The Immortal Realm

Favorite Quote Friday #23

2012-02-23T23:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! How did your week go? I had some frustrating internet issues that I hope have been resolved now. (At least I was able to sign on today.) I finally began to make some progress with regards to correspondence. I got pretty far behind on emails during my blog tour (and in the hectic months leading up to the tour) and am trying hard to catch up.

I also sent some more books and swag out to contest winners. Yay! I love contests! I answered interview questions, wrote the rough draft of a guest post, and worked on Book 4 of my series. It was a busy week. :-)

I thought I might mention that today is the last day you can vote for Best Book of 2011 at Long and Short Reviews. Darkness Dawns has been nominated after being given a Best Book rating when reviewed:

"Action-packed world building and a hero daring all

for love makes Darkness Dawns one of the most

fascinating romances I’ve read this year."

– Long and Short Reviews

And now on to Favorite Quote Friday. Today's quote is taken from Night Reigns, Book 2 in my Immortal Guardians series, and is spoken by the heroine to the hero:

“You either lean down or I clothesline you with it. Your choice.”

~ Ami ~

Hope you like it! Have a fantastic weekend!

Dianne

And the Winner is . . .

2012-02-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I hope you enjoyed the weekend and that your week has started off well!

I've chosen a winner for the Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop and wanted to share the news.

The winner is

Desiree B.!

Congratulations! Desiree has already let me know which book she would like to receive, so a signed copy of Night Reigns + Immortal Guardians swag will soon be headed her way!

I had such fun on the hop! Thank you, everyone who joined me!

I hope you all will have a wonderful week!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #22 - Excerpt

2012-02-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I am so ready for the weekend. LOL! I hope your week was a good one. I had fun on the Vampires for Valentine's Giveaway Hop and am sorry to see it end. But, I'm excited about sending goodies to the winner. I'll use random.org to choose the winner this weekend (I can't choose myself because I want everyone to win) and will announce it by the 22nd at the latest. If the winner included her email in her post, I'll notify her via email first. :-)

Favorite Quote Friday

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I thought, instead of a quote, I would post a brief excerpt for today's Favorite Quote Friday segment. It's taken from Darkness Dawns, Book 1 in my Immortal Guardians series, and is told from Roland's point of view while he tends Sarah's injured hand shortly after she discovers he isn't your ordinary, everyday guy. ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her heart began to race, the sound easily detected by his immortal ears.

He raised his eyes, met hers. “Am I hurting you?”

“No,” she answered, her voice a little breathless.

Not pain. “Am I scaring you?” he asked, still stroking.

“No.”

Not fear. “Your pulse is racing.”

“It is?” She licked her lips.

His eyes followed the motion, the sight of that small pink tongue moistening her full lower lip speeding his own pulse until it nearly matched hers. “My senses are heightened. I can hear it.”

Her eyes widened. “You can’t read my thoughts, can you?”

“No.”

“Thank goodness,” she whispered and his interest spiked.

“Why? What would they tell me if I could?” Something naughty, he hoped.

“Nothing.” Yet she blushed as she said it.

Gently extracting her hand from his, she pressed it to his muscled chest above his heart.

Roland sucked in a sharp breath.

“You have a heartbeat.”

He nodded, caught off guard by her tender touch. “I’m not dead. Or undead as I believe much of the vampire lore claims.”

She slid her hand up his chest, over his collarbone, and splayed her fingers on his neck.

The strength of the desire that small caress inspired shocked him.

“Your pulse is racing, too,” she said softly.

And it certainly wasn’t because he was afraid of her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

The Latest

2012-02-16T02:19:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I hope your week is going well and passing quickly. (Can't wait 'til the weekend!)

Award Nomination

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Darkness Dawns has been nominated for Best Book of 2011 by Long and Short Reviews! Voting begins today and ends at midnight Eastern time on February 29th. You can see the other nominees and cast your vote here.

Giveaway

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There's still time to enter to win your choice of either a singed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns + Immortal Guardians swag in the Vampires for Valentine's Giveaway Hop. If you've missed the fun, you can join in here. Good luck! :-) And thank you, everyone who has already entered!

Contest Winners

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mailed out signed copies of Darkness Dawns and Night Reigns and some Immortal Guardians swag to more contest winners this week. If I haven't already congratulated you:

Congratulations!

Tamara H. (Full Moon Bites contest winner)

Darline S. (EBookObsessed contest winner)

Andrea K. (Vampire Book Club contest winner)

Velvet H. (My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop winner)

I love sending out goodies! I'm getting ready to order more swag for future contests. Yay!

Thanks for joining me! Have a great day!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #21

2012-02-10T05:19:00.000-08:00

It's Friday again! Woohoo! It's a cool, dreary, rainy day – just like I like it – and the weekend is mere hours away. Can't wait!

It's also time for Favorite Quote Friday. Today's selection is taken from Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guardians series. It's spoken by Marcus, a secondary character (who goes on to become the hero in Night Reigns), to Roland, the hero:

“You’re apologizing? Seriously, what happened to you?

Have you been taken over by a pod person?”

~ Marcus ~

:-) Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop

2012-02-10T03:35:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop!

Vampires For Valentines Giveaway Hop runs from 12:01am February 10th through to 11:59pm February 16th 2012, and is hosted by Felicity Heaton (Paranormal Romance Author) and Bitten by Paranormal Romance. I happen to love both giveaways and vampires, so I thought this would be a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day!

While preparing this post, I couldn't help but wonder what my Immortal Guardians would do for Valentine's Day. Neither Roland, the hero from Darkness Dawns, nor Marcus, the hero from Night Reigns, have ever celebrated the holiday. Love treated both unkindly in the past. (In Roland's case, that's a major understatement.) But I'm thinking they would go all out for Valentine's Day now that they've surrendered their hearts. :-) Both are alpha-male warriors with undeniable soft spots for their heroines. Roland would no doubt spend a surprising amount of time pondering exactly what gift would please Sarah the most, choosing something unique and particularly meaningful to her. And Marcus would do the same for Ami. But I suspect their plans would include so much more.

Since I'm hoping you'd like to find out just how passionate and romantic the heroes in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series can be, I'm giving away your choice of a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns, the first two books in the series. I'll also throw in some Immortal Guardians swag. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once, Sarah Bingham's biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she's landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control . . .

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it mean forfeiting the world she's always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.

Ami isn't much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she's no coward, and she's no pushover in the protection department either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn't hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into . . .

Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he's not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can't deny that she's strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she's also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can't bear to awaken. After all, whatever her secrets -- how can she defeat death itself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contest Details

The contest lasts from 12:01am February 10th through to 11:59pm February 16th 2012.

International entries are welcome.

Mandatory entry

Leave a comment below and let me know who your favorite vampire is from books, film, or television. :-) Also mention extra entries. If you don't include your email address in your comment (feel free to write it out), you will have to check back here to see if you've won. I'll announce it by February 20th.

Extra entries

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.

Selecting a Winner

I will use random.org to choose a winner after verifying all entries and will announce it here by February 22nd. If the winner's email address is included in her comment, I will email her, too. The winner will have one week to contact me.

There are many prizes up for grabs by other authors and bloggers. Good luck! And Happy Valentine's Day!

Dianne Duvall

Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop Participants

News

2012-02-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

I hope your week began well yesterday! Mine did, because I chose a winner (with the help of Random.org) for the contest I held for the My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop. Woohoo!

And the Winner is . . .

Velvet Hubler!

Congratulations!

And thank you, everyone who joined me on the hop! I had such a great time and found quite a few new-to-me books to add to my TBR pile. :-)

New Contest

I'm guest posting on The Book Vixen today! Drop by for a taste of Vampires, Immortals, and Ghosts, Oh My!, which includes a haunting excerpt from Night Reigns, and enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Night Reigns + some Immortal Guardians swag. ;-)

Miscellany

I've joined Google+, but have no idea what I'm doing on it. :-) I'm also still trying to catch up on everything I fell behind on during my blog tour, working on promo stuff for the RT Convention, and, of course, writing. On the home front, I'm going to try to find some time to go ahead and plant the seeds for my summer garden. I saw the whole six more weeks of winter thing on the news and thought, "What happened to the six weeks of winter we were supposed to have already had? I've been walking around in shorts!" *sigh* At least we've been getting more rain. I do love gray days and the rumble of thunder. :-)

Anyway, I hope the rest of your week will be a good one! Take care!

Dianne

Book of the Month

2012-02-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I just wanted to let you know that Night Reigns has been nominated for Book of the Month at Long and Short Reviews. Voting is now open and will last through midnight on Sunday.

I hope you're enjoying the weekend! Have a fantastic day!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #20

2012-02-03T12:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! This has been such a fun week! I've been participating in the My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop and it has pretty much obliterated my determination not to add any more books to my TBR pile. :-) I'm giving away the winner's choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns + Immortal Guardians swag for it. And there are many other prizes up for grabs at the other Giveaway Hop stops, so – if you join the fun – I hope you'll win lots of goodies!

There is also still time to enter my contests at EBookObsessed and Vampire Book Club. The first is open through today. The second is open through the 6th. I'm giving away a singed book and swag at each.

News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I received some fabulous news this week. Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians series, has been nominated for Book of the Month by Long and Short Reviews. The poll goes live at Midnight on Saturday, February 4th and ends at Midnight on Sunday, February 5th. You can cast your vote here.

The good news didn't stop there. :-) Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guardians series, has been nominated for Best Book of 2011 or Book of the Year by Long and Short Reviews. It received a Best Book review just before its release in February 2011:

"Action-packed world building and a hero daring all for

love makes Darkness Dawns one of the most fascinating

romances I’ve read this year. I am so enthusiastic about

this story because of its humor, passion and an

interesting take on the vampire myth."

What an honor! Voting begins on February 16th and will continue through February 29th.

Favorite Quote Friday

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now on to Favorite Quote Friday. Today's selection is taken from Darkness Dawns. It is a narrative quote plucked from the thoughts of Roland, the hero:

She wouldn’t let him? She, a five-foot-one inch, ninety-five

pound mortal female, wouldn’t let him, a six-foot-two inch

immortal sporting two hundred pounds of muscle--

Ah, screw it.

~ Roland ~

For a supposedly surly, antisocial immortal, Roland sure has made me smile a lot while writing and editing the series. :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop!

2012-01-31T23:42:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day of the My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop!

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop is hosted is by Reading Between the Wines Book Club & As the Pages Turn. The hop will run from 12:01 AM February 1st through to 11:59 PM February 5th, 2012:

What better way to celebrate the month of LOVE then with your favorite book boyfriend? Whether you have a valentine or not, the swoon worthy heroes we find in romances can’t be matched anyway! So why not put on those naughty underwear and curl up with one of these steamy reads this year instead? Make you Valentine’s Day perfect by joining the My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop where fellow bloggers offer you the chance to win some of their favorite book boyfriends!

Since I'm hoping you will find the heroes in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series swoon worthy, I'm giving away your choice of a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns, the first two books in the series. I'll also throw in some Immortal Guardians swag. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contest Details

The contest lasts from February 1st through February 5th. International entries are welcomed.

Mandatory entry

Leave a comment below and let me know who your current book boyfriend is. :-) Also mention extra entries. If you don't include your email address in your comment (feel free to write it out), you will have to check back here on February 10th to see if you won.

Extra entries

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 Tweet this message: Win an autographed copy of Dianne Duvall's DARKNESS DAWNS or NIGHT REIGNS + Immortal Guardians swag http://dianneduvall.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-book-boyfriend-giveaway-hop.html

Selecting a Winner

I will use random.org to choose a winner after verifying all entries and will announce it here by February 10th. If the winner's email address is included in her comment, I will email her, too. The winner will have one week to contact me.

There are many prizes up for grabs by other authors and bloggers. Good luck! And Happy Valentine's Day!

Dianne Duvall

Favorite Quote Friday #19

2012-01-27T03:50:00.000-08:00

Yay! It's Friday again! I hope your week was a good one! I've been busy working on some promotional stuff and trying to catch up on everything I got way behind on during my Night Reigns Blog Tour. :-)

Speaking of which, I wanted to give you a quick reminder, you still have TWO chances to win your choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns at

Now on to Favorite Quote Friday! Today's selection is taken from Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians series, and is spoken by the hero to the heroine:

“Fidget. Pace. Squeeze my hand. Aggravate Slim.

Shoot something. Do whatever will make you feel better.”

~ Marcus ~

:-) I hope you have a great weekend!

Dianne

Immortal Guardians Music Monday #5

2012-01-23T13:54:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! I think some of you were hammered with snow and ice, so I hope you stayed cozy warm and safe. :-)

Quick Contest Reminder

In case you missed it . . .

I guest posted at Vampire Book Club , discussing friends and lovers and Immortal Guardians. :-) Drop by and enter for a chance to win your choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns.

I also was interviewed by eBookObsessed, where you have another chance to win your choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns.

Immortal Guardians Music Monday

I haven't posted any music for Immortal Guardians Music Monday in quite some time and wanted to do so today to honor Etta James, a wonderful talent who will be missed my many. This song plays a role in Night Reigns, the second book in my series, and is a personal favorite. :-)

At Last

Etta James

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;kjhkjhkjhkjh&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

I hope you have great week!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #18

2012-01-20T00:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! Is it me, or is time really flying?

Phantom Shadows

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have Phantom Shadows news!!! I actually have two tidbits to share with you.

My editor read Phantom Shadows over the holidays and thought it was "FABULOUS"! Woohoo! I'm so glad because I really had fun writing it. If you haven't heard already, it will feature Bastien as hero. :-)

Phantom Shadows is already available for Pre-Order on Amazon! I don't have a cover yet, but will share it with you as soon as I get it!

Other News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm guest posting at Vampire Book Club today! The subject: Friends and Lovers. :-) Drop by and enter for a chance to win your choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns.

I was interviewed by eBookObsessed earlier this week. If you missed it head on over and enter to win your choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns. :-)

Favorite Quote Friday

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Today's Favorite Quote Friday selection is taken from Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians series. It is spoken by Chris Reordon (the man in charge of the East Coast division of the human network that aids the Immortal Guardians) and he is referring to Ami, the heroine:

“Brave as hell. Stubborn as a mule. Thirsty for revenge.

She’s definitely one of the family."

~ Chris Reordon ~

I think Ami is going to fit right in. ;-)

I hope you all had a good week and will have an even better weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #17

2012-01-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

Hello! I hope you all had a great week!

I sent more books and swag to Night Reigns Blog Tour winners this week. (I love giveaways!) Night Reigns was spotlighted on Full Moon Bites Tuesday. I was also interviewed today on Proserpine Craving Books. I'm giving away signed copies of Night Reigns at both stops! Proserpine Craving Books gave Night Reigns a wonderful 5-star review, too, saying, "Dianne Duvall has created a fascinating world that includes many supernatural creatures . . ."

Now for Favorite Quote Friday. Today's selection is taken from Darkness Dawns, the 1st book in my Immortal Guardians series:

“Arghhhhhhhh! What the hell happened to my car?”

~ Marcus ~

LOL! Poor Marcus! His car doesn't fare much better in Night Reigns. :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #16

2012-01-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hello again! I thought I'd post this week's Favorite Quote Friday separately. If you missed my first post earlier today, I've chosen the winners in my 2 Kindle contest. I also listed more blog tour stop winners and announced my next appearances.

Today's Favorite Quote is taken from Night Reigns and is a narrative quote told from the point of view of Marcus, the hero:

This was the first time he had ever landed on the receiving end of Seth's wrath and he felt a bit like a teenager being upbraided by a parent for staying out past curfew.

I admit that some of the more volatile scenes between Marcus and Seth are amongst my favorites. :-)

I hope you had a nice week! Have a great weekend!

Dianne

And the Winners are . . .

2012-01-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited! The winner notifications from my blog tour are rolling in AND I've chosen two winners for my Kindle Contest (with the help of Random.org)!!!

Kindle Contest Winners

Congratulations!

Fern C.

Michelle B.

One chose a $75 Gift Card and the other chose a new Kindle! Yay!

Blog Tour Winners

Here are the latest winners from my tour:

Congratulations!

Karla V. - winner at Book Monster Reviews & Reading Between the Wines

Anna W. - winner at Literal Addiction

Tracey D. - winner at Lovin' & Livin' Life Reviews

Barbara E. - winner at Bibliophiliv Book Blog

Susan S. - winner at Rabid Reads

Sandy B. - winner at Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My!

Here are the next stops on my tour, which will include more contests:

January 6, 2012 - Book Lover's Hideaway

Marcus and Ami Interview + Giveaway

January 10, 2012 - Full Moon Bites

Author Interview + Giveaway

January 13, 2012 - Proserpine Craving Books

Author Interview + Giveaway

Thank you, everyone who entered my Kindle Contest and everyone who has joined me on my tour stops! Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Dianne

* * * Kindle Contest * * *

2011-12-31T09:32:00.000-08:00

Today is the last day to enter to win one of 2 Kindles (or $75 Kindle Gift Cards) I'm giving away to celebrate the release of Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. Details are on the Win 2 Kindles! page here on my blog or on the Contest page of my website.

Good luck! Happy New Year! And have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #15

2011-12-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! Oh the weather outside is frightful . . . and by frightful I mean so foggy we have near zero visibility and a forecast high warm enough you could wear shorts. Not very holliday-ish. Where are the crisp temps and the brisk winds?

Before I get to Favorite Quote Friday, I have some news to share. I'm extending my blog tour and will be planning more stops. My visiting family members have departed, leaving the house quiet. I've gotten some rest and feel human again. So I'm ready for more fun meet-and-greets. (I meet the nicest people on blog tours.) If you're a blogger and would like to participate, just zip me an email: dianne [at] dianneduvall [dot] com . Here's a list of the next few stops:

December 30, 2011 - JoAnne Kenrick's Blog

January 2, 2011 - Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My!

January 5, 2011 - Book Lovers Hideaway

All three will include giveaways!

There are only two days left to enter my big Kindle contest! The contest ends at midnight tomorrow. I'm so excited! You can win one of TWO new Kindles or a $75 Kindle Gift Card if you already have one. :-) Details are on the Win 2 Kindles! page here on my blog or on the Contest page of my website.

And now for Favorite Quote Friday! Today's selection comes from Night Reigns and actually is two quotes in one. :-) Ami, the heroine, speaks first, then Marcus, the hero, replies:

“You didn't see that."

"If you say so, Oh Graceful One.”

I love that these two tease each other. :-)

If I don't post again before the 1st . . . Have a Very Happy New Year!

Dianne

Winners, Books, Swag, and Blog Tour Info.

2011-12-26T07:23:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I hope you're all enjoying the holidays! I haven't spent much time on the internet for the past week or so because I have family visiting, but I have some news to share.

My author copies of Night Reigns arrived! Woohoo! I've already begun to send out signed copies to winners of contests on my blog tour.

Congratulations!

CYP - winner at Ramblings From This Chick

Maria S. - winner at The Jeep Diva

Marie E. - winner at Books and Things

Danielle G. - winner at From the TBR Pile

Megan G. - winner at Paranormal Haven

Christine B. - winner at All Things Urban Fantasy

If you haven't already received your books, they're on the way!

Swag

I also ordered some new bookmarks and mini-bookmarks and will be including them with the books I send to contest winners. :-)

Blog Tour

I have more stops planned for my Night Reigns Blog Tour this week.

December 29 - The Quillery

December 30 - JoAnne Kenrick

January 2 - Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My!

If you missed previous stops, check out my last post. Some of the contests are still open. :-)

Kindle Contest Reminder

Just a reminder, there's still time to enter my big kindle contest! Thank you, everyone who has entered already! The contest continues through December 31st. I'm giving away 2 kindles or, if you already have one, a $75 Kindle Gift Card. Details can be found on the Win 2 Kindles! page here on my blog or on the contest page on my website.

Have a wonderful, wonderful week!

Dianne

This Week's Blog Tour Schedule

2011-12-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'm still editing Phantom Shadows and the deadline is looming, so I just wanted to pop in and give you this week's blog tour schedule. The stops will include giveaways, character interviews, and more, so I hope you'll join me!

December 12, 2011 - Paranormal Haven

December 13, 2011 - All Things Urban Fantasy

December 14, 2011 - Bitten by Paranormal Romance

December 15, 2011 - A Life Bound by Books

December 16, 2011 - Bilbliophilic Book Blog

December 18, 2011 - Rabid Reads

Previous Stops

Author Interview + Giveaway

November 30, 2011 - Ramblings From This Chick

Guest Post + Giveaway: The New Vampires on the Block

December 1, 2011 - The Jeep Diva

Guest Post + Giveaway: Light or Dark Paranormal

December 2, 2011 - Books and Things

Author Interview + Giveaway

December 5, 2011 - Book Monster Reviews

Author Interview + Giveaway

December 5, 2011 - Literal Addiction

Character Interview - Marcus & Ami + Giveaway

December 6, 2011 - Reading Between the Wines Book Club

Author Interview

December 6, 2011 - Nocturne Romance Reads

Character Interview - Roland & Sarah + Giveaway

December 7, 2011 - http://parajunkee.com/2011/12/duvallgiveaway.html

Character Interview - Seth + Giveaway

December 8, 2011 - Lovin' and Livin' Life Reviews

Updated Immortal Guardians Handbook + Giveaway

December 9, 2011 - From the TBR Pile

Character Interview - Black Friday Event - Darnell + Giveaway

December 11, 2011 - Literary Escapism’s Black Friday

Thank you so much, everyone who has shared in my excitement over Night Reigns' release and joined me on my tour! And thank you, everyone who has purchased Night Reigns and/or Darkness Dawns! I hope you'll enjoy them!

Have a great week!

Dianne

This Week's Events

2011-12-05T17:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! I am loving the weather here! It rained all night and has been cold and dreary all day. You can't beat that after months and months of heat and extreme drought!

Tomorrow is the big day: Night Reigns will be released on the 6th! Finally!!!! And all kinds of fun things are happening this week.

Night Reigns has been chosen for Book of the Month over at Reading Between the Wines Book Club, where it received a wonderful review:

Dianne Duvall delivers scorching romance, gut-wrenching emotions,

and heart-racing danger and suspense in her latest

Immortal Guardian’s novel, Night Reigns!

4.5 stars - Reading Between the Wines Book Club

Night Reigns was given another fantastic review

"Dianne Duvall . . . has accomplished another wonderful book in the Immortal Guardian series! The romance is swoon worthy and can be easily devoured in one sitting due to the impact this book puts on the reader."

by Nocturne Romance Reads!

I'm giving away 6 signed copies of Night Reigns this week on my blog tour, which will include character interviews. Here's the schedule:

December 5, 2011 - Book Monster Reviews

December 5, 2011 - Literal Addiction

December 6, 2011 - Reading Between the Wines Book Club

December 6, 2011 - Nocturne Romance Reads

December 7, 2011 - Parajunkee's View

December 8, 2011 - Lovin' and Livin' Life Reviews

December 9, 2011 - From the TBR Pile

December 11, 2011 - Literary Escapism’s Black Friday

Last Week's Stops

November 30, 2011 - Ramblings From This Chick

December 1, 2011 - The Jeep Diva

December 2, 2011 - Books and Things

Don't forget to enter my Kindle Contest for a chance to win one of two Kindles I'm giving away OR a $75 Kindle Gift Card if you already have one. :-) Details can be found here on my blog or on my website.

Thank you so much, everyone who has pre-ordered Night Reigns! I can't wait to hear what you think of it!

Have a fantastic week!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #14Night Reigns Deleted Scene

2011-12-02T01:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! This week really flew past (except when I was grumbling over internet service issues). My Blog Tour began. Night Reigns received some fantastic reviews. And I launched my big Kindle Contest. I'm also still editing Phantom Shadows, Book 3 in my Immortal Guardians series, which is coming along nicely and must be turned in later this month.

As busy as things have been lately, however, I didn't forget a promise I made. Night Reigns will be released on Tuesday, the 6th. And, some time ago, I said I would post another deleted scene before then. So . . . today is the day! :-) I'll begin first with:

Favorite Quote Friday

Today's Favorite Quote Friday selection is taken from Night Reigns and is actually two quotes: one spoken by Ami, followed by Marcus's response:

"You didn't see that."

"If you say so, Oh Graceful One."

Deleted Scene

The deleted scene I'm sharing with you today was originally intended to be a Prologue for Night Reigns. I cut it for two reasons. The first was word count. I needed to pare Nights Reigns down a few thousand words after writing it. The second reason was I worried that, because it isn't an action scene, it may not intrigue readers who hadn't read Darkness Dawns and weren't familiar with Marcus and Seth enough to be effective as a first scene.

On a side note, this scene was actually taken from a time travel romance entitled Rendezvous With Yesterday (not yet published) that I wrote before Darkness Dawns. Seth and Marcus both appear in that one. Seth has a small role. Marcus, however, appears far more often as both a mortal teenaged squire to the hero in the 13th century and as an immortal (and the heroine's next-door neighbor) in the present. Which is why he's one of my favorite characters. I've seen him as a courageous boy on the threshold of manhood and as a powerful immortal. :-)

* * * Darkness Dawns Spoiler Alert * * *

All but one tiny bit of information revealed in this deleted scene is revealed in Darkness Dawns, so you might want to skip it if you haven't read Darkness Dawns. The tiny bit that wasn't revealed previously doesn't affect the plot of Night Reigns in any way, so I don't really consider it a spoiler for that one.

Night Reigns
Prologue

Houston, Texas

Rhythmic thumping and muted laughter filtered in from outside and broke the quiet of the master bedroom on the second floor of Marcus's modest two-story home. Peeling back the curtains of the window that overlooked the front yard, he carefully avoided the scorching afternoon sunlight and remained in the shadows while he watched the activity below.

Bethany, Josh, and Grant were attempting to teach Robert how to play basketball.

Beth and her older brother Josh had been Marcus's next-door neighbors ever since he had purchased this house twelve years ago. Grant was a close friend of all three of them and lived down the street. Robert . . .

Lord Robert, Earl of Fosterly, was the man who had trained Marcus in all aspects of chivalry and warfare over eight hundred years ago.

Marcus's lips twitched when the ball Robert hurled toward the goal careened off the backboard without so much as brushing the rim.

He was appallingly bad at it and clearly grew frustrated. To a man who could throw an axe or a dagger with astounding precision, sending a rubber ball through a net must appear a simple task to master. His inability to do so, however, was only partly responsible for the frown that creased Robert's brow.

In typical Houston fashion, temperatures rapidly approached the century mark. The heat index hovered a good ten degrees above that. Robert's face was flushed and wet with perspiration, his T-shirt completely saturated. His arms and thickly muscled legs, left bare by the shorts Josh had loaned him, dripped as well. He was definitely having a difficult time adjusting to the new climate and had to pause frequently to guzzle the cool water kept in the shade of the front porch.

While Josh loped off after the ball, Beth smiled up at Robert and offered him advice and encouragement.

What an unlikely couple they were. Born and raised eight centuries apart, they had nevertheless found enough similarities between them to fall deeply in love and marry when, two years ago, Beth had unexpectedly been whisked back in time to the beginning of the thirteenth century and landed in Robert's path. Marcus, a teenager at the time and Robert's devoted squire, had been completed enthralled by her.

Now she was back, having been allowed a brief time to spend with her brother and say her goodbyes before she returned to the Middle Ages, and had brought Robert with her.

In deference to Robert's medieval mind frame, Beth had foregone wearing shorts herself today — Robert balked at her revealing so much tempting bare flesh to others — and instead wore jeans and a T-shirt. Even these, Marcus knew, had spawned some disapproval; and he could understand why.

The jeans were a pale, pale blue and hugged her slender legs and firm, shapely ass like a second skin. They rode low on her hips and allowed teasing glimpses of the soft white skin of her narrow waist and muscled abs every time her T-shirt drifted up. Several damp patches darkened her red shirt, making it cling to her full breasts and small frame in alluring ways. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail that jounced and danced with every movement. Damp curls had sprung loose and clung to her temples and the back of her neck.

Her pretty, flushed face glistening, she caught the ball Josh tossed her, flashed Robert a grin, and effortlessly sent the ball sailing through the net.

She was so damned beautiful. Her laughter so musical.

And he had missed her so damned much the two years she had been gone. How could he withstand losing her again when she returned to Robert's time?

“You can't,” a voice spoke behind him where seconds before there had been no one.

Marcus stiffened. “Can't what?”

“Do what you are thinking,” Seth informed him somberly.

For many long moments, Marcus said nothing. He simply continued to stare at the play below.

Robert attempted another free throw, missing the backboard entirely. The ball sailed over the top of it, rebounded off the roof, and flew clear across the street. Swearing foully, Robert stomped down the driveway after it, but made it only halfway before a smiling Bethany leapt onto his back. Laughing, he stumbled forward a couple of steps, then tucked his arms beneath her knees and carried her with him piggyback-style, grinning at her over his shoulder when she pecked him on the cheek.

“Would it be so bad?” Marcus whispered finally, loathing the despair and vulnerability the question revealed.

Seth sighed. An unhappy sound. “You know you cannot tell her who you are.”

“I would not have to,” Marcus pointed out. He had thought it all through very carefully: How he could approach her. What he could say that would produce the desired results without exposing all. “I could—”

“Bethany is an exceptionally bright and perceptive woman as you well know. She would figure it out.”

“Then you go to her.” Desperation driving him, Marcus glanced over his shoulder and located Seth, all six foot eight inches of him, lounging in the darkness just inside the doorway. “You were the one who took her back in time. She knows you possess knowledge the rest of us do not. She would listen to you. You go to her. Then she would not have to know who I am. She would not have to know what I have become. You could—”

“Marcus—”

“Let me finish!” Silence descended in the aftermath of his shout. Marcus closed his eyes and mentally swore.

One did not yell at Seth. He was the eldest immortal. His power was incalculable. His true age, in what millennium he had been born, where he had been born, remained a mystery. All anyone knew with any certainty was that it was extremely unwise to cross him.

Yet Seth's face, when Marcus dared to look again, remained impassive.

“Very well,” he stated softly. “Continue.”

Marcus strove to moderate his voice and present a calm argument. “As I said, you would not have to tell her who I am. She knows you are gifted. That you can do things, know things others don't. All you would have to do is go to her and tell her you have had a vision or a dream and that she should do all in her power to keep me from journeying to London in September of the year 1213 or a terrible fate shall befall me.”

“If memory serves, she did attempt to prevent you from going to London—”

“Because she missed me and wanted me to visit longer,” Marcus gritted. “If she had thought some harm would befall me she would have fought tooth and nail to keep me at Fosterly. She would have chained me to the damned walls of the dungeon if necessary. So would Lord Robert have. If you tell her now, they will do so.”

“And then?”

Marcus returned his attention to the scene next door. “And then all of this will be wiped away,” he said tonelessly. “None of it will have happened. I would not be as I am and . . .” He shook his head. “All would be as it should be.”

“You cannot change your fate, Marcus.”

“Why can I not? You altered Bethany's fate. She would have died that day had you not plucked her from the present and delivered her to the past. And there is no telling what would have become of Lord Robert without her.”

A series of whoops and shouts erupted below as Robert scored his first basket.

Marcus had not anticipated what seeing Lord Robert again would do to him. The memories it would stir. The longing to recapture the deep abiding friendship and camaraderie they had shared. Robert had been the only real family Marcus had ever had, though they bore no blood relation. When, upon her return to the present, Beth had innocently introduced the two of them, Marcus had damned near broken down and wept.

“You misunderstand,” Seth spoke. “Bethany was always meant to live out her life with Lord Robert in the past. Just as you were always meant to live out your life as you have. I did not in any way alter her fate. Nor can I alter yours.”

“Fate,” Marcus snarled. “How I detest the word. If everything that happens is fated, how can there be free will?”

Seth sighed as if the complaint were not a new one. “The day of Bethany and Lord Robert's nuptials, I watched Lord Dillon engage his toddler son in a foot race.” Sadness flickered through Marcus. He had not thought of Robert's brother, Lord Dillon, or his wife Lady Alyssa in years. “Lord Dillon clearly had the advantage. And yet I knew before the race began that he was going to let his son win.” Seth paused. “Did my knowing ahead of time that Lord Dillon was going to throw the race in any way prevent him from making the decision to do so of his own free will?”

Marcus's fist tightened around the curtains. “No.”

“So it is with fate. You were fated to travel to London in September of 1213—”

“And be transformed against my will.”

“Yes. Some things cannot be changed, Marcus, even when it appears we have the power to do so.” There was great sorrow in Seth's voice. But not nearly as much as that which suffused Marcus.

He shook his head, wanting to scream a denial. It had been foolish to hope. Pointless.

His eyes fixed on Beth, followed her every move. His ears strained to hear every laugh, every teasing comment she made.

“I am weary of this existence,” he whispered despondently. “So incredibly weary that I must struggle to find a reason to rise each evening.”

“Did you rest at all today?” Seth asked in the most gentle voice Marcus had ever heard emerge from him.

“No. I cannot. Not while they are here. Not while she is here. I do not wish to miss a moment of it.” He swallowed hard against the lump that rose in his throat. “I will only have her for a few more days, Seth. What will I do when she is gone?”

Below, Beth squealed when Robert growled and swept her up into his arms, then dangled her upside down in response to her taunts and teases.

“Eight hundred years,” Marcus went on softly. “I have lived for over eight hundred years and the only happiness I ever experienced was during the time I lived at Fosterly as Robert's squire, then his knight . . . and this last decade I have spent living near Beth.”

“Your lifespan is that of a babe's compared to mine.”

Marcus continued as though Seth had not spoken. “There were decades . . . entire centuries really . . . when the only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that I would see her again one day. That if I could just hold out another century — then another and another and another — I would be rewarded with her presence once more. I could see her smile. Hear her laugh. Feel one of her sharp jesting punches to my shoulder. Have her hugs. Her friendship. Her affection.”

“You could have had more than that, had you wished it,” Seth commented cautiously.

Marcus nodded. “Yes. That has been the sweetest torture of all, I think, knowing that she could have been mine.”

Beth, Josh, and Grant began to play a game of twenty-one while Robert took a few minutes to cool down.

“When I was a squire, she told me that she had once had a crush on her next-door neighbor. A crush on me, though she knew it not. I did not realize until we met again all of these centuries later that . . .”

“That she could have loved you.”

Just hearing it spoken aloud was painful. “Not like she loves Robert. Not like he loves her. She could have been content with me. But . . . they belong together. They were made for each other. Even you have admitted that. And I love them both too much to ever betray them by acting on my feelings.”

Robert brought Beth some water and was rewarded with a kiss.

“How I adore her,” Marcus murmured. “She is my light, Seth. My candle in the darkness that has become my existence. When she and Robert return to the thirteenth century a few days hence, that light will be forever extinguished. I will never see her again, will have nothing to look forward to to keep me going. What will I do?”

When next Seth spoke, he sounded infinitely weary. “You will do what we all do, Marcus. You will survive. And perhaps, in time, you will receive another, sweeter reward.”

Beth jumped up and down and cheered when the ball she had just thrown swirled around the rim twice, teetered, then finally fell through the goal.

“There can be none sweeter.”

I hope you'll let me know what you think!

Have a great weekend!

Dianne

News and Reviews

2011-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

The release of Night Reigns is only 4 days away! I know I've said this before, but I'm so excited! The reviews are already beginning to roll in:

"If you love PNR, action, and fun you really need to get into this series."

Books and Things

read full review

"Duvall really delivers with this installment . . . I’m looking forward to the next in this vastly different paranormal romance series."

The Jeep Diva

read full review

"Complex and captivating mythology, strong and sexy supernatural alpha males, smart and resourceful women, and stories that capture all the dark and dangerous moments that bring them together. "

All Things Urban Fantasy

read the full review

Night Reigns is December's Book of the Month on Reading Between the wines Book Club! Here's the schedule of events:

Schedule:December 1st: Intro & GiveawayDecember 4th: My Review of Night ReignsDecember 6th: Dianne Duvall Post (Release day!!!)December 12th: Character Face-Off: Roland vs. Marcus December 21st: Special Guest Review of Night ReignsDecember 25th: Winner Announcement

My Night Reigns Blog Tour has begun! Yesterday I was interviewed by Ramblings From This Chick. Today I'm guest posting on The Jeep Diva. And tomorrow, I'll guest post on Books and Things. All three include giveaways, so I hope to see you there!

Have a wonderful day!

Dianne

* * * Kindle Contest * * *

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the release of Night Reigns, the
second book in my Immortal Guardians series,
I’m giving away TWO brand new Kindles.

Help me spread the word and YOU could win one!

Already have a kindle? No problem. You have the option of choosing a $75 Kindle gift certificate instead.

Here's How to Enter

100 entries: 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) December 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) December 31st with “Darkness Dawns Purchase Entry” in the subject line.

10 entries: Repost the above widget on your webpage and send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Webpage Entry” in the subject line. If the Get Widget button doesn't appear, just click on the widget and it will open a window that will allow you to copy the code.

10 entries: Have a working blog (one that is already up and running)? Repost the above widget on your blog and send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Blog Entry” in the subject line. If the Get Widget button doesn't appear, just click on the widget and it will open a window that will allow you to copy the code.

1 entry: Have a facebook page? Repost the above image on your facebook page, mention the release of Night Reigns, and provide a link to my website. Then send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link and screenshot with “Facebook Entry” in the subject line.

1 entry: Tweet about the release and contest, then send me (contest AT dianneduvall DOT com) a link with “Twitter Entry” in the subject line.

The Rules

Contest begins December 1, 2011 and will last until December 31, 2011.

You must be 18 or older 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 11:59pm EST on December 31st.

You are welcome to enter in all of the ways listed above.

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.

The winners will be selected using random.org and notified the first week of January. Winners will have one week to respond, otherwise new winners will be chosen.

Good Luck!

NIGHT REIGNS Blog Tour

2011-11-30T05:26:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I'm very excited to announce that my Night Reigns Blog Tour begins today!

I'm being interviewed by Ramblings From This Chick and will give away a signed copy of Night Reigns to celebrate its upcoming release (Dec 6th).

My internet service has been really acting up lately, so I'll post the rest of this week's itinerary below in case I have difficulty getting online later:

December 1, 2011 - The Jeep Diva

December 2, 2011 - Books and Things

I hope I'll see you on some of the stops!

Have a great day!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #13

2011-11-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's Black Friday! I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! And, if you were amongst the many, many midnight shoppers last night, I hope you found some great deals and had a safe shopping spree. :-) I spent a wonderful day with my family. Now it's time to get back to work editing Phantom Shadows and working on my Night Reigns Blog Tour.

Congratulations to the winner of the first signed copy of Night Reigns I'm giving away over at The Romance Reviews' Year End Splash (Yes!) Party. Another copy is still up for grabs. My next Q&A will be posted on Sunday, November 27th.

I also thought I'd mention that voting will end soon at The Romance Reviews. Darkness Dawns has been nominated for Best Paranormal Romance - Vampire alongside books by some of my favorite authors. If you have a chance, drop by, check out the nominees, and cast your vote.

And now . . .it's time for Favorite Quote Friday and another sneak peak into the pages of Night Reigns:

“I don’t suppose I could talk you into risking Seth and

Chris popping back in and finding us bare-arsed naked,

making love on the sofa, could I?”

~ Marcus ~

Night Reigns' release is only 10 days away! My Night Reigns Blog Tour starts next Wednesday, November 30th, and will include MANY giveaways. You can find the itinerary here and on my website. I hope you'll join me!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #12

2011-11-18T04:13:00.000-08:00

It's Friday again! Wow! This week really flew past! I hope yours was a good one! I received some fantastic Immortal Guardians news.

Darkness Dawns was nominated by RT Book Reviews for the Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance.

Darkness Dawns was also nominated by The Romance Reviews for Best PNR of 2011 - Vampire. Voting for this one continues throughout the month of November, so I hope you'll drop by, check out the nominees, and cast your vote!

I also had the fun task of choosing the winners of TWO contests this week. Actually, Random.org chose the winners for me, because I wanted everyone who entered to win. :-) Proserpine won the Immortal Guardians swag pack I gave away to celebrate my first Immortal Realm guest - Author JoAnne Kenrick. And in my Get to Know the Immortal Guardians contest, Na won a signed ARC of Night Reigns, while Sherrie and Alainala each won an Immortal Guardians swag pack.

I've joined the fun over at The Romance Reviews for their Year End Splash (Yes!) Party and one of my Q&As was posted this week. The next and last one will be posted on November 27th, so I hope you'll drop by. I'm giving away TWO signed copies of Night Reigns. :-)

So, now that I've shared some news, it's time for today's edition of Favorite Quote Friday. Today's quote is once more taken from Night Reigns:

"I have lived for eight centuries, Ami. It would be far too humiliating to finally meet my demise in what would undoubtedly become known as the greatest skating catastrophe of the twenty-first century."

~ Marcus ~

I can't believe Night Reigns will be released in just over 17 days!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

And the Winners Are . . .

2011-11-17T15:24:00.000-08:00

Thank you, everyone who entered my Get to Know the Immortal Guardians Crew contest! You asked so many fabulous questions! I'll get them to the characters posthaste so they can answer them on my Night Reigns Blog Tour and can't wait to hear their responses! :-)

And now for the winners:

1st Prize

(Your choice of a signed ARC of Night Reigns

or a signed copy of Darkness Dawns)

2nd Prize

(An Immortal Guardians swag pack)

alainala

3rd Prize

(An Immortal Guardians swag pack)

Sherrie

I'll email you to request your snail mail addresses. Thank you, again, everyone who entered!

Dianne

* * * New Contest * * *

2011-11-14T03:33:00.000-08:00

Hi, all! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'm going to begin my week by announcing a new contest! I've decided to do something different with my Night Reigns Blog Tour. I'm going to include character interviews similar to the one I did recently on Reading Between the Wines Book Club. To make things more interesting, I thought I would enlist your aid and find out what you would ask the Immortal Guardians crew if you had the chance. So here's the contest:

First Prize is your choice of either a signed Night Reigns ARC (my last) or a signed copy of Darkness Dawns. Second and Third Prize winners will be sent Immortal Guardians swag packs. Below is a list of characters and couples from my Immortal Guardians series. Choose any of them and ask them questions you'd like them to answer in an interview. Ask as many questions as you'd like, in one post or multiple posts. Every question you ask will count as one entry. Here's the list:

Seth (oldest, most powerful immortal and leader of the Immortal Guardians)
David (2nd oldest, 2nd most powerful)
Darnell (David's Second)
Roland (immortal hero, Darkness Dawns, heals with his hands)
Sarah (heroine, Darkness Dawns, music theory professor)
Roland & Sarah
Marcus (immortal hero, Night Reigns, sees ghosts/spirits)
Ami (heroine, Night Reigns, Marcus's Second) - ask her anything except what she is ;-)
Marcus & Ami
Richart (immortal, teleports)
Étienne (immortal, Richart's twin, telepathic)
Lisette (immortal, Richart & Étienne's sister, telepathic)
Chris Reordon (head of the human network that aids immortals)
Sheldon (Richart's Second)
Cameron (Étienne's Second)
Tracy (Lisette's Second)
Cliff, Vincent, & Joe (vampires)
Immortals in general
Seconds in general
Vampires

I will randomly select winners (using random.org) on Thursday and will mail prizes once the winners send me their snail mail addresses. So either include your email address in your post or check back here on Thursday (late afternoon or evening).

I look forward to reading your questions! Good luck! And have a great week!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #11

2011-11-11T00:51:00.000-08:00

It's Friday! Woohoo! How was your week? Mine was very productive. For those who haven't heard yet, the official title of Book 3 in my Immortal Guardians series will be . . . *drum roll* . . .

Phantom Shadows

As for who the hero and heroine of that one will be . . . I'm going to keep you guessing a little bit longer. :-) I'm editing Phantom Shadows now and am pleased with what I've read so far. Hopefully you will be, too. I like where the series arc is going, the changes taking place in the Immortal Guardians' world, and the challenges those changes are creating. I'm very excited.

Outside of writing, I cut a trailer for an independent filmmaker, who really liked it. Maybe once the composer scores it, the director will let me post it here. I edited the film itself, too. It was a fun project to work on, so I'm hoping fervently that the film will land a distributor.

I also did some website creation. I'm in the process of updating my website and am working on a side project, too, that I'll share with you soon.

So, it's been a big week for me. :-) The release of Night Reigns is only 24 days away. I can't wait! In a couple of weeks or so, I'm going to post a big deleted scene. Until then, it's time for this week's installment of Favorite Quote Friday, for which I've chosen another quote from Night Reigns:

"Over eight centuries of living and I still haven't learned

a bloody thing. I still want what I can't have."

~ Marcus ~

Just a reminder, there's still time to win the Immortal Guardians swag pack I'm giving away to celebrate the appearance of my first guest -- author JoAnne Kenrick -- here on The Immortal Realm. Details are in her guest post below. I'll choose and notify a winner next week.

Also, I'm giving away two signed copies of Night Reigns at The Romance Reviews for their big Year End Splash (Yes!) Party. My Q&As will be posted on:

November 16th

&
November 27th

Have a wonderful day and a fantastic weekend!

Dianne

Guest Post - Author JoAnne Kenrick& Giveaway

2011-11-07T23:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday! This is a special day, because I'm very excited to welcome The Immortal Realm's first guest. JoAnne Kenrick is the author of When A Mullo Loves A Woman, Sweet Irish Kiss, and Rock You Like A Hurricane. She is also just the nicest person. :-) Today JoAnne is here to talk about her latest release, Dracula's Kiss, which has been getting some really great reviews.

Take it away, JoAnne!

Firstly, let me extend a huge thank you to Dianne, for allowing me to chat about my new release, Dracula's Kiss, on her blog. It's a huge honor to be here and I'm totally fighting back a fan-girl squeal here. You know, I just adored Darkness Dawns!

“JoAnne Kenrick writes with passion and excitement. She brings her characters to life through lavish attention to emotions and character. She weaved a tale that entranced my imagination leaving me wanting more.”

~ Night Owl Romance TOP PICK

For the setting of this story, I wanted a dark mood and to portray an apt location for a creepy halloween party that would lend itself well to a gothic-esk tale reminiscent of the classic vampire movies. I would say that I chose Slains Castle in Cruden Bay, Scotland. But I think rather, the castle choose me.

As I wasn't able, physically, to go in search of my perfect location (although a Brit born n bred, I now live in North Carolina), youtube became my best friend. It's amazing the places you can visit through other people's eyes. When I typed in creepy Scottish castle, Dracula was the first word I saw.

Odd as it may sound, but all the search results were from Cruden Bay. I type in that search now, and I get completely different results. And that's why I believe these locations called out to me...or rather my muse.

Here's one of my favorites, that gave a real 'close up' look at Slains Castle.

Cruden Bay and it's surrounding area is home to a few different locations of interest that are perfect for the female lead, Catherine Ela (Cathela), who has what some might say an unhealthy obsession with vampires. Well, her boyfriend Nick would say it's unhealthy. Lucky for her she moves on to more exciting pastures in...Dracula's Kiss.

Ecclesgrieg Castle is located in St Cyurus, near Cruden Bay. It's believed that Bram Stoker visited while staying in the Kilmarnock Arms in Cruden Bay during 1894. This house has an an intriguing history, with legends of curses, smugglers, and ghostly sightings.

Sadly, the building is in need of some serious repair. Author to the rescue, and creative license. With my magic wand, well my keyboard, I renovated it into an impressive five star hotel for the Castillo chain of hotels and resorts featured heavily in the multi-author 1NS series of which Dracula's Kiss is apart of.

Voilà. We have a rendezvous meeting place worthy of our vampire obsessed Cathela and her dark prince, Alec Murray.

Slains Castle (also known as New Slains Castle) is sat on cliff edges, over looking the often rough North Sea. That right there is perfect, without the Dracula connection; I loved cliff-edged buildings in my vampire or ghost stories. The story goes that Bram Stoker visited this castle while vacationing in Cruden Bay. A year later, Dracula was published. Of course, every building Bram Stoker ever visited has been rumored to be the inspiration for locations in his novels. Whether they are, or not, it's still fun to know he walked those lands while writing one of my favorite novels of all time. Yes, there's a little bit of Cathela in me.

Kilmarnock Arms Inn. Bram visited this hotel and pub often during the 1800s, and it is believed he used to use it as a writing retreat. I used this location as the place where Cathela stayed after the Bank's Halloween ball in Slains Castle. It seemed like the obvious choice for Cathela to book a room here. I couldn't see her even considering anywhere else being the die-hard Dracula fan that she is.

So you see. How could I NOT choose Cruden Bay for Dracula's Kiss? I do believe it's a perfect setting for Cathela's encounter with a vampire dressed as Dracula to 'blend in'. Oh the irony.

With sporadically placed candle sconces as the only source of light, she wished she’d worn her glasses. And the uneven floor made her regret the four-inch heel on her patent leather boots. With each step, they caught in the cracks. She took them off and pushed them against the wall, figuring she could pick them up on her way back. Down the narrow and winding steps, she padded. Long dress and bare feet, like a damsel in distress from an old horror movie. Maybe Dracula is on my trail. She giggled. What if I pretend he is? Intoxicated, she struggled to pick up her frock and shorten it so she could run the length of the steps. She glanced back as if being chased, and even let out a little cry for help. I could give Mina Harker a run for her money...and Dracula a run for some fun.

She reached the bottom of the incline.

Left or right? Shame Nick isn’t here with me. It’s deserted and anything could happen down here...if I took the wrong turn. She pointed left but decided on going right, stealing a candle from the wall for light. An adventure, that was what she needed. A Gothic—all be it drunk—adventure.

What’s the worst that could happen? I get lost? The ruins aren’t that big. I’ll have a little wander around then take a taxi back to the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel and sober up.
The ceiling height dropped with every tiny step she took, and she could no longer stretch out her arms without bumping into walls. The tight space terrified her. Heart pounding, she rounded a bend and laughed with the ridiculousness of the situation, unable to believe she had accidentally on purpose arrived at the dungeons. Thick, steel bars still enclosed two of the cells and heavy-duty iron handcuffs were chained to the walls. She crept into the first chamber and glided her finger along the iron of the torturous restraints. Imagining the pain and horrors that must have happened there, she shuddered.

“Have ye been naughty? Do I need tae teach ye a lesson and lock ye up?” A voice penetrated the darkness around her, shattering her little game of pretend cat and mouse. She spun to see who’d followed her. Not wanting to be caught in a drunken state, she prayed it was a stranger. But in the same moment, she hoped for someone she knew who wished her no harm. No one would hear me scream for help.

Her candle snuffed out from a breath, and not her own. The chill exhale kissed her neck and skated down her body like an icicle drip. The horror of it sent her hurtling backward. Had it not been for the wall behind her, she would have landed on her butt.

“Who’s there? Bar dude, is that you?” She pressed herself against the cool stone bricks, too excited to be truly afraid. After all, this was what she wanted. To not know what was going to happen next, and to fully engage in life again. And the way her heart jumped and her chest pounded, she felt alive for the first time in years. “Hello?” She peered down the corridor that donned only a flicker of light from the stairway’s sconces.

Dracula's Kiss

JoAnne Kenrick, as ex-Ghost Tour Guide turned Romance Author, is a Welsh lass who has lived in various countries around the world. She now calls North Carolina her home, where she lives with her husbands, two children and a lazy cat. When they aren't demanding her attention, she can most likely be found watching a vampire movie, reading or baking up a British favorite in her NC. kitchen. That is, when she isn't writing or chatting up a storm on social networking sites.

http://www.joannekenrick.com

Giveaway

To celebrate my first guest -- Thank you, JoAnne! -- I thought I would give away an Immortal Guardians swag pack (Night Reigns cover flat, Darkness Dawns cover flat, Night Reigns postcard, and Darkness Dawns mini-bookmark). To enter just post a comment and answer this question:

If you could visit any of the locations

JoAnne mentioned, which would it be?

Make sure you include your email address in your post if you'd like to enter the contest. I'll randomly choose a winner next week.

Have a great day!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #10 + Contest

2011-11-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you had a good week. Mine was very productive. I got a lot of writing in and started updating my website. My blog tour is coming along very nicely. I've met some very nice new-to-me bloggers while planning it. And the weather here is once more beautiful: Crisp and cool. :-)

Favorite Quote Friday

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since the release of Night Reigns is only 31 days away (I can't wait!), I'll choose another quote from it for today's Favorite Quote Friday segment. The following words are spoken to Marcus, the hero, by the leader of the Immortal Guardians:

"I've had to tiptoe around you for almost a decade.

Now that I'm free to irritate you at will,

I find it exceedingly entertaining."
~ Seth ~

Thank you, everyone who has pre-ordered Night Reigns!!! I can't wait to hear what you think of it! I hope you'll enjoy it!

Contest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, the Year End Splash (Yes!) Party has begun over at The Romance Reviews!

Beginning on November 1st, it will continue through November 30th. Over 500 prizes are up for grabs, including TWO signed copies of Night Reigns. Drop by and play the memory game, answer Q&As, and more. The dates of my Q&As are:

November 16th

&
November 27th

Have fun! And have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #9

2011-10-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

It's Friday again! Woohoo! I hope you had a good week! Mine was hectic and productive and fun. :-) The temperatures dropped here. Finally! It's a lovely gray, crisp, cool day. (I love gray days!) Definitely jacket weather. We had some rain yesterday. Not nearly enough to end the drought, but every little bit helps. The mosquitoes are horrible, making it difficult to spend much time outdoors. And a new nocturnal friend visited my backyard: an adorable little skunk. Fortunately, I have no pets with which it could tangle. :-)

Before I get to today's quote, I just wanted to remind you I'm giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns + Immortal Guardians swag at Ramblings From This Chick.

Also, Roland and Sarah, the hero and heroine from Darkness Dawns, will be interviewed about vampires tomorrow (October 29th) by Sheldon, Richart's Second, over at Reading Between the Wines Book Club, who is hosting a fantastic Halloween event: Creatures That Go Bump in the Night. Drop by and enter to win a signed copy of Darkness Dawns + Immortal Guardians swag.

An now on to Favorite Quote Friday. For today's selection, I've decided to take a narrative quote from Night Reigns as told from Marcus's perspective:

He needed to take a vamp into custody so they could interrogate him and bring this uprising to an end, but . . . when he heard Ami cry out in pain, he went a little Medieval Maddened Immortal on their asses.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

News, Reviews, Character Interviews, and Immortal Guardians Music Monday

2011-10-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! Wow, that's something I never thought I'd say. I've never been particularly fond of Mondays. But I have lots of good news to share.

Reviews

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First, my editor sent me two awesome reviews for Night Reigns:

"Duvall’s follow-up to 2010’s Darkness Dawns crackles with energy, originality, and a memorable take-no-prisoners heroine…Whizzing along at light speed while neatly incorporating components from the series start, this sophomore effort sizzles."

~ Publishers Weekly

4.5 stars, Top Pick

"The promise shown in the launch book of Duvall’s terrific Immortal Guardians series proves quite justified in this action-packed sequel. All the previous players are back and there’s more mystery in their world. This blend of kick-butt action, intriguing plot twists and heartfelt passion is utterly addictive! Talented Duvall has carved out a solid place for herself in the paranormal genre."

~ RT Reviews

Darkness Dawns also received another good review:

"Darkness Dawns is a strong paranormal story with an intriguing cast of characters."

Romance Novel News

News and Contests
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I also have some contests to announce.

I'm giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns + Immortal Guardians swag over at Ramblings From This Chick on October 26th.

I'm also participating in Reading Between the Wines' big Creatures That Go Bump In The Night event and will be giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns + Immortal Guardians swag on October 29th. The subject: Vampires. I, however, won't be doing the talking this time. Roland and Sarah will when they are interviewed by Sheldon, Richart's Second. Enjoy!

Immortal Guardians Music Monday
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's time for another installment of Immortal Guardians Music Monday! Today's selection is taken from Night Reigns and is performed by the Andrews Sisters: "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen." I think if I tell you the context, it might give too much away, so I'll let you guess. Enjoy!

Have a fabulous week!

Dianne

Night Reigns Excerpt

2011-10-21T02:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Wow! This week really flew past. I'm feeling much better. Thank you, everyone, for the well wishes. :-) I've had some really good writing days and am excited about the changes taking place in the Immortal Guardians' world. I sent out more Night Reigns ARCs to reviewers and am making real progress planning my blog tour.

So, today I thought I'd take a break from Favorite Quote Friday and give you an excerpt from Night Reigns. Here are the first few pages. I hope you enjoy them!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was not the cool breeze that made the hairs on the back of Ami's neck rise, but the low bestial growl that accompanied it.

She froze, one arm extended in front of her, fingers tightening on the DVD case poised half-in half-out of the movie rental Quick Drop slot. Gooseflesh broke out on her arms. Adrenaline surged through her veins and sped her pulse.

Swiveling to face the source of that disturbing warning, she surveyed the parking lot behind her and found it empty save her shiny black Tesla Roadster. Orange and brown leaves swirled and tumbled across patched black asphalt that still glistened in places from a midnight shower. Whole Foods, Blockbuster, and the other businesses in the strip mall had long since closed for the night.

She glanced to her right. East Franklin Street was deserted . . . as it should be. Chapel Hill, NC, was a college town. At roughly 3:20 on a Sunday night (or Monday morning), students and professors would be snug in their beds, catching Z's in preparation for an early start to the work or school week.

Ami relaxed her death grip on the DVD and let it thunk down atop the myriad of other movies and games that had been returned. She took a step toward her car. The growl sounded once more, seeming to buffet her and ruffle her bangs alongside the northerly wind. Deep and full of menace, it was not the complaint of some irritable house pet left too long in the elements. No dog produced this rumbling. Something larger did, bringing it closer in tone and texture to that of a lion or a tiger.

Another growl answered it, not as impressive as the first, but nevertheless disturbing. Then another. And another. And another. Frowning, Ami reached into her jacket, withdrew the Glock 9mm Seth insisted she always carry, and approached Franklin Street with caution.

It definitely came from the north. Not from the darkened businesses across the street, but from the bike trail to their right that veered left into the trees behind them. A snarling infused with such violence and fury one might think a lion were battling a pack of wolves.

Just as she reached the edge of the parking lot, odd shick, ting, and clang noises joined the fray.

Ami darted across the street and raced down the bike path. Tall trees formed spires on her right. A small meadow with a radio tower lay on her left, but soon surrendered to forest. When it did, Ami slowed to a brisk walk and entered the denser shadows. Her heart pounded. The babbling of a brook she couldn't see teased her ears.

Ten or fifteen yards in, she left the path, headed into the trees, and began wading through the undergrowth. Fortunately, it had rained earlier. The autumn leaves beneath the canopy were still damp and muffled her footsteps.

Up ahead, small lights flickered like fireflies. Amber. Green. Blue. Silver. Sometimes individually. Sometimes in pairs. Moving and shifting. The length of time they remained visible varying.

Ami swallowed hard and questioned her sanity as she came to an area where the trees thinned. She paused, concealed by the denser foliage on the perimeter.

Ahead, too small to be called a clearing, lay a patch of land the size of a two-car garage that just happened to be treeless. In its center, a fantastical scene unfolded that — for many — would defy belief.

The flickering lights she had spied swam in and out of focus as the faces that housed them moved so quickly to and fro that they blurred. Men, who were clearly more than mortal men, engaged in a surreal battle that resurrected her first description: a lion facing down a wolf pack.

The lion — a dark, menacing figure in the center of the storm — bore glowing amber eyes and long black hair that floated around his head like tendrils of smoke as he spun, fought, and slashed at his attackers with a speed that brought to mind the Tasmanian Devil in the Warner Brothers cartoons Darnell had shown her.

Immortal Guardian.

No other creature could move so swiftly.

The pack of wolves — growling and snapping like their namesakes — also bore glowing eyes, theirs green, blue, and silver. Though they all, like the immortal, were garbed in midnight hues, their hair varied. Blond. Brunet. Auburn. Long. Short. Shaved. Spiked. Pulled back in a ponytail. They, too, moved faster than humans ever could, darting in and striking at the immortal with indistinct motions, then leaping back and pausing to gauge the damage and let their comrades have a shot, their blades dripping crimson liquid.

Vampires.

Though they couldn't match their enemy's speed and strength, the vampires outnumbered the immortal . . . eight to one as best as she could count. Ami could only make out individual features when the vampires paused between strikes.

She discerned none of the immortal's features because he remained in continuous motion, his swords or sais or whatever blades he wielded defending him from assaults on all sides.

Ami reached into her left pocket, palm sweating, and pulled out a cylindrical aluminum silencer that was longer than the Glock itself. Keeping her gaze on the conflict before her, she screwed it onto the barrel. The top-of-the-line suppressor would reduce the explosive expulsion of each hollow-point bullet to a mere click that would not rouse residents slumbering in the houses and townhouses beyond the trees.

Raising the Glock with her right hand, she supported it with her left and waited.

A blur of movement solidified into a blond vampire who halted — aqua eyes gleaming, bowie knives dripping — on the fringes of the pack.

Ami fired twice.

Blood sprayed from his carotid and femoral arteries. Dropping his weapons, the vampire emitted a garbled croak and clamped his hands to his neck in an attempt to cease the gush of his life's blood.

A vampire with shaggy brown hair appeared next to him.

Ami fired thrice more, striking the new vamp in his carotid, branchial, and femoral arteries.

All six remaining vampires stilled and glanced at their injured colleagues, who sank to their knees as they bled out faster than the virus that infected them could heal.

The Immortal Guardian paused and unerringly met Ami's gaze.

For one split second, her heart stopped and everything around her fell away, out of focus, a dark void. All but the immortal.

His hair settled on his shoulders and tumbled halfway down his back and chest in wild disarray, concealing much of his face. His eyes, viewed through the tangles, glowed a vibrant amber beneath raven brows. Dark stubble covered a strong jaw spattered with spots and streaks of scarlet. His full lips parted, emitting great gasping breaths interspersed with the rumblings of a lion, and displayed white, glinting fangs.

* * *

It was, perhaps, one of the oddest moments of Marcus's existence.

Well, odd may not be the correct word. Vampires still moving in packs larger than twos or threes was odd. Vampires remaining lucid enough to organize the ambush he had plunged into was odd. At least, it had been up until a year and a half ago.

This . . .

This was surprising.

And very little surprised Marcus.

Panting, losing blood from dozens of cuts and gashes that had not had time to heal before more were inflicted, he stared at the instigator of this fortuitous pause.

He had expected to see a Second decked out in black vampire-hunting togs. Instead, his fascinated gaze landed upon a sweet, undeniably feminine face with a halo of bright orange curls. Wide green eyes as vivid as emeralds peered out of concealing foliage and met his.

She was pretty. And small. And seemed to radiate innocence. Were it not for the weapon extended before her, he would wonder if he weren't imagining her.

Who was she? What was she doing here?

The clothing she wore labeled her a civilian — snug jeans, loose sweater, dark jacket — so why wasn't she screaming? Why didn't she shoot him? Why was she helping him instead of fleeing or firing at them all?

Marcus lacked the time to speculate further. He sensed the instant the six remaining vampires located the petite assassin and drew back his arm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #8

2011-10-14T00:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! How was your week? Mine started out well, then took a nosedive. I came down with a cold and have been feeling pretty miserable ever since. I'm going to see if I can stop coughing long enough to get some rest this weekend. I hope all of my follower friends are well!

Since the release is only 52 days away -- woohoo! -- I took today's Favorite Quote Friday selection from Night Reigns again. For those of you who haven't read Darkness Dawns, David is the second oldest and second most powerful immortal on the planet. He's also usually the most even-tempered of the bunch . . . until he sees several of the immortals doing something that makes him stop short and bellow:

"I can't leave you children alone for five minutes!"

~ David ~

Poor David. Poor immortals. I don't think it's wise to rouse David's wrath. :-)

Have a happy, healthy, fun-filled weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #7

2011-10-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! Did you have a good week? Mine was even busier than last week. This weekend I'm going to meet with the producer/director of the film project I'm working on (post-production) to see what he thinks of what I've done so far. I'm pleased with it and hope he will be, too. I think it looks really good.

I also confirmed yet again this week that I have a very warped sense of humor. :-) I wrote a scene in Book 3 that cracked me up and made my husband shake his head and say with mock-disgust (after he finished laughing himself), "You romance writers are sick." Needless to say it was fight scene-oriented. ;-)

I took today's Favorite Quote Friday selection from Night Reigns again. (Less than 60 days until its release! I can't wait!) It's spoken from the hero to the heroine:

"You make me burn. And I've been cold for so long."

~ Marcus ~

Have a fantastic weekend!

Dianne

And the winner is . . .

2011-10-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Hi, all! I'm just taking a break from work and writing to announce the winner of the autographed copy of Darkness Dawns + Immortal Guardians swag I'm giving away in a contest at The Season.

And the winner is . . .

Julie K.!

Congratulations!!!!

I'll get your package in the mail. :-)

Favorite Quote Friday #6

2011-09-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week. Mine has been incredibly busy. I'm doing some post-production work on an independent film (day job) and have a very tight deadline; so basically I eat, I edit, I write, and -- if I have time -- I sleep. I haven't spent hardly any time online, which has left me feeling weirdly disconnected. But something really awesome did happen: I heard from one of the reviewers to whom I sent an ARC of Night Reigns and . . . she liked it! She said she read the whole book in one afternoon! I was soooo happy to hear that! I can't wait to read her review and will be sure to let you know when she posts it in December. :-)

And now for the quote. Today's Favorite Quote Friday selection is again taken from Night Reigns and is spoken by one of readers' favorite immortals:

"I'll punch you if I have to."

~ Seth ~

Short, but sweet. :-) I hope you like it! Have a fantastic weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #5

2011-09-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week. Writers, I hope your week was a productive one. Readers, I hope you found some awesome new reads. (Feel free to share, if you did. I'm always looking for books to add to my TBR pile.) I mentioned some of what I've been up to in my post yesterday. I'm also still planning my Night Reigns Blog Tour. I have some great stops scheduled so far and am look forward to adding more. Don't worry. There will be lots of contests! ;-)

And now, on to the quote. Today's Favorite Quote Friday selection is again culled from Night Reigns and is proclaimed by the hero:

"I can love Ami and kick ass at the same time. I'm multifunctional."

~ Marcus ~

I hope you like it! Take care! And have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

News, Updates, and Whatnot

2011-09-22T12:09:00.000-07:00

How is your week going? I hope well. Mine has been pretty good so far. I like where Book 3 is taking me. The world of the Immortal Guardians is really changing. And I love being able to continue the stories of the heroes and heroines from Darkness Dawns and Night Reigns.

Contest

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Darkness Dawns is being highlighted by Janine on The Season for Romance Blog today!!! Woohoo! She gave it an awesome 5-star Chart Topper review in which she said:

"It has all the best elements of paranormal romance: strong leads, outstanding world building, plenty of action, and an intimate romance. I thought I’d read every possible spin on the vampire mythos but Duvall’s Darkness Dawns is both refreshing and compelling."

Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of Darkness Dawns + some Immortal Guardians swag.

News

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just found out that Kirsten Potter will be reading Night Reigns for the audiobook, which will be released on December 6th with the other editions. She's the same actress who read Darkness Dawns, and reviewers really liked her performance, so I was very happy to hear this. According to her bio on the Tantor Audio website, she "has performed on stage, film, and television, including roles on Medium, Bones, and Judging Amy. An award-winning audiobook narrator, Kirsten has won AudioFile Earphones Awards for her reading of The Snowball by Alice Schroeder and her performance as Barbara in George Bernard Shaw's Major Barbara."

Whatnot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've also started to send out Night Reigns ARCs to reviewers. Now I'll spend the weeks until they post their reviews biting my nails and hoping they like it. Then I'll do the same thing hoping readers will like it when it's released. :-) It's an exciting and nerve-racking time. LOL!

Have a great day!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #4

2011-09-16T02:54:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! It's Friday! I hope you all had a great week. I had a tense moment when one of the wildfires got too close for comfort, but the wind took it the other way and I'm relieved to say it's no longer a threat. Other than that, I've been working on the third book in my Immortal Guardians series and planning my Night Reigns Blog Tour. I met so many nice bloggers when planning my first blog tour. It's been a real pleasure touching base with them again and meeting new ones. :-)

Now for the quote. Today's Favorite Quote Friday selection is once more taken from Night Reigns:

Seth exchanged a resigned stare with David. "What has gotten into them tonight?"
David shrugged. "Too much sugar?"

I hope you like it! Take care! And have a great weekend!

Dianne

Immortal Guardians Music Monday #3

2011-09-12T01:53:00.000-07:00

For today's installment of Immortal Guardians Music Monday, I've chosen a tune that has not yet appeared in the series, but makes me think of my immortals every time I hear it. When I first began writing Darkness Dawns and started world building, I decided I wanted my Immortal Guardians to be as indestructible as this creepy little guy:

The Water Bear or Tardigrade

These microscopic creatures are so hardy they can withstand freezing temperatures or boiling water and can even survive in the vacuum of space. They also don't age. You might say they're immortal . . . much like certain beings in my paranormal romance series. :-) So I thought Disturbed's "Indestructible" would be particularly appropriate. I hope you enjoy it!

Have a wonderful week!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #3

2011-09-09T00:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! I hope you all had a great week. I've mainly been writing the third book in my Immortal Guardians series and planning my Night Reigns Blog Tour. I ran into a few internet issues a couple of days ago -- still don't know what caused them -- that slowed things down to a crawl, so I haven't spent as much time online. I have, however, prepared another favorite quote for you.

Today's Favorite Quote Friday selection is taken from Night Reigns:

"How is kicking my ass going to help?" Marcus grouched.
Seth shrugged. "Makes me feel better."

I hope you like it! Take care!

Dianne

Feature & Follow Friday

2011-09-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've found so many great new-to-me book blogs while participating in Feature and Follow Friday, also known as Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted by Parajunkee's View and Allison Can Read, that I decided to join the fun again today.

Today they're featuring Lisa Loves Literature and have posed this question:

Q. If you could change the ending of any book (or series),

which book would you choose? Why and to what?

This is a tough one. A majority of the books I read are romance novels. And I love the happily ever after endings they pretty much guarantee, so changing any of the endings would rob me of that. I do recall reading a historical romance several years ago -- for some reason the title and author are eluding me -- which I thought could have had a great tragic ending. I wouldn't have wanted to give up the happy one it provided. But, if it were a DVD, I would've loved to see an alternate ending included. :-)

The plot was reminiscent of Ladyhawke. If you haven't seen that movie, the hero and heroine are cursed. The hero takes the form of a wolf from dusk until dawn and the heroine takes the form of a hawk from dawn until dusk. So, though they love each other, the two can never be together as a man and a woman. In the romance novel I mentioned, a similar curse threatened to keep the hero and heroine apart. The hero was a wolf, and the heroine was a deer. The author did such a good job of making it seem impossible for the hero and heroine to ever be together as a man and a woman that I was almost (notice I said almost) disappointed when all was resolved in the last couple of pages and the two ultimately found their happily ever after. It would have been such a great tragic romance.

But, as I said, I'm a sucker for a happy ending. I did enjoy the book. (I really wish I could remember the title, because now I want to go back and reread it.) But I can appreciate tragedies, too. :-)

What about you? Any endings you would like to change?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #2

2011-09-02T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's that time again! I'd like to mention first a great review of Darkness Dawns I just read by Parajunkee's View. I missed it when it was posted in April and am so glad I found it. Here's a link:

Now on to Favorite Quote Friday. Today's selection will give you another sneak peek into Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians series:

"Are you sure I can't talk you into leaving this old sod and

running away with me? I do so love strong women."

~ Étienne ~

Only 94 days until its release! Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday

2011-08-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hi again!

I'm introducing another new blog segment today: Favorite Quote Friday. I thought this would be a fun way to give readers little sneak peeks into the pages of Darkness Dawns, Night Reigns, and future books in my Immortal Guardians series. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Today's quote comes from Night Reigns:

"Dab, Abi. How cad you turd me od

whed my face feels like it just exploded?"

~ Marcus ~

I really like Marcus. :-)

Do you have a favorite quote from Darkness Dawns you'd like to see here? Email me at dianne [at] dianneduvall [dot] com with "Favorite Quote" in the subject line. You can find more favorite quotes on the Immortal Guardians Handbook page.

Have a great weekend! And for those in Hurricane Irene's path: Stay safe!

Dianne

And the Winners Are . . .

2011-08-26T05:31:00.000-07:00

Thank you, everyone who joined me over at Book Monster Reviews and Literal Addiction Paranormal Book Club for the fun Q&A and Contests! The winners of signed copies of Darkness Dawns are:

Leanne G.

and

Yadira A.

Congratulations!! I hope you enjoy them!

Dianne

Contest Reminder

2011-08-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
This is just a reminder that I'll be giving away 2 signed copies of Darkness Dawns today over at

Book Monster Reviews

and

Literal Addiction Paranormal Book Club

Have a great day!

Dianne

Contest, a New Release, and More . . .

2011-08-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

Hi again! I have lots of news to share with you today.

~~~ New Release ~~~

First, the Darkness Dawns audiobook has been released by Tantor Audio! Woohoo!

Don't you just love the cover? It's read by Kirsten Potter and has already been getting great reviews and ratings. Hot Listens Romance Audiobooks gave it

"A very interesting, and distinctive take on the paranormal world

of vampires"

It's available at Amazon. You can also listen to an audio sample here.

~~~ And the Winner is ~~~

Next, the winner of a signed copy of Darkness Dawns over at Paranormal Haven is:

Kanya!

Congratulations! I hope you enjoy it!

~~~ New Contests ~~~

I'll be interviewed and give away two signed copies of Darkness Dawns in a great Book Monsters and Literal Addiction Paranormal Book Blub collaboration on Wednesday, August 17th. I hope you'll join me!

~~~ Review ~~~

Proserpine Craving Books gave Darkness Dawns a great 5/5 review:

"Action from the beginning until the end! I couldn't put it down!"

That's it for now. Thanks so much for dropping by! I hope you all have a great week!

Dianne

Immortal Guardians Music Monday #2

2011-08-15T03:49:00.000-07:00

It's time for another installment of Immortal Guardian Music Monday.

As I combed through my manuscripts in search of music references, it occurred to me that many of the songs mentioned are ringtones. Apparently hunting crazed vampires, quelling uprisings, identifying new enemies, trying to track down and thwart those enemies, encountering new paranormal beings, searching for a cure for the virus, and falling head over heels in love doesn't leave much time to sit back, relax, and listen to music. So, today's selection is Sarah's ringtone in book three (not yet titled) of my Immortal Guardians series: Mack the Knife.

For those who haven't yet read Darkness Dawns, Sarah is a music theory professor at UNC Chapel Hill when Roland meets her. As such, I thought Mack the Knife would appeal to her. It's a song that was composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for Die Dreigroschenoper, or The Threepenny Opera, which happens to be one of my favorite operas and revolves around a serial killer. Most music lovers, however, are more familiar with this version -- the Bobby Darin version -- that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1959. I hope you enjoy it!

I'll be back tomorrow or Wednesday to share the latest news with you.

Have a great week!

Dianne

Immortal Guardians Music Monday

2011-07-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

I can't remember if I've mentioned this, but I come from a family of musicians. As a result, I love and listen to music from all eras and most genres, so I thought I would integrate that into my blog. Hence my new segment: Immortal Guardians Music Monday.

I don't know if this will be a weekly, bi-monthly or monthly segment. It all depends on what my schedule allows. But it will include music that either appears in my Immortal Guardians series in some form or other or music that I listended to while writing or editing the series. I might also throw in some music my facebook friends (I'm talking about you, Krissy!) posted that reminded me of the series. So, here is the first installment:

Disturbed's Down With the Sickness appears in Darkness Dawns as Seth's ringtone. I thought it appropriate since the enhanced vision, hearing, speed, etcetera that Vampires and Immortals posses are a result of a virus. Because this is the official video, it begins with a commercial you can skip after a few seconds. It's a bit of an annoyance, but I thought this would be the best version to post because the "Mommy" stuff at the end of the full version might offend some. Hope you enjoy it!

Warning: This music video contains explicit lyrics.

Have a great week!

Dianne

Follow My Book Blog Friday

2011-07-22T00:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I searched the blogosphere for new-to-me book blogs that intrigue me, so I'm once more participating in Feature and Follow Friday, also known as Follow My Book Blog Friday, hosted by Parajunkee's View and Allison Can Read.

Today they're featuring We Fancy Books and have posed this question:

Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

My response is:

1. Stephen King. I learn something new about writing every time I read one of his books, so I would love to discuss writing with him.

2. Alexandra Ivy, one of my favorite romance authors. I love both her paranormal and historical romances and would love to chat about writing in different sub-genres with her.

3. Gena Showalter, another favorite author. Her books are so much fun I can't help but think talking books and writing with her would be the same.

What about you? What authors would you like to chat with?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Dianne

And the Winner is . . .

2011-07-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd take time out from going over Night Reigns proofs to say:

Congratulations, Jennifer B.,

winner of a signed copy of Darkness Dawns in

Reading Between the Wines Book Club's

Writing Romance event!

There's still a chance to win a signed copy of Darkness Dawns at Paranormal Haven's Bookish Haven Summer Vacation event. The contest ends tomorrow.

Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Night Reigns Cover & Blurb Reveal

2011-07-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Dianne Duvall portrays a world of temptation, loyalty, and

heartbreak . . . a world where danger and desire

walk hand in hand . . .

Ami isn’t much for trusting strangers. She has a hard

time trusting anyone. But she’s no coward, and she’s no

pushover in the protection department either. So when

she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight

deranged vampires on his own, she doesn’t hesitate to

save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized

what one little rescue would get her into . . .

Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of

humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment

he’s not interested in backup. From the moment Ami

arrives in his life, he can’t deny that she’s strong, smart,

and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she’s

also destroying his protective solitude and stirring

desires he can’t bear to awaken. After all, whatever her

secrets –– how can she defeat death itself?

Catching Up

2011-07-06T02:55:00.000-07:00

Hi, Everyone!

I hope you all enjoyed the holiday weekend! Hope you enjoyed a safe holiday weekend. We're experiencing the worst drought we've had in 50 years here, so I admit I was a bit worried someone in the neighborhood might ignore the fireworks ban and end up starting a fire, but no one did. Not here at least. Some teenagers started a grass fire across town. It was actually . . . not eerie, but weird . . . not hearing fireworks for the first time ever on the 4th. Fireworks, I believe, have always been banned here in the city, but people often manage to sneak them in anyway and put on shows in backyards. This year? Nothing. Residents must really have taken the fire hazard seriously.

So how did you spend the 4th? At the beach? Barbecuing? A family gathering? Attending parades? Curling up with a good book?

I spent it with family. My facebook and twitter friends may have noticed I tend to disappear entirely from the internet on most weekends because I deem weekends family time . . . which is one of the reasons I can never seem to catch up on email, facebook, etc. *sigh*

ON THE WRITING FRONT

I have BIG NEWS! Tantor Audio is publishing my Immortal Guardians series! Woohoo! Darkness Dawns is scheduled for release on July 25th. (You can Pre-Order it from Amazon.) It will be read by Kirsten Potter:

Kirsten Potter has won AudioFile Earphones Awards
for her reading of The Snowball by Alice Schroeder and
her performance as Barbara in George Bernard Shaw’s
Major Barbara. Her reading of Madapple by Christina
Meldrum was a Booklist Editors’ Choice for Best
Audiobook 2008.

I'm also currently participating in TWO big blogging events:

I'm blogging about the importance of choosing the right names for one's characters in romance novels over at Reading Between the Wines Book Club for Writing Romance week. I'm also giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns. The contest lasts through July 8th, so I hope you'll join me!

I'm also blogging about paranormal brotherhoods (love them!) over at Paranormal Haven for Bookish Haven Summer Vacation. I'm giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns for this one, too. The contest lasts through July 15th.

BACK ON THE HOME FRONT

Other than that, I'm watering my veggie plants like crazy to help them survive the drought and hoping to get some reading time in soon.

What's happening in your corner of the world?

Dianne

Summer Fun

2011-06-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

To those who commented on the Night Reigns deleted scene I posted: Thanks so much! I've been working on Night Reigns copyedits and didn't have a chance to respond until yesterday. I'm so glad you liked it! The larger scene from which I cut it is one of my favorite scenes in the whole novel. Hopefully it will be one of your favorites, too.

And to those who participated in Brenda Novak's Annual Auction for the Cure of Diabetes: Thank you! I'll be mailing off an autographed copy of Darkness Dawns with a signed cover flat and mini-bookmark to a winning bidder this week. :-)

I have various and assorted bits of news to share with you today.

I received some wonderful foreign rights news from my editor. Kensington sold the first 3 books in the Immortal Guardians series to Germany! Ausgezeichnet! I'm very excited!

I'm also participating in the big Sizzling Summer Reads Party that's going on right now at The Romance Reviews. The Romance party lasts through the end of June. Then the Erotic & GLBT party begins and continues through the end of July. They're giving away LOTS of prizes, including not one, but two autographed copies of Darkness Dawns. I also will be chatting in The Lounge tomorrow, June 7th, so I hope you'll drop by.

Another great event currently enticing romance readers everywhere is the Bookish Haven Summer Vacation going on over at Paranormal Haven and Larissa's Bookish Life. I'll be Guest Posting on June 14th at Paranormal Haven and hope to see you there. The subject: Those Brave, Beautiful Paranormal Brotherhoods. I'll also be giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns to one commenter. Yay!

When not engaged in the above, I plan to write furiously on Book 3 in the Immortal Guardians series, update my webpage, and pamper my struggling veggie plants (this heat is horrible!). I've already picked a few habanero peppers and boy are they hot! Seriously, if you ever try cooking with these, wear gloves. I cut one up and handled the pieces with my bare hands once and my skin felt like I had dipped it in boiling water for hours afterward.

I do so love spicy food, though, so it was worth it. ;-)

Have a great week everyone!

Dianne

Night Reigns - Deleted Scene

2011-05-13T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hi, all! While contemplating possible blog post subjects, I recalled some of my follower friends mentioning that they would like to see some deleted scenes. I always like these, both as a reader and a writer. The reader in me loves the opportunity to see more of my favorite characters, even if it's only a tiny glimpse. The writer in me is always curious to see what didn't make the cut and why. So, I thought I would offer up a scene I deleted from Night Reigns.

Actually, it's more like a snippet of a scene. I didn't cut this section because I thought it was poorly written or anything like that. I actually like it, in part because I like Roland and Sarah (the hero and heroine of Darkness Dawns) so much and enjoyed being inside Roland's head again. I edited it out for two reasons:

Length. Most publishers prefer that manuscripts be no longer than 100,000 words. The first draft of Night Reigns was about 14,000 words longer than that, so I needed to pare it down. (I never did manage to get it down to 100,000, but came close enough.)

Pacing. This is a big battle scene. I won't tell you anything more than that because I don't want to spoil it, but I thought it went on just a little too long and caused the pacing to drag a bit. Deleting this brief section kept the scene fast-paced and left the focus on the hero and heroine.

I should probably warn those who are unfamiliar with my writing or who are new to paranormal romance in general that the scene depicts violence.

And, without further ado, I present to you a deleted scene from Night Reigns:

Roland Warbrook’s clothing was saturated with the blood of his enemies when his wife burst from the trees across from him.

Fear trickled through him as she dove right in, plunging into a pack of vampires so thick it would rival the crowd of any rave. Her pretty hazel eyes glowed green as she fought, a first amongst immortals.

She was so small, only five feet tall. Next to her opponents, she appeared wispy and delicate. Yet, even as he watched, bodies began to drop all around her.

A bark of laughter escaped Roland as her taunts reached his ears. Amazing.

Pride swelled his chest . . . until a vamp’s switchblade nearly punctured a lung.

Richart appeared behind the vamp and cut his throat. “Stop drooling and pay attention!” he snapped, then vanished.

Grimacing over the lapse (and having it brought to his attention by a much younger immortal), Roland did as ordered.

So? What did you think? Did it whet your appetite for Night Reigns? Did you enjoy seeing Roland and Sarah again? If you haven't read Darkness Dawns, are you curious now about its hero and heroine? I welcome any and all comments.

Have a great weekend!

Dianne

And the Winner is . . .

2011-05-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

The winner of my contest on Ann Lory's Blog Bites is . . . Sharon! Congratulations! I've emailed you, requesting your snail mail address and hope you'll enjoy Darkness Dawns!

Thank you, everyone else who joined me at Blog Bites!

And, to all of my followers, I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Contest, Auction, and Edits

2011-04-29T03:41:00.000-07:00

Woohoo! It's Friday! I am SO looking forward to the weekend! I have a variety of news for you.

First, I'm In the Author Spotlight this week over at Ann Lory's Blog Bites, where I'm giving away a signed copy of Darkness Dawns. Drop by Blog Bites and tell me what special gift or ability you would like to possess for a chance to win. I'll choose a winner at the beginning of next week.

Second, I finished the Night Reigns edits my editor requested. I can't remember if I told you, but I only needed to change a word here and a sentence there, so I was very pleased. And my editor was happy with the results. Yay! I also enjoyed reading through the story again. I really like Marcus. I'm glad he's getting his HEA. It's funny. While I was pursuing publication, I thought my worries would end once I signed that first contract. Then I signed the contract and worried like crazy about the release, hope-hope-hoping readers would like it. So I thought, if readers liked Darkness Dawns, then my worries would really be over. Well, I'm thrilled with the responses readers have had to Darkness Dawns, so much so that words just don't convey it. And yet . . . my worries aren't over, because now I'm figuratively chewing my nails (that's actually one bad habit I don't have), waiting to see if readers will like Night Reigns as much as they liked Darkness Dawns. :-) I'm guessing I'll be stricken with several bouts of insomnia between now and December.

Third, I sent all of the information requested for Brenda Novak's Annual Auction for the Cure of Diabetes. Here's the picture I took for it:

You can find my listing -- an autographed copy of Darkness Dawns, an autographed cover flat, and a mini-bookmark -- here and other listings here. Pass the word along. It's for a good cause and I'm very honored to have been asked to participate. Bidding begins in a couple of days. I plan to bid on some items myself. :-)

That's it for now. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

News

2011-04-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, all!

I hope you're enjoying the holiday weekend.

~~~~~ Interview ~~~~~

I just wanted to let you know I've been interviewed by Bookloons.com. Here's a sample:

Q: Ami's rescue hints that there may be other enemies besides vampires that the Immortals must contend with - true or false, and can you elaborate?

A: True. In Darkness Dawns, Bastien sets into motion the proverbial snowball rolling down the hill. His actions in raising the vampire army and enlisting the help of biochemist Dr. Montrose Keegan will set off a chain of events that will produce enemies that will threaten the Immortal Guardians' existence. Readers will get a glimpse of this - and how it all relates to those from whom Ami was rescued - in Night Reigns.

~~~~~ Review ~~~~~

Bookloons also gave Darkness Dawns a nice review earlier this month. Here's a little tidbit from it:

"Darkness Dawns is an engaging and entertaining

introduction to Duvall's Immortal Guardians world,

one I look forward to visiting again in future installments."

~~~~~ Giveaway! ~~~~~

Page Fliperz - Kat With Many Tales is giving away a copy of Darkness Dawns for the Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Giveaway Blog Hop. There are other prizes as well. The contest continues through the 25th, so hop on over for a chance to win!

~~~~~ Last But Not Least ~~~~~

DallaLuna has created this Darkness Dawns inspired book charm / book thong. I love how one end represents Roland the warrior and the other represents Sarah the music professor. Isn't it cool? I just wanted to share it with you.

Well, that's it for now. Take care!

Dianne

Mini-Handbook -- The Immortal Guardians

2011-04-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Logline

When Professor Sarah Bingham rescues a wounded stranger, she unexpectedly finds herself thrust into a war that erupts between vampires and immortals, then loses her heart to the dark, enigmatic warrior who seeks to protect her.

Terms of Interest

Gifted Ones: Men and women born with unusual talents and abilities (healing, telepathy, shape shifting, telekinesis, teleportation, etc.) as a result of far more complex DNA than that of ordinary humans.

Immortals (Immortal Guardians): Gifted ones who have been infected with a rare symbiotic virus that first conquers, then replaces their immune system, lending them incredible strength, speed and longevity. Unfortunately, it also leaves them vulnerable to sunlight and in need of regular infusions of blood.

Vampires: Ordinary human men and women who have been infected with the same rare symbiotic virus that infects immortals. Because they lack the advanced DNA of gifted ones (which mutates the virus into something less corrosive), they suffer brain damage from the virus’s continuous assault and rapidly descend into madness.

The Network: A network of humans amassed over the centuries to aid the Immortal Guardians. The employees range from Seconds (personal assistants and guards of individual immortals) to cleaners (those who “clean up” the messes immortals sometimes leave behind when hunting vampires) to doctors and scientists who are searching for a cure for the virus or at least some way to prevent the brain damage that occurs in vampires.

Cast of Characters

Sarah Bingham: A music theory professor at UNC Chapel Hill. The spring semester has ended and her only desire is rest and relaxation . . . until she finds Roland staked to the ground, being tortured by two others, in the meadow behind her home and uses her trusty shovel to liberate him, becoming the target of a vicious vampire army.

Roland Warbrook: A nine-hundred-and-thirty-six-year-old immortal born with the ability to heal with his hands. Betrayed one too many times in the past by those he loved the most, he now distances himself from relationships of any kind and trusts no one . . . until Sarah charges into his life.

Bastien (Sebastien Newcombe): Roland’s new nemesis. He has done what was previously considered impossible -- raised a vampire army large enough to pose a serious threat to the Immortal Guardians -- and intends to eradicate them one victim at a time while pursuing a personal vendetta against Roland.

Marcus Grayden: An immortal who disregards Roland’s reclusive disposition and calls him friend. He recently lost the woman he has loved for eight centuries and, consumed with grief, is skating the edge as he aids Roland in battling Sebastien and his vicious army.

Seth: The eldest and most powerful Immortal Guardian. He possesses all of the paranormal abilities the others boast combined and then some. As their self-proclaimed leader, he considers it his responsibility to seek out all newly transformed immortals, ease their transition into their new life, train them, guide them, give them a new purpose and, if necessary, punish them should they stray from the boundaries he sets for them.

David: The second eldest and most powerful Immortal Guardian. Like Seth, he considers all immortals and their Seconds family and opens his homes to them, aiding them in any way he can and putting their safety and happiness above his own.

Amiriska (Ami): A mysterious woman of unknown origins Seth and David rescue from a facility heavily guarded by either the military or mercenaries.

Favorite Quotes

“Beautiful, brave and possessed of violent tendencies. I like her.”

~ Marcus ~

“I’m not antisocial. I just want to be left alone.”

~ Roland ~

“I may be small, but I can put away a lot of food.”

~ Sarah ~

“What -- are you high? You just told me my hair is beautiful.”

~ Seth ~

“Speaking of bloodbaths, what happened at the meeting?”

~ David ~

“You stabbed me in the ass?”

~ Bastien ~

Blurb

Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control . . .

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it mean forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.

This, That, and The Other

2011-04-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

It’s been quite a while since I last blogged, which is not good considering one of my New Year’s Resolutions was to blog more regularly. A lot has been happening of late. Darkness Dawns has been on the shelves for just over two months now. I’m thrilled by the reviews it’s been getting, both by book reviewers (magazines and blogs) and by online bookstore customers. It’s been given 60 5-star reviews so far on Amazon alone! I’m very excited because whenever I find a new book I’m interested in buying, the first place I visit is Amazon to see what the general consensus is among those who’ve read it.

My Blog Tour has ended. I’m steadily receiving winner notifications and mailing signed copies of Darkness Dawns to the winners. Thank you again, everyone who joined me on the tour! I also just participated in the big Paranormal Spring Break over at Parajunkee’s View, where I posted a mini-handbook for the Immortal Guardians, describing characters, listing favorite quotes and more. I’m thinking of adding a similar handbook to my website.

I’m going to be interviewed on Ann Lory’s Blog Bites on April 25th. I also will be interviewed by Bookloons.com sometime in the next couple of weeks. I’ll post the date as soon as I know it. I’ve been invited to participate in the Bookish Haven Summer Vacation in June and am looking forward to it. I’ve also been invited to participate in Brenda Novak’s Annual Diabetes Auction. What an honor! I’ll be putting a signed copy of Darkness Dawns with a signed cover flat and mini-bookmark up for bid.

I’ve received the most wonderful emails from Darkness Dawns readers. I’m way behind on responding to them because of the Blog Tour and a few family crises that yanked me away from the computer (everything’s fine now), but intend to reply to all of them. I’m behind on facebook, too, and hope to catch up soon.

And did I mention that Kensington sold Thai rights to Darkness Dawns? Woohoo! I can’t wait to see a copy!

That’s about it for now. What’s been going on with you? Are you whittling away at your TBR pile? Writing up a storm? Looking forward to summer vacation?

Dianne

Kindle Contest Winner Announced!

2011-03-07T19:27:00.000-08:00

Thank you, everyone who entered my Kindle Contest, for helping me celebrate and promote the release of Darkness Dawns! The winner is:

Barbara Lindsay!

Though my Blog Tour has ended, I believe some of the contests are still open, so if you'd like to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Darkness Dawns, check out the itinerary on my Blog Tour and Contests page. Thank you, everyone who joined me on the tour! It was fun, seeing some of the same names at every stop. I hope you won one of the many contests!

Dianne

Want to Win a Kindle?

2011-02-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

Then help me spread the word out about my debut release Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, available February 1, 2011.

How

1 entry: Repost the above widget on your webpage and send me (contest AT dianneduvall.com) a link with “Webpage Entry” in the subject line

1 entry: Have a working blog (one that is already up and running)? Repost the above widget on your webpage and send me (contest AT dianneduvall.com) a link with “Blog Entry” in the subject line.

1 entry: Repost the above widget on your facebook page and send me (contest AT dianneduvall.com) a link and screenshot with "Facebook Entry" in the subject line. If you have trouble getting the widget to work, post the image below on facebook, mention the release of Darkness Dawns and the contest, provide a link to my website: www.DianneDuvall.com and then send me (contest AT dianneduvall.com) a link and screenshot with "Facebook Entry" in the subject line.

1 entry: Tweet about the release and contest, then send me (contest AT dianneduvall.com) a link with “Twitter Entry” in the subject line.
10 entries: Purchase Darkness Dawns and send me (contest AT dianneduvall.com) a copy of the receipt (with all sensitive data blocked out) by midnight (Eastern Standard Time) February 28th with "Purchase Entry" in the subject line.

The Rules

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

You are welcome to enter in all of the ways listed above.

All entries must be received by 11:59pm EST on February 28th.

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.

The winner will be selected using random.org.

Latest News

2011-02-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guardians series, hits shelves today! Woohoo! To the readers who have sent me pictures of it in bookstores: Thank you!

My Blog Tour has begun and I'm enjoying meeting many fellow paranormal romance lovers! Use the button at the top of the page or click here to view the itinerary. Join me on each stop for chances to win signed copies of Darkness Dawns!

More great reviews have been rolling in. Here's what reviewers are saying about Darkness Dawns:

"Action-packed world building and a hero daring all for love

makes Darkness Dawns one of the most fascinating romances

I've read this year."

Long and Short Reviews

"Electrifying, Funny, Lust-Inducing and Inventive.

Excellent Start to a New Paranormal Series."

Fresh Fiction

"Darkness Dawns is deeply romantic, daringly sensual,

with dark paranormal characters that make it nearly impossible to put down."

All Things Urban Fantasy

"Darkness Dawns is a must read for 2011!

This is the first book in a series called Immortal Guardians

and its a phenomenal start."

Bitten by Paranormal Romance

"I can't wait for the next in the Immortal Guardian series!

If you love PNR, you will enjoy this book."

Books and Things

Catching Up

2011-01-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, Everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. A lot has been happening lately. Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guardians series, will be released on February 1st. I can't wait! To celebrate, I have planned a Blog Tour that will include numerous contests and giveaways. Click here or follow the link at the top of the page to view the schedule. I'll post the schedule on my webpage as well this weekend.

Also, the reviews are rolling in. Here's a sample of what reviewers are saying about Darkness Dawns:

RT Book Reviews

"This is a strong start in what looks to be a thrilling and chilling

new paranormal series. Fantastic!"

Reading Between the Wines

"Darkness Dawns is a stellar debut for author Dianne Duvall

and her Immortal Guardians series! It’s been a while since a novel

has kept me up all night because I just could not set it down!"

Paranormal Romance Addict

"Darkness Dawns is extremely addictive from start to finish;

I had to read this in one sitting."

All Things Urban Fantasy

"I love it when a book surprises me by being really, really, really good.

DARKNESS DAWNS is deeply romantic, daringly sensual,

with dark paranormal characters that make it nearly impossible to put down."

The Romance Reviews

"Filled with sexy men and plenty of action, Darkness Dawns kept me

turning the pages well past my bedtime. This debut novel from Dianne

Duvall was a thrilling read. She's definitely one author to watch."

I'll post more reviews soon. I'll also tweet them as I'm now on Twitter. Don't forget to check back and join me on my Blog Tour! An even bigger contest is brewing as well. I'll let you know the details soon!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Holidays & Blog Hopping

2010-12-23T23:43:00.000-08:00

It's Friday again! I had such a great time exploring the blogosphere through Parajunkee's Follow my Book Blog Friday last week that I decided to do it again today.

Parajunkee's Follow my Book Blog Friday's question of the week is:

"What are your plans for this fabulous day?"

My answer: Today I plan to avoid panicked, last-minute Christmas shoppers and headache-inducing traffic by pursuing instead (as I will for the rest of the weekend) good food, good company, a good book and lots of rest and relaxation. It may sound boring to some, but -- after a long, busy, chaotic year -- sounds absolutely blissful to me!

What about you? Planning on braving the last-minute shopping crowds today? Have any special plans for Christmas?

I hope everyone is having a safe and happy holiday season and will continue to do so through New Year's!

Things That Go Bump in the Night

2010-12-22T21:41:00.000-08:00

One of the secondary characters in Darkness Dawns is very well-acquainted with things that go bump in the night. Namely ghosts. And well he should be. Marcus, who is the only friend of Darkness Dawns’ reclusive hero Roland Warbrook, has been seeing them for almost nine hundred years, though they still manage to catch him off guard periodically.

General interest in things that go bump in the night seems to have risen sharply in recent years, though that wasn’t the inspiration for Marcus’s “gift”. Numerous shows that revolve around ghosts, ghost pets, ghosts stories, ghost hunting, etc. have popped up on cable/satellite television. Movies like Paranormal Activity have received enthusiastic responses by viewers. I suspect the popularity of such stems from many people being either unnerved or fascinated (sometimes both) by the concept of things unseen invading their lives and physically affecting their world.

I had my own “things going bump in the night” experiences this summer on the set of an independent feature film on which I worked. (I provided special effects and special effects makeup, served as script supervisor and am now editor.) Shortly after production began, I learned that the building in which much of the film was shot had spawned numerous ghostly encounter stories over the years. During the many long pauses characteristic of film production (relighting, blocking, wardrobe changes, meal breaks, etc.), I was regaled with tales by men and women of varying ages who worked in or frequented the building. (Film production tends to lure curious onlookers.) Some cast and crew members seemed fascinated by the stories. Some were uneasy, if not frightened.

And over the next few weeks, things did go bump in the night several times. I heard a violin playing in a supposedly haunted room and couldn’t locate a source for the music, since no one was in the building except cast and crew. This particular room had apparently inspired stories in the past of doorknobs rattling, music playing and voices speaking when no one appeared to be present.

On another night, I was able to spend a couple of uninterrupted hours editing Book 2 in my Immortal Guardians series on the set. (I took a copy with me every night and worked on it every chance I could get.) I was alone in an office with a desk, filing cabinets and bookshelves full of books. After at least an hour and a half of silence broken only by the scribbling of my red pen, some of the books on an upper shelf shifted and fell over for no apparent reason. I had used the office on and off throughout production and those books had been in the same position, untouched, for three weeks. They weren’t precariously balanced. The office next door was empty, so no one had bumped the wall or otherwise caused it to vibrate and disturb the books. There just really didn’t seem to be any reason for them to move.

Oftentimes the director, the director of photography, a production assistant and I were the last to leave when production wrapped for the night. (It took a while to pack up our various and sundry equipment.) And there were several nights when, alone in the building, we heard thumps and what sounded like doors opening or closing. But there was never anyone there when we looked for the source to make sure no one had snuck inside while the doors were unlocked.

Now, some of the cast members got a kick out of it all and, on more than one occasion, dared each other to walk down darkened hallways or spend so many minutes alone in the haunted room. Others were uneasy and avoided such. Much to my amusement, I was called upon a few times to accompany a crew member down dark hallways because of more mysterious thumps and bumps that stretched nerves tight. (As long as the thumps and bumps weren’t caused by some nefarious person breaking in for criminal reasons, I wasn’t overly bothered by them myself.)

So, have you ever had any encounters with things that go bump in the night? Do you find such things frightening, fascinating, amusing or not much to write home about?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. And, as always, if you’d like a Darkness Dawns cover flat, leave a comment below, then email me your snail mail address. My email can be found in my profile and on my website.

Doing the Blog Hop!

2010-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

It's finally Friday and I'm trying something new. I'm exploring the blogosphere through Parajunkee's Follow my Book Blog Friday.

Parajunkee's Follow my Book Blog Friday features Carmel @ Rabid Reads today. The question of the week is:

"What did you study in college, or are currently studying and did it lead to your current 9 to 5 or are you doing something totally different?"

My answer: I majored in English in college, which helped me tremendously with my writing. But my current 9 to 5 is very different: I work in the independent film industry (pre-production, production and post-production). The two aren't totally unrelated, however, because studying English and creative writing made me a better script editor and I made some interesting contacts in the playwriting class and the drama department in which I took it.

Roller Coaster Weekend

2010-12-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a real roller coaster ride, featuring lots of ups and downs. It began with good news. My editor likes Book 2 in my Immortal Guardians series! Woohoo! I was very pleased to hear it. And her response came quickly, so there was no long, nail-biting wait.

Then . . . catastrophe struck. I tried to install a new operating system on my computer and my hard drive crashed. The computer shut down and would not start up again no matter what I tried. It would just give me a blue screen for fifteen seconds or so, then shut down again. Needless to say, I was very upset because I couldn’t remember what I had and hadn’t backed up recently. (It’s been a very busy few months.) I thought I had backed up my writing folder, but couldn’t remember if I had backed up the filmmaking and other recent files.

Well, the computer tech guy told me I needed a new hard drive. I was incredibly relieved when he said they could back up everything on the hard drive for me before sending it out. But that was crushed the next day when he retracted that and said they couldn’t. Well, I wasn’t ready to abandon and, thus, lose those files that may not have been backed up and returned home with my crashed computer. Over the next few hours, a borrowed laptop and several Google searches yielded instructions on how to start up the computer in single-user mode, then enter a series of commands that ultimately restored my hard drive to the former operating system. The good news: Now it appears to be working fine. (I immediately backed up everything, of course.) The bad news: I can’t install the new operating system without first purchasing either a new hard drive or a new computer. And I really need that new operating system so I can update my film editing software. *sigh*

There were other ups and downs, but they were minimal in comparison. So, how was your weekend? Comprised of more ups than downs I hope.

As always, leave a comment and email me your snail mail address if you’d like me to send you a signed Darkness Dawns cover flat. (You can find my email in my profile or on my website.)

There's a Method to the Madness

2010-12-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

I didn’t blog last week because I was engrossed in editing my manuscript -- Night Reigns -- Book 2 in my Immortal Guardians series. I’m pleased to say, I finished my last read-through of Night Reigns and sent it off to my editor.

Once I expelled a sigh of relief, it occurred to me that editing might be a good topic for a blog. After all, not one of the creative writing courses I took in college tackled the issue. (Nor did the books I read.) Instead, the classes focused on other aspects of writing. The playwriting class centered around plot. The fiction writing classes focused on character development. And the poetry writing class focused on language.

None addressed the process of editing: how to decide what to leave in, what to take out or what to add. I’ve always been pretty obsessive compulsive when it comes to editing. Some would say anal. I just don’t feel like I have a finished product until I’ve read through the manuscript at least half a dozen times, focusing on a new aspect of editing with each read-through. This may seem extensive . . . crazy even. But there’s a method to my editing madness. I’ll use Night Reigns as an example.

With the first draft, I focused on getting the story down and didn’t worry about word choice or chapter divisions. So when the time came to edit, I focused on plot during the first read-through. Was the exterior/action plot fully developed and satisfactorily resolved? What about the romance plot? Did the relationship between the hero and heroine develop too slowly? Did it feel rushed? Did one scene flow into the next smoothly? Did I include all of the information I needed to in the story in order to make this a stand-alone novel as well as a sequel?

With the second and third read-throughs, I added tentative chapter breaks and started cutting. I always shoot for 100,000 words, but my manuscripts more often than not come in quite a bit longer than that. Night Reigns was no different; so I scrutinized each and every scene and -- even if I liked them -- cut those that didn’t specifically advance the plot (action or romance). This is always difficult. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if, at some point in the future, I added a page on my website that provided some of these deleted scenes, much like DVDs often do in their special features section. But I firmly believe cutting these scenes ultimately makes my manuscripts stronger by keeping the pace from lagging. It’s always important to maintain forward momentum.

With the fourth read-through, I looked for passive writing and rewrote any sentences that contained it to make them active. Passive writing involves telling instead of showing. What exactly constitutes passive writing is widely debated (sometimes heatedly) in the writing community, so I’ll save defining it in greater detail for another day.

With the fifth read-through, I concentrated more on language, checked facts and continued to whittle away at length, eliminating a sentence here, a paragraph there. Such small deletions can add up to a surprisingly large reduction in length. I also read all dialogue aloud (mangling foreign accents) to see if it flowed naturally and made necessary adjustments if it didn’t.

During the sixth read-through, I made any necessary changes to chapter divisions and focused primarily on language. Did I use this word too often? What about that one? Is there a better word or series of words or sounds I can use to make the scene more vivid and enhance the mood? Did I employ all five senses?

By the time I reached the seventh read-through of Night Reigns, I had a tighter, stronger, more well-written manuscript and pretty much just looked for typos, though I continued to keep an eye out for words that popped up too often and changed them.

Sounds tedious, doesn’t it? I know some writers find editing laborious, if not torturous. But I actually enjoy editing my manuscripts. I like knowing that when I’m finished the stories will be stronger and, thus, appeal to more readers. And I probably shouldn’t admit this, but . . . I also like the stories themselves and enjoy rereading them. The first read-through is usually the best because there are always scenes I forgot about that surprise me. :-)

Well . . . that’s how I do it. Very methodical. And, thus far, very effective. It worked well for Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guardians series. Hopefully the same will hold true for Night Reigns.

For the readers out there: Do you like it when authors offer readers glimpses of deleted scenes on their websites, in newsletters, at the ends of books, etc.?

For writers: How many times do you read through your manuscripts before you’re satisfied that they’re ready for submission? And how does your editing process differ from mine?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Holiday Safety Tips

2010-11-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s that time of year again. Television advertisements have decided to skip Thanksgiving and shoot straight for the day after, also known as Black Friday -- supposedly the biggest shopping day of the year. It’s also the time of year when criminals come out in force to prey upon shoppers. And they won’t stop at Black Friday. No, their efforts will continue all the way through Christmas. So, I thought I might stray from romance topics momentarily and offer some safety tips for those who will be braving the crowds and wish to reduce their chances of becoming a victim of such characters.

First and foremost, don’t leave any valuables in your car. Some criminals simply troll through parking lots, peering into windows, and break into those vehicles with valuables left out in plain view. (There is usually at least one news segment a year in which police officers lead reporters through a parking lot and point out the purses, phones, iPods, laptops, etc. that are visible in parked cars, making them more likely to be broken into.)
Don’t leave your purse unattended in your shopping cart, even if the cart is only a few feet away. That purse can be taken in the blink of an eye.
When walking to your car in the parking lot, leave your cell phone in your purse and stay vigilant. Examine your surroundings constantly. Purse snatchers are less likely to single you out if you appear alert because they can’t catch you off guard. Someone who is busy talking on the phone or texting is more likely to be caught unawares and makes a far more appealing target.
Continue to observe your surroundings while you load your packages into your vehicle. Be aware of everyone around you so no one can sneak up behind you. And don’t leave your purse in the cart while you unload it.
Once you arrive home, keep an eye out for suspicious characters loitering about as you pull into your driveway. Most homeowners use electric door openers now. When you pull into your garage, stay vigilant until that door is all the way down. I’ve seen news reports in which homeowners were robbed by criminals who ducked into the garage just before the door closed. So . . .
Always, always be alert!

Well, those are the basics. I hope this will prove helpful to you. If you'd like to receive a cover flat of Darkness Dawns, just leave a comment and email me your address.

Have a safe holiday weekend!

Cover Flats

2010-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone who posted a comment on yesterday's post (here or on Facebook) is welcome to a Darkness Dawns cover flat. Just email me (see my profile) your snail mail address by Monday and I'll send you one. If you'd like it signed, please let me know whether you'd like me to sign it on the front or the back.

Thank you again for visiting The Immortal Realm and for your input! I hope to see you again soon!

A New Beginning

2010-11-18T09:18:00.000-08:00

It’s official! I’m blogging! Woohoo! I know. I know. Millions of other people are blogging. Some of you are blogging and have been for quite some time, very successfully. (If you’d like me to visit your blog, by the way, either post the address below or email it to me.) But this is another new endeavor for me, one in a substantial list that has been steadily growing ever since I signed the contract with Kensington almost a year ago.

With that in mind, I’ve been pondering lately how different getting published is for new authors today as compared to getting published -- say -- twenty or thirty years ago. There are so many more tools at authors’ disposal now, most of which center around the internet. Home computers with internet access were still a luxury twenty years ago. Today they -- and cell phones with internet access -- are as standard as televisions and DVD players. Aspiring writers twenty or more years ago had to rely on Writer's Market and similar books to find agents and editors seeking submissions . . . and sometimes that information was lacking or already out of date only a few months into the year. Now, writers can find numerous publisher and literary agency websites on the net that offer current detailed guidelines. Writers can also get a better idea of what individual agents and editors are looking for through blog posts, interviews, e-newsletters and excerpts of conference appearances that are posted online.

Twenty years ago writers interacted with readers and other writers on message boards and in chat rooms. Thirty years ago, writers had to travel around the country on book signing tours and attend conferences to interact with readers and other writers. Today, there are social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and more that make a very large world small. I joined Facebook earlier this year and have met so many nice readers and writers from countless different countries, all of whom have reaffirmed by belief that the romance community is the greatest community on the internet . . . and in person. :-) If you’ve friended me on Facebook, I’m sure you’ve seen me say that more than once.

And now there are blogs. In recent days, when I haven’t been editing the second book in my Immortal Guardians series, I’ve been organizing a blog tour to promote Darkness Dawns when it is released in February. The bloggers with whom I’ve corresponded have all been so friendly. I’m really looking forward to the tour and think it’s yet another wonderful way to connect with readers around the world without all of the limits that travel and snail mail correspondence can impose.

These hospitable ladies have all inspired me to finally start my own blog. I have no ARCs to giveaway yet. So, to celebrate, I’ll randomly choose five commenters to send one of the lovely Darkness Dawns cover flats my editor sent me. Just answer the question below, check back tomorrow to see if you were chosen, then email me your mailing address by the end of this week.

Question: What would you like to see on my blog? Contests? Excerpts? Writing updates? Guest posts by other authors? Interviews with other authors and bloggers? Q&A sessions with readers? Occasional mention of my independent filmmaking activities? Any particular subjects you’d care to discuss with me, anything you’d like to see . . . just let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

The Immortal Realm

Favorite Quote Friday #23

And the Winner is . . .

Favorite Quote Friday #22 - Excerpt

The Latest

Favorite Quote Friday #21

Vampires for Valentines Giveaway Hop

News

Book of the Month

Favorite Quote Friday #20

My Book Boyfriend Giveaway Hop!

Favorite Quote Friday #19

Immortal Guardians Music Monday #5

Favorite Quote Friday #18

Favorite Quote Friday #17

Favorite Quote Friday #16

And the Winners are . . .

* * * Kindle Contest * * *

Favorite Quote Friday #15

Winners, Books, Swag, and Blog Tour Info.

This Week's Blog Tour Schedule

This Week's Events

Favorite Quote Friday #14Night Reigns Deleted Scene

News and Reviews

* * * Kindle Contest * * *

To celebrate the release of Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians series, I’m giving away TWO brand new Kindles.

Help me spread the word and YOU could win one!

Here's How to Enter

The Rules

NIGHT REIGNS Blog Tour

Favorite Quote Friday #13

Favorite Quote Friday #12

And the Winners Are . . .

* * * New Contest * * *

Favorite Quote Friday #11

Guest Post - Author JoAnne Kenrick& Giveaway

Favorite Quote Friday #10 + Contest

Favorite Quote Friday #9

News, Reviews, Character Interviews, and Immortal Guardians Music Monday

Night Reigns Excerpt

Favorite Quote Friday #8

Favorite Quote Friday #7

And the winner is . . .

Favorite Quote Friday #6

Favorite Quote Friday #5

News, Updates, and Whatnot

Favorite Quote Friday #4

Immortal Guardians Music Monday #3

Favorite Quote Friday #3

Feature & Follow Friday

But, as I said, I'm a sucker for a happy ending. I did enjoy the book. (I really wish I could remember the title, because now I want to go back and reread it.) But I can appreciate tragedies, too. :-)

What about you? Any endings you would like to change?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #2

Favorite Quote Friday

And the Winners Are . . .

Contest Reminder

Contest, a New Release, and More . . .

Immortal Guardians Music Monday #2

Immortal Guardians Music Monday

Follow My Book Blog Friday

Name 3 authors that you would love to sit down and spend an hour or a meal with just talking about either their books or get advice on writing from?

My response is:

1. Stephen King. I learn something new about writing every time I read one of his books, so I would love to discuss writing with him.

2. Alexandra Ivy, one of my favorite romance authors. I love both her paranormal and historical romances and would love to chat about writing in different sub-genres with her.

3. Gena Showalter, another favorite author. Her books are so much fun I can't help but think talking books and writing with her would be the same.

What about you? What authors would you like to chat with?

Thanks so much for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Dianne

And the Winner is . . .

Night Reigns Cover & Blurb Reveal

Catching Up

Summer Fun

Night Reigns - Deleted Scene

And the Winner is . . .

Contest, Auction, and Edits

News

Mini-Handbook -- The Immortal Guardians

This, That, and The Other

To celebrate the release of Night Reigns, the
second book in my Immortal Guardians series,
I’m giving away TWO brand new Kindles.