Dianne Duvall – Author, Immortal Guardians Series

Thank you so much for talking with us today. I must say that I enjoyed your first two stories in the Immortal Guardians series (Darkness Dawns and Night Reigns) and I am looking forward to many, many more stories.

Thank you, Lucy! I’m so happy to be here and am thrilled that you’re enjoying my Immortal Guardians. 🙂

I always like to ask, did you always believe you were meant to write, or did you find a love for it later on?

I’ve always had a very vivid imagination and enjoyed making up stories. I even wrote my first romance when I was around thirteen years old. But I didn’t know I wanted to be an author until I was in college. I originally majored in journalism, but there were so many stories rolling around in my head that I knew I wouldn’t be happy unless I put them down on paper. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. 🙂

I know you have mentioned that you had written a few short stories which were part of the underlying basis of your Immortal Guardians series. Are you ever going to share those stories with us?

I actually wrote two full-length manuscripts and a partial paranormal manuscript, all of which inspired the series. The paranormal will become a future Immortal Guardians’ book. (I won’t tell you whose.) The other two were a medieval romance with paranormal elements and a time travel romance. Those I intend to be part of a second series that will revolve solely around gifted ones, men and women born with advanced DNA that bestows upon them special gifts and abilities, but don’t know yet when you’ll see them.

For anyone who hasn’t tried Darkness Dawns or Night Reigns, can you give a brief explanation of your Immortal Guardians and why they fight vampires?

In my series, Immortal Guardians and vampires are both infected with the same extremely rare, symbiotic virus. The virus essentially conquers, then replaces the immune system, lending those infected with it enhanced senses, much greater speed and strength, incredible regenerative abilities, and – regrettably – a need for blood coupled with photosensitivity. Vampires are humans who have been infected. They swiftly descend into madness as a result of the brain damage the virus also causes. Immortals are gifted ones who have been infected. As I mentioned earlier, gifted ones are men and women who were born with incredibly advanced DNA that lends them special gifts. That DNA also protects them from the madness that afflicts vampires. So Immortal Guardians have assigned themselves the task of protecting humans from the insane vampires who prey upon them.

In Darkness Dawns, Roland Warbrook is approximately 950 years old and as his friend Marcus likes to point out (a lot *he,he*), he’s a bit antisocial, except when he meets Sarah Bingham. What happens to Roland to make him so grumpy?

Roland is antisocial, but he has good reason to be. He has been betrayed not once or twice, but three times by people he loved the most: His wife, his brother, and later his fiancée. These were no minor betrayals. Each time he narrowly escaped death. So, needless to say, he is very reluctant to trust or let anyone close to him . . . until he meets Sarah. From the moment they meet, Roland is captivated by her and feels the protective shield he built around his heart begin to fall away.

I must say I absolutely love both Marcus and Ami in Night Reigns. Ami is everything that a heroine should be: beautiful, sweet and brave, and Marcus is the boy next door, everyone’s friend. But both also have deep sorrows that they keep buried deep. Can you tell us more about them?

A lot of readers have told me they enjoyed the humor Marcus brought to Darkness Dawns. Well, that humor hides great grief. He recently lost a woman he loved for eight centuries and now only feels alive when he’s battling hordes of insane vampires intent on killing him. He tries to hide the emptiness he feels from his fellow immortals, but even Roland notices and grows concerned. All of this changes when Seth, the leader of the Immortal Guardians, assign him a new Second: Ami.

Ami has lost everything. Her family. Her friends. She very nearly lost her sanity. Ami was brutally tortured for six months before Seth and David, the two eldest and most powerful immortals, rescued her. Though some time has passed, she still struggles to overcome the fear instilled in her by the experience, but refuses to let that keep her from doing her job as Marcus’s Second, taking care of business he can’t during daylight hours when he must shun the sun and backing him up in battle when he needs it at night. Her determination soon pays off in unexpected ways as she finds friendship, then love with Marcus.

I am obsessed with one of your characters who we meet in Darkness Dawns. There appears to be a lot more to his character when we see him again in Night Reigns. I am so excited that you have decided to write his story next. Can you give us a little insight into your next book, Phantom Shadows, which comes out in October?

Phantom Shadows will feature as hero Bastien, the most hated character in the series [hated by the other characters, not by readers, who seem to really like him 🙂 ]. I’m reluctant to say why he is so widely disliked because it’s a bit of a spoiler for those who haven’t yet read Darkness Dawns, so I’ll just say he has a rather dark past. As a result, vampires hate him. All but the eldest Immortal Guardians hate him. And the humans who work for the network that aids the Immortal Guardians hate him. All but Dr. Melanie Lipton. She alone is intrigued rather than repelled by Bastien and would like to get to know him better . . . something she accomplishes with interesting results when the two are repeatedly thrown together in Phantom Shadows.

Thank you so much for stopping by and talking with us about your Immortal Guardians series. I for one can’t wait for October (which is soooo far away 🙁 ) to see where your series goes from here.

Thank you for welcoming me to eBook Obsessed, Lucy, for helping me celebrate the release of Night Reigns, and for the wonderful reviews! I love that you included favorite scenes!

Check out some of my reviews on the Immortal Guardian Series:

Darkness Dawns

Night Reigns

Dianne Duvall earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of St. Thomas, where she studied fiction writing, playwriting and poetry writing. Darkness Dawns, the first book in her Immortal Guardians paranormal romance series, was released on February 1, 2011, courtesy of Kensington (Zebra Imprint). It has since been nominated for the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Vampire Romance by RT Book Reviews and for Best Paranormal Romance – Vampire by The Romance Reviews. It has also received many 5-star reviews, was deemed a Top Pick by The Romance Reviews, and was chosen as the Best of the Best in the RWA Indiana Golden Opportunity contest. Night Reigns, the second book in the series, was released on December 6, 2011 and was deemed a Top Pick by RT Book Reviews.

Dianne has also completed two not-yet-published paranormal romance novels that are prequels to Darkness Dawns. A Sorceress of His Own is a medieval romance with paranormal elements that won awards in the Lone Star, Where the Magic Begins, Southern Heat, Picture This, Book of Your Heart and Suzannah national writing competitions. Rendezvous With Yesterday is a time travel romance and won second place in the Picture This writing contest.

In addition to writing romance, Dianne has completed a one-act play (comedy) and teamed up with an award-wining screenwriter to write a spec script for a new situation comedy. Several of her poems have also been published in anthologies.

48 responses to “Dianne Duvall – Author, Immortal Guardians Series”

  1. May P.

    I enjoyed Roland’s anti-socialism in the book. It was kind of funny when everyone comments on it. 🙂

    Bastien’s story is interesting. I wonder how you will redeem him… Looking forward to reading it!

    Reply
  2. wyndwhisper

    great interview, the books sound wonderful and i love a good series. i have not read them yet but they are at the top of my TBR so i hope to get to them soon. i would love to win a copy of either book.

    thank you for the chance at such a great giveaway.

    tammy ramey
    [email protected]

    Reply
  6. Chelsea Rafferty

    Just stopping by to show my support for such an amazing and gifted writer! Love the Immortal Guardian series 🙂 By the way Dianne is Seth going to get a story at some point? I really like him 😀

    Reply
    • Dianne Duvall

      Thanks so much, Chelsea! Seth will definitely get his own story. I don’t know who his heroine will be, but I’ve already envisioned the story’s climax and it’s going to be gasp-worthy. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Tina Rucci

    Great interview! I have nt read either book yet, they sound really good. Thanks for the chance to win one of them.

    Reply
  10. Shauni

    I fell in love with this series at first read!! Can not wait for Bastien.. I think he has so much potential.. even when he was a bad guy.. he seriously tried to do good.. *grins*

    Reply
  12. ChrisS

    I read Darkness Dawns and loved it! The idea of a virus and it’s varying effect on human’s as apposed to the “gifted”, is and interesting and exciting one. I really enjoyed Rolan’s story and look forward to reading Marcus’s in Night Reigns. Congratulations on an awesome series!

    Reply
    • Dianne Duvall

      Thanks, Chris! I’m glad you like my take on vampires. 🙂 And verry pleased to hear you enjoyed Roland’s story. You’ll see ore of him in Night Reigns. Sarah, too. Good luck with the contest!

      Reply
  13. Patti W

    I loved Darkness Dawns and cannot wait to read Night Reigns. I liked how Ami was introduced to the reader and I am excited that she has her own story. Thanks for the chance to win.

    Reply
    • Dianne Duvall

      I’m so glad you liked Darkness Dawns! Ami is rapidly becoming my favorite female character in the series, so you can expect to see a lot more of her even beyond Night Reigns. 🙂 Good luck!

      Reply
  14. Michelle W

    What an amazing series. I loved Night Reigns!!!! Marcus is my fave….or maybe Seth…… Thanks for the chance!

    Reply
  15. erinf1

    Thanks for such a wonderful post and giveaway! I’ve been hearing such positive buzz about these books, I can’t wait to get my hands on them 🙂

    Have a wonderful week!

    Reply
  18. Christina

    Wow. I loved both books. I really liked Sarah n Rolands story n how u had them in the secound one to. Your great n I can’t wait to read Phantom Shadows!!!!

    Reply
  20. Melissa Z

    I enjoyed Darkness Dawns so much that I broke my rule to not buy any more books b/c it was never available at the library when I wanted it! I’m looking forward to reading Night Reigns. And I’m excited to have found a new book blog- I really enjoy the selected scenes- I’ve tried a few books that I was on the fence about based on the exerpts, so thanks!

    Reply
  25. Vickieann

    Great interview, the books sound wonderful and i love a good series. I am actually getting ready to read the first book with Shauni on Tea and Book Blog.

    http://teaandbook-shauni.blogspot.com/

    I would love to win a copy of either book.

    Thank you for the chance at such a great giveaway.

    Vickie dold

    Reply
  29. mystchevia

    Hi Dianne! you are a new to me author – so I’m really happy to have found you! Your books are exactly the kind I love to read, so they are now on my TBR list!

    Thanks so much for the giveaway chance!

    Reply
  30. Joanne B

    Great interview. Can’t wait to read Night Reigns. I’ve heard such positive things about these two books, I put both on my wishlist. Thanks for the giveaway.

    e.balinski(at)att(dot)net

    Reply
  32. Candace Bent

    Just finished Night Unbound and cannot wait for the next book. Seth needs a special someone. As soon as the next book is due to come out I will get it. Have collected all the Immoral Guardians books so far. I read every day for eye exercise.. Thank you for your great words. Candace

    Reply

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