What Inspired Our New Release

When embarking on the magical course of publishing our first book with Sr. Editor, Nicola Martinez, we were presented with what we considered a small “catch”. She wanted to acquire our manuscript entitled Answering Her Call, but... Would we be willing to re-title the novella Jewel of the Adriatic, a more fitting title in Nicola’s opinion in the context of the book?

“Yes, yes, yes!”

A contract package was the thrilling result. And we truly liked the new title better than the original.

Completing a Manuscript Information Sheet, part of the paper flow process working with our publisher, we encountered the question, “Is this is a series?”

Something triggered the response, “Yes.” We filled in the blank and continued writing, “Jewel of the Adriatic, Rose of the Adriatic and Pearl of the Adriatic.” We hit send.

Nicola emailed us to acknowledge receipt and posed, “Did I miss something? This is a series?”

We could only answer, “Thanks to you, it is now.”

What a wonderful miracle of the imagination that a four-word title could spark a clear vision of some 50,000 words. Anna, the visionary, simply had to have her own story and Dr. Matt Robbins apparently became determined to travel to Valselo as Jewel of the Adriatic closed.

Rose of the Adriatic represented so many delightful opportunities for us as authors: we could revisit Valselo and spend time again at Katarina and Mikhail’s pansion, check in with Maya and Colin and acquaint ourselves with the mysterious Anna who bears the awesome responsibility of conveying messages she receives directly from the Mother of God. We also could throw the brilliant, troubled, doubting Matt into Anna’s world where all empirical testing of supernatural occurrences proves nothing. Faith can’t be detected under a microscope.

As with the prequel, historic and contemporary sites of Marian apparitions around the world deeply inspired our writing. In Rose of the Adriatic we explored the types of miracles associated with places on earth where Mary has appeared: healings, supernatural phenomena and most importantly, conversions.

Rose of the Adriatic releases from our beloved White Rose Publishing on Friday, July 31^st! We’re spinning in anticipation. This is our favorite K.M. Daughters book to date (our fifth published book), maybe because its theme centers on the healing power of love, or because the Virgin Mary’s documented messages are woven into our fiction. But surely because the tiny spark that was its genesis ignited when we began our relationship with an Editor to whom we’ll always be grateful. Nicola, we’re still batting around Pearl of the Adriatic. So far heaven hasn’t inspired anything more than a title.