Dareville is more than a place…it’s a sensual state of mind, proof that great passion can be found in the smallest of towns. Dareville isn’t based on any town or place in particular, but it is a place I often come to where I need inspiration. You could also say it’s a place people visit when they want to come…often. For the sake of geography, imagine a small town just east of Virginia Beach, surrounded by the peanut crops of Suffolk and the rustic farms of Smithfield, yet within a decent drive of the busy Norfolk/Virginia Beach sprawl. By day people are kindly and warm and willing to lend a hand, and by night that warmth sizzles as their hands help with other things. 
That’s Dareville.
In 2003-04, I wrote Truth or Dare originally with the mindset of keeping it a standalone work. The novel was originally intended, too, to be a milder romance. When Phaze Books opened its door to submissions, however, I turned up the heat just for them. I had been impressed with the quality of their parent company, Mundania, and decided to give erotic romance a shot. I’m glad I did.
As I wrote Truth, I noticed how secondary character Cal Briscoe became more prevalent, bolder than first anticipated. When the book was completed, he refused to leave me alone – he haunted my dreams and thoughts, as if demanding to be heard. Some characters will do that, and Cal was demanding his own story. I had to oblige him, if only to calm him down. Dare Me was the result, and by then other voices chimed in. Lauren McKenna wanted closure to the feelings introduced in Truth, so I wrote Daring Young Man. Readers who enjoyed Truth or Dare wanted to know what happened to Ellie’s cousin Claire, so I wrote Dare to Dream.
Well, you know the saying: if you give something to one person, everybody else will want one. Dareville is fast becoming a franchise in erotica, with many more stories planned. If you have read any of the Dareville stories, I hope you will make return visits to this passionate little Virginia town. Come meet the people of Dareville, where they like to go, and where you may see them next. And leave your inhibitions at the county line.
Peace,
Leigh Ellwood
