Pantoum: A Portion of Life

I lie awake in the early hours of the day,

Afraid of what life has to share with me next.

Eyes closed. Ears Shut.

I hate myself for feeding this fear.

Mistake (Pantoum)

It tastes like copper. It’s musky like defeat. It just clings to you.

I pivot around the thought. I balance my hope on a plinth to see

How it holds against the strain, to see if I can build something of value.

To grow is to learn. To learn is to suffer in a dance with chances.

8/30: Today is Friday

Today is Friday and I’m feeling kind of defeated

I missed the mark with something and

I’m hoping it was just a momentary lapse in judgement on my part

I’m hoping it was just a miscalculated step in my plans

I’m hoping I can decipher and discern

What failure tastes like so I can learn how to best avoid this misstep in the future

 

I hope

1/30: Waves (NPM)

This transition is hard.

I saw it coming but there

Is no way to completely prepare for the waves

That are heading in my direction.

No matter how crafty

My attempts are to secure

My position, it will not be enough to

Prepare me. Either way

I will be moved.

Author Interview: Dianne Duvall

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I love all things creative.  Writing is my favorite, of course.  And romance is my favorite genre.  It’s the only genre that contains all of the other fiction genres within it as sub-genres.  Contemporary, historical, comedy, drama, paranormal, sci-fi, horror, mystery, suspense.  The possibilities are endless.  And I just can’t get enough of those happily ever after endings.   😉  So when I decided I wanted to pursue writing as a career, I knew I had to write romance.  It’s as entertaining to me as reading.

When I’m not writing, I work in the local independent film industry, which provides me with yet another creative outlet.  More often than not, I work behind the scenes, providing special effects or special effects makeup, serving as script supervisor, editing the films and making trailers.  But I have, on rare occasions been talked into appearing onscreen, and once even crawled out of a moonlit grave in a horror film.

Why do you write?

Writing is something I simply love to do.  I have always had a very active and vivid imagination, and realized early on that writing provided me with a very entertaining outlet for it.  I wrote my first romance (a teen historical romance that has never been published) when I was thirteen years old.  And the stories have been coming to me ever since.  When I entered college, I originally chose journalism as a major, but soon found it too restricting.  Fiction allowed me far freer reign, so I changed my major to English with a focus on creative writing and, soon after, began penning my first adult romance novel.

What is your latest book about? Why should readers buy it?

A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN, the first book in my new series The Gifted Ones, was just released on June 2^nd.  It’s a historical romance, with paranormal elements, that features a hero and heroine who I think will appeal to many romance readers.  Lord Dillon is a very powerful earl whose ferocity on the battlefield spawns rumors that precedes him into every room, stilling tongues and sparking fear in all. Weary of battle, he wishes only to find a bride who will grant him the tenderness that has been absent from his life for so long. Yet every woman trembles at his approach.  Every woman, that is, save the mysterious wisewoman who has counseled him for seven years.  She alone sees through his formidable facade to the quiet man beneath.  She alone argues with him, brings laughter into his life, and comforts him on his darkest days.  Born with extraordinary gifts that label her a sorceress, Alyssa is forced to conceal her youth and the love she harbors for Dillon beneath umbral robes that lead him and his people to believe she is the same aged wisewoman who served his father.  But all is revealed and passion soon flares when an enemy threatens Dillon’s life and Alyssa sacrifices everything to save him.

How do you market your books?

In a wide variety of ways.  The internets has made it so much easier for authors to connect with readers.  Blog tours like this one are always fun and allow me to “meet” new readers, as well as “see” some familiar faces.  I enjoy interacting with other readers and writers on Facebook and other social media sites.  I also do so on my blog, offering readers sneak peeks into new releases and works in progress, along with the latest news on my series.  I post trailers on Youtube, my blog, and my website.  Both the internet and the publishing industry are changing so swiftly that new methods of marketing books are always emerging and engaging both writers and readers.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

I hope you will enjoy Dillon and Alyssa’s story.  It was such a pleasure to write. A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN is actually the book that inspired me to create my Immortal Guardians series.  Alyssa is the first gifted one (someone born with extremely advanced DNA that lends him or her special abilities or gifts) I created.  And she, along with Marcus, Seth, and Roland—all of whom appear in A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN—sparked the many what ifs that compelled me to pen my Immortal Guardians books.

If you’ve read my Immortal Guardians books, I hope you will enjoy seeing Marcus in both A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN and RENDEZVOUS WITH YESTERDAY (the second book, which will follow next year) as a mortal teenaged squire.  You’ll see Seth in both books as well.  Even antisocial Roland makes an appearance in A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN.  And don’t forget to look for SHADOWS STRIKE, Immortal Guardians Book 6, in August.  I hope you’ll enjoy it as well. J