Author Interview and Giveaway with Dianne Hartsock

Welcome to the Party Pavilion where Dianne Hartsock is making a special stop on her Virtual Book Tour. Dianne will be awarding a $10 All Romance E-Books gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, so either ask her a question or leave a comment to be entered. Enjoy the following interview with Dianne:

Tell us something about yourself-- Anything that you think your readers would like to know?

I'm a floral designer for a locally owned gift shop in the town I live in. Besides having a wonderful time creating lovely arrangements and making people happy, I have the pleasure of people watching. We have such an eclectic group of customers! Not only do they give me inspiration for my characters, they've also set up some almost unbelievable scenes for me to use.

Why do you write?

I can't help smiling at this question. I write because there's nothing I enjoy doing more! I love creating worlds and meeting new characters. I usually have a vague idea for a story and where I'd like the characters to end up, but it's always a new and exciting journey for me as, hopefully, it is for my readers.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

I hope that I become a better story teller with each book I write. I've been writing mostly short stories (under 20k) but I'm going to try to expand into the novella range with my next endeavors. I'm also going to try my hand at longer fantasy stories. The two I've written have been fun and I think I can take the ideas and turn them into novels.

Do you have any authors that inspired you to become a writer?

It was Ray Bradbury who did it for me. I started reading his stories in my early teens. He blew me away! His descriptions are so unique and involved. He drew me into worlds I'd never dreamed of and made them real for me. I decided then that I wanted to write just like him. I'm not there! But he inspired me to try and to keep at it.

Are you reading any books at this moment?

Omorphi by Cody Kennedy
Odd Thomas-Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
Retribution by Laura Harner

What attracted you to writing?

Once upon a time when I was in first grade, I wrote my first story. I remember it had a giraffe in it and we went to visit him at the zoo. My teacher pinned it to the board for everyone to read and I thought, I like that! I liked writing a story and having people read it. I still do! I enjoy the whole process, dreaming up an idea, working out the plot, fleshing out the characters. I especially like working with an editor to fine tune the story. Also, seeing the finished book cover is a treat.

Tell us what inspired you to write The Dark Bokor?

One of my publishers, Breathless Press, put out a call for zombie stories for their Halloween anthology. I didn't give it much thought at first. I'm not a huge fan of the zombies that can't be killed and go around eating people. But I've always been intrigued by the hoodoo culture down in Louisiana, particularly in New Orleans. This was my chance to write my own story on hoodoo magic and the zombies they create, but add the romance that I love to have in my stories.

What was the hardest part of writing The Dark Bokor?

I had a great time writing this story. The hardest part for me was the deadline. The story needed to be submitted to my editor by a certain date, which of course was fair, since they wanted it for October. But there's a lot more to this story that I'd like to tell, so much more that happens after that last scene in the book. I'm planning a novella length sequel to it for the near future.

If you could write a soundtrack for your novel, what two songs do you think would be most important to your main characters?

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol for Jesse and Every Time You Turn Around by Daughtry for Matt

If a movie would be made of The Dark Bokor, who would play the leading roles?

I'd have Chris Pine play Matt and Jay Ellis for Jesse.

Are you working on anything new right now?

Oh my yes! I'm in the middle of writing the sequel to my psychological thriller novel ALEX. I've also started a m/m contemporary romance and also a Christmas story for next year. I'm one of those writers who's happiest when I have two or three projects going at once.

Dianne is the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If she can’t be writing, at least she has the chance to create with the beauty of flowers and bring a smile to someone’s face. Currently Dianne lives in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with her husband, and both her children have chosen to attend colleges close to home, for which she is forever thankful. You can find out more about Dianne here: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon Author Page.

When it comes to the dark weavings of hoodoo magic, only a few can survive.

It's started. Bodies have been found in the French Quarter, torn limb from limb. The undead have been seen walking. For Detective Matthew Rieves, this is the worst news he can imagine. Having spent his entire life in Orleans Parish, Matt's no stranger to the bizarre. Though, despite the growing evidence, he still has a hard time believing in the occult. But when two hoodoo bokors vie for supremacy, it's the innocent civilians that pay the price.

For Jesse Dalembert, he'd left New Orleans to sever his ties with hoodoo. But when a friend is brutally murdered by the bokor's zombies, he returns, falling at once into danger and into Detective Rieves's bed. With their lives on the line, their simmering attraction flares into a passion they can no longer deny.

Working against time, can the lovers find a way to stop the hoodoo war, or will they fall victim to the dark magic, maybe becoming zombies themselves?

Buy the book at Breathless Press.