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This blog is the often amusing, sometimes dangerous den of two British writers of contemporary and paranormal romance, and urban fantasy. Most of our stories are based in the UK and our heroes and heroines are passionate Brits - yes, passionate Brits exist! Come on in out of the cold, pull up a chair and see for yourself...

Friday 31 January 2014

The Spell of Summer update at 18,000 words

Okay, yes, I have another update for you and boy, I didn't realise things could move so quickly. I felt like I didn't get anything done this week, but it turns out I have :)

Firstly, because the story is evolving in surprising ways (it sometimes happens), there is a blurb change for the book, which I'm posting below with the cover, and below that, you'll find visual teaser number two (click to magnify). Enjoy!

The Spell of Summer

Meredith is leading a straight-laced life in London with her straight-laced fiancé, determined to forget her reckless, wild-child past. They're about to get married.

Jamie is an old, poetic soul with a broken heart returning home to Cornwall to get his life back in order.

What binds them?

One chance meeting thirteen summers ago; one innocent spell spoken after one perfect night...

And now history is unravelling; the past and present, merging...

Words can change everything, but can it change your destiny?

And in the messy world of magic, what part does love play?

It's summer all over again, but the spell has only just begun.

Pre-order from: AMAZON (UK ONLY) / BOOK DEPOSITORY (WORLDWIDE)


Visual Teaser #2


Monday 27 January 2014

Truth or Dare? Release!

Okay, so technically Truth or Dare? isn't released until tomorrow, but my sexy little story is already available to purchase, and if that isn't cool enough the fact that it has already spent half a day in the top #100 Amazon Bestsellers list - Erotic Short Story - is just fabulous!

Thank you to everyone who has already bought their copy. I do hope you enjoy the story. :-)

Truth or Dare?

Blurb:

Do you dare tell the truth?

A tequila fuelled game of Truth or Dare is not Dani’s idea of fun, but when Cameron, the jerk who rejected her a year ago is the one provoking her into playing, how can she say no? Not that he’s giving her the option in the first place.

Bravado compels her forward, but when the dares get physical and their friends leave them alone, Cameron’s questions turn to her feelings for him, and unfortunately, lying is not part of the game.

Will a dare give Dani the courage she needs to tell Cameron the truth?


~ * ~

Excerpt:

“Fine, I will take a dare.” I glanced at Ben. “What do you want me to do?”
A wicked grin spread across his lips. It was almost as sexy as his brother’s. “I want you to lick salt off Cameron, and then take the lime from his mouth.”
He had to be fucking kidding. “What?”
“You heard the man.” The amusement ran clear in Cameron’s voice.
An idiotic bout of nerves skipped through me. “And do I dare ask where I will be drinking the tequila from?”
Ben’s gaze flicked to Cameron, who I couldn’t bring myself to look at. Holding up my hand, I cut Ben off before he suggested anything else.
“Never mind. I’ll do it.” Untangling my legs, I slid off the sofa, levelling a look at Cameron.
He pulled his T-shirt over his head, and my mouth dried at the way his six-pack rippled with each movement. He was solid, perfect. His skin was a healthy bronze. A fine dusting of dark hair ran from his navel and crept down into his jeans. I couldn’t help but follow the teasing path with my gaze….
“See something you like?”
Did I ever. I hated to admit it, but he was the kind of guy you just wanted to lick—well, anything off of.
“Nope. I’m just wondering why removing your top is necessary. Scared I’m going to spill my drink on your T-shirt?”

His lips turned upward. “Man told you to lick salt off me, but he didn’t say where you would be licking the salt from.”

~ * ~


Interested in winning yourself a copy of Truth or Dare? or maybe some swag? Competition starts tomorrow. :-)


<a id="rc-767f404" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/767f404/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

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Friday 24 January 2014

The progression of The Spell of Summer (10,000 words in).

I'm going to postpone my question from Elizabeth for a week and instead, I'm going to tell you a bit about The Spell of Summer and how it's progressing.

I'm slowly starting to fall in love with Meredith (Merri) and Jamie.

I had quite a strong idea for this book when I started writing it. As is almost always the case, one sentence leads to another and suddenly, things that you didn't quite expect to happen are happening (namely, the characters rebel and want to do things their own way).

I can now safely say that (for the purposes of categorisation) this book will fall into Contemporary Romantic Fiction. The "thread" of magic is there, but way more subtle than I originally thought it would be, to the point that I can't really call this book a paranormal romance.

This might also end up being a 100,000 word book. I've estimated at 80,000 so far, but there's a lot of background to cover in the beginning of the book so we can understand events better as they unfold. I don't actually like writing "background". It's always a challenge to write it and not make it boring, especially when it includes some flashbacks, which this does. It has to not be confusing and it has to not be boring. I think I might succeed, but it's also one of those things you'll never know for sure until the novel is complete and you read it in its entirety, so we shall see. I might be in for some brutal editing, although I hope not.

So, yes, there are flashbacks in this book. We mostly flash back to when Meredith was sixteen years old - just sixteen, actually - we flash back to the events of the day after her sixteenth birthday, and in case you missed the teaser, they go something like this:

















You can also view the image here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=670024649702791&set=a.321274827911110.72074.144058758966052&type=1&theater

There will be a teaser posted up on my Facebook page (which I'll also get round to adding to my site) at every 10% mark that I hit. I'm on 12% at the moment. Fun and games :) The light-hearted novel that I'd intended to write is turning out to be not so light-hearted after all, but hopefully, it will be heartful.

You can keep track of the novel's progress here: http://www.diannahardy.com/the-spell-of-summer.html

Dianna x

Monday 20 January 2014

Cocktails and Heroes

Another fabulous question of Dianna this week: If the hero in your latest book was a cocktail, what cocktail would he be?

Cameron the hero for my January 28th release Truth or Dare? is just a whole lot or yummy badness. He has a wicked tongue - in more ways than one - and will definitely make your knees go weak.

I have to say I had a lot of fun looking through Cocktail lists to see which I think would fit his description:

Blow Job was the first, because you so definitely would if he begged you too. Baileys Irish cream, kahlua and whipped cream, that's one heck of a mouthful . . . Oh yes, I'm thinking of Cameron as I'm typing this. ;-P

A Quick Fuck, I think this one appealed to me more because of Dani's opinions of Cameron and what she thinks he is after. A shooter made of one part coffee liqueur like Kahlua, one part midori liqueur and one part bailey irish cream. Sure to give you a burst of energy, but the come down might knock your stomach off.

Although the above two cocktails sound fun, and delicious, well the cocktail that Cameron would be is most definitely the Screaming Orgasm.

Cameron is the type of man you can look at and basically get a little drunk off. His gaze will turn your legs to jelly, and his smile . . . Oy. He basically gets you going with his words, and by the time you get to the main event you're half gone already. He is more than capable of delivering. Baileys, Amaretto, cream, kahlua, or some variations contain vodka, amaretto, triple sec, white creme de cacao. Now that's a mixture that will get you all hot and tingly, and once its through your system, I'm pretty sure you will be sedated and happy. ;-P

~ * ~


Truth or Dare?

Blurb:

Do you dare tell the truth?


A tequila fuelled game of Truth or Dare is not Dani’s idea of fun, but when Cameron, the jerk who rejected her a year ago is the one provoking her into playing, how can she say no? Not that he’s giving her the option in the first place.

Bravado compels her forward, but when the dares get physical and their friends leave them alone, Cameron’s questions turn to her feelings for him, and unfortunately, lying is not part of the game.

Will a dare give Dani the courage she needs to tell Cameron the truth?

Releasing January 28th from Decadent Publishing!

Thursday 16 January 2014

The ONE thing I'm looking forward to in 2014?

The question given to me for today: Name one thing you are looking forward to - and why - in 2014.

My answer: I realise it sounds completely boring to say writing, but it's kind of the truth. I'd like to say a bunch of other stuff. I'd like to say, a beach holiday or buying a new, bigger house in a place we really want to live, but we can't afford to do either of those things right now, so can't plan to this year. So, the answer is, writing.

It's my one surety at the moment, for better or worse - that I have stories in my head, and the means with which to get them out there.

And it does thrill me - getting that next book out :)

Dianna x

Monday 13 January 2014

What's the craziest party game I've ever played?

Dianna's question for me this week: What's the craziest party game you've ever played?

To be honest, apart from attending/having parties as a child and playing the odd game of pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and pass the parcel I haven't actually played a lot of crazy party games.

I didn't attend many parties as a teenager, at least not the type that meant people were playing games. I think a game of spin the bottle was started at one of the house parties I went to, but it didn't last very long; most of the people there were jerks and drunk ones at that. Otherwise, I have played a couple of games where you take a shot if you have done something another play has. No idea, what the name of that game is, but there you go.

I'm afraid my teenage years were somewhat dull in regards to having silly, crazy fun, and so far my twenties haven't proved much more interesting. I guess that's one of the reasons why I wanted to write a story that was fun and a little naughty; that and the fact that I watched the episode of The Big Bang Theory where Leonard and Penny are drinking tequila and I thought, "hmm, that is a fab little idea." Yep, if you have seen that episode then that's a little hint right there for you about what you can expect from "Truth or Dare?"

For anyone who is interested I'm holding a cover reveal over at Facebook this Friday 17th Jan. I will be sharing quotes, songs, pics, and excerpts as well as holding a couple of competitions to give  you a chance of winning some swag or a copy of the book. And naturally, I will be revealing the fab and sexy cover itself.

Here's the link - https://www.facebook.com/events/524580967639480/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming - I'd absolutely love if you joined me. :-)

Truth or Dare?

Blurb:

Do you dare tell the truth?

A tequila fuelled game of Truth or Dare is not Dani’s idea of fun, but when Cameron, the jerk who rejected her a year ago is the one provoking her into playing, how can she say no? Not that he’s giving her the option in the first place.

Bravado compels her forward, but when the dares get physical and their friends leave them alone, Cameron’s questions turn to her feelings for him, and unfortunately, lying is not part of the game.


Will a dare give Dani the courage she needs to tell Cameron the truth?

Coming soon from Decadent Publishing!

~ * ~

On a completely different note, Dianna asked me last week; what's the first paragraph you have written or are going to write this year?

Last Monday I hadn't started writing yet, but I did promise the moment I did I would share my first paragraph of 2014 and as predicted it is indeed a paragraph that has been added into She-Wolf, which yes, I have started working on. Yay! So, here it is, my first paragraph of 2014! (Unedited.)

I wove between the pulled-out chairs, pausing as a familiar scent touched my nostrils. An odd awareness ghosted across my skin. My wolf stirred. Taking a deep breath, I tasted the air, trying to weed out the scent amongst the overly used cologne and perfumes, the smell of stale snacks, alcohol and a variety of other stains that still tainted the atmosphere. It was faint, mellow, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I knew the scent well.

Thursday 9 January 2014

My resolution for 2014?

Elizabeth asked me: What resolutions do you have for 2014 personally and professionally?

My answer is: concentrate more on what I'm doing, and less on what others are doing.

When I started writing and publishing, I sort of had to take note of what people were doing (of course, I still do, really ... you need to keep on top of what's happening around you), but another author's reality is not yours or mine.

I've come to a point where I have to fully concentrate on what I'm writing so I can deliver it without distraction, and I do find places like Facebook and Twitter to be a distraction.

It's unrealistic to limit my Facebook time, because it's necessary for my marketing and for me to sell books, but I had a successful period last year where I didn't look at my Newsfeed at all for a short while and I felt better for it - I only worked off my Author Page so I only interacted with my fans (fans, you know how much I love you, right?). I need to do that again! I became reacquainted with my Newsfeed over Christmas 'cause I was being all social, but I really need to get off it now for the sake of my sanity - I have a love-hate relationship with social media, and I'm sure I'm not the only author to feel this way.

So come join me on my Author Page because that's where I'll be :) But if you're not on my author page, you'll have to tag me / @mention me if you want me :p

Dianna xxx


Monday 6 January 2014

What will the first paragraph of the year be?

Hope you all had a fab New Year, mine was pretty relaxed. This is my first post of 2014 and Dianna asked me a fab questions: What's the first paragraph you have written or are going to write this year?

Well, I spent the first five days of 2014 in Northern Ireland, attending my cousins wedding, and visiting family. I got back yesterday and basically unpacked, and checked emails - one of which contained the cover to my upcoming short story "Truth or Dare?" and I have to say that I love it! Can't wait to share - and relaxed. Today was spent on taking down the tree and catching up on a few things.

So, the short answer is I have not yet written my first paragraph of 2014. I'd love to say that the paragraph will be the first in a brand spanking new story, but if you caught my post last Monday - which is technically last year . . . mind blowing O_o - you will know that my main - and well, only goal - for this year is to edit/tweak/polish She-Wolf and Cranberry Blood, which are the first books in my Blood Series, so that I can self-publish them. The plan is then to start writing the untitled sequel. So, I guess in a way I might write a new paragraph in a new book this year, but it wont be the first of 2014.

I predict that my first paragraph will be added to She-Wolf while I am tidying it up and improving it. So, it could be a super sexy snip between my leading Werewolves, some form of action while the pack try to figure out who keeps dumping mutilated bodies in their territory, or it could be some amazing description of a tree. I don't yet know what this first paragraph of the year will be, but as I plan to start on She-Wolf this week there is a good chance I will be possibly sharing the mystery paragraph at the end of next weeks post. ;-P

And just in case you're wondering what She-Wolf and Cranberry Blood are about, here are the blurbs:

She-Wolf
(The Blood Series Prequel)

Paranormal Erotic Romance - Self Published - I'm aiming for summer (July/August)

Blurb:
Dealing with the Rogue werewolves terrorizing his Pack... simple. Trying to convince his mate he does want to be with her... bloody impossible.

Owen MacLaren, might be the Alphas son and the Packs second but he has never been one to let anything get to him. So when a bunch of Rogues begin purposely dumping mutilated bodies around the Pack Keep, he is more than ready to deal with the Werewolves responsible. But one trip to a local strip joint for a colleagues stag night changes things, and Owen soon discovers he isn’t immune to everything...

After five years away Clare Walker finds herself back home, in Scotland.... working in a strip club. The tips are decent and she gets to dance, but it isn't a place she thought she would ever be, let alone Owen, her Pack second and the Werewolf who broke her heart.

Although Owen is determined to prove he wants to be with her, things can't go smoothly between them, not when they have past issues to sort out, and a bunch of unusual 'Rogues'... to deal with.    
  
Cranberry Blood
(Book 1 in The Blood Series)

Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance - Self Published - I'm aiming for summer (July/August)

Blurb:

Killing Vampires? Easy. Tracking someone? Simple. Helping, and protecting a Vampire slayer... Bloody hard work!

Thirteen years ago, Brendan Daniels made a deal with a psychic. In exchange for information on the whereabouts of a Rogue Werewolf, he promised to help and protect Sofia's granddaughter. Unfortunately, he had no idea what he was getting himself, or his Pack, into.

Nothing about Heather is simple, from her weird dietary needs to her life’s mission. The girl can handle herself, but the promise to protect her soon becomes a need, and one that he can't fully understand.
Vampire Slayer. Born Infected. Blood addict... but not by choice.
Heather Ryan is the most recent slayer in a long family line. Like all before her, she has spent her life searching for her ancestor, Marko Pavel, the Vampire her family has sworn to kill. If that isn't complicated enough, Heather is also a born "Infected", and to keep her from becoming insane or giving in to her darker side, she is on a very strict diet.

Grandmother Sofia has passed, so now it is up to Heather to take the family legacy into her own hands, all alone: or at least, it would have been, if her Grandmother hadn't sent a Werewolf to help her.

What is the irritating Brendan supposed to help Heather with? Sofia never told either one of them. But it doesn't take long for Heather and Brendan to find out that the Vampires have big plans, and that the fiends have waited a long time for them both.

Re-releasing Summer 2014!