Friday, July 27, 2018

Awaken the Darkness—News and More

Happy Friday! I have fun news to share.



Awaken the Darkness hit the USA Today Bestseller List! Woohoo!! Many heartfelt thanks go out to all of the readers who put it there! Thank you so much, everyone who picked up a copy. I could not be more thrilled by your responses to Stanislav and Susan. I've been hearing from readers who tell me they've already reread it or listened to it three or four times. And I have to say: That is one of the most awesome things an author can hear. :-) 




I've been busily putting together prize winner packages. I held quite a few giveaways in the weeks leading up to the release, some of which continued  thereafter. I used so much tape on them. LOL. I always do in an attempt to ensure they'll reach their destinations intact. So if the winners have a little difficulty opening them—sorry about that. :-)



Congratulations to the Awaken the Darkness Pre-Order Giveaway winners:


Lindsey M.
Allison H.
Barbara W.
All three prizes have been sent. And thank you again, everyone who pre-ordered Awaken the Darkness!


 Congratulations to the winners of my Awaken the Darkness Blog Tour Giveaway:

Linda T.
Rachel R.
Annwen H.
Shelly P.
These prizes have also been sent. 


And congratulations to the winner of the Awaken the Darkness Release Week Giveaway I held on Facebook:


Louise P.
This package is also on its way. :-)

I hope everyone will enjoy their goodies. I admit I particularly like the pillows. *whispers* There's one on my sofa right now. ;-)





EBOOK
Kindle • iBooks • Nook • Kobo
PAPERBACK
AUDIOBOOK

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday! For those who are just hearing about Awaken the Darkness, I thought I would provide another peek into its pages with a brief excerpt that features the hero and heroine. I'll preface it by mentioning that the heroine is telepathic:
He started to ease around her. "Stay here." 
She grabbed his arm. "No way. I'm coming with you." 
He looked as though he wanted to protest but thought better of it and nodded. "When we find him, use your gift to let me hear his thoughts." 
"I don't know how to do that. I mean, I can listen to them myself. But I don't know how to let you hear them, too." 
He patted her hand where it rested on his arm. "Just hold on to me. You're broadcasting pretty loudly right now. So I'll hear whatever you hear when you peek into his mind." 
Really? That was so cool. 
His lips twitched. 
She grinned. "I am broadcasting loudly, aren't I?" 
"Yes." 
Her nerves jangled as she looked toward the van. 
Stanislav leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Don't be afraid. I won't let anyone hurt you." 
Susan nodded, her heart stuttering a bit. She liked the feel of his hand on hers. His lips touching her hair. The casual gestures of affection. It made her feel like a teenager in the grips of a first crush. 
Glancing down at her, he smiled. 
"Damn it," she hissed. "I just broadcast that, didn't I?" 
"Yes." 
"Well, forget you heard it." 
He returned his attention to the van. "Not likely." Palming a knife, he shifted his hand to keep the weapon out of sight and strode forward.
Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Friday, July 13, 2018

Awaken the Darkness News & Giveaway

Happy Friday! This has been such a fun and exciting week! Awaken the Darkness, Immortal Guardians Book 8, released on Tuesday in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Woohoo!! Thank you, everyone who has purchased a copy. You catapulted the ebook up to #1 on Amazon's Vampire Thrillers Best Seller List!!



You also drove the audiobook all the way up to #1 on Audible's Paranormal Romance Bestseller list and #2 on Audible's Romance Bestseller list! :-)




I'd like to send a big thank you out to my friends on Facebook and Twitter, especially members in my Books Group. I have eagerly devoured your comments and could not be happier. I can't believe some of you have already read or listened to the book twice! That is one of the best things an author can hear, along with "I laughed and I cried," which quite a few of you have also admitted. I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed Stanislav and Susan's story. I know I've said this before: I love to write. I really do. But I love making readers happy even more.


And I have the best readers! You all rock!! đŸ’–



— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —

If this is your first time hearing about the release . . .



SPECIAL RELEASE WEEK EBOOK PRICE—$3.99 (Save $1)
Kindle • iBooks • Nook • Kobo
PAPERBACK
AUDIOBOOK

Return to the "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly) world of New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall's Immortal Guardians.  

He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her.

When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch. So much so that she loses her heart to him even as they find themselves hunted by unknown enemies who are ruthless in their quest to capture them.



— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —



I have a lot of giveaways going on now. The latest is an Awaken the Darkness Release Week Giveaway over on Facebook. The Prize: an Awaken the Darkness pillow, a signed paperback copy of Blade of Darkness, and lots of bookmarks, trading cards, and postcards. You can join the fun and enter to win on My Author Page.

I will be contacting the winners of my Pre-Order Giveaway later today. Thank you everyone who entered! Once they've all responded, I'll post the winners here on my blog. :-)


My Awaken the Darkness Blog Tour will end soon. But there's still time to enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card, a $25 Amazon Gift Card, or an awesome Immortal Guardians and The Gifted Ones Prize Pack. You can find the schedule on my Tours page.


— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —



The reviews rolling in for Awaken the Darkness are utterly fantastic!! Thank you, all of you who have taken a minute to post one on your favorite online site (Amazon, Audible, Goodreads, etc.). I always peruse reviews before purchasing a book by a new-to-me author, so I know how important they are. They can encourage new readers to give the book a try and get to know my Immortal Guardians. AND I admit they really brighten my day. I really do love making readers laugh . . . and cry, though I feel weird admitting the latter. LOL. Here are snippets from a few of the reviews readers have left on Amazon:


"Again, Dianne takes you away to a fantastic world of danger passion grief and joy. With remarkable character that you love."
Linda

"Stanislav and Susan are fantastic together, and their journey is so exciting and intriguing that I couldn't put the book down and have read or listened to it more than 3 times already. If you haven't already picked up an Immortal Guardians book and found yourself hooked, now is a fantastic time to start."
Amazon Customer

"Totally absolutely hooked on this series!!!! Loved the concept she took with this story!!!"
Markie Pickrell

"As always Dianne Duvall has done it again. I absolutely love this series. I love everyone of her characters in the series and I want them all to get their HEA!! You need to get them all!!! Bought the Audible version of them as well and Kirsten Potter does an awesome job!!!"
zina fritz

"One of my favorites so far."
TJW

"Must read! Amazing! I absolutely love this book! This series draws you in, makes you fall in love with the characters, and then takes you on a journey. And even though this isn’t a comedy, I laughed a lot! There’s a lot of action, romance, and witty sarcasm that you just can’t put it down!!"
Jessica Monhollen

"This is such an amazing series. The characters are fun and lovable. I’ve had many laughs and tears. Awaken The Darkness is another great installment in the series."
 Mrs. Froth

"OMG! Started this book yesterday afternoon and was still reading at 1:30 AM. Kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning until the end. A beautiful love story mixed with lots of danger and excitement for both Stan and Susan.”
Patricia Elliott 

— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —



It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday! Today I'm going to give those of you who haven't read it yet a glimpse of the first meeting of the hero and heroine in Awaken the Darkness:
_____________________________


Flying into motion, she brushed dirt away from the head those soft strands hid. Careful, but urgent, her heart slamming against her ribs.

Breathing heavily, she sat back on her heels and stared down with utter amazement at the treasure she had uncovered.

A man—a very tall man—lay curled on his left side, facing her, his right arm drawn up over his face, a large hand sporting numerous lacerations shielding his head.

He was thin. So thin as to be almost skeletal. But his skin…

It didn’t look leathery or decayed or mummified.

Nor did it appear to be plastic. This was no mannequin.

So why wasn’t she afraid? She should be very afraid. She should be shaking in her proverbial boots right now.

Cautiously, she grasped his wrist and lifted the arm a couple of inches, slowly drawing it down away from his face.

“Oh no,” she breathed. Lowering his arm to his side, she leaned in close and brushed his dark hair back from his dusty face. “What did they do to you?” she whispered.

He was handsome… or would’ve been were it not for the wounds that scored his compelling features. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed as though he still suffered. His ears had bled, as had his nose. His cheeks, coated with perhaps a week’s worth of dark stubble, were sunken and marred by so many deep gashes and scratches. What had happened to him?

Tears welled in her eyes.

How long had he been buried there? She glanced down his long length. And how had he remained so well preserved? As though he had just lain down and breathed his last breath five minutes ago?

She returned her attention to his face, drew her fingers across his forehead, carefully avoiding the jagged line carved into it.

His skin was gritty from the dirt. Cool to the touch.

She shook her head. “What did they do to you?” she whispered again.

One of his eyelids lifted.

She sucked in a breath.

His brown eye blinked, then focused on her.

Amber light flashed in it.

The fear that she should have been feeling all this time now struck with a vengeance.

Her heart doing its damnedest to burst from her chest, she yanked her fingers back and tried to scoot away.

His hand shot out and clamped around her wrist, preventing her from withdrawing.

“Oh sh**!” she cried, struggling to free herself from his hold while Jax began to bark.
_____________________________

Thank you again for making this such a fantastic release week!

Have a wonderful weekend. :-)

Dianne

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

It's Release Day—Awaken the Darkness!

Hello, all!  It's finally  here! Awaken the Darkness releases today in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!


Special Release Week Price — $3.99 (Save $1)
eBook
Kindle • iBooks • Nook • Kobo
Paperback
Audiobook

Return to the "utterly addictive" (RT Book Reviews), "fast-paced and humorous" (Publishers Weekly) world of New York Times bestselling author Dianne Duvall's Immortal Guardians.  

He awakens encapsulated in dirt with no knowledge of how he came to be there. Riddled with injuries, he can remember neither his past nor who he is. Nor can he remember what he is. But surely no mortal man could survive being buried deep beneath the earth. All he knows with certainty is that the soothing voice and presence of the woman moving around above enables him to endure the agony of his wounds. And he will do whatever it takes to be with her.


When Susan first sees the old two-story house for sale, such warmth and longing fill her that—against all reason—she makes an offer. It will take years of hard work and money she frankly doesn’t have to fix up the place. So she can’t explain why she bought it. She also can’t explain what compels her to spend hours one night, digging in the basement until she unearths a man. A man who still lives and breathes despite having been buried alive. A man whose intense brown eyes glow amber with pain, declaring him far more than ordinary. Susan knows she should keep her distance. He has no memory and possesses gifts that would make most fear him. But as the two work together to unravel the mystery of his past, she finds herself drawn in by his teasing nature and tender touch. So much so that she loses her heart to him even as they find themselves hunted by unknown enemies who are ruthless in their quest to capture them.



— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —



Reviews have begun to roll in, and I could not be more pleased.


Long and Short Reviews thrilled me with a fabulous 5-star review. You can read the full review HERE.

 Linda at Reading Between the Wines Book Club gave Stanislav and Susan's story 5 wine glasses in another fantastic review. :-) You can read it HERE.


 Kari at From the TBR Pile gave Awaken the Darkness a wonderful review, too. You can read it HERE.

— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —

Despite her stinging palms and fingers, Susan was happy to be clean as she shut off the water and toweled herself dry. Her ears strained to catch any sound beyond the door but heard nothing. Nor could she hear his thoughts. 
Had he fallen asleep again? 
Had he left? 
A chill skittered through her. 
He hadn't died, had he? 
Alarmed, she hurriedly donned her clothes, grabbed a comb, then yanked open the door. 
Relief suffused her. 
He sat on the bed, facing her. Both hands gripped the edge of the mattress so tightly his knuckles shone white. His head hung low. 
She took a step toward him. "Are you okay?" 
Nodding, he raised his head and opened his mouth to speak, then stared at her with an expression she couldn't read. 
"What?" she asked when the silence stretched. 
His lips curled up in a tired smile. "Nothing. You're just beautiful." 
Heat flooded her cheeks. 
His smile broadened. "Even more so when you blush." 
Grinning, she approached him. "Sweet talker."
I hope you'll enjoy their story!

Dianne

Friday, July 6, 2018

Awaken the Darkness—Only 4 Days to Go!

Happy Friday! Only four days to go until Awaken the Darkness releases in ebook, paperback, and audiobook! I'm so excited!! And you can now pre-order it on Audible. :-)



The first review came in and it's fantastic!! I was so very pleased to hear Lucy Dosch at eBook Obsessed enjoyed Stanislav and Susan's story. You can read the full review HERE.


— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —


Thank you again, everyone who has pre-ordered the ebook, paperback or audiobook. Don't forget to enter my Awaken the Darkness Pre-Order Giveaway. I'm giving away 1 $50 Amazon Gift Card and 2 Awesome Prize Packs (an Awaken the Darkness pillow (my personal favorite), a signed Blade of Darkness paperback, an Awaken the Darkness coffee mug, an Immortal Guardians pen, 4 postcards, 12 bookmarks, and 12 trading cards). 


For those who have asked: If you pre-order Awaken the Darkness in two formats—ebook and audiobook, for example—then you are welcome to enter twice. :-)



Note: Because I've run into difficulties in the past issuing gift cards and shipping prize packs this size to overseas winners, I do, unfortunately, have to restrict this giveaway to residents of the United States and Canada. Sorry about that. My Facebook giveaways (swag packs or a signed book + swag) are almost always international though. :-)


— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —



My Awaken the Darkness Blog Tour is well underway!! Join the fun, follow the tour, and enter to win more great prizes:




Here are the stops I've made so far:



CHARACTER INTERVIEW
Sheldon interviews Stanislav and Susan
I Love Books and Stuff Blog

5 THINGS YOU MAY NOT

KNOW ABOUT ME
at Hanna's Word

SPOTLIGHT

at Lady with a Quill

AUTHOR Q&A
at I Smell Sheep

TOP 10 FAVORITE

IMMORTAL GUARDIANS QUOTES
at Books and Things

SPOTLIGHT

at Cat’s Reviews

WHAT'S ON MY TBR LIST

at Tome Tender

Top 5 REASONS

YOU'LL LOVE STANISLAV
at Romance Reviews and More

EXCERPT

at Bookgatherer

TOP 5 REASON

TO LOVE SUSAN
at Romance Novel Giveaways

TOP 5 FAVORITE
AWAKEN THE DARKNESS QUOTES
at From the TBR Pile

— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —



Thank you, everyone who has participated in The Immortal Guardians Read Along in my Dianne Duvall Books Group on Facebook. It has been so much fun!! We're about to wrap up Blade of Darkness, then it's on to Awaken the Darkness next week. I can't wait to hear what you think of Stanislav and Susan's story!


— • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • — • —


Coming July 10, 2018
Special Pre-Order eBook Price — $3.99 (Save $1)
Pre-Order Today!
eBook
Kindle • iBooks • Nook • Kobo
Paperback
Audiobook

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday! I thought I would tease you with another snippet from Awaken the Darkness. This one features Stanislav and Susan, the hero and heroine:

"Don't." 
"Don't what?" 
"I can feel the guilt and regret pummeling you." Relaxing his grip, he drew back enough to look down at her.  
Susan didn't want to abandon her hold and settled instead for lowering her hands to his hips and tucking her fingers in his belt loops. 
He cupped her face in his big hands, smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks while he gazed down at her with eyes that held an amber glow. "I'm here because of you. You gave me the strength to hold on until you found me. And you've done you damnedest to protect me and take care of me ever since, even after discovering the alarming differences I bear." 
"I'm thankful for those differences. Without them, you would've died before I even went to look at the house and I would've never known you." She shook her head. "And I'm so glad I know you, Stanislav." 
His eyes flared brighter. Lowering his head, he took her lips in a voracious kiss.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne