Dana Pembroke has been able to glimpse the future of those she touches for as long as she can remember. But she never saw Aidan coming. When the tall, dark Celt with the charming grin yet world-weary eyes walks through her door, the future she sees for him is one full of violence, danger, deception… and passion. Because amidst the terrifying battles that unfold in her visions, she also sees herself in Aidan’s arms and in his bed. Dana knows she should keep her distance, but the tender moments and laughter they share entice her even as she finds herself thrust into a world of vampires, immortals, and other preternatural beings.
Immortal Guardian Aidan O’Byrne has been hunting and slaying psychotic vampires for nearly three thousand years, so visions of bloody battles don’t trouble him. The battles Dana foresees, however, show Aidan’s brethren turning against him, so he can’t help but feel alarmed. While he spends as much time as he can with Dana, struggling to decipher her dire predictions, Aidan finds himself utterly smitten. Hope rises that he has finally found a woman who can banish the darkness and loneliness that plague him. But when vampires begin targeting Dana and a powerful enemy spawns chaos, will fate grant them time to find happiness together?
"Fans of paranormal romance who haven't discovered this series yet are really missing out on something extraordinary." —Long and Short Review
“It really doesn’t freak you out, even a little bit, knowing I can see things from your past, present, and future? Knowing that the more time we spend together, the more I’ll see and the more I’ll know about you that you may not want me to know? Because I will see stuff you don’t want me to, Aidan. I always do. And it always ruins things.”
Leaning forward, Aidan crossed his arms and braced them on the table. “It doesn’t freak me out at all, Dana, because I’m in the same boat.”
She frowned. “What?”
Aidan took one of those pauses that made her think he questioned the wisdom of speaking. “I’m in the same boat,” he repeated. “I haven’t dated in a long time because I was born with gifts similar to yours that tend to make others uncomfortable.”
Disappointment filled her. Seriously? He was mocking her?
“You look a bit like you want to hit me over the head with the breadbasket,” he stated, brow creasing, “so—to keep you from thinking whatever it is that’s making your eyes flash with fury—I’ll tell you that I’m telepathic and can prove it if you’ll give me permission to read your thoughts.”
Hell yes, she was furious. This was Jason all over again. That asshole had pretended he had psychic abilities like hers in a lame attempt to get into her pants. He hadn’t realized she actually was psychic and would see through his bullshit.
Dana leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “You’re telepathic?”
“Yes.”
“Prove it.”
“I can read your thoughts?”
“You tell me,” she countered, a blatant dare. Read my thoughts, my ass, she mentally grumbled. She had thought Aidan was different, but to mock her like this by pretending he had a special gift, too? What a disappointment.
“I am different,” he insisted. “And I’m not pretending. I do have a special gift. More than one, if you’re to know the truth of it.”
She frowned. Had he just read her thoughts?
“Yes,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes. Yes, what? Yes, he had read her thoughts? Or was he just guessing the path they would naturally take?
“Yes, I read your thoughts,” he said. “And yes, I could’ve guessed the path they would take, but I didn’t.”
She stilled. Okay. That was a little spot-on.
“And to prove it,” he continued, “I’ll tell you that, although I have not been listening to your thoughts on our date, I did give them a listen both times you gave me a reading and know that you’ve had two visions about me that you failed to mention.”
Her heart began to pound. How did he know that?
“In the first one,” he said, lowering his voice, “we were naked in bed and I was touching your—”
“Holy crap,” she whispered, dropping her arms and gaping at him.
His lips twitched. “I was going to say breast, but—”
“How do you know about that?” she blurted.
“The same way I know that in the second vision, you were cupping my face in your hands—as you did earlier—and I kissed you and pulled you up against me, sliding my hand down over your lovely bottom. I read your thoughts and saw it as clearly as you did.”
Speech eluding her, Dana stared at him so long that her eyes began to burn.
“Blink,” he instructed.
She did.
“I know it’s a bit of a shock,” he murmured, eyeing her with some concern.
“A bit of a shock,” she parroted numbly.
“I know it feels… intrusive. But I didn’t read your thoughts the whole time. Most of the time I can control what I hear and don’t hear and can block others’ thoughts fairly easily.” Younger telepathic immortals weren’t so lucky. “But when the visions struck you, I saw them as clearly as you did without even trying. I think because we’re both gifted.”
She hadn’t told anyone about those visions. There was no way he could’ve known about them without reading her mind. “Holy. Crap.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Are you reading my thoughts right now?” she asked.
“Yes. They’re a little chaotic. I’m sorry I’ve shaken you up so much. I just wanted you understand why I haven’t dated in so long and hoped you’d appreciate my honesty.”
Honesty! He had read her thoughts! He had apparently been reading them all this time, saying exactly what he knew she wanted him to say and—
His brows drew together. “Now wait a minute. That’s not true. I would never use what I saw in your thoughts to manipulate you. If that had been my intent, I never would’ve told you I’m telepathic.”
“Dude,” a voice interrupted, “you told her you’re telepathic?”
Aidan swung around and shot a glare at Sheldon.
Dana guessed Sheldon was in his early twenties. Tracy looked to be thirty or thereabouts. Both eyed her and Aidan with great interest as they gathered their laptops and gear and stopped by Dana and Aidan’s table on their way to the door.
“Sheldon,” Aidan growled, definitely a warning.
“You know he’s telepathic?” Dana asked his friend.
“Yeah,” Sheldon responded simply. The woman at his side nodded. Neither seemed to view it as anything extraordinary, as if she had just asked them if they knew Aidan could play the piano.
“It doesn’t bother you?” Dana pressed.
Sheldon gave a dismissive shrug. “Nah. Aidan’s a good guy. He almost never reads my mind.”
Aidan grimaced. “Because there’s too much porn and weird shite up there.”
Tracy laughed and gave Sheldon’s shoulder a shove. “Freak.”
Sheldon grinned. “You know it.” Then he caught Dana’s eye. “I’m surprised he told you. People don’t usually react well when they find out he’s different. I’d think you’d understand that since you’re different, too.”
He knew she was a psychic? “How did you—?”
“I heard a rumor that Aidan was smitten with a psychic.” He shrugged. “When I saw you two together, I assumed you were her.”
Aidan frowned. “Where’d you hear that?”
Sheldon hesitated. “Cliff let it slip while we were playing video games. You won’t hold it against him, will you? He didn’t mean to. He was just… more distracted than usual. And Tracy is the only person I’ve told.”
Aidan shook his head. “It’s fine.”
Tracy smiled. “We’d better go before Sheldon says anything else that will embarrass you.” Taking Sheldon’s arm, she urged him toward the door. “You two have a nice evening.”
“What’d I say that embarrassed him?” Sheldon asked, puzzled.
She whispered something to him.
Sheldon snorted. “Yeah, right. Like she didn’t already know he’s smitten. It’s so obvious.”
Tracy pushed him into the hallway and closed the door after them.
In the wake of their departure, Aidan swung back around and met Dana’s gaze with obvious reluctance. “Apparently there’s something else I failed to tell you that you should probably know.”
Seriously? Something else? “What’s that?” she asked, unsure she wanted to hear it.
He sighed. “I suck at dating.”
Dana laughed.
Leaning forward, Aidan crossed his arms and braced them on the table. “It doesn’t freak me out at all, Dana, because I’m in the same boat.”
She frowned. “What?”
Aidan took one of those pauses that made her think he questioned the wisdom of speaking. “I’m in the same boat,” he repeated. “I haven’t dated in a long time because I was born with gifts similar to yours that tend to make others uncomfortable.”
Disappointment filled her. Seriously? He was mocking her?
“You look a bit like you want to hit me over the head with the breadbasket,” he stated, brow creasing, “so—to keep you from thinking whatever it is that’s making your eyes flash with fury—I’ll tell you that I’m telepathic and can prove it if you’ll give me permission to read your thoughts.”
Hell yes, she was furious. This was Jason all over again. That asshole had pretended he had psychic abilities like hers in a lame attempt to get into her pants. He hadn’t realized she actually was psychic and would see through his bullshit.
Dana leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “You’re telepathic?”
“Yes.”
“Prove it.”
“I can read your thoughts?”
“You tell me,” she countered, a blatant dare. Read my thoughts, my ass, she mentally grumbled. She had thought Aidan was different, but to mock her like this by pretending he had a special gift, too? What a disappointment.
“I am different,” he insisted. “And I’m not pretending. I do have a special gift. More than one, if you’re to know the truth of it.”
She frowned. Had he just read her thoughts?
“Yes,” he said.
She narrowed her eyes. Yes, what? Yes, he had read her thoughts? Or was he just guessing the path they would naturally take?
“Yes, I read your thoughts,” he said. “And yes, I could’ve guessed the path they would take, but I didn’t.”
She stilled. Okay. That was a little spot-on.
“And to prove it,” he continued, “I’ll tell you that, although I have not been listening to your thoughts on our date, I did give them a listen both times you gave me a reading and know that you’ve had two visions about me that you failed to mention.”
Her heart began to pound. How did he know that?
“In the first one,” he said, lowering his voice, “we were naked in bed and I was touching your—”
“Holy crap,” she whispered, dropping her arms and gaping at him.
His lips twitched. “I was going to say breast, but—”
“How do you know about that?” she blurted.
“The same way I know that in the second vision, you were cupping my face in your hands—as you did earlier—and I kissed you and pulled you up against me, sliding my hand down over your lovely bottom. I read your thoughts and saw it as clearly as you did.”
Speech eluding her, Dana stared at him so long that her eyes began to burn.
“Blink,” he instructed.
She did.
“I know it’s a bit of a shock,” he murmured, eyeing her with some concern.
“A bit of a shock,” she parroted numbly.
“I know it feels… intrusive. But I didn’t read your thoughts the whole time. Most of the time I can control what I hear and don’t hear and can block others’ thoughts fairly easily.” Younger telepathic immortals weren’t so lucky. “But when the visions struck you, I saw them as clearly as you did without even trying. I think because we’re both gifted.”
She hadn’t told anyone about those visions. There was no way he could’ve known about them without reading her mind. “Holy. Crap.”
His eyebrows rose.
“Are you reading my thoughts right now?” she asked.
“Yes. They’re a little chaotic. I’m sorry I’ve shaken you up so much. I just wanted you understand why I haven’t dated in so long and hoped you’d appreciate my honesty.”
Honesty! He had read her thoughts! He had apparently been reading them all this time, saying exactly what he knew she wanted him to say and—
His brows drew together. “Now wait a minute. That’s not true. I would never use what I saw in your thoughts to manipulate you. If that had been my intent, I never would’ve told you I’m telepathic.”
“Dude,” a voice interrupted, “you told her you’re telepathic?”
Aidan swung around and shot a glare at Sheldon.
Dana guessed Sheldon was in his early twenties. Tracy looked to be thirty or thereabouts. Both eyed her and Aidan with great interest as they gathered their laptops and gear and stopped by Dana and Aidan’s table on their way to the door.
“Sheldon,” Aidan growled, definitely a warning.
“You know he’s telepathic?” Dana asked his friend.
“Yeah,” Sheldon responded simply. The woman at his side nodded. Neither seemed to view it as anything extraordinary, as if she had just asked them if they knew Aidan could play the piano.
“It doesn’t bother you?” Dana pressed.
Sheldon gave a dismissive shrug. “Nah. Aidan’s a good guy. He almost never reads my mind.”
Aidan grimaced. “Because there’s too much porn and weird shite up there.”
Tracy laughed and gave Sheldon’s shoulder a shove. “Freak.”
Sheldon grinned. “You know it.” Then he caught Dana’s eye. “I’m surprised he told you. People don’t usually react well when they find out he’s different. I’d think you’d understand that since you’re different, too.”
He knew she was a psychic? “How did you—?”
“I heard a rumor that Aidan was smitten with a psychic.” He shrugged. “When I saw you two together, I assumed you were her.”
Aidan frowned. “Where’d you hear that?”
Sheldon hesitated. “Cliff let it slip while we were playing video games. You won’t hold it against him, will you? He didn’t mean to. He was just… more distracted than usual. And Tracy is the only person I’ve told.”
Aidan shook his head. “It’s fine.”
Tracy smiled. “We’d better go before Sheldon says anything else that will embarrass you.” Taking Sheldon’s arm, she urged him toward the door. “You two have a nice evening.”
“What’d I say that embarrassed him?” Sheldon asked, puzzled.
She whispered something to him.
Sheldon snorted. “Yeah, right. Like she didn’t already know he’s smitten. It’s so obvious.”
Tracy pushed him into the hallway and closed the door after them.
In the wake of their departure, Aidan swung back around and met Dana’s gaze with obvious reluctance. “Apparently there’s something else I failed to tell you that you should probably know.”
Seriously? Something else? “What’s that?” she asked, unsure she wanted to hear it.
He sighed. “I suck at dating.”
Dana laughed.
Dianne loves all things creative. When she isn't writing, Dianne is active in the independent film industry and has even appeared on-screen, crawling out of a moonlit grave and wielding a machete like some of the vampires she has created in her books.
For the latest news on upcoming releases, contests, and more, please visit www.DianneDuvall.com. You can also find Dianne online . . .
Up for grabs:
(1) $50 Amazon Gift Card
(1)$25 Amazon Gift Card
(1) Immortal Guardians Prize pack
I'm so looking forward to reading this. I love Diannes books!! Thanks for the chance and good luck to all.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary! I hope you'll enjoy Aidan and Dana's book!
DeleteSounds great. How do you come up with your characters' names? Thanks for the chance :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Lisa. It may sound odd, but the easiest names for me to come up with in my series are those of the immortals. Most of the Immortal Guardians have lived hundreds or even thousands of years. So I research the names that were popular around the time of their births in the countries in which they were born, and usually one name will just leap out at me as the one that best suits him or her. :-)
DeleteCongrats on the tour and thanks so much for the excerpt and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThanks, James!
DeleteI can't wait for Aidan's book to come out. Dianne your books are amazing. Thanks for a chance at the giveaways (fingers crossed)😀💖
ReplyDeleteThank you, Melinda! I'm so glad you're enjoying them. I hope you'll like Aidan and Dana's story. I had so much fun writing it. :-)
DeleteThank you for hosting Dianne today on the BLADE OF DARKNESS (09/19/17) blog tour. I hope that your readers enjoy this look into the book! - Crystal
ReplyDeleteI was so excited to read the excerpt this morning!! Love all of the Immortal Guardian's! Good luck to everyone entering this contest!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked it, Christine! Have fun with Aidan and Dana!
DeleteI feel like I've been waiting forever for this book haha. So excited! Preordered in June! Congrats on another amazing upcoming release.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chrissie! Only two weeks to go! I hope you'll enjoy Aidan and Dana's story!
DeleteLooks very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Olga!
DeleteCongrats and so can't wait read this book!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jacklynn!! I hope you'll like it. :-)
DeleteI can't wait for this book! I'm so excited.
ReplyDeleteHi, Taylor! Thanks for joining us! I hope you'll like Aidan and Dana's book. :-)
DeleteI preordered this back in July. Now counting down the DAYS
ReplyDeleteOnly two weeks to go, Cheryl! I hope you'll like it! :-)
DeleteI really enjoyed the description of the book. Sounds like a fascinating read.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dianne. So glad you liked it. :-)
DeleteI really enjoyed the description of the book. Sounds like a fascinating read.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this one. So excited.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rae! I hope you'll enjoy it!
DeleteSo excited for this book!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Vanessa! I hope you'll like it! :-)
DeleteThanks so much for helping me celebrate the big release!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the excerpt, thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rita. I'm glad you liked it. :-)
DeleteBlade of Darkness sounds great! Love the cover. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThank you, Linda! :-)
DeleteGreat excerpt & I love the cover, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Victoria! :-)
DeleteLove the book and this is my favorite series! Love Dianne Duvall!!!!
ReplyDeleteWrapping you up in a big hug, Buffy! <3
DeleteThe excerpt! Such fun.
ReplyDelete"You look a bit like you want to hit me over the head with the breadbasket." ...Permission to use at some unknown and very random point in the future? :)
--Ann
LOL. So glad you like it, Ann! :-)
Deletecan't wait, love this series.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you'll enjoy it. :-)
DeleteSounds so good.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lori! :-)
DeleteThanks for sharing with us the excerpt, I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Chiara! :-)
DeleteWhat inspires you to create such awesome plots?
ReplyDeletemia2009(at)comcast(dot)net
Hi, Edye. Honestly, this is just how the plots unfold in my imagination when I sit down to write. Sometimes I consciously ask myself what-if questions to get there. But most of the time, I just start writing and the story takes me where it will. :-) So glad you're enjoying the series!
Deletecongrats and sounds great
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jodi!
DeleteCan't wait to read this. Sounds awesome.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy! I hope you'll like it, :-)
DeleteI love this series. I can't wait to read this book and add it to my collection!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you're enjoying the series, Amie!
DeleteI've had this on pre-order since it was available!! Not too much longer!
ReplyDeleteOnly 8 days to go now! I hope you'll enjoy Aidan and Dana's story, Glenda!
DeleteI'm really looking forward to reading this!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll enjoy it!
Deletesuper sexy cover and the blurb sounds great!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the tour and thank you for the excerpt and giveaway.
ReplyDeleteWhat was your hardest scene to write?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the post
ReplyDeleteLove the cover. Thanks for the chance to win
ReplyDeleteI love this series!
ReplyDeleteI love this series!
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very intriguing, thank you for the reveal!
ReplyDeleteOh I loved the excerpt between Aidan and Dana! So funny how she didnt believe him until he told her...what she has been thinking! I love the humor between them, and cannot wait to read. I will be hoping for plenty of time for them to both find happiness!!!
ReplyDeleteTouching someone and knowing their future would be intriguing but also quite scary. Curiousity is something I have alot of cant wait to read this :)
ReplyDeleteI would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including Blade of Darkness. I wish the best in keeping up the good work in the future.
ReplyDelete