There are many things that inspire me, and one that’s close to my heart are movies. I love spending more than an hour or two getting lost in a good romance film. It’s like reading, except faster, and have more control of your imagination because the faces, voices and places are already visually given to you. But the feelings a scene invokes can sometimes be stronger since you can see it. Here are a few movies that have inspired me. The Notebook Noah and Allie. These two are my ultimate OTP. He was the cocky, fun, confident guy who was born on the wrong side of the tracks. She was the good girl, her days occupied with Mathematics and piano lessons who was spoiled by her rich parents. But it wasn’t until they met each other that their passions were unleashed and changed their priorities. Love letters, the one that got away, a man hellbent on finishing a house with the love of his life in his mind. There’s something about that first true love that changes something in you and stays with you, and every relationship after that will be tainted by that memory, because like Noah said, “It…

From Gail’s House Newsie News My new historical romance series called “The Baldwins of Manhattan”, is set in New York City in the late 1800s. Joseph Baldwin, the patriarch is a newspaper publisher who owns six major newspapers in the United States (think William Randolf Hearst). Each book in the series follows the lives and loves of the five Baldwin children – Adam, Allie, Mia, and twins Emma and Ava who live with their equally wonderful parents, Joseph and Clara Baldwin in a unique apartment building called The Sandanko, in the then remote upper area of Manhattan. (It was not called the Upper West Side until the 20th century.) Well, to be honest, Adam, lives in Chicago and runs his father’s Chicago newspaper there (Adam’s book will be the final book in the series, and wait until you see what I have planned for Adam! His life will be turned upside down when he FINALLY finds true love. But back to the Sandanko. I situated this wonderful living facility, just across from Central Park. This building houses 60 families and will provide the backdrop for the Baldwin family series and more series to come! In fact, The Sandanko will be…

Hi friends, I can’t believe it’s September already. The summer months just flew by! I hope you had a wonderful summer! Switching gears and moving into to fall… I can’t wait to share Declan and Tanner’s exciting adventure in Blind Spot with you. It’s hard to believe Blind Spot’s release is only a month away. Yeeps! To celebrate and to thank you for your amazing support, I’m offering a special Pre-Order Bonus and entry into my Pre-order Giveaway.   What’s the bonus and giveaway you ask? I’m so glad you did. I’m thrilled to announce that everyone who pre-orders a copy of Blind Spot between now and 10/2 (and those who have already pre-ordered it) will automatically receive four gorgeous, inspiring printables, exclusive early release of my Blind Spot story soundtrack, and the opening chapter! Just fill out the form here: http://danipettrey.com/blind-spot-pre-order-bonus/ Even more exciting, you’ll automatically be entered to win an hour phone call with me to chat over any burning questions you’ve been dying to ask about my stories or anything writing related. I can’t wait to connect with you! You will also be entered to win $200 in gift cards to stores Tanner loves shopping at. Target…

It’s impossible to not love a rock star. At least, I think so. Charisma, stage presence, talent, and more energy and stamina than the proverbial Duracell bunny. Mix that with their ability to serenade us in their sexy voice, to move like lightning along a seven-string, or roar like thunder from the drum kit and I am completely sunk. Which is why I LOVE rock star romance. I stalk my favorite authors and scour their pages for just a hint of new material. I’ll even add their book releases to my calendar so I don’t miss a release. So, who are my favorite rockers in romance? Phew, tough question! But in compiling this list, I’ve marked quite a few books for a re-read. Therefore, in no particular order, here are my Top 5 rock star romances. THE MIGHTY STORM – Samantha Towle Those of you who know me, know I LOVE music. I’ve been known to go to over thirty concerts a year. And I love it when an author weaves music seamlessly into stories. While I could just say I love the story because of Jake Wethers, it’s the clever use of the song Hurt, originally written by Nine…

Thank you for hosting me today to talk about my new release, BEFORE I KNEW, in which shattering tragedies eventually lead childhood friends, Colby and Alec, to reunite in search of second chances and love. Sadly, secrets behind those tragedies threaten to destroy the new life they’ve built together. Colby is a lawyer-turned-restaurateur. She believes that the way to reconnect with others is to own a place where people come to celebrate life’s milestones and happy occasions. Of course, she has no real experience in this industry, so when her executive chef quits weeks prior to the opening, she’s in a bind. Alec, a disgraced but formerly reknowned chef, is determined to help her get her new dream off the ground. Given the story premise (and Alec’s training in New York and France), there are a fair number of menu items referenced in this story. I had fun conducting research about haute cuisine, the Michelin rating system, and some of our country’s top-rated restaurant menus. Bonus: I now have a wonderful list of places to eat if I ever get out of my office! Now, before we get to the menu, I must clarify one point. If Alec were preparing…

Hi, I’m so glad to be here with you on Fresh Fiction. I’m really excited to tell you a little about my new release GRAY MATTER: Deep Six Security Book 5, but first let me tell you a little about myself. I write edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense stories with heat, heart and humor. If one of my books doesn’t keep you up all night, I haven’t done my job. I also write contemporary westerns, but they all include a mystery or suspense element too. My imperfect heroes are on the alpha side, gruff, overprotective and set in their ways, so sometimes they come off a little rough. But never fear, as in real life, there is always a sassy heroine waiting in the wings to meet and redeem them. My job is to throw her into his path and turn the wheel over to them to let them tell me their story. Because I like to keep my suspense plots relatable to the reader, some of the topics I tackle in my books are true-to-life, but not the pretty side. Together, though, my hero and heroine fight a good fight against evil, survive those perils, and find lasting love in the…

We all know that opposites attract—King Kong and his beautiful blonde. Poor little Cinderella and her wealthy Prince. Kermit and Miss Piggy. But in the realm of opposites falling in love, there’s something special about the awkward girl and the cocky popular guy. Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club were my faves growing up. So why do we love these stories so much? Maybe they make us believe that the world can be saved one set of hearts at time. In any case, the jock-and-nerdy-chick stories are at the top of my favorites list and here’s why I loved them enough to create The OHELLNO Series! #1. The jock has a body to worship And let’s face it, no woman can resist a set of perky abs since they make us think about all of the other parts of his body that might be hard and perfect, too. (Wink, wink.) #2. On the inside, most of us feel like nerds—only some of us mask it better Let’s be honest, we have all felt awkward and left out at one point in our lives, which is why the nerdy girl is so relatable. As strong and brainy as she might be,…

Hi! Thanks for having me back! There’s been a lot of debate over whether or not it’s better to be a plotter or a pantser. I like to think that I’m a bit of a hybrid. When I first started writing I would begin a story with characters and a vague idea for the plot and then run with it to see where it would take me. Things have changed a little now that I’m writing more and at a quicker pace. Now, in the initial stages of a book, I write out the general plot and main points in the story and fit it into a schedule that I do my best to adhere to. At least, to a point. But there is still something to be said about the mystery and adventure that comes with the unravelling of a story and the characters as I write. Part of the fun of writing for me is just that, the discovery. So, when I get the whiff of a submission call that makes my muse sit up and take notice, I just have to run with it. That’s what happened with CLAIMING ZARA. My publisher put out a call for…

Emily Perl Kingsley joined the writing staff of Sesame Street in the early 1970’s and is credited with creating several stories for children. What many didn’t know was Kingsley reared a son with Down Syndrome. Together they wrote a book about their experience, COUNT US IN: Growing Up with Down Syndrome. In 1987 she touched the hearts of many parents, including me, when she wrote an article about raising a child with a disability. She compared the experience of preparing for the baby like planning a trip to Italy. Getting ready requires reading travel brochures, choosing sites to see, packing your bag. All your friends are going to Italy, too, so you can share the event together. But, Kingsley states, when you get off the plane you’ve landed in Holland. There’s nothing wrong with Holland, but it’s not the trip you planned. You begin to read different brochures and learn about the place where you landed. Disabilities are like that unplanned trip. Parents must read new books and discover what makes their child unique, whether the diagnosis is Down Syndrome, Autism, Spina Bifida, or any other number of maladies that can strike without warning. Their journey will take them in…

From Gail’s House Newsie News Writing a story is like baking a cake. There are so many layers, each one more yummy than the next. Interior design was also like that for me. For almost half my life, I helped to make peoples’ homes both beautiful and functional. Just like cakes are beautiful on the outside and oh, so good, on the inside. Someday, I’ll write that memoir, but right now I’m busy crafting the first book in my new, five-book series about a prominent family living in New York City in the late 1800s. And lucky me, I get to spend some time designing and decorating my heroine’s bedroom, and even luckier me, I get to spend some time with my heroine’s mother who is, of course, my exceptional client. Read on » Read the rest… Gail . . .   INDIGO SKY by Gail Ingis In a whirlwind romance, a lovely New York socialite marries a fêted, debonair author. But beneath the charm is a cheating husband addicted to hasheesh. Her dream marriage turns sour and the simplicity of her life runs amok when a handsome stranger, her husband’s business partner, threatens her staunch loyalty to her wayward…