Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with some laughter and heat thrown in, just like real life. Mostly she writes contemporary romance for Harlequin Presents and Tule’s Montana Born, but her backlist of ninety books also includes self-published erotic romance, romantic comedy, and even an epic medieval fantasy. When she’s not writing—just kidding, she’s always writing. Look for Dani’s latest Presents, Maid to Marry, out now!
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I keep notebooks for all my stories. In the case of Harlequins, it is one very nondescript spiral notebook of 300 pages. I put sticky tabs on it as I begin a new book. I also open a file in that manuscript’s folder called research where I paste links for things like “luxury villa on the Mediterranean” and “most expensive engagement ring.”
In terms of using the research, I can spend hours reading up on a particular location or how they make cheese and never use a lick of it. The other day I did a deep dive into divorce law in Germany even though my heroine is actually mad at her father and just wants to separate her mother’s estate properties from his. Eventually, I realized I could just say “She consulted a lawyer who promised to handle it for her.”
Dani Collins latest book...
How to avoid scandal?
Marry the Greek!
An illicit kiss with Atlas Voudouris got chalet maid Stella Sutter fired. When she bumps into him five years later, she’s still furious! Except as she accuses him of ruining her life, long-dormant desires come alive…
Atlas is about to announce the convenient wedding that will secure his inheritance. However, once paparazzi photos of his and Stella’s heated encounter go public, Atlas is left short a bride. The only answer?
Make Stella his wife! But are his diamond and their dangerous passion enough to bridge the gap between their very different worlds?
Isn't that always the way? Days of research. Deep dives. And for all of that, one sentence that doesn't seem to say all that much at all.
ReplyDeleteI just spent a whole day looking at villas in Capri only to set the scene in Naples in the end... But I don't actually consider that a waste of time. It was a gorgeous mental vacation, lol
DeleteI enjoyed getting a peek into Dani Collins’ writing process.
ReplyDeleteMaid to Marry sounds like such a fun, fiery read!
thanks Veronica. I hope you get a chance to read it :)
DeleteThank you for this post, and sharing details about the book.
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
my pleasure Jan :)
DeleteHaving to do hours of research on something must have taken a lot of time. Being able to just say someone took care of it for him/her is such a good idea instead. This sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary! :D
DeleteMaid to Marry sounds like such a good romance book! Thanks for the heads up:)
ReplyDeleteThanks Emmylou :)
DeleteSounds good :D Love the title too
ReplyDeletethanks :)
DeleteSounds like a fun read. I get it on the research:)
ReplyDeleteSandra sandracox.blogspot.com
thanks Sandra :)
DeleteThanks for the great writing tips and awesome stories. :D
ReplyDeletemy pleasure Darla :)
DeleteThis is a really interesting look into how Dani Collins organizes her research process! I think it’s cool how she keeps a notebook for each story and collects all sorts of random info, even if she doesn’t end up using it. It shows how much effort goes into making her books feel real, even if some details never make it into the final version. Also, her new book *Maid to Marry* sounds like it’s going to be a wild ride with all that drama! Definitely adding it to my reading list.
ReplyDelete