Favorite Quote Friday #132

Happy Friday!  I hope you had a good week.  Mine was filled with refreshingly dark skies, frequent rains, and the wonderful rumble of thunder.  Perfect writing weather!  It was a nice change.  I even saw a double rainbow.  :-)

I also had a fantastic writing day yesterday and am starting to feel excited about Immortal Guardians Book 6.  I probably won't reveal who the hero and heroine are, though, until after Night Unbound is released in September.  :-)  (I was soooooo tempted to post a quote from Book 6 today.)

I got a nice surprise when I went to my local Walmart:  Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4, was sitting proudly on the bookshelves.  And look what fantastic company it's keeping!  I knew all of my books were available on Walmart.com, but didn't know the last one had hit store shelves.  Very exciting!  :-)

A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller

Amazon • Kindle • Barnes and Noble • Nook

iBooks • Kobo • Walmart • Audible

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  For today's selection, I thought I would give you a quote that features Bastien—villain of Darkness Dawns (Book 1) and hero of Phantom Shadows (Book 3)—one of my favorite characters in the series who, incidentally, plays an interesting role in Night Unbound (coming September 2nd).  The quote is taken from Phantom Shadows:

Bastien really should be more upset about being stuck with Melanie than he was—which was not at all—but, damn it, he liked her.  And with her face flushed with fury, her chest rising and falling with quick breaths beneath her long-sleeved shirt, and every word emerging a shout . . . 

"She's hot when she's pissed, isn't she?" Cliff asked in a voice too soft for her to hear.

Bastien flung daggers at him with his eyes.  "Watch it." 

"Oh, please.  As if you weren't already thinking it yourself." 

"That doesn't mean I want you thinking it," he grumbled.

In case you haven't guessed yet, Cliff is my favorite vampire in the series.  He plays an interesting role in Night Unbound  too.  :-)

Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #131

Happy Friday!  Are you looking forward to the weekend as much as I am?  :-)  We've been talking favorite summer activities over on my Facebook page, and I've been coaxed into adding a hammock to my wish list.

Doesn't this look like a wonderful way to while away a day?

Thank you, everyone who joined me for the Wicked Nights Giveaway Hop!  The winner of my contest is:

jmcgaugh

Congratulations!!!

(The grand prize winner has not yet been announced.)

For more chances to win books and swag, check out my Facbook page, where I hold flash giveaways, as well as the Contests page on my website.

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've chosen a narrative quote from Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4.  If this is your first time hearing of it, Krysta (the mortal heroine) was once the victim of a vicious vampire attack and has dedicated her life to destroying every vampire she can find.  And she is very good at it, something that draws the attention of Étienne (the immortal hero), who has always adored strong women.  Here's the quote:

She halted. 

The vamps spread out across the alley, facing her.  Light from the street distended and distorted the shadows at their feet, making it seem almost as though they reached for her ankles.

I love heroines who can kick ass, something those of you who have read my series have no doubt already guessed.  :-)

Have a fantastic weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #130

Happy Friday!

Look what came in the mail!  My Night Unbound swag.  Woohoo! 

Bookmarks, postcards, and trading cards, oh my!  I think they turned out very well.  :-)

I thought I would give some away this weekend in another flash contest on Facebook.  I'll kick it off today, then will randomly select a winner Saturday night.  :-)

And, speaking of Facebook, I updated my cover photo.  I'm loving the red background.  I think it's a nice change.  :-)

Amazon • Kindle • Barnes & Noble • Nook • iBooks • BAM!

Coming September 2, 2014

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  I'm getting very excited about Night Unbound's upcoming release.  Every step—edits, copyedits, proofs, new swag—takes me a little bit closer.  :-)  So for today's selection, I thought I would share with you the first page you'll see when you open the cover.  

___________________________________

 Lisette lowered her arms and slid them around his waist, intending to explore his broad, muscled back, and encountered satiny feathers.

She broke the kiss, surprised, and lowered her heels to the ground. She had forgotten for a moment. . . .

“Lisette?”

She glanced up.

The need in his golden eyes turned her insides to liquid fire.

“Is it . . . is it okay if I touch them?” she asked, unsure.

The beautiful wings disappeared.

“Touch me,” he pleaded.

And any barrier that struggled to hold her back crumbled. Giving him a small smile, she nodded.  Touch him? She could do that.

Lisette slid her arms around his waist and flattened her palms on his back.

She had been so distracted by his wings in the past that she hadn’t noticed how ripped he was. Rising onto her toes, she brushed her lips against his. He responded hungrily as she explored his warm flesh with her fingers.

She had always appreciated strength. And Zach had it in spades. All muscle and sinew.

“You taste even better than I imagined,” he murmured, sending a warm spiral of pleasure darting through her.

“So do you.” And felt magnificent, too. Unable to resist, she drew her hands down and cupped his tight, leather-clad ass.

___________________________________

Thank you again, everyone who has pre-ordered it!  I hope you'll enjoy Zach and Lisette's story!

Just a reminder:  You can enter to win a signed copy of Darkness Rises + swag in the Wicked Nights Giveaway Hop that's already underway.  You can also enter to win the grand prize of a $100 Amazon Gift Card.  :-)  So drop by and join the fun HERE.

Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Wicked Nights Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the Wicked Nights Giveaway Hop, hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup!  

We all LOVE those naughty, steamy, oh-so-wicked reads, so we're highlighting our favorite scorching hot books, heroes, and heroines and celebrating them with lots of giveaways, including a Grand Prize Giveaway of an Amazon Gift Card!

RT Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance

The scorching hot hero and heroine I've chosen to highlight are Étienne and Krysta, from Darkness Rises, Book 4 in my Immortal Guardians series.  If you like powerful immortal warriors and kick-ass heroines, this couple is for you!  :-)  Once the victim of a vicious vampire attack, mortal Krysta Linz has dedicated herself to slaying every blood-sucking vampire she can find.  Immortal Étienne d'Alençon has always admired strong women, so when he sees Krysta take on four vampires with only a couple of shoto swords, he is instantly smitten.  He just has to find some way to convince her that not everyone with fangs and glowing eyes is the enemy.

Here's a wicked excerpt:

_______________________________________

He stopped beside the bed.

Krysta lowered her legs to the floor and stood for a moment, staring up at him, her body tingling and aching for his touch.

"You can change your mind," he murmured, so damned sweet and understanding it only made her want him more.

She shook her head.  "I want this."  Again, she reached up and stroked his face.  "I want you."

For a moment, he looked so hungry for her she thought he might pounce.

Then a teasing gleam entered his luminous eyes.  "Want to see a neat trick?"

Raising her eyebrows, she smiled.  "Okay."

He blurred.  She felt a tug.

In a blink, they were both naked, clothing and weapons scattered around their feet.

He laughed.  "I've never seen you so wide-eyed."

"That is awesome!" she praised.

Grinning, he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed.

Krysta shrieked with delight as he dove after her.

"Shoes on or off?" he asked.

She laughed when she realized they both still wore their boots.  "Off."

Sitting up, he quickly doffed his own, then turned his attention to hers.

She liked this playful side of him.  Liked the feel of his large, warm hands grasping her calf as he removed first one shoe, then the other.

His gaze roved her body, splayed out before him like a banquet, scorching her and making her squirm with the need to feel all of that hard, muscled flesh against her.

And, just like that, all levity was shoved aside by lust.

He peeled a sock off, kissed her ankle, lowered her foot to one side of him.  Peeling the second sock off, he kissed that ankle and lowered her foot to the other side of him.  He smoothed his hands up her calves, up her thighs, his thumbs coming so close to the heart of her.

Damn, she wanted him.

_______________________________________
The scene gets more wicked, of course, as it continues, but my blog isn't age restricted, so I had to end it here.  :-)

Trailer

View the Trailer on Youtube.

Grand Prize

Entry-Form

My Prize

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

Details

The Wicked Nights Giveaway Hop runs from May 14th, 12:01am EST through May 21st, 11:59pm EST.  My giveaway is international.

Mandatory entry for my prize

Leave a comment on this post during the hop (please include your email address) and let me know who your favorite wicked couple is.  :-)  Also mention 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  Follow my blog. 

+1  Like My Facebook Page.

+1  Follow me on Twitter.

+1  Mention my giveaway on Twitter.

+1  Share it on Facebook.

+1 Pin my Prize image or the Darkness Rises cover flat on Pinterest.

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 23rd.  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.

Favorite Quote Friday #129

Happy Friday!  I finally found time to design some Night Unbound swag.  Yay!  Bookmarks, postcards, and trading cards.  I'll post a pic when it all arrives.  :-)

I also took some time to plant some marigolds on my patio.  Hopefully, they will help reduce the mosquito population.  Apparently marigolds contain Pyrethrum, which is commonly used in insect repellents.  So, we'll see if it'll work.  If it doesn't, they're still pretty.  :-)

Night Unbound, Immortal Guardians Book 5, has begun to hit some of Amazon's Bestseller lists!  Woohoo!  Look what awesome company Night Unbound was keeping on Amazon's Top 100 Paranormal Vampire Romance and Top 100 Ghost Romance lists yesterday.  ;-)

A HUGE thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered it!!  :-)  If you haven't and would like to, it will be released in paperback, ebook, and audiobook on September 2nd.  Here are some links:

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

I'll let you know as more pre-order options become available.

I thought I would celebrate with another flash contest on my Facebook Author Page, so look for one to appear today.  I'll randomly select a winner late Saturday night.  :-) 

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!  Since I'm so excited about Zach and Lisette's story (Night Unbound), I thought I would give you a glimpse of one of their first encounters in the series.  The following excerpt is taken from Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4, and is told from Lisette's point of view:

___________________________________________

Her knees buckled.

Zach caught her before she could hit the ground.  "Easy," he said, his voice soft and deep.  Kneeling, he laid her on the ground with her upper body cradled in his lap.

Moonlight formed a halo around his head as she stared up at him, struggling for breath.

The bullets had done a lot of damage.  She knew that, rather than kill her, excessive damage would send her into a sort of stasis not unlike the hibernation of a water bear.  But she had never done that before and couldn't help but fear the prospect as she felt her heart rate slow.  And slow some more.

He rested a hand on her chest.

At first she thought he was feeling her up and forgot everything else in a few seconds' shock.  Then she realized his thumb rested upon her collar bone and his fingers weren't splayed enough to reach her breasts.

His hand heated, warm and comforting.  A tingling feeling engulfed her, part pleasure and part pain, beginning in her chest and sweeping down her arms to her fingers, down her torso to her thighs, calves, and toes.  Misshapen bullets emerged from her flesh.  Bleeding ceased.  Wounds closed.  Bones shattered by bullets fused themselves back together.  Her collapsed lung reinflated.  Her breathing grew easier.  The pain receded, then vanished entirely.

He removed his hand from her chest, curling it into a loose fist then rubbing his thumb against his fingers as though touching her had made him tingle.

She sat up, but didn't move away.  Just to double check, she pulled the neckline of her sticky shirt away from her body and peered down through it at her bare chest and bra-encased breasts.  No wounds.  Only dried blood.

She let the material fall back against her and stared up at him, too tired to attempt to stand yet.  He had healed her wounds, but severe blood loss still rendered her weak.

A shiver shook her.

He unfurled his beautiful wings and cupped them around her like a tent, keeping the breeze at bay.

"Who are you?" she asked when she could find her voice.

___________________________________________

Thank you again so much!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #128

Happy Friday!  What a fun and exciting week it's been!  I have SO much to share with you!

BTS Book Reviews Magazine featured me in the new BTS Goes Hollywood column in their May/June issue!  My feature, in which I talk about the making of my trailers and video excerpts, is on page 168.  Here's a link to the issue:  http://issuu.com/btsemag/docs/may-june2014/1?e=5491198/7688593

I also finished going over Night Unbound proofs and sent the pages that need correcting off to my publisher.  Woohoo!  That's it for editing.  Now I'll start looking for the ARCs to arrive.  I can't wait!  :-)

Immortal Guardians Book 5

Coming September 2, 2014

Good news!  You can now Pre-Order Night Unbound on Kindle, iBooks, and Nook!!  The Audio CDs can be Pre-Ordered at Amazon and Tantor Audio.  I'll let you know when Night Unbound becomes available for Pre-Order on Kobo and Audible.  :-)

I also choose winners for two contests and mailed packages to those who have already sent me their addresses.  :-)  First, the winners of the Darkness Rises Video Excerpt 2 Contest are:

SIGNED COPY OF DARKNESS RISES + SWAG
Tonda Pasowicz

IMMORTAL GUARDIANS SWAG PACK

Stephanie Fredrick

Sony Killian

Thanks so much, everyone who shared the video!  (If you missed the video, you can view it on Youtube HERE.)

Second, the winners of the Easter Blog Hop are:

GRAND PRIZE

Wendy M.

Susan W.

SIGNED COPY OF DARKNESS RISES + SWAG

Brandi

Thank you, everyone who entered!  I hope you had fun and won lots of goodies!  :-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Since so much happened relating to it this week, I thought I would give you a quote from Night Unbound.  In this scene, Lisette (the heroine) is offering to lend Zach, (the hero) a weapon:

Crossing to stand before him, Lisette gripped the lapels of her coat and opened it wide.  A small arsenal hid inside, tucked into various and assorted loops and pockets and sheaths. "Take your pick."

His eyes lit with a faint golden glow.  "I can have anything I want?" he asked in a silky voice that turned her insides to mush. 

Her pulse leapt.  "Yes." 

"How you tempt me," he murmured. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne