Dani Collins's Blog, page 47

June 13, 2015

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (5)

Good morning. For once I'm writing this on Saturday morning. I wish I could say I did something super exciting last night, but the truth is, I was feeling very low-energy so I sat on the sofa and binged on Parks & Rec.

I'm well rested this morning, though, so much so that I have that dull brain that is still half-unconcious. My coffee is here at my elbow, however. Hopefully I'll be up to speed shortly.

Part of my energy lull came from a busy week where I didn't get a lot of real writing accomplished, but I spent a lot of time figuring out what's next. I go along for months, making notes, scribbling on the white board, setting aside articles and other educational tools that I promise myself I'll get to.

Last week was all about going through those things, discarding a lot. I'm the kind of person who thinks I need to try everything at least once, but I'm realizing I spread myself too thin when I do that--thus the small attack of burn out. In all my sorting, I came across some really good advice about spending my time on the things that will have the most payback.

To that end, I spent a good hour at the beach taking photos for the Mills & Boon #SummerSizzler campaign. Now, you'd think that was an hour of lost writing time, but oh the gains in mental health!

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (5)

I call that 'my' beach, but it's a public access point and gets quite crowded in the height of summer. I had it to myself that day, though. I wish I could upload the video to show you. It was so hot, I actually went swimming (okay, just dunked!) while I was there.

Then it cooled right off and I had the house closed and the slippers back on yesterday. That's probably another reason I powered down. I'm like a tropical bird. The weather changes and I can't cope!

But I should really get on with your next excerpt from Seduced Into The Greek's World, shouldn't I?

Sample Sunday

If you missed the first four, the quick links are below. I'll have one more next week, then I'm not sure what you'll see here. Check back and we'll both be surprised!

Demitri believes Natalie is flirting with his (married) brother-in-law
Natalie can't believe Demitri
Demitri invites Natalie for dinner
Demitri and Natalie chat over dinner

Here's a snippet from after dinner:

~ * ~

“If you want an affair, Natalie, I’m your man.” His voice plummeted into throaty depravity, the want in him so quick and intense it tightened his airway.

Her lashes quivered and her pupils expanded. “I…It was just a fantasy,” she insisted—voice, tone, protest thin and insubstantial.

The elevator stopped again.

He pinned the door automatically with the well-practiced step of his foot into the sensor and the rest of him in her space.

She was off balance, breasts rising in a startled gasp as her hand went behind her searching blindly for the rail.

He braced his hands against the wall on either side of her head and took his time gazing on her wary expression, letting her get used to the idea. Some primal part of him deliberately forgot why he’d meant to let her go home alone.

“The first time I saw you I thought you would have such soft skin.” He leaned close enough to draw in the scent of her flushed cheek, letting their body heat build in the tiny space he allowed between them. Seduction was about giving a woman time to feel the want, then providing the relief.

“I’m not sure,” she whispered, but her gaze was on his mouth. Yearning parted her lips. “I didn’t mean for you to think…”

Patience, he warned himself, practically trembling with the avalanche of desire building behind his wall of self-control.

“I want this…” she whispered.

He moved in with the skill of a man who always got what he wanted, not by force, but persuasion.

Her mouth was a tender morsel that made his breath hiss out in gratification as he nuzzled it with his own. She responded hesitantly, then with openness, inviting his full possession, letting him guide her toward the sensual world he longed to explore with her. She was delightful, shy yet generous, eyes closed tight in pained pleasure. When a little sob of capitulation left her, when she brought her hands from behind her back to his chest and splayed them in a promising caress, he drew back just enough to speak.

“Come with me.”

~ * ~

Seduced Into The Greek's World is still on the shelves of your grocery and drug stores, but if you prefer digital the quick links are below:

Do you belong to my newsletter? You can read my June newsletter here. My newsletters come out on the 6th of the month and the easiest way to sign up is to enter my monthly contest here on my website.

I'll leave you with one more view of my lake. I took this the other night, when I went for a walk in the evening.

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (5)

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 13, 2015 09:40

June 6, 2015

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (4)

My latest newsletter goes out today! I'll post the link below today's excerpt so you can have a peek. If you like what you see, sign up! Because guess what? Next month (July) I won't have a new release, so I've been working on a special project to share with my subscribers before I offer it to the rest of the world. Now is the time to join if you've been waffling.

How are you? We had that big storm last weekend and this weekend they are calling for 36 Celsius (double it and add 30 for Fahrenheit, 72 + 30 = 102!) Yes, I expect to be jumping in the lake this weekend! Summer is here!

Also almost here: Father's Day, and look what Tule Publishing has put together for you, Dear Reader. (It includes The Bachelor's Baby.)

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (4)

Adorable, right? Not to mention a smoking hot deal for 99c if you grab it before the 9th. Go. Now. Here are your links. Report back to me.

Got it? Good. Let's get to the next instalment from Seduced Into The Greek's World?

Sample Sunday

If you missed the first three, they're here:

Demitri believes Natalie is flirting with his (married) brother-in-law
Natalie can't believe Demitri
Demitri invites Natalie for dinner

Here's a snippet from their dinner:

~ * ~

“Shall I order for you?” he asked as the maître d’ left them.

“What kind of men have I dated that dared to let me read the menu myself? As if a woman could,” she scoffed lightly.

“This is why I asked. Some of you feminists find it condescending.”

“And you see it as chivalry?”

“I had an old-world upbringing,” he stated with a ring of pride in his tone. “But I also like to know my date is ordering something I’d like to eat, since she won’t finish it,” he added with a supercilious lift at the corner of his mouth.

“Ha! You don’t know me very well, do you?”

“I’m working on it,” he assured her with a look that reached across and held.

“You read my personnel file?” she challenged, heart skipping. He knew about Zoey? Her breath stopped.

“Too easy,” he dismissed, leaning forward in a way that seemed to catch her in a magnetic field that pulled her into him. “I like a more personal approach.”

So he didn’t know she had a daughter. Natalie toyed with the idea of blurting it out, but didn’t want to cool the sizzle between them. It was too exciting, playing with this particular fire.

“I’ll bet you do.” Her voice came out papery and soft. He probably knocked women over with gently blown kisses. Her pulse was racing and her skin glowing hot from the inside. The way the banter lobbed back and forth between them entranced her, but he was an expert, she reminded herself. This wasn’t anything so grand as chemistry.

“If you think I’m such a womanizer, why are you here?” he asked, eyes narrowed to hide what he was thinking.

“Honestly?” She schooled herself not to look or sound desperate, even though she was bordering on despair where men and relationships were concerned. “I live like a shut-in, working from home a lot of the time. I’ll never get another chance to dine like the One Percent and, quite frankly, you hit the nail on the head about the men I date. I thought I’d see what it’s like to be the girl for a change.”

He raised his brows.

“Let you hold the door for me,” she explained. “Pay. Even though I know it’ll really be the company paying. But you do know this is only dinner, right? I work for you.”

“You work for my brother,” he stated firmly, not thrown off his stride at all by her bluntness. “IT falls under Finance. I head up Marketing.” Despite his affable tone his gaze was dead level as he added, “My threats earlier were empty. I have no authority to fire you. By the same token, I have no way of helping you advance. If this turns into more than dinner, there’s no professional advantage for you.”

The warning pushed her back into her seat, putting her in her place. Yet she was strangely relieved. Embarrassed, yet amused.

“Look at all we’ve got on the table and we haven’t even ordered,” she said with a pert lift of her brows.

Demitri released a “Ha,” and looked away, astounded by how thoroughly this woman was keeping him on his toes. Fortunately the waiter arrived to advise the evening’s specials.

“Please,” Natalie said when Demitri glanced at her. “Order for me. I’m curious.”

He nodded in satisfaction even though his brain was barely able to pull it together to order at all, only managing to choose the starters with a suitable wine before he turned back to her, trying not to fall into her spell like a fisherman off a boat.

When had she hooked him? That first laugh? The doe-eyed virgin look when he’d asked to speak to her? Definitely by the time she’d cut him down to size with a few swings of her rapier tongue, he’d been curious. Everyone loved him. Instantly and thoroughly. Even his family only acted irritated as they made every effort to draw him further inside the fold. Hell, women he slept with and left within hours remained affectionate and syrupy when he crossed paths with them later.

But not Natalie. He didn’t think it was an act, either. She’d been furious and insulted by his accusations today, then mistrustful and apprehensive of his invitation to dinner. When she hadn’t answered her door, he’d been stunned. No one rejected him, no matter what he did. And he searched for the line at every opportunity.

Finding her at the front of the hotel had been entirely too much of a relief for his comfort. Then she’d demonstrated that she was perfectly ready to leave him in the dust for being thoughtless. The warning lights were still flashing. Off her and inside him.

Only dinner, she’d claimed.

Take heed, he told himself. He avoided women with standards, being genetically incapable of living up to anything but the basest expectations of him.

Her honesty and playfulness were incredibly refreshing, however. And she was beautiful, with that skin like creamed honey and her eyes reflecting the sparkling lights from beyond the window.

“Tell me about yourself, Natalie,” he commanded softly.

Something passed over her face like indecision before she brought her gaze around to his. Her expression smoothed to an aloof façade, as though she’d mentally tucked away everything personal and only left the basics.

~ * ~

You can find Seduced Into The Greek's World on the shelves of your grocery and drug stores along with most chain bookstores, but if you prefer digital the quick links are below:

I promised the link for my newsletter. You can read my June newsletter here. My next newsletter comes out on the 6th of the month and the easiest way to sign up is to enter my monthly contest here on my website.

Now I've set myself some goofy deadlines--so weird for me, right? But I'm determined to meet them so I'm off to work (okay, and play. It's already warm out there. I love summer!!) Enjoy your weekend!

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on June 06, 2015 07:30

May 30, 2015

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (3)

Happy Saturday! Yesterday, my editor accepted the second book in my duet coming out at the beginning of next year. (More on that in my recent newsletter. Link is below.) I celebrated by binge-watching House Of Lies while making a batch of cowboy cookies. They are so good, but lethal. I haven't made cookies in a while because, as I told MrC, it's amazing how many cookies I don't eat if I don't make them.

Side note: I started writing this on Friday night and we had several huge cracks and rolls of thunder, then the skies opened with rain. I LOVE this kind of weather. It was humid so I had all the windows open, then the rain was pattering hard and everything smelled so fresh. Here's the view off my deck while it was going on:

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (3)

Having said that, my heart goes out to Texas and those affected by the floods. Stay safe!

Shall we get back to business and the next instalment from Seduced Into The Greek's World?

Sample Sunday

If you missed the first two scenes, they're here:

Demitri believes Natalie is flirting with his (married) brother-in-law
Natalie can't believe Demitri

Today we carry on with Demitri re-assessing his assumptions about her and making an offer she doesn't quite refuse:

~ * ~

“What’s your first name?” he asked.

“Natalie. Why?” She eyed him while keeping her face averted, half expecting him to pick up the phone to HR. Man, he was good looking. And not the least bit ruffled. In fact, he almost looked as though he was laughing at her, which was so incensing she had to look away again.

“What are you doing here, Natalie? In Paris, I mean. What has Adara got you on? What’s the special report?”

A chance to show off. Something she had imagined would help her take a step up the corporate ladder. So much for that. “I’m part of the software upgrade.” It was hard to keep her voice steady as defensiveness and contrition pecked her. She kept it short. “I’m training the staff and working out the bugs. I’ve done Toulouse. I’m here in Paris for the week. Then I go to Lyon.”

“You’re an IT nerd?” His skepticism as he gave her another top-to-toe once-over was almost as irritating as the label.

“I wouldn’t have guessed you’re a marketing genius,” she shot back, blithely matching his dismissive tone, thinking stop it. But he was so infuriating.

“A highly creative one,” he assured smoothly. “Ask around. Although it sounds like you already have. You’re doing all the hotels in Europe?”

“I—um, what?” That creative remark had thrown her, which was his intention, she was sure. “No, I only have English and French and, um, can’t be away longer than three weeks.”

She and Zoey wouldn’t starve if he fired her, she reminded herself. The knowledge calmed her nerves. She wouldn’t even lose her house, and she always had the fallback plan of moving in with her ex-mother-in-law, which would suit Zoey just fine because she loved the farm. She’d been beside herself that she would stay with her grandma for three weeks. No, this was a minor, very awkward speed bump that Natalie would get over as quickly as possible.

“I’ve always wanted to travel so…” She cleared her throat as she realized that was too much information and headed back to bare facts. “They’re trying to implement before the end of the year. There’s a whole team. One person couldn’t do it all.”

“So you’re here to work and see the sites. Not have an affair. That’s what you’re telling me?”

“Yes.” From somewhere deep in her subconscious, a fresh blush rose. “Of course I’m here to work.” Maybe she had thought this trip was her chance to have a grown-up affair away from her daughter’s impressionable eyes, but that was very much a midnight fantasy and not something she intended to pursue. This trip might be the opportunity to cast off responsibility and act like a single woman instead of a struggling mom with bills and a flake for an ex, but she’d settle for a date with someone she wouldn’t have met otherwise.

He didn’t need to know any of that though.

Her cheeks stayed hot and hurting, nevertheless. It wasn’t easy to meet his gaze and pretend a fully-fledged affair was completely off the table, especially when there was a knowing glint teasing crinkles into the corners of his eyes.

“Even if I was looking for romance,” she blurted. “Which I’m not, I’d hardly start with the owner of the company, would I?”

“I don’t know. Would you? Let’s have dinner tonight and talk about it.”
Her stomach swooped and her heart stopped, as though she’d hit an unexpected wall.

That’s how it’s done. She’d been observing, trying to crack the code of dating and casual invitations. It had seemed complicated, but he made it look easy.

Practice, she surmised cynically.

But go out with him? Impossible. Her heart restarted, pounding with sudden panic, partly because, well, look at him. He was gorgeous and obviously knew his way around the entire city, not just the block.

Danger. If she could have escaped this airless room crowded with empty desks, she would have.

Somehow she managed to hang on to her composure and scoff, “Is that a test? I realize Theo—and yes, at this level we all refer to your family by your first names when you’re not around to hear it.” She encompassed the ground floor with a sweep of her splayed hand in a flat circle. “Theo might have married a woman who once worked as a chamber maid, but we’re all well aware that was an exception. I have no such ambitions. You’re quite safe from me, and so are the rest of the men in your family.”

There. She folded her arms to close the topic.

He folded his, bunching those gorgeous shoulders in a way that made her throat go dry. “You’re funny,” he said.

“I’m completely serious!”

“I know. That’s why it’s funny. Calling marriage to any of us an ambition is hysterical.” He didn’t laugh. He only gave his mouth an ironic twist, which drew her notice to the shape of his lips. The lower was fuller than the top one, but the upper had a shallow space between the two peaks, perfect for a fingertip. The corners of his mouth extended into short, deep lines that gave him that look of being perpetually amused by the lives of the mortals around him.

His smile grew and he jerked his chin in a nudge of insistence, voice pitched intimately low, filled with knowledge that she was responding to him. “Have dinner with me, Natalie.”

She was mooning. And he’d noticed. Of course he had. He was a serial pickup artist. Where were the natural disasters when you needed them? It was definitely time for the earth to open up and suck her underground.

“Dating among coworkers is frowned upon,” she managed, delighted to have found both the excuse and a steady voice. “I’m sorry you thought I was making a play for your brother-in-law, but I’m highly cognizant of company policy and have no intention of violating it, even if he were available. Now if we’re finished, I really should get back to work.”

“You’re sorry for my mistake? This really is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Come on. Dinner. It will be my apology.” He splayed his straight fingers against his wide chest. A gorgeous chest, she was sure. He looked like he worked out. Often. His physique distracted her from how suddenly he’d turned on the charm. “Where’s the harm in the boss taking an out-of-town employee to dinner? It’s networking,” he cajoled.

“Is that what it would be?” She couldn’t help her snort of laughter. She’d thought he was merely a playboy, but he made the sharing of his favors sound like some kind of a job perk.

His expression changed slightly as she laughed, becoming less arrogant as his regard sharpened with male interest and something more acute, as though he was reassessing her. It made her think she might be holding her own in this match of wits, surprising him.

Which gave her a thrill that she did her best to ignore.

“Look, I’m flattered,” she rushed to say, glancing away so he wouldn’t see how flattered. As sophisticated as she dreamed of being, she wasn’t prepared for someone such as him. “But I’ve seen the women you date and I’m not in their league. Which, by the way, is another reason I would never set my sights on your brother-in-law. So, thank you for this extremely interesting conversation, but I need to get back to work. I don’t want to get fired,” she added pointedly.

“Not in their league?” he repeated, frowning in disagreement as he gave her yet another thorough assessment in a way that set her alight. Her entire body actually hurt from the blood rush that prickled through her.

She’d starved herself and worked out like mad before leaving Montreal, determined that if any sort of corporate limelight fell upon her—or any sexy Frenchmen—she’d have nothing to be insecure about. Nevertheless, she experienced a pang of insecurity under his review, worried she wasn’t up to standard.

He dragged his gaze back up to hers and let her see undisguised male desire.

Tingling excitement encompassed her. It wasn’t exactly confidence, but it wasn’t uncertainty either. It was a delicious and involuntary, Yes, please, that scared the hell out of her.

“You’re very much in an elite league of your own, Natalie. Or are you making excuses to spare my feelings? It would surprise me if you are. You don’t strike me as someone who would bother. Not considering the frankness we’ve already arrived at.”

That made her chuckle dryly, but she suppressed it with a sheepish dip of her chin. “You’re right. But read my personnel file, Mr. Makricosta—”

“Demitri,” he corrected.

“I don’t live nearly as fast as you do. Demitri.” She tried to make her voice diffident and amused, but Demitri was a surprisingly erotic name for a man with an American accent. “If I thought you were issuing a genuine invitation—and one that was only for dinner,” she added with a you-can’t-fool-me look. “I would be tempted. My coworkers here have families to go home to. It would be refreshing not to eat alone. But I suspect you’re mocking me. Or maybe punishing me for said frankness?”

He was taken aback by that. “Why wouldn’t I want to take you out? You’re beautiful, amusing and you have a pretty laugh.”

The sincerity in his tone made her heart swing inside her chest, dipping and lifting in a way that made her set a hand on the edge of her desk for balance. She grappled for humor to deflect how thoroughly his simple compliment disarmed her.

“And you want to hear that laugh in bed?” she challenged.

“Ha!” His chuckle was surprised and real, his grin appreciative before it turned hot and hungry. His gaze closed around her like a fist. “I’ll have the car brought to the curb for seven.”

~ * ~

Seduced Into The Greek's World is on shelves, but if you prefer digital the quick links are below:

Do you belong to my newsletter? You can read Dani's May Newsletter here where I dish about that upcoming duet I've been writing for Harlequin. My next newsletter will come out on June 6th. The easiest way to sign up is to enter my monthly contest here on my website.

I have a pile of tasks I've been putting off, but I've given myself a deadline of 'end of May.' Well, guess what? No more procrastinating! What are you doing with your weekend?

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 30, 2015 08:38

May 26, 2015

"Readers For Life" Literacy Autographing

Will you be in New York this summer?

I'll be signing at the "Readers for Life" Literacy Autographing

Wednesday, July 22

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

New York Marriott Marquis

alt

This is a huge two-hour event where hundreds of romance authors meet with and sign books for fans. Proceeds from book sales benefit literacy organizations.

For more information, visit www.rwa.org.

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 26, 2015 08:09

May 23, 2015

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (2)

Welcome to another instalment of Seduced Into The Greek's World!

How is your (long for the US) weekend shaping up? We had our Victoria Day last weekend and we've had July-like weather all week. Today was positively stifling! (Not that I'm complaining. I love the heat.)

In fact, my garden is bursting with flowers even though I've neglected it terribly the last two--yes, I'm ashamed to say it's been two years since I was really on top of it.

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (2)

But wow to the size of that bee, right?

I think I like the heat because it forces me to slow down. I've been going flat out for weeks and so has my husband. Come summer, however, we suddenly find ourselves sitting on the deck with a drink and acting quite lazy. I'm looking forward to that--not that we're there quite yet. Right now, my only excuse to head to the deck will be to bring in the laundry.

Which is a delightfully glamorous segue into my #SampleSunday, so reminiscent of the extravagant life that Natalie leads as she temporarily works in Paris and has a white-hot affair with infamous playboy and billionaire hotelier, Demitri Makricosta.

SampleSunday

Last week, I gave you the opening pages from Seduced Into The Greek's World, where Demitri first sees Natalie.

Today we'll get her take on him:

~ * ~

Natalie glanced up and felt the full impact of Demitri Makricosta, the youngest brother of the family that employed her. The one with the scandalously disreputable reputation. She’d seen him in person before, but always from a distance. Never like this, with his dark brown eyes pushing her back into her chair and then making a proprietary inspection of her buttons.

He was incredibly attractive. That fact was legendary across the hotel chain and impossible to ignore when he was barely ten feet away.

She tried comparing him to his older brother, Theo, who bore a resemblance but was more polished, kept a low profile, and remembered every name and number he came across.

But there was no minimizing this man. All she could think was how Demitri was known for the wicked streak that was evident in his winged eyebrows and distant smile. Also for the women he picked up effortlessly, not to mention his utter disregard for little things such as policies and procedures. Greek by birth but raised in America, he had a Mediterranean warmth to his skin tone under a shadow of stubble. He dressed like a citizen of the world in tailored pants and a suit vest buttoned over his shirt that accented his very fine shoulders and trim waist. He looked like the hottest of the 1920s gangsters.

Bad. He looked very, very bad. Full to the brim with sin.

She glanced up from taking him in and her gaze tangled with his. One of his superior brows went up in challenge of her checking him out. This was definitely a different kind of man from any she’d ever known. Sharp and far too knowing. How mortifying to be so obvious.

Decorum, Natalie. You’re a mom.

Swallowing her discomfiture, she glanced at Monsieur Renault as she rose. A blush stung her cheeks.

“I’ll go back to my office and you can call me when you’re done. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Makricosta,” she said as she approached the door, expecting him to move aside and give her a dismissive nod.

“It’s you I want to talk to, Miss…?” He held out a hand.

Shock made her hesitate before she placed her hand in his and was jolted by the warm grip that enclosed hers. “Adams,” she provided in a jagged, baffled voice. “Me? Are you sure?” Who did he think she was?

“I’m sure. Show me to your office.” He released her and waved her into the hall.

Brushing past him and cooking in self-conscious warmth, she walked ahead of him down the narrow hall to her shared office. Her coworkers were away from their desks. That had been perfect at lunch when she’d connected with her daughter on one of her daily webcam calls. Zoey was having the time of her life with Grandma, not missing Natalie at all, which was a relief, but it still broke Natalie’s heart. She’d shed a couple of tears after she’d disconnected, missing her girl dreadfully, and thankful for the privacy to do so. Now, however, her office mates’ absence left an isolated mood in the small, musty-smelling room with its rain-blurred windows.

When he closed the door behind them, she felt like all the oxygen was pulled out. “I’m not sure—?”

“Leave my brother-in-law alone,” he said flatly.

“I— What?” The accusation was such a missile from the blue, she could only stare, insides flash-freezing. “Gideon? I mean, Mr. Vozaras?” she stammered.

“Gideon,” he confirmed, but there was an underlying stealth to the word. As though he thought she was overstepping by using the man’s name.

“What makes you think there’s something going on between us?” She was so shocked she couldn’t process how appalling the accusation was.

“I don’t think there is. I know him and I know my sister, but I saw you flirting with him in the lobby, asking for his email. Back off or I’ll have you fired.”

“He showed me a photo of his son! The email is about work.” Affront arrived, pushing into her face as a hot flush, straining her tone with the strident notes of the wrongly accused. “I don’t go after married men! That’s a disgusting thing to suggest. Especially when his wife was kind enough to give me this opportunity. That’s the only reason he spoke to me at all. She asked him to pass along a message about a report she wants me to write. I said I hoped their son had got over his cold, and he showed me a photo of the boy after he’d found his way into the refrigerator.”

The flicker of disdain that ticked in one of Demitri’s cheeks only infuriated her further, fueling her need to bring him down from his high horse.

“Who the hell are you to pass judgment anyway? Everything I’ve ever heard about your moral standards leaves me stunned and incredulous that you’d question mine.”

That got his attention. His death glare gave her pause, but she was too outraged to stop.

“Oh, was that out of line? You don’t think someone you only met seconds ago has the right to call you out? I thought rash personal comments were our special thing.”

Okay, that did go too far. A hot blush flooded upward while she clenched her mouth shut. And folded her arms. And set her chin as she screwed up her courage to ask through her teeth, “Are you going to fire me?”

“For?” he prompted with a pithy look.

“Exactly,” she shot out, unable to catch back the haughty response even though she was dying inside. She was so mad and embarrassed she couldn’t even look at him. She liked this job. Needed it. The whole point in coming away on this assignment was to better her position in the organization. More compensation and responsibility translated to more stability and security for Zoey.

Yet here she was risking everything. What had possessed her to go off like that? Guilt? Because she’d secretly coveted Adara’s doting husband who so obviously loved his wife and child and supported them both in every possible way? Of course any woman would secretly wish she had that, but Natalie wasn’t about to steal it to get it.

~ * ~

Natalie is a bit hot-blooded!

And she and Demitri are beginning to show up on the shelves. I was in Kelowna this week and signed a few copies at Chapters. Here I am hanging out with my fellow Canadian author, Jennifer Hayward.

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World (2)

Do you prefer digital? Here are the quick links:

I was about to brag that today is the first day in weeks when I won't get into my car, but I just remembered I have to drive my son to work! He'll be testing for his license in a few weeks and I'm having mixed feelings about that. It will be a relief for both of us, but it's one more step toward an empty nest. sniff

Have a terrific weekend!

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 23, 2015 07:42

May 17, 2015

#SampleSunday - Seduced Into The Greek's World

Would you like one of these signed postcards?

alt

To celebrate the release of the fourth and final book in my Makricosta Dynasty series, I'm sending out these pretty postcards to anyone who asks. Just email me your postal address and let me know you'd like one. I'll be sending them in the next week or so and would love to include you.

I'm starting a new series of #SampleSunday excerpts from Seduced Into The Greek's World today. I'm late posting it, I know. I'm laughing at myself when I say that. I usually prepare these on Friday nights so I can hit publish on Saturday, but I still call them #SampleSunday. This is how my brain works. You should feel pity for my husband.

I didn't have a chance to prepare this one ahead of time, though. I was at the RT Convention in Dallas all last week and on an airplane all day yesterday--sleeping! The Convention was so fun, but exhausting. I was up late talking, talking so much. Which is not hard for me. I love talking. Ask anyone who's met me.

I was also able to catch up with a friend of my parents' while I was in Dallas. I hadn't seen her since I was in grade school. We're Facebook friends and she's on my Christmas Letter list, but we don't stay in touch regularly. That didn't matter! Isn't it amazing when you can sit down with someone and start talking like you were just together yesterday, even when it's been over thirty years? I love that.

I'm sure I'll have more on the convention as the week goes on. To be honest, my brain is pretty fried and I have about eight million emails to answer and--eek--the sorting of receipts from my trip.

I'm feeling a bit of a failure on the shopping score, actually. MrC likes to try new tequilas. When we travel out of Canada for more than 48 hrs, we're allowed to bring back a bottle of spirits so I promised him I'd look for something new for him. I only left the hotel once with friends for dinner, though. He'll have to make do with sampling one of these nice romance novels I brought back from the convention, I guess.

Before I post the excerpt, I wanted to remind you that the Montana Born Bride series authors are hosting a Facebook Bridal Shower on Monday the 18th.

alt

There will be prizes so I hope you'll join us. If you missed any #SampleSunday excerpts from His Blushing Bride, you can find all the links here.

SampleSunday

Here's the opening from Seduced Into The Greek's World, when Demitri catches his first glimpse of Natalie.

~ * ~

HER LAUGH WAS so pure and spontaneous it caused Demitri Makricosta to look away from the Italian beauty flirting with him and seek out the source of the sound. As a connoisseur of fake laughter, often given to offering imitations himself, he found the naturalness of the woman’s chuckle utterly engaging. It was feminine without being girlish or giggly, warm and sexy without being a put-on.

For a moment he didn’t take in anything else but her. Short blond hair swung and fell as she tipped the precision cut backward. Her skin held a pale, translucent quality that made him think her cheek would feel cool but downy soft against his lips. He wondered how her skin smelled. Like summer fruit, maybe. Her profile was feminine and cute, right up to the tilt of her nose, while the rest of her was a study in mouth-watering curves.

Encased in a Makricosta uniform.

Damn, damn and damn.

The disappointment that flooded through him was surprisingly acute.

He took a more thorough tour of her uniform, wishing he didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t the pencil skirt and wispy red jacket over a bowed white top that the French staff wore here in Paris, which gave him a beat of hope. But if she’d been corporate, she’d have only a scarf or tie in company colors as part of her business ensemble.

Unfortunately, those long pants and the warm blazer belonged to one of the Canadian outfits. The Makricosta Elite in Montreal, if he wasn’t mistaken—and he shouldn’t have any doubt because he had final say on every marketing decision in the family hotel chain right down to the front line image of the staff.

He didn’t want to recognize it. That was the problem. His male interest was seriously piqued by the woman wearing it.

Which wasn’t like him. Women were fairly interchangeable for him. He never wondered Who is she? What’s her story? Especially when he already had a female hand resting on his cuff and a voice murmuring, “Bello? What is it?”

“I thought I recognized someone,” he prevaricated, sending his companion a placating smile before glancing once more at the laughing woman—his employee—across the lobby.

She was nodding at someone, tucking her hair coquettishly behind her ear, saying something about email that he read on her lips as noise from different sources echoed across the foyer’s marble floor and pillars.

Curious what kind of man was keeping that bright look on her face, Demitri leaned back on the velvet settee, losing the touch of his prospective afternoon delight as he did.

Gideon.

Shock went through him as he recognized his brother-in-law. Not that Gideon looked as though he was encouraging the woman, but Demitri still rose to his feet in brotherly indignation. His sister had been through a lot, especially a few years ago when Gideon’s PA had intimated to Adara that she and Gideon were having an affair. Demitri wasn’t going to sit here while some fresh tart made a play for Adara’s husband.

“I do recognize him,” he stated grimly. “Excuse me.”

But Gideon and the blonde were already parting ways by the time he rounded the colonnade and approached. The woman swung away with a brisk walk toward the front desk while Gideon glanced up in time to catch sight of Demitri. His expression hardened with determination.

That’s when Demitri remembered he was avoiding the man.

“Good,” Gideon stated as he approached. “I was going to find you before I left. Adara’s birthday. You’ll be there.”

The eye-to-eye, man-to-man directive was annoying, but vaguely reassuring. Demitri liked seeing that Gideon was determined to make his wife happy. When that PA had set her sights on Gideon, Demitri had been on the verge of taking her for a tour himself to keep his sister’s marriage intact. In the end, Gideon had salvaged his own marriage. He’d fired the woman before anything more than a few false and snarky claims had been made. Despite Adara’s worries that Gideon was straying, in reality his devotion to her had never wavered and still appeared rock solid.

Which was good, Demitri supposed. He didn’t wish any more strife on his sister than she’d already weathered, but she was so annoyingly happy. So determined to bring him into the fold of Happily Ever After she’d created for herself. The whole situation with his brothers and all their kids, the number of secrets kept from him… It grated in a way Demitri didn’t like to dig into, so he slid his attention back to the blonde threatening his sister’s happiness and latched on to ensuring she didn’t try anything further with Gideon.

Better that than dealing with Gideon’s demands.

“The date is in my calendar. I’ll try to make it.” Demitri dismissed lightly.

Gideon folded his arms. His roots as a dock rat sailor were visible in the piercing glint of his eye. “Is there a reason you won’t make it a priority?”

Given that Gideon had been part of the family for several years, Demitri didn’t think he had to explain why these reunions Adara kept trying to organize were about as appealing to him as an impacted wisdom tooth.

“I’ll do my best,” he lied.

“Would you?” Gideon said flatly. The words just for once were silently tacked onto the end, loud and clear.

And here came Reason One why he had no desire to be around his family. What are you doing with your life? Hold the baby. Isn’t he adorable? When are you going to quit chasing skirts and settle down?

Demitri mentally projected two words back at his brother-in-law, punctuated them with a tight smile and walked away. Wasn’t it enough that he had stepped up when Adara was pregnant? Hell, the only reason he’d gone into the family business was for her and Theo. Maybe he’d kept his own hours in the early years, but these days he showed up all the time, and kicked ass, if none of them had noticed. They could all play white picket fences with their new babies if they wanted to. He had zero interest in becoming a family man—and would make a terrible one—so they could all back the hell off.

Irritated, he glanced toward the Italian starlet watching him like a spaniel that had heard the car keys. As much as he would welcome the diversion of sex right now—lovemaking was his go-to coping strategy for any sort of tension—he was oddly disinterested in taking her upstairs. The blonde filled a bigger space in his mind, niggling at him.

Maybe she hadn’t meant to cause this brief altercation with Gideon, but animosity toward her still bled into him like adrenaline. He wasn’t so immature he couldn’t figure out that he was blame-shifting. Every time familial obligations tugged at him lately, a wave of anger and rebellion had come over him. Dark, miasmic thoughts sent him in search of self-destruction on one level or another.

Usually he subscribed to being a lover, not a fighter. Forced himself to stay on the sane side of violence, too aware of the streak of it in his father. But nameless rage sat in him whenever he confronted the fact that his only real family, his brother and sister, the two people he trusted unequivocally, had kept him out of the loop on the existence of their oldest brother.

Had they not trusted him? Why had they cut him out like that? The betrayal sliced down the center of connection he felt toward them and pushed him out in the cold. If he didn’t keep a lid on his emotions, his temper would mushroom out like a radiation cloud. It made for a lot of pressure. A cold, hard, dark feeling deep in his core that he refused to deconstruct, afraid of what he might find.

Instead, he channeled it into a wave of icy energy that carried him past the curious looks from the registration desk through to the administration offices where he found the blonde Canadian in a chair cozily nudged up against the hotel manager’s. The guy wasn’t looking at where she pointed on the computer monitor. He was gazing down to where her breasts strained against the fabric of her shirt.

“I need to speak to you,” Demitri said.

~ * ~

Seduced Into The Greek's World releases on Amazon on May 18th and will be on shelves June 1st. You can pre-order from any of these links here:

Do you belong to my newsletter? You can read Dani's May Newsletter here for a sample, to see if you like it. I've heard that I should send it more frequently than once a month, but I think that's enough. What do you think?

I must dash. Today is also unpacking day and buy groceries day and maybe get a walk in with my daughter who leaves tomorrow morning. I definitely need to get back to routine after this whirlwind week. Have a relaxing Sunday.

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 17, 2015 09:05

May 9, 2015

#SampleSunday - His Blushing Bride (4)

RT Convention: If you'd like to connect with me at the RT Convention in Dallas, please look for me at one of the following events:

Wed, May 13, 1:00-1:30pm - Club RT
Thurs, May 14, 11:00-11:30am - Club RT
Thurs, May 14, 1:30-2:30pm - Harlequin Soiree
Fri, May 15, 11:15am-12:15 - Harlequin Panel

I have to leave the book signing early so if you're planning to visit me there, please find me right away.

alt

Big Skies, Hot Guys!

What do you think? Does it work for branding this series? I've been struggling with that.

The good news is, I've learned my lesson about starting a series without a clear vision. While I was away last week, spending copious amounts of time driving alone and with family, I came up with a series idea that I will start later this year.

My daughter wants all the credit, because I told her what I was looking for and we brainstormed. She came up with some character and setting ideas, but it was collaborative, trust me. If she wants a share of the royalties she can do the hard work and write one of these darned books. ;o)

Also, I pointed out she can still earn income from my books after I'm dead so she gets a cut either way.

What this series idea means is, as usual, I've mentally stacked up a ridiculous number of deadlines for myself. And I have now received revisions for the second book in that duet for Harlequin Presents I've been talking about. They're not too onerous, but I do want to finish them before I leave on Tuesday so I'll hurry this along.

Do you belong to my newsletter? Because I revealed a few details about the duet in the newsletter that came out on the 6th. You can read it here:

Dani's May Newsletter

Read all the way to the bottom. It includes a special offer for a signed postcard! Then read all the way to the bottom of this post for a chance to win a print copy of Seduced Into The Greek's World!

This is my last excerpt from His Blushing Bride. It releases May 11th and I have Seduced Into The Greek's World going live on Amazon on the 18th, hitting shelves on June 1st. How do my books keep getting stacked together like this? It's one of the mysteries of publishing.

I'll try to get my #SampleSunday for Seduced Into The Greek's World up next weekend, but I'll still be at RT. Wifi connections can be tricky and I don't know if I'll have time to prepare the post before I leave, so please bear with me if it doesn't show up as scheduled.

Now for this week's:

SampleSunday

Here's what's happened so far:

Piper blushes over Bastian
Bastian likes Piper's blush - and everything else!
Bastian flirts openly

Here Piper shuts him down.

~ * ~

“Things get around, is what I’m saying. Especially at school. I realize it sounds paranoid and backwater. The truth is I don’t really care what people say about me.” Her lips went tight again. She muscled the car down to second as she took a hard corner. “But I have a job working with kids. I can’t have parents thinking I’m screwing around with a drifter before teaching little Suzy how to blow the French horn. Know what I mean?”

Whoa. Colorful with her insults, which was funny, but that was quite an indictment.

“A drifter,” he repeated. Is that how he was coming across? He looked worse than he thought.

“I didn’t mean anything by that,” she muttered, swinging into the grocery store parking lot.

“Yeah, you did,” he said, and decided he’d hold off on clarifying things. It was actually refreshing to be seen as a have-not even if the ‘amount to nothing’ implication was not unfamiliar.

“No, honestly,” she insisted as she parked and yanked up the emergency brake. “I didn’t mean that to sound judgmental. I’m not like that. I wish I were the kind of person who knew how to travel on a shoestring and stay with strangers and not freak out after being robbed. You’d think I would be exactly like that, since Dad brought backpackers home all the time while I was growing up, but I guess I always saw us as the port in the storm, not the adventurers sailing the ship.”

She flipped up the visor, dipped her head to look through the windshield, then did a one-eighty shoulder check out their open windows before continuing.

“The thing is, it was a lot different when Dad brought strangers home and I was nine and my mother was in the house. I don’t think they thought this through when they offered to let you stay. I’m supposed to be a stable influence here, and it really doesn’t look good if... Please stop laughing at me.”

“I’m not. I’m really not,” he said, fighting to control the chuckle that had pushed up from the walls of his chest. “I hear you. It’s a different village, but the same local politics. I just didn’t realize there were still places like this in America. It is the twenty-first century in case everyone was too busy watching Sultry Suburbs to notice.”

“I know, right? But that’s the thing. People love to watch the drama unfold, and if there is no drama, they are more than happy to make it up. I like my job. I like my life here. Please respect that.”

“Message received.” No boyfriend. Keep it discreet.

“Thanks for understanding.” She shot him a relieved grin that hit him right in the middle of his chest.

She climbed from the car so he had a moment to absorb the impact of everything she’d said and wonder exactly what was going on here. He liked women as much as they liked him. Sex was pretty much his favorite pastime, provided the woman in question was interested and wanted to keep things light.

Piper might be responding to him, but not without reservations, and she had just spelled out for him that casual affairs didn’t have a place in her life.

Totally understandable. He did respect everything she’d just said.

His reaction was the disturbing part.

He didn’t like being rebuffed. At all.

~ * ~

His Blushing Bride will release on all platforms May 11th, but if you like to pre-order, you can do that here:
Amazon: US | Cdn | UK | iBooks

If you haven't read the previous books in this series, the quick links are all here:

Giveaways

I'm excited to be participating in Romance Reviews Sizzling Summer Reads Contest! There are tons of prizes offered by a vast array of authors so do check it out.

alt

Of to work on my revisions. I hope your weekend is as glorious weather-wise as ours is shaping up to be! Enjoy it either way.

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 09, 2015 08:11

May 2, 2015

#SampleSunday - His Blushing Bride (3)

Big Skies, Hot Guys!

Save the Date for His Blushing Bride, releasing May 11th!

alt

Welcome to the third instalment of His Blushing Bride!

Before I jump into your #SampleSunday, I wanted to let you know that I turned in the first draft of the second book in that duet for Harlequin Presents I've been talking abut. And they have accepted the first! Whew!

I'll be revealing a few details about these two books in my newsletter coming out May 6th. Do you subscribe? My newsletter is a place for my most loyal fans to get the big news and bonus content first. The easiest way to join is to enter my monthly contest on my website here:

Dani's Contest Page

Now, let's get to your:

SampleSunday

Here's what's happened so far:

Piper blushes over Bastian
Bastian likes Piper's blush - and everything else!

Here they take a quick drive into town. Piper has an appointment and Bastian needs to buy some clothes because his luggage was stolen.

~ * ~

He had to consciously drag his eyes off her legs as she got behind the wheel of the car.

“I was thinking, you probably do know NancyLynn Pruitt,” she chattered as she backed out. “She’s Nancy Parsons, the goody-goody from that show—”

“The actress?” He brought his eyes up from where her breasts were straining against the fabric of her shirt. “Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. She was on that high school soap opera—That’s it,” he said, remembering the name of the show as she said it. “I didn’t watch it, but my sisters loved it. She’s here in Marietta? Why?”

“She grew up here. She’s getting married to Jared Lovell.” She paused at a stop sign and gave him a What do you think of that? brow-lift. “I’m meeting her to talk about the music for the wedding.”

Love ‘em and Leave ‘em Lovell was getting married? Bastian couldn’t help snorting with prediction of disaster.

Piper flung him another glance, this one amused, before turning left at the next light. “Celebrity marriages, right? Lots of people are taking that attitude, but I hope it works out for her. I, um, kind of know her.”

She spoke with the cautious excitement of someone who had never been around celebrities and didn’t know how many of them turned out to be assholes.

“She was older than me, but she came to our house for singing lessons when she was in the beauty pageant. Mom gave them to her for free, ‘cause she couldn’t afford them.” Her tone changed to admiration. “She was so determined to find a ticket out of town. She deserves a happily ever after. She sure doesn’t get any on Sultry Suburbs.”

“Another soap opera of some kind?” he guessed, angling slightly so he could see her better. He ought to be getting his bearings, but the town was small and Piper was infinitely more interesting.

“You haven’t seen it?” The car was a standard and she shifted with confidence, legs moving easily to clutch and accelerate. Her hair ruffled in the light breeze coming in through the open windows. It was probably the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

“I’ve been in South America,” he reminded absently. Her skin looked incredibly smooth, if still winter pale, but that creamy color was riveting. He wanted to touch it.

“You’ve been watching telenovelas then,” she teased.

“Right,” he agreed dryly. He was a little more concerned with genuine human drama, but didn’t have time to say so. She slowed and nosed into an open space alongside the curb, then pointed across the street.

“You want the western shop. Sometimes the boutique up the block has a few pieces of men’s wear, but this is your best bet unless you want to try the thrift store.”

“Jeans and a few shirts is all I’m after,” he said, then frowned as she climbed from her side of the car. “You’re coming in? I thought you had somewhere to go.”

She gave him a look of amused tolerance over the roof of the car. “I’m meeting Nancy at the bridal shop around the corner.” Moving to rest a leather portfolio on the hood, she walked her fingertips through the colored tabs, double-checking the contents.

He leaned his forearm above the windshield, enjoying the way she pursed her lips into a pout of deliberation. He'd bet she alphabetized the hell out of seating plans.

Her head came up as if she suddenly realized he hadn’t moved. “Problem?”

“Just wondering how any of those freshly wired teenaged boys learn anything over at Marietta High. Must be tough to concentrate.”

“What do you mean—” she started to say, then her eyes widened with surprise before doubt flickered. She lowered her lashes, shy and disconcerted. Her brow crinkled and her mouth firmed.

With her cheekbones flaring like brake lights, she said “Grocery store is that way. I’ll be half an hour. Meet you there.”

He touched the tip of his tongue to his bottom lip, realizing she was more unsure of herself than he’d realized. He almost felt like he should apologize for letting her know he was attracted, but he wasn’t sorry. She was so damned cute.

“What if I’m late?” he said instead, flirting openly.

“Then you’ll have to walk.” She pulled out her sternest schoolmistress tone and clipped the strap closed on her portfolio.

Oh, punish me, teach. Please.

Her gaze came up for his response, but he only offered his most appreciative smile, making zero effort to show he liked that tartness under the sweet.

A flash of vulnerability went through her expression and she dropped her gaze, then pivoted to skip onto the sidewalk and start down the block.

“Hey,” he called.

“Yes?” She spun back, definitely testy.

Must be the heat.

“Be careful,” he warned. “Hollywood thinks the universe revolves around them. Don’t let anyone push you around.”

“I work with teenaged boys all day,” she scoffed, brows lifting in a way that lumped him in with them. “They think the same thing. I never let them get away with it.”

Cute and tough. Absolutely perfect.

He watched her walk away, so enamored with her legs it was bordering on lechery. The next few weeks were going to be hard. Really, really hard.

He was going to be really, really hard

~ * ~

His Blushing Bride will release on all platforms May 11th, but if you like to pre-order, you can do that here:
Amazon: US | Cdn | UK | iBooks

If you haven't read the previous books in this series, the quick links are all here:

Time is running out on my Goodreads Giveaway! It ends May 4th. Enter here:

.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px;
font-style: normal; background: white; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; }
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink {
display: inline-block;
color: #181818;
background-color: #F6F6EE;
border: 1px solid #9D8A78;
border-radius: 3px;
font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
font-weight: bold;
text-decoration: none;
outline: none;
font-size: 13px;
padding: 8px 12px;
}
.goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover {
color: #181818;
background-color: #F7F2ED;
border: 1px solid #AFAFAF;
text-decoration: none;
}

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Seduced into the Greek's World

by Dani Collins

Giveaway ends May 04, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

I'll be traveling a lot over the month of May, (I'm in a hotel room right now!) but follow me on social media and you'll stay up to date on where I'm at and what I'm up to. You might even catch a few photos of the Rockies or other nice snaps if I remember to take any!

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Have a terrific weekend!

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 02, 2015 08:58

#SampleSunay - His Blushing Bride (3)

Big Skies, Hot Guys!

Save the Date for His Blushing Bride, releasing May 11th!

alt

Welcome to the third instalment of His Blushing Bride!

Dani's Contest Page

Now, let's get to your:

SampleSunday

Here's what's happened so far:

Piper blushes over Bastian
Bastian likes Piper's blush - and everything else!

Here they take a quick drive into town. Piper has an appointment and Bastian needs to buy some clothes because his luggage was stolen.

~ * ~

He had to consciously drag his eyes off her legs as she got behind the wheel of the car.

“I was thinking, you probably do know NancyLynn Pruitt,” she chattered as she backed out. “She’s Nancy Parsons, the goody-goody from that show—”

Love ‘em and Leave ‘em Lovell was getting married? Bastian couldn’t help snorting with prediction of disaster.

She spoke with the cautious excitement of someone who had never been around celebrities and didn’t know how many of them turned out to be assholes.

“Another soap opera of some kind?” he guessed, angling slightly so he could see her better. He ought to be getting his bearings, but the town was small and Piper was infinitely more interesting.

“I’ve been in South America,” he reminded absently. Her skin looked incredibly smooth, if still winter pale, but that creamy color was riveting. He wanted to touch it.

“You’ve been watching telenovelas then,” she teased.

“You want the western shop. Sometimes the boutique up the block has a few pieces of men’s wear, but this is your best bet unless you want to try the thrift store.”

“Jeans and a few shirts is all I’m after,” he said, then frowned as she climbed from her side of the car. “You’re coming in? I thought you had somewhere to go.”

He leaned his forearm above the windshield, enjoying the way she pursed her lips into a pout of deliberation. He'd bet she alphabetized the hell out of seating plans.

Her head came up as if she suddenly realized he hadn’t moved. “Problem?”

“Just wondering how any of those freshly wired teenaged boys learn anything over at Marietta High. Must be tough to concentrate.”

“What do you mean—” she started to say, then her eyes widened with surprise before doubt flickered. She lowered her lashes, shy and disconcerted. Her brow crinkled and her mouth firmed.

With her cheekbones flaring like brake lights, she said “Grocery store is that way. I’ll be half an hour. Meet you there.”

“What if I’m late?” he said instead, flirting openly.

“Then you’ll have to walk.” She pulled out her sternest schoolmistress tone and clipped the strap closed on her portfolio.

Oh, punish me, teach. Please.

Her gaze came up for his response, but he only offered his most appreciative smile, making zero effort to show he liked that tartness under the sweet.

A flash of vulnerability went through her expression and she dropped her gaze, then pivoted to skip onto the sidewalk and start down the block.

“Hey,” he called.

“Yes?” She spun back, definitely testy.

Must be the heat.

“Be careful,” he warned. “Hollywood thinks the universe revolves around them. Don’t let anyone push you around.”

“I work with teenaged boys all day,” she scoffed, brows lifting in a way that lumped him in with them. “They think the same thing. I never let them get away with it.”

Cute and tough. Absolutely perfect.

He watched her walk away, so enamored with her legs it was bordering on lechery. The next few weeks were going to be hard. Really, really hard.

He was going to be really, really hard

~ * ~

His Blushing Bride will release on all platforms May 11th, but if you like to pre-order, you can do that here:
Amazon: US | Cdn | UK | iBooks

If you haven't read the previous books in this series, the quick links are all here:

Time is running out on my Goodreads Giveaway! It ends May 4th. Enter here:

Seduced into the Greek's World

by Dani Collins

Giveaway ends May 04, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to Win

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest

Have a terrific weekend!

View more on Dani Collins's website »

Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on May 02, 2015 08:58

April 25, 2015

#SampleSunday - His Blushing Bride (2)

Advance praise for His Blushing Bride on Netgalley:

"I am not good with words, but this book is a must read.... Get it today, it will pull on your heart strings. It hooks, you from the first page till the end!" ~ 5 stars

alt

Thank you to everyone who takes time to offer up reviews on Goodreads, Amazon, or simply telling a friend. It's so helpful to authors. We really do appreciate it!

I'm working hard to finish up the second book in my Presents duet. As I write this post, I'm about five thousand words from The End and I want to be finished by Tuesday, when I have to run out of town for a week.

It sounds like a piece of cake, right? I've written five thousand in a day before, but I don't want to jinx anything. I'm hoping that if I take my time and get it right, I won't have to rewrite the ending to death.

I have to prepare for the RT Convention, too, which is a week's worth of stressing about packing, but my brain just can't move past getting to The End. Then I'll start stressing about that other stuff.

For now, let's get you your:

SampleSunday

Last week we saw Piper's first glimspe of Bastian. Today we'll see his side of their first meet:

~ * ~

Bastion watched—and grinned—as Piper headed up the outside stairs on the side of the detached garage. The backs of her knees flashed from the short slit in her navy blue skirt. A stripe of red on the back of her heels matched the narrow strip of red that belted her white shirt. She was definitely working the hot teacher angle.

It was definitely working on him.

Even if she looked a shade too young for him. Not young, actually. If she was teaching she had to be mid-twenties. No, she seemed innocent. Inexperienced. Her reaction had been something like when his niece’s girlfriends met him and fell into an instant crush. They tended to giggle and blush—which had been an exciting reaction when he’d been a teenager himself, but these days just made him shake his head at having ever been so young.

Not that Piper had acted quite that immature, but she definitely didn’t have a handle on her reaction. Women her age, with a track record and an interest, usually looked at him with invitation. That, he liked.

If she’d waved him in with something like that, he would be upstairs with her right now. She was cute. Her blond hair looked glossy and soft, her brown eyes warm and confident despite the air of jittery shyness she projected. The way she’d angled her face told him she was self-conscious about the birthmark on her cheek, which maybe accounted for some of her wariness. He wanted to say, Forget about it. I already have.

He wondered how she’d react if he told her he was feeling all the same sparks and runs of heat, just hiding it better.

He hadn’t expected that. He’d seen the twinkle of a set up in Piper’s mother’s eye as she’d offered their house, mentioning that Piper could use the help with the dog since she was so busy. There’d been a note of caution—protectiveness maybe—in Henry’s tone as he’d agreed that of course Bastian could use their house.

Bastian had read the undercurrents and figured he’d be facing a woman of marriageable age, but Piper was no desperate spinster who needed her mother to find her a husband. That was serious temptation living a short fumble in the dark away. Good thing he knew how to keep a lid on his libido, because he was really tempted.

But he wasn’t about to repay his hosts’ kindness by banging their daughter. The Tierneys were obviously solid folk and Piper struck him as equally conservative. Best to keep her on the no fly list. He was only here a few weeks then heading home to California anyway. An affair would be awesome, amazing, a huge relief, really. But wasn’t going to happen. Not here. Not with Piper.

Stepping into the house, he glanced around the laundry room, then walked through to the living area. It was a standard American bungalow, very middle-class and modest, like its owners. At the same time, it was luxury compared to some of the places he’d been staying. In those one-room shacks, the kitchen had usually been a single hotplate burner, the pantry a box about the size of a milk crate. If it had a tap, the water was cold. Refrigeration had been non-existent.

Scratching the prickling stubble on his jaw, he decided it was probably a good thing he’d come here instead of going straight back to L.A. The electricity and television were going to be culture shock enough, he thought wryly.

The old-fashioned landline and phone book were quaintly familiar, though. He used them to let Liz know he was in town and made plans to drive out and see her tomorrow. He was beat from over thirty hours of non-stop travel and tempted to fall on his face, but he would power through to the end of the day and hope to adjust his body clock quickly.

Besides, he wanted to talk more with Piper. He wasn’t going to make any moves, but flirting was harmless.

He watched her through the window over the sink, as she descended the stairs and he drank a glass of water. She’d changed into a pair of blue shorts and a white and blue striped T-shirt, losing the heels for a pair of open-toed flat sandals. Her legs were really nice. Long and slender with enough muscle and curve to make them very appealing. She’d tidied her ponytail, but otherwise didn’t look like she’d dressed to impress.

Maybe she isn’t interested, Bloom. Maybe you’re seeing something that’s not there.

He wasn’t at his best that was for sure. But even scruffy and decidedly white in a Latino and indigenous landscape, he’d garnered more than his share of female attention. Girls liked him. They always had.

“Are you going to behave yourself?” he heard Piper ask.

She was talking to Charlie, but he mentally answered with a beleaguered, I’ll try.

Charlie was acting like he hadn’t seen her in days. She bent to pet him and her shorts snugged her backside, making Bastian itch to take his time fondling and getting to know those bare thighs and plump cheeks.

He swallowed another gulp of cold water.

“If you bark, Mrs. Clements will tell me. Don’t think I won’t find out. Hear me? Ready?” she asked Bastian as she straightened, cheeks flushed, gaze skittering away from his.

She might not be interested, but she was definitely feeling the chemistry.

He patted for his wallet and nodded, silently letting out a slow breath as he took in the way her shirt hugged her breasts. Not heavy, but very nice.

He came to the door, but she didn’t move.

“I’ll just, um,” she edged around him in the small laundry room, taking a key off the hook behind his shoulder, giving him a whiff of girly smells and toothpaste. “Wait a sec before you lock it.” She grabbed a handful of kibble and stepped outside to throw it into the lawn. One foot came up and so did her shorts as she leaned over the rail, exposing even more of the backs of her thighs.

Dear God. Was she trying to kill him?

~ * ~

His Blushing Bride will release on all platforms May 11th, but if you like to pre-order, you can do that here:
Amazon: US | Cdn | UK | iBooks

If you haven't read the previous books in this series, the quick links are all here: