Paranormal Romance: a sub-genre that focuses on romance and includes elements beyond the range of scientific explanation, blending together themes from the genres of traditional fantasy, science fiction, or horror. Common hallmarks are romantic relationships between humans and vampires, shape shifters, ghosts, and other entities of a fantastic or otherworldly nature and can also include characters with psychic abilities.

Addict: (v) to habituate or abandon oneself to something compulsively or obsessively (see above)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Guest Post & Giveaway With Author Dianne Duvall



Today we have the lovely Dianne Duvall joining us, please give her a warm welcome! Dianne is an author of paranormal romance and her debut novel, Darkness Dawns, was released February 1st, 2011. This is the first novel in her new Immortal Guardians series. You can see my review on Darkness Dawns here. (I LOVED it btw!)




Immortality:  Is It Worth It?

More often than not in paranormal romances, the heroine is human and the hero is a preternatural being:  Vampire, were-animal (I love that they come in different forms now), demon, or -- as in my debut paranormal romance Darkness Dawns -- immortal.  Technically the immortals in my Immortal Guardians series aren’t immortal.  They can be killed.  But decapitation is about the only thing that will do it.  As a result, they are capable of living thousands of years and may as well be immortal, particularly when compared to humans, who have a far briefer life span.

Many of the other preternatural beings I mentioned are the same.  They can be killed or destroyed, but usually live centuries, if not millennia and are mostly immortal.  This leaves the human heroine who falls in love with one of them with quite a dilemma.  Assuming it’s possible, should she or should she not allow the hero to “change” her and make her immortal, too?  Is immortality worth it?  It is, after all, not without its disadvantages.

We all know the pros.  One would never have to worry about succumbing to illness or disease.  Oftentimes becoming immortal also lends one dramatically increased strength and speed and enhances one’s senses.  One could remain young indefinitely.  Considering how many people buy reverse and anti-aging products (yes, I’m one of them), I’m guessing this one alone would make many leap at the chance.  :-)  Just think of all the things someone so long-lived would see.  Roland Warbrook, the hero in Darkness Dawns, has lived nearly a thousand years.  He has witnessed amazing changes in the world and in society.  It sounds great, right?

Well, there are also downsides.  Immortal beings in paranormal romances often live in secret societies, their very existence hidden from mortal men.  If the heroine agrees to be “changed,” she will most likely be forbidden to tell her family and will have to leave them, faking her own death after a few years.  Otherwise will notice the fact that they are aging, but she isn’t.  This is usually the greatest obstacle heroines must overcome in paranormal romances.  Understandably, they are reluctant to turn their backs on their families.  If, on the other hand, they aren’t required to and are instead allowed to tell their family members everything, the heroines will outlive them all.  They’ll also outlive their friends.  A common source of angst for preternatural beings is the many human deaths they witness.  Some find it difficult to become close to humans, then lose them time and time again, generation after generation.  So, this, too is a drawback.

There are additional cons that are specific to each particular kind of preternatural being.  The heroine contemplating transforming might, for instance, not be too fond of the notion of shifting or turning into an animal.  Becoming a demon has religious repercussions.  In Darkness Dawns, both vampires and immortals require regular infusions of blood.  Without it, both lose their accelerated healing capabilities.  Vampires will die if denied long enough and immortals will slip into a sort of stasis or hybernation.  Many heroines in vampire romances balk at the idea of drinking blood.  In Darkness Dawns some of the “ick factor” is removed because the immortals don’t actually drink the blood.  Their fangs act like IV needles and syphon it directly into their veins.  But blood is still necessary and may repel human heroines who are contemplating joining the preternatural world permanently.

Yet another con or drawback to immortality is also listed as a pro or an advantage of it:  dramatically enhanced senses.  On the surface, this sounds good.  I, personally, would love the enhanced vision, being able to see in the dark, etc.  But the enhanced sense of smell may not be so great.  I would imagine being around crowds of people would be quite unpleasant.  Everything from perfumes and colognes to the scents from soap, hairspray and clothing detergent to B.O. and bad breath would be magnified.  Food aromas would, too.  A more acute sense of hearing may not be such a plus either, considering what a noisy society we’ve become.  Loud music, the clamor of construction, blaring car horns and sirens, the neighbor’s dog that barks for hours on end . . .  Even such mundane sounds as the refrigerator or air conditioner cycling on would be loud.  What if you couldn’t voluntarily tune it out?  It would be irksome, to say the least, possibly even painful.

So, considering these and other drawbacks, would immortality -- or a semblance of immortality -- be worth it?  The heroines who love immortal heroes certainly seem to think so.  But what do you think?  Perhaps Darkness Dawns will help you decide.  :-)

Blurb
ISBN-10: 1-4201-1861-7 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4201-1861-2
In this dazzling, sensual novel, Dianne Duvall beckons readers into a world of vampires, immortals, and humans with extraordinary gifts . . . where passion can last forever, if you're willing to pay the price . . .

Once, Sarah Bingham’s biggest challenge was making her students pay attention in class. Now, after rescuing a wounded stranger, she’s landed in the middle of a battle between corrupt vampires and powerful immortals who also need blood to survive. Roland Warbrook is the most compelling man Sarah has ever laid hands on. But his desire for her is mingled with a hunger he can barely control . . . 

In his nine centuries of immortal existence, no woman has tempted Roland as much as Sarah. But asking her to love him is impossible -- when it mean forfeiting the world she’s always known, and the life he would do anything to protect.

Question
What would be the biggest deterrent for you if you were considering becoming an immortal or mostly immortal preternatural being?

Thanks so much for joining me today! You can find me on the internet:

And don't forget, there is still time to enter my Win A Kindle contest! Visit my website for more details.  :-)
Dianne Duvall

*~*
Thank you Dianne for visiting us today at Paranormal Romance Addict! I look forward to reading more of this phenomenal series!

-Giveaway-
Dianne has graciously offered one signed copy of Darkness Dawns as a giveaway for readers!
----
Giveaway is opened internationally and will end at 11:59pm on March 10th. At that time a winner will be selected using random.org and announced shortly thereafter. The winner has 48 hours to respond to the notification email before a new winner is chosen.

-To Enter- 
Leave a comment answering Dianne's question and don't forget to leave your email address so that we can contact you if you're a winner! 


GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

27 comments:

Missie, The Unread Reader said...

Biggest deterrent? I honestly can't think of one. Sign me up for immortality today, please! Though I have to agree with the enhanced sense of smell. Yuck.

Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me.

missie at theunreadreader.com

Kristin said...

If I was given the chance to become immortal, the thing that would most bother me is watching all my mortal friends & family age and than die, leaving me behind;(

Thanks for the giveaway!
;) Kristin
Nocturnalbites(at)hotmail(dot)com

RFTC Blog said...

I don't think there's a deterrent. Maybe drinking blood. I don't think I would want to drink blood everyday.

I can't wait to read this book. It looks so good.

iqb99@yahoo.com

Vivien said...

Wanting to take other with me into immorality. Whether they wanted to or not. So then I would have to think about the morals of the situation. It's very complicated.

Vivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

Lindsey said...

Biggest deterrent for me I think would be the prospect of being alone for the duration of that immortality - it's all well and good existing forever, but it'd be ever so dull and lonely if there wasn't someone to share it with.

Thanks for the giveaway!

Rusted ivory at hotmail dot com

Mariee said...

Drinking blood and living on alone when friends and family die would be the biggest deterrent for me.

marieimy (at) gmail (dot) com

Megan@Riverina Romantics said...

The biggest drawback for me would be the loss of mortal friends.

rootml1@hotmail.com

BLHmistress said...

I think the biggest deterrant would be outliving everyone I grew to love.

vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com

Dianne Duvall said...

Paranormal Romance Addict: Thanks for having me here today!

Missie: LOL! The sense of smell thing is one I keep coming back to, too. That would be a serous downside.

Kristin: That would definitely be hard, particularly since it would happen over and over again, generation after generation.

Danielle Gorman: I wasn't thrilled with the notion of drinking blood either. That's why my immortals don't swallow or ingest it and don't need it daily unless they're injured. :-)

Vivien: Good point. I imagine the temptation to force a loved one's hand would be nearly overpowering.

Rusted: So true. If I didn't have someone to share it with, I wouldn't want immortality.

Mariee: I agree. Those appear to be the two big ones.

Kim D. said...

What would be the biggest deterrent for you if you were considering becoming an immortal or mostly immortal preternatural being?

Family and friends would eventually grow old and die, and you'd have to watch it!

booklover0226 said...

The biggest deterrent is leaving all my loved on to live as an immortal. I would no longer have any contact with them.

Thanks,
Tracey D
booklover0226@gmail.com

Unknown said...

I also think that the biggest deterrent for me to become an immortal being would be being alone and seeing loved ones die when the time comes. However, if my significant other is also an immortal being, then that's another case to consider as well.

Thanks for the giveaway!

chibipooh(at)gmail(dot)com

AsianCocoa said...

I would hate to see my loved ones grow old and pass on, but I would also be able to see future generations grow up. I read the e-book and really liked the story. I really loved Sarah's gift. It gives me hope. :-)

asiancocoa94(at)aol(dot)com

Books for Company said...

l think for the reason l wouldn't even ever want to be become immortal... l wouldn't want to leave my loved ones behind!! Especially if l had children etc!
Thank you for the giveaway =)
booksforcompany @ gmail.com

Anonymous said...

For me the biggest deterent would be losing my family. I would have to change them too because we're just too close, no man would be worth giving them up.
Thanks for the giveaway ^_^


faefever25@hotmail.com

Meredith said...

I think my biggest concern would be what to do with all of that time!

meredithfl at gmail dot com

Dianne Duvall said...

meggerfly, BLHmistress, Kim D, booklover0226, and faefever25: The loss of friends and family seems to be the biggest deterrent for most.

winnie: Having an immortal significant other is what usually helps the heroines who "transform" cope with the loss of their family and friends. It would be terrible to have to face such alone over and over again.

AsianCocoa: I'm so glad you liked it! And you make a good point. Losing family members to old age would be hard, but seeing future generations would be amazing.

BooksforCompany: I think that's why I've rarely seen human heroines with children in paranormals. Having to watch their children grow old and die would be too much.

Meredith: So true. I would think you'd be able to do just about everything you wanted to during the first century. What then?

buddyt said...

I think that immortality is greatly overrated.

I would imagine at eventually one would just long to die.

Thanks for the giveaway.

Carol T

buddytho {at} gmail DOT com

Dianne Duvall said...

buddyt: There are certainly downsides to it. Thanks for stopping by!

Jolene and Family said...

I would have to say drinking blood. I get freaked out if my kids get a cut. Once my middle child cut his chin open and needed stitches. I almost passed out and literally freaked out. Luckily my husband was there to be the calm, in control one. Blood would be a factor, plus the fact that I don't know if I could leave my family behind

june111(at)att(dot)net

Lindsey said...

Hi Dianne - I wanted to say thank you for coming back and posting responses to our thoughts! It's really lovely to have such warm and friendly interactions with an author. I've seen you do this on other blogs, and know it must take a good deal of time to keep up with it all. Wanted to voice my appreciation! Thanks again, & even if I don't win this time around, your book is in my next book bundle to be purchased. :)

Linds

Book Flame said...

The biggest deterrent would be seeing all my loved ones getting old and moving on.

Thank you for the giveaway
bookflamereviews@gmail.com

Patricia's Particularity said...

The biggest deterent would be that everyone around me dies while I live and to feel that pain and hurt each time would be unbearable.

PelicanJL@hotmail.com

Tyraa said...

I'd have to agree, seeing my loved ones die AND being alone if I were the only immortal.
Great giveaway btw

queen_tui@hotmail.com

Linda: Book Ninja said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Linda: Book Ninja said...

I think the biggest deterrent is seeing people I love die and having no way to stop it. It'd also be weird to know what happened in the past but have no way to explain it without people thinking I'm crazy.
Lindadao(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

What would be the biggest deterrent for you if you were considering becoming an immortal or mostly immortal preternatural being? It would have be being alone and watching the ones you love die over the years and also I wouldn't want to drink blood. Please enter me in contest. I would love to read this book. Tore923@aol.com

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