Playing Favorites – Author Confessions #writerslife #series

With the reminder that every child is different, parents are often admonished not to play favorites. The same advice can often be applied to an author’s books. Each book is different and develops in a slightly different way. Sure, because they’re part of the same family (i.e. written by the same author), they share certain characteristics. But no matter how equally the author approaches them, they each turn out a little bit differently.

There’s the book that’s so fun and interesting that you’re sucked into the world and the characters. Before you know it, you’re writing a series.

There’s the book where you think you’re doing everything right, but nothing’s working out until you chuck the original premise (and the hero!) and start over.

Then comes the book where you feel like you finally got it right and you know what you’re doing, but you had to work hard to get there.

Oh, and surprise! You’re having twins…er, I mean, another book!

Then comes the book that starts out solid, then has a major teenage rebellion, then settles down and becomes a good, upstanding adult.

If you haven’t already guessed, I just described the first five books in the One Night with the Bridal Party series: One Night with the Bride, One Night with the Bridesmaid, One Night with the Groom, One Night with the Best Man, and One Night with her Husband, respectively.

The sixth and final book, One Night with his Wife, is my pride and joy. No matter how much I’m not supposed to have a favorite, I’m having a hard time being impartial. This is my “miracle baby,” the story that came out exactly right the first time with characters who took on a life of their own and lodged themselves—and their emotional journey—in my heart.

I hope you enjoy Luke and Rosalind’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you’ve been with me from the beginning, I’d love to hear which book is your favorite. If this is your first book in the series, welcome! The books can be read in any order, and you’ll find special appearances by familiar characters along the way.

One Night with His Wife

After a grenade took Marine Luke Cox’s leg and ends his career, he cuts ties with his wife to free her from the burden he’d become. On the day his divorce is to be finalized, he travels to meet a woman for a 1 Night Stand date—a woman who doesn’t care about his missing leg or his sudden wealth from a business venture. However, things don’t go as planned, and when he arrives for his date, he’s still legally married.

Rosalind Cox tends to the horses on her cousin’s ranch resort, her love for the animals the only thing keeping her going since her husband turned his back on her. When he appears at her stables, all the longing and rising hope is crushed by the realization he’s only sought her out to gain his freedom.

She’ll give him what he wants, but she can’t resist taking one last kiss for herself. The kiss reopens emotions and attraction that neither can deny. To give in will only complicate the tangle as they try to unwind their lives. But even though Rosalind doesn’t care about Luke’s missing leg or his money, as long as he refuses to accept himself as whole, one night with his wife will be his last.

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Sara Daniel writes what she loves to read—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She battles a serious NASCAR addiction, was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels, and loses her car keys several times a day.

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Need a #Dessert #recipe for a #bridalshower? Check out this yummy pound cake with strawberries

I created this flavorful recipe in celebration of my new series One Night with the Bridal Party. This is the perfect dessert for a bridal shower or post-wedding brunch. It's also delicious with a cup of tea and a good book.


Pound Cake with Fresh Strawberries

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
Fresh Strawberries – sliced

Preheat oven to at 325° F.

Grease and flour a 9 X 5 loaf pan.

Beat butter with an electric mixer for 1 minute.

Add sugar to butter, a bit at a time, beating on medium/high for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each egg, and scraping the bowl. Add vanilla and beat for another minute.

Gradually add nutmeg, baking powder, and flour, beat on low/medium until just combined.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour.

Cool and slice. Serve with fresh strawberries.

Here's a little about my One Night with the Bridal Party series.

Whether the one-night stand occurs a week before their scheduled wedding or seven years later, meet six couples for whom one night will turn a fairy tale wedding from a mistake into a happily ever after.

1. One Night with the Bride
2. One Night with the Bridesmaid
3. One Night with the Groom
4. One Night with the Best Man
5. One Night with Her Husband
6. One Night with His Wife

Farm Memories & Grandma's Easy Peach Cobbler #Recipe #CenturyFarm

My recent book, One Night with the Best Man, takes place on an Iowa farm that I loosely based on my grandparents’ farm where I spent many summer vacations and holidays. After World War II, my grandparents took over the farm from my great-grandparents. Owned by the same family for over a hundred years, the farm was designated a “Century Farm,” a source of great pride and many fond memories for my family.

Some of my best memories of my grandmother are in her small farmhouse kitchen. Never once did she complain that she had hardly any counter space or that the kitchen also served as the dining room. She was happy with what she had and couldn’t imagine why anyone would want more. She cooked and baked the best down-home country meals, guaranteed to hit the spot after a long day working and playing in the fresh country air.

Grandma’s Peach Cobbler

¼ cup butter/margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ cup milk
1 can peaches (or other fruit, but then you’d have to rename your cobbler)
¼ cup sugar
½ - 1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pour melted butter/margarine in 9X13 pan.

Mix together 1 cup sugar, flour, baking powder and milk.

Pour batter over butter/margarine. Do not stir layers together.

Drain peaches and spoon evenly over batter. Again, do not stir layers together.

Mix together remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over top.

Bake for 30 minutes.

I love eating this dish while it’s still warm with some milk poured over the top. It’s the family way! Beware, if you plan to take a picture of your cobbler after you make it, you’ll have to act faster than I did or someone will steal a serving before you get a chance!

One Night with the Best Man.

Alejandro “Alex” Cortez vowed never to return to the family farm, but when his sister makes it the destination for her wedding, he has no choice. The farm’s new owner, sexy agricultural professor Dr. Susan Gundersen, is his only hope for a diversion from the haunting memories.

Susan knows better than to count on people sticking around for her. The farm gives her the roots and permanence she’s craved her entire life. As she helps Alex clear out his family’s mementos from the house, Susan is drawn to the raw and vulnerable man under his carefree exterior. A few kisses later, she falls hard and fast.

Despite their mutual attraction, Susan will never leave the farm and Alex will never consider staying. Will one passionate night with the best man give them the courage to face what they each fear most or drive them apart forever?

Amazon
All Romance eBooks
iTunes
Google Play
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Tugging on my Heartstrings with Reunited Lovers and Reunion Stories #amwriting #storyconflict

 My Love Affair with Reunion Stories

By Sara Daniel

 

Half of the books I’ve written are reunion stories in one form or another. The One Night with the Bridal Party series kicks off by reuniting two lovers in One Night with the Bride. Caroline plans to grit her teeth and marry a guy she feels nothing for, but when given the chance to check out the only man she’s ever loved… well, she’s only going to look and satisfy her curiosity, not dump her fiancé for her true love. Uh huh. I’m already cheering for the past lovers to get back together.

 

Oh, and don’t worry about that guy she feels nothing for that she’d been planning to marry. He’s been emotionally unavailable for fifteen years since he and his high school love went their separate ways after a heartbreaking tragedy. He gets a reunion story too in One Night with the Groom.

 

Reunion stories of past lovers work because they’re so powerful. The story has inherent conflict. The couple either left each other for a reason or were torn apart in the past. Those unresolved issues don’t fix themselves. They remain and often grow bigger over time because the past conflicts become magnified by the hurt and pain of their years apart. But the characters are still wildly attracted to each other and long to relive the intimacy they’d once shared.

 

My latest release in the bridal party series is One Night with her Husband. As the title suggests, the two characters have a history and a connection and are looking for one last chance to either make their relationship work or split apart forever. Their angst, emotion and vulnerability are sky high. Because I want them to have a happily ever after and I know they won’t achieve it without each other, I’m rooting every step of the way for them to reunite in an everlasting love.

One Night with her Husband

She walked away from her marriage seven years ago...

Marcia Johnson always assumed her husband would follow her eventually. She’d achieve success while she waited and prove her decision the right one. But when he finally turns up, she’s not ready. Her career hangs in the balance, and her weight has skyrocketed. How can she face the man she loves and show him she made the right choice? Especially when he’s matured from a decent-looking college student into the sexiest man she’s ever seen.

He’s waited seven years for his wife to finally need him…

If Adrian Torres can save her business, maybe he’ll have a shot at saving their marriage. But the woman he finds is too competent and independent to ask him for help. She even shrugs off his touch instead of reacting with the desire he hoped to ignite. Have the embers of their marriage finally died? Is it time to end their relationship and move forward?

He wants a divorce…

Her world ripped apart, Marcia turns to 1Night Stand to give her one more night before she lets Adrian go. She dares not hope for more. Even Madame Eve couldn’t have the magic to save their neglected disaster of a relationship…could she?

Amazon   All Romance eBooks   Kobo   Google Play   iBooks

 

Nominate your favorite One Night With the Bridal Party romances for TRR Readers' Choice Awards @DecadentPub

Friends, I need your help!

Two of my One Night With the Bridal Party books are up for The Romance Reviews (TRR) Readers' Choice Awards.

One Night With Her Husband is contending in the Erotic Romance - Contemporary category, and One Night With His Wife is contending the Erotic Romance - Western category.

Both books need 50 nominations by September 30th to move to the next level. You will have to create an account with TRR if you don't already have one. (It's fast and easy!) Then click on the link for One Night With Her Husband, and click on the blue bar at the top of the page. Finally, repeat for One Night With His Wife.

Thank you SOOOO much for all your support!

One Night With Her Husband -- http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=18953
One Night With His Wife -- http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=18952

Complete One Night With the Bridal Party series #PrintBook @goodreads #Giveaway @DecadentPub

The One Night With the Bridal Party series is now complete. The release of One Night With His Wife this summer wrapped up the series, so if you resist diving into a series until you can read every book in instant succession, you are now free to start diving!

I also have a special treat. The complete collection of One Night with the Bridal Party novellas is now available in a single gorgeous print edition. Through August 23rd, you can enter to win it through Goodreads!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

One Night With the Bridal Party

by Sara Daniel

Giveaway ends August 23, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

#MySexySaturday "You can't give me more than I want." #boxset @DecadentPub

Seven paragraphs from One Night with the Bride, first book in the One Night With the Bridal Party box set:

Caroline had tried to be honest with Blake, with Javier and herself. After trying so hard to be a faithful partner and a good daughter, she’d thrown away the stability she’d built with her fiancé. Worse, from Javier’s words, it seemed she’d destroyed the possibility of cultivating a trusting relationship with the man she still loved.

Her only chance to break through to Javier virtually guaranteed heartbreak. By expressing her feelings physically, she hoped the connection would translate emotionally to him.

She lifted her hand and caressed his neck from his hairline to the inside of his collar, then touched her lips to his jaw.

His head snapped back, his expression full of banked fury and another emotion she couldn’t pinpoint. “Be careful what you start. You might get more than you bargained for.”

“You can’t give me more than I want.” Not when I want it all.

“Wanna bet?” He dared her with his eyes and grasped the opening of her silk shirt.

“Yes.”

One Night With the Bridal Party

Print Box Set

A gift of a 1Night Stand a week before the biggest society wedding of the year sets in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of six couples over the course of six stand-alone novellas.

A good girl bride must make the bravest choice of her life for a second chance with the man she loved and lost years ago. A shy bridesmaid comes out of her shell to stand up to a man she'd normally never have the nerve to approach. A jilted groom returns to his hometown to confront the heartbreak of his youth while his best man must confront past demons of his own. Another woman simply wants one more night with her husband before she lets him go. Meanwhile, a disabled military hero will lose his wife unless he can accept himself as whole.

Will one night stands from Madame Eve give them the courage to face what they fear most or drive each couple apart forever?

Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

The following stand alone books are included the One Night With the Bridal Party Box Set:
1. One Night with the Bride

2. One Night with the Bridesmaid

3. One Night with the Groom

4. One Night with the Best Man

5. One Night with her Husband

6. One Night with his Wife

Like to read print books? Now you can with the One Night With the Bridal Party #boxset @DecadentPub

One Night With the Bridal Party

Print Box Set

A gift of a 1Night Stand a week before the biggest society wedding of the year sets in motion a chain of events that will change the lives of six couples over the course of six stand-alone novellas.

A good girl bride must make the bravest choice of her life for a second chance with the man she loved and lost years ago. A shy bridesmaid comes out of her shell to stand up to a man she'd normally never have the nerve to approach. A jilted groom returns to his hometown to confront the heartbreak of his youth while his best man must confront past demons of his own. Another woman simply wants one more night with her husband before she lets him go. Meanwhile, a disabled military hero will lose his wife unless he can accept himself as whole.

Will one night stands from Madame Eve give them the courage to face what they fear most or drive each couple apart forever?

Buy Links:
Amazon

The following stand alone books are included the One Night With the Bridal Party Box Set:
1. One Night with the Bride

2. One Night with the Bridesmaid

3. One Night with the Groom

4. One Night with the Best Man

5. One Night with her Husband

6. One Night with his Wife

7 Paragraphs from One Night with His Wife @MySexySaturday @DecadentPub

One Night with His Wife

Once again, her braid whipped back and forth with her emphatic denial. “The company is yours and Alex’s. I didn’t do anything except cook dinner and give you space to work. I came into our marriage with nothing, and I left with nothing, so I came out even.”

The whiskey burned in his gut without taking the edge off his nerves. He slapped the empty glass on the table. “You wasted ten years of your life with me. I don’t call that even.”

“I don’t call it a waste,” she shot back. “If we’d had a kid, then, yes, I’d take your money and put it in an account for his or her future, but that never happened. I don’t need or want anything for myself.”

He closed his eyes. “You should be thankful we don’t have a kid.”

“We had a deal, Luke. When you retired from the Marines, we’d start a family.”

“I got my leg blown off,” he shouted, opening his eyes to glare at her, hating the sorrow in her voice and himself for not being able to deliver on her dream. “We never took that scenario into account.”

She shoved her drink away. “Your leg is not the same piece of anatomy as your dick. Maybe you hadn’t noticed because you’ve been too busy being a dick.”

Buy Links:

Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
iBooks

1. One Night with the Bride

2. One Night with the Bridesmaid

3. One Night with the Groom

4. One Night with the Best Man

5. One Night with her Husband

6. One Night with his Wife

--The One Night with the Bridal Party series can be read as stand alone books in any order, but this is the order for maximum enjoyment!

One Night With His Wife #newrelease #1NightStand #seriesfinale @DecadentPub

New Release: The final book in the One Night with the Bridal Party series

One Night with His Wife

(1Night Stand - One Night with the Bridal Party #6)

As long as he refuses to accept himself as whole, one night with his wife will be his last.

After a grenade took Marine Luke Cox’s leg and ends his career, he cuts ties with his wife to free her from the burden he’d become. On the day his divorce is to be finalized, he travels to meet a woman for a 1Night Stand date—a woman who doesn’t care about his missing leg or his sudden wealth from a business venture. However, things don’t go as planned, and when he arrives for his date, he’s still legally married.

Rosalind Cox tends to the horses on her cousin’s ranch resort, her love for the animals the only thing keeping her going since her husband turned his back on her. When he appears at her stables, all the longing and rising hope is crushed by the realization he’s only sought her out to gain his freedom.

She’ll give him what he wants, but she can’t resist taking one last kiss for herself. The kiss reopens emotions and attraction that neither can deny. To give in will only complicate the tangle as they try to unwind their lives. But even though Rosalind doesn’t care about Luke’s missing leg or his money, as long as he refuses to accept himself as whole, one night with his wife will be his last.

Buy Links:

Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Google Play
iBooks

1. One Night with the Bride

2. One Night with the Bridesmaid

3. One Night with the Groom

4. One Night with the Best Man

5. One Night with her Husband

6. One Night with his Wife

--The One Night with the Bridal Party series can be read as stand alone books in any order, but this is the order for maximum enjoyment!

One Night with the Bridal Party series finale Facebook party - June 9th 8 - 10 PM EDT #prizes

The One Night with the Bridal Party series debuted over two years ago with One Night with the Bride. One Night with the Bridesmaid and One Night with the Groom followed in 2014. One Night with the Best Man and One Night with her Husband were released this past spring. This month I am wrapping up the series with the sixth and final book, One Night with his Wife. To celebrate, I'm hosting my very first Facebook online party where I'll be giving away swag, print books, gift cards and more!

Join me on Tuesday, June 9th from 8-10 PM Eastern time (7-9 PM Central time) on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/events/105630266437399/
Prizes:
#1 - Your choice of print book of Love Spanks 2015 Anthology, Construction Beauty Queen, or Love Him or Leave Him.
#2 - Set of sweet, small-town romance print books: Construction Beauty Queen and Love Him or Leave Him.
#3 - Set of 3 children's chapter books (print) from The Bravest Squirrel series: The Bravest Squirrel Ever, The Bravest Squirrel in the Forest, and The Bravest Squirrel in School.
#4 - Sara Daniel swag pack
#5 - Sara Daniel swag pack
#6 - $5 Amazon gift card
#7 - $5 Amazon gift card

(International winners of print prizes will receive a $5 Amazon gift card in lieu of print prizes.)

Join the Facebook party here

Sexy Forever @MySexySaturday - Estranged Spouses - 7 Years Later - 1Night w/her Husband

7 Paragraphs from One Night with her Husband

Dear God, with all the stress, she’d lost her mind. She couldn’t have found a worse time to start hallucinating about her past-relationship mistakes.

Her laptop slipped from her hands and clattered onto the table.

Her husband lifted his head from his iPad, and his fathomless brown eyes met hers. “Might want to be more careful with that.”

Okay, so she hadn’t lost her mind. Yet. Not the least bit comforted, Marcia stared at him, the faint Hispanic lilt in his tone coiling tendrils of heat through her middle. What was he doing here? Why now?

If only she’d been more careful with her marriage. But she hadn’t, and she couldn’t deal with the past and couldn’t change the reality. The reality of him in her conference room amidst her colleagues, though, made no sense. The only thing she knew for sure was the most handsome man she’d ever met had become more gorgeous than ever.

Meanwhile, she— Oh shit.

Her appearance had definitely changed, too, and not for the better.
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#ReunitedLovers + #giveaway for One Night with her Husband #NewRelease @DecadentPub

One Night With Her Husband is the newest release and the fifth of six books in the One Night with the Bridal Party series. Like Marcia and Adrian, my husband and I fell in love and married while in college. Unlike Marcia and Adrian, our post-college paths thankfully never diverged, but it was easy to imagine how two people could get caught up in their personal career plans and assume their partner would simply follow...and then be too stubborn to backtrack on their chosen path.

To celebrate the release of the final two books in the One Night with the Bridal Party series, I'm giving away a $20 Amazon gift card, so be sure to enter the Rafflecopter below

She walked away from her marriage seven years ago...

Marcia Johnson always assumed her husband would follow her eventually. She’d achieve success while she waited and prove her decision the right one. But when he finally turns up, she’s not ready. Her career hangs in the balance, and her weight has skyrocketed. How can she face the man she loves and show him she made the right choice? Especially when he’s matured from a decent-looking college student into the sexiest man she’s ever seen.

He’s waited seven years for his wife to finally need him…

If Adrian Torres can save her business, maybe he’ll have a shot at saving their marriage. But the woman he finds is too competent and independent to ask him for help. She even shrugs off his touch instead of reacting with the desire he hoped to ignite. Have the embers of their marriage finally died? Is it time to end their relationship and move forward?

He wants a divorce…

Her world ripped apart, Marcia turns to 1Night Stand to give her one more night before she lets Adrian go. She dares not hope for more. Even Madame Eve couldn’t have the magic to save their neglected disaster of a relationship…could she?

Amazon   All Romance eBooks   Kobo   Google Play   iBooks   Barnes & Noble

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