Thursday, March 3, 2011

Interview and Giveaway: Dianne Duvall

Today UFI is pleased to introduce to you Dianne Duvall author of a new Paranormal Romance Darkness Dawns which is the first book in her new Immortal Guardians series. You can read my review of Darkness Dawns HERE.


Thank you for having me here at Urban Fantasy Investigations! I’ m very pleased to be
here!

* I’ve read your Bio and was wondering what you do to relax when your not writing, or working on one of your other many accomplishments?

Read, read, and read some more. I love romance novels, especially paranormal s, andread them every chance I can get. I also enjoy gardening and find it relaxing . . . much like Sarah, the heroine in Darkness Dawns.

* What is your Favorite part of writing? Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

My favorite part of writing is allowing my imagination to roam freely. I’ m actually very rarely bored, even when performing the most mundane tasks, because I’ m always envisioning future scenes. Usually when I sit down at the computer or with my NEO, I’ ve already completed the next scene in my head. And I do have one routine I follow: I always read back through what I wrote the day before, editing and refining it, before I start adding anything new.

*What are some of you Favorite books or Authors in the Paranormal Genres?

Favorite Authors: Alexandra Ivy, Gena Showalter, Kresley Cole, Lyndsy Sands, Alexis Morgan, Maggie Shayne, Sherrilyn Kenyon, J. R. Ward, Christine Feehan, and Lara Adrian to name a few. Favorite Books: Pretty much anything written by these authors, though I am partial to the stories with the tortured heroes.

* According to your Bio you have also written a one-act play, how different or alike
is it to write a play vs a book?


The story arc is the same in both, as well as in screenplays. But plays are far more difficult for me to write. The time and page limits involved are too restrictive. And story can only involve one or two settings that can be recreated on a stage. The number of characters must also be contained, their ages carefully considered because some theaters may not employ child actors. In novels, I have the freedom to explore the main characters’ thoughts through exposition. In plays, I don’ t. The thoughts have to be verbalized for the audience to know them. And even such things as the number of wardrobe changes the actors would have to undergo limit the story. I much prefer to write novels, which is why I’ ve only written the one play :)

* Your Bio also mentions that you design movie posters. Would you share some of
the movie posters you designed? 


The most recent independent film I worked on was a horror feature film entitled Ghosts. This is the poster I designed for it. I’ m actually still working post-production, editing the film, creating the trailer and adding computer-generated effects. I also worked pre- production (casting coordinator) and production (special effects and special effects makeup).

* How would you pitch Darkness Dawns to someone who has never heard of it before?

Logline: Darkness Dawns is the story of Sarah Bingham, a music theory professor who unexpectedly finds herself thrust into a war that erupts between vampires and immortals, then loses her heart to the dark, enigmatic warrior who offers her his protection.

Lengthier Pitch: Darkness Dawns is the first book in my Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series. In it, Music Theory Professor Sarah Bingham wants nothing more than to relax after a long, stressful spring semester. Instead, when insomnia drives her to spend a little time in her garden at dawn, she finds a wounded man staked to the ground, being tortured by two others. Little does she know when she rescues him that Roland Warbrook is far more than a man. Nearly a millennium old, he is an immortal who has acquired a new formidable foe amongst the vampires he hunts, one who has raised an army to defeat him and to destroy the rest of the Immortal Guardians. When Sarah thwarts the vampires by saving Roland, she too becomes targeted by the army and is soon thrust to the forefront of the conflict, aiding the immortals in their quest to defeat the vampires and losing her heart to the dark enigmatic warrior intent on protecting her.

* Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to
write about?


Although I really like Roland (and Seth and David . . .), I’d have to say that Marcus is my favorite simply because he’s been with me longer. Before writing Darkness Dawns, I wrote a time travel romance (which is not yet scheduled for publication) in which Marcus was both a friend of the heroine in the present and the teenaged squire of the hero in thirteenth century England (before his transformation). Knowing him as a cocky, courageous youth in the Middle Ages made me like him as an immortal all the more. The hardest character to write about was Ami because of all that she endured.


* Can you tell us anything about the next book in the Immortal Guardians series?

Night Reigns, the second book in the Immortal Guardians series, is scheduled for release in December. In it, Marcus’ s increasingly erratic behavior draws unwanted concern from his immortal brethren. Cocky on the outside, grieving on the inside, he walks the edge and takes far too many risks. Hoping to divert him from this destructive path, Seth assigns Marcus a new Second (human assistant) . . . one who proves to be immensely distracting and turns his world upside down.

* What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

I’m now working on the third book in the Immortal Guardian series. A fourth will soon follow. I’ve also written a medieval romance with paranormal elements and a time travel romance (the one I mentioned earlier) that I would love to see picked up for publication. Both revolve around gifted ones and can be considered prequels to Darkness Dawns. And I think readers would enjoy seeing Marcus as a teenaged squire in the thirteenth century and witnessing his backstory firsthand. :)



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Darkness Dawns (Immortal Guardians, book 1) by Dianne Duvall



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. . .

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Find Dianne and her books

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International
Winner will receive
-One Signed copy of Darkness Dawns


RULES
1)  Leave a comment or question  ON THIS POST for Dianne
2) This giveaway is open to both US and international followers
3) Must leave an email address so I can contact you.

Giveaway Ends 3/10/2011 at 12pm EST
Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email with your mailing address or I will pick another
Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org