Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop

 

Welcome to the Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop, hosted by Felicity Heaton and Indie Romance Books!  There are so many things I love about paranormal romances.  At the top of the list, though, would be the powerful preternatural males that inhabit them.  They come in quite a wide variety.  Some are tortured.  Some are light-hearted.  Some reclusive.  Some fun-loving people persons.  Some are overbearing and dictatorial.  And some can’t resist a strong woman.  

Étienne d’Alençon, the hero of Darkness Rises, falls into the last category (although he can be a light-hearted, fun-loving tease at times, too).  Étienne has always admired strong women.  And he has made no secret of it throughout my Immortal Guardians series.  So when he sees Krysta Linz, a mere mortal, take on four vampires by herself, he is instantly intrigued.  How has this entrancing vampire hunter escaped the Immortal Guardians’ notice for the past six years?  How does she hold her own so well against psychotic vampires with preternatural speed and strength?  Unable to resist her lure, he endeavors to learn more about her and soon the sparks begin to fly as he struggles to convince her that not everyone with fangs and glowing eyes is her enemy. 

A USA Today Bestseller

4.5 stars, HOT

"Duvall does an outstanding job building both a rich world and a compelling cast of characters."

— RT Book Reviews

4.5 stars
"Featuring a fascinating take on vampires, Darkness Rises is a thrilling, action-packed, suspenseful, funny, steamy paranormal romance readers won't be able to put down until the last page."
— Affaire de Coeur Magazine

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. . .

Excerpt

The unmistakable shick, ting, and clang of metal striking metal split the air several blocks away.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Krysta growled and took off running.  She didn’t care that she raced down a sharply sloped hill that would make it damned near impossible to stop once she got going.  She didn’t care that she ran with an unsheathed sword in each hand.  (Her mother and father’s frequent admonitions not to run with scissors chose that moment to dance through her head.)  She didn’t even care that anyone who saw her would likely call the police and report a madwoman fleeing through Chapel Hill, waving deadly weapons, and get her arrested.

She had only one goal in mind:  Get to those damned vampires before Mystery Man did whatever the hell he’d been doing for the past two weeks and disappeared.

Her heart pounding in her chest, she honed in on the battle’s location and managed to put on the brakes enough to zip around the corner at a speed that would keep her from rolling ass over elbows downhill.

She jerked to a halt and stared. 

The darkened alley was deserted except for a dumpster about twenty-five yards away and — she released a growl of fury — a pair of jeans, a bloody blue sweatshirt, and a pair of bright red Chucks spread out on the pavement as if they had been laid out by some kid’s mother.

Krysta sheathed one of her swords, stomped over the place a vampire had clearly fallen, and grabbed the sweatshirt.  “Oh, come on!” she shouted, her voice echoing on the somnolent night.  She shook the sticky clothing at the sky.  “Where are you?” she demanded.  Turning in a circle, she examined every nook and cranny at street level, then peered up at the rooftops.

She could see no sign of Mystery Man.  Had he already left?  

Krysta tossed the shirt down in disgust.  “This is bullsh**.”

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.

My Prize

A signed copy of Darkness Rises + Immortal Guardians swag.

Details

The Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop runs from October 29th, 12:01am  through November 3rd, 11:59pm EST.  My giveaway is international.

Mandatory entry for my prize

Leave a comment on this post during the hop, include your email address, and let me know what your favorite Halloween read or movie is.  :-)  Also mention extra entries.   

Extra entries for my prize

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

+1  Follow my blog. 

+1  Like My Facebook Page.

+1  Follow me on Twitter.

+1  Mention the hop and my giveaway on Twitter.

+1  Share it on Facebook.

Selecting a Winner for my prize

I will use random.org to choose my prize winner after verifying all entries and will announce it here by November 8th.  If the winner's email address is included in her/his comment, I will email her/him, too.  The winner will have one week to contact me.

Favorite Quote Friday #105

Happy Friday!  What a beautiful week!  Cooler, dry air finally rolled in and rid us of the sweltering heat and sticky humidity that has plagued us for months, so I was able to open the windows and enjoy a nice breeze while I was blog touring.  :-)

If you missed them, here are the stops I made this week:

October 21, 2013 — The Bookish Babe

October 22, 2013 — Proserpine Craving Books

October 23, 2013 — Close Encounters With the Night Kind

October 24, 2013 — Lindsay Avalon

You can enter to win a signed book and swag at each stop.  The full tour schedule can be found HERE.

Reviews for Darkness Rises continue to roll in, each one a thrill.  :-)  Here are some snippets from some of the latest:

"This is a thrill ride from beginning to end and not to be missed. The novel is rich with story, plot, drama and strong characterizations. In fact, there are so many more juicy details in this book that I could not fit them all into this tiny review. Darkness Rises meets all my ‘must haves’ of an awesome read. It has a wonderful and fulfilling HEA that was top notch. Not only that, but there is a huge surprise at the end. Not just for a reader but for Krysta and Étienne as well. It made me laugh out loud and I wanted to high five Ms. Duval for writing such a clever and cute scene. It made the happy ever after extra special and had me turning the last page with a huge grin on my face. I am wowed."

— Long and Short Reviews

Audiobook Review

"I am totally in love with Dianne Duvall’s Immortal Guardians. They are all so dreamy and kick a$$. Darkness Rises is an amazing book.

 —Books-n-Kisses

"Fans of action-packed, smoking hot paranormal romance wrapped in suspense will love Darkness Rises and the Immortal Guardians series. I snagged a copy of Darkness Dawns book one in the series and will be working my way through them in anticipation of book five, since I cannot wait to see what happens next."

— Caffeinated Book Reviewer

A-

"This is book 4 in Duvall’s series and I gobbled it up the minute I got it loaded on my Kindle . . . Fast paced, lots of action and a fair about of humor I will impatiently wait for next year’s release of book 5!"
— Smexy Books

There's only one week left to enter my big Darkness Rises Release Giveaway!  

1st Prize
Kindle Fire HD 7"
2nd Prize
Kindle (or $75 Gift Card)
3rd and 4th Prizes
Immortal Guardians T-shirt, keychain, magnet, and swag
5th, 6th, and 7th Prizes
Immortal Guardians tote bag, keychain,pen, magnet, and swag
8th, 9th, and 10th Prizes
Immortal Guardians Mega-swag Pack

For more details, visit my website.

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Today's selection is a quote from Darkness Rises in which Sean, the heroine's brother, is talking to her about Étienne (the hero):

“What makes you think you’ll see him again?”

“Oh, I’ll see him again.  He left me alive for a reason.  And I’m going to kick his ass until he tells me what it is.”

:-)  Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #104

Happy Friday!  It's been another exciting week for me!  I hope yours was a good one.

Verfluchte Seelen, the German translation of Phantom Shadows, Immortal Guardians Book 3, was released yesterday!  Woohoo!  I just love the cover, don't you?

And I've already heard from a reader who enjoyed it.  Doubly thrilling!

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Romance Reviews declared Darkness Rises a Top Pick and gave it a wonderful 5-star review.  Here's a snippet:

"Dianne Duvall has established herself as a star of the paranormal romance, and this book only solidifies her place in the pantheon. Not only is the love story at the center of this book wonderfully steamy and fulfilling, but the subplots and secondary characters kick this series into a whole new realm that will enchant fans from beginning to end."

Have you seen my contests over at Fresh Fiction?

You can enter to WIN a signed copy of Darkness Dawns, the book that started it all :-) + an awesome Immortal Guardians canvas tote bag and swag HERE.

You can also enter to WIN a signed copy of Predatory + Immortal Guardians swag HERE.

Want more chances to win?  My Darkness Rises Blog Tour is still underway, and there's a giveaway at every stop.  :-)  Here is a list of the stops I made this week, which included an Author Q&A, a Darkness Rises Dream Cast Guest Post, a character interview with Étienne, and a review/spotlight:

October 14, 2013 — Paranormal Reads

October 15, 2013 — Urban Fantasy Investigations

October 16, 2013 — Rabid Reads

October 18, 2013 — Caffeinated Book Reviewer

And don't forget my big Darkness Riss Release Giveaway!  10 Prizes.  Many ways to enter.  :-)  Find out more HERE.

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  For today's selection, I've chosen a quote from Darkness Rises that gives you a glimpse of the eldest Immortal Guardians, Seth and David:

Seth nodded.  “They’ll think I’m playing matchmaker.”

“And playing favorites.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Exactly.  Everyone knows I’m your favorite and yet I remain distressingly unattached.”

Seth grinned.  “Angling for me to set you up on a blind date?”

“Hell, no.”

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #103

Happy Friday!  It has been such an exciting week!

Darkness Rises hit the USA Today Bestseller List!  Many, many thanks to the wonderful readers, street team members, bloggers, and fellow authors who helped me spread the word about the release and to everyone who picked up a copy!!!  I'm giving away two Immortal Guardians swag packs (1 postcard, 4 bookmarks, 3 smaller bookmarks, and 4 trading cards) over on my facebook page to celebrate and will choose a winner later today, so hop over and join the fun!

I'm a featured author in this month's BTSeMag!  Use the cool page flipper to peruse the magaine.  You'll find my feature on page 81.  :-)

I also was interviewed live for the first time on In the Author's Corner with Etienne on Blog Talk Radio.  If you missed it and would like to listen, you can do so on demand HERE.

Verfluchte Seelen, the German translation of Phantom Shadows, will be released on October 17th!  Don't you just love that cover?  :-)

Also, my Darkness Rises Blog Tour is well underway.   On it, you'll find Author Interviews, Character Interviews, Guest Posts, excerpts, and more plus a giveaway at every stop!  Here are links to this week's posts:

October 7, 2013 — Paranormal Haven

October 8, 2013 — Buffy's Ramblings

October 9, 2013 — Bibliophilic Book Blog

October 10, 2013 — Romancing the Book

October 11, 2013 — The Jeep Diva

October 11, 2013 — The Book Vixen

Amazon • Kindle • Barnes and Noble • Nook • iBooks • Kobo • Audible • Walmart

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  In light of the good news, I thought I would give you another peek into the pages of Darkness Rises.  The following is spoken by Étienne, the hero, to Krysta, the heroine:

“You’re a strong, beautiful woman who knows her way around a blade.  I find that” — he drew in a deep breath as his eyes traveled over her with a heat that scorched her — “incredibly appealing.”

Thank you again!  So much!  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #102

Happy Friday!  What an exciting week it has been!  Darkness Rises, the fourth book in my Immortal Guardians series, was released on Tuesday!!!  Woohoo!

Thank you so much for helping me spread the word about the release!  Darkness Rises is #2 on Amazon's Best Sellers in Paranormal Vampire Romance list and #2 on Amazon's Vampire Romance Hot New Releases list!  It also hit #44 on Barnes and Noble's Top 100 Bestselling Nook Books list!  And the audiobook is #2 on Audible's Fantasy Romance Bestseller list!

The response of readers and reviewers to Darkness Rises has been all that I could've hoped for and more.  :-)

Darkness Rises received a wonderful review from The Book Vixen.  Here's a snippet:

"Excellent paranormal romance with stellar action . . . I adore this series and eagerly await each release."

Liz from Kindles and Wine gave Darkness Rises a fabulous review, too.  Here's a taste:

"I really enjoyed Darkness Rises and think anyone who reads paranormal romance would as well . . . A feisty, strong heroine and a sensitive, powerful hero combine to make this book fun and sexy."

I have exciting news to share!  Next Wednesday, I will make my blogtalkradio debut in an interview for In the Author's Corner With Etienne.  (Don' t you just love that his name is the same as the name of the hero in Darkness Rises?)  The interview will take place at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  Here's a link.  :-)

My Darkness Rises Blog Tour is underway!  In case you missed the first few stops, here's a recap of this week's schedule:

Monday, September 30th — Reading Between the Wines Book Club

Tuesday, October 1st — Books and Things

Tuesday, October 1st — Australian Romance Readers Association

Wednesday, October 2nd — A Life Bound by Books

Thursday, October 3rd — Kindles and Wine

Friday, October 4th — From the TBR Pile

And don't forget to enter my big giveaway!  I included more prizes this time so you'd all have more chances to win.  :-)  Details can be found on my website.

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  (I still can't believe I've done over 100 of these!)  In honor of its release, I thought I would give you another quote from Darkness Rises.  For those who aren't familiar with the series, Étienne — the hero of Darkness Rises — is telepathic.  And, in this quote, he speaks to Krysta the heroine, in her mind:

You’re determined to distract me, aren’t you?

Yes.

His lips twitched.  Why?

Because I had an intriguingly racy dream about you this morning and have been distracted picturing you naked and imaging your hands on me ever since.

His eyes flashed amber.

:-)  To those who have told me in emails, messages, etc. that you enjoyed Darkness Rises:  Thank you!!!  I had such fun writing it and hoped you would like it.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Darkness Rises Release Day Giveaway!

Today is Release Day for Darkness Rises,

Book 4 in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series!

Amazon • Kindle • Barnes & Noble • Nook • iBooks • Kobo • Audible • Walmart

To celebrate, I'm giving away
10 Fabulous Prizes!

1st Prize

1 Winner will receive a Kindle Fire HD 7" Tablet

2nd Prize

1 Winner will receive a Kindle
Already have a Kindle?  No problem.  
You can choose to receive a $75 Kindle Gift Card instead.

3rd and 4th Prize

2 Winners will receive an Immortal Guardians T-shirt, a Darkness Rises Keychain, a Darkness Rises magnet, and lots of Immortal Guardians swag (cover flat, bookmarks, postcards, and trading cards)

5th, 6th and 7th Prize

3 Winners will receive an Immortal Guardians tote bag, a Darkness Rises keychain, an Immortal Guardians pen, a Darkness Rises magnet, and lots of Immortal Guardians swag (cover flat, bookmarks, postcards, and trading cards)

8th, 9th and 10th Prize

3 Winners will receive an Immortal Guardians mega-swag pack. (5 signed cover flats, 4 large bookmarks, 3 smaller bookmarks, 2 postcards, 4 trading cards, and 1 magnet)

Help me spread the word about the release of 

Darkness Rises and YOU could win
one of the prizes listed above!

Here's How to Enter

— 100 entries:  Purchase Darkness Rises and send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com ) a copy of the receipt (with all sensitive data blocked out) by midnight ( Eastern Standard Time) October 31st with “Purchase Entry” in the subject line.

— 50 entries:  Haven't read Darkness Dawns yet or know someone else who hasn't? Purchase Darkness Dawns and send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com ) a copy of the receipt (with all sensitive data blocked out) by midnight ( Eastern Standard Time) October 31st with “Darkness Dawns Purchase Entry” in the subject line.

— 50 entries:   Haven't read Night Reigns yet or know someone else who hasn't? Purchase Night Reigns and send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com ) a copy of the receipt (with all sensitive data blocked out) by midnight ( Eastern Standard Time) October 31st with “Night Reigns Purchase Entry” in the subject line.

— 50 entries:   Haven't read Phantom Shadows yet or know someone else who hasn't? Purchase Phantom Shadows and send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com ) a copy of the receipt (with all sensitive data blocked out) by midnight ( Eastern Standard Time) October 31st with “Phantom Shadows Purchase Entry” in the subject line.

— 25 entries:   Repost the above widget on your webpage, send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Webpage Entry” in the subject line, and leave it up for the duration of the contest. Just click on the Get Widget button and it will allow you to choose and copy the code.

— 25 entries:  Have a working blog (one that is already up and running)?  Repost the above widget on a sidebar of your blog, send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Blog Entry” in the subject line, and leave it up for the duration of the contest. Just click on the Get Widget button and it will allow you to choose and copy the code.

— 10 entries:   Pin the cover of Darkness Rises on Pinterest with a link to the following page on my website — http://dianneduvall.com/excerptDR.htm .  Then send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Pinterest Entry” in the subject line.

— 5 entries:   Have a facebook page? Repost the above image on your facebook page or mention the release of Darkness Rises, post the cover, or post the blurb, and provide a link to my website — http://www.dianneduvall.com . Then send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link and/or screenshot with “Facebook Entry” in the subject line.  Limit one Facebook entry per week.

— 5 entries:   Tweet about the release of Darkness Rises, then send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Twitter Entry” in the subject line.  Limit one Twitter entry per week.

The Rules

(Terms and Conditions)

— Contest begins at 12:01 a.m. EST on October 1, 2013 and will last until midnight EST on October 31, 2013.

— You must be 18 or older or the age of majority in your country to enter.  By submitting any entry, you are attesting that this is so and giving me permission to list your name as winner.

— All entries must be received by midnight EST on October 31, 2013.

— You are welcome to enter in all of the ways listed above. Facebook and Twitter entries may be submitted once per week.

— This contest is open worldwide.

— If you post to a forum or Yahoo Group, please do not violate their rules.

— Do not post this contest to sweepstakes or contest sites.

— Suspicious entries may be omitted.

— The winners will be selected using random.org and notified by November 10, 2013. Winners will have two weeks to respond, otherwise the prize is forfeit.

— To claim prizes, winners must contact me directly via email.

— Contest prizes are generally mailed within one month of being claimed. I usually mail them within a week or two, but deadlines can cause delays.

— T-shirts are available in sizes SM—XL and will take longer to ship because they are specially ordered.

— I am not responsible lost or misdirected packages.

— I reserve the right to modify/change/end contest early as I see fit, particularly if I discover the contest has been posted on sweepstakes/contest sites.

— Void where prohibited by law.

Thank you all so much for sharing in my excitement!  Good luck!

Dianne