Interview with Dianne Duvall and Giveaway - December 29, 2011

Please welcome Dianne Duvall to The Qwillery. Dianne's debut novel, Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians 1) was published on February 1, 2011. Night Reigns (Immortal Guardians 2) was published on December 6, 2011.


TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery!

Dianne:  Thank you, Sally! I’m thrilled to be here!

TQ:  Please tell us about Night Reigns, the second novel in your Immortal Guardians series.

Dianne:  Immortal Guardian Marcus Grayden recently lost the woman he has loved for eight centuries. Grieving, he now only feels alive when he is risking all in battle against the hordes of maddened vampires who prey upon humans. When his actions grow reckless enough to concern Seth, the leader of the Immortal Guardians, Marcus is assigned a new Second (mortal assistant) -- Ami. Though the last thing Marcus wants is a Second, he simply can’t deny Ami’s appeal, succumbing more and more to her wit and intelligence and beauty as they’re thrown together.

Ami has suffered greatly in recent years. So much so that, at times, she questions her sanity. When Seth assigns her to serve as Marcus’s Second, taking care of business for him during the day when he must shun the sun and backing him in battle when he needs it at night, she could not be more shocked. But she rises to the occasion. Again and again she conquers the fear instilled in her by the monsters who tortured her and fights valiantly by Marcus’s side, swiftly losing her heart to him as the bonds of friendship they find deepen into love.

TQ:  Which character has surprised you the most in the Immortal Guardians series?

Dianne:  So far, Ami has. She endured such torture before Seth and David rescued her. The fear instilled in her continues to overwhelm her at times, but she has made amazing progress in her attempts to conquer that fear. The strength and determination, coupled with vulnerability, that she exhibits in Night Reigns makes her one of my favorite characters in the series. That and her goodness. Her trials haven’t left her bitter. She really is just the sweetest person . . . and a surprisingly powerful fighter, shocking Marcus with her ability to defeat vampires who are far faster and stronger than she is.

TQ:  Barring paranormality, which character in the series is most like you?

Dianne:  I would have to say Sarah, the heroine from Darkness Dawns. I took many years of piano lessons and share the same love of music that drove Sarah to become a music theory professor. I also share her pragmatic approach to life and her sense of humor. I like to think I would react to the situations she finds herself in the same way she does, too: Take care of business despite being afraid, even if that means rescuing the hero from vampires’ minions or standing up to vampires herself, then shake like a leaf afterwards. :-)

TQ:   You're active in the independent film industry. Are there any similarities between making a movie and writing a novel?

Dianne:  There are. In fact, my experiences on the set have helped me with my writing. Watching the director add seemingly minor or even minuscule details to a scene to make it more vivid or real or more surreal taught me to do the same with the scenes I write. Something as simple as moonlight reflecting off of rain-slick pavement or flies buzzing around a scene of death can help evoke a mood. And, of course, the story arc in a book is similar to the story arc of a film. Many writers read Christopher Vogler’s The Writers Journey and use it as a guideline even though it is geared toward screenwriters.

TQ:  What do you wish you'd known when the 1st book came out that you know now?

Dianne:  I wish I would have been more proficient at blogging and using the various social networking sites. I’m still learning my way on some of those, but have thoroughly enjoyed meeting fellow romance lovers through them. I wish I would have found facebook, in particular, sooner. The readers and writers I’ve met there have been so supportive and such fun to know. Even on bad days, they make me smile. :-)

I also wish I would’ve known how early a new author should begin to promote a book’s release and how much time she must spend doing the promoting. I had no idea before getting published that it takes at least as much time to promote a book as it does to write and edit one. Finding a balance that enabled me to promote the first book while going over the copyedits and proofs of the second book and writing the third has been quite a challenge. :-)

TQ:  Are there any other genres in which you would like to write in addition to paranormal romance?

Dianne:  Before writing Darkness Dawns, I wrote a medieval romance manuscript with paranormal elements and a time travel romance manuscript and enjoyed both thoroughly, so I would be interested in writing in either of those genres. I suspect any genre I wrote, however, would include paranormal elements. I just love the twists such put on ordinary situations, the unique challenges they force characters to face, and would be unable to resist. :-)

TQ:   What's next?

Dianne:  Phantom Shadows, Book 3 in my Immortal Guardians series, will be released in October 2012. In it, the enemy immortals face continues to change and evolve, growing ever more dangerous and threatening them in ways they could never have anticipated. Some surprising new allies will arise. New friendships will form. A certain villain will become a hero and fall in love as he struggles to find his place in the Immortal Guardians' world. And readers will be given glimpses into the new lives of the heroes and heroines of the first two books.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Dianne:  Thank you so much for having me and for helping me celebrate the release of Night Reigns!


About the Immortal Guardians

Night Reigns

Immortal Guardians 2
Zebra (December 6, 2011)
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Dianne Duvall portrays a world of temptation, loyalty, and heartbreak…a world where danger and desire walk hand in hand…

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 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?

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Darkness Dawns

Immortal Guardians 1
Zebra (February 1, 2011)
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts…where passion can last forever, if you’re willing to pay the price…

Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control…

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible—when it means forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Dianne

Dianne Duvall has won several awards as a romance writer. Her debut paranormal romance novel Darkness Dawns was declared a Top Pick in a 5-star review by The Romance Reviews, a Best Book in a 5+ star review by Long and Short Reviews and was given the Top Bite Award by Bitten by Paranormal Romance. It also received a 4 1/2 star review by RT Book Reviews and was chosen as Best of the Best in the Romance Writers of America Indiana Golden Opportunity contest. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and once even appeared onscreen as a machete-wielding maniac not unlike the vampires she so loves to create in her novels.


Dianne's Links:

Website
Blog - The Immortal Realm
Facebook
Twitter
Dianne's 2 Kindle Contest


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a signed copy of Night Reigns (Immortal Guardians 2) from Dianne!

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Who is one of your favorite heroes or heroines from a book you've read in 2011?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Thursday, January 5, 2011. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*