Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Please Welcome Dani Collins


Dani Collin's fantasy romance, The Healer, will be out next March with Champagne Books. Meanwhile, it's my pleasure to have Dani on my blog today writing about the beautiful lake near her house. So without further ado, here's Dani:
 
 

This is my first ever guest blog so thank you Ute for inviting me.  I’m new to Champagne and learning quickly. They’re a generous lot. 

I took inspiration from Ute’s blog about summertime and decided to include a photo of the lake off my backyard.  (I’m in Canada, north of Spokane.)  I should clarify this isn’t against my property line.  It’s a five minute hike downhill when you want to swim, ten minutes of getting hot and cranky coming home. 



I’ll do double duty and also mention this piece of water is the inspiration for the lake featured in my book coming out next March with Champagne.  It’s a bit of a spoiler to tell you this is Athadia’s first view of Kerfdom, but The Healer is a Fantasy Romance.  If Vaun doesn’t kidnap her into his world, how on earth do they fall in love?

I’ve strategically angled the shrubs to hide my neighbor’s house.  If I were Queen of Photoshop, I’d place a medieval castle on the other side.  You’ll have to use your imagination.

I feel like I’ve won the lottery all summer when I jump in after work for a quick dip and sometimes go again before bed if the night doesn’t want to cool off.  I love freshwater.  I can live with fish and weeds, but my skin can’t take chlorine and I’m a complete pansy about waves.  I’m always convinced they’ll suck me into the open ocean and next stop: Japan. 

What’s your favorite way to cool off?  Floating down a river?  Cliff diving?  Swim up bar? 

Dani Collins recently contracted her first book with Harlequin Presents and followed up with a Fantasy Romance to Champagne five weeks later.  Connect with her through her website at www.danicollins.com.



9 comments:

  1. Welcome to Champagne Books. Way cool back yard!!

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  2. Okay, it'll take me a while to get over this green beauty. I don't even want to go out into my desert scenery now. Wait you have a lot of rain right . . . okay now I'm better, don't so much like a lot of rain. But, if you'd like a house guest for a while I game. Welcome Dani, nice job Ute.

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    1. Dani may have a lot of visitors after this!

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  3. Hi Dani and Ute, That photo is absolutely stunning! I'm wishing I lived there. My book takes place on the eastern seacoast, which while beautiful, just doesn't seem to compare. Then again, I've always had a thing for mountain lakes.

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    1. Here is nice, too, Diane. But I've got a serious hankering for a mountain lake right about now!

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  4. Hi Dani - good to read a little about you and welcome to the Champagne family! Your photo is beautiful. I'm in Scotland but my husband and I have travelled to different parts of wonderful Canada and I'm sure he would love to have settled there when younger. I love swimming and virtually grew up swimming in our cold Scottish sea each summer! Now it's mostly in the local pool.

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  5. Since Dani lives not far from me (as the eagle flies--across the Strait of Georgia here in south-western BC) I can attest to the beauty of her surroundings. I can also attest to the excellence of her book, The Healer, since I had the honor of acquiring it for CBG and am still sulking over not being allowed to edit it, because it'll require so little work.

    I'm really thrilled to have you with Champagne, Dani, and know you'll be happy here.

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  6. I think we were neighbors! I grew up just north of Spokane too, but on the U.S.A side :)
    Congrats on the books, I can't wait to read them, I love fantasy.

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  7. Hi Everyone and thanks for stopping by.

    Yes Cathy, we've had a stupid amount of rain so the nice weather this week (36 C/102F) is welcome and the lake is getting very well used!!

    It's also quite warm (by Canadian standards.) Not glacier fed, so we're truly spoiled.

    Rosemary, tell you're husband there's still time to come! We have loads of room ;O)

    I would totally have you all out as house guests, but I'm expecting a family of four (friends from the coast) tonight, then my sister is coming for a week, then another girlfriend and her kids are due second week of August... Living in these sorts of surroundings makes one very popular in summer, not so much when the snow flies.

    J.A., where did you grow up? Colville? Chewelah? Deer Park? I drive through all of them to go shopping in beautiful Spokane.

    Dani

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