Dani Collins's Blog, page 42
May 21, 2016
Cover Love - Bought By Her Italian Boss
I was thrilled to see that they used the Presents cover for the Mills & Boon version. Isn't it gorgeous? Aren't they?
Vito and Gwyn are in an elevator and yes, things get quite naughty. I'm extra-excited for the release of this one. It's a follow up to Proof Of Their Sin, my RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award winner, so you'll get a little catch up with Paolo and Lauren.
Here's the blurb:
An affair of convenience!
Gwyn Ellis is in big trouble. Scandalous photos of her have been released online, slandering her as an adulteress and threatening her hard-earned job with Donatelli International Bank. No one wants to hear how she's been framed…no one except her boss, the darkly sexy Vittorio Donatelli!
Vittorio will do anything to protect his company from scandal—he's kept the secret of his true parentage hidden for years. So if it means making stunning Gwyn his mistress to combat the vicious rumors, then he'll do it…with pleasure!
Amazon
US | CA | UK | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay | BAM | Harlequin | Mills & Boon
Preview - Bought By Her Italian Boss
Want a preview of Chapter One? Join my newsletter! You'll not only get the first chapter of Bought By Her Italian Boss, but you'll also get a link to download Cruel Summer, a free short story ebook I wrote exclusively for my subscribers.
If by any chance you don't get a link right away, please let me know. I had a problem earlier this month where the forms got messed up and the auto-delivery stopped working. Very embarrassing. If you were one of those readers affected, I am SO SORRY. Please contact me. I'll get you your copy of Cruel Summer right away.
Other News
It has started to strike home to me that in a few weeks I'll be driving to pick up my sister from the Vancouver airport where she will be landing from Australia with her two little ones. I'm excited, but once that happens, my gong show of a summer kicks off.
We have a lot of family coming into town, a big reunion scheduled, my son is graduating, and my daughter is moving back home in between changing jobs and cities. I'll be helping her move along with settling my son at post-secondary, but that's the end of August.
We also have a high school friend who might be back in Canada for his own son's wedding this summer. Since we haven't seen him in close to a decade, we'd like to try. Oh, and I told my other sister that I would come see her new house in Winnipeg at my first opportunity.
All this to say, if I drop off the face of the earth in a few weeks, you'll know I'm fine, just inundated with personal commitments. (Read: partying with my peeps.)
In other news: I'm pretty sure I saw another bobcat yesterday. I was on the highway and I wasn't nearly close enough to get a photo, but my husband drives that stretch every day and said he's seen it, so I probably wasn't wrong.
Then he mentioned there was a cougar sighted in our area a couple days ago. Again. There have been more sightings than usual this year. We have a lot of habituated deer and this is the problem. Predators follow. I've only ever seen cougar prints, but I did see the bear in our backyard on Mother's Day because, honestly, there was no missing that behemoth.
It's a holiday weekend in Canada. If you're here, enjoy your long weekend!
If you're elsewhere, enjoy your regular weekend. :)
Dani
May 14, 2016
Help Wildfire Evacuees! Scorch proceeds to go to Red Cross
I'm pleased to announce my author proceeds from pre-order sales of Scorch, will be donated to the Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal to help the tens of thousands of evacuees who fled the wildfire in Fort McMurray May 3rd. You can learn more about "The Beast"--the fire that is now 950 sq. miles--as well as read the first two chapters of Scorch in my newsletter here.
Amazon US | CA | UK | Aus | iBooks
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Blurb for Scorch:
Jacqui Edwards is back in Glacier Creek to wrap up loose ends after the death of her husband, Russ, captain of a group of daring, talented smokejumpers. She wants to stay and reboot her life, but faces an uphill battle shedding the role of the captain’s fragile, grieving widow.
After growing up in foster care, Vin Kingston finally found a family when he joined the smokejumpers. Then, six months ago, his best friend and captain died in a freak jump accident right before his eyes. Vin is consumed with guilt and determined to watch over Russ’ widow. No easy task when the vibrant, beautiful Jacqui is busting out of her shell and challenging Vin’s vow to keep her off limits.
The book will be available in Nook, Kobo and print, but not until after the release date. I'm discussing with my publisher how to give those readers a chance to participate in this fundraiser.
A huge THANK YOU to those of you who have already ordered! I've received some heartfelt messages of gratitude and harrowing accounts from people who were there. One said the windshield on their truck has scorch marks from the falling embers. Since traffic was crawling, some people were stuck driving through the thick smoke and falling embers for thirty minutes.
People will be displaced for weeks and many are still in shelters. The Red Cross has a big job ahead of them and I'm so glad I'm able to help out in this small way.
Here are the links again if you'd like to pre-order and help with this donation:
Amazon US | CA | UK | Aus | iBooks
Other News
Not much to report here. I managed to load Mastering Her Role onto iBooks, GooglePlay and Smashwords. I'll post the Nook and Kobo links once they go live.
Oh, I know what's kept me so busy. In order to load Mastering Her Role onto iBooks I had to upgrade my whole system! I was sitting her trying to remember why I felt so rushed and pressured all week. That's why. Bleh. Computer upgrades. It's all behind me now, though (fingers-crossed!) and I've obviously blocked it from my mind.
I'll cut it off here and get to work. I have two books in the works right now and I want to get the Christmas one finished so I can concentrate on the other.
Have a great weekend,
Dani
May 7, 2016
(Re)Release of Mastering Her Role and Playing Her Master
I'm excited to announce that I was given my rights back for my erotic romances. They were previously published as The Dani Collins Erotic Romance Collection. Now they're single titles and I published them indie-style. That means I was able to put Playing The Master into Kindle Unlimited.
Playing The Master - Amazon US | CA | UK | AUS
Mastering Her Role - Amazon US | CA | UK | AUS
Why did I put Playing The Master into Kindle Unlimited? Primarily as a selling tool. There are a lot of readers who like to try before they buy. This gives them the chance to discover me and hopefully they'll look for my other work afterward.
I'm in the process of loading Mastering Her Role onto other platforms. But you know those times where you think, "I'll do this one task," and you realize you have to do something else first and it snowballs from there? Well, that was me this week. It turned into upgrading my laptop to El Capitan and for a while I was fearful I'd broken my computer completely.
I'm back on track now, though, and if you prefer other platforms, I should have Mastering Her Role up on iBooks later this week, then I'll push it through Smashwords to the rest of the platforms.
Other News
More revisions came in Friday, but they're not to onerous. Then I'm excited to start a project with a couple of my Presents author friends. More on that when I'm allowed to tell, but join my newsletter to be the first to hear!
Enjoy your weekend,
Dani
April 30, 2016
Cover Reveal - The Secret Beneath The Veil
I love waking up to a new cover! I hope you do, too. This is my September book, featuring a bride who takes her sister's place. The groom doesn't know until he lifts the veil!
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Mikolas was originally Maksym, a Russian, but for various reasons he became a Greek. Here's the blurb:
"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 was 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 gets what he wants, and if the marriage is off, Viveka will have to compensate him—by becoming his mistress instead!
Other News
I received my rights back for the pair of erotic romances that were originally published as The Dani Collins Erotic Romance Collection. I'm indie publishing them. One will go into Kindle Unlimited and one will be all platforms.
If you'd like to be notified when they become available, please Join my newsletter. You'll get a welcome gift and exclusive peeks at my upcoming books. For instance, I have a pair of longer contemporary romances in the works and will be asking my newsletter group to read advance copies.
Hustled To The Altar - 99c until April 30th May 4th!
I wound up having an ad accepted with ENT so I extended the sale price a few days. This time I mean it, though. If you haven't grabbed Hustled for 99c yet, please do it now before I jack the price back to $5.99.
Amazon
US | CA | UK | AUS | Nook | iBooks | GooglePlay | Kobo |
Smashwords
Other Stuff
I finished my last set of revisions and I'm back to working on my Christmas book. At the same time, I'm prepping for our family reunion this summer, which includes taking a machete to the jungle that is my yard. It's a good excuse to find that balance between sitting here at the computer and going outside for some fresh air and birdsong.
Here's a Before and After of my vegetable garden which I had let 'lie fallow' the last two years. Yikes! What a mess, right? All those nice, new boards are courtesy of MrC. I must give him most of the credit for this turned soil, too.
My job ongoing is to water and keep the weeds down.
The 'after' photo was taken a couple of weeks ago. I now have potatoes, strawberries, onions and peas coming up. I've also planted beets and beans and plan to put in some tomato plants and a few more herbs. I also put in some flowers to keep the bees happy--gladiolas at the back, since there wasn't much room for anything else and nasturtiums, because technically they're edible and I think they're so sunny and pretty.
That's garlic on the left, btw. I had neglected to pull it out for two years and was able to separate last year's crop. I'm told they'll bulb-up this year. Fingers crossed!
I hope you're enjoying sunny days and signs of Spring. Do you garden?
Take care,
Dani
April 23, 2016
What Happened in Vegas, Cover Reveal and 99c!
So this happened while I was in Vegas:
Yes, all the covers for the smokejumper wildfire series were finalized! Aren't they gorgeous? I am so excited for these to come out.
Here's the official blurb for mine, Scorch:
Jacqui Edwards is back in Glacier Creek to wrap up loose ends after the death of her husband, Russ, captain of a group of daring, talented smokejumpers. She wants to stay and reboot her life, but faces an uphill battle shedding the role of the captain’s fragile, grieving widow.
After growing up in foster care, Vin Kingston finally found a family when he joined the Smokejumpers. Then, six months ago, his best friend and captain died in a freak jump accident right before his eyes. Vin is consumed with guilt and determined to watch over Russ’ widow. No easy task when the vibrant, beautiful Jacqui is busting out of her shell, challenging Vin’s vow to keep her off limits.
It will be available on all platforms, but for now it's available for preorder here:
Amazon US | CA | UK | Aus | iBooks
What Really Happened In Vegas
I actually have very little news about the conference. I spent a lot of time with my cousin. Here we are at the hotel pool which was awesome. She and her husband took us to Freemont Street which was a blast. I'm not much of a gambler, so turning my $2 into $8 while we were there was a huge win for me.
As for conference events, I had a great time with readers at our soiree and panel and the signings, but to be honest, I am learning that having my husband with me is a distraction. I find I play hooky with him rather than going to workshops so I have no new points of craft to show for that registration fee I paid.
I have one more appearance scheduled this year, in September in Vancouver. Otherwise I'm looking at a summer of straight writing, which was deliberate. I have a family reunion this year and expect to be busy with that.
Hustled To The Altar - 99c until April 30th!
The headline says it all. If you haven't read Hustled To The Altar, now's your chance to grab it for the sale price. Enjoy!
Amazon
US | CA | UK | AUS | Nook | iBooks | GooglePlay | Kobo |
Smashwords
Other News
A huge thank you to all who have re-subscribed to my newsletter!
I'm really enjoying the ability to blast a quick email about the sale price on Hustled or the cover reveal above. Not a member of my newsletter? Join Dani's Newsletter Here. You'll get a welcome gift!
Revisions are currently kicking my butt so I'm back to my writing cave now.
Take care,
Dani
April 9, 2016
What's Happening In Vegas?
I leave for Las Vegas and the RT Convention next week. As with any trip, I'm running around bumping into myself, trying to get ready.
I've been to Vegas a few times. My cousin lives there so we went for her wedding a few years ago and before that were there for New Year's and once I even got away with my sisters for a Girl's Weekend.
I'm not much of a gambler and this time I'll be at conference for a lot of the time, but I have a full day booked with her, lying by the pool, and we have tickets to a Cirque de Soleil show (Love.)
I'll be here if you want to catch up with me:
Thursday, April 14, 2016
11:15am to 11:45am - Club RT
1:30pm to 2:30pm - How Well Do You Know Your Harlequin Authors?
Friday, April 15, 2016
10:30am to 11:00am - Club RT
1:30pm to 2:30pm - Where the Wild Men Are
2:45pm to 3:45pm - WE
Saturday, April 16, 2016
10:30am to 2:00pm - Giant Book Fair
I have to continue getting ready for the trip, finish my word count and clean my desk (clean my house!) before I go.
But I will quickly remind you that the brides are still on sale:
Amazon US | CA | UK | Aus Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Other News
I just sent out my newsletter with way more chatting and news than you're finding here today. If you'd like to join, please click here: Join Dani's Newsletter
If you happened to be someone who came to my email through Writerspace in March, through the magic of author learning curves, you received two messages from me on Friday. Sorry about that! I'm still learning!
I'm not too sorry. I was glad that the second one accidentally sent. I want to be sure all of my new members receive the free download of Cruel Summer. Right now I'm also including the first chapter of Bought By Her Italian Boss so lots of weekend reading at your fingertips!
Watch for my Vegas photos on my Facebook author page!
Take care,
Dani
April 2, 2016
Forever Yours - 99c! Limited Time!
Look how pretty!
I am so delighted to be in such amazing company here! You have so much Happily Ever After for 99c!
Amazon US | CA | UK | Aus Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay
Changes To My Monthly Contest
Along with updates to my newsletter, you will find changes to my website contest page. From now on, every month I'll showcase a Featured Backlist Title on my contest page. As long as you are a member of my newsletter, you'll automagically be entered for a chance to win.
If you pop over to Dani's Contest Page you'll see that April is all about His Blushing Bride--yes, the same title featured in the above collection. I'm giving away a signed print anthology containing four of the seven titles in the Forever Yours collection. (That's all that would fit! It's a pretty hefty print book!)
If you're new to my newsletter and would like to join, please click here:
Join Dani's Newsletter Here
Bonus:
Not only do you get the free download for Cruel Summer, but right now I'm also including the first chapter of Bought By Her Italian Boss.
I'm keeping this short as I'm on a strict two thousand words a day diet, plus I'm staring down some revisions that I want to complete before leaving for the RT Convention in Las Vegas. But first:
Club RT - Las Vegas
Good news! I was able to get a couple of spots at Club RT. Look for me here:
Thursday, April 14th - 11:15
Friday, April 15th - 10:30
That's it for now. Have a great weekend!
March 26, 2016
Happy Easter
I've been doing my taxes this week. That's an Easter Egg hunt in itself!
Photo credit: rosevita from morguefile.com
Other news: I finished a draft of a Presents and I haven't written new words in three days. That's stressful for me. My intention today is to start picking away at my next Montana Born, but first I have to work on:
Changes To My Newsletter
I mentioned here, there and everywhere that my newsletter is changing. If you're already a member, you should receive an email this weekend requesting you update your preferences. The reasons for the change are explained in the email and if you don't see one today or tomorrow, please get in touch with me and I'll investigate.
If you're new to my newsletter and would like to join, please click here:
Join Dani's New Newsletter
Bonus Offer: Not only will you get the free download for Cruel Summer, but right now I'm automatically sending the first chapter of Bought By Her Italian Boss, too. It's like getting jelly beans with your basket of chocolate.
Baby Swap - Which Is Your Favourite?
I've been really delighted with the response from readers on the baby swap books. If you missed them, you can still get them. The links to order are below, but I'm curious. If you've read them, do you have a preference between the two stories?
When I wrote them, I wrote the Marriage book first. It was more challenging for a few reasons. Octavia was a very suppressed character--something I love to read, but I'm learning is a complete pain to write! Those characters never want to give up anything, even to the author. When I have a hero like that, I might as well fold up the tent and go home.
That book also demanded that I set up the second book, which I hadn't written, so I didn't know what I would need and had to guess-and-by-golly my way through a lot of details.
That paid off with the Consequence book, which had a nice foundation of background details in place so I was able to focus on Sorcha and Cesar. And, even though Cesar is not really in touch with his feelings, he knows exactly how he feels about the amnesia: furious!
I did fall in love with the heroes from both, for very different reasons, but if I will say I enjoyed the process of writing a little more with The Consequence He Must Claim. Do you have a favourite? Why?
If you have yet to discover this duet, or missed one of them, here are the quick links:
The Marriage He Must Keep
Amazon: US | CA | UK
Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay | BAM | Mills & Boon | Harlequin
The Consequence He Must Claim
Amazon: US | CA | UK | Aus | Nook | Kobo | iBooks | GooglePlay | BAM | Mills & Boon | Harlequin
Taken By the Raider
And, just in case you haven't grabbed this bad boy yet... (Literally a bad boy short story.)
Amazon US | CA | UK | Aus | iBooks | Kobo | GooglePlay
Now I have to get some new words written or there will be No Chocolate For Me. What's on your To Do list this weekend?
March 19, 2016
Mini Epilogue - The Bachelor's Baby
Here we are turning the corner from the Ides of March, zipping past St. Patrick's Day and arriving at the first day of Spring. (It's early this year! The 19th!) Is it just me, or did the front quarter of the year go by in a blur?
FREE - Bound To The Bachelor
Exciting news! Sarah Mayberry's book in our Bachelor Auction series will be FREE for a short time! Bound To The Bachelor is the first in our series and a great way to see if you would be interested in the series overall.
I suspect it will only be free in the US (sorry overseas!) It officially starts on March 23rd, but keep an eye on it. It might start early. Check Amazon here.
Mini-Epilogue - The Bachelor's Baby
More Good News! A bunch of us were enjoying a virtual St. Patrick's Day Party in Grey's Saloon, over on the Main St. Marietta Facebook Group this week (Join Main St. Marietta here.) I wrote this mini epilogue for The Bachelor's Baby to share there. I might as well repost it here, right?
~ * ~
LINC had been walking a wide berth around Grey’s Saloon once he heard there was another bachelor auction going on this year.
“You know you’re not a bachelor anymore, right?” Meg teased him. “Come on. It’s St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s pop in for a burger. It’ll be fun.”
Liz and Blake had offered to watch the twins for a few hours and Linc wouldn’t have blamed Meg if she had wanted to go home and sleep. The boys were the light of their lives, but neither he nor Meg had had a full night’s sleep since their birth. Meg bore the brunt of it, being what she called The Dairy Service.
As dates went, today’s crush inside the saloon wasn’t the most intimate. Meg knew virtually everyone in town and was warmly greeted by table after table of friendly locals asking after her and the twins.
Linc watched her blossom, loving the bright smile she wore and hearing her laugh like that. They both enjoyed the solitude of ranch life, but he knew she’d been suffering a bit of cabin fever, held inside by snow and the demands of new motherhood. He would have given anything to go home and make love, but this was a much needed break for her.
Besides, he still felt new to the town, well over a year after he’d moved here. When he came to town with Meg, however, she always made him feel as much a part of Marietta as she was. It always reinforced for him that he’d made the right choice. He was home. This was where he belonged.
“Whew!” Meg said as they stole a table that had just been bussed. “I haven’t seen it this busy since—”
“Our first date?” He gathered her hands in his own in the middle of their small table.
“That was not a date, Linc Brady.”
He still winced, thinking about how mean he’d been to her that night, but seriously. A bachelor auction? He’d been pretty pissed and felt for this year’s batch of victims. Although...
“It turned out pretty good for me,” he allowed, stroking his thumb against the soft skin of her wrist. “Really freaking great, actually.” He hadn’t known then how much he wanted a wife and family, but he couldn’t imagine a day without Meg and his boys now.
Her expression softened and she leaned forward. He stole a taste of the mouth she was offering, but couldn’t help lingering.
Their sex life was as active as it could be around infant twins. They were tender and quick and playful when they could be. He had no complaints, but as he kissed her, he recalled the night they’d conceived them. He experienced a sharp stab of desire and his hand lifted to the back of her head, holding her for a longer kiss. The predatory heat that had gripped him that night rose fresh to sting his blood. He wanted her and let her know it.
When he released her, she sat back with shining eyes, looking a little shell-shocked. Her lips were damp and a delightful pink stained her cheeks. Not just embarrassment at kissing so passionately in public. He knew what arousal looked like on his wife and that was it.
It was seriously hot.
“Well,” she breathed. “I put on make-up and a real bra today so I would feel like a woman, not a milk truck, but I think that did a far better job of it.”
“Let me take you home and I’ll make you feel all kinds of things,” he promised.
Her lashes swept toward him in a considering look. She reached to put on the jacket she’d just removed.
“You Irish, cowboy? Because it looks like you’re getting lucky,” she teased.
He set a possessive hand on her waist as he guided her to the door, anticipation sinking hot talons into him. “I am lucky,” he assured her. “I have you.”
~ * ~
Vote For His Blushing Bride
Are you a fan of Piper and Sebastian? You can vote for their story over at The Romance Reviews (voting starts March 14 and runs until Mar 31st.)
Other News
I've been head-down writing and will be for the next couple of months. There will be lots to share once I come up for air and put the pieces into place, though.
On a personal note, I'm trying to institute Dani's Power Hour where I get out into the garden. I don't want to overdo it, but I am a bit of a workaholic and need to set non-writing goals. And who doesn't like a few veggies from the garden? I plan to keep it simple: potatoes, herbs, maybe some garlic and tomatoes. Oh, and strawberries. I've had marvellous luck with those even when I neglect them completely. I'll report back with photos as things progress.
Have a great weekend!
March 12, 2016
March Marches On
Here we are at mid-March already, which means St. Patrick's Day is almost upon us!
Click on the image or join the Main St. Marietta group on Facebook to attend the party. There will be loads of giveaways. (There always is!) The party will run all day, but I'll be on at 4pm Pacific (7pm Eastern).
Vote For His Blushing Bride
Are you a fan of Piper and Sebastian? You can vote for their story over at The Romance Reviews (voting starts March 14 and runs until Mar 31st.)
RT Convention
I'm posting this again in case anyone missed it. I'm also excited to report my husband and I now have tickets to the Cirque de Soleil Beatles Love Show. Can't wait!
My agenda while I'm here:
Other News
Just a ton of writing! The house is mostly put back together after the flooring chaos. We still have the upper hallway, stairs (big job!) and the living room to do. I'm hoping to have that done before my sister and her family visit from Australia in June.
June will be a bit of a write-off for me writing-wise, given that my son will be graduating and we're having something of a family reunion with both my sisters and extended family coming in from far and wide. I'm trying to get ahead of all my deadlines and so far the pace has been challenging, but words are landing on pages so... I'll leave it at that. I don't want to jinx anything.
Behind the scenes, I'm still working on changes to my newsletter. Change is always stressful! But I'm getting there and happy with everything so far. And I have plans, so many plans, for other stuff, but getting books written is always the priority so that's where the bulk of my time goes.
Oh, and movies. I love movies and today I have a date to go see Room with my Mom. On matinee so I'd best get my word count in or I'll be grounded and not allowed to go.
Have a great weekend!
