Day Leclaire - 11-Book Boxset Featuring Billionaires, Soul Mates, Fake Engagements and More

USA Today bestselling author, Day Leclaire is the author of more than 70 novels and has received an impressive eleven nominations for the romance industry's most prestigious award, Romance Writers of America RITA© Award. Day lives in Charlotte, NC, and spends her days obsessively writing while surrounded by her adorable husband, busy children, two dogs, and a lot of dust! As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her Dantes boxset.

Please give us a short introduction to what The Dantes boxset is about.

This 11-book family saga introduces the Dantes, an Italian-American family blessed (or cursed, depending on which Dante you talk to!) with the ability to identify their soul mate with a single touch.

What inspired you to write The Dante Dynasty Series?

I loved the idea of love at first touch, something that came to me in a dream years ago. I married that with a wonderful, tight-knit family and the series just exploded from there.

Which book in the series is your personal favorite and why?

I truly love all of them, but I think the last one (Forever Dante: Lucia) is my favorite. I also love Dante’s Dilemma: Romero because it goes back in time to the love affair between the Dante patriarch and his wife. They're the grandparents in all the books and it was such a treat to give readers this wonderful glimpse into how it all started.

Contracts, blackmail, pretend fiances - the Dantes have done it all. What, do you think is so fascinating about couples who fall in love in unconventional ways?

I think those tropes touch on universal fantasies that we all have. Who doesn’t want to imagine falling in love in such unusual ways? It fulfills all sorts of dreams and wishes that we can enjoy while returning to reality when we’re ready.

What do you have the most fun with when you write your books?

I love when a scene just comes to me in an unexpected way. I love when the words fly off my fingertips. I love going back and reading the story once I’m finished and discovering things I wrote that I don’t even remember, that came in some odd, subconscious way. Most of all, I love disappearing into the fantasy worlds I create.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

Oh, dear. I am a trick pony. I guess if I were forced to identify something it would be that I’m highly organized and detail-oriented. My friends refer to me as “Clipboard Lady,” lol!

Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

It’s fairly rare, actually. What’s more common is that a scene won’t come together right. I’d planned it a certain way. I write it the way I’d planned, but it’s … wrong. And I can’t put my finger on why. So, I have to stop and bounce the problem off my daughter-in-law (my writing partner) or just sit and ponder for a while. Sometimes I’ll write and create diagrams on my whiteboard until I figure it out.

What do you think is the secret to creating seductive heroes readers can't get enough of?

Give them heroic traits. Give them flaws. Have them see something special in the heroine no one else notices. And fall in love with them yourself!

What are the top three things you think every good romance book should have?

Conflict, larger-than-life characters, extreme sexual tension.

When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?

I figure out the setup, then the conflict, then the characters.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I hate routine when it comes to writing. Sometimes I write in the living room, sometimes in the bedroom, sometimes outside. I write any time of day, no set hours. The beginning of a book is always harder than the end. There is no “average” writing day. I just write after several cups of coffee, assuming I don’t have any zoom meetings or appointments that day. Somehow it all works out.

What are you working on right now?

My daughter-in-law and I are writing the final two books in The Salvatore Brothers series. They’re another Italian-American family like the Dantes and will feature elements of my Cinderella Ball series (where couples meet and marry all in one night).

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Check out my website to find more Day Leclaire books, including more box sets and 99c specials. I’m always available by email ([email protected])