Jess Taylor and Derek Daley were in the throes of first love in a small Vermont town when they were kidnapped by a serial killer. They escaped his clutches—but not the trauma of the unsolved crime. With their lives changed forever and their romance cut short, they went their separate ways to exorcise their fears.
Jess is living on the edge as Hollywood’s hottest stuntwoman. It’s no longer terror thrumming through her veins. It’s adrenaline. Derek is a former Navy SEAL spinning his ordeals into heart-pounding bestselling thrillers. But when Jess is called home on a family emergency, she must face the past—and face the man she left behind, who is just as haunted and, like her, still so much in love.
Now, as an old flame reignites, Jess and Derek are taking advantage of second chances and putting their bad memories behind them. But here, in the quiet town of Taylorville, a killer is getting a second chance as well.
What I've learned while writing Threat of Danger...
For one, I've learned a lot about the maple syrup industry. (Sadly, I'm sure I still got some things wrong.) I had so much fun with this research. Did you know that Canada has maple syrup reserves? (Like the United States has oil reserves, keeping extra oil buried in underground salt caverns to use in an emergency.) The Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers has warehouses full of maple syrup. A few years ago, thieves broke in and stole about $30 million dollars worth of syrup! Somebody seriously needs to write a book about that. I'm sure Canada has built their reserves back up since then. I like the idea of people taking sugar seriously! I'm practically made of sugar. :0)
I also enjoyed learning about stunt women and how different their work is from the men. Men in action movies are usually fully closed. This makes it easy to hide protective gear and padding under their clothes. Actresses, on the other hand, often run around in bikinis, or their underwear, or skimpy outfits (see Charlie's angels, Wonder Woman, etc. etc.) Since the stunt woman has to wear the same outfit, it doesn't allow for padding. It's a lot easier for stunt women to get burned/scratched/cut/hurt.
This is why I love writing. I always learn a ton of fascinating stuff. And I love passing these tidbits along to my readers.
Happy reading!
I also enjoyed learning about stunt women and how different their work is from the men. Men in action movies are usually fully closed. This makes it easy to hide protective gear and padding under their clothes. Actresses, on the other hand, often run around in bikinis, or their underwear, or skimpy outfits (see Charlie's angels, Wonder Woman, etc. etc.) Since the stunt woman has to wear the same outfit, it doesn't allow for padding. It's a lot easier for stunt women to get burned/scratched/cut/hurt.
This is why I love writing. I always learn a ton of fascinating stuff. And I love passing these tidbits along to my readers.
Happy reading!
Common sense said to walk away. She’d worked hard to make a life for herself in LA that worked for her.
Screw common sense. He stepped forward and reached around her, looped his fingers around her slim wrists, and tugged her hands from her pockets. Then he took those hands and drew her closer to him.
“Derek . . .”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d ever come back.”
“I’m only back temporarily.”
“Is that how you left things with Eliot?” That she’d be going after him soon? His mouth tightened at the thought.
“He had to go. He had meetings scheduled with directors. And new equipment coming in that he has to test and make decisions on before the next shoot.”
When she talked about Eliot, she talked about the business. That gave Derek hope. Sounded like they’d parted as friends and colleagues, not as lovers who couldn’t wait to reunite.
Two and a half weeks left, at the most. He knew her shooting schedule from talking with Zelda. About eighteen days more before Jess had to report to the set. So why in hell was he wasting time?
He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers. He’d gotten lost once in the Iraqi desert for three days. He hadn’t been as thirsty for water back then as he was now for a taste of Jess.
When she didn’t protest, he pulled her fully into his arms and kissed her.
The point of no return. He needed to find out if things could still work between them. He wanted her, and he could no longer pretend that he didn’t.
Her body was firm, but her lips were soft and silky, as sweet as Zelda’s prizewinning angel food cake. As sweet as the old Jess. Except, this new Jess, she was a woman. She had the power to bring Derek to his knees.
He’d told her that he would give her whatever she needed from him. He hoped she’d figure out that he was what she needed. He was going to have to help her reach that conclusion.
He breathed her in. She smelled like redemption. Like maybe he could have a do-over and get it right this time.
She stood still in the circle of his arms. Undecided. Wary.
Better than a sharp knee in the balls, but Derek wanted more. He nibbled her lips and licked the seam, tasting her.
She tasted like a whole new world opening up. She tasted like the blank page of a book before he’d written the first word, the possibilities limitless.
Was the story of his life written on her heart? Was the story of her life written on his?
Too early to tell. But he wanted to find out. Letter by letter, word by word, sentence by sentence. If only she’d let him.
She did let him in, let him deepen the kiss. Progress, but this was just the opening of her lips, not the opening of her heart. Still, Derek wouldn’t have been a good SEAL if he didn’t grab every advantage, no matter how small. And, really, the kiss could not be called small by any measure.
As he swept into Jess’s mouth, he felt his boundaries expand. Need rushed in, and filled him like water flooding into a torpedoed submarine. He sank onto the seabed of things he always wanted but never believed he could have. Jess’s forgiveness . . . and more.
All these years, he’d thought her forgiveness was all he wanted.
He’d been stupid.
He wanted this. Jess. And he knew in that moment that he was going to do whatever it took to get her and keep her. Eliot couldn’t have her, no matter how handsome he was, or how much they had in common, or how hot women thought it was that the guy was some grandmaster of stunts.
Derek wasn’t going to let Eliot have Jess. He didn’t care if the guy jumped out of a burning helicopter, tied hand and foot, with a ticking bomb in his backpack, and got an Oscar nomination in every single category for the performance.
Screw common sense. He stepped forward and reached around her, looped his fingers around her slim wrists, and tugged her hands from her pockets. Then he took those hands and drew her closer to him.
“Derek . . .”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d ever come back.”
“I’m only back temporarily.”
“Is that how you left things with Eliot?” That she’d be going after him soon? His mouth tightened at the thought.
“He had to go. He had meetings scheduled with directors. And new equipment coming in that he has to test and make decisions on before the next shoot.”
When she talked about Eliot, she talked about the business. That gave Derek hope. Sounded like they’d parted as friends and colleagues, not as lovers who couldn’t wait to reunite.
Two and a half weeks left, at the most. He knew her shooting schedule from talking with Zelda. About eighteen days more before Jess had to report to the set. So why in hell was he wasting time?
He dipped his head and brushed his lips over hers. He’d gotten lost once in the Iraqi desert for three days. He hadn’t been as thirsty for water back then as he was now for a taste of Jess.
When she didn’t protest, he pulled her fully into his arms and kissed her.
The point of no return. He needed to find out if things could still work between them. He wanted her, and he could no longer pretend that he didn’t.
Her body was firm, but her lips were soft and silky, as sweet as Zelda’s prizewinning angel food cake. As sweet as the old Jess. Except, this new Jess, she was a woman. She had the power to bring Derek to his knees.
He’d told her that he would give her whatever she needed from him. He hoped she’d figure out that he was what she needed. He was going to have to help her reach that conclusion.
He breathed her in. She smelled like redemption. Like maybe he could have a do-over and get it right this time.
She stood still in the circle of his arms. Undecided. Wary.
Better than a sharp knee in the balls, but Derek wanted more. He nibbled her lips and licked the seam, tasting her.
She tasted like a whole new world opening up. She tasted like the blank page of a book before he’d written the first word, the possibilities limitless.
Was the story of his life written on her heart? Was the story of her life written on his?
Too early to tell. But he wanted to find out. Letter by letter, word by word, sentence by sentence. If only she’d let him.
She did let him in, let him deepen the kiss. Progress, but this was just the opening of her lips, not the opening of her heart. Still, Derek wouldn’t have been a good SEAL if he didn’t grab every advantage, no matter how small. And, really, the kiss could not be called small by any measure.
As he swept into Jess’s mouth, he felt his boundaries expand. Need rushed in, and filled him like water flooding into a torpedoed submarine. He sank onto the seabed of things he always wanted but never believed he could have. Jess’s forgiveness . . . and more.
All these years, he’d thought her forgiveness was all he wanted.
He’d been stupid.
He wanted this. Jess. And he knew in that moment that he was going to do whatever it took to get her and keep her. Eliot couldn’t have her, no matter how handsome he was, or how much they had in common, or how hot women thought it was that the guy was some grandmaster of stunts.
Derek wasn’t going to let Eliot have Jess. He didn’t care if the guy jumped out of a burning helicopter, tied hand and foot, with a ticking bomb in his backpack, and got an Oscar nomination in every single category for the performance.
  |  “This suspense is romantic, timely, and different. Great pacing, great characters…just great storytelling all around.” —USA Today’s Happy Ever After A former Navy SEAL, Cole Makani Hunter has returned home from a disastrous black ops mission without his best friend, his hearing, or the use of his right arm. So when his ex–commanding officer assigns him to an undercover mission at a rehab center for vets to discover who leaked sensitive military information to an enemy, he’d rather be anywhere but there. Almost immediately, Cole finds himself at odds with Annie Murray—a peace-loving ecotherapist whose dream is to open an animal sanctuary out of her home. While the two seemingly have nothing in common, their spirited arguments soon fuel a passion for each other. But just as things begin to heat up between therapist and patient, dangerous complications arise. So does the past—and a shocking revelation that puts Cole and everything he now holds dear in the path of a murderous traitor. |
Beyond being a bestselling author of romantic thrillers, Dana also writes a popular fantasy romance series: Hardstorm Saga. Book 1, RELUCTANT CONCUBINE, spent 6 weeks at #1 on Amazon's fantasy romance list.
Win a a $25 Amazon or B&N GC and a Dana Marton Tote Bag!
I haven't read any of her books yet but I am looking forward to doing so.
ReplyDeletei have not any of the books yet
ReplyDeleteHave not read. Worth giving a try though.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book. Thanks for the opportunity 💕
ReplyDeleteI would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including Threat of Danger. I wish the best in keeping up the good work in the future.
ReplyDelete