A Message from Dianna and Elizabeth...

I'm not sure where to start with this post, so perhaps I should start by saying I'm the world's worst blogger. I apologise, especially to Elizabeth, profusely for this.

We're all told when we start out writing/publishing, "You should blog; get your word out any way you can!" And so on and so on. I started self-publishing in December 2010, and I can safely say that "any way you can" is never the best way to go (at least for me) because what's become obvious is that not all ways suit everyone, and I, for some mysterious reason I might never understand, almost always struggle with the ways that suit most other people.

I'm not good at blogging.

I think the main issue is that I don't enjoy talking about the process of writing while I'm actually writing; nor the book I'm currently working on for that matter. It spoils the evolution of the story, somewhat, for me, and since I'm writing most of the time between publications, that leaves me not a lot to blog about!

So, it's with a heavy heart and wishing that I was a little better at this blogging gig, that I spoke to Elizabeh a few nights ago and decided to cease my part in this blog. After considering the options (e.g. recruiting someone else to take my place and blog with her), Elizabeth has also decided that it may be best to close the blog. But I shall leave her to say her bit below.

Can I extend the hugest of thanks to all the readers over the years who have followed us on here. You will be able to catch both of us in other places. Here's my list below...

Catch Dianna on:

• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/authordiannahardy This is the place where she chats the most; where you can also find contests and giveaways and all the latest updates on her books.
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/TheWitchingPen
• Instagram - https://instagram.com/authordiannahardy/
• Google Plus - https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DiannaHardy/posts
• TSU - https://www.tsu.co/AuthorDiannaHardy

And perhaps most importantly, you can sign up to two of my newsletters: a Release Day Newsletter and a more regular one about my latest updates.

~ * ~

Hey folks,

Well, this is my last Monday post and well, the last post for Not Just A Stiff Upper Lip. I can't say that blogging has ever been my forte. Sometimes I have something to say, but a lot of the time I don't and therefore you get bombarded with posts that sound like I am whining, or just rambling on about nonsense, or tons of updates. If I am being honest most of the time - and the main reason my posts are always closer to midnight - it's because I've sat for an hour or longer trying to come up with something interesting to talk about, and most of the time it works, but a lot of the time it's hard to know what to say. I feel bad for constantly going on about random things and no doubt boring you all to death.

So yes, Dianna and myself have decided that it would be best to close the blog down. You can, as Dianna has pointed out, find us elsewhere online. I do have my own blog, but it is more used to host other authors and their work, though I do have the odd ramble every now and again. I am mainly on Facebook. I'm a status author more than anything and tend to keep all forms of info short and sweet.

Website: www.e-morgan.com

Blog: www.xxxxmyworldxxxx.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: @EMorgan2010

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ElizabethMorgan

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.morgan.944

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/elizabethm2012/boards/

TSU: https://www.tsu.co/ElizabethMorgan

Thank you so much for joining us here every week for the last three years. You're all awesome and we hope that we will still see you around online. Take care.

Elizabeth xxx

Vlog: Feb 2015 Writing Updates - Disgraced, Eye Of The Storm and Summer's End

Feb 2015 Writing Updates - Disgraced, Eye Of The Storm and Summer's End

Unedited, stream of consciousness babble updates about the difficulties of submitting to Lucifer's wishes. (That sounds way more kinky than it is.) If you want to hear only about Eye Of The Storm updates, fast forward to 6:47. If you want to hear only about Summer's End updates, fast forward to 10:47. Apologies for the itch I had in my ear at 11:27.

For all my books, visit http://www.diannahardy.com

A writing slump, "the ring", and a new infatuation (which I hope is temporary).

It's been a funny month for me. I've found it ridiculously hard to get going this month in most areas of my life, as if my mind and body have just gone, "Nope. I ain't getting back to work, not yet - I need a longer break."

On the writing front, well, it's certainly happening, but at a pace about 66% slower than I'd like. I write 500 words and then I stop. It's like my brain chooses to shut down after just half an hour or so of writing. It's not fun; it's not productive, but there seems to be not a lot I can do about it at the moment. I've spent many hours analysing it and trying to come up with a solution - maybe it's burnout, maybe it's distraction, maybe it's writer's block - and I've come up with nothing, because it doesn't feel exactly like any of those things. There's a chance that it's partly grief, but I don't really want to talk about that. And grief is such an elusive bugger it doesn't a hundred percent feel like grief either.

I have hit the 10% mark with Disgraced. Like I said, I should have hit 30% by now, but it's just not happening. The story is there, but writing anything feels like trudging through mud. However, I usually post an excerpt for readers every 10% or so, so here is the first one...

Ooooo ... exciting, huh? Yes, I did - I got very excited about this excerpt :) Despite what I've just said above, I am still confident about getting the book out to you by the end of April. I'm just going with it and trusting that somewhere in here, I know what I'm doing and it'll all work out.

Other non-writing things

I will not harp on, again, about how I've just got engaged to my ten-year partner, but I did promise you all a look at the ring. Well, I've taken over ninety pictures of the ring and I'm not one little bit ashamed of that :D

I've included one mosaic picture for you to see, and two pictures where I managed to catch the diamond's "glow"...

Glow #1 (unfiltered)

Glow #2 (unfiltered)

All taken under natural light, then put into a mosaic, then filter added to soften the edges of overall image.

In other non-writing news, I have been replenishing my make-up. This sounds very boring, and I was expecting it to be very boring, but I haven't really even LOOKED at make-up for twenty years (all my old make-up that I threw out was twenty years old - I barely ever wear the stuff, which is why it lasts so long), and my gosh! Make-up has changed a lot since I last shopped for it! The variety now seems even greater than it was then, and I found myself lost in this massive sea of beautiful craziness. A lot of high-end brands have upped their game, too, in the last twenty years, taking out a lot of nasties from their ingredients, and the selection of natural make-up (from smaller, unknown cosmetic companies) has also grown. It remains really hard to find natural / (mostly) organic make-up that actually looks good and stays on, but there are some successes if you bother to take the time to look and try them. I have also become rather infatuated with make-up palettes (from any brand, high-end or drugstore; I'm not being fussy in this instance) - they're so PRETTY. When did that happen? Make-up used to be so boring to look at - not any more!

Anyway... yes, bye-bye twenty-year make-up; hello new pretty world of bad-for-my-pocket fun.

Back to writing... 

Look out for the blurb and cover reveal for Summer's End on 13th February, hosted by Hot Tree Promotions. While there's an outside chance I might not get this book written this year (it's last on my list of three), I do want the cover and blurb out there - it's very motivating for the writing to have it out there.

So, this is my plan: chill out, relax, don't worry. Everything will work out eventually, because it always does.

Have a great rest of the week and weekend, everyone :)

Dianna xx

What inspires you?

This is probably the question I get asked most as an author: what inspires you to write? The answer isn't complicated and one word sums it up: beauty. I am inspired by beauty. The tricky bit is that I find many things beautiful (and not just objects, but actions and thoughts), and sometimes they are things that other people might not find beautiful...

photo: afternoon beach © Dianna Hardy, 2014

• nature - almost any landscape or scenery
• historical buildings
• daunting, modern skyscrapers
• innovative design - new gadgets for practical things really press my beauty button
• colours and paints - in fact, I used to paint and draw quite a lot. Watercolours, pastels and graphite pencils were my favourite mediums. I also love make-up palettes. Looking at a beautifully laid out, pigmented, shimmery palette fills me with nice feelings, even though I only wear make-up less than half of the week, if that
• body art - tattoos, especially, are beautiful!
• the colours of nature - they simply can't be replicated or reproduced by man
• people - looking at an attractive man or woman (what I consider attractive) is always pleasurable - yes, man OR woman. Eyes capture me more than anything else, followed by how they wear a smile, followed by how they carry themselves as a person. And yes, I firmly believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is unequivocal. Everything we see is a perception
• people's thoughts - words, quotes, and the thoughts they keep hidden; the ones they do not say but that you can see between their words
• open-minded intelligence, coupled with sensitivity
• circles - I love circles, balls, spheres, domes
• the earth and the moon - especially when you can see the shadow of the moon making it spherical
• shadows - they are both mysterious and beautiful
• the way children play and act, so filled to the brim with unsuppressed life - I wish we would never lose this as we grow up. Having said that, I think I was an "old" child, and got younger as I got older
• raw emotion - this is beautiful to watch unfold when it is led by pure intention, whether it's anger, love, or fear
• conflict - this can be beautiful for the above reason, but it is also painful to witness. However, I am one of those people who can find beauty in pain and vulnerability. This doesn't mean I wish it in others, just that I see the beauty in it
• passion - for the same reasons as 'raw emotion'. Too few people are brave enough to be passionate about life, and to follow their passions
• travel, and others' stories of travel - I am a wanderluster at heart and always will be
• animals - every single one. (Although I'm less partial to furry caterpillars - I'll take spiders over furry caterpillars!)
• can I say nature again? I so love nature - everything we need can found in it. It provides for us and nourishes us, and that is beautiful in every respect

I find beauty in all the above, and more than can be listed, and writing is the tool I use to express that beauty. I also love trying to capture it in photographs - a hobby I shall be spending a little more time doing this year if I can.

What inspires you? Let us know!

Dianna xxx

Steaming straight into 2015 with ... a diamond ring!

Wow! What a start to the New Year!

Firstly, my writing goal is 1000 words a day, minimum, starting from two days ago. I am on target so far, LOL. Let's hope it lasts. My current writing project is Disgraced (Saving Eve, book one), which you can see here: http://www.diannahardy.com/saving-eve-series.html

Secondly, I have been tidying our teeny-tiny flat for the last month because this is hopefully the year we move out! I can't tell you how excited I am :D But it is a task and a half, although I'm having fun doing it because, FINALLY, our goal is reachable.

Last, but not least, yesterday, my partner and I celebrated our ten year anniversary of being together as a couple ... by getting engaged! I didn't see it coming, which was great, because I see most things coming. He's my best friend. He's seen the absolute worst side of me, and also sees the best, often when no one else does. In the space of ten years we've had agonising arguments, and moments too beautiful to put into words. We are both Scorpios, which means we sometimes sting each other, but we always come back to each other, because no one else quite "gets" that thing about each other the way we do. In some ways, it's nice to have had ten years to figure that out first, because now, I don't feel like we're in the middle of a relationship, or near the end - I feel like we're about to begin all over again. We sort of are. I'm lucky I'm (still) in love with my best friend. Guess how happy I am :)

So... there's a hell of a lot to do this year: write three books, sell two homes, buy a new home, and all the other things that come with moving. Wedding plans can wait until after all that, but I can safely say, I couldn't do all this with a better person than I'm doing it with. I'm really glad I got the chance to say 'yes'.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Dianna xxx

P.S. Photo of "the ring" posted next week (it's currently being customised to fit my very, very small finger!).

Vlog: Coming up in 2015, from Dianna Hardy

New #werewolf release, #free #Kindle book, and a #giveaway beginning on #Halloween!

Return Of The Wolf is out! Finally - here it is on sale :)

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Amazon AUS
Kobo
Barnes & Noble (Nook)
iBookstore / iTunes
Smashwords

If you're up to date with this series, I need to say no more about it. If you've not yet read this series, take a look at it on MY WEBSITE. Werewolves, thunderstorms, hunters, uncontrollable lust ... one hell of a ride! This is a highly erotic paranormal fantasy, pitting the instincts of man, against the instincts of beast.

Happy Anniversary is finally FREE ON AMAZON (US only)! After months and months of asking,

they've done it. They don't have to price match to free, so do grab this short, feel-good erotic romance while you can.

Claudia's been working too many nights, too hard. One drunken evening, she promises to make it up to her husband, Martin, on their anniversary – by doing anything he asks of her.

Martin is not only going to make sure she keeps her word, but is determined to remind her exactly what she's been missing these past few months.

Nominated for Best Indie Short Romance, 2013, at the Indie Romance Convention. 

Ranked #1 in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand on the iBooks Charts under Free Short Stories, February 2014. 

FREE at most eBook retailers.

Lastly, there is a giveaway beginning on Halloween to celebrate the release of Return Of The Wolf, and organised by Hot Tree Promotions. All you have to do is pop back here on Halloween (begins midnight 31st Oct, EST) and enter below - good luck! And do spread the word!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Have you got your copies yet?

I had plans to get a certain amount of things done this week, but due to outside circumstances I'm now a tad behind. Last night I was so tired I just had to go to bed and therefore forgot that Dianna and I had swapped days and that I was suppose to post this Thursday. Oops.

I'm afraid I'm going to be a little dull and just re-draw your attention back to Dianna's monday post:

FOUR WEREWOLF BOOKS # ONLY $0.99 EACH, AND.... WIN WOLVES!

If you haven't already see the post just click the above header and it will take you to Dianna's post, or just scroll down to the post beneath this.

She-Wolf (Blood Series: Prequel) and Cranberry Blood (Blood Series: Book One) by me, and Releasing the Wolf (Eye of the Storm Series: Book 1) and Cry of the Wolf (Eye of the Storm Series: Book 2) are currently on sale for $0.99. This is in celebration of the re-release of my Blood Series and to celebrate the upcoming release of book 4 in the Eye of the Storm Series, Return of the Wolf, which is available to pre-order now at a discounted price.

So, if you have been debating about trying my Blood Series, or Dianna Hardy's Eye of the Storm Series now is a good time to go for it. All four of these books are full length novels ranging from 50 to 97,000 words. So $0.99 is a bargain and one that will end on Oct 20th.

If the $0.99 Howling Sale isn't enough we are also holding a rafflecopter giveaway for you to adopt a wolf. Yes, an actual wolf and one that you get to pick.

All the details can be found in Dianna's post. Links to the books, and the rafflecopter is there so you can just go leave an entry if you're interested in adopting your own wolf.

The competition will end midnight Oct 20th, and all books will revert back to their original full price. So if you're interested make sure to check everything out before next Monday.

I hope you all have a fab weekend. :D

Return Of The Wolf pre-order, and a very busy October

First thing is first: Return Of The Wolf (Eye Of The Storm #4) is now available for pre-order as an eBook!

Take a look at the latest Newsletter online, and you'll find all the links: https://madmimi.com/p/399c55

Or....

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE - $2.99
Get it now! Goes up to the full price of $3.99 approx. 3 days after publication.

Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O3GWWSK
Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00O3GWWSK
Amazon AUS - http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00O3GWWSK
Kobo - http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/return-of-the-wolf-4
Barnes & Noble (Nook) - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/dianna-hardy
iBookstore / iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/return-wolf-eye-storm-4/id925134359?mt=11

Website for the whole series: http://www.diannahardy.com/eye-of-the-storm-series.html

Book four in the Eye Of The Storm series

The full moon has been and gone, beginning a new phase of greater surety for the wolves of Surrey and the mated four who lead them. Ryan's old pack from Wiltshire – a force to be reckoned with – have ensured their immediate safety from The Trident ... but what will they demand in return for their protection?

As Lydia and Lawrence heal old wounds, finding solace in each other, Ryan battles with his own past. He'd do anything to keep the pack he loves safe, but 'anything' might have consequences he never imagined.

Meanwhile, Selena's sole focus is in keeping herself intact as Gabriel relishes in breaking her. What will she have to become in order to survive?

And Sarah has some tough choices to make, all of which will test her beliefs and challenge her boundaries of what makes good, and what makes evil.

18+ (adult scenes and very strong language, including scenes which some readers may find uncomfortable)
Paranormal fantasy
Novel length at over 81,000 words
Written in British English

A busy month....

From 13th October, Elizabeth and I will be running a promo and giveaway, so look out for that.

The virtual signing for the Return Of The Wolf paperback will be open from 16th October for one week. This will be over at the Bitten Fruit Books website (the page isn't active yet).

Hot Tree Promotions will be hosting a THREE DAY BLITZ the day after ROTW releases and there will be more prizes to give away.

For my part, as soon as I've finished with the editing and formatting of the eBooks and paperback, I shall be starting on a 50,000 word, slightly gritty contemporary romance with a lot of heart :) The cover reveal or this will take place in November, along with the cover reveal or book 5 of Eye Of The Storm. All cover reveal details are here: http://www.diannahardy.com/in-the-media--events.html

So, all in all, a busy end of 2014 is coming up. Don't miss it, and hopefully, I won't either.

Dianna xx

Return Of The Wolf (Eye Of The Storm #4) - The Waning Moon and Introspection

57% into writing Return of The Wolf and I have to say that it's probably the hardest book I've ever written, and I'm not overly sure why. It could be because there's just been such a lot going on in my personal life that, three quarters of the way through the year, I feel kinda scattered. It could be because this book touches on some dark subject matter - all my books do, I guess - but with this one, the darkness needs to be spelled out a little more, so that readers can understand how and why the characters evolve the way that they do. I'm being very picky about how things are portrayed - everything needs to make sense and have a reason, but still be readable, without giving too much away straight away. The pattern has been, that I write a couple of chapters and then decide I don't like something and have to go back through the whole manuscript to change things, and this has happened a few times with this story.

Return Of The Wolf begins straight after the events of Heart Of The Wolf. The moon is now waning, and just as - metaphysically - that represent a phase of inner-reflection and settling, so shall it be with this book. The big climax happened at the end of Heart Of The Wolf  (and I mean that in every sense), and now everyone needs to process that, and deal with the consequences of their actions - new realisations also come to light now that everything is a little calmer.

This book contains just a little bit less action than the other three, and the focus is mostly on some deep healing for our favourite characters, before things take off again in book five (there will be six books altogether).

So, that's where I'm at. I think part of the reason this book is harder to write, is because part of me wants to put some huge plot twist in this one like my others (I might still do that), but this book isn't actually about twists and turns - it's about what happens after, and how you handle a straight long road after life has taken you on a bender, so to speak.

I'm intrigued to see how the next 43% pans out. I'm interested in seeing how readers will take to this one. Time will tell. But remember, there are still two more books to go ;)

Dianna xx

Cover / Blurb Reveal for 'Disgraced' - book one of the Saving Eve trilogy, by Dianna Hardy

Disgraced

(Book one of the Saving Eve trilogy.)

Amid long, wild grass, a snake slithers, hidden.

Hidden until a man opens his eyes…

Awaking with amnesia in St Mary's Hospital, after a near-fatal freak accident, he is known only as Luc. With the help of Evie Gold, the kind, young woman who found him, he starts a new life – a second chance, a clean slate.

A bond burgeons between them.

But disturbing dreams of dark deeds become waking recountings. His new life crumbles as Luc finds himself drawn to London's most depraved places, without understanding why. Inside him, a blackness is uncoiling – seductive, familiar and dangerously provocative.

An ancient craving stirs; an old addiction rises.

And suddenly, Luc find himself in a fight for redemption, never knowing from what until each new memory surfaces. But his next memory might just be his undoing, for it's a memory of Evie.

With a snake in one hand and an apple in the other, legs streaked with blood, she is screaming his name ... but it isn't Luc she's screaming.

It's Lucifer.

From the author of the international bestselling Witching Pen series, Dianna Hardy takes a seed from The Last Dragon and brings you book one of a brand new trilogy, steeped in eroticism, of a man, stripped of all, in the search for his light against the forces of an aeon of darkness.

Expected release: April, 2015

All ongoing info will be posted here: http://www.diannahardy.com/saving-eve-series.html

Sign up to Dianna's Release Day Newsletter so you don't miss a single book! http://www.diannahardy.com/release-day-newsletter-sign-up.html

Join Dianna on Facebook for up-to-date info on all her books: https://www.facebook.com/authordiannahardy

Excerpt of Return Of The Wolf (Eye Of The Storm #4), published October, 2014

I've decided to give you a lengthy excerpt tonight, since you're all so endlessly patient and understanding of the breaks between books - enjoy! (Just over three months to go!)

Return of The Wolf, unedited excerpt, copyright © Dianna Hardy, 2014. All rights reserved. Excerpt may be altered or deleted before publication.

BEWARE potential SPOILERS if you have not read Releasing The Wolf, Cry Of The Wolf, or Heart Of The Wolf


She half-ran down the stairs and made straight for the front door, letting nothing but her intuition guide her to … whatever would make her feel better. She didn't know what that would be, but it was her three mates she scanned for with her senses, automatically and without thought. And what an ability that had become overnight.

Since she'd transformed, it was as if they somehow lived in her. If she focused hard enough, she could feel where she ended and her mates began, even though they might be miles away, and she could catch the trails of their emotions – even their thoughts.

It was fucking weird.

And pretty damn cool.

So, she let her feet lead the way, behind the huge house, part of her wanting to shift, but another part of her feeling too self-conscious to do so – the whole thing was still so incredibly new, startlingly personal, and her human side hadn't completely left her yet. Maybe it never would.

She felt him there way before she saw him, but seeing him caught her breath a little, as it always did. He always looked magnificent – statuesque – his tall gait perfectly balanced, his flaxen hair, setting off a golden sheen against the last rays of sun. The profile of his face, currently turned away from her, was almost Roman in its structure, yet it was the legacy of what surely must be Scandinavian deities that shone through the armoured visage.

Ha! Right, let's add fuel to that ego of his…

Still, she'd never been able to deny his beauty from the second she'd laid eyes on it, nor, to some extent, him.

She wrinkled her nose in thought as the memory of her undoing her blouse and practically coming for him, right there, in the very public theatre restaurant, sprang up in her mind.

But the way he had looked at her… Don't even get me started on those eyes.

He knew she was there – of course he did – without needing to turn. Because the way she could 'feel' her mates … it was reciprocated.

Lawrence reached an arm out behind him and stretched his hand towards her, still with his back to her, facing the dilapidated, boarded up outbuilding to the south of the mansion.

She almost shifted then.

Her legs seemed to tremble at his presence, and although she was still a little pissed off he continued to have that affect on her, she could now also appreciate the splendour of it. The wolf in her had always relished her reaction to Lawrence. Human Lydia, however, would rather have that reaction to pretty much anything else. What ever happened to going ga-ga over a pair of Jimmy Choo's like a normal woman? Not that she'd ever been able to afford Jimmy Choo shoes…

Her bare feet led the way, not waiting for permission. She reached out and laced her fingers through Lawrence's own.


Return Of The Wolf is released on 30th October, 2014. All info on the series can be found here - http://www.diannahardy.com/eye-of-the-storm-series.html

#BlogTour The Spell of Summer #Giveaway #Contest #BookCover

First off, here's what you can win here on this stop: an eBook copy of The Spell of Summer and a exclusive necklace, made just for this tour, by Dzyne'd It.

International. Ends 7th July. All you have to do is answer the question in the comments, and you'll have to scroll down to find the question :)

Two Covers, Two Stories



What you see on the left and right are two different covers for the same book. The one with the couple on is for the eBook and the one with the woman on is for the paperback.

The decision to have two covers had more to do with conveying the layers within this story, than any marketing experiment. There is more than one story within this book. Aside from the side characters, who actually do have their own stories that we begin to see glimpses of, the leading lady has two parts to her tale: the first is to do with romance; the second, and perhaps most important, is to do with everything that has happened in her past, that now makes up who she is and wants to be. It's important that readers know there is an abundance of romance in this book. It's also important that readers know they're getting much more than that.

This little snippet is probably a good example. It's only short, but there's more than one thing going on here, and this is your question:

Which part of this moment do you think was the most important to me when writing this scene? 

Just comment below to let me know and you'll be entered to win the eBook and necklace. I'll also pop back at the end of the contest, and let you know the answer :)

Thanks so much for taking part! The entire tour with all the links to all the stops can be found here - prize at every stop!

Thanks for stopping by.

Dianna x

About The Spell of Summer, New Website Design and LOADS of contests.

Why, oh, why does YouTube always pick the worst-looking frames for your thumbnail? :p

As well as my scary face above, telling you what you can expect from my latest book, you'll find

my new website here

and loads and loads of contests via my Facebook page until and beyond book release on 17th June :D

Don't forget that The Spell of Summer blog tour begins on 16th June,

and I am over the moon to be on KD Grace's blog tomorrow too!

It's gonna be a busy June!

xxx

The new "witchy box" & new merchandise coming soon!

There's something about writing a book that changes you, or unlocks something inside you - not in the same way that it existed before, but in a way that means that new, unlocked thing is now seated in the "new you".

Writing The Spell of Summer appears to have unlocked my sleeping witch, lol. (She's been sleeping for about ten years...)

Last week, I showed you a picture of my old witchy box. This week, you get to see my new one :) It's grown! It's now a witchy suitcase:

With this little tidy-up (and awakening of the witch) came an idea for merchandise for my books :D I'm close to announcing it - just a few more days until I have all the bits I need to send orders off - but I am so completely thrilled that I now feel like I have proper, unique merchandise that is not the standard print-on-demand T-shirts, and I hope you all love what I'm going to show you as much as I do. I promise, the big reveal is coming! (Blame the postman for the delay :p)

That is all from me, for now. The Spell of Summer is receiving fantastic reviews that have so far exceeded all that I hoped for. Look out for the blog tour (which will include giveaways), beginning 16th June - I'll also be at a couple of other stops before then... and PRE-ORDER YOURSELF A COPY! Yes, those are shouty caps - it's an order people! :p Pre-order links at the top of this page: http://www.diannahardy.com/the-spell-of-summer.html

Have a great weekend!

Dianna xxx

Blog tours, bespoke jewellery and my witchy box.

First of all, the major news is that pre-orders for The Spell of Summer are up :D

Post by Dianna Hardy.

Secondly, I totally blame Dzyne'd It for the fact that I've been looking at charms and pendants for three days solid. Making jewellery could totally become a mini-obsession with me if I didn't already have my hands full with writing and parenting and, well, everything else!

Sam from Dzyne'd It is making me four one-of-a-kind necklaces for The Spell of Summer Blog Tour - the dates are below, so look out for those giveaways!

And I've got to admit that putting charms, pendants and things together is a definite skill. I tried to put a "little thing" together today (no, I'm not telling), and it took me a whole fucking hour! I'm hoping with a bit of practice it'll take me fifteen minutes, because I've been pondering on an idea that now won't let go. You see, I have this witchy box, years old, full of herbs and roots and resins and all sorts, and shit-loads of bottles, pouches and packaging from when I used to own an online magic shop (yeah - I did that) ... so ... I had an idea for merchandise! And it's inspired by Dzyne'd It, but will be different as it's not jewellery per se...

But ONE FRIGGIN' HOUR!

When I get better at it, I'll take a picture.

This is what my day consisted of. That, and, I have also found the perfect eBook cover for the second book in the Once Times Thrice series, providing The Spell of Summer does well enough :) In fact, I may go and start on a proof of the cover now, just because I'm in an arty mood :D

Oh, what was that? You wanted a picture of my witchy box? Okay then! Please note that since clearing out my loft and finding two more boxes of stuff, my witchy box will become by witchy suitcase tomorrow...

We've had a blog makeover!

I have not been on here blogging recently, partly due to a crazy schedule, but also due to the fact that I've not been connecting with the blog so much. It's something I've been wanting to remedy, and what better remedy is there, sometimes, than a complete makeover? :D

Not Just A Stiff Upper Lip was set up because Elizabeth and I wanted to bring a bit of Britain to you, namely, the passionate, sensual Britain - yes, it exists - and also "paranormal Britain" because we both write paranormal elements within our stories, which are almost all set in the UK.

I've been hearing this around the internet quite a lot the past year: Brits? Passionate? Not.

Whenever I post up a promo for my werewolf series, with the strapline "Lusty, British werewolves live in the Surrey Hills", some smartarse likes to make some quip about how "Lusty" and "British" don't go together.

Well, maybe I've just led a very ... er ... fun life then! Throughout my late teens and twenties I was introduced to a lot of lust and that was right here in Albion. I don't think I've ever had a boyfriend who didn't feel things on some deep level; who wasn't sensual...

My point is, I have never seen Britain or its people as dispassionate, and it's a damn shame if the rest of the world does, because it's simply not true - not by a long shot ;)

It was my idea for a blog makeover, and I wanted it to reflect fun and flirty; sensual, full of life and lots of things to tell.

And maybe I'll feel like blogging again now :)

Dianna xxx

Why I've not been blogging.

I've been avoiding the blogging - I have, I have :(

Because every time I try to think of something to post, I'm always thinking of crappy, depressing stuff, which is no good. I'm currently ill with a horrendous (and I mean horrendous) virus. We're ALL ill: me, my little girl and my partner.

Writing has not happened in a week, 'cause this cold is like the evil queen bitch of all colds and I've been laid out, barely able to move for a couple of days.

I managed 1000 words last night, which is awesome :) Haven't managed it tonight, even though the story is all there in my head. I run out of energy when I go to write it down, and that's assuming I can with the little one coughing her guts up :(

So ... this is why I've not been blogging. 2014 is still challenging, with so much going on within the family, and I don't want my posts to be all about illness and dying ... and strange viruses that I fancifully wonder aren't induced by some top secret spraying of chemicals into the air that the government could have done around the same time that they announced London had gone above the allowed air pollution levels for the city (which was around the time this cold kicked off - a week ago).

New things you may have missed....

The new paperback cover for The Spell Of Summer

My radio interview up in Manchester and also meeting loads of fab readers and authors - I will conjure up the energy to write about that.

General chit-chat via Facebook (that's where you go to really stay up-to-date)

That's all from me for now. Over the next month, imagine me with my head down trying to finish The Spell of Summer, because time is running out and the universe is throwing up a whole load of obstacles this time around - one after the other :/

Blood Series Re-release Date!

Hey folks! I'm afraid my brain was pulling a blank last Monday, which was one reason why I didn't whip up a post for y'all. The other reason is that I had my edits back for my sweet contemporary romance Stepping Stones. So every spare minute I had I was working my way through the manuscript.

Not a lot has happened since my last post a fortnight ago, well, I finally met Dianna Hardy ;-P I soooo totally did and it was so great to meet her finally. I'm not going to go in to details since it was here meet and greet event, but I had a great afternoon and Dianna is just lovely and awesome.

So apart from that  fab afternoon, I've had the first round of edits for Stepping Stones, which I emailed back to my editor last Friday. I also received the cover art for SS, which I love. It has been designed by the same cover artist who did the original cover - the one with my old publisher, Noble Romance - but I have to say, although I loved the original, the feel of this one is more spot on. The cover reveal will be on 18th April with Bex 'n' Books and I can't wait for you to see it. It's soooo pretty.

I've also had the final edits for She-Wolf, which I have already started reading through. Eek. Final edits, which means She-Wolf is almost ready for publication, but when I received the rights back for SW and it's sequel, Cranberry Blood I made the decision to publish them together, which I will be doing.

So, Cranberry will be sent to my editor next month. My hope was to have both books - and swag etc - ready for August 2014 and by the look of it August will indeed be the month the books are published. Now, call me silly but I only felt it was right that the date be that of the Full Moon. My poor Werewolves have been neglected for too long and I want to make their re-release a damn good one. Plus, I'm hoping by this point I will have finished/submitted my fairytale WIP and will be working on the next book in the series.

So, She-Wolf (the Blood Series Prequel) and Cranberry Blood (Book 1 in the Blood Series) will be re-released on August 25th 2014. Yay! I'm soooooo freaking excited!!! So make note of the date Werewolf lovers! It's going to be fang-tastic! Yes, I just went there. ;-P

~ * ~

She-Wolf

The Blood Series Prequel

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 is the Alpha's son and the Pack's second, and 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 night off and a trip to a local strip joint for a colleague's stag night changes things, and Owen soon discovers he isn't immune to everything . . . .
 

Being an independent Loup and travelling the world? Easy.

Having to come home and face the Werewolf who broke her young heart? Challenging.

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 mate she has always desired.

Although Owen is determined to prove he wants to be with Clare, 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

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 letting himself, or his Pack, in for.

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 he can't fully understand.

Vampire Slayer.
Born Infected.
Addicted to blood . . . but not by choice.

Heather Ryan is the current 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, she 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.

Now that her Grandmother Sofia has passed, it is up to Heather to take the family legacy into her own hands. 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 her with? Sofia never told either of them. Luckily, it doesn't take long for Heather and Brendan to find out that the Vampires have big plans, and that the Leeches have waited a long time for them both.

A brief update on death, a busy life, and my current WIP.

What a month it's been for me. My mother passed away on the 19th February (in case you didn't know) after suffering from breast cancer for four years. She was only 57. It's been hard to write this month, because in all honesty I'm pretty exhausted - sort of exhausted in my mind, and there's so much to catch up on and do at home, too, with my own family, and my daughter, as well as a host of other things that need to be done after someone dies.

So, writing The Spell of Summer is both a reprieve and a challenge. It's a good thing I like challenges. I'm hitting around 1000 words a day at the moment - I'd like it to be 2000, but I find myself tiring out too easily (it doesn't help that I have a cold right now), so 1000 it will have to be until I can get back up to speed. That's fine. 1000 words a day still finishes the book on time.

I'm leaving you with three things today, one is the new book trailer for The Spell of Summer. Then, a brand new excerpt from the book, shared on Facebook yesterday, and the last is a link to an online radio station where I'll be doing an interview this Sunday, after meeting up with a few readers and authors in Manchester on Saturday. I am sooo looking forward to it, but yes - life is busy right now! Lol.

EXCERPT from The Spell of Summer, copyright © Dianna Hardy, 2014. All rights reserved. (Text subject to change before publication.)

“Uncle Jamie! Look what I've got!” squealed his approaching little niece – the whole crew behind her – delight shining from her eyes at the colossal, spiral-shaped ice lolly that was almost half her size.

“Wow! That's … er … huge. You gonna finish all that?”

Becca nodded enthusiastically, not a trace of doubt evident, that he couldn't help but laugh.

The boys were already to the bottom of their ice cream cones.

A dripping one was held in front of his face. “For you,” said Pippa.

He eyed her suspiciously. “Is that supposed to be ice cream? It looks like it's been eaten.”

“Me,” butted in Becca, voice muffled by her lolly. She slurped her way free of it. “It was my ice cream, but a big, fat wasp attacked it.”

“Aaaah… The screaming?”

His sister nodded while Candy let out a low whistle signifying that the memory of the tantrum was just a little too much to bear.

“It was a really big wasp, Uncle Jamie. I think it was trying to sting the ice cream.”

“So, I get a half-eaten, wasp-stung ice cream for lunch?”

Merri laughed.

A real laugh that sort of tinkled out of her – not that insane crap she'd pulled earlier in the ocean – and it was the first time he'd heard her laugh today. No … for over a decade. It sort of threw him.

It also made him want to make her laugh more, and he was so completely fucked. So much for getting his life back together…

Released June, 2014. All info about this upcoming summer read here: http://www.diannahardy.com/the-spell-of-summer.html

(Click to enlarge image)

Check out my live radio interview on Sunday at 12pm until 1pm, on The Book Worm, at Fab Radio International: http://www.fabradiointernational.com/  See you there!  

Dianna xx