Outer Banks NC | Dani Jace. Romance Author

This week’s question for Romance Writers Weekly authors is from A.S. Fenichel. “Where is your favorite place in the world and why? Share some pictures if you can. Does this place wind up in your books?”

Hope you’ve already visited Jenna Da Sie who is ahead of me on the hop.

Fortunately, my favorite happy place is nearby. Only seventy miles south of home lies the Outer Banks, affectionately known as OBX. The beautiful and serene string of barrier islands, begins at the southeastern coast of Virginia and and continues along North Carolina. The two hundred miles of islands are linked to multiple Sounds that receive water from the Atlantic. The Outer Banks has been my vacation spot and weekend getaway since I was a teen. Although the various small towns have boomed over the last four decades, hosting millions of visitors a year, the Outer Banks will always be my favorite place in the world as well as my home away from home. With a small lottery win, I’d make it my retirement home!

I based my novel, Hot as Blazes, in the town of Nags Head, where we stay during summer vacation. I love the rangy dunes on the less commercial beaches of the area. From your quiet beach house getaway you can drive five minutes up the road and have a choice of a smorgasbord of restaurants and shopping experiences.

Over the years, we’ve stayed on the same street as have many other families who have become our beach family. The kids have grown up together and I wouldn’t be surprised if the tradition continues when they have families of their own.

My love of the Outer Banks, it has become part of my author brand, prompting my Seaside Heat Romance series. Hope you’ll check out Leslie Hachtel’s favorite place. Here’s some pics of my favorite place, OBX.

Hot as Blazes, my first release with Lyrical is out today! I’m so excited about this steamy contemporary romance about Jo Mercer who returns home to the Outer Banks after her life has taken an unexpected turn.

To celebrate, I’m giving away a couple of (US) e-book copies of Hot as Blazes on the Kensington Sizzle Summer Releases Facebook event. The party starts at 7:00 pm and goes until 10:00 pm. Join me and other romance authors, Kimberly Kincaid, Jenna Jaxon, Annabeth Albert, Gail Chianese, and Sara Walter Ellwood.

Here’s a snippet from chapter one:

The dated Shaker-shingle beach house brought Jo Mercer to tears. She’d doubted ever seeing it again. After parking, she wiped her eyes and patted the dash of her dad’s classic Bronco her brother, Bobby, had left at the airport for her.

As she stepped out of the truck, a warm Outer Banks sea breeze kissed her cheeks. Dune grasses waved in welcome. Home. The only sweeter thing would have been a husky Dahlin’ from Bobby’s best friend, Ray. Unfortunately, her stealth homecoming prevented opportunity. Ray was the last one she wanted to know her big California surfing dream had ended like a movie of the week crime drama.

By the dunes sat a black H1 Hummer, chrome surf rack glittering in the afternoon sun. It displayed a firefighter license plate. Probably one of Bobby’s friends. She climbed the steps to the house, unlocked the side door, and stepped inside.

The fragrant cedar aroma drew her into a familiar bare bones décor consisting of a big screen TV, over-sized recliner, and sofa with a couple of end tables. She skimmed her fingers along the worn flagstone fireplace mantle before reaching her father’s flag. So hard to believe he was gone.

Outside, the shower door slammed. Jo secured her sunglasses and headed down the deck stairs.

Broad back muscles stretched the Nags Head fire department logo on the man’s shirt as he racked his surfboard. Behind a pair of wraparound shades, he eyed her. “Bobby’s gone for the weekend.”

Her dad had been a captain for Nags Head. “Yeah, I know. How were the waves?”

His smile seemed familiar. He whipped off his shades and closed the distance. “Jo!”

“Ray?” She nearly toppled from her platform flip-flops as huge biceps wrapped her in a bear hug that left her toes dangling. His touch shot through her veins like straight whiskey.

“Bobby didn’t mention you were coming home, Dahlin’.” His pale blue eyes held her captive and his southern twang brought her home faster than a jet from LAX.

The sexy sound of her pet name made her stutter. “Ahh, it was last minute.”

Well over six foot, her high school surfing buddy had grown into a man with a body rivaling most NFL tight ends. He squinted and cocked his head.

With her lifelong fantasy standing so close, coherent sentences failed her. She poked the firefighter seal over his rock hard pectoral. “So what’s this?”

Hope you enjoyed the excerpt. Hot as Blazes is available at all major e-book retailers. Feel the heat at: Amazon B&N All Romance

Seaside Heat Romance