Dianna Hardy's Blog, page 2

Dianna’s updates are all about paperbacks today, and then she talks about Imposter’s Syndrome.

A list of past and upcoming episodes can be found at https://www.diannahardy.com/podcast

Where to start? I’ll start with an apology to paid subscribers for the wild and speedy way I work when inspiration hits me and/or when life gets busy. What tends to happen is I jump on that wave and ride it — I have no fear of impulsiveness — but when I do this, all structure goes out of whack. I don’t mind this at all — I love it, in fact — but it means “structured” things, like weekly Flash Fiction posts and things I am meant to do, get left behind. I haven’t grown out of this way of being — I don’t think I’m meant to as it suits me and I get loads done when I’m in that zone — but it does mean I’ll be looking at the paid options of this Writing Desk space and altering it a bit to suit my passion-fuelled, rash style. I have an idea of how to do this as I’ve been thinking on it all day — that will be a separate post. I do love the Substack platform, by the way. It is by far the easiest way to construct and send a newsletter I have ever had, so I’m certainly keeping it. The newsletters are so easy to read in the emails, too.

If you are using Substack as a social media platform, I do also post update on Notes fairly often.

I now have a shop fully functioning on my website, only for selling signed books, for those who cannot make it to the signings and events I am at. We post internationally, too. You can view it here: diannahardy.com/shop

I am scheduled to be at the Portsmouth BookFest (United Kingdom) at the end of February, both signing at a table during one afternoon, and giving a talk/workshop about writing Romance (and Erotic Romance) on another evening. I have no further info on this as of yet and am waiting for leaflets to be produced and so on. I’ll share more once I have it.

Now…

Drumroll…

I’m very pleased to show you all the book cover and blurb for Jewels of the Crown. (The cover and blurb may mean more to you if you’ve read Sins of the Father, but it’s not rocket science and you’ll get the idea, lol.) If you’re listed as a paid subscriber, you’re seeing this first; if you are free, you are seeing this second, and after that I will roll it out to social media sites.

Emotionally unrecognisable to all who knew him before, Lawrence Gunvald is more than the king of wolves: he's a mate, a husband, a father, a dancer, and more than all of that, he is whole.

For five years, the Gunvald Estate has been filled with happiness and laughter – his and his family's. Mated life is the best it can be. His six children colour their home with their innocent exuberance, and Adam and Tiegan's two – soon to be three – are as close as extended family.

So when old friends in need come knocking, it brings the bittersweet past to the fore as well as a truth that remains hidden – one Lawrence had all but forgotten he knew.

Is Taylor compassionate enough to forgive him the crucial secret he kept, or does his compassion have limits after all?

And is his young and still-growing family strong enough to welcome a new arrival? One who will change the dynamic of their unit in intricate ways while paving a path into a future that looks far darker than the past five years.

This is the final installment of the After the Storm novelette series.

Look out for links on Goodreads soon, and let me know what you think! Did you enjoy Sins of the Father?

Until next time,

Dianna x

Writing updates galore in this episode, and then Dianna talks about that tedious “middle bit” about writing a novel.

A list of past and upcoming episodes can be found at https://www.diannahardy.com/podcast

Thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered this story. I hope you enjoy it. Lawrence’s one is up next.

Sins of the Father:

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Amazon CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Amazon AUS - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Apple - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6...

B&N (Nook) - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940...

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/d...

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sins...

Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/series/2542...

And that is a valid question — is this piece erotic? Eroticism is in the mind of the reader. I personally didn’t find this story erotic (more like terrifying), but often, if something is explicit, it will automatically be put into the erotic category. My aim in writing this was to bring the reader to the grey line where terror and eroticism can possibly…

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Dear Readers,

This is a Smashwords pre-sale — it’s only available there, and it’s easy to sign up and browse many books across the site.

After purchase, Sins of the Father will be available for you in epub, mobi, lrf, palm doc, and a couple of other formats.

The presale will end the moment the book goes live across platforms on 31st October.

Click the butto…

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I would love to know what you think! I can’t wait to hold these in my hands as paperbacks. I am planning to be at Portsmouth BookFest (United Kingdom) in February, 2024, and will be selling and signing these brand new edition paperbacks there.

Dianna xx

This flash fiction story is part of the Astronomical Personalities compilation - started in 1998, but never finished - which studies the personalities of the nine planets as seen by astrology. Read Mars here.

I have to walk through a graveyard to get home at night. It has never disturbed me and I'm not one of those people …

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This podcast show will now publish biweekly episodes (no longer weekly) containing Dianna’s writing updates for her readers followed by a topic or theme.

Today’s episode is short and sweet, with thoughts about Samhain (Halloween) and what it traditionally stood for.

A list of past and upcoming episodes can be found at https://www.diannahardy.com/podcast

Dear Readers,

How excited am I about sending out this newsletter? It’s going to be a little long! Pre-order info first: (please note, if you have not read all six books in the Eye of the Storm series, the blurb below will contain spoilers for it)

Ryan is the only one who fully remembers the series of events that took place five months ago, the night of Himet and Yemet's storm. Having experienced the death of two of his mates, having fought to keep his third alive, and having to overcome the realisation he unwittingly sent Hendrickson and Amelia into what would become their tomb, he finds himself battling flashbacks of murdering Nikolai and in doing so, forcing torturous pain – and perhaps death – upon Nikolai's mate, Carrie.

As Lydia goes into labour, the imminent arrival of their first three children – innocent of every dark thing in the world – has him questioning all his choices, and the need to find Carrie, whether alive or dead, becomes a thirst he cannot quench.

You can pre-order Sins of the Father in digital format in the following places:

Amazon US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Amazon UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Amazon CA - https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Amazon AUS - https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CL2PCFRY

Apple - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6469570177

B&N (Nook) - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940166119803

Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=CuTcEAAAQBAJ

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/sins-of-the-father-116

*Smashwords - https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1465697

*Paid Substack subscribers will have access to purchase this book a week before sale via Smashwords - a newsletter with access details will go out at the time of availability (around 23rd October).

I really enjoyed writing all of Ryan’s vulnerability — I hope you enjoy the read. The final novelette that completes this series is called Jewels of the Crown and will be released 31st December (or beginning of January if holiday times mess this up a little). A paperback novel containing all four stories will be available next year.

If you’ve been on my Facebook page, you’ll know I’ve been talking about changing the covers for the Eye of the Storm series for a few months now. Well, I’m nearly there, and the new covers will be ready to go up on all the eBooks end of October / beginning of November, with the second edition paperbacks released — also with the new covers — around March next year, but you should start to see them in some places before then. In the U.K. you’ll be able to pre-order the paperbacks, and on Amazon UK, you’ll see them appear next to the eBooks as an alternate format. (Elsewhere, you won’t see this until they are available for sale in March.)

So, everyone, please look out for this change because I don’t want you to be caught off-guard when the new covers appear, leaving you thinking it’s a series you haven’t read. (Yes, the covers look THAT different.) If you have automatic updates turned on on your eReader, the books should update automatically at some point. The contents of the books will not change, but a few minor errors (a very small number found) have been sorted out across the series, making these stories an even better read; the typesetting will also be changed to suit Kindle’s newer eReaders, with bold headings, chapter breaks, etc.

»Paid subscribers, you are able to preview the new covers further down. The paywall on the covers will be removed just before they are ready to go live and a short email with a link will be sent to all subscribers for viewing.

In case you need a reminder (because it’s been so long), Eye of the Storm is my werewolf series where you meet Lydia, Lawrence, Ryan, and Taylor, and a whole heap of sh—t takes place aligning with the full moons and their tumble towards extinction.

The reasons for changing the covers are:

Time — it’s been over ten years since book one came out.

The new series to come (currently with a working title of the Aftershock series) — Eye of the Storm needs to align with the new series better aesthetically, as well as with After the Storm and Blood Never Lies which bridge the two series.

The new covers add a crucial depth to the look of the series which I feel is sorely needed at first glance — as you will see when they come out, the new covers tell important parts of the story in their images.

For the moment, the omnibus edition containing all six books will still be available in digital format and I will not be changing its cover (or if I do, it will be very minor so you’ll likely not really notice).

Thanks for reading! I really hope you love the new covers as much as me.

Paid subscribers, carry on below for your preview of the covers, and I would very much like to know what you think — drop me a comment or email…

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