#MySexySaturday Goin’ Out Solo

Welcome to my edition of My Sexy Saturday! Love this week’s idea: Handsome heroes are my ALL TIME FAVORITE subjects. Especially strong, sexy men who are grabbing life by the horns and riding hell for leather. Nate Hawthorne is just such a man, and I’m thrilled to introduce you to my newest hero. Goin' Out Solo, Backstage Pass Series, rock star romance Here he is in GOIN' OUT SOLO, A Backstage Pass novella: Sara whirled around on the pavement, staring at Nate Bishop in shocked silence, but his body appeared perfectly at ease-though the look from under the black brim of his cowboy hat was as intense as always. Same as always, as if he were hiding something he didn’t want the world to see too well. “I can drive her home, if you want,” he said, shifting a little in his cowboy boots. Sara could see the tension draining off Jake as he pushed toward his friend. Extending his hand, they met palms for a single shake. “Thanks, man.” Just as Jake’s nerves settled, Sara's ramped up. Five hours in an enclosed truck cab with hot and steamy Nate? That man lit her fire quicker than a match, while he all but patted her on the head for being a good girl. The one time she'd gotten desperate enough to hint that she was interested he'd shuddered, insisting he couldn't kiss someone he saw as a little sister. Go experiment with someone your own age, he'd said. So she tucked her humiliation down deep, along with all thoughts of his magnificent ass, and tried to find someone nice to play with. Unfortunately, it didn't kill the craving. And last night—that had been the dance of her life. She’d wanted to pout like a toddler when her brother had cut in. The whole time Nate’s dark gaze had held her captive, she’d been telling herself it didn’t mean anything. When he’d walked away without speaking, simply handing her over, she’d known it was meaningless to him. But she’d always remember it…always. Sara looked up to find Nate’s gaze trained directly on her. His chin-length brown hair and ever present cowboy hat granted him secrecy. Still she wondered what he was thinking behind the prop he used to keep people at arms’ length—even if he didn’t realize it. She couldn't see him, but she could feel that gaze and had the sudden impression of a lion stalking his prey. Heat flashed through her, settling in her core despite her mental protest. More about GOIN' OUT SOLO: Rock star Nate Hawthorne's good-guy status is as iconic as his black cowboy hat, despite his personal struggles. Now faced with his own mortality, he must choose whether to continue being the good friend, the good band mate...or risk being very, very bad. Sara Drayton has overcome a nightmare childhood to stand on her own merits, even if her overprotective brother can't see it. Nate has been her forbidden fantasy for years. Now he's offering her a no-strings weekend at his cabin to fulfill all her desires – except her wish to be his forever. Nate knows he's breaking the rules by taking Sara to bed, but he's desperate for the peace he can only find through her touch. With death on the horizon, can forbidden love bring one man back from the brink of an uncertain future? This novella is now available for pre-order for only 99 cents at Amazon! It will officially release on June 30th, so reserve your copy today! And click HERE to join my Goin’ Out Solo Book Launch Giveaway! I’m giving away a $25 gift card. And don’t forget to check out more My Sexy Saturday hunky heroes here. Enjoy! Dani

ART-Join Today!

It’s almost time! Goin’ Out Solo, Backstage Pass Bk 4, is about to go up for pre-order—but there’s a very special chance for you to read it and all my other books early! Check it out! Advanced Reading Team, romance readers I’m offering a few select readers the chance to read these books early! I have my very own Advanced Review Team, and I’d love for you to be a part. That means you’d get the chance to read my upcoming books BEFORE RELEASE DAY! All I ask is that you leave an honest review of the book on Amazon (and any other review sites you frequent) on the actual release day. Does the thought of free books pique your interest? Well, here’s what you do:
  1. Sign up for my newsletter (if you haven’t already).
Snow Bound, Small Town Secrets, novella, romance, cover artistOnly newsletter members are eligible for this special opportunity. I assume if you’re interested in my books, you’re interested in information on upcoming releases and events. Newsletter members only receive an email every 4 to 6 weeks, so no spamming. (P.S. Joining my newsletter means getting a FREE novella too—SNOW BOUND, part of my Small Town Secrets series.)  
  1. Then send an email to readdaniwade (at) gmail.com with the subject: Advance Reading Team.
In the body of the email, tell me why you would like to join and what type of my books you’d like to read. ART members have the option of reading my sexy suspense books, my contemporary romances (Harlequin Desires), OR BOTH. Your choice! Also tell me what file type you need and your address for surprises from me. That’s it! Easy peasy. All I ask is that you be willing to read and honestly review my books. What happens after you join?
  1. I will send out an email when a new release is scheduled.
  1. I’ll send an ARC of the book approximately 2-3 weeks before the release day.
  1. You get to read it! Yay!
  1. I’ll send you a final email the day before the book releases. This is a reminder e-mail to let you know your review should be posted to Amazon and any other e-book retailers or sites you feel comfortable posting to (Goodreads, B&N, etc.), on one of the following 5 days. You can even write it ahead of time and have it ready to copy and paste on release day.
  1. ART members may also get exclusive access to some content or special surprises. You’ll have to join to see…
  That’s it! Does this mean I expect all 5 star reviews? No. No everyone will love my books (though I hope you actually like them if you sign up), and not everyone will enjoy all my books equally. As a life-long reader, I completely understand that. It’s another reason why I’m giving readers the option of which of my books they’d like to read. Not everyone loves both those genres. But reader reviews seriously help a book get noticed on Amazon! It helps other readers know what to anticipate in a story and whether it will fit their reading tastes. The number of reviews can also help authors when we apply for certain promotional opportunities. Every review I get on my books is a blessing—one for which I’m deeply grateful. All I ask is that you be honest, and don’t post any spoilers. So, are you with me? Readers who join now will get to read the next Backstage Pass book, featuring Nate, in the next few weeks. And another installment of the Small Town Secrets series later this year. So don’t wait! Send me that email now, and join the team. I can’t wait to get to know you and share special sneak peaks of my upcoming releases! Dani

A Dirty Job, But…

I'm working with my cover artist, Elizabeth Wallace, on a few projects right now. First, a new cover for Snow Bound, so it matches the rest of the Small Town Secrets series. Also a cover for Nate and Sarah's book, now titled Goin' Out Solo. I have a confession. I'm a little uptight about my covers. I like to pick the photos myself. It's such a tough job! Screen after screen of this... muscular handsome sexy, male model, cover model, cover art                   and this... pool party, memorial day, blog hop     Such a hardship!

Are you a connoisseur of man candy? Do you, like me, click L I KE on all the hot hunky pics on Facebook? Have you seen a picture that you would love to see as a cover? Posted it in the comments and let's share the joy. But first, Snow Bound's new cover!!! Yay!!

Snow Bound, Small Town Secrets, novella, romance, cover artist   Cool, huh? Dani  

#AmEditing

That's right! The proposal for the next Mill Town Millionaires is in the hands of Awesome Editor and I'm taking a break from it to get an editing round in for Nate and Sara's story before it goes out to Beta Readers. So Excited!!! Book 4 in the Backstage Pass series has finally been titled: GOIN' OUT SOLO. I'll be sharing snippets on FB and Twitter, so don't forget to tune in! (Hopefully some cover love going on soon, too!) edits, editing, romance author

#MySexySaturday – Beneath the Surface

Welcome to my version of My Sexy Saturday's Sexy Me Down blogs! I knew Emma and Colin were perfect for this week...I hope you agree! Enjoy this excerpt from BENEATH THE SURFACE, Small Town Secrets, Book 1. Beneath the Surface, Dani Wade, Small Town Secrets   “Emma,” he breathed, the word almost a groan. He moved as if to reach for her but then dropped back, sliding his hands into the hip pockets of his jeans. “Emma, you have every right to hate me. I can’t tell you how many nights I lay awake, kicking myself because I left you like that. I made a stupid mistake, based on youth and wrong assumptions. If I could take it back, change it, I would.” “Why?” she asked, surprised at the words coming out of her mouth. But the injustice of his actions, her own hurt and pain, pushed her forward. “Why did you do it?” He didn’t pretend not to understand. As he spoke, the heaviness of that night hit her hard. “I made a mistake, Emma. A mistake I’ve been sorry for every day since then. I wish I had walked right in and beat the hell out of all of them. Instead I turned my back on you. Not for long, but a lot could have happened before I walked back in that door. A lot did happen.” As if she were back at that time, she saw the boys surrounding her. Five of them, all grown to man size without the maturity to match. She’d thought she was going to a party, a party she’d been told Colin would be attending. Instead the party had actually been a private one, where a group of boys expected to get something a lot deeper than dancing and a few drinks. When she’d realized what they were after, she’d been appalled. Fear had quickly set in when they’d made it clear they expected her to follow through. Colin’s appearance had been a welcome relief, but he’d taken one look at her in the short skirt and skimpy top her sister had loaned her and turned away in disgust. Her voice came out a husky whisper. “You came back?” Available at:      Barnes & Noble                Amazon Add it to your To Be Read shelf on Goodreads! Newsletter Offer 2Sign up for my author newsletter for news, upcoming releases, contests, AND a free novella, SNOW BOUND (which happens to be part of the Small Town Secrets series too!)! Join today!       DON'T FORGET to find more delicious sexy goodness on the other My Sexy Saturday blogs! Click here for the list.  

Author’s Getaway

A couple of weeks ago, I packed my bags and headed out of town. No hubby or kids. No girlfriends. No fellow authors. Just me, my computer, and my characters for 4 days. Like a writing retreat, but solo. At first, it always feels a little weird. But I've spent so many years writing out by myself or with author Ella Sheridan than I'm used to it. To feel the complete silence of the hotel room, and know that I wouldn't be interrupted was a relief. I've been pushing pretty hard over the past year, through working with kids in the room, scribbling notes at the day job, pushing through to write in short periods of time where its hard to immerse myself in my characters. Yeah, relief was an understatement. photo (24) I took Nate and Sara's novella with me. My goal was to finish it, which I didn't. But I made really good progress. Even more important, I was able to sink into the characters and reacquaint myself with them. Spend time thinking about what they would do and say, without the pressure to finish before someone needed something. I think this is a great way to refill our creative well. I talk often about "refilling the well" in terms of renewing our energy, etc., but this is about the creative part of our lives. It reminded me to find ways to reconnect with this part of my life also, which will improve my writing, and also my enjoyment of my writing. That was a happy thing! [caption id="attachment_1061" align="alignleft" width="150"]I wish this was my hotel room. Wouldn't that have been atmospheric? I wish this was my hotel room. Wouldn't that have been atmospheric?[/caption] Another happy thing is going on today! I'm sharing on 2 other blogs and I hope you will join me. I'm over with the Nice Girls talking about, guess what, refilling the well.  :) And my latest hero, Jacob Blackstone (The Blackstone Heir), is being featured on the USA Today Happily Ever After blog with some other chivalrous heroes. What's your happy thing today? Dani

Belle Meade Plantation

Sorry about the mix-up with the blog posts today! And of course I couldn't fix it because I can't get my phone to do the admin stuff here on Wordpress. But better late than never, right? I do hope y'all enjoy my little treat below! I went on a little writing retreat last week near Nashville, TN (more on that in next week's post). While I was there, I took a little side trip. I'd always wanted to visit Belle Meade Plantation, which is an historic plantation that reached its peak in the horse racing industry. As I learned when I was there, all the thoroughbreds who have run (and won) major races over the last ten years or so can be directly linked to the bloodlines of this farm. How cool! I love this type of thing, especially houses, so the trip was extra fun! My pictures aren't nearly as good as the ones on the website, but here's a bit of what I saw on this cool, windy spring day: [caption id="attachment_1053" align="alignleft" width="300"]Belle Meade Plantation, writer's retreat, historic homes, research Belle Meade Plantation-Main House[/caption]               The tour of the house lasted about an hour. What was really interesting was that our tour guides (yes, more than one!) all dressed in period clothing. Each set of rooms had it's own tour guide--all of whom were super knowledgeable and personable. I truly enjoyed listening to their stories about both the house itself and the Harding-Jackson families. [caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="300"]Belle Meade Plantation, carriages, historic homes, writer's retreat, research, stables One of the carriages on display in the original stables.[/caption] There were quite a few carriages and sleighs on display in the stable house, with descriptions of how they were driven and what their purposes were. [caption id="attachment_1055" align="alignright" width="224"]This is the dairy on the plantation, which was actually the second largest source of income, behind the thoroughbred stables. This is the dairy on the plantation, which was actually the second largest source of income, behind the thoroughbred stables.[/caption]                     Touring the grounds allowed me to learn about the dairy business (they were one of the major suppliers of butter and milk to Nashville), one of the original slave cabins, and the mausoleum. The Jubilee project on the grounds chronicles the lives of the 130 slaves who worked the land, and almost half of them that stayed as paid servants after the Civil War. [caption id="attachment_1056" align="alignleft" width="224"]Belle Meade Plantation, magnolia tree, historic homes, stables, research The doll house where children of the family played.[/caption]                     The grounds had some of the largest magnolia trees I'd ever seen. Considering all the storms we have around here, I'm amazed none of the ones still standing have been split. I bet they are gorgeous in full bloom. [caption id="attachment_1057" align="aligncenter" width="224"]The back entrance to the dairy. The back entrance to the dairy.[/caption] I also enjoyed the complimentary wine tasting. Though I'm not much of a wine person, they had a couple that I enjoyed, including a blackberry wine that was deliciously sweet. While I enjoyed the tour itself, I almost enjoyed my drive over there more. Because of where my hotel was situated, Google Maps took me through some back roads and quiet neighborhoods to get to my destination. The houses along the way were So Awesome! Both old and new houses were all unusual and fancy. Gorgeous architecture that created scenery all on its own. I just regretted that I had no one to drive so I could take pictures.  :) I hope you enjoyed my little trip as much as I like sharing it with you. Have you visited any historic homes? Places you particularly enjoyed? I'd love to hear about them! Dani

Snow Days

We have some unusual weather here in the southern US recently. Our winter storms usually consist of 1 to 2 inches of snow that shut the city roads down for a day or so. This past week we got 8 inches of snow! Once it started coming down, roads were impassable in about an hour. Schools closed – even my evil day job closed (which never happens). Was I excited? Yes! About the snow? Well, it was pretty, so yes. But I was more excited about the time off. Snow Days, time off, evil day job Now, I know moms and dads in different circumstances weren’t as happy. My hubby, who has days off during the week, wasn't nearly as thrilled about more time spent with family. Poor thing, he's born the brunt of bad weather and sick children lately. But to me, the snow days were a gift. Here's why: 1. First and foremost, I hate driving in bad conditions. Closing everything down removes the worry that I would miss any more work because I was afraid to drive on the snowy roads. Not good, for my nerves, or for surrounding vehicles. (Aside rant: People who complain about Southerners not driving in snow should be thanking their lucky stars instead! Do they really want to be on the icy roads with someone that inexperienced and scared?) snowy road, time off, evil day job, walk in the snow 2. I get some unexpected SPACE to play with my writing. Whether it's catching up on words or just thinking, brainstorming, I can do it. Without guilt. Guilt comes in all forms and from all sources – evil day job, kids, hubby, family, etc. even from a dirty house. 3. It serves as a reminder to do fun things with my kids. We don't do a lot of “playing”. Most days, I work; they play. But with this unhindered time, I do extra things like take a long walk in the snow with my daughter, or build a horrible rendition of a snowman with my family. [caption id="attachment_1029" align="aligncenter" width="225"]snowman, evil day job, snow days It's a Reader Snowman![/caption] That's just a few of my southern writerly thoughts on Snow Days. What about you? Yay! Or boo! Dani

Musical Blast from the Past

Music provides a large amount of inspiration for me. I listen to music a lot, and often wake up with a song playing in my head. (I just hope it's one that doesn't annoy me. Nothing worse than a bad ear worm!) Every one of my books has a theme song or playlist. I use them to zero in on a particular character’s motivation or state of mind. Music also sets the mood for certain scenes or conversations. Nate & Sara, Backstage Pass Book 4, sexy couple Recently I ran into a snag with Nate's book (Backstage Pass Book 4) and realized that the heroine, Sara, didn't have her own song. So I started going through my music. Usually, I'll run across something that will just click, and I know it's right. But nothing came up for Sara. Then one morning, I woke up with a song running through my head – one I hadn't heard in many years, but I instantly knew it was Sara’s theme. http://youtu.be/bhWEI6-_w9E Love this! Not slow or sad. Even though Sara’s past has granted her the right to be those things, she chooses to focus on the present. Working hard and enjoying life – preferably with the man who has treated her like a little sister for years. Here's hoping she gets him for an eternity, not just the weekend that he's offering. What's your favorite "old school" song? Dani

The Blackstone Brothers are Back!

This time I’m torturing straightlaced, uber planner Jacob Blackstone has his life mapped out… His detour with impulsive KC Gatlin was a wild aberration…until he found out that she gave birth to his child. #bookrelease Mill Town Millionaires, Billionaires and Babies, Blackstone Heir, Dani Wade "I WANT MY SON." When Jacob Blackstone sees his former flame holding a baby with the Blackstone blond curls, the Southern millionaire knows the child is his. But why would down-on-her-luck bartender KC Gatlin keep Jacob's heir a secret? Now the bachelor who wanted a family on his own terms must rush to convince the fiercely protective beauty he's daddy material. KC must tell Jacob the truth about why she kept his son from him or risk losing her beloved baby. When the gorgeous mill owner suggests a trial run at domesticity, she can't resist. But is true love part of this baby deal? Follow the journey of the founding family of Black Hills, South Carolina. Amazon               B&N                    Harlequin  

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