Favorite Quote Friday #97

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a good week!  I think we had more cloudy days than sunny days finally, but it was still swelteringly hot.  I opted to stay inside and work-work-work while I silently (okay, not-so-silently) wished the AC would do a better job cooling things down.  :-)

I wanted to give you a quick heads-up that I'm currently holding another contest over on my facebook page.  Five randomly selected entrants will each receive the swag pack above (1 postcard, 4 large bookmarks, 3 smaller bookmarks, and 4 trading cards).  I'll be announcing the winners later today.  :-)

I'll also likely be giving away another ARC of Darkness Rises in the next few days, again on my facebook page.  International entries are welcome in both contests.  :-)

Just a reminder, August 31st is the last day to enter to win 1 of 10 copies of Darkness Rises Kensington is giving away on Goodreads.  You can learn all of the details and enter HERE.

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Since there are only a little over four weeks left before the release of Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4 (October 1st), I thought I'd choose another quote from it today.  The following is told from the point of view of Étienne, the hero.  In it, Richart, a fellow Immortal Guardian, makes a quick call to Seth, the Immortal Guardians' leader:

The sounds of battle came over Richart’s line, carrying to Étienne’s sensitive ears.

“Yes?”

“Seth.  Richart.  Are you busy?”

“One moment.”  The clang of metal striking metal reached them, accompanied by howls of pain.  Many howls of pain.  Then silence.  “Not right now, no.  What do you need?”

Étienne fought a smile.

Seth rocks.  :-)  

Have a wonderful weekend!  For those who have Monday off from work and/or school, enjoy the holiday!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #96

Happy Friday!  I have quite a lot to share with you!

For a limited time, you can purchase Darkness Dawns on Kindle for just $1.99!  If you haven't tried my series yet, now is an excellent time to see how it all began.  I don't know how long the price promotion will last, so order yours today!

Darkness Rises (October 1, 2013) hit #1 on Amazon's Hot New Paranormal Vampire Releases this week!  Woohoo!  I'm so excited!  Thank you, everyone who has pre-ordered it and who has helped me get the word out about its upcoming release!  You're the best!!!

Darkness Rises also won Second Place in Affaire de Coeur's Hot Guyz Patrol Cover Art Contest!  Thank you so much, everyone who voted!

I'll also be launching another contest over on facebook today to give away a signed ARC of Darkness Rises + Immortal Guardians swag.  International entries are welcome.   :-)  You can find my page HERE.

Thank you, everyone who participated in my Ask the Immortal Guardians Contest!  I loved your questions and will pass them along to my Immortal Guardians and Seconds.  ;-)  The winner of a Darkness Rises ARC + swag is:

Wendy!

Congratulations!

Don't forget to email me — dianne [at] dianneduvall [dot] com — your mailing address!

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Since Darkness Dawns is on sale, I thought I would give you an excerpt from it today.  This is taken from early in the novel.  Sarah, the heroine, has just rescued Roland, the hero.  (If you like strong heroines, my series is for you!)  They now stand in her tiny kitchen, Roland wearing only a towel secured at his waist:

Heart pounding, Sarah held his earnest gaze.  His touch, his nearness, was beginning to stir her in a wholly unexpected way.  He stood before her, his gorgeous body riddled with severe wounds, and suddenly all she could think about was what it would feel like if he kissed her.

What was wrong with her?

Something dark flared in his eyes.  One of his thumbs slid down her cheek to caress the corner of her lips.

His head dipped.  Her breath stopped.  Anticipation rose.

His tempting lips were a hair away from hers when Sarah heard a rustling sound followed by a soft thump.  She glanced down, then swiftly up again when she realized the towel wrapped around his waist had fallen to the floor.

Emitting a sigh, Roland lowered his hands.  “It’s going to be one of those days,” he said with a look of such pained chagrin that Sarah had to smile.

As he bent over to retrieve the towel, he listed to one side and would have fallen had he not reached for her.  The moment his hand made rough contact with her shoulder, he cried out and yanked it back.  His balance faltered.

Gasping, Sarah threw her arms around him and tried to steady him.

He staggered.  She staggered with him.

Jeeze, he weighed a ton!  Six foot one or two, maybe two hundred pounds of muscle.  There was no way she’d be able to get him up off the floor if he fainted!

It was a lot harder to support him when he reeled away from her, so she drew his upper body toward her, took two steps back and leaned all of her weight into him to prop him up.

Success!  They were both still on their feet.

When Roland’s arms closed around her, he was careful this time not to touch her with his hands.  “Sarah,” he rasped.

“Yes?”

He was blinking hard and staring over her shoulder, his gaze unfocused.  “If I pass out and you can’t wake me up—”

Oh crap.

“—wait until an hour before sunset, then call Marcus.”

“Shouldn’t we call him now?”

“No, he won’t . . .”  Roland’s dark eyes started to roll back in his head.

“No, no, no!  Don’t pass out on me!  We have to get you to the futon!”

He blinked sluggishly when she shook him.

Hurriedly maneuvering them so her back was to the futon, she began shuffling toward it, dragging him with her.

He took one step, two, then his knees buckled and his weight sank down on her, pulling her toward the floor.

Swearing, unable to keep him upright, she twisted and shoved him away from her as hard as she could.

The not-very-controlled fall that resulted landed him on his back on the futon with most of his legs hanging over the metal arm closest to her.

Whew!

That had been pure dumb luck.

“Roland?”

Rounding the futon, she leaned over him and patted one stubbled cheek.  “Roland?”

Nothing.

He was definitely out for the count.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #95

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a good week!  We actually finally had some rain here that temporarily dropped temperatures twenty degrees or so, taking us out of the triple digits.  There was even a rumble or two of thunder.  So nice.

And two women whose opinions I value greatly — a fabulous author and an awesome blogger — told me they loved Darkness Rises!  Woohoo!  I'm always so nervous, waiting for those initial reviews to begin to trickle in as a book's release approaches.  I doubt that will ever change.  :-)

In case you missed it, I launched a contest here on my blog yesterday!  I'm giving away a signed ARC of Darkness Rises + Immortal Guardians swag.  Details can be found HERE.

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  If you're considering catching up on my Immortal Guardians series before Darkness Rises is released on October 1st, I thought I'd give you a little taste of Bastien from Phantom Shadows to whet your appetite.  This micro-excerpt is told from Melanie's (the heroine's) POV:  

The tension in her Chevy as they left the network was about a twenty-one on a scale of one to ten.  Bastien sat beside Melanie in the passenger seat, large and powerful even when not in motion.  Two soldiers sat in the backseat, automatic weapons in hand.

“I’m going to have to ask you to take your fingers off the triggers, gentlemen,” Bastien said after several long minutes, his gaze on the darkened scenery that zipped past outside his window.  “There are a lot of bumps in North Carolina’s roads that could precipitate an accidental discharge.”

In the rearview mirror, Lanie saw the men exchange smug glances.

“If it happens, it happens,” one drawled.

Bastien continued to stare out the window.  “If you should accidentally shoot me, I’ll merely break your arms and all of your fingers to prevent such stupidity from happening a second time,” he said blandly.  “But if you accidentally shoot Dr. Lipton, I’ll rip your throats out so swiftly you’ll bleed to death before the men in the vehicles behind us even realize something has gone wrong.  Just something for you to consider.”

Again the men exchanged a look, this one neither smug nor confident.  Both shifted, removing their fingers from the triggers she assumed.

“A wise decision,” Bastien commented.

Ahh, Bastien.  So much fun to write.  :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

CONTEST: Ask the Immortal Guardians

The release of Darkness Rises — October 1st — is only a month and a half away!  Let's celebrate with a contest.

"Duvall is fast proving to be a major player!"

—RT Book Reviews

Krysta is used to getting the drop on vampires. Her "special abilities" aren't much, but the plan is simple--she plays helpless pretty young thing to lure them in. Then her shoto swords come out and it's bye-bye, bloodsucker. Until one night she finds herself with an unexpected ally. He's a vampire, all right, but different. Mysterious. Handsome. And more interested in saving her skin than draining it.

Étienne has been an Immortal Guardian for two hundred years--long enough to know that Krysta is special. He can't stop thinking about her long legs, even more than her short swords. Then he discovers the vamps she's exterminating have friends in high places, and the Guardians are in danger too. He'll have to accept Krysta's help to save them. The stakes for a mortal are high. But the cost to his heart might be higher. . .

The Prize  

A signed ARC of Darkness Rises + Immortal Guardians swag!

Details

The contest will run from 12:01 am EST Thursday, August 15th through 11:59 pm EST Tuesday, August 20th.  Contest is open to readers 17 and older.  International entries are welcome.

Mandatory Entry
I'm working on guest posts for my upcoming blog tour, which will include character interviews, and would love to know what you would ask if you were conducting the interview yourself.  So, to enter, leave a comment below, asking any Immortal Guardian a question, or asking the Immortal Guardians in general a question.  If your question is for a particular immortal, please mention it in your comment.

Extra Entries
For extra entries, you may do any or all of the following, but be sure to mention them in your comment.

+1  Ask my Immortal Guardians another question.  (1 entry for each question up to five questions) 

+1  Mention the contest on Twitter.

+1  Share the contest on Facebook.

Selecting a Winner
I will use random.org to choose a winner after verifying all entries and will announce it here by Friday, August 23rd.  If the winner's email address is included in her/his comment, I will email her or him, too.  The winner will have one week to contact me.


Good luck!  I (and my Immortal Guardians) look forward to your questions!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #94

Happy Friday!  What a fun week!  I've been touching base with book reviewers and bloggers, sending out ARCs of Darkness Rises (October 1, 2013), and planning my Darkness Rises Blog Tour.  I also held a contest on Facebook and will mail the winner's package (an ARC + swag) today.  Congratulations again, Queneshia!

I'll be guest posting over at Paranormal Haven today as part of their new weekly feature Why Didn't I Think of That?!?!.  If this is your first time hearing about it, every Friday through September 20th a new author will visit Paranormal Haven and share "a book, character, scene, quote or other bookish awesomeness they wish they had thought of first."  Today it's my turn.  :-)

Darkness Rises is up for Affaire de Coeur's Hot Guyz Patrol Cover Art Contest.  The contest lasts through August 15th and also has Gorgoues Gals and Uniquely Yours categories.  You can view the covers and vote for your favorites HERE.

Also, Kensington is giving away 10 copies of Darkness Rises over on Goodreads.  The contest lasts until August 31st.  You can find all of the details and enter HERE.  

Since the contest is only open to US residents, I'll hold a contest or two here on my blog soon that will be open to international entries so everyone can have a chance to win.  :-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  If you're unfamiliar with my Immortal Guardians series, vampires are the bad guys in it.  Infected with a virus, they range from newbie vampires who have only recently been turned and still retain their faculties to utterly psychotic vampires who have been infected long enough to suffer the brain damage it causes in humans and have gone mad.

I mention one vampire in particular in my guest post over at Paranormal Haven:  Eddie Kapansky.  So I thought I would choose a selection from Night Reigns (Immortal Guardians Book 2) told from Eddie's POV for today's quote.  Eddie hasn't been a vampire as long as some of his brethren, but he has already begum to lose himself to the virus's destruction.  In this scene, Eddie is fleeing through the forest, afraid he is being pursued by the hero, Immortal Guardian Marcus Grayden:

Breath heaving, body bathed in a cold sweat, Eddie Kapansky glanced over his shoulder as he raced through the forest.  

Nothing.  

He faced forward again and almost ran into a low hanging branch.  Ducking swiftly, he scarcely managed to avoid it.  

“Come on, Eddie.  Get your sh** together,” he muttered.  Traveling at preternatural speeds required hypervigilance.  Inconveniently low branches like the one that had just brushed the top of his dark blond hair could easily remove a vamp’s head.

The bitter taste of fear still flooding his mouth, he glanced behind him once more and sought any signs that the immortal might be following him.  When he faced forward, his eyes widened and a yelp escaped him as another branch nearly decapitated him.

Call me crazy, but I like all of the vampires is my series:  those who are decent, those who are deranged, and those who fall somewhere in between.  ;-)

Have a great weekend!

Dianne   

Favorite Quote Friday #93

Happy Friday!  How was your week?  Mine was full of writing (Immortal Guardians Book 5) and blog tour planning.  :-)  Only two months to go until the release of Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4!  I'm so excited!

In case you haven't heard, Affaire de Coeur is holding a Cover Art Contest.  Darkness Rises is a contestant in the Hot Guyz Patrol.  :-)  If you get a chance, pop over and vote for your favorite covers!  There are also Gorgeous Gals and Uniquely Yours categories.

 Kensington is giving away 10 copies of Darkness Rises on Goodreads!  The contest has already begun and will last through August 31st!  You can find all of the details and enter HERE.

I also feel a facebook contest coming on.  My internet service has been hinky lately, but I hopefully will be able to give an ARC of Darkness Rises + swag away sometime in the next few days.  My facebook contests usually only last 24 hours or so, so I thought I'd give you a heads-up.  You can find my page HERE.  :-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Since I've been spending the week planning good things to celebrate Darkness Rises' release on October 1st, I thought I would post an excerpt to give you a taste of what's to come.  It features the hero — Étienne — and the heroine — Krysta.  For those who aren't familiar with my Immortal Guardians series, Étienne is telepathic.  :-)

A low chuckle wafted on the night.

Eyes widening, she drew her second sword and turned in a slow circle. “Damn it! Show yourself!”

“Well, since you asked so nicely,” a deep voice laced with a French accent purred behind her.

Gasping, she spun around and swung a shoto.

Once more, he caught her wrist. “Careful.” The warning was gentle, carrying neither malice nor anger.

Krysta stared.

His touch sent electricity tickling its way up her arm. His flesh was warm, his long fingers free of callouses.

Her heart slammed against her ribs as butterflies erupted in her stomach.

She should be furious. Frightened. Instead, she felt as excited as she would on a first date.

Crap.

Stepping back, she withdrew her arm from his grasp.

Dropping his hand, he tilted his head and studied her with those entrancing amber eyes.

Yeah, he was hot all right.

Short midnight hair glinted in the moonlight. Faint stubble shadowed a strong jaw. Straight nose. Broad shoulders. What was clearly a well-developed, muscular build beneath a black T-shirt that clung to him courtesy of the vampire blood that saturated its front. Slim waist. Slim hips. All revealed by the gap in the long black coat he wore.

She didn’t let her gaze stray further. The last thing she wanted to do while facing him was blush like a school girl if he had a nice package.

His tempting lips stretched in a slow smile.

I hope you'll enjoy their story. :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne