Romance Weekly | Dani Jace. Romance Author

If you arrived here via Xio Axelrod you know it’s Flash Fiction week for the Romance Writers Weekly crew! Here’s our inspiration pic.

Shadowed faces flickered in the light of the bonfire as Ray scanned the crowd dressed in jeans and hoodies. Rock music blended with the rumbling surf a few yards away. He’d always felt at home at his buddy’s beach house, but with Bobby’s sister away at college it wasn’t the same.

Tonight, Jo would turn twenty-one. He’d stolen a kiss from her on her sixteenth birthday on a nearby dune. And wouldn’t you know big brother, Bobby, appeared out of nowhere, probably sent by their dad. Ray dreamt of so much more, but loved Jo too much to press beyond that tender affection.

He’d taken for granted there was plenty of time to reveal his feelings before she left for California, but then her father suddenly died in a car accident. Bobby begged him not to confuse her. Let her fulfill her dream before interfering in her life.

So he let her go without a word… just a taste of her lips, plump and sweet with a hint of the sea. Her intake of breath revealed surprise. With slow determination he worshiped her mouth allowing her know he would be as thorough with her body.

Her lips responded, parting for his tongue to graze hers in a sensual glide. The only air he needed belonged to her. Lost in those seconds he knew he’d wait as long as necessary for her to return home and hopefully to him.

At the stroke of her birthday, he pressed her number on his cell. One, two, three rings. His heart hammered, losing hope.

“Ray?” His name sounded breathless.

“Happy birthday, Dahlin.”

“You remembered.” Her voice caressed his ear.

“Of course, we’re celebrating in your honor. Wish you were home.”

“Me too…so tell me…would your birthday kiss be as sweet as the one you gave me at the airport when you said goodbye?”

“How about I catch the next flight to Cali and let you decide.”

These characters are from my soon to be published novel, Hot as Blazes. This could be prequel scene before the book begins but would be wishful thinking on Ray’s with regard to her question about his kiss. She is as blind to his love as he is to hers and both are fearful of losing their long time friendship. Now hop on over for Fiona Riplee‘s story.

This week’s questions for our author group are from Beth Carter. Hope you’ve already visited with Carrie Elks. Now, let’s get to it:

What’s your favorite aspect of novel writing? Dialogue? Setting? Conflict? Narration? Explain.

I enjoy dialog and it shows in my writing style. It’s fun to work in verbal irony because most people say one thing and mean another. I try to weave setting and conflict in during character interaction. I tend to use narration in sequels after a scene ends in conflict. I love to write snarky dialog and internal monolog. Having worked in such an environment for a long time, I learned sarcastic humor that’s now serves me.

The original Dune Burger on the Outer Banks in the Town of Nags Head. Jennette’s Pier is located across the beach road.

How do you choose the setting for your plot? Are they always similar settings or does it vary? (i.e., small town, big city, castle, etc.) I write contemporary and have based my brand on local beach areas in coastal Virginia and North Carolina. Thus far, I’ve only set my characters in suburbia or small towns. Although the Outer Banks is far from small town anymore, my hero is a firefighter in the area, which has a small public safety community, and lends to a small town feel.

I’m a big six-word memoir fan. (Hemingway even wrote one.) Describe your writing day using just six words.

Coffee, computer, and gnashing of teeth.

My novella, White Doe, turns a year old this week and is 99c on Amazon. I’ll be interviewing Shane, my hero on Cocky Confessions this Friday. Stop by and see what a sexy, Native American shifter has to confess 😉 Now it time for your to check out Mikki Cober answers.