
Evan is twice shy, too, after an alluring but self-absorbed colleague at Gulf Shore Aquarium takes a bite out of his heart. Thought he’s dead set against dating anyone else he works with, he’s intrigued by Dani’s shyness and tempted by her intelligence and low-key sexiness.
Their attraction smolders until an unfortunate encounter with a stingray sends Dani to the emergency room and Evan steps up to help her through her recovery. The two also bond over the rescue of an orphaned baby dolphin. But will Evan’s vindictive ex-lover, his career ambitions, and Dani’s inhibitions tear the young lovers apart?
Now that you know the gist of Dani’s story, let’s hear from the leading lady herself.
1. Tell us about your name. My full name is Danielle Rose Davidson. My parents didn’t know until I arrived on the scene whether they were having a boy or a girl, so they chose Daniel and Danielle as their baby names. Rose is my maternal grandmother’s middle name. I’d love to have a little boy one day and name him Daniel.
2. What’s your main goal in life? To be happy. I daydream about someday snuggling with the love of my life on our front porch swing while our two children romp with their puppy on the lawn.
3. What do you do for a living? Do you enjoy your work? I’m an education specialist at Gulf Shore Aquarium, where I lead tours, interact with guests, and generally share my passion for marine life. It’s my dream job, and I absolutely love it. I adore the animals, and my coworkers (with one notable exception) and my boss are great. And then there’s chief photographer/videographer Evan Sanders. He’s not just eye candy, he’s a whole semi-truck load of dark chocolate, red licorice, and peanut butter cups! Not that I’m attracted to him or anything.
4. What do you do with your free time? I enjoy watching nature shows on TV with my pet parrot, Ozzie. He’s so much fun because I never know what he’ll say next. Sometimes after work at the aquarium, I sit in the grandstands and watch the dolphins. I could do that for hours. And the “snipe and gripe” girls’ nights out at Bikini Barb’s Bar & Grill usually are a blast.
5. What’s your living space like? Let’s just say the thrift store furnishings in my apartment make shabby chic look opulent. The linoleum floors in the galley kitchen and bathroom might as well have been salvaged from the break room in a factory somewhere, and the appliances aren’t much better. Before I moved in, I scrubbed the place down with enough disinfectant to de-germ an entire hospital. But I’ve got a sizable college student loan to pay off, and it’s all I can afford right now.
6. Where are you from? And how did you end up in Florida? I was born and lived most of my life in Jefferson City, the capital of Missouri. When I was a kid, my parents took me on a Florida vacation, and I fell in love. With the state, sure, but with marine life in general and dolphins in particular. I visited the beach for the first time and collected so many shells that my dad joked we'd have to rent a U-Haul to get them all home. I still have them stored in my closet. We also went to Walt Disney World and SeaWorld Orlando. I could've stayed at SeaWorld for days, weeks even, and I think that's when I decided I wanted to work at an aquarium when I grew up. Disney World was terrific, too, of course. What child doesn't love Donald Duck and Goofy and Dumbo and Chip 'n Dale and Mickey Mouse and, well, you get the picture. But hands down, my favorite part of Disney was SeaBase at Epcot. My parents had to drag me out of there so we could see what else the park had to offer. After I graduated high school, I decided to study marine science at the University of South Florida's campus on the waterfront in St. Petersburg. And that's when I fell in love with the west-central part of the state specifically.
7. Have you ever been in love? Not yet. I definitely want to be someday, but for now I'm busy building a career and enjoying being on my own.
8. We already know how much you adore dolphins and sea creatures. Tell us some of your other favorite things. I love country music, especially Miranda Lambert's songs. Baseball, particularly the St. Louis Cardinals, although I watch a lot of Tampa Bay Rays games now. I like other sports, too. Jimmie Johnson is my favorite NASCAR driver, and I expect to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. I read, mostly romance novels, chick lit and books about marine life. I already mentioned my fondness for nature documentaries. I also like Fish Tank Kings on the Nat Geo Wild channel, Covert Affairs, Castle, Motive, Rizzoli & Isles, Bones, Royal Pains, and Nashville. Let's see, what else. African gray parrots, of course. Dogs. Kayaking. I'd like to become a certified scuba diver someday. Chick flicks, comedies, and movies about animals. I've never ridden on a motorcycle, but I wouldn't mind trying that. And I eat a lot of soup and salads, although Bikini Barb's has great wings, nachos, and fries.
9. Tell us more about this guy who caught your eye at work. Evan? I don't know that much about him, honestly. He seems very nice, and his hotness rating is "sizzling." But I'm afraid he's way out of my league. I mean, he dated and dumped a woman who looks like actress Charlize Theron, for cripe's sake.
10. Have you looked in the mirror lately, Dani? You probably could have any man you wanted. Me? Seriously? I mean, that's a wonderful compliment, and I appreciate it very much. But I've never seen myself that way. I have to say, though, there is some really nice scenery at Gulf Shore Aquarium, if you know what I mean.
The Shore Thing is available from these online retailers:
Liquid Silver Books ~ Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ aRe