Dani Collins's Blog, page 40
September 24, 2016
Reviews - The Secret Beneath The Veil
I'm super thrilled with the reviews I've seen on Amazon and Goodreads for The Secret Beneath The Veil. Thank you!
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From Amazon:
"This was a story I couldn't stop thinking about throughout the day when I wasn't able to continue reading while at work, which seems to be a trademark of Collins ability for great storytelling. Several of her previous books have stayed with me and that's the reason she's become such a favorite of mine. If you're in need of an escapist read then you'll enjoy this one too."
and
"Good grief. No one gets straight to my heart like Dani Collins! This story was an emotional rollercoaster ride that didn't stop until the very end. Flawless writing with never a dull moment. Absolutely loved it."
From Goodreads:
"I was hooked from page one on this exciting twist on an arranged marriage plot!"
and
"The Secret Beneath the Veil has everything you need in a story; the dramatic scenes at the beginning, the continued exciting ride as Vi and Mikolas get to know and almost trust each other, the suspense with Vi's step dad, the emotion of Vi and Mikolas falling in love, the angst when Vi realises it's a lost cause... Absolutely loved this story and couldn't recommend it enough. 6 stars!"
Thank you so much!
Did you know that honest reviews are super helpful to authors? On the retail platforms they help in ranking and visibility and, of course, help readers to decide whether they'd like to try a particular title. If you have the time, please leave a review. On behalf of my fellow authors, we're eternally grateful!
Other News
I've been teasing quite a bit about my Christmas book, but honestly, I'm trying to hold off as long as I can because the holiday bombardment will start soon enough. Things are coming together behind the scenes very nicely, but I'll save telling you about it for another post.
This week, I've been playing catch up from being away in Oregon. I'm making good headway on my To Do list, But I also did the forbidden. I began writing a Presents that comes out after the one that is due in a few weeks. I know. Gasp!
In my defence, these are the final two stories in the Sauveterre Siblings quartet. I needed to know some things about that final story and the youngest sister before I could continue Ramon and Isidora's story.
Starting today, I'm kicking butt on word count for Ramon and Isidora, trying to find them their HEA. It won't be easy. Isidora had a crush on Ramon from an early age and he was a real jerk to her. She is not in the mood to forgive.
Luckiest Day Of The Year
As you may already know, I'm a bit of a junkie for astrology. Apparently tomorrow, Sunday Sept 25, 2016, is the luckiest day of the year when Jupiter (gifts and luck) brushes elbows with the sun (life and strength.)
It's supposed to be a good time to launch something important. Do I have a book ready? No, dang it, I don't. But the new moon next Friday (in libra) is also supposed to be a good time to start something new, so I'm waiting to start writing a new book then.
I'm going to try to buy a lotto ticket tomorrow. Of course, now you probably will too. Hopefully we'll both win.
Either way, I expect it means everyone's weekend will be stellar. Enjoy!
Dani
September 18, 2016
Back To Work
Good morning! We left this on Friday (Cannon Beach, OR):
And came home to this (near Princeton, BC):
Actually, it rained all night, the skies cleared, and right now it's gorgeous and sunny, if cool. I'll get my walk in, then I have to get groceries.
We've been away a full week and a little too much of it was driving. Live and learn. We poked our way down to the redwoods and only had three nights on the coast of Oregon. But that did mean we saw this (Crater Lake). That's me, bundled up. It was very windy:
That was a bucket list item, except it was so wonderful, now we feel like we want to go back. It's still on the list!
I also got to have dinner with Maisey Yates and Megan Crane (aka Caitlin Crews.) There really is nothing like getting together with author friends.
Therefore, I did a little more of that on the way home, swinging through Vancouver to present a workshop with the Greater Vancouver Chapter of RWA. Sorry, no photo. I am the worst at remembering to get a photo of myself at a presentation.
If you'd like to see photos from our trip, visit my Album page on my Facebook profile here.
Now it's back to work for this little scribbler. The best/most frustrating thing about a driving holiday is that my brain is on steroids, bubbling with a thousand ideas. I love plotting while on the road and then suddenly the husband is saying, "Was that where we were supposed to turn?" Huh? What? Oh. Yeah.
So I have lots I want to start and much I must catch up.
Still On Shelves - The Secret Beneath The Veil
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
I'm thrilled to say that The Secret Beneath The Veil has been doing very well! Thank you so much for giving this book so much love!
If you haven't had a chance to read the excerpts from this one, they're here:
Read Chapter One Here
Read the beginning of Chapter Two here
Read their first kiss here
Book Trailer - His Christmas Miracle
I'll be unveiling my Book Trailer for His Christmas Miracle to my newsletter group soon. I have so many pieces to put in place first and, you know, took off to Oregon like I'm some kind of slacker.
But I did show the trailer to my writer group yesterday as part of my workshop and after silence through the background song, there was a collective "Ahhh." Which made me very happy. I hope you'll like it too.
Please join my reader group if you want to see that first peek at the trailer. Bonus: You'll get a free download of Cruel Summer as a welcome gift.
I'll send the trailer out when the pre-order links go live. I know the book is in formatting. Once it's approved and loaded, I should be able to get the links. As I said, many pieces. In the meantime, I do have this pre-order link for iBooks.
If you'd like a peek at
Chapter One of His Christmas Miracle it's here in my newsletter from a few weeks ago.
Now my girlfriend has just asked me to walk so I must get out of my pyjamas and look like a human for a while. Have a terrific Sunday!
Dani
September 10, 2016
Thank You!
You guys! Look what you've done! Thank you!!
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I'm so thrilled. Here's one of the reviews:
"Wonderfully exciting and fast paced beginning chapters set the scene for what has become one of my favourite read stories in recent times...
Absolutely loved this story and couldn't recommend it enough. 6 stars!."
Thank you, thank you!
Now, if you haven't had a chance to read any of the excerpts from this one, they're here. Enjoy!
Read the beginning of Chapter Two here
Read their first kiss here
Road Trip
As a little anniversary present to ourselves, we're taking a road trip to drive the Oregon Coast. It's a bucket list item for both of us. I'm really excited.
We'll finish up in Vancouver, where I'll be leading a workshop at the Greater Vancouver Chapter of Romance Writers of America on Sept 17th. Details are here.
Please watch my Facebook Page for photos, and don't worry if you don't hear from me next week. I might still be on the road, or unpacking--my least favourite thing in the world. It's like tearing off a bandage. If I just set aside the time and do it, I'm fine and it's done. Sadly, I usually just pick and pick and whine and whine.
His Christmas Miracle
I keep promising the cover for my upcoming Christmas book. I'm waiting for pre-order links to go live. At least I have this one for iBooks.
Check out the cover and Chapter One in my newsletter from a few weeks ago. I'll have more on this book soon. I've had a book trailer commissioned, which I'll show to my reader group first, and I'll also have a special Christmas craft that goes with this book. I'm so excited for all of these extras, but I'm also Only One Person.
Please join my reader group to see all these things first. Bonus: You'll get a free download of Cruel Summer as a welcome gift.
Have a terrific week. I'm looking forward to decompressing for a few days and coming back refreshed and ready to share more fun news.
Dani
September 1, 2016
New Release - The Secret Beneath The Veil
The Secret Beneath The Veil releases today--on a new moon (solar) eclipse. Sounds very portentous, doesn't it?
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Fun fact: The working title for this book was Runaway Bride. If you've seen my #SampleSunday posts, you'll know why. They're here if you missed them:
Read the beginning of Chapter Two here
Read their first kiss here
Workshop For Writers
Are you in the Vancouver area? I'll be leading a workshop at the Greater Vancouver Chapter of Romance Writers of America on Sept 17th. Details are here.
They're a welcoming group. Even if you're not a writer, just an avid reader, feel free to drop by and say hello. You'll meet many successful and aspiring authors and I'd love to see you and sign a book for you.
Other News - Christmas is coming...
Have you seen the cover for my upcoming Christmas book? I sent it out with a sneak peek at Chapter One in my newsletter a couple of weeks ago. Take a peek here.
If you like what you see, please join my reader group! You'll get a free download of Cruel Summer as a welcome gift.
I'll have a proper reveal of the Christmas book here soon. I've been inundated with revisions as well as a pile of activity in my personal life. All good stuff with loads of family and visiting all summer, but I've pushed a lot of admin tasks off my plate as a result.
I'm trying not to stress about letting a few work tasks slide in favour of spending time with loved ones. My goal for a long time has been to make time for things other than writing. It can be very all-consuming if I let it. This is a better balance and I'm feeling really good about it.
I hope you've had a tremendous summer.
Dani
August 26, 2016
Hustled To The Altar - New Cover
A fresh look for my romantic comedy Hustled To The Altar Read more at the links below, then keep reading for some free reads.
Amazon
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Revolving Revisions
I've been in a state of revolving revisions and it's not over.
Revisions come in different sizes and I've had pretty much all of them. Some bigger, structural ones are due any day, but some mid-range tweak-here-make-this-clearer-there came through along with a very detailed line edit and two sets of final copy edits.
I actually love the revision process, even though there are times they make me tear my hair out. But seeing the final product come together is always hugely reassuring. Sometimes I get so deeply stuck in a story, I have lost any sense of whether it hangs together or what. Then I get back the line edits and read with new eyes and breathe a sigh of relief.
It's about time to turn my attention to real writing, though. I'm working on a partial and since it's part of a quartet and I still have the fourth book to write, I'm thinking of writing the first few chapters of book four before I try to complete book three. Join my reader group to find out how that goes. (You'll get a free download of Cruel Summer as a welcome gift!)
Finally, have you seen these excerpts from my September release, The Secret Beneath The Veil?
SampleSunday - The Secret Beneath The Veil
Read Chapter One Here.
Read the beginning of Chapter Two here.
First Kiss!
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
It's the dog days of August as I write this and I recently saw August described (in Lenny Letters) as the Sunday night of months. I was always a bit nerdy and looked forward to Back To School, so I don't have a bad case of the blues. How about you? Do you wish summer could go on forever? Or are you ready for cooler nights and a return to routine?
Dani
#Free! - Hustled To The Altar
Good news! My romantic comedy Hustled To The Altar is free! Help yourself at the links below, then keep reading for more free reads.
Amazon
US | CA | UK | AUS | Nook | iBooks | GooglePlay | Kobo | Smashwords
Revolving Revisions
I've been in a state of revolving revisions and it's not over.
Revisions come in different sizes and I've had pretty much all of them. Some bigger, structural ones are due any day, but some mid-range tweak-here-make-this-clearer-there came through along with a very detailed line edit and two sets of final copy edits.
I actually love the revision process, even though there are times they make me tear my hair out. But seeing the final product come together is always hugely reassuring. Sometimes I get so deeply stuck in a story, I have lost any sense of whether it hangs together or what. Then I get back the line edits and read with new eyes and breathe a sigh of relief.
It's about time to turn my attention to real writing, though. I'm working on a partial and since it's part of a quartet and I still have the fourth book to write, I'm thinking of writing the first few chapters of book four before I try to complete book three. Join my reader group to find out how that goes. (You'll get a free download of Cruel Summer as a welcome gift!)
Finally, have you seen these excerpts from my September release, The Secret Beneath The Veil?
SampleSunday - The Secret Beneath The Veil
Read Chapter One Here.
Read the beginning of Chapter Two here.
First Kiss!
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
It's the dog days of August as I write this and I recently saw August described (in Lenny Letters) as the Sunday night of months. I was always a bit nerdy and looked forward to Back To School, so I don't have a bad case of the blues. How about you? Do you wish summer could go on forever? Or are you ready for cooler nights and a return to routine?
Dani
August 19, 2016
#SampleSunday - The Secret Beneath The Veil (3)
The Goodreads Giveaway for The Secret Beneath The Veil closes Monday. Scroll down to enter and read the #FirstKiss.
Personal update: My daughter and her boyfriend have both found work and a place to live. It's about twenty minutes from where my son will be going to school. I'll be suffering the pangs of an empty nest come September, but I'm comforted to know my daughter will ensure her brother doesn't starve as he embarks on adulthood. See how much she loves him?
It's been such a busy summer for our family! I thought things were settling down and my only big obligation was my word count for my next book. I began to dawdle and enjoy the beach. Then I was sent revisions, revisions, line edits, copy edits and an Art Fact Sheet.
If you read above where both kids need help moving by September, you'll have a sense of the panic that set in as those things piled into my inbox. So I'll get you your #SampleSunday and get back to work!
The Secret Beneath The Veil - Available now on Mills & Boon!
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Sample Sunday
Fun fact: I keep a list on the wall in my office (Dani's Wall Of Fame.) I write down the title of my manuscripts as they're accepted along with the publication date. It's both an organizational tool and a brag to anyone who dares enter my Fortress Of Literature. On this poster, I wrote The Secret Under The Veil and didn't notice until recently.
Did you miss the last two posts?
Read Chapter One Here.
Read the beginning of Chapter Two here.
Those are fairly self explanatory and here is their First Kiss. There's a very small spoiler in this scene, but let me ask you - did you really think I was going to let my heroine drown in the beginning of Chapter Two? What kind of Happily Ever After is that?
~ * ~
“You’re not thinking about it? Wondering? Dreaming,” he mocked in a voice that jarred because he did not sound angry. He sounded amused and knowing. “Let’s see, shall we?”
His hand shifted to cup her neck. The caress of his thumb into the hollow at the base of her throat unnerved her. If he’d been forceful, she would have reacted with a slap, but this felt almost tender. She trusted this hand. It had dragged her up to the surface of the water, giving her life.
So she didn’t knock that hand away. She didn’t hit him in the face as he neared, or pull away to say a hard No.
Somehow she got it into her head she would prove he didn’t affect her. Maybe she even thought she could return to him that rejection he’d delivered earlier.
Maybe she really did want to know how it would be with him.
Whatever the perverse impulse that possessed her, she sat there and let him draw closer, keeping her mouth set and her gaze as contemptuous as she could make it.
Until his lips touched hers.
If she had expected brutality, she was disappointed. But he wasn’t gentle, either.
His hold firmed on her neck as he plundered without hesitation, opening his mouth over hers in a hot, wet branding that caused a burn to explode within her. His tongue stabbed and her lips parted. Delicious swirls of pleasure invaded her belly and lower. Her eyes fluttered closed so she could fully absorb the sensations.
She had wondered. Intrigue had held her still for this kiss and she moaned as she basked in it, bones dissolving, muscles weakening.
He kissed her harder, dismantling her attempt to remain detached in a few short, racing heartbeats. He dragged his lips across hers in an erotic crush, the rough-soft texture of his lips like silken velvet.
All her senses came alive to the heat of his chest, the woodsy spice scent on his skin, the salt flavor on his tongue. Her skin grew so sensitized it was painful. She felt vulnerable with longing.
She splayed her free hand against his chest and released a sob of capitulation, no longer just accepting. Participating. Exploring the texture of his tongue, trying to compete with his aggression and consume him with equal fervor.
He pulled back abruptly, the loss of his kiss a cruelty that left her dangling in midair, naked and exposed. His chest moved with harsh breaths that seemed triumphant. The glitter in his eye was superior, asserting that he would decide if and when.
“No force necessary,” he said with satisfaction deepening the corners of his mouth.
~ * ~
Mikolas is a bit of a bastard, but he redeems himself. If you'd like to see how, here are your pre-order links.
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Goodreads Giveaway
This Goodreads Giveaway for The Secret Beneath The Veil is still open. Enter before Aug 22. Good luck!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Secret Beneath the Veil
by Dani Collins
Giveaway ends August 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter Giveaway
I'll close with my usual plug asking you to join my reader group here. Have a great weekend!
Dani
August 13, 2016
#SampleSunday - The Secret Beneath The Veil (2)
Hold your breath! Chapter Two of The Secret Beneath The Veil is a doozy!
Available now on Mills & Boon!
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Sample Sunday
Fun fact: I was going through some scraps of paper on my desk, clearing away little messes to make room to tackle bigger ones, when I saw that the working title for this book was 'Runaway Bride.' I had completely forgotten that.
If you saw last week's post, you'll know why I called it that. It becomes even more appropriate in Chapter Two. There's a sneak peek below.
Did you miss last week's post? Read Chapter One Here.
~ * ~
VIVEKA RAN EVERY day. She was fit and adrenaline pulsed through her arteries, giving her the ability to move fast and light as she fled Grigor and his fury.
The dress and the heels and the spaces between planks and the floating wharf were another story. Bloody hell.
She made it down the swaying ramp in one piece, thanks to the rails on either side, but then she was racing down the unsteady platform between the slips, scanning for the flag of her vessel—
The train of her dress caught. She didn’t even see on what. She was yanked back and that was all it took for her to lose her footing completely. Stupid heels.
She turned her ankle, stumbled, tried to catch herself, hooked her toe in a pile of coiled rope, and threw out an arm to snatch at the rail of the yacht in the slip beside her.
She missed, only crashing into the side of the boat with her shoulder. The impact made her, “Oof!” Her grasp was too little, too late. She slid sideways and would have screamed, but had the sense to suck in a big breath before she fell.
Cold, murky salt water closed over her.
Don’t panic, she told herself, splaying out her limbs and only getting tangled in her dress and veil.
Mom. This was what it must have been like for her on that night far from shore, suddenly finding herself under cold, swirling water, tangled in an evening dress.
Don’t panic.
Viveka’s eyes stung as she tried to shift the veil enough to see which way the bubbles were going. Her dress hadn’t stayed caught. It had come all the way in with her and floated all around her, obscuring her vision, growing heavier. The chill of the water penetrated to her skin. The weight of the dress dragged her down.
She kicked, but the layers of the gown were in the way. Her spiked heels caught in the fabric. This was futile. She was going to drown within swimming distance to shore. Grigor would stand above her and applaud.
The back of her hand scraped barnacles and her foot touched something. The seabed? Her hand burned where she’d scuffed it, but that told her there was a pillar somewhere here. She tried to scrabble her grip against it, desperately thinking she had never held her breath this long and couldn’t hold it any longer.
Don’t panic.
She clawed at her veil with her other hand, tried to pull it off her hair. She would never get all these buttons open and the dress off in time to kick herself to the surface—
Don’t panic!
The compulsion to gasp for air was growing unstoppable.
A hand grabbed her forearm and tugged her.
Yes, please. Oh, God, please!
Viveka blew out what little air she still had, fighting not to inhale, fighting to kick and help bring herself to the blur of light above her, fighting to reach it…
As she broke through, she gasped in a lungful of life-giving oxygen, panting with exertion, thrusting back her veil to stare at her rescuer.
Mikolas.
He looked murderous.
~ * ~
Did you hold your breath the whole time? I did when I wrote it.
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Goodreads Giveaway
This Goodreads Giveaway for The Secret Beneath The Veil is still open. Enter before Aug 22. Good luck!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Secret Beneath the Veil
by Dani Collins
Giveaway ends August 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter Giveaway
Other News
I recently sent a cover reveal in my newsletter for my Christmas book, along with a peek at Chapter one. I'm working on getting that posted here, but if you like to get these things sooner, please join my reader group.
Also, I gave Hustled To The Altar a new cover and you can now read all of it on Wattpad.
~ * ~
Off to tackle some revisions. Hope you're having a great weekend!
Hugs,
August 7, 2016
#SampleSunday - The Secret Beneath The Veil
For once I'm actually doing a #SampleSunday on a Sunday, mostly because my blog was down all day yesterday. Not sure what happened, but I'm back now so let's get on with it! This is from my upcoming September release, The Secret Beneath The Veil. Available now on Mills & Boon!
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Blurb - The Secret Beneath The Veil:
“You may kiss the bride”
With five little words, Mikolas Petrides secures a vital business merger, and finally repays his grandfather for rescuing him from the horrors of his childhood. But when he lifts his new bride’s veil, it’s not the woman he is expecting!
Viveka Brice will do anything to protect her little sister, even pretend to marry a stranger. Her deception revealed, she flees the wedding, but is soon confronted by Mikolas. He is a man who always get what he wants, and if the marriage is off, Viveka will have to compensate him – by becoming his mistress!
~ * ~
If you belong to my newsletter, you will have seen this ages ago. (Feel free to subscribe now for other sneak peeks and your free download of Cruel Summer!)
If you're just stopping by on a whim, welcome! Please enjoy the first chapter of The Secret Beneath The Veil. I'll have a few more excerpts over the next few weeks and please read all the way to the bottom for a chance to enter my Goodreads giveaway. There are three signed copies of this book up for grabs.
SampleSunday
Fun Fact: I keep referring to it as The Secret Under The Veil. Shhh.
CHAPTER ONE
THE AFTERNOON SUN came straight through the windows, blinding Viveka Brice as she walked down the makeshift aisle of the wedding she was preventing—not that anyone knew that yet.
The interior of the yacht club, situated on this remote yet exclusive island in the Aegean, was all marble and brass, adding more bounces of white light. Coupled with the layers of her veil, she could hardly see and had to reluctantly cling to the arm of her reviled stepfather.
He probably couldn’t see any better than she could. Otherwise he would have called her out for ruining his plan. He certainly hadn’t noticed she wasn’t Trina.
She was getting away with hiding the fact her sister had left the building. It made her stomach both churn with nerves and flutter with excitement.
She squinted, trying to focus past the standing guests and the wedding party arranged before the robed minister. She deliberately avoided looking at the tall, imposing form of the unsuspecting groom, staring instead through the windows and the forest of masts bobbing on the water. Her sister was safe from this forced marriage to a stranger, she reminded herself, trying to calm her racing heart.
Forty minutes ago, Trina had let her father into the room where she was dressing. She’d still been wearing this gown, but hadn’t yet put on the veil. She had promised Grigor she would be ready on time while Viveka had kept well out of sight. Grigor didn’t even know Viveka was back on the island.
The moment he’d left the room, Viveka had helped Trina out of the gown and Trina had helped her into it. They had hugged hard then Trina had disappeared down a service elevator and onto the seaplane her true love had chartered. They were making for one of the bigger islands to the north where arrangements were in place to marry them the moment they touched land. Viveka was buying them time by allaying suspicion, letting the ceremony continue as long as possible before she revealed herself and made her own escape.
She searched the horizon again, looking for the flag of the boat she’d hired. It was impossible to spot and that made her even more anxious than the idea of getting onto the perfectly serviceable craft. She hated boats, but she wasn’t in the class that could afford private helicopters to take her to and fro. She’d given a sizable chunk of her savings to Stephanos, to help him spirit Trina away in that small plane. Spending the rest on crossing the Aegean in a speedboat was pretty close to her worst nightmare, but the ferry made only one trip per day and had left her here this morning.
She knew which slip the boat was using, though. She’d paid the captain to wait and Stephanos had assured her she could safely leave her bags on board. Once she was exposed, she wouldn’t even change. She would seek out that wretched boat, grit her teeth and sail into the sunset, content that she had finally prevailed over Grigor.
Her heart took a list and roll as they reached the top of the aisle, and Grigor handed her icy fingers to Trina’s groom, the very daunting Mikolas Petrides.
His touch caused a zing of something to go through her. She told herself it was alarm. Nervous tension.
His grip faltered almost imperceptibly. Had he felt that static shock? His fingers shifted to enfold hers, pressing warmth through her whole body. Not comfort. She didn’t fool herself into believing he would bother with that. He was even more intimidating in person than in his photos, exactly as Trina had said.
Viveka was taken aback by the quiet force he emanated, all chest and broad shoulders. He was definitely too much masculine energy for Viveka’s little sister. He was too much for her.
She peeked into his face and found his gaze trying to penetrate the layers of her veil, brows lowered into sharp angles, almost as if he suspected the wrong woman stood before him.
Lord, he was handsome with those long clean-shaven plains below his carved cheekbones and the small cleft in his chin. His eyes were a smoky gray, outlined in black spiky lashes that didn’t waver as he looked down his blade of a nose.
We could have blue-eyed children, she had thought when she’d first clicked on his photo. It was one of those silly facts of genetics that had caught her imagination when she had been young enough to believe in perfect matches. To this day it was an attribute she thought made a man more attractive.
She had been tempted to linger over his image and speculate about a future with him, but she’d been on a mission from the moment Trina had tearfully told her she was being sold off in a business merger like sixteenth-century chattel. All Viveka had had to see were the headlines that tagged Trina’s groom as the son of a murdered Greek gangster. No way would she let her sister marry this man.
Trina had begged Grigor to let her wait until March, when she turned eighteen, and to keep the wedding small and in Greece. That had been as much concession as he’d granted. Trina, legally allowed to marry whomever she wanted as of this morning, had not chosen Mikolas Petrides, wealth, power and looks notwithstanding.
Viveka swallowed. The eye contact seemed to be holding despite the ivory organza between them, creating a sense of connection that sent a fresh thrum of nervous energy through her system.
She and Trina both took after their mother in build, but Trina was definitely the darker of the two, with a rounder face and warm, brown eyes, whereas Viveka had these icy blue orbs and natural blond streaks she’d covered with the veil.
Did he know she wasn’t Trina? She shielded her eyes with a drop of her lashes.
The shuffle of people sitting and the music halting sent a wash of perspiration over her skin. Could he hear her pulse slamming? Feel her trembles?
It’s just a play, she reminded herself. Nothing about this was real or valid. It would be over soon and she could move on with her life.
At one time she had imagined acting for a living. All her early career ambitions had leaned toward starving artist of one kind or another, but she’d had to grow up fast and become more practical once her mother died. She had worked here at this yacht club, lying about her age so they’d hire her, washing dishes and scrubbing floors.
She had wanted to be independent of Grigor as soon as possible, away from his disparaging remarks that had begun turning into outright abuse. He had helped her along by kicking her out of the house before she’d turned fifteen. He’d kicked her off this island, really. Out of Greece and away from her sister because once he realized she had been working, that she had the means to support herself and wouldn’t buckle to his will when he threatened to expel her from his home, he had ensured she was fired and couldn’t get work anywhere within his reach.
Trina, just nine, had been the one to whisper, Go. I’ll be okay. You should go.
Viveka had reached out to her mother’s elderly aunt in London. She had known Hildy only from Christmas cards, but the woman had taken her in. It hadn’t been ideal. Viveka got through it by dreaming of bringing her sister to live with her there. As recently as a few months ago, she had pictured them as two carefree young women, twenty-three and eighteen, figuring out their futures in the big city—
“I, Mikolas Petrides…”
He had an arresting voice. As he repeated his name and spoke his vows, the velvet-and-steel cadence of his tone held her. He smelled good, like fine clothes and spicy aftershave and something unique and masculine that she knew would imprint on her forever.
She didn’t want to remember this for the rest of her life. It was a ceremony that wasn’t even supposed to be happening. She was just a placeholder.
Silence made her realize it was her turn.
She cleared her throat and searched for a suitably meek tone. Trina had never been a target for Grigor. Not just because she was his biological daughter, but also because she was on the timid side—probably because her father was such a mean, loudmouthed, sexist bastard in the first place.
Viveka had learned the hard way to be terrified of Grigor. Even in London his cloud of intolerance had hung like a poison cloud, making her careful about when she contacted Trina, never setting Trina against him by confiding her suspicions, always aware he could hurt Viveka through her sister.
She had sworn she wouldn’t return to Greece, certainly not with plans that would make Grigor hate her more than he already did, but she was confident he wouldn’t do more than yell in front of all these wedding guests. There were media moguls in the assemblage and paparazzi circling the air and water. The risk in coming here was a tall round of embarrassed confusion, nothing more.
She sincerely hoped.
The moment of truth approached. Her voice thinned and cracked, making her vows a credible imitation of Trina’s as she spoke fraudulently in her sister’s place, nullifying the marriage—and merger—that Grigor wanted so badly. It wasn’t anything that could truly balance the loss of her mother, but it was a small retribution. Viveka wore a grim inner smile as she did it.
Her bouquet shook as she handed it off and her fingers felt clumsy and nerveless as she exchanged rings with Mikolas, keeping up the ruse right to the last minute. She wouldn’t sign any papers of course, and she would have to return these rings. Darn, she hadn’t thought about that.
Even his hands were compelling, so well shaped and strong, so sure. One of his nails looked… She wasn’t sure. Like he’d injured it once. If this was a real wedding, she would know that intimate detail about him.
Silly tears struck behind her eyes. She had the same girlish dreams for a fairy-tale wedding as any woman. She wished this were the beginning of her life with the man she loved. But it wasn’t. Nothing about this was legal or real.
Everyone was about to realize that.
“You may kiss the bride.”
*
Mikolas Petrides had agreed to this marriage for one reason only: his grandfather. He wasn’t a sentimental man or one who allowed himself to be manipulated. He sure as hell wasn’t marrying for love. That word was an immature excuse for sex and didn’t exist in the real world.
No, he felt nothing toward his bride. He felt nothing toward anyone, quite by conscious decision.
Even his loyalty to his grandfather was provisional. Pappoús had saved his life. He’d given Mikolas this life once their blood connection had been verified. He had recognized Mikolas as his grandson, pulling him from the powerless side of a brutal world to the powerful one.
Mikolas repaid him with duty and legitimacy. His grandfather had been born into a good family during hard times. Erebus Petrides hadn’t stayed on the right side of the law as he’d done what he’d seen as necessary to survive. Living a corrupt life had cost the old man his son and Mikolas had been Erebus’s second chance at an heir. He had given his grandson full rein with his ill-gotten empire on the condition Mikolas turn it into a legal—yet still lucrative—enterprise.
No small task, but this marriage merger was the final step. To the outside observer, Grigor’s world-renowned conglomerate was absorbing a second-tier corporation with a questionable pedigree. In reality, Grigor was being paid well for a company logo. Mikolas would eventually run the entire operation.
Was it irony that his mother had been a laundress? Or appropriate?
Either way, this marriage had been Grigor’s condition. He wanted his own blood to inherit his wealth. Mikolas had accepted to make good on his debt to his grandfather. Marriage would work for him in other ways and it was only another type of contract. This ceremony was more elaborate than most business meetings, but it was still just a date to fix signatures upon dotted lines followed by the requisite photo op.
Mikolas had met his bride—a girl really—twice. She was young and extremely shy. Pretty enough, but no sparks of attraction had flared in him. He’d resigned himself to affairs while she grew up and they got to know one another. Therein might be another advantage to marriage, he had been thinking distantly, while he waited for her to walk down the aisle. Other women wouldn’t wheedle for marriage if he already wore a ring.
Then her approach had transfixed him. Something happened. Lust.
He was never comfortable when things happened outside his control. This was hardly the time or place for a spike of naked hunger for a woman. But it happened.
She arrived before him veiled in a waterfall mist that he should have dismissed as an irritating affectation. For some reason he found the mystery deeply erotic. He recognized her perfume as the same scent she’d worn those other times, but rather than sweet and innocent, it now struck him as womanly and heady.
Her lissome figure wasn’t as childish as he’d first judged, either. She moved as though she owned her body, and how had he not noticed before that her eyes were such a startling shade of blue, the kind that sat as a pool of water against a glacier? He could barely see her face, but the intensity of blue couldn’t be dimmed by a few scraps of lace.
His heart began to thud with an old, painful beat. Want. The real kind. The kind that was more like basic necessity.
A flicker of panic threatened, but he clamped down on the memories of deprivation. Of denial. Terror. Searing pain.
He got what he wanted these days. Always. He was getting her.
Satisfaction rolled through him, filling him with anticipation for this pomp and circumstance to end.
The ceremony progressed at a glacial pace. Juvenile eagerness struck him when he was finally able to lift her veil. He didn’t celebrate Christmas, yet felt it had arrived early, just for him.
He told himself it was gratification at accomplishing the goal his grandfather had assigned him. With this kiss, the balance sheets would come out of the rinse cycle, clean and pressed like new. Too bad the old man hadn’t been well enough to travel here and enjoy this moment himself.
Mikolas revealed his bride’s face and froze.
She was beautiful. Her mouth was eye-catching with a lush upper lip and a bashful bottom one tucked beneath it. Her chin was strong and came up a notch in a hint of challenge while her blue, blue irises blinked at him.
This was no girl on the brink of legal age. She was a woman, one who was mature enough to look him straight in the eye without flinching.
She was not Trina Stamos.
“Who the hell are you?”
Gasps went through the crowd.
The woman lifted a hand to brush her veil free of his dumbfounded fingers.
Behind her, Grigor shot to his feet with an ugly curse. “What are you doing here? Where’s Trina?”
Yes. Where was his bride? Without the right woman here to speak her vows and sign her name, this marriage—the merger—was at a standstill. No.
As though she had anticipated Grigor’s reaction, the bride zipped behind Mikolas, using him like a shield as the older man bore down on them.
“You little bitch!” Grigor hissed. Trina’s father was not as shocked by the switch as he was incensed. He clearly knew this woman. A vein pulsed on his forehead beneath his flushed skin. “Where is she?”
Mikolas put up a hand, warding off the old man from grabbing the woman behind him. He would have his explanation from her before Grigor unleashed his temper.
Or maybe he wouldn’t.
Another round of surprised gasps went through the crowd, punctuated by the clack of the fire door and a loud, repetitive ring of its alarm.
His bride had bolted out the emergency exit.
What the hell?
~ * ~
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Goodreads Giveaway
As promised, here is the Goodreads form. Enter before Aug 22. Good luck!
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Secret Beneath the Veil
by Dani Collins
Giveaway ends August 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details
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I finally got back into my garden for a few hours today. It was a cloudy day and I couldn't stand the sad peas. I had to pull them out and give the beets a chance to take over that little bed.
Now I'm going to put on dinner while I watch some Olympics. Are you watching any of it?
July 31, 2016
Quick Catch Up - End Of July
Well, that's half the summer gone! I've spent July finishing up a Presents and a Christmas book for Montana Born. And jumping in the lake, of course! It's been blistering here.
I'm cutting this short to work on my newsletter due to go out tomorrow. You'll get the full scoop there on the books I've just sent in and what's coming up.
Join my newsletter here and you'll auto-magically receive a link to download Cruel Summer, a short story ebook romance I wrote exclusively for my subscribers.
Goodreads Giveaway
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Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Secret Beneath the Veil
by Dani Collins
Giveaway ends August 22, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
Enter Giveaway
It'a long weekend here for us in Canada. I hope you're also enjoying some vacation time. Take care,
Dani
