Today we have a guest post from Dianne Duvall, as part of her tour for her new book, A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN. I love her Immortal Guardians series but now she's out with something new, a self-published novel. I think you'll really enjoy discovering exactly what she does when she's not crafting her next novel!
When I’m not writing, I’m often thinking about writing, either going over the scene I wrote the day before or mentally writing the next one. I know it sounds weird, but sometimes I even mentally write scenes that I know will never find their way into my books. When you create the characters in a series and live with them for years, you tend to get to know them so well that it’s hard not to imagine them in this or that situation, even if it has absolutely nothing to do with the series arc.
When I’m not actually immersing myself in the world of Immortal Guardians and Gifted Ones, I’m often still doing writing related activities. Chatting with other readers and writers on social media sites. (Love to do that!) Blogging. Updating my website. (I’m not that great at HTML, but always seem to muddle my way through it.) Designing teaser images to share with readers. Or doing research. I’ve had to research some of the most peculiar subjects for my books. I know some writers dislike that portion of their vocation, but I actually enjoy it. I’m always curious to see what I’m going to have to look up next.
When I’m not writing, I also work in the local independent film industry, which is another fun creative outlet for me. I’ve worked all three stages of production in a variety of projects that ranged from drama to horror to romantic comedy. And, yes, I was still thinking about writing while doing it. LOL.
In pre-production, I have served as Script Editor, Assistant Casting Director, and Shooting Scheduler. Those are pretty self-explanatory. I edit scripts. I organize casting calls, rehearsals, and table readings. I also create shooting schedules, which is actually trickier than it sounds because films are shot out of sequence.
During production, I’ve worked as the special effects make-up artist, sometimes providing what I call blood and guts make-up. This is always fun, because the actors and crew get such a kick out of it. I have also provided other special effects, like “candy glass” car windows that can safely be shattered without harming the actor. I have also served as Script Supervisor. The Script Supervisor ensures continuity. So, if an actor scuffs her shoe in Scene 23, the Script Supervisor ensures that the actor’s shoe is scuffed in all subsequent scenes. That, too, is more difficult than is sounds, since—as I mentioned—films are shot out of sequence.
Post-production is the stage that allows me the most freedom to be creative, so I tend to enjoy it the most. In post-production, I edit films, add special effects, create unique title sequences, design movie posters, and fashion DVD menus and covers.
All of this film work, of course, came in handy when the time finally came to shoot trailers for my books. (So exciting!) It can also be quite time-consuming, though, and have very hectic schedules. So writing and filmmaking combined doesn’t leave me much in the way of downtime. I’d like to say I spend quite a bit of time reading. I’ve always been a voracious reader. But now I tend to get my fiction fix by listening to audiobooks while I do all of the things around the house that I sometimes neglect while writing: folding laundry, washing dishes, trying to solve the age-old socks vanishing in the dryer mystery. This year I’ve decided to make time for some gardening, but am not off to a stellar start. I’ve already neglected my little seedlings shamefully while working to meet my latest deadlines.
And, of course, I spend as much time as I can with family and friends, who—fortunately—don’t mind when my mind once more wanders away from the movie or TV show I’m supposed to be watching or the game I’m supposed to be playing and begins fashioning the next scene in my latest work in progress.
Did I mention that when I’m not writing, I’m often thinking about it? :)
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For more Dianne, check out the following links:
Here's the scoop on A SORCERESS OF HIS OWN:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Immortal Guardians series comes an enchanting new series full of romance, danger, and loyalty: The Gifted Ones
Since the day Lord Dillon earned his spurs, rumors of his savagery on the battlefield have preceded him into every room, stilling tongues and sparking fear. Weary of battle, he wishes only to find a woman he can wed who will approach him not with fear, but with the tenderness that has been absent from
For seven years, Alyssa has been by Lord Dillon's side, counseling him from the shadows, healing him with her hands, and staving off the worst of his loneliness while his fearsome reputation keeps others at bay. Blessed—or cursed—with gifts that label her a sorceress, she is forced to conceal her youth and the love she harbors for him beneath umbral robes that lead Dillon and his people to believe she is the same aged wisewoman who served his father.
All is revealed, however, and passions flare when an enemy threatens Dillon's life and Alyssa sacrifices everything to save him. When Dillon discovers that the wisewoman is far from elderly, he is instantly entranced. And, as he and Alyssa work together to defeat an enemy bent on destroying them both, Dillon will risk anything—even the wrath of his king—to be with her.Purchase: Amazon
There's a tour-wide giveaway of the following:
One winner - $50 Amazon Gift Card*
One winner - $20 Amazon Gift Card*
One winner - Signed book (winner's choice) from author's back list
Ami, or Amiriska, was the first character to surprise me. I had no idea, when I began writing DARKNESS DAWNS (Book 1), that Ami would rise above her torturous past and become Marcus’s heroine in NIGHT REIGNS (Book 2). Nor did I realize what a prominent role she would play in ensuing books. Though her own book was the second in the series, her story with Marcus continues to unfold in NIGHT UNBOUND and will spark intriguing changes in the series arc.
