Wading Through Life:
The gothics are coming! I did it! This past weekend, I finished the first draft of book two of my contemporary southern gothic series. This series dream was born 3 years ago, and I’ve fought to bring them to life through a difficult job, writers block, home renovation, pandemic, and a job change… and the doubts, lordie, the doubts! Trying to figure out how to make the move to this genre was intimidating, even after 10 years of publishing, but this is the genre of my heart and I had to do it! The fact that I’ve finished drafts for books one and two in the last year seems like a miracle but I’ve just pushed for one word at a time. Now it’s time to revise!
There are quite a few things to come before the books can be released. Besides revisions, I’ll work with a cover artist to get that ready. See below for some theme ideas. I promise to release titles and covers to my newsletter first!!
Then uploading files to various retailers to prep for launch of book one *in May*. I’ll start the process all over again immediately because I want to release book two in *July*.
Are these books for you? Well, I hope so, but a big clue would be if you are a fan of secret passages, old houses, mysterious heroes, and secret societies. These books are patterned after the stories I devoured in the library as a young girl by authors like Phyllis A Whitney and Barbara Michaels. Mine have a contemporary setting steeped in the atmospheric surroundings of the southern US.
I hope you’ll join me on the journey to publishing the stories of my heart and share in my excitement!!!
Take care,
Dani
Book Sale!
Harlequin has put some of my ebooks on sale for $1.99! If you missed any of these stories, now's the time to download!
Titles to look for:
Unbridled Billionaire
The Blackstone Heir
Reining In the Billionaire
Something That Caught My Eye
I've been really into skulls since last Halloween and while searching for my cover inspiration came across this beauty. I love the juxtaposition between macabre and fancy.
Tis the season for something new and shiny…for an author, there’s very little more exciting than getting a new cover! (all right, it’s exciting to finish a book, get a good review, have a new plot explode fully formed in your brain…but you get my point!)
I recently decided to recover my Small Town Secrets series to bring the covers up-to-date. I still loved aspects of them, but the market for steamy small-town romances has moved in a different direction. What better excuse to enjoy searching for gorgeous men…I mean, gorgeous photos to match my books?
[caption id="attachment_946" align="aligncenter" width="200"]
The 2016 cover for Snow Bound[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1605" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Small Town Secrets series new covers[/caption]
I love the natural backgrounds of these new ones. The books are set in a small town in Tennessee surrounded by lots of wooded areas, so these are perfect. The ambience is a perfect match too—unlike my Harlequins, these are heavily suspense books and the heat level is several peppers higher. 😊
I was able to find some of the photos to purchase on stock sites and my cover artist helped me find the others. The font is the same as my Secrets of Covington Corner series to keep my branding consistent. My cover artist and I go back and forth on them until they’re all smoothed out and ready to go.
Honestly, covers are a really fun part of putting out a book! I hope you enjoy them, and if you haven’t read this sexy suspense series, take a peek at the information below. Snow Bound has been free to my newsletter subscribers for a while, so you might have read that one (this will be changing soon!).
Take care!
Dani
BENEATH THE SURFACE, Small Town Secrets Book 1
Welcome to Cadence, TN–where secrets can be deadly.
Too many secrets…
Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret society exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.
A past not forgotten…
Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.
Time is running out…
Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?
Other books in the Small Town Secrets series (can be read in any order):
BEHIND THE SCARS
SNOW BOUND
Amazon
B&N
Apple Books
Kobo
The 2016 cover for Snow Bound[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1605" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Small Town Secrets series new covers[/caption]
I love the natural backgrounds of these new ones. The books are set in a small town in Tennessee surrounded by lots of wooded areas, so these are perfect. The ambience is a perfect match too—unlike my Harlequins, these are heavily suspense books and the heat level is several peppers higher. 😊
I was able to find some of the photos to purchase on stock sites and my cover artist helped me find the others. The font is the same as my Secrets of Covington Corner series to keep my branding consistent. My cover artist and I go back and forth on them until they’re all smoothed out and ready to go.
Honestly, covers are a really fun part of putting out a book! I hope you enjoy them, and if you haven’t read this sexy suspense series, take a peek at the information below. Snow Bound has been free to my newsletter subscribers for a while, so you might have read that one (this will be changing soon!).
Take care!
Dani
Learn more about Cadence, TN, with BENEATH THE SURFACE
BENEATH THE SURFACE, Small Town Secrets Book 1
Welcome to Cadence, TN–where secrets can be deadly.
Too many secrets…
Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret society exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.
A past not forgotten…
Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.
Time is running out…
Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?
Other books in the Small Town Secrets series (can be read in any order):
BEHIND THE SCARS
SNOW BOUND
Amazon
B&N
Apple Books
Kobo
The latest installment from the Backstage Pass series is a story I couldn’t resist writing. These characters have called to me from the beginning, and I hope you delve into their story as deeply as I did!
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?
For today’s release, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I focus a lot on my heroes, but all of my heroines have a little something in common with me. For Sara, its her organizational skills—AKA lists. Lots and lots of lists. Hope you enjoy this one:
1. Sara Drayton isn’t a spontaneous woman. She’s driven, creative, and organized. But she won’t pass up the once-in-a-lifetime chance to spend the weekend in Nate Hawthorne’s bed.
2. Sara’s theme song for this book is Show Me Love.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhWEI6-_w9E?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
3. Nate has been haunting my brain since I finish Book 1 (Finding Her Rhythm).
4. Nate’s theme song for this book is Not My Time.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpfhcljJ9bQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
5. Nate and Sara both had very different childhood issues, but they handled it exactly the same: being good. Not causing problems or worries for those around them.
6. Sara is Jake’s sister, Solar Uprising’s stage manager.
7. Jake has a very difficult road ahead of him, now that his sister has found her independence.
8. The cover for this story was a long time in the making, because I couldn’t find the right pictures to fit the feel of the story. My cover artist, Elizabeth Wallace, did an excellent job (and showed a lot of patience).
9. This story is a little different than the other 3 in the series—it doesn’t have a suspense element running through it.
10. I’ve got a simple contest going on over the next few weeks. Why? I just love to make readers smile. Just follow this link and enter to win a $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N. I’ll choose a random winner on July 15th! Easy peasy.
GOIN’ OUT SOLO is live on Amazon and B&N today for only 99 cents. And while I’d love for you to grab the other books, SOLO is easy to read as a stand-alone too! So what are you waiting for??? Buy it and enter the contest today!
Dani
8. The cover for this story was a long time in the making, because I couldn’t find the right pictures to fit the feel of the story. My cover artist, Elizabeth Wallace, did an excellent job (and showed a lot of patience).
9. This story is a little different than the other 3 in the series—it doesn’t have a suspense element running through it.
10. I’ve got a simple contest going on over the next few weeks. Why? I just love to make readers smile. Just follow this link and enter to win a $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N. I’ll choose a random winner on July 15th! Easy peasy.
GOIN’ OUT SOLO is live on Amazon and B&N today for only 99 cents. And while I’d love for you to grab the other books, SOLO is easy to read as a stand-alone too! So what are you waiting for??? Buy it and enter the contest today!
Dani
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
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!)
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
This afternoon I'm hanging out with some cool authors to celebrate Ella Sheridan's new release, TRUST ME (Book 2 in her Southern Nights series). Join me and authors Ella Sheridan, Angel Payne, Sandra Owens, and Emma Leigh Reed for some good, old-fashioned, honky-tonk fun on Facebook! You can join the party here today from 12-2 CST.
So I’ve been AWOL for a while…I’d love to say its because I’ve been writing, but honestly I’ve been recovering from a busy year. The holidays were a great time to rest and relax, spend time with my family. I hope you were able to do the same.
I’m working hard on Luke’s book! I hope to be able to announce a date for his release soon. In the meantime, The Blackstone Heir will hit the shelves February 1st. I’m excited that Harlequin bestowed the Billionaires & Babies series tag on the book—to match the beautiful baby on the cover!
The Blackstone Heir
Mill Town Millionaires, Book 2
"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?
Available for Pre-Order now! Check out the Excerpt on Amazon.
"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?
Available for Pre-Order now! Check out the Excerpt on Amazon.
...and I'm feeling the pinch!
Releasing a new book is always nerve-wracking, simply because perfect strangers are now reading the part of you that you put down on (virtual) paper. But there's also a lot of "things" that need to be done to make it happen. And did I mention that it's the Thanksgiving holiday this week in the US? And I have family coming to stay... All of this combined leads to me looking like this:
But regardless of whether it all gets done, BENEATH THE SURFACE will be live on Sunday, Nov. 30th! I've got a lot of cool things planned, including some guest posts that you'll find out about here on the blog. For the first time, I'll be hostessing a big Release Day party on Facebook from 4 to 7pm with some fellow authors! Lots of giveaways and fun, fun stuff. You won't want to miss it, so friend my profile here to receive an invite.
Hopefully the next time you see me, my hair will be less crazy...
Dani
But regardless of whether it all gets done, BENEATH THE SURFACE will be live on Sunday, Nov. 30th! I've got a lot of cool things planned, including some guest posts that you'll find out about here on the blog. For the first time, I'll be hostessing a big Release Day party on Facebook from 4 to 7pm with some fellow authors! Lots of giveaways and fun, fun stuff. You won't want to miss it, so friend my profile here to receive an invite.
Hopefully the next time you see me, my hair will be less crazy...
Dani
So much going on over the next few weeks! I’m getting ready to launch my newest series, Small Town Secrets, to readers on Nov. 30th. BENEATH THE SURFACE was my first true book of my heart, and finalled in the RWA Golden Heart contest in 2009. Sharing it with readers is beyond thrilling.
I’ll be revealing the cover on my brand new Facebook author page on Wednesday, Nov 19. Like my page to be one of the first to see it, and receive an invite to the Release Day Party!
BENEATH THE SURFACE, Coming November 30th
Too many secrets…
Hidden in a quiet town along the Tennessee border, a secret gathering exists where the privileged fulfill their darkest desires. One of their members initiates a desperate act designed to bring home his lifelong obsession: Emma Hartwell.
A past not forgotten…
Drawn back to her hometown by the psychic connection with her twin sister, Emma must fight the stubborn silence of those around her in her quest to find her missing sister. Colin McIntyre hopes to make up for his past mistakes with Emma by helping her, but his own ties to the Gathering might be exposed along the way.
Time is running out…
Exposure could be dangerous for his family, along with himself and Emma. Can they fight the secrets and lies to rescue Emma’s sister… and their own chance at life-long love?