Darci Ann Baker
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dabakerauthor.bsky.social
Darci Ann Baker
@dabakerauthor.bsky.social
460 followers 210 following 210 posts
Romance Author, Scorpio, sailor, animal lover, professional shower, Chicago North Romance Writers, she/her 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

Separation Game:
https://books2read.com/separationgame

Secrets We Keep:
https://books2read.com/readsecretswekeep

Website: darciannbaker.com
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dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | city
I would totally be Cynthia. If I was rich. And had way more confidence

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At fifty-three, I made more money in a week that I did in an entire year when I’d been twenty-five. I was the president of one of the top brokerage firms in the city. My home was paid off. My investment portfolio guaranteed a more-than-comfortable retirement. When I retired. If I retire. Why the hell would I want to get married? Engagement Game
December 4, 2025 at 1:45 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | dominant 

I think we know where this is going
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#engagementgame
“Keep still.” I couldn’t help but smile at the sternness of his voice. And he calls me bossy? Not that I didn’t appreciate the dominant side of my straight-laced professor. I appreciated him very much. “Travis, if you don’t put your mouth on me right now I’m going to lose my mind.” I also liked pushing his buttons to see how far he’d let me. Engagement Game
December 3, 2025 at 2:07 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | percent

Teaser: things are about to get embarrassing

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#secretswekeep
Zane rubs his hands together. “So what are we doing? Coloring? Stringing beads? Painting?” I laugh because he’s a tiny bit ridiculous in a cute way. “Nothing that creative. We’re cutting paper.”  “Okay.” There’s a notable lack of excitement in his voice. Not that I blame him. Ninety PERCENT of my classroom project prep involves scissors. Secrets We Keep
December 2, 2025 at 2:20 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | belong

This wip releases in two months! Preorder link in my bio

#writesky #writercommunity #writingprompts #romancelandia #romancereaders
#secretswekeep
Silence descends for a moment as we put distance between us and the school. Just the steady rhythm of our shoes on the sidewalk and the slightly less steady rhythm of my hammering heart. Grace better be right about this guy. I haven’t been alone with a man in over three years. And the last time… I force the next breath into my cold lungs and shove that unpleasant memory back into the deep hole where it belongs. Secrets We Keep
December 1, 2025 at 2:21 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | disorganize

I had to dig a little for today's word and ended up with messy.  

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#capturingknight
My heart slammed into my ribs and my mouth dried as we closed the distance to my building. In two minutes Gordon Knight would be in my apartment.  Sitting on my sofa and touching my things. Touching me. My thoughts raced, trying to remember if I’d left any underwear lying out. Not that I was messy, but it was possible.  Capturing Knight
November 27, 2025 at 1:31 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | impede
Went with prevent for this one.

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#secretswekeep
The thought of Lyric cooking something fancy is laughable. She scrambles eggs to death and calls them omelets, is a whiz with a can opener, and does a fair job with grilled cheese as long as she doesn’t get distracted. An actual dinner would be interesting, but her narrowed eyes and crossed arms prevent me from saying so. Secrets We Keep
November 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | system

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#engagementgame
Engagement Game He pulled his wire-rimmed glasses off and set them on the nightstand. I’d never seen Travis in glasses, but in my dream they completed my professor fantasy. Kind of like the sport coat.   Of course it was a dream. How else could I explain the fact Travis had breached my security system? Or the fact my pajamas were gone?
November 25, 2025 at 1:48 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | debut

I don't have debut, but I do have both beginning and start in this snip from my debut novel

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I turned away from that thought and snatched the can of cinnamon spice air freshener off the nightstand, laying down a heavy fog as I walked around the room. Last week I’d bought it to celebrate the beginning of September and the unofficial start of fall. Now, I just needed it to mask Derek’s Tom Ford cologne that seemed to have permeated our entire bedroom. I gave the mattress an extra heavy coat along with a disdainful look.  Separation Game
November 24, 2025 at 2:03 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | special

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#secretswekeep
Thank god I’m singing someone else’s words, because right now I’m not sure I’d be able to express my thoughts. Whatever this thing is between me and Lyric, it goes way beyond lust. Which is sorta crazy since we’ve barely met. But I can’t help but feel there’s something special about her, something that’s about to turn my life upside down and inside out. Secrets We Keep
November 20, 2025 at 1:55 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | third

I think it's a date

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#secretswekeep
I squash that thought down while inhaling the slice in my hand. Zane chuckles when I reach for seconds—okay, maybe thirds. But this isn’t a date. I’m not here to impress him with my ladylike table manners and dainty eating habits. Those are reserved for dates, and this isn’t a date. Secrets We Keep
November 19, 2025 at 2:36 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | retrograde
Had to pull out the thesaurus for this one. Cudos to anyone who actually has this word in their wip.

#writesky #writercommunity #writingprompts #romancelandia #romamcereaders
#separationgame
“You know what they say. Once a cheater always a cheater… and Derek's a really good cheater. You won’t even see it coming,” I said, and then walked away, heading toward the field of celebrating players without a backward glance. Separation Game
November 18, 2025 at 3:08 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | spend

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#secretswekeep
“You don’t trust me.” His smile fades and his expression turns serious. “I get it. But I’d like to change that. And I can’t if we don’t SPEND time together. But that’s your decision… Stay or go, I’ll do whatever you tell me.”  Secrets We Keep
November 17, 2025 at 1:51 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | week

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#secretswekeep
Okay, I might have fucked up. Come on a little strong. I don’t know. I was going on instinct. How was I to know my grocery-store angel was the same woman Grace mentioned last WEEK? At least, I didn’t know who she was when I first walked up to Lyric. Secrets We Keep
November 14, 2025 at 1:51 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | build

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#secretswekeep
Zane squeezes my hand, turning in his seat to face me. My mouth dries and my skin prickles with awareness. Without even looking, I can feel the weight of his gaze and the expectation building as the seconds tick by. Shit, he's going to kiss me. Secrets We Keep
November 13, 2025 at 2:29 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | shirt

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A quick glance up told me what I already knew. Travis looked good. Today he wore a pair of thigh-hugging worn jeans—not the trendy kind, but from actual wear—and a cranberry-colored t-SHIRT topped with a charcoal tweed sport coat that complemented his silver eyes and salt-and-pepper hair. Professor porn.
November 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | burger

Searching for burgers in my wips has made me hungry!

#writesky #writercommunity #writingprompts #romancelandia #romamcereaders
"Yeah. I miss the sun and the heat. I miss Leo's tacos and In-N-Out BURGERS. I even miss the Santa Anas, the May Grays, and the June Glooms. But I can't risk it. I have to make it as hard as possible for Gray to find me. I've a new life here and I'm making the best of it." Secrets We Keep
November 11, 2025 at 2:02 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | local

#writesky #writercommunity #writingprompts #romancelandia #romamcereaders
#secretswekeep

This wip will be released Feb 1!
I bolt to my feet, my eyes widening a fraction as I reassess my opinion of Zane Brody. His music the other night was good—better than I had expected for a LOCAL bar band. But the music inked on his skin hints at so much more. Who is this guy? Secrets We Keep
November 10, 2025 at 1:39 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#fridayspark from my wip Secrets We Keep

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The sleeve of his jacket shifts revealing scrolls of ink that disappear under the leather. This time my sigh is harder to hold back, and so is my curiosity to discover how much art lies under this man's clothes. Why must I have a weakness for tattoos? Secrets We Keep
November 7, 2025 at 1:53 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | movement

I shortened today's word to Move

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The urge to kiss the daylights out of Cynthia was just about overwhelming. But I needed to bide my time. Wait for her to make the first move. Far be it from me to break her rules. No, she will have to willingly break them herself.
November 7, 2025 at 1:48 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPsnips | penultimate

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#secretswekeep

Ugh. This was a tough one. This quote is as close as I could get.
The easiest thing would be to send Zane home. Never see him again. Never challenge my fears. But Kelly's words ring loud in my ears, making too damn much sense. My ex-husband's been in jail for the last three years, but so have I. Without even realizing it, I've turned this house into my self-imposed isolation cell. This is my chance at freedom. Secrets We Keep
November 6, 2025 at 1:39 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | trail

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#secretswekeep
"First time in three years a man has me on my back, and I'm covered in mud and grass clippings and God knows what else. I was hoping for something a bit more romantic." Zane's fingers TRAIL along my jaw and his thumb brushes across my bottom lip. "You look beautiful in mud and grass clippings." Secrets We Keep
November 5, 2025 at 2:41 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | steel

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#engagementgame
There was nothing cool about Cynthia Jacobs. She was molten STEEL and burning flame, and by morning I would be nothing but a pile of cooling cinders at her feet. And God help me, I wanted to be the ash she swept away once she had her fill. Engagement Game
November 5, 2025 at 2:37 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | nice

#writesky #writercommunity #writingprompts #romancelandia #romancereaders
I'm playing catch-up today. I apologize for checking out for a bit, but I've been preoccupied with the final edits of my next book:)

This quote is from my debut novel (link in my bio, for anyone interested)
"My granny always said, 'There's ain't nothin' like a NICE glass of justice and a thick slice of revenge to put everythin' right.'" Separation Game
November 5, 2025 at 2:34 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | bear

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#engagementgame

I don't write about bears. My characters do drink beer, tho. I apologize if this is taking my creative license too far.
"Wise the fuck up, big brother." "I don't need to wise up. I am wise," I defended, dropping down on one corner of Trent's squishy sectional and taking a swig of my ice-cold BEER—the second one since I walked in the door, because apparently drinking at three a.m. was my new thing. Engagement Game
September 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM
dabakerauthor.bsky.social
#WIPSnips | leave

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#secretswekeep
"Would you rather I LEAVE?" Would I? "Yes. No. I—I don't know." Zane's small, sexy smile triggers a buzz of attraction that's been vibrating under my skin most of the night. A magnet pull that's way too dangerous inside my tiny, eight hundred square foot house. Secrets We Keep
September 24, 2025 at 3:26 PM