Toni's Review of Dream Bound by Kate Douglas ***5 Stars***

They are creatures of light in search of an energy source to help them survive. So when the Nyrians discover amazing power in the extreme passion and sexual pleasure of humans, they come to Earth to satisfy their needs. For years, Mac Dugan has been trying to find the mysterious being he once loved and then lost. Now he has gathered a group of six highly intuitive and extremely sexual men and women at a secret mountain hideaway. Here he hopes to focus their potent sensuality into highly erotic fantasies that will summon his lover, Zianne. What he doesn't anticipate is each team member making extraordinary sexual discoveries of their own.

*******************************

A man who knows his future is waiting for him fights hard and works harder to save the woman he loves and her people.

Twenty years ago Mac Dugan found the love of his life and lost her.  But he is a man that has a second chance.  His love is from the future, his present to be exact.  He spoke to her over time and space and she taught him what he needs to know to save her people.  The time is now!

Mac has brought together his Dream Team; three men and three women that have a little extra and a lot of sexuality.  With his equipment and their imaginations they are setting out to save Mac’s love Zianne and her people, the Nyrians.  Their connection as a group is instant, strong and amazing.  They are more than Mac ever expected and success is in his grasp.

I found the concept behind this story really quite remarkable.  Ms. Douglas has taken the notion of dreams and fantasy to a whole new level.  What if you were really able to project your fantasies into reality and in the same time save a whole race?  Dream Bound is wonderfully refreshing and beyond sexy.  Ms. Douglas can write love, sex and passion like nobody’s business and she will always be a must read for me and she didn’t disappoint here.

While the story revolves around the rescuing of Zianne and her people there are actually nine characters.  I was drawn to each and every one of them.  While some are more front-and-center than others, I could feel that by the time this tale is told they will all be well loved friends.  Each person is unique and the way they are written makes them all special yet familiar.

Dream Bound is marketed as an erotic romance novel.  However, there really isn’t a true “couple”.  The book does have love and discovery between its pages though.  There also isn’t a happy ever after ending, but a happily for now.  It is apparent that it is meant to be a series.  Even with the ending left open, Ms. Douglas doesn’t leave us with a cliff hanger.  You are left satisfied and ready for the next in the series.  I personally can’t wait for November, when Dream Unchained is scheduled to be released.

I would highly recommend that you read her short story Dream Catcher in the Nightshift anthology before you start this novel.  Dream Catcher sets the stage for Dream Bound beautifully and you get a good view into Mac’s reasoning for his lifelong passion.  I could have easily read Dream Bound without it, but I’m glad I didn’t.  Please don’t let not being able to read the prequel deter you from picking up this novel though.  You will not be lost; the experience will be just as fulfilling and enjoyable.  Dream Bound is full of sensual fantasies, likeable characters and a plot that is imaginative, vivid and fascinating.

Dream Bound is a spellbinding tale of second chances, new love and the power of fantasies.  It’s another keeper for my “Kate Douglas” section of my library.  Yes, she has a row all for herself.  Pick up Dream Bound and find out why!

GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY - A Few Pointers for New Writers - Shanon Grey

Shanon Grey - FictionWeaver

Weaving romance and suspense with threads of the paranormal

A Few Pointers for New Writers

by

Shanon Grey

We all want as many people as possible to enjoy our stories. That means getting them out there. Whether you want to publish in a magazine, with a publisher, or on you own, here are a few pointers to head you in the right direction. 

• Submission Guidelines – check the places you want to publish your work and follow their guidelines to the letter. They have them for a reason and if you don’t, your work will end up being ignored or, worse, rejected without a glance.
• Use Microsoft Word – it has become the program of choice among publishers and has become almost universal.
• Know Your Grammar – There are some wonderful grammar sites out there. Use them. Learn sentence structure, if you don’t know it. Use your grammar and spell checker before you send in your work. Publishers don’t want to pay their editors to rewrite sloppy writing.
• Adverbs – Use them with discretion. Do a search for “ly” and take them out. They are unnecessary if you write well.
• Active vs. Passive – Remember, you want to your story to move forward. Keep the action rolling by keeping your voice active. Passive has its place and purpose, but use it sparingly.
• Subject-Verb Agreement – Make sure your subject and verb agree, even if a modifier is placed in between.
• Modifiers – Be careful of misplacing your modifiers or having them dangle. Sometimes, if you are unsure, try reading the sentence aloud. You will find yourself laughing at obvious mistakes.
• Disembodied Body Parts – Please, please, don’t throw your eyes down the hall. Also, don’t have inanimate objects do the acting.
• Head Hopping – Be careful how and when you change your point of view. There are times when you want to know what others are feeling/thinking. However, generally, unless it’s a love scene, you can restrict it to scenes. It gets confusing and too busy to be bopping back and forth. Let the reader know who is speaking. Don’t confuse them. Anything that slows the flow degrades the story.
• Show, Don’t Tell – You want your readers to be in the story, to feel what your characters are feeling, to be enthralled. Use your words to pull your reader in and to hold them to the very end.
• More Words Aren't Better – Choose your words carefully and you won’t need as many as you think.
• End with a Hook – Generally, you want each scene or chapter to propel the reader forward, making him or her turn that page.
• Protect Your Work – When you've done your best, and before you send it off, protect your work. Go to the United States Copyright Office, http://www.copyright.gov/, and copyright your work.
• References – a great dictionary, a thesaurus, and the Chicago Style Manual are the writer’s best friends. Use them.

I know this seems like a lot, but it’s only the beginning. I have touched on some of the most obvious—things to keep in mind as you write and edit. You are your first editor. Take that job as seriously as you do developing and writing your story. Then, even when you think you have everything just so, your publisher’s editor will find things, catch mistakes, and suggest rewording. Just remember, even the most experienced author has to go through the same list, checking for the same mistakes, answering to an editor. It is their job to make you the best writer you can be. And, hopefully, that will make you a bestselling author.

“Writing is a skill, a craft, and an art. Learn the skill to hone the craft into art.” Shanon Grey

Shanon Grey weaves romance and suspense with threads of the paranormal. THE SHOPPE OF SPELLS is the first in her series, THE GATEKEEPERS, about the quaint town of Ruthorford, Georgia and its very special inhabitants. PENNYROYAL CHRISTMAS ~A Ruthorford Holiday Story~ is out in e-format as well. MEADOW’S KEEP is due to be released this summer. Under contract with Crossroads Publishing House, her books are available in e-format and print at most booksellers.

Shanon spent her life on coasts, both the beautiful Atlantic and the balmy Gulf. Hurricane Katrina taught her the fragility of life and the strength of friendship, family, and starting over.

She just found out that her son salvaged notes and pages of her original novel, Capricorn’s Child, which she thought had been destroyed with everything else. (Ironically, a neighbor found her marriage certificate in a tree.) She plans to resurrect her original novel one day.

She currently lives in Coweta County, Georgia, trading the familiarity of the coast for the lush beauty and wonder of the mountains, where her husband fulfilled her lifelong dream—to live in a cottage in the woods, where inspiration abounds.

The Gatekeeper Series

When is a whole more than the sum of its parts? 

When it has ties to the quaint little town of Ruthorford, GA, as Morgan Briscoe discovers when a cryptic message threatens to change her life forever. Morgan’s relatively normal life is turned on its ear when she learns not only that she is adopted, but her birth parents are dead and she now holds half-interest in a business with their ward, Dorian Drake. 

Dorian is running The Shoppe of Spells and despite his riveting good looks, he can barely conceal his hostility toward his new partner. 

Morgan discovers that she is more than she seems and together she and Dorian have the ability to control a portal to another dimension. Unable to control their growing attraction, Morgan and Dorian dance around their desires and her burgeoning abilities, until danger forces them to face their destiny.

 Jasmine Monroe once felt like damaged goods. But, not anymore. Her latent abilities, although appearing too late to save her from a brutal attack, will keep her safe from anyone ever hurting her again. She’s made sure of that. Secure in that fact, she’s moved on. Until she meets her first love’s doppelganger.

Eryk Vreeland, a misfit and embarrassment to his upper-class/upper-crust family, is a magician. His shows are renowned, his contributions to charity astronomical, his illusions precise. Except, not everything is an illusion. Sometimes there is real magic.

Jasmine stumbles upon a secret that will change Eryk’s life forever, and in doing so, she must face her own destiny as well. When Jasmine and Eryk are forced together to rescue and protect a young woman, each must overcome the barrier that protects, yet hinders any personal attachments. The safeguards must come down to combine their abilities and, when that happens, their attraction strengthens—beyond their control—until they can barely tell where one person stops and the other begins.

Can their hearts take the toll? Will they surrender to one another or risk a disaster to stay apart?

Don't forget to check out Shanon at the following sites:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Shanon is giving away ONE E-Book of The Shoppe of Spells!
Open to US / Canada Only

Many entry chances are available.
By entering the giveaway you are agreeing to the terms outlined in the Rafflecopter widget.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Cat Miller

The Forbidden Bond Blog Tour is here!

Welcome Cat and thanks for stopping by Paranormal Addicts during your tour!

Welcome, can you tell us a little about yourself how long you've been writing? 

I am the mother of two teenage daughters and a CPC (professional medical coder) by day and an avid reader and urban paranormal writer by night. I have been writing for three years.

How do you balance between your personal life and your writing?

Balancing the personal life and writing can be tough. I have a full-time job and caring for my girls and our home is its own full-time job. Fortunately for me I have a tendency toward insomnia. When I’m writing I tend to survive on no more than a few hours of rest a night.

Who is your favorite author?

Oh, the list is endless. If I had to pick only one I would say that my favorite author is Lara Adrian.

Other than writing, what are some of your passions in life?

I love to read. Enjoy cooking and baking (I just don’t like cleaning up when I’m done.) and I am an amateur photographer.

What is your favorite genre to read?

Paranormal romance is my favorite genre to read but I love contemporary and historical romance as well.  

What books are currently on your nightstand?

There are two books on my nightstand. I just dived into Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. I had to find out what the fuss is about. I am also reading Cynful by Dana Marie Bell (who is another of my very favorite authors)

Can you share anything your readers would be surprised to know about you?

I don’t watch television, at all. I usually don’t even know what the weather will be until I look outside because the news is to depressing. There are no sitcoms as good as the imaginations of the authors I read.

Okay, you have just finished your book or it has just been released.  Is there something special you do to celebrate?

It normally involves a bottle of vine and a stack of books. By the time I finish writing a book I have a lot of reading to catch up on.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

My interest in write began with a love of reading and a need to show my daughters that you can do anything you want to do. All dreams are worth reaching for. 

What influenced you to get published?

I wrote my first novel and everyone I allowed to read it loved it. So I figured it was worth a try. I love the story and my characters. I wanted to share them with the world.

How long did it take for your first book to get published?

I submitted to a few publishing houses and got absolutely no reply. So I did some research and figured out how to self-publish. It’s hard work and another full-time job but it has been worth it to me.

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

I think character development is very important. It your reader can’t connect with the characters they read from an outsider’s perspective. If the reader relates to the characters they get into the book and live along with the characters. 

We would love for you to paint a picture for us of you writing your books.  Do you always write in your office?  Do you ever go outside on a beautiful day and write there?  Are you listening to music when you write?  Drinking wine?  Do you do your best work during the day?  At night?

Most of my writing is done at night. When the house is quiet and the day is done I get to work with my laptop. I write in the living room on my comfy couch. I cannot have the radio when I write because I tend to sing and type the lyrics to the song into my document. It’s really funny when you find that while proofreading.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I released Unbound, book one in The Forbidden Bond Series this past September. This series is the story of a girl who goes off to college and finds herself immersed in the world of vampires and their politics. Dani discovers after living a normal human childhood that she is a demi-vamp born to a human mother and vampire father who believes both she and her mother died shortly after her birth. And the drama begins. 

Will we be seeing a following book to this story? 

I will release Unforgiven, book two in The Forbidden Bond Series on July 31st. I’m very excited about finally sharing it.

About Unforgiven:

Happily ever after is interrupted and the vampire nation is turned on its ear. Brandi Vaughn struggles to find herself in the shadow of her powerful vampire family and her socialite twin sister. The search for her abducted half-sister, Danielle, lands Brandi in an emotional tug of war between the light and the dark, good and evil, a warrior and a rogue. Good people do bad things. Sometimes the bad guys have a good reason. Could you forgive the unforgiven?

For the first time ever, Unbound is now available in print!

About Unbound:

Betrayal, passion, family secrets, murder, and vampires ... What else would one expect during their freshman year of college? Danielle Vaughn is secreted away after her birth and hidden until she leaves her small town in search of high education. She quickly finds herself maneuvering through a maze of enemies and lovers who are all out to capture her at any cost. Danielle’s life is turned upside down by the return if her father and the society of vampires that shattered her human mother’s life. She must find a way to survive in the new world she is thrust into by a power hungry rogue on the hunt for gifted vampire youth. The hierarchy of the vampire nation is rocked by the existence of a demi-vamp who challenges their narrow-minded views of the human race.

About Cat Miller:

I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and now I live not far from my birth place in Perry Hall, Maryland. I have two teenage daughters and a man that keep me busy when I'm not working full-time as a Certified Medical Coder. I'm an avid reader and I love all genre of romantic fiction from historical to contemporary to paranormal. Sleeping has always been a problem for me so most nights I can be found in the living room reading or writing instead of in bed like the rest of the world. I don't watch television. It's not a conscious decision, it just never occurs to me to turn it on when I have books to read and writing to do. It can actually be a hazard, because I never know what the weather will be until I look outside and I have to rely on my kids and coworkers for local and world news. I love creating the characters you love and love to hate. My characters remind me of people I know and people I wish I had never known.

Blog: http://catmillerbooks.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catmillerbooks

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CatMillerAuthor

Be sure to stop by the other stops on the tour:

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Cat is giving away FOUR wonderful eBook prize packages!
Each winner will have their choice of either Unbound or Unforgiven.
Each package will contain - ebook, signed bookmark and a mini poster.
OPEN WORLDWIDE

Many entry chances are available. 
By entering the giveaway you are agreeing to the terms outlined in the Rafflecopter widget.
This giveaway is open to everyone!!!

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Dawn Chartier

Paranormal Addicts would like to welcome Dawn to the blog.  

She is stopping by to tell us a little about herself and to share her re-released book Not An Angel with us! 

Welcome, can you tell us a little about yourself, how long you've been writing?

Hi everyone! I’m Dawn Chartier, and I live in the New Orleans area. I didn’t start writing novels until after hurricane Katrina in 2005, but once I was hooked on writing I haven’t stopped since. I write paranormal romance and contemporary erotic romance. *Not An Angel* was my first paranormal romance published, and *Diamonds* was my first erotic novella. J  Currently, I’m working on a sister witch series, and these bitches are giving me hell. LOL

If you didn’t write, what other profession would you have selected?

I could see myself in the medical field. I went to college to become an RT, but I dropped out when things at home started to unravel. (Divorce) Writing has filled my heart though, and I can’t see myself doing anything else.

How do you balance between your personal life and your writing?

Is there a balance? I’m not sure.  Some weeks the personal life wins and some weeks the writing wins.  However, if your goal is to write books, then you have no choice but to sit your butt in the chair and write. No excuses.

Who is your favorite author?

I don’t have one favorite author. I would say it is the most recent author who grabbed my attention so hard, that I had to buy all of her backlist. Now that would be my all-time favorite author. J (one with a huge backlist).

What is your favorite genre to read?  

Like my moods, my favorite genres change. Right now I’m enjoying Historicals, but I always go back to Paranormal Romances. PNR will always be in my heart.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

Karen Rose, Stephen King, and Sabina Jeffries.

If you could collaborate with one author who would it be and why?

That’s a hard question. I’m going to say J.R. Ward for her awesome world building and great tortured characters. But if I could pick another author for her smooth writing it would be Sabrina Jeffries. I envy how her words just flow right off the page.

Who do you ask to read your work and give their opinion? 

I belong to a few critique groups who help me, but I also use the two Debbie’s in my life, and a few author friends.

Can you share a little of your current work with us? 

My latest paranormal romance, Not An Angel was first published with a publishing house, but then I got my rights back and changed it up a little bit, and self-published it myself.  Not An Angel is the first book in the Poryria Vampire Series.  (See blurb below)

Kira McCoy wants to die. Losing her husband and daughter tragically left her without hope. Now her disturbed brother-in-law will stop at nothing to have her for himself.  All she wants is to find peace, but instead finds herself on top of a bridge ready to end her suffering.

Protector of the Poryria, Trace Stuart is called to defend his race or embrace death. Defending humans is not part of the plan, but he cannot stop himself from saving Kira.

Realizing that he shares a special bond with Kira, Trace defies his Queen and rushes into the heart of darkness in order to rescue the woman he loves. Will Kira be able to reach past her own pain to pull them both into the light?

Dawn Chartier never knew she wanted to be a writer while growing up.  Sure her parents owned a book shop, and she was surrounded by bookworms, but she wasn’t one of “those” writers who started early.  No, Dawn was inspired by strange events in her life, one was a bitch named, Katrina. Yes, that hurricane. But a few months before the storm, Dawn read an article on Marie Laveau in the New Orleans local newspaper and it sparked an idea. She began researching the voodoo priestess, and then Katrina hit. 


Out of destruction, ideas formed, characters spoke and plots twisted. One thing lead to another and an author was born. (Must have been something in the air, because a few authors were born out of Katrina’s wrath.)

Dawn Chartier sold her first paranormal romance book, (Not An Angel) to The Wild Rose Press, and her second book, a contemporary erotic romance (Diamonds) to Siren BookStrand. Dawn is a member of RWA, Sola-Writers, FF&P and Savvy Authors. You can find her chatting on Twitter and Facebook when she’s not buried inside of a book or writing her next one.

Dawn lives near New Orleans with her husband, two daughters, two golden retrievers, and plenty of wildlife.

Or stop by Dawn's blog: Dawn Chartier

Don't forget Dawn also mentioned her other published book.

Check it out!!

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

Dawn is giving away TWO eCopies of Not An Angel.

Many entry chances are available.  By entering the giveaway you are agreeing to the terms outlined in the Rafflecopter widget.
This giveaway is open to everyone!!!

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BOOK GIVEAWAY & Toni's Review of Waterborne by Katherine Irons ***3 Stars***

   

A Force of Nature

Ree O’Connor is more than she seems to be. Despite her delicate appearance and her broken heart, she sees what others don’t. In fact, she is an agent of a clandestine world court, about to bring down a monster when a stranger springs her trap instead. The mistake nearly costs Ree not only her prey, but her life, too—until mysterious Alexandros spirits her to an underwater world she never suspected, even with all her secret knowledge.

As a prince of Atlantis, Alexandros has centuries of experience in love and battle. His magic draws from the power of the ocean itself, and he can be just as beguiling—and just as unfathomable. Could any man heal Ree enough to become more than a sometime lover? And can she trust her heart to a soldier-prince of the deep?

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I have wanted to read this series for a while now.  So I jumped at the chance to read the third book in the series, Waterborne.

Alexandros has watched both his brothers recently fall for human women.  Humans have never done much for him, but for some reason Ree stirs something in him.  At first glance she seems like an unassuming woman.  She also seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Only Ree is not what she appears. 

From early childhood, Ree’s life has been shaped and controlled by a secret agency.  She was never a normal child and upon the death of her parents she has been in training to be more, much more.  She is a proficient killer.  Even though she knows there’s a different side to the world, she never expected to find a new dangerous world underwater.  Now she must trust a man to save her life, but the last time she trusted and loved a man, he died.  She will not allow that to happen again.

Alexandros is an assassin.  He has protected his family and Atlantis for countless years.  His current assignment is no different; kill a man found guilty of crimes against nature.  But when things go horrible wrong, he is forced to save a human.  Intrigue, deception and danger are around every corner.  Alexandros is now in a race to save Ree and the kingdom.

I think what helped this novel was Ms. Irons’ choice to spread the story amongst more than just the main couple.  There is a lot going on in this series and it was nice to see how some of the plots from prior books played out.  While all three brothers have found their mates, I am actually unsure if this series is complete.  It does have a finished feel to it, but the window for more is there.

The story in general was fine.  Nothing fantastic, but it was still engaging.  I had that feeling with most of the series.  There was just a little spark that was missing to make it great for me.

For instance, Ree never lived up to her title.  She was supposed to be an unparalleled assassin.  I just couldn’t see it.  She had a strong presence, but her skills were never really highlighted.  Yes, a majority of the book she was trying to survive, but when push came to shove, I expected more.

Alex was very heroic, but he took a bit to warm up to.  It even took Ree awhile too.  I enjoyed him, but he was just ok.  Morgan is probably still my favorite of the brothers.  I will say, without giving anything away, Morgan made the right choice in my book.  Alex is perfect for the job!

While their love story was pleasing to read about, their adventures were more enjoyable.  I was actually hoping they would be more involved with some of the other background battles that were going on, but it was not meant to be.  Ms. Irons has written a unique underwater world.  If you crave a new paranormal world, this series might be for you.  The creatures are diverse and she has developed a fascinating universe that is right under our noses.  I do have to give her credit for her colorful and amazing abilities to world build.  

Personally, I think Waterborne does not stand alone.  There are too many details that are enhanced by having the back story.  I feel it is necessary to read the prior books to fully appreciate this novel.

Ms. Irons has taken the tale of Atlantis into a remarkable new direction.  It is distinctively hers and for anyone who enjoys oceanic tales, Waterborne and this series might be for you.

Book Giveaway

Kensington Publishing is kindly giving away the first two books of the series:

Open to US and Canada Only.

Thank you to our sponsor - Kensington!  Be sure to friend them on Facebook and check out their website.  

You can also visit their Facebook app to find some great contests and excerpts, along with polls and quizzes about their books. The direct link to the apps are here:

http://bit.ly/xGzDj5 (Kensington)

http://bit.ly/xdiiXK (KTeen)


I am going to sweeten the deal!!
I have an unread copy of Waterborne to add.  So you will have the complete set!!

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Happy Reading!!

GIVEAWAY - Scott Prussing author of The Blue Fire Saga

Paranormal Addicts welcomes back Scott Prussing!


Today he is here to giveaway a Hardcover copy of Breathless!

Scott was here earlier in the month.  Check out his interview with Leesa.


INTERVIEW LINK

   

  

Weston College freshman Leesa Nyland has been fascinated by vampires since she was three years old. That’s when her mom started acting weird, refusing to go outside during the day and insisting the sunlight hurt her skin because she’d been bitten by a one-fanged vampire.

But fascinated doesn’t mean Leesa believes. Any more than she believes in blue fire, people who live for centuries, and kisses that can kill. When her beloved older brother suddenly disappears, she is forced to confront all these and more. She also has to figure out what to do about her mysterious new boyfriend. She knows Rave likes her a lot—so why won’t he kiss her?


As Leesa draws closer to finding her brother, she faces some gut-wrenching decisions. Should she risk her mom’s life trying to “cure” her? Should she continue seeing Rave after he reveals his dangerous secret? And most terrifying of all, should she make the ultimate sacrifice—give up her humanity—to save her brother?

If you would like a signed hardcover of Breathless, they can be purchased at:

Paperback copies of books 2, 3 and 4 are also available here along with reviews and reader comments.

Click on the pictures below to check out these great books at Amazon

or check out the links below for other retailers.

Barnes & Noble 

Smashwords

Be sure to visit Scott anytime at:

Twitter

Facebook - Scott's Author Page 

Facebook - Breathless Fampires

Goodreads

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!

What could be better than winning a SIGNED Hardcover of Breathless
US ONLY!

Many entry chances are available.  
By entering the giveaway you are agreeing to the terms outlined in the Rafflecopter widget.

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY - Dianna Hardy

Fantasy Author, Dianna Hardy

(paranormal romance, dark fantasy & urban fantasy … without rules)

www.diannahardy.com

Welcome, can you tell us a little about yourself how long you've been writing?

I’ve always written. I wrote my first story, Little Miss Rainbow, when I was eight years old, stapled it together, showed my family, and haven’t really stopped.

Other than writing, what are some of your passions in life?

There are so many things I miss having the time to do. I used to be out and about quite a lot, hiking in the country, through woods… I’m quite a spiritual person too, and I’ve been away to Pagan festivals and shamanic workshops in the past. I also went to Drama School, and set out to become an actress after that, although that took a back seat because I found so many other things so interesting that I didn’t have the motivation to focus solely on acting.

Family life, since having a child, has made some things more difficult to do, and I guess that’s why I got back into writing. It was a way to express that side of myself that I can no longer commit to. Having said that, now that I’ve begun writing fiction again, I can never see myself stopping. I’m back where I used to be when I was seventeen and wanted to be a writer. I’m not famous, I’m not well known, but the fact that I’m doing it is a dream come true in itself.

Other passions: keeping fit, singing, playing the guitar, reading my favourite authors, studying something of interest, drawing and painting, dining out, going on holiday or exploring somewhere new, and I’m sure there’s more I just can’t think of right now.

How long does it usually take for you to write a book?

I’m a slow writer, partly because I’m also a full-time mother to a three year old, and partly because I edit profusely as I go. I write anything between 200 and 2000 words a day. I can write more, but it’s rare. So a regular sized novel can take me anything from one to six months to complete. It’s dependent on the novel itself, how easy it is to write, personal situation, and frame of mind.

Can you share a little of your current work with us?

I’ve just finished writing a paranormal / urban fantasy romance, The Demon Bride (book three of The Witching Pen Novellas). It’s now in editing stages and ARCs should be ready soon J This entire series has been one hell of a ride – I’ve loved every minute of it – and on the 27^th July, it will have been one year since book one was released, which is just awesome!

Each of the three books have been so different from the other: book one, The Witching Pen, was almost like a sweet romance, book two, The Sands Of Time, had a definite dark edge to it, and book three is equally as dark, if not moreso, with an emphasis on ‘intense love’ as I like to call it. And that’s just the romance. There’s a heavy plot interweaved throughout the whole trilogy that will carry forward into the spin-off novel, The Last Dragon, that’s out next year.

Keywords for this series are: love, trust, faith, heaven, hell, angels, demons, witches, magic, secrets, lies, betrayal, pain, dark and light, God, Satan … all with an underlying quirky sense of humour.

In Twitter fashion use 140 characters or less, sum up The Witching Pen Novellas series for us:

(This is actually taken from my Twitter feed) Three women, three destinies, one apocalypse... The battle for free will has begun http://www.thewitchingpen.co.uk  ‪#PARANORMALROMANCE ‪#URBANFANTASY

Will we be seeing a following book to this story?

Yes. The Last Dragon will take off where The Witching Pen Novellas end. It’s a spin-off novel, only because it’s not a romance – in other words, it will not focus on one couple’s relationship, but on the interactions between all the characters, and the very awesome plot ;)

Please feel free to comment below if you’ve got any questions at all about my writing or my books. Thanks so much for stopping by, and a huge thanks to Paranormal Addicts for having me on their blog J

The Witching Pen (book one in the series) is available as an eBook,
currently at the offer price of $0.99 (list price $1.99), and also available in paperback.

AmazonUS

AmazonUK

B&N

Smashwords

Dianna Hardy is a multi-genre author of paranormal things, dark things, poetic things, sexy things, taboo things, and sometimes funny things. Writes about witches, demons and angels. All info can be found on her website DiannaHardy.com.

GIVEAWAY!

Dianna is giving away signed paperback copy of the first book in her series,
The Witching Pen (open to UK, USA and AUS)

a Rafflecopter giveaway