Interview with Dani Collins, author of The Ultimate Seduction and a giveaway too

After a brilliant debut in the UK with No Longer Forbidden, a Mills & Boon Modern Book Of The Month January 2013, Dani’s first Harlequin Presents, Proof Of Their Sin, won the

Reviewer’s Choice by Romantic Times Book Reviews for Best First In Series. While her focus is Harlequin Presents, Dani also writes romantic comedy, medieval fantasy, and coming August of 2014, erotic romance. Whatever the genre, she always delivers sexy alpha heroes, witty, spirited heroines, complex emotions and loads of passion.

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Enter Dani Collins’ Masked Desires Contest for a chance to express your secret desires from behind a masquerade mask.

Dani was kind enough to let me interrogate, I mean interview her.  Here is what she wanted to share:

What part of writing do you find the most challenging? The most enjoyable?

Tough question! Trying to be fresh and original is the hard part. Sitting down and just immersing in the process is the best part. In the same way I read to escape, I write to escape.

What do you hope people get out of reading your book? I hope they come away uplifted and feeling like all is right with the world. Life can be really hard for all of us at different times. We all need a break from it and I hope I provide that. :-) That is usually why I read. It is awesome that your books provide comfort.

What are you working on and when can we expect it to be out? I just had my first Sheikh accepted for Harlequin Presents. Look for that one in March. Now I’m working on a Christmas novella for Tule’s Montana Born imprint.

What is your favorite summer activity and/or treat? If I can nap on the beach, I am the happiest person in the world. Read a book, have a swim, then snooze a bit. Bliss! I’m a freshwater girl and we live near a lake, not on it, but we see it from the kitchen window. I often walk down or just take a quick spin over to the beach for a five minute cool off before bed. I love summer! That sounds divine!

What does your Labor Day itinerary include? Oh gosh, are we thinking that far ahead already? When the kids were small, that weekend was all about Get Back To School stuff. Now that I’m writing full time, it won’t even be a long weekend for me. But our little beach town clears out that weekend and the weather is still very fine. You’ll probably find me on the uncrowded sand, talking to other locals about how we finally get to have the place to ourselves.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? I try not to eat it. It makes me so grouchy. I don’t know why. But when I’m weak, I go for the ones with bits of caramel and toffee in them.

Do you prefer to go to the theater or wait for the DVD? Movie house popcorn is the best! One of my favorite things ever is to have movie popcorn for supper on a Friday night. Alas, given it’s horrifically unhealthy, I don’t do it very often.

What is a trait, characteristic, feature, quality, attribute, idiosyncrasy, mannerism, peculiarity, or quirk that is unique to you? I hate for people to see my writing while it’s still in process. Like, if my kids or husband walks in, I always switch the screen to a blank page. It doesn’t bother me too much to show my work to an editor, so long as I’ve given it a reasonable copy edit and know there aren’t glaring errors, but I don’t like people to read my grocery list for heaven’s sake. I don’t know why. Okaaaay!

What is your favorite or least favorite veggie and fruit? Favorite: Watermelon, hands down. I don’t care for cooked mushrooms. I’ll eat them raw, but I avoid them cooked.

What types or genres of books do you like to read? I’ll read anything so long as it’s romance. I want my happily ever after, but it can be anything from YA to paranormal to erotic. Harlequin Presents is my go to, of course.

What type of music do you listen to? Lately a lot of 70’s, but my kids listen to a lot of pop so I wind up familiar with some of that and don’t mind it.

What is your biggest weakness? I’m a bit of a workaholic. I can’t seem to say ‘no.’ I know I need to slow down and quit taking on so much. That’s my goal by the end of the year.

What is your summer beverage of choice? White wine, which I’m trying to avoid because I’ll drink it like water in this heat. Better to stay with water, you know? ;-) LOL!

Would we find you inside or outside? Sadly, being a workaholic, I’m too often inside, but I do make a point of walking every day and getting my beach time in. I’m trying to balance my life better so hopefully, in future, you will see me outside more often.

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BLURB:

"I'm about to make you an offer you can't refuse."

Tiffany Davis takes her first delicious step into the exclusive masquerade ball hosted by the secretive Q Virtus gentleman's club. Here, behind the mask, Tiffany can hide her scars and reveal her true self—a powerful businesswoman with an offer for the president of Bregnovia, Ryzard Vrbancic.

Astounded by her audacity, only the fire in Tiffany's eyes makes Ryzard look twice. He has no interest in her business deal, but the promise of a woman who can match his ruthless determination makes him eager to seduce from her the one thing she's not offering….

EXCERPT:

Ryzard followed the man’s gaze and his entire being crackled to attention.

Well beyond the pool’s light, in a corner mostly blocked by a buffet table and ice sculpture, a woman undulated like a cobra, utterly fascinating in her hypnotic movements timed perfectly with the music. Her splayed hands slid down her body with sexy knowledge, her hips popped in time to the beat, and her feet kick-stepped into motion.

She twirled. The motion lifted her brassy curls like a skirt before she planted her feet wide and swayed her weight between them. The flex of her spine gave way to a roll of her hips, and she was back into motion again.

Setting down his drink, Ryzard beelined toward her. He couldn’t tell if the woman had a partner, but it didn’t matter. He was cutting in.

She was alone, lifting her arms to gather her hair, eyes closed as she felt the music as much as heard it. She arched and stretched—

He caught her around the waist and used the shocked press of her hands at his shoulders to push her into accepting his lead, stepping into her space, then retreating, bringing her with him. As he moved her into a side step, she recovered, matching his move while her gaze pinned to his.

He couldn’t tell what color her eyes were. The light was too low, her feathery mask shadowing her gaze into twin glinting lights, but he reacted to the fixation in them. She was deciding whether to accept him.

A rush of excitement for the challenge ran through him. After a few more quick steps, he swung her into half pivots, catching each of her wrists in turn, one bare, one clad in silk, enjoying the flash of her bare knee through the slit of her skirt.

How had she been overlooked by every man here? She was exquisite.

Lifting her hand over her head, he spun her around then clasped her shoulder blades into his chest. Her buttocks—fine, firm, round globes as if heaven had sent him a valentine—pressed into his lap. Bending her before him, he buried his nose in her hair and inhaled, then followed her push to straighten and matched the sway of her hips with his own.

Tiffany’s heart pounded so hard she thought it would escape her chest. One second she’d been slightly drunk, lost in the joy of letting the salsa rhythm control her muscles. Now a stranger was doing it. And doing it well. He pulled her around into a waltz stance that he quickly shifted so they grazed each other’s sides, left, right, left.

She kicked each time, surprised how easily the movements came back to her. It had been years, but this man knew what he was doing, sliding her slowly behind his back, then catching her hand on the other side. He pushed her to back up a step, bringing one of her arms behind his head, the other behind her own. A few backward steps and they were connected by only one hand, arms outstretched, then he spun her back into him, catching her into his chest.

He stopped.

The conga beat pulsed through her as he ran his hands down her sides. Her own flew to cover his knuckles, but she didn’t stop him. It felt too amazing. His fingertips grazed the sides of her breasts, flexed into the taut muscles of her waist and clasped her hips to push them in a hula circle that he followed with his own, his crotch pressed tight to her buttocks.

Sensual pleasure electrified her. No one touched her anymore. After being a genderless automaton for so long, she was a woman again, alive, capable of captivating and enticing a man. She nudged her hips into his and flashed a cheeky glance back at him.


This one is on my TBR list!

Is it on yours?

Do you have a question or comment for Dani?


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