Wading Through Life...
We all need a little inspiration sometimes, right? OK, that works too! **wink** But right now I am needing some inspirational focus for Book 2 in the Secrets of Thornbury Woods series (Psst: Title Coming Soon!). Visual images help the ideas flow little faster. Here are some visuals that are really inspiring me for this book. Or maybe these? What ideas do these images bring to your mind? Do they inspire a story in you?Looking for a Free Book?
I’m part of the Bad Boys & Good Girls BookFunnel event! So many hot, steam bad boys and the good girls they can’t resist. Just looking at the covers made me drool. 😊 Find it HEREDid you know?
The second book in the Backstage Pass series, SETTLING THE SCORE, featuring Michael’s brother Daniel, is on sale for a limited time at $1.99. Have you gotten your Backstage Pass yet? This rock star can have any woman … except one. Daniel Korvello, rock star front man, can have any woman—except the one he really wants. Becca Buchanan, the band’s publicist, has been burned before by rocker romance. But when Daniel exposes the molten heat beneath her Ice Maiden exterior, Becca may never be able to freeze him out again. Can he keep her safe long enough to prove that together they’ll sizzle only in the sweetest way? Daniel Korvello isn’t your average Joe with a case of unrequited lust. He’s a world-famous rocker who wonders if his publicist will ever see him as anything other than a job. Then they team up to hunt down a threat to Daniel’s family ... and he seizes the chance to show her he’s up for more than just a one-night stand. Becca Buchanan already lived through one rock-star scandal with her reputation barely intact. She’s determined never to put herself, or her family, through that again. But she can’t deny the desire she feels for Daniel. But when their amateur investigation takes a dangerous turn that threatens the lives of those they love, can their newfound trust extend past the bedroom? And can Daniel let go of old guilt enough to embrace a future with Becca? Caution: Contains volcanic sexual tension, hiding from paparazzi, and judicious use of a blindfold in the bedroom--get your copy of Settling the Score today! Find your copy HERE!The Hidden Door, Book 1
Secrets of Thornbury Woods
What deadly secrets still lurk beneath Hawthorne Hall? The mysterious estate stood empty for a decade, adding to its haunted mystique. Only a few know the true, tragic story from its hidden depths. Knox Pearson and his close band of friends bonded over that tragedy. Now they have a vision for re-opening Hawthorne Prep School: help at-risk teens. It’s a path to redemption for the sins of their past. But he isn’t sure he will ever escape the crushing guilt from that fateful night long ago. Sara Rutherford has battled to build her renovation business despite being a town outcast. Her natural talent and uncanny ability to “read” inanimate objects helped her make headway and defy the powers-that-be who try to subvert her success. Now her Uncle Lou, who was working at Hawthorne Hall, has gone missing. Sara’s not the woman to stop searching…and she suspects the secret passage in the estate’s library holds the key to her questions. Knox isn’t about to let her loose unsupervised on his property, so they team up to explore the underground tunnels together. When they discover the hidden sanctuary of a long forgotten secret society, Knox’s secrets can no longer hide in the shadows. But this time, it just might cost Sara her life. Discover a new gothic southern romance series, inspired by the romantic mystery stories of Phyllis A Whitney and Mary Stewart.
SNEAK PEEK
Running through the misty black night. Heart hammering. Sucking hard for breath. Barely able to make out the shape of the trees as she sped by. Unable to hear her pursuers over her gasps for air and pounding footsteps in the crunchy leaves. Just the memory of that night, Sara’s only night on the grounds of what was now Hawthorne Preparatory School, had the power to jumpstart a racing heart. She wasn’t sure why. She’d long ago convinced herself that what she’d seen and heard had all been in her pre-teen imagination. The hands grabbing at her. The struggle to get away. The sounds of someone chasing her. Her cousins had tried to scare her in retaliation for having to drag her along, she was sure. They’d vehemently denied it all these years. But standing here now, facing the ornate entry in the heavy morning mist, she told herself that it had to have been a joke played on her younger self. Why it would even faze her as a full-grown, capable adult with the weight of the world on her shoulders, she didn’t know. Sara was far too practical for that…now. Still, that residual adrenaline mixed with her present-day fear for her family, clouding her judgment of the murky surroundings and looming mansion before her. She’d like to think she wasn’t intimidated by much anymore. She’d been in hairier situations while bailing out her uncle and a plethora of aunts and cousins from their bad choices, but her instincts were screaming that whatever was beyond the massive front door was more than all that drama combined. Oddly enough, Hawthorne Prep had also been the building that made Sara’s hands itch and her heart beat a little bit harder…usually with excitement. Once known as the Ashley estate, there were over fifty rooms, multiple outbuildings, and land that stretched farther than the eye could see. Her daddy and uncle would tell her about the unusual additions to the mansion, including an indoor pool long before that was a thing and the hand-built church in the now-abandoned village. Even when she’d been a child working in the woodshop, learning woodworking first-hand at her daddy’s knee, her dad would talk about the time he’d helped build the glass dome in the winter garden conservatory or the legendary spiral staircase in the two-story library. Sara would get all fidgety thinking about the history and the grandeur, the many craftsmen who had labored over the creations here—just like she would someday. Only she hadn’t imagined her first official visit to be under these circumstances. In the early Tennessee spring morning, she stood in a thick gray mist, staring up at the imposing stone facade. The impulse to find a side door—one just for the worker bees—rose inside of her. Two weeks from now, when she joined her uncle on the library renovation job they had landed, she would have done just that. Joyfully fulfilling the dreams of her childhood. But today…today she had to march through that impressive front door despite her worn jeans and work boots. Today she wanted answers—fuck the job. She needed to know what had happened last night. Uncle Lou was in trouble. Clenching her teeth, she straightened her shoulders and marched up the short stone steps, ignoring the swirl of the fog around her boots and the eerie silence, so unnatural for a massive estate that had been turned into its second iteration of a preparatory school. This one for at-risk teen boys. Nothing spooky here. Time to put aside scary childhood memories. Despite the heavy reluctance weighing down her limbs, Sara grasped the ornate metal knocker and slammed it down three times. Why they would still adhere to this old-fashioned method instead of a modern doorbell or even a camera, she didn’t understand. Especially since she’d heard they were already hosting their first class of test students before the grand re-opening but she had to admit it added to the ambience. It made her grateful for the softly worn leather gloves she wore. Goodness only knew how many people had touched this very knocker. She had enough emotions rolling through her without taking on any others. The door emitted a deep creak as it eased open a few inches, sending unnecessary shivers racing over her skin. Sara found herself facing Cassius, the long-time caretaker of the estate. Seemed like he’d been here a hundred years—though she knew that wasn’t true—but he sure looked it. Guess the knocker wasn’t the only thing that hadn’t changed. “Yes,” he said. His stern tone turned the simple word into a command rather than the expected question. Sara shouldn’t be surprised. Cassius had always been the epitome of grouchy, scary custodian, reminiscent of another era where shooting at people to get them off your lawn was completely acceptable here in the South. Well, that might still work for some people. Not exactly the image the new estate owners should be going for, but the fact that they’d kept him employed after over forty years of service was a credit to them. “Cassius, it’s Sara. Sara Rutherford.” The sour expression on his craggy face didn’t change. He simply stared through her as if he didn’t recognize her—or didn’t want to. “Sara of Rutherford Restorations?” she pushed. “I’m here to check on Uncle Lou.” His milky gaze finally connected with hers before flicking down her front. “You don’t have an employee badge.” What did that have to do with anything? Impatience mixed with her fears, causing her to shift closer. Still, she tried to mitigate her clipped tone. Yes, he was old, but she knew he could be a little set in his ways. “I know. I don’t start here until next week. But I need to see my uncle. He started renovating the library, remember?” Cassius narrowed the gap in the doorway as if afraid she would push her way inside. So he did remember her, but she only became pushy when pushed. She’d stay professional…for now. The extreme pull between her fears and the desire to keep this renovation job warred within her. She’d dreamed of working on that spiral staircase in the library since the first time her daddy had described it to her. It was one of her life goals. But she needed inside now. Not next week. If she could just see the library, touch Lou’s tools, then she would know. She crowded closer, her boots bumping against the threshold of the door. “Is Lou here?” The door swung a few inches closer. His aged, lined face seemed to grow even deeper crags as his watery gaze flicked over her. His wrinkly lips drew up in a knot. “Only employees are allowed inside. Mr. Knox’s orders.” “I realize that, Cassius,” she said through clenched teeth, trying to control herself by a thin thread. “But I’m here to see Lou. I need to know if he came to work today. I’m his boss, remember?” “Sorry,” he snapped from between thin lips. “Employees only.” Was Cassius just being his usual difficult self? Or was there another reason he didn’t want her to see her uncle? She narrowed her gaze on him as he moved to swing the door shut. Sara slammed her work boot into the disappearing gap. Luckily the steel toes protected her foot from the impact. Patience was now gone. “Look, I don’t care who you need to talk to, but I am not leaving until I see my uncle. Got it?” So much for professionalism. His eyes widened but she no longer cared. Family came first. Even if she lost the job, Lou was all that mattered. He’d been her rock since he’d sobered up four years ago, and she couldn’t lose him now. Fear and anger mingled below her skin. “Now let me in.” For once she could live up to her undeserved rep as a hard-assed bitch in this town. She had a fraction of a second to register the surprise dawning on Cassius’s face before something heavy slammed into her from behind and drove her shoulder into the solid side of the centuries-old door-frame. Pain reverberated through Sara’s shoulder on her way through the door, then exploded in her head as it also slammed into the frame. The pressure from behind kept her moving forward, her legs stumbling to keep up. She was several feet through the door when strong hands jerked her to stop.💙 Start the series today with Book 1, The Hidden Door! 💙
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- A mysterious manor house under renovation
- A hidden past crime
- A broken vow
- Secret passageways
- A ghost…or is it?
Wading Through Life...
I’ve been immersing myself in some gothic-esque TV shows and movies as I work on book 2 of my contemporary southern gothic series to put me in the right frame of mind. I thought I’d share some of these with y’all this month. They’re perfect for a cold winter’s night with hot chocolate (shot of Bailey’s anyone?) and a fuzzy blanket, joined by one or more of my kitty babies to keep me warm. Some awesome options: Haunting of Hill House (series-Netflix) I do a rewatch of this series every couple of months. The characterization of this family is stunning. They are all SO flawed, yet I’ve come to love each of them. Then the setting and hidden ghosts…lovely! Coco (movie) I recently watched this with my daughter, who was re-watching it. Now—skeletons are my jam, so a whole movie of talking skeletons is right up my alley! But the music, the themes, all of it spoke to me. We Bought a Funeral Home (series-Discovery+) This is a reality show about a family who moves into an old funeral home to renovate it into a family home. The mother’s style is over-the-top gothic and I absolutely love it. Then all the neighbors curious about what they’re doing…the speakeasy in the basement is awesome! These are all adding to the misty, gloomy atmosphere and ghostly activities of my second contemporary gothic novel. What are your favorite atmospheric, spooky TV shows or movies featuring ghosts, supernatural themes, or just gothic style for a cold night in front of a fire? Take Care, DaniHot Irish Romance for a Cold, Cold Night...
STRIKING A CHORD Backstage Pass series He has fame beyond his dreams … now he needs her to make it all complete. Sean Rosslair, Irish drummer, is now a US rock legend. One with a craving for control—and his new PA’s sultry voice and smokin’ BBW body have him demonstrating what happens to naughty girls. Meghan Adams finds herself begging for more of Sean’s discipline. But can he share all his erotic secrets before a hidden enemy puts him out of commission—permanently? Sean Rosslair has made his dreams come true, and then some--despite his turbulent break from a family who considered image more important than anything. Now Sean has a new goal--getting up close and personal with his new assistant, whose smokin' sexy voice makes him ache to show her what else he can do with his hands. But one look in her clear, innocent eyes tells him she's the kind of woman he should never have. When Meghan finally exposes her plus-size presence to her new, uber-sexy boss, he doesn’t react the way she expects. She takes her punishment for her white lie well—too well. Meghan can’t refrain from begging her boss for another spanking … but when he takes her with him to his wealthy family's lovely Irish estate, this Southern girl finds herself surrounded by secrets. In the midst of Sean's painful past, can she let go enough to embrace romance with a rock star? Caution: Contains crazy families, dark secrets, and a hero who knows how to transform pain into pleasure--get your copy of Striking a Chord today! Amazon All Other RetailersWading Through Life...
As the song says, life can be hard sometimes. Doing things is hard sometimes. Believe it or not, even words are hard sometimes. Many of us start out the new year wanting (sometimes desperately) to make changes in our lives. Myself included! But change is hard. This past November, I found a key that helped me accomplish a goal. It still wasn’t easy, but it was easier. I went from not writing at all to getting in several writing sprints per day. The key? Accountability. I asked a few fellow authors who were participating in the same monthly challenge as me if they wanted to start a small accountability group. Just post your goals and chick in daily. That’s all. We would hold each other accountable to work towards our goals, offer encouragement, celebrate our wins, and help find solutions to struggles. Guess what? It worked! And so did I!! After all, I’d be horribly embarrassed if I failed completely. That got me through the first few days. Then I was encouraged by the response and progress of my fellow authors. The writing got easier (most days), and I found myself looking forward to posting my progress each day. I mean, I wasn’t perfect. I didn’t write every single day, because…life. Right? But in just 30 days, I got a hell of a lot more done than in the previous 6 months. December came. The challenge ended. I stopped posting and—bam! No more words. Suddenly all the other stuff on my plate became more important, more urgent, more—well—noticeable if it wasn’t done. More noticeable than the writing. But I have a book I want to finish. Editing to accomplish. I have a series I want to publish this year. I could struggle alone, or ask for some accountability! So a small group of authors are joining me this year to Get Some Shit Done! I believe this is part of creating good goals that can actually come to fruition. Most people have this idea that they have to do it all themselves. I don’t know why we feel this way. All work is easier if you have a helping hand. Look at the obstacles and put a system in place that will help you take the steps. It will be so much easier! Whether its an exercise partner, or an in-person class to learn the thing you’ve been trying alone for the longest time, or a weekly meeting to give your family a time and place to decide on meals for the week. What are your goals for this year? Do you have a plan to accomplish them? I'd love to hear from you! DaniIt Caught My Eye...
I've had stairs on my mind lately. A stairwell plays a prominent place in my current work-in-progress (WIP) as the location of a very tragic event, an event that the heroine is reminded of every time she has to pass or use this staircase in the house. It makes the home a very emotional place for her. What should be a beautiful centerpiece as you enter a home is transformed into a reminder of grief and tragedy.What’s better than spooky season in America’s spookiest town?
As many of you know, my daughter and I recently went on a girls’ trip to Salem, MA. I don’t travel often, but I love it so! This was her first flights, so it was fun to experience that with her. Salem, MA, is actually a smaller town than I thought, and a lot of the tourist spots are in a very close area. The leaves had just started turning that week, which added to the autumn feel along with the cold temperature (hence my weapons of creation sweatshirt). I got to see enough spooky decorations to make my creepy-loving heart happy! But I also learned so much about Salem’s history and their current focus on tolerance, diversity and inclusion. Here are some of the highlights: Architecture: I love the “feel” that architecture lends a place. Salem (and Massachusetts in general) felt very New England/American historical with some quirky stops along the way. Atmosphere: Let’s get real! We were there to celebrate Halloween, which Salem does all October long. Some other fun things we did! This trip inspired me so much to really think about atmosphere and the feel of a place, along with the unjust persecution and why this happened. All of the cool things that we saw and everything I learned fed my creativity in a big way! Inspiration has been hard to access easily during the pandemic, which added to my difficult case of Writer's block. From the "Feel" of Salem, the historical information, visual fodder, and architecture, it all came together to boost my creative energy and refill the well. Yay! I'm also grateful that I experienced this place with my daughter. We share a love of spookiness, so these are memories we will both cherish. I hope you enjoy a chance to see it too. Spooky season was wonderful this year and lasted extra long! But it gave me lots of thinking time, then and into the fall. How about you? Also, do you find travel boosts your creative juices? Take care, DaniBOOKAVERSARY!
FINDING HER RHYTHM
- Theater movie night with the newest horror movie release (or even an old one at home on Shudder or Netflix)**
- Candles (any and all kinds)
- Pens and a journal (I know, right??)
- Gothic planner stickers (love the ones I got for Christmas!)
- Cat toys (we have 7 cats)
- Anything about the movie “It” (original or remake!)
- A Ghost Adventures marathon (love it!)
- Bones Coffee (spooky and delicious, with no sugar)
- A night around a fire in the firepit under a full moon
- A weekend away to a haunted hotel or historic castle (I wish!)
- A ghost walk
- Piper & Ivy T-shirts (coolest reader T-shirts in the world and the images don't crack!)
- A hot bath, a meal I didn’t cook, and a thorough massage (okay, some of me is typical!)