Catching Up With Dianna Love-Interview and Giveaway
The Reading Cafe is thrilled to welcome back Dianna Love. Last week, Dianna released her 3rd book in her Slye Temp series, Honeymoon to Die For. On July 30th, Dianna and Sherrilyn Kenyon will release the 4th book in their Belador series, Rise of the Gryphon. She is here to discuss both books, as well as what else we may have to look forward to in 2013/2014
Before we start the interview, let’s refresh your memory about Dianna.
Dianna Love was born in Sarasota, Florida and grew up in the Tampa Bay area. She fell out of the womb a portrait artist and soon realized she was right brain/left brain, because she loved mathematics and business as much as creating art. Leaning on her artistic background, she started hand painting signs and then moved on to scaling billboards, where she was the rare female artist who would go a hundred feet in the air to paint someone’s portrait 20’ tall. While going from that to building Olympic projects for companies like Coca-Cola, she was a voracious reader of everything from thrillers, romance, sci-fi and fantasy to memoirs and biographies. But fiction was always her first love in reading. She started entertaining herself during fifteen-hour days by making up stories. After spending many years traveling across country to create unusual marketing projects for Fortune 500 company, she’s now released her energetic muse on creating high-octane romantic thriller stories and urban fantasy.
Her first book won the prestigious RITA® Award (as Dianna Love Snell) and she now has a new Slye Temp romantic thriller series in 2013 – LAST CHANCE TO RUN (available), NOWHERE SAFE(available), HONEYMOON TO DIE FOR (June/2013) and KISS THE ENEMY (fall). Dianna also co-writes the Belador urban fantasy series with #1 NYT best seller Sherrilyn Kenyon. RISE OF THE GRYPHON is the next Belador release (July/2013).
When not speaking at national and international events throughout the year, Dianna lives in the metro Atlanta area with her motorcycle-instructor husband and a tank full of unruly saltwater fish named after celebrities.
Now let’s talk to Dianna.
TRC: Hi Dianna. Thank you for taking the time to visit us again at The Reading Cafe, and to give us an update on your two new releases, as well as what else you may have upcoming in 2013 or early 2014.
Dianna: Thank you for having me again. I love to visit The Reading Café (I always think what a great blog name that is).
TRC: This month, you have just released your third book in your Romance suspense series, Slye Temp. Can you please tell us the premise of this series, for those who may not have read it?
Dianna: The idea for this series came to me when I was first writing Last Chance To Run (LCTR), which is why LCTR is the prequel novel. The Slye Temp series is about an independent black ops team led by Sabrina Slye, one very deadly woman you wouldn’t want to cross. After a mission in the UK went bad two years back, she and her team dropped out of sight to heal their wounds. When they resurfaced, Sabrina opened Slye Temp, an elite corporate security agency. At least, that’s what the public sees at street level. Below ground is where covert missions to protect national security are planned in the war room. Every story is a stand-alone romantic thriller about one of the agents finding love in the most unexpected—and inconvenient--place, but there is also an over-arcing plot going on in the background that progresses with each book. These are high-action stories with powerful romance at the center of each one.
TRC: Can you give a brief description of your new novel in the Slye Temp series, Honeymoon to Die For?
NOTE: If you haven’t read Nowhere Safe – skip this because it’s going to give away a spoiler.
Dianna: Ryder Van Dyke was introduced as a new Slye Temp agent in Nowhere Safe. During that story, he did a favor for someone in his family, which ended with him being arrested for murder. At the opening of Honeymoon To Die For, he’s being held for trial, but he’s being held in a prison due to the nature of the charge and his Special Forces skills.
When something unexpected happens in the prison yard, the FBI sees the chance to coerce Ryder into gaining evidence they need to go after a man they believe is a traitor – Ryder’s father. The deal requires Ryder and Special Agent Bianca Brady to team up, and it turns out nothing like either one expects.
TRC: Rise of the Gryphon is your next book in the Belador series, which is expected to be released on July 30th. Can you give us a brief description of this book?
Dianna: Rise of the Gryphon is a major turning point in the arc of the Belador series. Evalle Kincaid meets her greatest challenge personally and on the battlefield. In this book, Evalle decides she’s ready to take her relationship with Storm to the next step, but things are never easy for her and this is no different.
At the same time, she has to turn her back on her beloved Beladors to save them.
TRC: Justifiable is the first book in your Riley Walker series. Would you please give us a brief description of this series? Are you and Wes Sarginson planning on a new book soon?
Dianna: This series started as an idea that Wes had back when we first met. He’d filmed a special on me for television, and we hit it off. He kept calling to discuss this book idea and I would always explain how to develop the characters and plot, but he wanted me to co-write it with him. I was hesitant only because I had so much on my plate at the time, but I finally gave in (Wes is very persuasive!).
This series is about a television news anchor who was at the top of his game (like Wes) when something very bad happened to destroy his reputation (not like Wes). Riley moves to Philadelphia and takes a job with the lowest-ranked station in the city. He gets a chance at a big story there, but it turns into his worst nightmare when he realizes there are parallels to the incident that cost him everything. But he can’t turn his back on the story because a child is in jeopardy and a killer is targeting innocent adults. Book two is in the plotting stage and we hope to have it out next year.
Link to our Justifiable review:
TRC: You also write a new series, The Red Moon series, as Micah Caida. What can you tell us about this series, and why you decided to use a pen name?
Dianna: Mary Buckham and I are collaborating on this series. We debated about using our names since we’ve been published for a while, but decided we wanted to keep the young adult series separate from our adult books.
Time Trap is book one of the four-book Red Moon series, all of which will be out by the end of 2014. This series is like nothing else out there, but the books target fans of The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy about Rayen, a seventeen-year-old girl who wakes up in a strange land (on Earth) and is being chased by a sentient beast. She has no idea who she is or why everything seems unfamiliar, at first. She forms an unlikely alliance with a computer-savvy street punk and a gifted, oddball girl to save their world – and the future – which is how Rayen meets an unusual seventeen-year-old boy who is as deadly as he is attractive.
TRC: What are you currently working on now? Also, would you like to share with us what you may have upcoming in 2013 or early 2014.
Dianna: Right now, I’m working on the next Slye Temp novel – Kiss The Enemy– that will be out this fall (2013). The next YA book will be Time Return (Book two in the Micah Caida Red Moon series) that Mary and I plan to have out this winter. In 2014, I’ll release two more Slye Temp books and the last two in the Red Moon Series, plus (we hope) the next Riley Walker and possibly a New Adult novel I have in mind.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Dianna: I would love to remind readers that they can get free, signed cover cards in the www.KeeperKase.com program. The glossy cards are 4 x 6, and will fit in any photo album or brag book. I’m giving away the Keeper Cards, and the list of other authors offering cards is constantly growing. This is a program I created just for readers and am thrilled to see the response. If they read e-books, now they can collect the autographed cards to put on their Keeper Shelves the way we all used to keep autographed books, but all readers are welcome to get the cards, whether they read e-books or print books.
TRC: Thank you, Dianna for giving us an update on what we can look forward to in 2013/2014, and we wish you the best with both new releases.
Dianna: Thanks so much Barb. It’s always a pleasure to visit with you here and catch up with what’s been happening. I’ll be around to chat today if anyone has questions or comments.
If you want to know more about Dianna, you can visit her at the following links:
Website:
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads:
Dianna has graciously offered two lucky members of The Reading Cafe a signed copy of her lastest release, Honeymoon To Die For.
1. You must be a member at The Reading Cafe. If you are not a member, please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.
2. If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.
3. Giveaway open to US Only
4. Contests runs from July 10 to July 13, 2013
Rise Of The Gryphon
Belador Series
Sherrilyn Kenyon & Dianna Love
Release Date: July 30, 2013
Links to order:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository
If dying is the cost of protecting those you love… bring it.
An Alterant who fights trolls, demons, and other deadly creatures, Evalle is an outcast among the Beladors. But now she can change all that – and finally get answers about her origins. In her attempt to take down the Belador traitor and bring home a captured friend, she infiltrates the dangerous Medb coven where she discovers exactly what an Alterant really is…and the news is not good for the Beladors.
Meanwhile, Evalle’s best friends Tzader and Quinn face unthinkable choices, as relationships with the women they love grow twisted. Evalle’s relationship with the Skinwalker Storm takes a major step and becomes complicated when the witchdoctor he’s been hunting begins to stalk her. With death breathing down her neck, Evalle is forced to embrace her destiny . . . but at what price?
Honeymoon To Die For
Slye Temp Series
Dianna Love
Release Date: June 27,2013
Links to order:
Amazon / Barnes & Noble
She’s convinced he’s guilty. He knows he’s not.
Can they survive long enough to prove who’s right?
Former Slye agent RYDER VAN DYKE is facing conviction for a murder he didn’t commit. When his last hope for freedom disintegrates, the FBI offers a deal – a commuted sentence if Ryder helps them nail a deadly criminal … his father.
FBI analyst BIANCA BRADY wants justice for the death of her best friend. Now all she needs is proof that the Van Dyke patriarch is guilty of funding terrorist operations. She’s willing to do whatever it takes to make Van Dyke criminals pay, or so she thinks. But there’s a catch.
The only way to get an FBI agent inside the family compound and Van Dyke Enterprises is as Ryder’s legal wife. Ryder has his own plan – to prove his innocence or use his Special Forces skills to disappear. But deadly secrets, an international security threat and a killer with a vendetta force Ryder to make the ultimate choice – give up his freedom or risk the life of the woman who’s stolen his heart.
so nice to see you again, dianna. i am looking forward to reading your slye temp series, as honeymoon to die for sounds great
Hi Mari – Great to see you again. I’m usually out here with the chickens early in the morning, but I had to make a run to the airport to drop a friend for a flight. It’s nice to come out and find out I’m not alone. 🙂 Thanks for reading my series. Slye Temp is one I created a long time back, but never had the time to publish. I took time off the road over the past two years so I could bring this series to light and am having a great time with it. Thanks for coming by today!
Hey Dianna, I’m excited about Rise of the Gryphon, and your Honeymoon book looks terrific.
Hi Eric –
I have waited for 3 years to see Rise of the Gryphon released. I created this series years ago before Sherri and I decided to collaborate so I’ve known for a long time that this book would be a major arc in the series. I hope you enjoy it! And I do hope you try Honeymoon To Die For or the other two in the Slye Temp series. If you like black ops type plots, I think you’d like this. One of my resources is a former Special Forces soldier (I dedicated this book to him) who has helped me on weapons and technical operation details through a lot of books. Thanks for coming by to say hello!
Good morning everyone! Thank you, Barb, for having me back at the TRC!!! And a huge thanks for reviewing my two newest books. I’ve never had 2 out in one month – you’re a goddess to read and review them so soon. I’ll be around all day to visit. 🙂
Great interview Barb And Dianna. It is always a pleasure to meet the author behind the books we read and review. Love the catching up interviews..
Congratulations on the new releases. A busy year of writing.
Hi Sandy – yes, a busy year and I wouldn’t have it any other way even if it does mean things are hectic here a lot. Thankfully my husband is a personality who rolls with it all and is such a huge support that I can spend the time writing. If you’d like to see a little more on the ‘behind the scenes’ you might like to check out the interview Barb posted Monday on my assistant, Cassondra Murray. I enjoyed seeing it from Cassondra’s side. She’s a real joy to work with! Thanks for visiting here today!
Hey Dianna welcome back to TRC. Congrats on your new releases. They sound very interesting. Looking forward to getting into your Belador series and checking out your other series too.
Hi Marcie – Great to be back here!! Thanks for checking out my new series and I’m so thrilled that Rise of the Gryphon will be out at the end of this month instead of the usual Oct (took a lot of asking for that). Thanks for stopping by today!
Wonderful catching up interview. Thank you for the spotlight on the upcoming books.
Hi Sassy – I just love the way Barb does her blog, interviews and reviews. I’m always recommending this site for readers to find new reads they’ll enjoy. 🙂 Thanks for visiting here today!
Glad to see you again, Dianna. I too love the Belador series, and I can’t wait for the new book. Especially after reading Barb’s review.
I will look into reading your Slye Temp series.
Hi Amy – Nice to see you again, too! Oh, I’m so thrilled you’re enjoying the Belador series. 🙂 I wish I could snap my fingers and have then new Gryphon book out now, but it’s soon at least. What a time in my writing cave with Storm … *fans self* 🙂 Thanks for taking a look at my Slye Temp series. I appreciate you coming by today!
Welcome back Dianna. I love the premise of your Slye Temp series. I have not read the Belador series, but Barb’s review makes it sound great.
Hi Mercy – I love to come here and catch up with everyone. 🙂 So nice to see you again. Thanks for reading my Slye Temp series. It’s been so much fun to put those out this year – I have a fourth one coming this fall and more in 2014. Barb’s reviews rock!! Thanks for looking into the Beladors and I appreciate you coming out to visit today!
Great Interview, and welcome back Dianna… love your books but haven’t got into the Slye Temp series yet. I have a tbr stack a librarian would love to own. sigh… but I have the rest of your books 😀 And most are read. Some things you just don’t put off.
LOL, Mary Ann, I can identify with that stack. 🙂 Thanks for reading my books – any of them! It’s nice to see you again and I hope you get a chance to read a Slye Temp. I’m jumping on the blog today from my cave where I’m working on the next one (Kiss the Enemy). It’s been nice to get books out sooner for all the readers who hate waiting a year between books. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to say hello!
Welcome Back Dianna!! I love when our favorite authors visit us again! I enjoyed meeting Cassondra the other day! You have a great team! I am behind on your series, so this was a good reminder to move them to the head of the line, where they rightfully belong!! 🙂
Hi Jules (I have a dear friend I call Jules :->) – It’s always a pleasure to visit TRC and hang out with everyone. I loved the interview that Barb did on Cassondra (Barb is so smart like that!). I do have a great team. I feel extremely blessed to have Cassondra and my husband who do so much so that I can write. Then there is her husband who is a former Special Forces soldier who helps with technical and weapon details on every book (and beta reads them – so glad he enjoys the stories), plus more readers, copy editors, professional formatter, cover artist, web architect and graphic artists. On top of all that, I have readers – the best team ever!!! 🙂 thanks for swinging by to visit today!
Hi Dianna, welcome back to TRC. I’m at work sneaking in here. lol You are making me blush with your compliments, but TRC has a great team too. 🙂
I so enjoy working with you and Cassondra. 🙂
Hi Barb – I figured we’d see you later. You earn all the compliments. You’ve done a super job building this site to be such a reader and author friendly hang out. 🙂 Have a good day!
Great interview Dianna and welcome back to TRC! Your series sounds amazing .. will have to check it out for sure! 🙂
Rachel 🙂
Hi Rachel – Kudos to Barb because it takes a great interviewer to end up with something that sounds interesting. 🙂 Thanks for checking out my series. I hope you enjoy the books and I appreciate you stopping by today!
Our Sandy and Barb give the interviews in my honest opinion! It’s the little tidbits that I love to read about! 🙂
*BEST INTERVIEWS*
Hi Dianna, and hello again to everyone at TRC! Wonderful interview., and I have to agree that both books out this month–HONEMOON TO DIE FOR and RISE OF THE GRYPHON –are the best yet in their series.
And I have Cassondra to thank for her part in helping me give my readers the best I can. 🙂 Hi Cassondra. *waves*
Welcome back, Dianna. Love the catching up interviews where we get an update on what’s happening.
Hi Alicia – I love to come back here and visit. You’re all so wonderful and Barb is the best for sharing my new books. Readers have asked me to write more over the past few years so I took off time and the result is more books. 🙂 I’m so happy to write more and hope you enjoy the new series. Thanks for stopping by today!
love your books and cant wait for the next Belador to come out
HI Sistersher – Ah, thanks a bunch for reading my books!! I’m excited about Rise Of The Gryphon too!! Counting the days. 🙂 Thanks for coming by to say hello!
just found out i won one of the books in the giveaway..ty..
Congrats!
Hi Dianna. Thank you so much for coming by. All the series sound great. Must admit I haven’t read any of them But I will try the Slye series.
Hi Fran – Nice to meet you here! I hope you do give the series a try. If you like alpha heroes, strong women, action and plenty of romance – then these might just be for you! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to visit today!
OH yes, Dianna has an awesome Alpha hero in Ryder. Did I say I love Ryder Van Dyke.
But she also has super female kickass heroines, and Evalle is the best. Also, Dianna has the cutest pet, I adore totally adore Feenix the lovable gargoyle in the Belador series.
I do love Feenix. I want my own. 🙂 He might be able to scare some sense into my saltwater tank critters. 🙂
Wonderful interview. Dianna, I already read and love your Belador series. But I after reading the review, I am going to give your Slye Temp series a shot. Also I never heard of your YA series. Interesting.
Hi Bran and thanks for reading my Belador series!! I really appreciate you trying the Slye Temp books. There’s always a big story plot with twists and turns. I always joke that it has to be fast paced or “I” stop writing b/c I have to entertain me first. LOL! Yes, the YA series is a bit unusual. It’s a sci-fi/fantasy we’ve been told constantly is like nothing else out there. We plan to release book 2 this November. Thanks for reading my books and for stopping by!
Congrats on the new release, Dianna. I’ve been a fan since I picked up the BAD books and look forward to reading the Slye Temp series.
Hi Janiec – I decided to release the Slye Temp books b/c of so many readers who wanted more high-concept romantic thrillers, a genre I really love writing. Actually, I can’t write a grocery list without suspense 🙂 so it’s in all my books, but I have wanted to release Slye Temp for a while and finally stopped traveling so much to allow the time I needed to put out a quality read. I so appreciate that you’ve been with me that long and that you’re going to give Slye Temp a try. And thanks for coming by to say hello today!!
I come here often, it is a fun site. But this is the first time I am posting. I love that you are talking to all of us about your book. I am enjoying this
Hi Paula – I’m so flattered that you decided to post. My most favorite thing about being an author is meeting readers. So this is a treat for me today!! 🙂 I can see why you come here often – Barb does a great job with keeping this blog interesting and full of great reading material. I’m a reader too so I love to peruse and visit as reader as well. Glad you’re enjoying it and thanks for saying hello!
Great catching up interview ladies. Nice to see Dianna has had a very busy year. Congratulations.
LOL, my family wonders if I’m still around, Alexiis ( I have name envy now). I’ve been locked in my cave pretty nonstop except when I took off for a motorcycle trip with my husband 2 weeks ago, but I love to ride my bike. I plot when I’m riding down back roads. 🙂 Thanks for visiting here today and for the congrats. 🙂
Great interview Ladies. Nice to see you again Dianna , Love your Belador series, Evalle so rocks . Looking forward to the new read Rise of the Gryphon. Congrats.
Yayyyyyyyyy Lori, I so agree. Evalle is awesome, and her Feenix is not bad himself. I missed not seeing him too much.
Hi Lori – Great to see you!! Thanks on the Belador series. 🙂 Evalle and Storm were one heck of a story in themselves besides what goes on around them so I’m anxious for you to get that one, too!! Thanks a bunch for stopping by and for the kind words. I appreciate it. 🙂
I’m signing off for the night, but I’ll swing by in the morning to answer any of the really late night owls who post. 🙂 thanks again to everyone who came out today and to Barb for a terrific post! Thanks also for the reviews. I so appreciate you reading my books! 🙂
Dianna, what were you doing up at 11:30pm when you get up at 4am lol
Don’t thank me, I love your writing. 🙂
LOL – I did a Fast Chat on my Facebook and finished packaging book prizes that had to be shipped today. Can’t find those little fairies who should come in and do that at night. 🙂
Nice to meet you Dianna. I love the Belador series. I will be looking into your Slye Temp series. The review makes it sound great.
HI Iraida – Nice to meet you too!! And thank you for reading the Beladors. It is so nice that you took the time to come out and tell me that. I hope you do try Slye Temp and enjoy them as much as I enjoyed writing them! Barb is reviewer extraordinaire!! Thanks for stopping by!
Great interview and wonderful information on what sounds like wonderful stories! Welcome Diana, it’s so good of you to come by to chat. Whoa! you are one very busy woman! How do you keep all the stories straight while you go from one to the other? You have so much in your head, and yet find time to create more and more…incredible. Do you ever find your life confused and wonder where you are in the story? LOL