Dara Young’s Inspiration for The Cancan Dancer & the Duke

Please welcome author Dara Young to the blog today. We’re celebrating her debut of THE CANCAN DANCER AND THE DUKE from The Wild Rose Press. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I did!

Since I’m often talking about inspiration and motivation, Dara thought she’d share with us where she gets her inspiration from in general and what inspired her to write about a Cancan dancer and a Duke. Without further ado, here’s Dara!

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Where do ideas come from? Well I get mine from all kinds of places. Work, people I know, movies, songs… there’s no one place I get inspiration from. I once sat in a meeting and out of nowhere a mental picture of a woman standing on a terrace of a ballroom under the stars came to me. I instantly wanted to know who she was, why she was there, and what was happening to her. That image turned into a scene that I wrote up and might eventually turn into a story.

THE CANCAN DANCER AND THE DUKE (Cancan) was inspired by real life. See, I was a dancer in high school. One of my teachers choreographed a ballet based on the life of Toulouse Lautrec. He is famous for his posters of the French dance hall girls, in particular the ladies of the Moulin Rouge. His posters, and those of other artists like him, were used originally as advertisements for the dance halls. They were posted around Paris to entice spectators to the establishments. In the ballet, I got to dance a very tame version of the cancan… OMG! I had no idea how cardio deficient I was until I started rehearsing that piece. LOL!

I fell in love with Lautrec’s art and of course the idea of the cancan dancers. Later after I started dabbling in writing I was struck by the idea behind Cancan. I love the idea of the headstrong lady trying to carve her own path despite society’s rules. Of course, there are always consequences. 😀

The Cancan Dancer and The Duke
by Dara Young

The Wild Rose Press

Can a lady on the lam and a duke on the make find love at the Moulin Rouge?

Cathedrals and museums are not Lady Charise Colton’s idea of European adventure. Turn-of-the-century Paris beckons, and she wants to grab it while she can…or rather, cancan. Flirting with fate and half of Paris, Charise eludes her chaperones and joins the cancan revue at the Moulin Rouge.

Ethan Greer, Duke of Lofton, is in Paris to settle some estate business. Chafing under his responsibilities, he discovers an enchanting distraction at the Moulin Rouge, a flirtatious dancer who stirs his lust and something more. He must have her—even if it means offering carte blanche.

Terrified of discovery, Charise tries to hold her persistent suitor at bay, though her heart has already surrendered. Will she lose him if he learns the truth, or is love enough to bind the cancan dancer and the duke?

Excerpt:

The singular sound was a soft whisper at first. The audience strained forward to catch even a note of the eerie melody carried on the fetid air of the cafe. As the song picked up, her voice grew stronger, the words more clear. Ethan relaxed into his seat and let the warm rich alto caress him. His body grew warm with the promises carried by the witch’s husky tones.

He remained unaware of anything in the room except the siren walking toward him. Each steady, unhurried step she took further drew him in. His gaze feasted on the curve of her hip, the swell of her breast. Ethan rode the knife’s edge between lust and propriety.

The song described, in lurid detail, two lovers in the throes of passion. Upon reaching him, the dancer propped the toe of her boot onto the edge of his seat—square between his thighs. The luscious creature presented impossibly sheer bloomers which hid everything and yet nothing, causing him to let out the breath he, until now, unknowingly held. His cock grew rigid, the uncomfortable throbbing causing him to shift. The desire to haul her into his arms and demonstrate every action she described with the most sensuous mouth he’d ever seen rode him hard. Her full lower lip begged for his kiss. Ethan wanted to see it slick and glowing pink from his attentions.

The wanton dancer continued to taunt him, but his good breeding won out. Forcing himself to stay seated, his fists balled and his jaw grew rigid with frustration, but his raging lusts remained leashed. The song ended, sending her into the nether regions of the cafe in a swirl of skirts.

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Your Turn: We’re curious about what inspires you, be it books, people, music, whatever. What inspires you to be creative or just to get out of bed in the morning?

Thanks for stopping by to celebrate with Dara and remember to comment on each post during her blog tour for more chances to win! (Not sure what I’m talking about? Click here for more details.)

Be sure to add When In Paris to your shelf at GoodReads.

Where to find Dara Young around the web:
• Website • Facebook • GoodReads • Klout • Lady Jane’s Salon San Diego • LinkedIn • Pintrest • Twitloss • Twitter •