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

22 comments:

  1. Great interview! I love when authors get us a glimpse of their life and talk about what else they like to do when they're not writing. They seem more...real, normal people and I think this makes us to feel more connected with their characters.:)
    I've seen a lot of this book around lately and it sounds amazing, I put it on my wishlist (to buy it as soon as my TBR pile gets under control). Oh, and I LOVE the cover!<3 Thanks!
    xoxo

    andreea(dot)c88(at)gmail.com

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  2. Great interview and thank you for this amazing opportunity!

    My question for Dianne is, Have you ever envisioned yourself being where you are today as a writer?

    Love the cover and the description of the novel! I have been wanting to read this for a while!

    moonlightgleam(at)gmail(dot)com

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  3. awesome interview, it's always fun to get to know the author behind the book...in this case a book that the more I hear about the more I want to get my hands on it. The Immortal Guardian series sounds like it is going to be amazing. Thank you for this giveaway.

    bookflamereviews@gmail.com

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  4. Deea: Thanks! I'm definitely a normal person and love meeting and talking to other romance readers. :-) I hope you enjoy Darkness Dawns and am glad you like the cover!

    Moonlight Gleam: My goal as a writer has always been to get published, but I could never have anticipated just how wonderful it would feel to have readers contact me to tell me how much they enjoyed my book. "Hearing" readers say the same things about my writing that I say about that of my favorite authors is positively surreal. I'm constantly amazed and thrilled and excited because that part I did not envision. :-) I hope you enjoy Darkness Dawns!


    Aanchal @ Book Flame: Thanks! I hope you enjoy Darkness Dawns!

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  5. Great interview. Thanks for taking the time and sharing!

    I have been reading lots of great things about this one and am looking forward to picking it up.

    bacchus76 at myself dot com

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  6. Thank you for the interview. Just one question - at which age did you start writing?

    shyluck13 (at) hotmail (dot) com

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  7. Enjoyed the interview! I read to relax, too. There's just something about getting all tangled up in the story with a tortured hero especially one like...I don't know, Zsadist! He was my fave of JR Ward's brothers. I love the cover of your book and think it looks like it will be a great read.
    adsanders77 at gmail dot com

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  8. This book sounds amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on it! Great interview, you sound like you like to keep busy. I always love finding out what authors love to do and it's so amazing that you wrote a one act play and design movie posters. I would love to see the time-travel romance get picked up, I'm already anxious to read it and am excited for this and Marcus's story

    june111(at)att(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice interview! I love the cover and the blurb of this book. Both good signs that it'll be a good read! Thanks for the giveaway

    Carmel @ Rabid Reads
    rabidreads[at]gmail[dot]com

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  10. donnas: Thanks for joining us! I hope you like Darkness Dawns!

    Lissa: I started writing around the age of twelve or thirteen. I wrote a teen historical romance that my friends seemed to like. :-)

    Library Lady: I love Zsadist! He's one of my favorite tortured heroes. I've only read three books in JR Ward's series and have the rest in my TBR pile. I'm hoping to get to them soon now that my Blog Tour is winding down. :-) I hope you like Darkness Dawns!

    Jolene Allcock and Family: Thanks so much! I hope you like the series!

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  11. Carmel @ Rabid Reads: Thanks for stopping by, Carmel! I hope you like Darkness Dawns!

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  12. Wow! You've differents jobs, Diane! But they look fun :D I loved your poster. How you start to designing posters for movies? =o

    sweet.sayumi@yahoo.com.br

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  13. Great interview, ladies! The book looks fantastic, and I'm impressed that you tackled a historical romance at such a young age. Thanks for the chance to snag a signed copy of this one.

    Lisapottswriter(at)gmail(dot)com

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  14. The premise for this sounds great! Looking forward to reading it.

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  15. Hi Dianne I see we like the same authors, which Sherrilyn Kenyon book is your favorite. Mine has to be right now a tie between Acheron and No Mercy.

    vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

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  16. I am so happy to see that we can expect at least 2 more books in this series. Hopefully you'll get the prequels published as well!

    rootml1@hotmail.com

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  17. thanks for a great interview - I loved reading it and all those new informations, and it's great that there will be more books in the series :)
    wish you all the best, Melanie

    booksforalleternity at gmail dot com

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  18. Great Interview! I am always interested in knowing which characters authors had the hardest time writing about/creating. Give you more insight into the characters and story all together.

    Thank you for hosting this giveaway!

    PelicanJL@hotmail.com

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  19. I enjoyed the interview and would love to read Darkness Dawns :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!
    theluckyladybug[at]gmail[dot]com

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  20. This looks like a new series to become addicted too! Sounds absolutely interesting.Love the interview and great list of favorite authors. And Dianne, I love gardening too!

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    thebookish96(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. I enjoyed reading the post; it was interesting.

    I look forward in reading Darkness Dawns; it's right up my alley!

    Thanks,
    Tracey D
    booklover0226 at gmail dot com

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  22. GIVEAWAY PORTION NOW CLOSED. GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.

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