Easter Blog Hop

Welcome to the Easter Blog Hop, sponsored by Mina Carter and Milly Taiden!  There's a giveaway at every stop!  AND the overall hop has two grand prizes:  a digital romance set plus $50 Amazon gift certificate OR a Kindle HD Fire!

For my own prize, I've chosen to give away a signed copy of Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4, + swag.  Love paranormal romance that's dark and intense with humor thrown in?  Want to see vampires returned to their evil roots and watch strong heroines fall in love with the powerful immortal warriors who hunt them?  That's what you'll find between the pages of Darkness Rises!

Here's a brief excerpt:

RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance Nominee

He bowed as she turned and entered her bedroom.  He expected her to close and lock her door, not that it could keep him out. 

Instead, she drew back the covers and climbed into bed.

Étienne turned off the overhead light and attempted to stretch out on the futon.  His feet and most of his calves hung over the arm.  One of the metal bars beneath the cushions dug into his back.

He sighed.  He could always wait until Krysta drifted off, then sleep on the floor.  That would probably be the more comfortable solution.

He heard bedding rustle and closed his eyes, trying not to picture Krysta sprawled across the covers under other, less appropriate circumstances.

She laughed.

Opening his eyes, he glanced at the doorway.

She was leaning over in bed peeking at him.  "Comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you."

She shook her head.  "You're lying."

"With good intentions."

Still grinning, she waved him toward her.  "Go ahead and come sleep in here with me."

His body went rock hard at the notion even though he knew damned well she didn't mean it the way he wanted her to mean it.

"I . . ." want to rip your clothes off with my teeth, so I don't think it would be a good idea.  "That's very kind of you, but . . ."  I really do want to rip your clothes off with my teeth and explore every inch of your beautiful body.  "I'm fine."

"Your legs are hanging off the end by a good foot and a half and I can't even sleep on that lumpy piece of crap when I'm drunk."

He smiled.  "I've slept on worse surfaces."

"Have you ever slept in a coffin?"

"Yes, but only as a practical joke."

"What about in a crypt?"

"More than once when it took me longer than expected to track down a nasty vampire and I couldn't find any other shelter before the sun rose."

"Was the crypt more comfortable than my futon?"

He grinned.  "Hands down."

Again she laughed.  "Then get in here.  We're adults.  We can do this."

He couldn't find the strength to refuse.  "Merci."  Rising, he strode into her room and circled the bed.  "I'm surprised you trust me enough to sleep beside me."

"To be honest, I am, too.  You really aren't going to bite me?"

"No."  He settled beside her on top of the covers.

"Any plans to cop a feel?"

Her scent enveloped him as he turned his head to stare at her.  "Would you mind if I did?"

"I'm still considering that one."

Yes.  This was definitely a bad idea.

"What is it about you that makes me want to forget what you are," she asked softly, "that makes me believe you are what you are and not one of the vampires I hate so much?"

"I don't know.  Perhaps the same thing about you that makes me want to believe you won't drive a stake through my heart or chop off my head as soon as I doze off."

Curling onto her side to face him, she raised one hand and drew delicate fingers down his cheek as her gaze roved his face.  "Truce?"

"Truce."

"Good night, Étienne."

Heart racing, he clasped her fingers and brought them to his lips.  "Good night, Krysta."

She fell asleep holding this hand.

Trailer

View the Trailer on Youtube.

Grand Prize
a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Prize

A signed copy of Darkness Rises + a Night Unbound cover flat and Immortal Guardians swag.

Details

The Easter Blog Hop runs from April 21st, 12:01am EST through April 27th, 11:59pm EST.  My giveaway is international.

Mandatory entry for my prize

Follow my blog and leave a comment on this post, telling me you did.  Please include your email address and mention any extra entries.   :-)

Extra entries for my prize

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

+1  Like My Facebook Page.

+1  Follow me on Twitter.

+1  Mention my giveaway on Twitter.

+1  Share it on Facebook.

+1 Pin the Darkness Rises Trailer on Pinterest.

+1 Share the Darkness Rises Trailer on Facebook.

Selecting a Winner for my prize

I will use random.org to choose my prize winner after verifying all entries and will announce it here by May 2nd.  If the winner's email address is included in her/his comment, I will email her/him, too.  The winner will have one week to contact me.

There are more prizes up for grabs at the
other stops on the hop!

Favorite Quote Friday #127

Happy Friday!  Can you believe it's April already?  At the rate this year is going, September—and the release of Night Unbound—will be here in a heartbeat.  ;-)

I have contest news for you.

Love paranormal romance that's dark and intense with humor thrown in?  Want to see vampires returned to their evil roots and fall in love with the powerful immortal warriors who hunt them?  Then enter to win a signed copy of Darkness Dawns, the first book in my Immortal Gardians series, + swag in my contest over at Fresh Fiction!  See how the series began with the book Fresh Fiction called "Electrifying, Funny, Lust-Inducing and Inventive."  The contest lasts through April 30th.  You can enter HERE.

I'll also be participating in the Alpha Male Madness Giveaway Hop coming up on April 11th.  Rumor has it there will be a grand prize.  Plus, I'll have my own giveaway here on my blog.  :-)

I'm eager to give away one of the cool Night Unbound cover flats I just received, so I'll launch another flash contest on Facebook today.  The prize:  A cover flat, four bookmarks, four trading cards, and a postcard.  More flash contests will likely follow throughout the month.  :-)  

(I haven't decided what book I'll give away in the Alpha Male Madness Hop, but will include this same swag pack in the prize package so those who aren't on Facebook will have a chance to win.)

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!  I was thrilled to notice that Darkness Rises (Immortal Guardians Book 4) has just received its 80th 5-star review on Amazon.  Woohoo!  The reviewer called it, "Absolutely one of the best series I've read in a while!"  It was a very nice start to my weekend.  So, for today's selection, I've chosen another quote from Darkness Rises that features the heroine and hero, Krysta and Étienne:

"Technically," Krysta said, "I saved Étienne's ass."
"After I risked it to save you."
"That's true.  I thanked you for that, right?"

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #126

Happy Friday!

Look what came in the mail!  Night Unbound cover flats!  Aren't they pretty?  If the image isn't clear enough for you to read it, here's the blurb:

Dianne Duvall's Immortal Guardians protect humanity from unspeakable horrors—but their hearts are as fragile as any mortal's . . . 

For centuries, Lisette d'Alençon has been a warrior against the dark.  She fights alongside her brothers and comrades.  But when the dreams start coming, she can't bear to confess them to the Immortal Guardians' command.  Dreams of a dark-haired man with soft eyes and brutal wounds, a man her heart aches for—and a man she knows has been declared a traitor. 

Zach is an exile, a loner.  He won't defend himself against false accusations or grovel to those who should have faith in him.  But he'll damn sure defend the woman who kept him sane against a plague of super-vamps that seems to have appeared from nowhere.  The Guardians will blame him, and that will make Lisette suspect, too.  With life, death and eternity on the line, who can they really trust?

I've been getting  a lot of emails and messages, asking if Night Unbound will be available in e-book format.  It will.  It takes longer for the pre-order for those to appear, though.  I'll let you know as soon as I see them go up.   :-)

Night Unbound will also be available in audiobook format.  

Coming September 2, 2014

Now available for Pre-Order in paperback!
Amazon • Barnes and Noble • Book Depository • Books-A-Million

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  I thought I'd give you another peek into the pages of Night Unbound, Immortal Guardians Book 5.  What comes directly before this is a bit of a spoiler, so I'll just tell you that Zach is holding Lisette tightly in his arms with his face buried in her neck.

“I don’t want to be left with nothing but a pile of your clothing, Lisette,” he murmured. “I don’t think I could handle it.” He fisted a hand in the back of her shirt. “I think I would lay waste to the world if I lost you.” 

Tears burned her eyes. “I’m sorry.”

I love these two together and hope you will, too.  :-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Cover Reveal & Kindle Contest Winners

Happy Halloween!  I have some news to share.

Guess what I found in my mailbox yesterday!  Predatory cover flats!

Here's the blurb for my Immortal Guardians novella, In Still Darkness:

Immortal Richart d'Alençon can't forget the woman who rewarded him with a sensuous kiss after he saved her from a trio of vampires.  While Richart knows that loving a human can only bring trouble, the taste of forbidden lust is too great to resist . . .

Predatory will be released on May 7, 2013 and is now available for Pre-Order at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  :-)

Thank you so much, everyone who entered my Phantom Shadows – 3 Kindle Giveaway!  For those who were concerned your ebook purchase/purchases wouldn't be counted:  Don't worry.  They counted.  :-)  I used random.org to choose the three winners and have notified them via email.  Without further ado, those winners are:

Bridgett O.

Donna S.

&

Jen

Each winner will have her choice of either a new Kindle or a $75 Gift Card.

Todd, a member of the human network that aids Immortal Guardians, is interviewing Bastien and Melanie, the hero and heroine of Phantom Shadows, for Bitten by Paranormal Romance's Characterfest.  Drop by and enter to win a signed Immortal Guardians book of your choice + swag.  :-)

Have a great day!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #32

Happy Friday!  How was your week?  I've been working on my website, redesigning it and updating it.  I hope to finish it this weekend and will let you know if I do.  :-)  I also composed a guest post for Coffee Time Romance's big Anniversary Extravaganza tomorrow.

Romance, Fantasy, and Science Fiction, oh my! Coffee Time Romance is turning eight, and some of our favorite authors are walking down memory lane with us. Along the way, they’ll be giving away books, book, and more books. (Did we mention books?) And one lucky winner will win a Nook! 

I will be posting on Coffee Time Romance's Coffee Thoughts, The Blog in the morning and will give away the winner's choice of either a signed copy of Darkness Dawns or a signed copy of Night Reigns + Immortal Guardians swag.  The theme for my post will be Then and Now, where I was with my writing career in 2004 and how it led me to where I am now.  I hope you'll drop by!

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Another reminder: The Brenda Novak Annual Auction for the Cure of Diabetes is underway. I've donated an Immortal Guardians package:

• 1 signed copy of Darkness Dawns

• 1 signed copy of Night Reigns

• Immortal Guardians swag (cover flats, postcards, bookmarks, mini-bookmarks).

Bidding will continue through May 31st.

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And now it's time again for Favorite Quote Friday.  Today I've chosen a narrative quote from my latest release, Night Reigns, that is told from the perspective of Marcus, the hero:

He liked the way she walked. Though small, she didn’t take mincing little steps. Nor did she engage in a lot of contrived hip swaying. No, with Ami there were only long, strong, purposeful strides that triggered some long dormant predatory desire in him to follow after her and pounce.

Marcus frowned. Where the hell had that thought come from?  

:-)  Thanks so much for joining me!  Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #29

Hi, everyone!  I hope you've had a good week!  Before I get to Favorite Quote Friday, I have something very exciting to share with you.  :-)

It's official!  I've signed another 3-book contract with Kensington for Immortal Guardians Books 4, 5, and 6.  Wooooohoo!  I'm already working on Book 4.  Won't say who it's about yet, just that I'm having fun with it.  ;-)  And I'm really excited about the release of Phantom Shadows, Book 3.  October seems far away, but I'm already working furiously to meet promotional deadlines for it.  LOL.  Once I meet this next one, I'll have some cool new swag to give away.  :-)

I had so much fun at Ramblings From This Chick and Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance's big anniversary party.  The winners of my contests for the event are Miriam W. and Savannah M. Congratulations!!!

There's still time to join in the Hunky Hero Giveaway Hop fun.  :-)  It lasts through April 22nd.  Prizes revolving around hunky heroes are up for grabs at every stop.  I'll be giving away a signed copy of Night Reigns + Immortal Guardians swag, including one of the new Phantom Shadows cover flats I just received!  You can enter here.

Now it's time for Favorite Quote Friday.  :-)  To celebrate finishing Phantom Shadows copyedits, I decided to give you a quote from it.  (Your very first sneak peek!)  It's spoken by the powerful leader of the Immortal Guardians:

"All right.  All right.  Settle down.  We're all

glad Sarah stabbed Bastien in the ass."

~ Seth ~

I hope you like it!  For those who don't know, Bastien is the hero of Phantom Shadows, which will be released in paperback on October 2nd.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Dianne

Hunky Hero Giveaway Hop

Today is the first day of the
Hunky Hero Giveaway Hop!

 

The Hunky Hero Giveaway Hop runs from 12:01am April 16th through to 11:59pm April 22nd and is hosted by Riverina Romantics.  Participating authors and bloggers are giving away books, swag, and other goodies that feature Hunky Heroes.  So, for my contest, I've decided to give away a signed copy of Night Reigns, the second book in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, which features a hunky hero named Marcus Grayden.  I'll also include some Immortal Guardians swag, including one of the Phantom Shadows cover flats I just received.  :-)

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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?

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Contest Details

The contest lasts from 12:01am April 16th through to 11:59pm April 22nd 2012.

International entries are welcome.   

Mandatory entry

Leave a comment below and let me know who your favorite hunky hero 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 April 25th. 

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  Mention my giveaway on Twitter.

Selecting a Winner

I will use random.org to choose a winner after verifying all entries and will announce it here by April 25th.  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 have a wonderful week!

Dianne Duvall

* * * New Contest * * *

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

Things That Go Bump in the Night

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.

Cover Flats

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!