historical Romance.
I also enjoy teaching others how to write at conferences and online at www.aspiringwriteracademey.com so that I can help other aspiring writers make their dreams come true.
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]]>Hello friends! I’m Darlene Panzera, author of Golden Horizons, a sweet historical romance novella set during the California Gold Rush of 1850.
When I first started writing this story, I was fascinated by how one of the most exciting and chaotic periods of American history also created the perfect backdrop for romance. The discovery of gold in California drew people from all over the world, each chasing the same dream: striking it rich. But while many came for fortune, others—like my heroine, Maggie McDermott—came in search of independence and a fresh start.
A Glimpse Into the Gold Rush World
In Golden Horizons, Maggie arrives at a bustling mining camp and meets Benjamin Freethy, who is panning for gold with his young nephew. Back then, men would set up camp along rivers and streams, using little more than pans, shovels, and pickaxes to sift through gravel and water in hopes of finding shining nuggets. At first, the rivers were plentiful with gold. But as more and more prospectors poured in, the competition became fierce and the pickings slim.
The Gold Rush was truly a frenzy. Imagine hundreds of men lined up along the water’s edge, each one hoping that the next swirl of their pan would change their lives forever. Some found fortune, but many more left empty-handed. And as time went on, miners had to take bigger risks—venturing into dangerous caves, bringing in heavy equipment, and working long hours under grueling conditions—all for the promise of gold that was harder and harder to find.
Inspiration From a Washington River
This past weekend, I went camping at Denny Creek Campground near Snoqualmie Pass in Washington State, and the setting reminded me so much of the rivers I describe in Golden Horizons. The Denny Creek River winds through rocky terrain, its waters crystal clear and sparkling in the sun, with a golden mountain backdrop glowing at sunset. Standing there, I could easily picture Maggie and Ben in a similar setting in 1850, surrounded by the rush and excitement of prospectors hoping to strike it rich.
What surprised me is that people still pan for gold there today! During a hike along the river, I passed by an older gentleman with a small pan, carefully sifting through the water. He wasn’t expecting to find a fortune, of course, but there’s something about the thrill of discovery that hasn’t faded, even 175 years later. In fact, many rivers along the West Coast still contain traces of gold—tiny flecks that keep the dream alive for hobbyists and adventurers.
Maggie’s Story: A Different Kind of Treasure
While many of the men in my novella are searching for riches, Maggie has a different goal. She’s a seamstress determined to carve out her own path in life. In a time and place where there were very few young women in the West, she faced enormous pressure to marry quickly. Suitors lined up—not just for her beauty, but because a respectable wife was rare and highly sought after.
But Maggie isn’t content to let others decide her future. Instead, she turns her talent with a needle and thread into a livelihood, eventually earning more than some of the men who spend all day panning in the river. Her strength, determination, and independence inspire me, and I hope they’ll inspire readers too.
And of course, in the midst of all the challenges, she finds love—proof that sometimes the greatest treasures can’t be measured in gold.
Why I Wrote Golden Horizons
When I visit places like Denny Creek, I’m reminded how history often leaves traces in the landscape around us. Standing by the water, hearing the rush of the river, and seeing the sunlight dance across the rocks, I felt connected to the past in a way that made the world of Golden Horizons come alive all over again.
I wanted this novella to capture both the excitement and the hardships of the Gold Rush while highlighting the courage it took for women like Maggie to build a life on their own terms. Yes, the Gold Rush was about striking it rich—but for many, the real treasures were love, resilience, and the chance to start fresh.
Ready to Discover Golden Horizons?
If you enjoy stories with strong heroines, rich historical settings, and heartwarming romance, I invite you to step into the world of Golden Horizons.
The book is available now in both eBook and print on Amazon and other online retailers.
Other Posts You May Enjoy!
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]]>Discover the fascinating story of how Darlene Panzera, award-winning author of sweet contemporary and Christian historical romance, conceived her latest novella, Golden Horizons, from initial idea to published work.
Learn how Darlene chose a unique setting, incorporated heartfelt topics, crafted compelling characters, developed an engaging plot, and wove in a theme of faith, hope, and love in From Idea to Novella, the Inspiration Behind Writing, Golden Horizons.
Introduction
Hi, I am Darlene Panzera, author of Sweet Contemporary and Christian Historical Fiction, and today I’m going to be talking about how I came up for the idea for the novella, Golden Horizons. This novella was originally titled Hearts Sewn with Love, and included in the “Sew in Love” collection by Barbour Publishing.
The Initial Idea
I had a friend ask if I would like to join a group to put together a proposal of novellas. There were going to be about four in the collection to pitch to the publishers. And I said, “Sure, I’d love to be in.” And we decided that all the heroines in each of the stories would be seamstresses, and the stories were going to be Christian historical. They would take place between 1850 and 1920.
We all picked a different region of the United States, a different time period, and came up with four individual stories that were going to be put together in one collection. The proposal was accepted and was published December 2019 as “Sew in Love.”
Available At: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple Books | Indiebound
Single Edition Cover and Title Change
And now for the first time, (June 2025) I can release my novella as a single edition. So, we created a brand-new cover for it, and I decided to change the title from Hearts Sewn with Love to Golden Horizons because I felt that it better reflected the story.
Choosing the Setting
I came up with the idea for Golden Horizons when I was researching another book idea and I heard about the California Gold Rush. What I learned was that women who ventured out West could open their own businesses. This wasn’t something that was typically allowed on the East Coast, but out west there were very few women, and so this was a privilege that they could take advantage of. And a lot of the women during the California Gold Rush made a lot of money.
Some of them were washing and mending clothes for the gold miners and others were selling hand pies. And many of these women made more money than the gold miners panning for gold. And what’s crazy, one male shop owner, who never panned for gold at all, he got rich selling shovels to all the gold miners, and I thought that was really interesting.
I like the idea of women being able to have these opportunities, because I like writing about bold, courageous women who take steps to change their lives and ultimately the lives of everyone around them. And I think this was a great opportunity for women in that time period.
Creating the Characters
So, I wanted to create a heroine who was a seamstress, and her name is Maggie McDermott. And I love horses. I have a horse, and I love putting horses into my stories as much as possible. And I decided to make my hero of the story a man panning for gold and his dream is to make enough money to buy the land for a horse ranch.
He takes in his orphan nephew, and he gives his nephew riding lessons. And at one point, the nephew—who’s having a hard time adjusting to this new situation and territory—takes off on the horse and he can’t be found. And so, it’s a fun way to bring horses into the story.
Developing the Plot
I also like to weave in a little mystery and suspense into my novels to make them interesting and raise the tension. And so, I do have one of the miners in the camp sabotage both the hero and the heroine and he tries to keep them apart and destroy their businesses.
Then there are the dangers of mining and panning for gold that I really wanted to highlight in this story to show the risk that some of these men took in hopes of finding gold. Sometimes they had a lot of accidents on the job. And people were killed. There were cave collapses, mine collapses, and it was a very dangerous territory.
Falling in Love: the Romantic Conflict
And of course this is a romance, so I love the fact that in 1850, the sight of a decent, single, pretty young lady was more rare than the elusive gold. When my heroine Maggie McDermott enters the gold panning camp, the men stumble over themselves asking for her hand in marriage. But the one man she hopes will propose is the one man who won't.
Benjamin Freebie believes that he needs to make enough money before he can afford a wife.
Can she convince him to change his mind or will fate separate them forever?
Faith: Weaving in the Story Theme
And finally, this leads to the faith thread. After all that Maggie and Ben have been through, all of the obstacles, the hardships that they faced, they have to ask themselves, can they still truly trust in God to provide for them and to see them through? And trust in His plan for their lives no matter where that leads?
I used the Bible verse from Jeremiah 29:11 as the basis for this story. ‘For, I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord. ‘Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.’
And this forms the whole theme behind Golden Horizons. Can they still trust God no matter what?
Sometimes it’s easy to trust when things are going real well, but when everything falls apart and everything is taken away from you, can you still trust God’s plan for your life?
Thank you!
I’m so happy I could share a little about my writing process with you in From Idea to Novella, the Inspiration Behind Writing, Golden Horizons. I hope that you have enjoyed the behind-the-scenes details that brought this story to life.
Golden Horizons is available on Amazon and other online retailers.
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple Books | Indiebound
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Q & A with the authors of the Sew in Love Collection: Jacquolyn McMurray, Debby Lee, and Darlene Panzera.
(Kimberley Woodhouse, also part of the 4-novella collection was unavailable).
Available at: Amazon Barnes & Noble
Jacquolyn McMurray
1. What inspired you to write your story?
Debby Lee and Darlene Panzera invited me to join the collection proposal and the original idea was to have all the heroines experience some loss due to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. When our publisher asked us to broaden the scope of the stories, I already had my story plotted and had started writing it. Debby and Darlene graciously allowed me to write the factory fire story.
2. How did you come up with these particular characters for your story?
I wanted my heroine to be a fire survivor who was thrust into a situation where she is responsible for the financial welfare of her family. Given the time period and the unsafe conditions in the garment factories, it made sense to me that the hero was a labor union organizer.
3. What surprised you most while researching or writing this story?
I was surprised by the blatant lack of safe conditions in the workplace.
4. Why did you pick this time period and setting for your story?
Originally, we were all going to write stories that took place in New York city in 1911 after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire. I'm so grateful I was able to stay with the original plan.
5. Do you sew? If so, who taught you and what kinds of things do you sew?
I love to sew! I think I've sewn since I was about eight or nine. My amazing blind grandma taught me to hem linen tea towels when I was quite young. Over the years I've sewn clothes, table runners and napkins, tote bags, curtains, chair cushions, and stuffed animals. The most complex project was our daughter's wedding gown. We couldn't find a pattern for the style she wanted, so I had to wing it. Fortunately, she loved the finished gown.
6. Anything else to add?
Writing this novella length historical romance has inspired me to complete a full-length historical fiction book I've been working on for years. I love researching and weaving facts into a fictional story.
Debby Lee
1. What inspired you to write your story?
My grandfather had a hobby of sewing quilts for the local church. The church then donated the quilts to missions across the world. He placed a note and his address in the "pocket" of one of his quilts. He then received a letter of a woman from Russia who thanked him for his quilt. When we had to change the theme of this book from the Triangle Shirt waist Factory fire to one with a more general sewing theme, I knew I had to write about my grandfather.
2. How did you come up with these particular characters for your story?
The characters of this novella are loosely inspired by my grandparents. My grandmother had red hair, as does my heroine, and the hero is tall with blond hair, like my grandfather. Like my heroine, my grandmother was close to her family and her father fought in a war, albeit WWI. My grandfather did injure his hands but not from landing a burning bomber airplane, he cut them on a table saw. Sewing quilts did help his hands heal. I also named my characters after my grandparents. My grandfather's name was Irving and my grandmothers middle name was Estella.
3. What surprised you most while researching or writing this story?
I learned a few interesting things about parachutes in WWII. The American parachutes were made out of nylon. In Europe when an American pilot went down the local French women, because of the shortage of fabric, didn't waste time confiscating his parachute. The French women then used the nylon to sew underwear. This may sound silly but the French weren't the only ones to use parachute fabric to sew clothing. Here is a picture of a dress sewn by an American woman for her wedding, it's made entirely from nylon from parachutes.
4. Why did you pick this time period and setting for your story?
I have written several novellas set during 1800's America and I wanted to do something different. Then I watched an episode of America's Deadliest Catch with my son. In the show they talk about the Japanese invasion of the Alaskan Territories and the bombing of Dutch Harbor during WWII. It was something different that I thought most people hadn't heard of and right then I knew that's where and when I wanted to set my story.
5. Do you sew? If so, who taught you and what kinds of things do you sew?
As a child I sewed a few doll quilts alongside my grandfather who sewed adult sized quilts, but that's as far as it went. As I wrote this story it's piqued my interest in sewing and now it's something I want to learn more about, and learn to do better.
Darlene Panzera
1. What inspired you to write your story?
The other authors and I decided that each of our heroines for this collection would all be seamstresses. During some research for another story I became interested in the California Gold Rush and when I learned that some of the women who settled around mining camps were given the freedom to run their own businesses and earn large amounts of money equal to and even surpassing some of the men, (which was not the norm for those days), I knew that this would be the setting. I love to write inspiring stories about heroines who strive to make their dreams come true.
2. How did you come up with these particular characters for your story?
Many of the fictional women in the story and their occupations were derived from details I came across during research. One woman made $18,000. selling pies to miners and ended up making more money than some of the miners digging for gold. Many other women washed and mended the miner’s clothes, which is what my heroine does. I also wanted to bring some children into the story and thought the hero should have an orphaned nephew in his care who helps bind him to the heroine.
3. What surprised you most while researching or writing this story?
I did not know that in San Francisco many of the businesses during this era took up residence in the hulls of ships after they were abandoned by miners heading toward the gold fields. One ship was even used as a jail.
4. Why did you pick this time period and setting for your story?
I had already decided upon the setting of California because of the opportunity available to women during the Gold Rush and research informed me that although the first to arrive were ‘49ers, many of the women came by ship or wagon train in 1950 and later. It took many months to a year to reach the west coast, so I chose for my heroine to arrive by ship April of 1950.
5. Do you sew? If so, who taught you and what kinds of things do you sew?
Yes, I can sew. My mother and grandmother always sewed clothes for me and my dolls. I learned basic hand stitching from them and then I took Home Ec in high school and learned how to use a sewing machine. I made a denim vest. Later my projects expanded to costumes, stuffed animals, and homemade dolls.
6. Anything else to add?
I have always loved horses and have a couple of my own, so I try to include horses into many of my stories. In Hearts Sewn With Love, the miners use mules and horses for travel. My hero’s dream is to pan enough gold to buy land for his own horse ranch. And when the heroine learns his young nephew wants to learn to ride, she borrows the postmaster’s horse so the hero can give the boy lessons and help the two of them bond.
How to contact or learn more about us:
Jacquoline : https://www.jacquolynmcmurray.com/
Debby: https://www.booksbydebbylee.com/
Darlene: www.darlenepanzera.com
We’d love to hear from you!
Sew in Love: 4 Historical Stories
When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their sewing lead to love?
Available at: Amazon Barnes & Noble
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