Favorite Quote + The Latest News on the Lasaran

Hello, all. Wherever you are, I hope you and your friends and loved ones are safe and well. Our mayor has issued a "Stay Home, Work Safe" order here in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus. I'm staying home and keeping busy. Books have always been a favorite escape of mine and for many of my fellow book lovers, too. So I'm steadily working on bringing you more stories and delving into some of my favorite comfort reads in my downtime.

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Less than a month to go until the release of The Lasaran. Woohoo!! I had my first countdown giveaway on Facebook this week. Congratulations, Victoria C.! That was a fun bright spot. Since I know some people are worried about the safety of packages, I gave away an Amazon gift card and will likely give away more as the release date approaches. 😊 

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Speaking of packages . . . The fun swag I designed for The Lasaran is supposed to arrive today. I'm being very careful with packages myself and probably won't open the boxes for a while. Either that or I'll wipe everything down with disinfecting wipes. 😀 But here's a preview of some of the goodies I'll eventually be giving away:

I also ordered some postcards, bookmarks, trading cards, and stickers. 😊

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Just another reminder: I'll be celebrating the release of The Lasaran with a fun Blog Tour.

Author's Taproom is hard at work planning it, and I'm already working on the author posts and interviews. There will be excerpts, fun facts, a dream cast, Top Five lists, a playlist, and even a character interview. There will also be a tour-wide giveaway. So if you're a blogger or bookstagrammer and would like to join the fun, you can sign up HERE.

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An Amazon #1 Bestseller

Coming April 21, 2020

ebook

Kindle • Kobo • Nook • iBooks

AmazonCA • AmazonUK • AmazonFR • AmazonDE

AmazonAU

Audiobook

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

—Coming Soon—

Paperback

—Available on Release Day—

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday! Many Immortal Guardians fans expressed their excitement when I mentioned on social media that there would be some IG crossover in the new Aldebarian Alliance series. So today I thought I would share a micro-excerpt that will give you a glimpse of what some of my immortals are doing in The Lasaran. 

Don't worry if you're new to my books. You don't have to read the Immortal Guardians series to enjoy this one.

_____________________________

Beside her, Taelon chuckled.

Lisa glanced up at him. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your eyes so wide.”

“I can’t help it. I’ve never seen a spaceship before.”

“This isn’t the actual ship. It’s a transport designed to carry us to and from the planet. The ship itself wouldn’t fit in the clearing.”

And the shocks just kept coming.

Seth sheathed one of his swords and drew a cell phone from his back pocket. “Chris. It’s Seth. … Some of your contacts in the military and intelligence agencies have access to satellite data, correct, including that scrutinized by NORAD? … I want you to put them on alert. Tell them to keep an eye out for anything that may show up in David’s vicinity and quash it as soon as it arises if it does.” He listened for a moment. “An alien transport vessel just landed in his backyard. … No, I’m not shitting you. … That won’t be necessary. … Thank you.” Pocketing the phone, he glanced at David. “Well, that’s a call I never thought I’d have to make.”

David grunted.

_____________________________

Thank you again for sharing in my excitement over this new series.

Stay safe!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday—The Lasaran

Hello, all! I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and well. These are trying times, and many of us are feeling anxious. I'm taking the caronavirus situation very seriously. But I know those of us who are staying home as much as possible in an attempt to slow or stop the spread of the virus could use a diversion. For me, books—both reading them and writing them—have always been my favorite escape, so I intend to continue blogging, and writing, and sending you news in hopes of providing you with a distraction.

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To that end, I have something very cool to share with you:

The Lasaran Trailer!

I'm so excited about bringing you this series! 

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Just a reminder: I'll be celebrating the release of The Lasaran with a fun Blog Tour.

Author's Taproom is hard at work planning it. There will be excerpts, interviews, fun facts, a dream cast, a playlist, a character interview, Top 5 lists, and more. There will also be a tour-wide giveaway. So if you're a blogger or bookstagrammer and would like to join the fun, you can sign up HERE.

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An Amazon #1 Bestseller

Coming April 21, 2020

ebook

Kindle • Kobo • Nook • iBooks

AmazonCA • AmazonUK • AmazonFR • AmazonDE

AmazonAU

Audiobook

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

—Coming Soon—

Paperback

—Available on Release Day—

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday! Today I thought I would give you another peek into the pages of The Lasaran. This snippet features Taelon and Lisa, the hero and heroine:

___________________________

Again Lisa drew her thumb across his stubble in a soft caress. After experiencing nothing but pain and humiliation during his long captivity, her touch felt sublime. “So you came here for your sister?”

He nodded. “She’s sweet and innocent. Like you. It tears me up inside to think of the butchers doing to her what they did to me.”

Her lips turned up in a wry smile. “I’m not that innocent.”

He smiled. “And not so sweet? At least not to the soldier you threatened to shoot.”

She laughed. “Apparently outright terror can make me ballsy.”

Familiar with the Earth term, he laughed.

___________________________

I hope you'll enjoy reading or listening to Taelon and Lisa's story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Take care!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday—The Lasaran

Happy Friday! Thank you so much, everyone who has pre-ordered The Lasaran! You made it an Amazon #1 Bestseller!

I was so thrilled by your reactions when you realized the hero is Ami's brother. 💙 He's been wanting me to tell his story for a very long time, so I thought he would be the perfect hero with whom to launch the new series. I can't wait for you to read it!

For those who are new to my books, don't worry. You don't have to read my Immortal Guardians books to enjoy The Lasaran. 🙂 

A lot of audiobook fans have been asking about the audiobook. The Lasaran will release in audio on the same day as the ebook and paperback—April 21st. Kirsten Potter is narrating it and has already finished recording. Woohoo!! 

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I'll be celebrating the big release with a fun Blog Tour. Author's Taproom has already begun planning it. There will be excerpts, interviews, fun facts, a dream cast, a playlist, a character interview, Top 5 lists, and more. There will also be a tour-wide giveaway. If you're a blogger or bookstagrammer and would like to join the fun, you can find out more and sign up HERE.

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An Amazon #1 Bestseller

Coming April 21, 2020

ebook

Kindle • Kobo • Nook • iBooks

AmazonCA • AmazonUK • AmazonFR • AmazonDE

AmazonAU

Audiobook

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

—Coming Soon—

Paperback

—Available on Release Day—

It's time for Favorite Quote Friday! Today I thought I would give you a first peek into the pages of The Lasaran. This snippet features the hero and heroine—Taelon and Lisa. This is the first time they meet in person, and the hero is so wounded that speaking aloud increases the pain, so he speaks to her telepathically:

_______________________________

“Is this really what you look like?” The words barely emerged a whisper. “Or is this the illusion?” Lisa desperately wanted this to be true.

This is really what I look like.

“It isn’t another trick… like the monster?”

This is my true appearance. I may be able to project images into your mind and make you see something else, but I can’t actually change my form. If you need confirmation, touch me.

Touch him where? He was riddled with wounds.

But she needed to know.

Reaching out, she tentatively rested a trembling hand on his shoulder. His skin was cool and bore a light coating of perspiration. She drew her hand down over his biceps.

His Adam’s apple bobbed, and something Lisa couldn’t identify flickered in his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice hushed while the alarm continued to blare. “Did I hurt you?”

No. It’s… You’re the first person who has touched me—not with intent to harm, but with kindness—in a very long time.

His words broke her heart.

_______________________________

Thank you, everyone, for sharing in my excitement! I hope you'll enjoy Taelon and Lisa's story. 

Dianne

The Lasaran—Now Available For Pre-Order

Hello, all! I have very exciting news for you:

Now Available for Pre-Order 

Releasing April 21, 2020

ebook

Kindle • Kobo • Nook • iBooks

AmazonCA • AmazonUK • AmazonFR • AmazonDE

AmazonAU

Audiobook

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

—Coming Soon—

Paperback

—Available on Release Day—

New York Times bestselling author Dianne brings readers the first novel in a thrilling new sci-fi series full of action, intrigue, humor, and romance.

Taelon searches the galaxy for his younger sister, who mysteriously disappeared while on a diplomatic mission. When an ally reveals that she was seized and is being held prisoner on Earth, Taelon descends upon the blue planet, intent on freeing her and exacting vengeance. However, all does not go as planned. Before he can find her, Taelon is captured and becomes the subject of torturous experiments. For what feels like an eternity, all he knows is pain and fury… until a mind tentatively touches his own and a woman’s voice forever changes his world.

After suffering tragic losses, Lisa is finally beginning to carve out a future for herself when chance sends her to the Anomalous Cognition Research Institute. What at first appears to be a benign organization seeking participants for a psychic study instead turns out to be a government facility harboring a much darker intent. Lisa discovers this too late and soon becomes the unwilling subject of a terrifying experiment. Just as fear and desperation threaten to consume her, a deep, compelling voice penetrates the looming insanity and lends her hope.

Having seen only the worst of humanity, Taelon is shocked when Lisa risks everything to free him. Together the two make their escape, and Taelon finds himself fascinated by the small human woman who—despite all she’s suffered—can still laugh and tease and lure smiles from him. Friendship swiftly grows between them as they work together to evade soldiers intent on capturing them and find themselves hunted by mystifying preternatural beings. Through it all, Lisa steadfastly remains by his side, stealing more of his heart each day while she helps him unravel the mystery of his sister’s fate. Can they find his sister before the hunters find them? If they survive their quest, will Taelon have to bid Lisa farewell… or can he coax her into leaving her planet and joining him for the adventure of a lifetime?

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The Lasaran is the first book in my new sci-fi romance series—Aldebarian Alliance. When I gave my Street Team a sneak peek, some asked if this is a spin-off of my Immortal Guardians series. It is. But if you're new to my work, you don't have to read my Immortal Guardians series to enjoy this one. 

If you're an Immortal Guardians fan, don't worry. I plan to release my next Immortal Guardians book later this year. Until then, I think you'll enjoy seeing a few familiar faces in this one. 😉

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I also have more good news to share...

Death of Darkness was voted Book of the Year at Long and Short Reviews. 

Thank you everyone who voted! I'm so glad you enjoyed Seth and Leah's story. 

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Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays!! To all who celebrate, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah! I hope you've all been enjoying this holiday season. We actually had some cool nights here with a touch of frost. But now it's back to shorts weather. LOL.

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been writing like crazy... and it's been going very well. So many of you have told me how much you enjoyed Seth's book, Death of Darkness. Thank you so much! And I've been getting a lot of requests for info on my next book. If you've been hanging with me online or following my blog, then you know I can be weirdly close-mouthed about projects I'm currently working on. But I'll likely have news for you soon. (I'm so excited!)

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I managed to get most of my holiday shopping done early this year since Black Friday seemed to start on the first of November. 😃 But I know some shoppers are still out there tonight searching for last minute gifts. With them in mind, I thought I would share a character interview I wrote back in 2011 for Rabid Reads that will give you a glimpse of what can happen when one tries to do a little holiday shopping with an Immortal Guardian. In it, Roland and Sarah (hero and heroine of Darkness Dawns) are being interviewed by Todd, a human guard at The Network in my Immortal Guardians series.

Todd: Thanks for joining me for a second interview.

Sarah: *smiles* We're happy to be here.

Todd: I have to admit I was surprised to get your call.

Sarah: *elbows Roland*

Roland: *grunts* We're happy to be here.

Todd: Really?

Roland: *looks askance at Sarah* Sure.

Sarah: *big grin*

Todd: Okay, what's going on?

Sarah: What do you mean?

Todd: The only one Roland is ever happy to see and spend time with is you. And your smile, while 

lovely, is way too bright.

Sarah: *wilts* Okay, here's the thing. We're kind of . . . hiding out.

Todd: Why, what did Roland do?

Roland: How do you know I did something?

Todd: Because you're . . . you. They don't call you antisocial for nothing. So, what'd you do?

Sarah: I took him Christmas shopping.

Todd: You what?

Sarah: Well . . . I just thought . . . the immortals have all been so sweet and wonderful, welcoming me 

into the fold . . . and I've been trying hard to bring Roland into the fold along with me, since he usually lingers on the outskirts . . .

Todd: Roland doesn't linger on the outskirts. He lingers about a hundred miles beyond the outskirts. So far beyond them, the outskirts can't even catch a glimpse of him, which frankly, neither the fold nor the outskirts mind.

Roland: *scowls*

Sarah: Anyway . . . while we were shopping—

Todd: Did he hold your purse for you?

Roland: *growls*

Sarah: Don't poke the bear, Todd. While we were shopping, there was an . . . incident.

Todd: Ah, man. He didn't kill anyone, did he?

Roland: You like to live dangerously, don't you?

Sarah: You see, I know Darnell likes to play video games and wanted to get him some of the newest ones. There was quite a crush, what with Christmas right around the corner, and—

Roland: That little snot pushed you.

Sarah: Yes, he did. A boy pushed me.

Roland: He wasn't a boy. He was twenty if he was a day.

Sarah: It doesn't really matter. What does is that I would have handled it myself if you hadn't decided to step in and protect me. You know I can take care of myself.

Roland: *smiles* She can. She kicks ass.

Sarah: Yes, I do.

Roland: I love that about you.

Sarah: I know. And I wish you would have remembered that when that moron shoved me.

Roland: *eyes flash bright amber* He put his hand on you. He's lucky I let him keep it.

Todd: What exactly did you do?

Sarah: *jerks a thumb in her husband's direction* That. You know immortals can't keep their eyes from glowing when they're in the grips of strong emotion. Well, Roland was furious.

Todd: Oh, boy.

Sarah: And he flashed his fangs.

Todd: Ah, man.

Sarah: And tossed the man across the store as if he were a tennis ball.

Todd: Way to keep a low profile there, chief.

Sarah: Utter chaos ensued. Which led to more shoving and pushing.

Todd: *groans* Come on, man. There must have been children present!

Roland: The children thought it was cool. It was the parents who freaked out.

Sarah: I ended up having to call Richart and have him teleport us out of there. Chris had to send in Cleaners. Seth had to wipe a lot of memories. It was a mess.

Todd: *shakes his head at Roland* You just spread that . . . cheer wherever you go, don't you?

Sarah: I thought it would be best if we lay low for a while and do pretty much anything we can to get back on Seth's good side.

Roland: I don't think I've ever been on Seth's good side.

Sarah: Yes, but I have, sweetie.

Todd: Okay, well, let's see if another interview will help. *jumps when Seth abruptly appears*

Seth: Really? You can't even go Christmas shopping without scaring humans?

Todd: I'm out.

Sarah: What about the interview?

Todd: *on his way out the door* Call me tomorrow . . . if you can. 

_____________________________________________

Thank you so much for all you do and for every smile you inspire. I wish you all the best this Holiday Season. 💝

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday and a Thank You

Happy Friday! I hope you had a good week. I spent mine writing furiously on my latest manuscript and am really enjoying it. This is a story I've been wanting to tell for years. So I'm very excited about it and about where it's taking me. 😉

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Reviews for Death of Darkness continue to roll in. Once more, I want to thank those of you who have taken the time to post one. I appreciate it so much and am always happy to see another reader has enjoyed one my books.

It took me several years to land my first publishing contract. I'm not sure some readers understand all of the elements that have to come together just perfectly for a writer to manage to score a coveted contract. (I'm reminded of one of my characters mentioning the moon and the stars aligning just right...) And while I was writing, querying agents and editors, and tweaking synopses, my goal was always simply to be able to earn a living doing something I genuinely enjoy. (I really do LOVE to write.) I was so focused on that and on not letting the rejection letters dissuade me that I didn't have a chance to think about how amazing it would feel to get my first 5-star review, or my first email from a reader who loved my book, or my first message from someone who was going through a rough time and thanked me for the distraction this or that book provided. And it truly does feel amazing. 

Whether I've had a good day, a bad day, or a super stressful day, popping over to Amazon or Audible and finding a great review posted by someone who enjoyed one of my books makes me feel like I've won the lottery every time. So when I say I appreciate it, I really do mean it. Thank you so much.

Here are some more fabulous reviews Death of Darkness received on Amazon:

★★★★★

“I gave this 5 stars because I can't see how to give it 6. … This is one of my favorite series ever and I highly recommend it.

— Honey Reviews

★★★★★

“Can't say enough about a book that keeps you interested enough you don't want to stop reading. A book that can make you cry one minute and laugh the next. Exceptional!”

— Lorena McCarroll

★★★★★

“This is the best book so far in this series and that is saying something! Run don't walk to get your copy of this fabulous book.”

— diane reinheimer

★★★★★

“All I can say is mind blown!! I’ve absolutely loved everything you’ve written but you outdid yourself with Seth.”

— Dawn

★★★★★

“I loved this book! Nothing to dislike at all. … Could not put it down!”

— Janice Jones

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Immortal Guardians Book 9

A USA Today Bestseller

#1 Audible Paranormal Romance Bestseller

#1 Audible Supernatural Thrillers

#1 Amazon Vampire Thriller

#1 Amazon Vampire Suspense

Ebook

Kindle • Nook • Kobo • iBooks

Amazon UK • AmazonAU • AmazonCA • AmazonDE • AmazonFR

Audiobook

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

Audible • Audio CD

Paperback

Amazon

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday! Today I thought I would share a quote from Death of Darkness that features Seth (the hero) and David (his second-in-command):

_______________________________

David waited near the front door, his eyes bright with… mirth?

Seth glanced toward the dining room, surprised to find it empty and the table cleared. “Where is everyone?”

“I sent them away.”

“Let me guess. Zach and Jared were squabbling again.” He looked around. “At least they didn’t break anything this time.” The furniture appeared remarkably unscathed. In fact… “Is it me, or is it neater in here than when I arrived?”

David nodded. “Zach and Roland tidied up a bit.”

Those two? Really? “Why?”

“Someone is coming.”

Seth heard the approach of an automobile but felt no alarm. David wouldn’t be so relaxed if danger lurked outside. “Who is it?” If it was Chris Reordon bringing them bad news, he didn’t want to know, so he refrained from reading the driver’s thoughts.

David’s lips stretched in a smile. “You have a caller.”

Seth stopped short. He must not have heard him right. “What?”

“You have a caller.”

Certain he was still misunderstanding, Seth reached into his back pocket and drew out his cell phone to check messages.

David chuckled. “Not a call. A caller. Leah is here.”

Seth’s heartbeat picked up, something he wished he could hide. “Leah from Little Gifts?”

“Yes.”

His heartbeat quickened even more. “Why is she here?” She sure as hell wasn’t there to call on him as David had suggested.

“To see you.”

After living for thousands of years, very little surprised Seth. But that completely flabbergasted him.

_______________________________

Looks like we're having some wild weather again here in the United States. I hope those who are facing record snowfalls will stay warm and those battling record high temperatures will stay cool.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne