A Holiday Character Interview & More

Happy Friday!  I had some great writing days this week and am really enjoying Aidan's book.  I can't wait to start sharing some favorite quotes with you.  ;-)  

I also received some wonderful news!  Rendezvous with Yesterday won the 2016 Readers Choice Award for Best Historical Romance at GraveTells!  Thank you!!  I admit I love to make people laugh.  And I've heard from so many of you who laughed along with Robert and Bethany while reading this one.  Thanks so much!  :-)

Since Facebook's algorithms keep limiting my page reach, I've begun to mention some posts here and provide links to them in case you missed them and want to join the fun.  Here are a few from this week:

Who's the Hero of Immortal Guardians Book 7?

This is what David looks like in my imagination

May Your Days be Long Upon the Earth

And the Winners are . . .

Since the holidays are upon us, I thought—instead of my usual weekly favorite quote or sneak peek—I would share a character interview I wrote around the time Night Reigns released in which Sarah mentions an incident that took place while she and Roland were Christmas shopping.  Todd (one of the guards from network headquarters in my Immortal Guardians series) is interviewing Sarah and Roland (heroine and hero of Darkness Dawns). :-)  

___________________________________

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 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. 

___________________________________

Happy Holidays!!  :-)

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

Favorite Quote Friday #124

Finally!  Whew!  This has not been the best week for me, but I did get some awesome news.

Darkness Rises has been nominated for Best Paranormal Romance in the Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll!  Thank you so much, everyone who nominated it!  I'm very excited!  :-)

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!  In honor of the nomination, I thought I would give you another quote from Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4.  Today's selection features Roland Warbrook.  For those who aren't familiar with the series:  Roland is the hero of the first book, Darkness Dawns, and remains a strong secondary character in the ensuing books.

Roland leaned forward.  “Any secret you share with us will be guarded with our lives.  Should anyone here betray you, I will take care of him or her myself.”

The pledge may have surprised everyone present, but none doubted the veracity of it.  Roland may be antisocial and grumble, but he could be ruthless when defending a loved one and was a man any warrior would feel fortunate to have guarding his back.

You'll get a glimpse of Roland's strong leadership abilities in Night Unbound (September 2).  ;-)

Have a great weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #107

Happy Friday!  How was your week?  I've been getting prize packages together and mailing them off to winners now that my Darkness Rises Blog Tour has wrapped.

Packages from this latest batch are en route to several states here in the U.S., as well as Australia, the UK, Portugal, Indonesia, and Sweden and contain prizes ranging from a book and swag to an Immortal Guardians tote bag.  :-)

Look what arrived!  Woohoo!

My author copies of both the paperback and the audiobook.

I need to spend less time online for a bit so I can get more writing done on Night Unbound (Book 5).  But, once I'm happy with the progress I'm making, I'll have to give away some copies in contests.  :-)

Speaking of contests . . .  Thank you, everyone who joined me for the Hot Halloween Heroes Giveaway Hop!  The winner of a signed copy of Darkness Rises + Immortal Guardians swag is:

Cherry!

Congratulations!

I've already emailed her.  ;-)

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Today I thought I would give you another peek into the pages of Darkness Rises.  This time, however, I thought I'd let you see a little bit of what Sarah and Roland are up to in it.  For those who are new to my Immortal Guardians series, Roland (a notoriously antisocial immortal) and Sarah were the hero and heroine of Darkness Dawns, Book 1.  The two of them play a rather interesting role in Darkness Rises, Book 4.  ;-)  

Sarah stood sentinel beside her husband and frowned at their audience.  “You see?  I told you he has a big heart.  He’s been watching over them all this time.”

“Keeping track isn’t the same as watching over them,” Roland murmured.

Sarah elbowed him.  “Give me my moment, honey.  I’m defending you.”

I love these two together.  ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne

Favorite Quote Friday #96

Happy Friday!  I have quite a lot to share with you!

For a limited time, you can purchase Darkness Dawns on Kindle for just $1.99!  If you haven't tried my series yet, now is an excellent time to see how it all began.  I don't know how long the price promotion will last, so order yours today!

Darkness Rises (October 1, 2013) hit #1 on Amazon's Hot New Paranormal Vampire Releases this week!  Woohoo!  I'm so excited!  Thank you, everyone who has pre-ordered it and who has helped me get the word out about its upcoming release!  You're the best!!!

Darkness Rises also won Second Place in Affaire de Coeur's Hot Guyz Patrol Cover Art Contest!  Thank you so much, everyone who voted!

I'll also be launching another contest over on facebook today to give away a signed ARC of Darkness Rises + Immortal Guardians swag.  International entries are welcome.   :-)  You can find my page HERE.

Thank you, everyone who participated in my Ask the Immortal Guardians Contest!  I loved your questions and will pass them along to my Immortal Guardians and Seconds.  ;-)  The winner of a Darkness Rises ARC + swag is:

Wendy!

Congratulations!

Don't forget to email me — dianne [at] dianneduvall [dot] com — your mailing address!

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  Since Darkness Dawns is on sale, I thought I would give you an excerpt from it today.  This is taken from early in the novel.  Sarah, the heroine, has just rescued Roland, the hero.  (If you like strong heroines, my series is for you!)  They now stand in her tiny kitchen, Roland wearing only a towel secured at his waist:

Heart pounding, Sarah held his earnest gaze.  His touch, his nearness, was beginning to stir her in a wholly unexpected way.  He stood before her, his gorgeous body riddled with severe wounds, and suddenly all she could think about was what it would feel like if he kissed her.

What was wrong with her?

Something dark flared in his eyes.  One of his thumbs slid down her cheek to caress the corner of her lips.

His head dipped.  Her breath stopped.  Anticipation rose.

His tempting lips were a hair away from hers when Sarah heard a rustling sound followed by a soft thump.  She glanced down, then swiftly up again when she realized the towel wrapped around his waist had fallen to the floor.

Emitting a sigh, Roland lowered his hands.  “It’s going to be one of those days,” he said with a look of such pained chagrin that Sarah had to smile.

As he bent over to retrieve the towel, he listed to one side and would have fallen had he not reached for her.  The moment his hand made rough contact with her shoulder, he cried out and yanked it back.  His balance faltered.

Gasping, Sarah threw her arms around him and tried to steady him.

He staggered.  She staggered with him.

Jeeze, he weighed a ton!  Six foot one or two, maybe two hundred pounds of muscle.  There was no way she’d be able to get him up off the floor if he fainted!

It was a lot harder to support him when he reeled away from her, so she drew his upper body toward her, took two steps back and leaned all of her weight into him to prop him up.

Success!  They were both still on their feet.

When Roland’s arms closed around her, he was careful this time not to touch her with his hands.  “Sarah,” he rasped.

“Yes?”

He was blinking hard and staring over her shoulder, his gaze unfocused.  “If I pass out and you can’t wake me up—”

Oh crap.

“—wait until an hour before sunset, then call Marcus.”

“Shouldn’t we call him now?”

“No, he won’t . . .”  Roland’s dark eyes started to roll back in his head.

“No, no, no!  Don’t pass out on me!  We have to get you to the futon!”

He blinked sluggishly when she shook him.

Hurriedly maneuvering them so her back was to the futon, she began shuffling toward it, dragging him with her.

He took one step, two, then his knees buckled and his weight sank down on her, pulling her toward the floor.

Swearing, unable to keep him upright, she twisted and shoved him away from her as hard as she could.

The not-very-controlled fall that resulted landed him on his back on the futon with most of his legs hanging over the metal arm closest to her.

Whew!

That had been pure dumb luck.

“Roland?”

Rounding the futon, she leaned over him and patted one stubbled cheek.  “Roland?”

Nothing.

He was definitely out for the count.

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

Favorite Quote Friday #85

Hi, all!  I hope your week was a good one.

I'd like to thanks everyone who bid and participated in Brenda Novak's Annual Online Auction for Diabetes Research!  The auction raised $335,000 this year, enabling them to pass the $2 million mark!

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I also thought I'd mention that I'll be posting again shortly.  I'm participating in the Bad Boys of Romance Giveaway Hop, which begins today.  Bastien is such a great bad boy that I thought I would feature him.  :-)  There's a giveaway at every stop + a grand prize that includes a kindle and many ebooks, including a kindle copy of Darkness Dawns.

It's time once more for Favorite Quote Friday!  As many of you know, Darkness Rises, Immortal Guardians Book 4, will be released on October 1st.  :-)  All of the major players from the first three books — Darkness Dawns, Night Reigns, and Phantom Shadows — and the novella (Predatory) are back.  So, for today's selection, I thought I would give you a glimpse of what Bastien and Melanie (hero and heroine of Phantom Shadows), as well as Roland (hero of Darkness Dawns), are up to in Darkness Rises:

Melanie winked at Bastien. “I get to keep my eye on you.”

He grinned.  “You always do.  My ass, that is.”

“Because your ass is hot.”

“I know.”

Roland sighed loudly.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dianne