His By Design...
August 2013 Harlequin Desire Ziara glanced up to find Sloan’s gaze directed her way. His earlier anger had turned his bright blue eyes icily sharp, his body rigid, his jaw tight. But now he eased back in a chair, propping his elbows on the arms. His fingers absently stroked the upper ridge of his lip, drawing her attention to the sensuous curve of his mouth. His turbulent look suddenly softened like ice thawing beneath a heat lamp. Her emotions seesawed as his gaze traveled south, visually caressing the extra length of leg exposed by her hasty drop into her chair. She could almost feel his touch sliding along the edge of her skirt, tickling the sensitive skin on the backs of her legs. Bit by bit, Ziara used up her willpower forcing herself to sit impassively. The twitch of her thighs urged her to shift her feet, but she resisted. That would tell him just how much he affected her. Tightening her muscles, she tried to crack down on the spreading fire, to no avail. Ignoring physical desire had never been a problem before him. Her new boss. Her soothingly subtle gray business suit, so comfortable in the luxurious air-conditioning only moments ago, now felt heavy, itchy. Her nipples peaked against their confinement. She felt that he peered through her professional armor to the woman she kept hidden deep inside. How could a simple look make her so aware, too aware? As if she lacked something only he could provide. As casually as possible, she adjusted her position and her skirt, covering her legs down past her knees. Knowledge leaked into his eyes, as well as smug satisfaction. He did that on purpose. Feeling a need to defend herself, she met him with a flick of her lashes. Slowly she lifted her left brow. He grinned, not at all intimidated by her challenge. “Be in my office and ready to work first thing tomorrow morning.” Available Now at Amazon, B&N, and other online retailers. Check out more My Sexy Saturday posts HERE.It's Release week for my debut Harlequin Desire, His By Design, and to celebrate I'm being interviewed by the fabulous June Love on the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood. Join us as we talk characterization, story ideas, and Vegas, Baby!
I had the privilege of attending Romance Writers of America's National Conference in Atlanta, GA this year! It's been several years since I've been able to go, and the fact that this was the year I was eligible for the pink SOLD! ribbon made it that much more special.
I helped out at the PASIC reception held at Miss Pittypat's Porch! This restaurant was incredible! Great food. genuine southern hospitality. and a really cool atmosphere.
[caption id="attachment_552" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Authors Kira Sinclair. Dani Wade, Andrea Laurence[/caption]
I only got to attend 1 workshop while I was there but both the luncheon speeches were very inspirational! I'd forgotten how beneficial it is to listen to other authors talk about their journeys, the pitfalls and the high points. I came away with my creative well full and energized to write.
The majority of my time at Nationals was focused on the RITA Awards ceremony, as I was on the Awards committee this year. But those rehearsals were all worth it! And I got to see my lovely sister, Ella Sheridan, on her big night! She was a finalist for RWA's Golden Heart Award for Paranormal Romance. She didn't win, but we still celebrated her first publishing contract by dancing the night away after the show.
[caption id="attachment_548" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Authors Ella Sheridan, Dani Wade[/caption]The other major event for me was meeting my editor for the very first time! Charles Griemsman is my editor at Harlequin Desire. It was wonderful getting to know him better, and attending a dinner with him and other Desire authors. They were all very welcoming and I truly enjoyed learning about each of these lovely ladies!
[caption id="attachment_549" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dani Wade with editor Charles Griemsman[/caption][caption id="attachment_550" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Authors Anna DePalo, Katherine Garbera, Emily McKay, editor Charles Griemsman, Michelle Celmer, Dani Wade[/caption]
Probably my favorite time of the trip was the Harlequin Party! This annual event is put on by my publisher at Nationals to celebrate their authors. We danced, had desserts and drinks, and sang long into the night. I got to see my cover for His By Design make an appearance on the big screens hung near the dance floor. The Sale Shoes even made an appearance!!! It wouldn't be a Harlequin Party without them.
[caption id="attachment_551" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Authors Addison Fox. Liz Talley, Jennifer Bray-Weber, Dani Wade[/caption][caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Sale Shoes!!! Black-Dani Wade, Silver-Andrea Laurence, Brown-Kira Sinclair, slippers-Kimberly Lang (who had a good excuse for not wearing her sale shoes)[/caption]
Every year that I've attended a National Conference has taught me something about myself, has pushed me forward in a career I love so very much. This year was about stepping outside my comfort zone, meeting new people, and trying not to panic in the glass elevators. :) And it was my first time to really enjoy being Dani Wade, author. I think I accomplished a lot, hopefully started some new friendships, and created some great memories. I can't wait to do it all again next year!
Dani
Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for;
it is a thing to be achieved.
William JenningsBryan
I’ve tried to think about what I would say or how I would address my big news this week on my blog. I’ve sat down several times to write this post and not a single word would come easily. How do I explain what a momentous event selling my first book is to me? Without sounding sappy or naïve or over the top… but then, anyone who knows me knows I’m emotional and sentimental and, yeah, hmmm. This is even more challenging than I thought. The facts: I sold my first book to Shana Smith, Associate Editor for Harlequin Desire. She called last Monday and I’ve been over the moon ever since. I’ve celebrated on Facebook, Twitter, with family and friends, and I’ll be posting my call story on The Writing Playground on Wednesday for a big online party over there! Very exciting! But I think what I want to talk about here, today, is what I’ve learned this week from receiving what we writers refer to as The Call. I’ve been writing for a long time, submitting, selling short stories, getting rejections, finalling in contests, and still no sells. Sometimes the struggle was so hard that I’ll admit, I took a couple of breaks. But I never really stopped. The voices in my head kept talking; the hope in my heart kept bobbing back to the surface. So I couldn’t stop writing, and I couldn’t stop submitting for long. As the quote above says, destiny is grounded in the choices we make, the achievements we strive for. I chose to hone my craft, actively write, edit my work, and surround myself with encouraging friends. My dream has always been to be a published author of romance novels, and through a lot of hard work, perseverance, and the direction of a great editor, that dream came true this week. Bottom line: Perseverance isn’t fun, isn’t pretty, and doesn’t always feel good – but it can create the most beautiful results. I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Wednesday on the Playground! I’ll be sharing more details from this exciting first step in my publishing career as they become available. Thank you for sharing this journey with me!