Favorite Quote Friday # 100!

Happy Friday!  I have exciting news to share . . .

I just found out that the A Sorceress of His Own Audiobook (the first in my new series The Gifted Ones) is an Audie Award Finalist!  I'm so excited!!  Kirsten Potter did such a fantastic job narrating it.  I'm so glad listeners and reviewers are enjoying it.  :-)

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

Amazon • Nook • iTunes • Kobo

Amazon UK • Amazon Canada

I also thought I'd mention again for those who may not have heard:  Shadows Strike is on sale on Kindle for a limited time – only $1.99!  That's 75% off regular price!  Some of the other book retailers are price matching, but I don't know how long that will last.  So if you'd like to give it a try, pick up a copy today!  :-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  I'm going to do something a little different today.  Instead of posting one favorite quote, I'm going to post two.  Because today I realized that this is my 100th Favorite Quote Friday!  Yay!  I posted my very first on August 26, 2011.  And what was the quote?

Amazon • Audible • Barnes & Noble • iTunes

Kobo • Walmart • Amazon Canada • Amazon UK

"Dab, Abi.  How cad you turd me od

when my face feels like it just exploded?"

—Marcus

I admit Marcus has always been one of my favorite characters.  I've been working on Rendezvous With Yesterday, The Gifted Ones Book 2, and love seeing him as a mortal teenager.  :-)

A USA Today Bestseller

Amazon • Audible • iBooks • Kobo • Nook

Amazon UK • Amazon Canada

I also loved seeing Marcus in A Sorceress of His Own, the first book in The Gifted Ones series.  So I thought I would also give you a quote from that one, too.  It features Alyssa, the heroine:

Fury greater than any she had heretofore experienced flooded her veins, its fiery heat replacing the terrifying cold as she rose. 

“Go,” she ordered the youth still huddled inside her door.   

Marcus did not hesitate to obey her.   

Retrieving two cloth bags, Alyssa headed for the cages hidden in the farthest corner of her workroom.  Next, she retrieved a wicked-looking dagger that was older than the building that housed her. 

She would have her answers. 

She would have her revenge.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #160

Happy Friday!  This week really flew past!  I'm still working on Shadows Strike edits.  I know that makes it sound as if I'm completely rewriting the manuscript, but I'm not.  :-)  Thus far the edits on Shadows Strike have only entailed adding a sentence or a paragraph here or there to clarify or expand upon something.    

 

So what's taking so long?  One of the wisest things you can do as a writer is set your manuscript aside for a couple of months after you finish it, then pick it up again and read back through it once it's out of your head.  Unfortunately, deadlines don't leave me time to do that.  So I always view edits as my chance to go over the manuscript again with fresh eyes.  Instead of just skimming through it and addressing the occasional comment in the margins, I start at page one and don't stop until I reach the end.
  So far I'm loving it. ;-)  Ethan and Heather are great together.  And you get to see a lot of Zach and Lisette (hero and heroine of Night Unbound) in this one.  If you'd like to read the blurb or Pre-Order it, here are some links:

#Amazon • #iTunes • Barnes and Noble • #Kobo • #BAM!

RT Book Reviews Top Pick

Amazon • Audible • Barnes and Noble • iTunes • Kobo • Walmart

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Something else you may not know about me is that I periodically like to listen to my books on audio, starting with Book 1 and continuing to the latest release.  It helps me remember things like what this or that character's weapon of choice is, affectionate names couples have for each other, and the like.  Well, this week, I've been listening to Night Reigns, Immortal Guardians Book 2, and—for today's selection—thought I would share with you a quote that made me laugh.  

This scene takes place at a meeting in which all of the local Immortal Guardians and their Seconds are strategizing.  If you aren't familiar with the series—Marcus and Ami are a couple, and Roland and Sarah are a couple:  

Marcus settled a hand on Ami’s thigh.  “He thinks Sarah is still human, that she’s Roland’s Second.”

“That will work to our advantage,” Sarah pointed out.  “They won’t be anticipating my strength and speed.”  

Étienne inspected her from the corner of his eye, a sly smile stealing across his face.  “Are you sure I can’t talk you into leaving this old sod and running away with me?  I do so love strong women.”

Roland’s jaw twitched.  “She’s strong enough to kick your ass if you don’t stop hitting on her.”

The sly smile became a grin full of amusement.  “As long as she spanks me first.”

Ah, Étienne.  Such a shameless flirt.  I'm glad he finally found a strong woman of his own in Darkness Rises.  :-)

Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Cover Reveal, News, and #Giveaway!

Happy Friday!  I have a lot of news to share with you today!  I'll start with this:

I have a cover and blurb for Shadows Strike, Immortal Guardians Book 6!!

The Immortal Guardians protect the innocent in secret. Sometimes the secret gets out...

U.S. law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can’t guess: an attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by an eighth very different immortal. A handsome, brave man fighting at her side, a man she misses when she wakes.

Then the dream comes true. Heather is flung into a war between predators and protectors of humanity, the man from her dreams beside her again. Except now that she’s awake, she isn’t sure she can trust Ethan, or the shadow organization he represents. The U.S. military doesn’t trust either of them. But against an onslaught of evil like the one that’s coming, it will take everything they have just to survive...

What do you think?  It will be released on August 25, 2015, and is now available for Pre-Order at the following websites in paperback and/or ebook format:

Amazon • Kindle • iTunes • Kobo • BAM!

One down, one to go!  I turned in "Phantom Embrace", the novella I've written for the On The Hunt anthology, which will also feature stories by Alexandra Ivy, Rebecca Zanetti, and Hannah Jayne.  I've already heard from my editor, who said it was great!  No revisions necessary.  Woohoo!!

I'm currently editing Shadows Strike and will turn it in soon.  I'm so excited!!

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

Looking for a gift to buy that special someone in your life who loves paranormal romance?  Or are you, perhaps, looking for a new series to try yourself?  Then I have excellent news:  The first four books in my acclaimed Immortal Guardians series are on sale this month!  Two of the books were nominated for the RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance.  All received 4.5 star reviews by RT Book Reviews.  And all were deemed Top Picks by RT Book Reviews, The Romance Reviews, and/or Night Owl Reviews.  

Prices start at just $1.99.  And, if you'd like my first novella, In Still Darkness, it's $1.99, too.  :-)  You can click on the individual book links on my right sidebar or use the links below, which will take you to my book list on participating sites.

Kindle • iTunes • Nook • Kobo

To celebrate all of the above, I thought I would have a giveaway here on my blog in place of my usually Favorite Quote Friday post.   

Grand Prize

A Kindle or Nook copy of one book from my backlist, winner's choice.

2nd and 3rd Prize

An Immortal Guardians Swag Pack

(2 postcards, 6 bookmarks, and 6 trading cards)

Details

The contest  runs from December 5, 2014 through December 12, 2014, 11:59pm Eastern.  International entries are welcome.  However, if you win the ebook and I have difficulty sending you your gift via Amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com, I'm afraid your prize will be forfeit.  I've had some difficulty recently with regards to sending gift cards internationally and don't know if the same will occur with an ebook.  Hopefully, it will not.

Mandatory entry 

Leave a comment on this post.  :-)    

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  Share my news on Twitter.  Examples:  

SHADOWS STRIKE, Book 6 in @DianneDuvall's bestselling Immortal Guardians series, is now available for Pre-Order! http://amzn.to/1yTaJNs

On #SALE now—the 1st 4 books in @DianneDuvall's bestselling Immortal Guardians series, starting at $1.99! #Kindle—http://amzn.to/1DVtkL9

+1  Share my giveaway on any social media site.  One entry per site.

Selecting the Winners

I will use random.org to choose the winners after verifying all entries and will announce them here on my blog on Friday, December 19, 2014.  The winners will have one week to contact me via email.  (I will provide my email address in the winners announcement.)

Thank you so much for sharing in my excitement and helping me spread the news!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Huge Sale! And Favorite Quote Friday #136

Happy Friday!

And Happy 4th of July!  I hope all of my friends in North Carolina and on the East Coast are weathering the storm safely!  We've been having the most lovely weather here, though it may dampen some families' barbecuing plans.  Dark.  Windy.  Drizzles.  Downpours.  Lots of wonderful rumbling thunder.  Perfect writing atmosphere.  And I've been writing away on Immortal Guardians Book 6.  :-)

To celebrate July 4th, some of the online ebook retailers are running a sale on my Immortal Guardians books!  If you haven't picked any up yet, now is the time to do it!  

The Kobo Sale lasts through the weekend.  I'm not sure how long the Amazon Sale with last, though, so grab your copies today!

Look what finally came!  My awesome new In Still Darkness postcards!  Finally!  Aren't they pretty?  UPS was supposed to have delivered them on June 19th.  They didn't come until the 30th.  So annoying, because I wanted to include them in the latest swag pack winners' packages, so it took me longer than usual to mail them.  Sorry for the delay, everyone.

And, while I was mailing the swag packs, I also sent quite a few Night Unbound ARCs to reviewers.    Including the swag packs, I think I must have mailed about 30 packages altogether.  I'm sure the people in line behind me at the post office were all silently cursing me.  LOL.

If you haven't pre-ordered your copy of Night Unbound (Immortal Guardians Book 5) yet, here are the buy links for it so far:

Amazon • Kindle • Barnes and Noble • Nook • iBooks • Kobo • BAM!

September 2nd is just around the corner!  :-)

Kindle • Nook • iBooks • Kobo • BAM!

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  The countdown has begun!  Less than a month to go until the July 29th release of In Still Darkness!   Woohoo!  I'm so excited.  This is my Immortal Guardians novella that tells Richart and Jenna's story and was originally published in the Predatory anthology.  If this is your first time hearing about it, Richart d'Alençon, a 230-year-old Immortal Guardian, attempts to do something no other immortal has done in decades:  He attempts to date a mortal woman.  :-)  Single mother Jenna, the heroine, is working nights shifts in an attempt to put her son, John, through college.  So today I thought I would share my Four Favorite John Quotes:

1)  "Is this going to get weird?  Like kinky weird?" 

2)  "If he threatens you, hit him with the pepper spray, then carve him up." 

3)  "Really?  You're going to put that image in my head?" 

4)  "If anything happens to her, I'll hunt you mother f*****s down and feed you your own entrails."

Have a great holiday weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #122

Happy Friday!  I have some fun news to share.  I'll be writing another novella this year that will appear in an anthology slated for release in 2015.  One of the other authors who will contribute a story is Alexandra Ivy, a long-time favorite of mine, so I'm very happy.  :-)  Mine will most likely be an Immortal Guardians novella.  One has been rambling around in my head for some time now, but I haven't gotten started on it yet.  I'll keep you posted.

Last Friday, I was distracted by Valentine's Day and a Facebook contest, among other things, so I didn't come across this, courtesy of Nook, until a couple of days later.  I thought it was very cool, though, and wanted to share it with you.  I already mentioned that Alexandra Ivy is one of my favorite authors.  Well, Hannah Howell is, too.  I've enjoyed her books for years.  So it is a thrill to see my book and name featured alongside theirs.  :-)

Tynga's Reviews has given my Immortal Guardians books some great reviews recently.  Here are a couple of snippets:

Immortal Guardians Book 2

"NIGHT REIGNS is as much about Ami’s sexual awakening as it is about Marcus’ heart opening up again. Their relationship is actually very sweet and I really enjoyed watching them fall for each other. There’s something very innocent about parts of their romance, even though the sexy stuff is pretty steamy. There’s a really nice blend of sexy and sweet in NIGHT REIGNS and it made for a great story."

Immortal Guardians Book 3

"Gosh, I love this series. Each installment is more exciting and PHANTOM SHADOWS, the third book, is a thrilling mix of romance, action, and intrigue . . . Duvall is a very talented writer who has crafted an intriguing world and characters. I get excited every time I see a new book on the shelves. I’d definitely recommend this series to anyone looking for great paranormal romance."

RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance Nominee

Amazon • Kindle • Barnes and Noble • Nook

iBooks • Kobo • Audible • Walmart

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  For today's selection, I thought I would provide you with another narrative quote from Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4:  

Étienne stopped short and looked toward the bedroom, then the kitchen, his head tilted as though he were listening to something.

Krysta remained quiet, but heard nothing save her heart slamming against her ribs.

Have a wonderful weekend!  I hope those of you who have been inundated with snow will see warm temperatures soon!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #94

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nothing.  

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

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

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

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

Have a great weekend!

Dianne   

Favorite Quote Friday #92

Happy Friday!  I hope you're staying cool in the summer heat.  I've been drinking in the AC while I work on Darkness Rises promotion.  Only a little more than two months until its release!  Woohoo!

I also started sending out ARCs to reviewers and sent a big box of the new swag to my street team managers.  Yay!  

And, of course, I've been working on Immortal Guardians Book 5.  I had to do some research for the scene I wrote last night.  I can't tell you the subject, though, because it's a spoiler.  I love that so much information is at writers' fingertips via the internet.  It really makes research easier.  And comes in handy when I'm not sure if certain slang or swear words are supposed to be hyphenated.  I've looked up some of the oddest things while writing.  :-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Last week I posted a mini-excerpt from Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Guaradians series.  So this week I thought I would post a mini-excerpt from  Phantom Shadows, Book 3.  This excerpt, too, will feature Sebastien Newcombe, villain of Book 1 and hero of Book 3\.  What can I say?  I can't stop thinking about him  :-)  So, here is today's selection, a narrative quote told from Bastien's POV:

[Linda] strode toward Bastien.  “Here.  This should help.”  She held out a couple of large hand towels, both damp.

He took them, wondering why she was smiling at him.  “Thank you.”  

Lisette snatched one of the towels from him, gripped his chin in one deadly feminine hand, and began to wipe his face clean.  And she wasn’t rough.

Sarah took the other towel and tossed it over his head.  Rising onto her toes, she rubbed it over his hair, luring some of the blood and dust and other debris onto the towel and out of his thick locks.

Bastien stood there, feet rooted to the floor.  

Yeah, this was really strange.  

Everyone in this room scorned him.  And yet they were doing their damnedest to make him presentable for Melanie.  He knew it was for her, not him, but . . .

Was this what it felt like?

Sarah turned to Roland.  “Sweetie, do you have a comb?”

Was this what it felt like to be one of them?  To have friends who always had your back and were always there to help you with anything you needed?  To be part of the immortal family in truth, not just in name?

Bastien may always buck the system (as much as the system — a.k.a. Seth — will allow him to, that is), but I suspect he may collect a few friends along the way.  :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #90

Happy Friday!  Whew!  What a busy week!

Look what I received!  Woohoo!  Darkness Rises ARCs!  And I've already begun sending them out to reviewers.  If you would like one yourself, I'll be giving some away in contests on Facebook, Goodreads, and in my Street Team between now and its release on October 1st, so keep an eye out for them.  The Goodreads contests I'll announce here on my blog.  But my Facebook contests tend to be spontaneous and only last for a day or two, so I may not have a chance to announce those here. 

I also received my author copies of Dunkler Zorn, the German translation of Night Reigns, Immortal Guardians Book 2.  

The German books are like a cool paperback/hardback combination.  They're paperback, but they're larger than the paperbacks here in the U.S. and the front and back covers both open out to show an expanded front cover image. 

The German books are also the first books to include my picture inside the back cover.  :-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  To celebrate the goodies that came in the mail, I thought I would give you another quote from Darkness Rises.  Today's selection is a narrative quote that reveals Krysta's (the heroine's) first impression of Roland (the hero of Darkness Dawns, Book 1):

He just seemed menacing.  Like he could slit your throat, then sit down, prop his feet on your corpse, and eat a sandwich.

Poor Roland.  :-)  Sometimes I think he's as misunderstood as Bastien.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne