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...
and this...
Such a hardship!
Cool, huh?
Dani
and this...
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!!
Cool, huh?
Dani
You’d think after being a parent for 15 years, that I’d know a bit about quality time. But try as I might to “create” quality time, I find the most special of gems come in ways I least expect.
Like in the car. It’s amazing the things kids will talk about while you’re driving down the road. Yeah, the kinds of things that might make you swerve. LOL
About a year ago, my son started taking karate. He fell in love with the sport instantly. I was so proud of him as he moved up through the belt ranks! To see your child, who has never had a passion for anything before, suddenly become eager to workout—well, its great!
And deep down inside, I found it fascinating. I wondered how it would feel to do the moves and attend classes—but I was afraid. I’m a forty year old mother of 2, shaped like a potato with legs. I just knew I’d look stupid in the gee and doing the techniques.
Until January 2015. That’s when I decided it was ridiculous for me to sit and watch class when I needed exercise. So I signed up.
The good news: no one laughed.
The even better news: my son is thrilled. We encouraged each other to practice, compliment each others techniques (my Little Man is a wonderful giver of encouragement), and since I graduated to yellow belt, we’ve begun sparring together.
And we talk—not just about karate. And the drives to and from class, just the two of us, are some of the most special memories I have with him. He can be funny, surprisingly insightful, and inquisitive. It’s been one of the most rewarding activities I’ve done with one of my kids (or even just for myself).
What’s the most rewarding thing you’ve done for yourself? What’s your favorite way to spend time with your kids?
Dani
And deep down inside, I found it fascinating. I wondered how it would feel to do the moves and attend classes—but I was afraid. I’m a forty year old mother of 2, shaped like a potato with legs. I just knew I’d look stupid in the gee and doing the techniques.
Until January 2015. That’s when I decided it was ridiculous for me to sit and watch class when I needed exercise. So I signed up.
The good news: no one laughed.
The even better news: my son is thrilled. We encouraged each other to practice, compliment each others techniques (my Little Man is a wonderful giver of encouragement), and since I graduated to yellow belt, we’ve begun sparring together.
And we talk—not just about karate. And the drives to and from class, just the two of us, are some of the most special memories I have with him. He can be funny, surprisingly insightful, and inquisitive. It’s been one of the most rewarding activities I’ve done with one of my kids (or even just for myself).
What’s the most rewarding thing you’ve done for yourself? What’s your favorite way to spend time with your kids?
Dani Thanks for dropping by my stop on the Naughty Hotties Blog Hop with the fellow Nice Girls Writing Naughty! The rock stars of Solar Uprising in my Backstage Pass series love to celebrate holidays with wild parties, and spring is a great time to open the pool and break out the bikinis!
There’s Michael Korvello whispering into his new wife’s ear about their very first encounter in the waterfall alcove. He loves making her blush! His brother, Daniel Korvello, is plying his girlfriend Becca with a cupcake with patriotic icing (all the while trying to get her out of her cover-up).
Sean Rosslair is coaxing Meghan deeper into the water, grinning wide when her toes can’t touch the bottom and she wraps her legs around and holds on tight. Meghan isn’t complaining! Who wouldn’t want a hot, hard-bodied drummer between her thighs. ;)
For once, hottie Nate Bishop has discarded his iconic cowboy hat to get wet with his honey, Sara. I can’t wait to share his story with y’all this summer! In the meantime, here’s a flashback to one of the Korvellos wild and crazy pool parties!
Excerpt from FINDING HER RHYTHM
Available on Amazon B&N Smashwords
“Don’t let them fool ya,” Becca said. “Michael’s a great guy, but he doesn’t exactly have a ‘white-picket-fence’ lifestyle. Take care of yourself.”
She turned at the rebel yells that erupted from the vicinity of the doors to the house. Daniel and Michael ran across the decorative concrete to cannonball into the pool.
They surfaced with whoops and hollers until one of the band members yelled, “Chicken fight!”
Becca wasted no time getting to her feet. “That would be my cue to exit. The annual chicken fight is definitely not my scene.” She strode toward the locker rooms, leaving Taylor to face the music.
She turned a wide-eyed gaze toward the rest of the party, which was rapidly dividing itself by groups of two. Even the teenagers. Her stomach started to churn, faster and faster, like a merry-go-round gaining speed.
She stayed put, sort of an “if I’m very still, no one will notice me” move. After all, no one had so far. But she should have known her luck would run out.
Not two minutes later Michael detached himself from the group and swam in her direction. Oh, that hot dog had been a mistake. She just might puke in the pool.
No. No no no. Please don’t make me do this. The last thing she wanted was for Michael Korvello to try to lift her. She could just imagine the stoic grunt as he realized just how much she weighed. Not to mention having to do it in front of a handful of women shaped like twigs. With boobs, of course.
His head lifted above the water with slick grace, the wetness somehow deepening the smoky blue of his eyes. “I need a partner, Taylor.”
She swallowed hard. “No, thanks.”
“Come on. You wouldn’t leave me hangin’, would ya?”
Her expression must have showcased some of her “you bet I would, mister” sentimentality, because the laughter in his ramped up. “Come on. Just a friendly game of chicken.” His emphasis on the word notated his challenge.
Just like he challenged her every day. Drawing her out, coaxing her to take the leap. But this time she had fear of taking her towel off in front of thirty-some-odd people on her side.
“Not happening.” She shook her head to drive her point home.
Above the slosh of people in the pool, a voice suddenly rang out. “I thought you said she was a cool nanny?”
A quick glance revealed the teens looking her way, and not a single soul left out of the pool, except one woman wrangling two toddlers.
And her.
So much for outgrowing peer pressure. Her “okay” got everyone back to their preparations and their eyes off her, thank God. But not Michael’s.
He watched with a raised brow as she stood next to her lounger. Her legs shook with the desire to run back to the locker rooms and hide. How could she possibly do this? But some teeny-tiny spark inside insisted she could ramp up that sexy glint in his eyes.
Fake it till you make it.
Sucking in her stomach, she let the towel drop to reveal her new swimsuit. His gaze traveled down the teal one-piece with interest, lingering where it dipped low over her cleavage. Turning, she draped her towel over her lounger. A totally unnecessary maneuver, but his quick intake of breath told her he’d seen the heart-shaped cutout right over the dimples at the small of her back.
Did he like them?
Remembering when those dimples had been the subject of ridicule rather than an intimate secret between lovers, she approached Michael with a touch of caution. When she was within a few steps of him, he breathed, “Damn, woman.”
Ah, victory.
A few deep breaths got her through the indignity of climbing onto Michael’s muscled shoulders. Thankfully he didn’t moan or stumble over her weight. The only thing that eased her self-consciousness was the feel of his wet skin against hers. His hands warming as they curled around her thighs. The flex of his arms as he balanced her securely.
Oh, she was so going to hell for her thoughts.
Luckily no one else seemed to be paying her any attention as one of the men yelled, “Ready. Set. Go!”
She fought to keep her balance as the free-for-all ensued. Then she unabashedly clamped her thighs around Michael’s neck and held on for dear life. They both laughed so hard that she was distracted from the overt sexual nature of her position.
They weren’t the last couple standing, but they made it into the top five, at least. McKayla and the sixteen-year-old boy who was dazzled to have her on his shoulders came out the winners.
Matthew complained, “They just went easy on you because you’re a girl.” Didn’t matter that any number of “girls” now littered the pool with dripping wet hair.
But Taylor would never forget the final push that sent her falling into the water, bending Michael back with her. He’d released her with ease and was quick to pull her up and out of the way of flailing limbs and laughing people. In the midst of the chaos they’d stood for long moments, bodies touching, eyes locked, until the winners were finally determined.
The signal came naturally then. Holding his gaze, she nestled closer, letting her hands find his hips through the wet swim trunks he wore.
Even if the piercing look in his eyes hadn’t clued her in, the hard erection pressed against her belly would have. She had a feeling Michael’s days of waiting had just come to an end.
Comment today with your favorite way to celebrate your summer holidays, and I'll select 1 winner to receive an ecopy of one of my backlist books, along with a $10 Amazon or B&N giftcard! Sign up for my newsletter, and receive a second entry.
And don't forget to visit the other Nice Girl blogs, found here. Commenting on all of them enters you to win the Grand Prize!
Thanks for joining me today! Dani
So, I'm in the middle of revisions on Nate's book, Goin' Out Solo, and I've realized something...
No matter how many books I write, during revisions I'm utterly convinced that this book will be the one to end my career. :) It will never be interesting enough, cool enough, or sexy enough. No one will be as interested in it as I am. This is the psyche of an author. I find these fears plaguing me all the time-when I read other authors' work, when I discuss my work with others, when I think about putting myself out there again...it's like a version of Stage Fright.
I've always had great reviews and readers who love my characters, so this worry is crazy, I know. I guess I just love them so much, I want to see them do well in the world. More than likely, its just my own insecurities projecting onto my work. ;)
Where do you most run into Stage Fright in your life?
Dani
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!)
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.
“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!
Sign 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.
“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!
Sign 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.
Mondays are not my favorite day. I know a lot of you are the same. After all, weekends are a chance to catch up, unwind, have fun without watching the clock, and for me, write. Mondays mean back to the tough schedule of a day job, kids activities, and still, write. :) There are some precious moments during the week, but its hard, so let's have some funnies to add a smile to the day!
Yep, coffee always helps! What's your favorite way to get through a Monday?
Dani
P.S. Don't forget to check out the A to Z blog challenge going on over at the Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog! Lots of fun during the whole month of April.
Yep, coffee always helps! What's your favorite way to get through a Monday?
Dani
P.S. Don't forget to check out the A to Z blog challenge going on over at the Nice Girls Writing Naughty blog! Lots of fun during the whole month of April.
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.
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?[/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
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?[/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
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-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"]
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.[/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"]
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.[/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
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"]
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.[/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"]
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.[/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 
The first draft of Luke and Avery's book is almost done. We're on the homestretch, so there's no extra words for blogs. Be back soon!
Dani