Have you ever seen something and fallen in love with it immediately? Knew you had to have it right away? Thatâs the very feeling I had when I saw my new cover! Itâs exactly what I wanted for this book, the embodiment of the mysterious atmosphere (not to mention a libraryâŚhow cool is that?).
In addition to the cover, the PRE-ORDER is now LIVE!!! Iâm so excited for you to discover the town of Thornbury Woods and the secrets its inhabitants keep hidden.
This book is a contemporary twist on gothic romance books Iâve loved by authors like Phyllis A Whitney and Mary Stewart. In it, youâll find:
- A mysterious manor house under renovation
- A hidden past crime
- A broken vow
- Secret passageways
- A ghostâŚor is it?
Tis the season for something new and shinyâŚfor an author, thereâs very little more exciting than getting a new cover! (all right, itâs exciting to finish a book, get a good review, have a new plot explode fully formed in your brainâŚbut 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 menâŚI 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 tooâunlike my Harlequins, these are heavily suspense books and the heat level is several peppers higher. đ
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 theyâre 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 havenât 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, TNâwhere 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 Emmaâs 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
I've known author Ella Sheridan for a long time (since the womb, actually) so I'll admit to a slight bias in her favor. Â :) Â But I know a book is really good when I can read it and hear the characters' voices--not the author's. In her upcoming Southern Nights release, Teach Me, Conlan and Jess's voices are as full-bodied as a merlot, and just as intoxicating. Â (Oh, and the villain is a man I just love to hate!).Â
Pre-order this beauty now! You won't regret it. Â
Dani
A woman determined to healâŚ
Shy researcher Jess Kingston spent the last eight weeks recovering from her ex-boyfriendâs brutal attack. Body healed, sheâs ready to put her life back togetherâexcept her ex isnât ready to let go. She wonât cower in a corner while Brit tortures her, but sheâs powerless to fight back.
A man determined to resistâŚ
Ex-military security specialist Conlan James avoids commitment like the plague. His job, his Harley, and the occasional one-night stand are all he needs, until the day he rescues Jess from a tense situation and realizes he canât get her off his mind. He can teach her to protect herself, but protecting his heart is another matter.
A madman determined to winâŚ
As the deadly game of cat-and-mouse with Brit heats up, so does the hunger between Con and Jess. Safety might be found in numbers, but in bed, all bets are offâand the wrong move could lead to heartbreak. Or death.
Teach Me releases on October 28th, but itâs available starting today for PREORDER â and itâs only 99 CENTS! You can go ahead and nab your copy today from one of these vendors:
AMAZON
ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS
KOBO
And just to whet your appetite, hereâs an excerpt for you to enjoy. Boy, Conlan still makes me swoon⌠;)
What the hell are you doing here?
This wasnât the first time in the last five minutes that Conlan had asked himself the same question. Maybe if he had an answer, the revolving door in his brain would stop spinning, but that didnât seem likely. Not anytime soon. Not with the beautiful brunette heâd come to see sitting close enough that, if he let himself look, he could detect the light dusting of freckles across her nose. But he wasnât looking, and he shouldnât be here, so how had he ended up standing in line behind the thirtysomething latte league? It sure as hell wasnât for the coffee.
Legs braced wide, he shifted from one hip to the other, the creak of his motorcycle chaps reminding him he could be enjoying a few extra minutes on the Harley before work instead of spending that precious time here, mooning over a woman. Doe Eyes. The first time heâd seen her all those months ago, heâd thought her eyes reminded him of sweet Georgia pecans and skittish does. The name stuck, as had the memory of her eyesâand a hundred other glimpses he shouldnât have taken.
Another name called, another latte dispensed, another shuffle forward.
He hadnât seen those eyes in eight weeks, and yet still heâd shown up every Monday, like clockwork, hoping for one more glimpse and calling himself an idiot. Wasnât like he planned on asking her out. So why the hell did he torture himself with these weekly forays into enemy territory?
Sex. Or sex appeal, at least.
Another step closer to the counter. The move didnât ease the constriction behind the zipper of his jeans. This was what she did to him, thinking about her. Especially now, after so long apart.
The thought had a snort escaping. Ahead of him, Mr. Suit and Tie startled and glanced over a shoulder, but Conlan ignored the look. He was too busy figuring out when âthisâ had become enough like a relationship in his head that he would think things like âafter so long apart.â Doe Eyes might appear prominently in his thoughts from time to timeâespecially certain timesâbut heâd never seen her outside of this coffee shop. And he wouldnât. A quick roll in the hay was one thing, but Doe Eyes wasnât the kind of woman who had one-night stands. He could tell that much just by looking at her. She was a relationship kind of woman, and he was a relationship-phobic kind of guy. Which meant he seriously needed to get a gripâand not on the part of him growing even harder at the idea.
Idiot was right.
He should be at work. Southern summer heat brought out the crazies almost as well as full moons did, and JCL Security was feeling the impact, juggling cases like they had eight arms, which they didnât. Too many sleepless nights had been spent at his office, especially with the Bennett case coming up. Just a couple more weeks before Thea Bennett had her bastard of a husband before a judge and hopefully out of her life, but the paper- and prep work to get the high-profile bastard there had been a bitch. He seriously needed toâ
âConlan, hey!â
For a passing moment he was convinced the voice belonged to the woman filling his thoughts. But when the high, candied voice called again, he realized it was coming from the counter. The cashier. Tonya, Tammy? Tracy? He couldnât remember. She was blonde with a deep tan he wouldâve deemed impossible in a landlocked city like Atlanta, the shade a stark contrast to her white smile. Stepping up, he threw her a grin. âHey.â
She batted long lashes, almost hiding the way her glance slid down to the crotch of his jeans, framed in his leather chaps. âLong time, no see.â
He winked automatically. âItâs a long wait between Mondays.â
The girl giggled. âYour usual?â
âThatâs right. Thanks,â he said, passing over a ten-dollar bill.
She made change, certain to caress his hand as she laid the money in his palm. Conlan was more interested in the dark Colombian roast another employee was walking toward them. High-octane all the way. The sight of the near-black brew had him salivating for something other than Doe Eyes for the first time that morning.
He reached the condiment counter just as his phone buzzed in his back pocket. Probably Jack. Retrieving the cell confirmed his suspicion.
Where the hell are you? his partner had texted.
Piss off, Con replied, a grin tugging at his lips. The irony that heâd spent too much time asking himself the very same question didnât escape him. In a half hour heâd be at the office and they could both stop wondering.
With a little back-and-forth he managed to cram the phone back in his tight jeans. He glanced around absently, and his gaze snagged on a pair of amber-brown eyes that suddenly met his.
He froze.
Doe Eyes dropped her chin and shifted over the slightest bit, enough that her friendâs position blocked her from view, but not before he caught the blush coloring her creamy cheeks.
His cock banged against his zipper as if begging to be let out. The bite of pain caught his breath in his throat. Jesus, what the hell was heâ
Donât! Ask. Again. He knew what the hell he was doing here, and he needed to go; he really did. He needed to stop letting his dick run this show, grab his coffee, and get back to reality.
He was restless, that was all. He was a man who needed action. Needed to be doing something, anything, not sitting behind a desk like heâd been for weeks while prepping Theaâs case. Usually he worked off his frustration in a way that involved cool silk sheets and bare skin and satisfaction on both sides, but thereâd been no damn time. Just his hand and the additional chafing it provided, which wasnât near as effectiveâor satisfying. That had to be the reason he couldnât stop thinking about his mystery woman.
Of course. That had to be it.
Popping the lid off his cardboard cup released the rich aroma of ground coffee beans into the air. He lifted his cup and blew across the hot liquid, the sound almost a sigh of relief. He was already reaching for the packets of sugar when black squiggles caught his eye. There. On the part of the paper sleeve now facing him, he could see a name and number were clearly written: Tiffany. A 470 area-code phone number.
So that was her name. Sounded like an eighties pop star. A glance over his shoulder found the cashier leaning across the bar where drinks were picked up, her mounded breasts shelved there, on display. Come back soon, she mouthed, her shoulders doing a little wiggle. On reflex, he threw her a grin, but her seemingly seductive move couldnât pull his glance downward. His dick didnât even twitch. Apparently only one thing could trigger his runaway libido this morning.
He added the sugar, trying to ignore the panic in his gut and his one-track mind. The latter was impossible. He wanted to know Doe Eyesâ name, her phone number. Were her breasts as full as they looked beneath that starched white button-down? Was her hair as soft as he swore it would be when he fisted it between his fingers?
He stirred a bit too vigorously, and coffee sloshed over the side of the cup.
Donât look. Donât. He realized heâd closed his eyes. A sigh escaped as he rubbed a thumb and finger against them, but as soon as the lids popped open, he searched for her. Had to see her. Felt his heartbeat pick up knowing she might meet his eyes.
He was so screwedâand smart enough to admit it. He let go, let the conflict and the churning in his gut and the tension cramping his muscles go. And then he looked toward her table.
It was empty.
âWell shit.â
He stood for a moment, cursing himself, the coffee, and everything else he could think of. When another customer stepped up behind him and cleared his throat, wanting access to the counter, Con grabbed his cup and headed out the door. On his way, he chucked the coffee in the trash without a single sip.
Enjoy!
Dani
I'm so excited about the next installment of my Backstage Pass series! This book is very special to me, as Sean Rosslair was the first band member to speak to me after the Korvello brothers. A large portion of this book also takes place in Ireland, a country I was privileged to visit while writing this book. That very rarely happens for an author, and I found it incredibly exciting!
[caption id="attachment_592" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dani at St. Stephen's Green Park in Dublin, Ireland[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_593" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dani with Ella Sheridan in Killarney Pub for my first cider[/caption]
To add to the pleasure, my incredible cover artist Elizabeth Wallace, created a cover I absolutely love! I hope you'll love it to. Here's the cover for Striking a Chord, Backstage Pass Book 3, which will release on July 2nd!
Success as a US rock star is payback to Irish drummer Sean Rosslair, whose father insisted music was a waste. Now Sean just needs to see the body to go with the smokinâ sexy voice of his new assistant, and his world will feel complete. But she ends up being the very woman he should never have.
Anxious to do a good deed, Meghan finally exposes her plus-size presence to her boss. Only he doesnât react the way she expectsâto her body or his brother. She takes her punishment for her white lie wellâtoo well. Meghan canât refrain from begging her boss for another spankingâŚbut can she let go enough to embrace romance with a rock star?
Can Sean teach Meghan his erotic secrets before a hidden enemy puts him out of commissionâpermanently?
Subscribers to my newsletter will receive an exclusive sneak peek next weekend, along with a special Double Scoop winner! Sign up by Friday to be eligible to win.
And don't forget the first 2 Backstage Pass novels: Finding Her Rhythm and Settling the Score.
Iâve gotten in a big rush lately.
It makes sense. My life is chaotic and my To Do List never ends. Sometimes you get in that mode of pushing through to the next task, desperate to simply have something completed. Checking things off a To Do List can be oddly addictive when the tasks seem neverending.
But I recently realized quantity doesnât equal quality. Or rather, I was reminded. :) Iâd forgotten in the mad rush to âcompleteâ things.
That frustrates me. As much as I want Danielâs book on the virtual shelves, rushing to complete his book wonât result in a good bookâa book I can be proud of. My most recent Harlequin, Book 2 in the Mill Town Millionaires series, took longer than I anticipated to finish. To do it (and Daniel's book) justice, I have to put off releasing the next Backstage Pass book, Settling the Score, until later this Spring.
Iâm trying to remember that my current chaotic state wonât last forever. Iâd rather please my readers with a good story, rather than a quick read. (Hopefully my readers will agree.)
These are all decisions that have to be made as an Indie writer. Harlequin sets my deadlines for their books. And I know Awesome Editor would put me through another round of revisions if he wasnât happy with the story. I can do no less for books of which I alone serve as author, publisher, and promoter.
But to make up for the wait, I want to give you a peek at the cover! My newsletter subscribers have already seen it, but theyâre the only ones. Iâm so thrilled with it! My cover artist, Elizabeth Wallace, has done a fantastic job. The cover echoes the opening scene of the book, when Daniel finally letâs go of years of control and shows Becca exactly what sheâs been missing.
Pretty sexy, huh? Iâll be releasing an excerpt in a few weeks, again first in my newsletter, so be sure to sign up to catch the first sneak peek! And watch here and my FB/Twitter pages for first news on the rescheduled release date.
Dani
Takeaway: Whatâs one thing where you prefer to have quality over quickness?