The Danger With Love
Amanda Siegrist
Publication date: April 25th 2017
Genres: Adult, Romance
A beautiful wedding. An exquisite dress. A night to remember. If only she were the bride. Sarafina just wants her fairytale ending like all her friends, but she seems doomed to always be the bridesmaid. Until she runs into him—the groomsman walking her down the aisle. She might be attracted to him, but he screams nothing but trouble.
Special Agent Dax Delcroy never wanted this assignment. Being old college roommates with the groom meant the case was his anyway. Get in and get out. Get the information to take down the bride’s father, the most ruthless mobster in the city. It should all be so easy. Except nothing is easy the minute he meets her.
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EXCERPT:
Sitting next to this woman and listening to her aggravating laugh was enough to want to put a bullet through his head. The minute Lora Chilani slid up to him, wrapping her arms around him, he knew he had a great opening into the affairs of the Chilani family. A quick glance at Sarafina had him hesitating, but only for a moment.
He was here to do a job, not fall in love. Sarafina did not register on his scale of priorities, even if he wanted to send her to the top.Snuggling Lora closer to his body as he laughed at her flirting that did nothing for him, he reinforced the decision to do his job without further distractions.
Because that’s what Sarafina was. A simple distraction. He couldn’t afford even a small one. The tiniest distraction could get him killed. That was the last thing he wanted to do today. He wasn’t ready to die.
But that damn distraction was sitting right next to him, bundled so close to his body, it was difficult not to turn and mold her more perfectly to his frame. And she smelled delicious. A sweet scent of vanilla and lavender. Perhaps her shampoo. Or maybe some sort of hairspray as her hair look coiled to perfection. Or his favorite, a lovely fragrance from a perfume bottle. He always loved a woman wearing a light, airy perfume that enticed him to come closer.
That’s exactly what her scent was doing to him. He wanted to get so close it would be indecent in front of everyone.
“So, what do you do, Dax? With all the crazy details with the wedding, Ryan barely had a chance to tell us more about you,” Lora crooned.
“Business. I work on Wall Street. The details are rather boring and tedious. I’d rather hear more about you.” After speaking that lie, he touched the tip of her nose delicately as if he really wanted to know more about her.
Sarafina shivered next to him. Damn, was she still cold? It would be okay to give her his coat now, except he had this other horrid woman hanging off him. She was either cold, like she claimed before, or her body struggled to keep up with the craziness of the day. Did she really eat like she said she did?
Focus. She is not your concern.
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AUTHOR Q&A:
Where did the inspiration come from for The Danger With Love?
I’ve always been a fan of Harlequin since I was younger. When I first started to contemplate becoming an author, I stumbled upon Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest in 2014. I didn’t make it into the Top 50, but it taught me one very important thing that I should’ve known. Lol Your first chapter should hook the reader. My first chapter didn’t do that. At. All. In 2015, I did much better and actually made the Top 55. Best feeling ever! So, for 2016’s contest, I started planning way in advance for a great story. And what happened…they stopped the contest! *chuckles* Well, I’m still not sure what imprint line I would’ve put The Danger With Love in the contest, so I guess it’s okay.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author (marketing/promo, writing, etc)?
Keep at it! As long as you enjoy what you’re doing, then keep at it. It’s not easy sometimes. Marketing takes a lot of hard work, but in the end, it’s worth it all. I’ve met new readers and connected with other amazing authors. And book bloggers—they are the best! I enjoy meeting new people and talking about something I love. Reading and writing! I think it’s okay to think outside the box and try new things. You’re going to hear a lot out there about what you should do (HAVE to do). Personally, I think you should do what YOU want to do. Not what others say. Take advice, listen, think about it, and make a decision that best suits your needs. Follow your gut! I believe that can be beneficial in all aspects of your career—writing, marketing, promoting. If you have that feeling you should do it, then go for it. Learning from your mistakes can be fun. Lol. Trust me, we all make mistakes. *raises hand* I came into this wonderful world of self-publishing not knowing anything. Not one thing. I’m sure there are still tons I don’t know. But I’m having fun, learning, and I enjoy going to ‘work’ every day! People might not consider what I have as success (I’m no bestseller…yet *wink*), but I’m successful. I enjoy what I do, I’m having fun while I’m doing it, and I’m meeting other awesome readers, bloggers, and authors. Success is defined in your own way.
How do you make sure your characters are unique from book to book (their own voices, distinct personalities)?
This is always hard to do. I hope I’m doing it. Lol. My writing technique is probably just as unique as the next author. I don’t plot. At all. I’m a pantser, all the way. An idea comes to me and I sit down and just start writing. I’m not lying when I say I have a thought in my head how a scene will go and suddenly I’m writing something completely opposite of what I thought. That’s my character taking control, telling me how it’s gonna be. They just know. Yes. The voices talk to me. *giggles* I always try to give each of them their own little quirk. Like in The Danger With Love, Sarafina never swears. Ever. She loves to say jeepers and darnation instead of just saying damn it! No characters in my other books say that. It’s just little things like that that make each character stand out and unique in their own way.
Where do your story ideas come from?
Anywhere and everywhere. Honestly, I’m not too sure. Lol. I never plot, so sometimes I don’t know how a story is going to go until it’s flying out as I’m typing like a mad woman. The Danger With Love was created when I participated in a weekend writing challenge with Harlequin. They asked for a short scene where a bridesmaid meets the groomsman, who will be walking her down the aisle, for the
first time. And there Sarafina and Dax was born! Based on that short scene, I had a generalized idea of what was going to happen and decided to make it into a full story. Usually about half way through I do get a small idea how I want it to end. Then sometimes, I don’t know until I’m almost finished. What can I say? I really have no rhyme or reason with my ideas. They just come and go.
How do you choose the names of your characters?
Google is my best friend. Lol. No joke! I try not to use the same name from a previous book, unless it’s a minor, minor character, then I don’t mind so much. I also don’t generally like to use names of people I know. It might happen on occasion, but never for a main character. I want my character to have their own uniqueness and if I used the name of someone I know it wouldn’t feel unique to me. Sarafina and Dax just popped in my head. There was no googling with them. Actually, Dax’s full name is Daxton. I just love that name so much! Don’t ask me why. Lol I have no idea why.
Writer’s block, does it ever plague you?
I have to say no. I haven’t really had this happen to me. Sometimes the middle goes a little slow, the scenes taking me longer than I like, but I’ve never been stumped where I couldn’t keep writing. It’s not necessarily writer’s block, but I’ve had times where I don’t feel like writing. That’s usually when I’ve taken a break (due to vacation or life getting in the way) and can’t seem to find the energy to pull the computer out. I try really hard not to let that happen. Even if I sit down and write 100 words, I’ve accomplished something. I love to say, one word written is better than none. Always keep that in mind! You can do it!
Any last thoughts?
I’d like to thank you for having me on your blog! It’s always a pleasure to share my thoughts and meet new people. Writing is a passion of mine. It’s so much fun to sit down, create a story, and share it with others. Expect many more stories from me! Have a wonderful day
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Author Bio:
I love anything that has to do with romance. As long as there's a happy ending, I'm a happy camper. I love baseball (Go Twins!) and creating awesome crafts. I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice, working in that field for several years before I became a stay-at-home mom. When I'm not hanging out with my wonderful family, I'm writing a sweet contemporary romance or a romantic suspense that keeps you guessing until the end. I have a few more amazing stories in the works. If you would like to connect with me or see important news, head to my website at http://www.amandasiegrist.com. Or you can also check out my Facebook Page or follow me on Twitter (@amanda_siegrist). Thanks for reading!
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