*Blog Tour Giveaway* Philip's Watcher by Dianne Hartsock *Goddess*

Philip’s Watcher
by Dianne Hartsock

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BLURB:

Darkness is spreading in the world with only the powerful Agenor family to oppose it. In the guise of a stone gargoyle atop the castle walls, Adrian has protected Philip, the young heir, since birth, watching him grow from childhood into a strong but lonely man without love.

When the clan chief, Philip’s father, is murdered by those he trusted, Adrian resumes his human form to better protect his beloved Philip. And finds his love returned. As lovers, their passion is all-consuming, but as they fight against treachery from within, will their love be enough to stem the dark tide sweeping the land? And will it be enough to keep Adrian’s heart alive…  
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Excerpt:

Philip chewed his lip as he watched the storm clouds gather in the leaden sky. The wind picked up, cold and heavy with rain. It whipped the hair from his face and distracted him from the study of the desolate landscape spread below his feet. How he longed for spring! But winter lingered long past when it should have given way to new growth in the valley. He guessed the reason for it, and a cold finger of dread touched his heart.

An icy gust buffeted him on the exposed balcony, and Philip gathered the long strands of his hair and tied them at his neck. He bit hard on his bottom lip to stop its tremble and welcomed the pain against the ache in his heart. “He’s not coming back, is he?” he whispered as the first fat drops of moisture struck his face. He pounded a fist on the stone railing in frustration and impotent fury. “Father should have let them come to us, where we’re prepared.”

But their enemy had thrown down the gauntlet, and in his pride, Philip’s father picked it up. Jonathon Agenor had always been that way, as far back as Philip remembered. He supposed the gravity of being the Agenor Chief had made his father distant. The man kept his own council and wouldn’t listen to Philip’s cautions against a trap. The bait had been a threat against Philip’s life, something the proud man couldn’t tolerate. His life had been the forfeit. Philip closed his eyes and let the grief wash over him.

The rain swept against the walls of the stronghold, and Philip leaned his head against the stone statue on the railing beside him. “I still have you, and that’s a comfort.” He turned his gaze to the familiar face. There were many gargoyles on the high balconies of the castle, but this was his favorite. The onyx eyes glittered as if in sympathy. Distraught, Philip trailed a finger along the crack in the stonework from the creature’s forehead to its muscular chest. He flattened his hand over the cold heart and willed it to beat as he had hundreds of times before. The stone stayed firm under his palm.

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 Ladies and gents of the Lair, please give a warm welcome to this wonderful author!!!


Since you are a new to me author, I am hoping to bring you to the light of others! So let’s share!

Okay, I’m not very good at sharing, but I’ll give it a try…

Why don't you tell us a little about yourself.... Something that we cannot Google about you, lol!

My favorite author in all the world is Ray Bradbury. It’s from his stories that I get my love for the autumn and Halloween and outer space. I was always going to be him when I grew up, and write wonderful stories that capture people’s imagination. I probably own every book he’s written.

Tell us a little about your book?

Philip’s Watcher is about the timeless battle between good and evil. Darkness is once again spreading in the world with only the powerful Agenor family to oppose it. In the guise of a stone gargoyle atop the castle walls, Adrian has protected Philip, the young heir, since birth, watching him grow from childhood into lonely adult hood.

When the clan chief, Philip’s father, is betrayed and murdered by those he trusted, Adrian resumes his human form to better safeguard Philip. As lovers, they fight against the darkness, but will their strength be enough to stem the dark tide sweeping the land?

How much emotion does it take from you to write?

My stories are character driven, but more than that, they’re driven by my characters’ emotions. I feel my way through the story, every hurt, joy, pain, laughter love and loss they go through, I’m right there with them. Some scenes can take me hours or even days to write. Sometimes I almost feel like I’m giving birth to the scene, they’re so difficult to get down on the pate. It’s often a struggle to find just the right words to capture the emotion I’m looking for. But you know what? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What is your favorite part of the book?

Philip touched Adrian’s arm, and Adrian’s blood heated at the contrast of Philip’s white hand against his dark skin. It took all his control not to pull his darling into his embrace and ravage his lips.

Philip met his gaze, the gray eyes earnest, vulnerable. “Father had spoken of a Watcher on our walls. He wouldn’t tell me which statue you were, for your safety, but I had always hoped it was you.”

“Philip, I—” Adrian choked back his words. He’d dreamed of this moment so many times. Philip’s unquestioning acceptance of him was more than he’d hoped for. But in his vision he’d returned the hero, saving Philip and the world from peril. In reality he’d brought the danger to Philip’s hearth. And Jaimin’s powers had always been the stronger between them.

This is one of my favorite scenes, where Adrian finally hears the words of love from Philip he’d been waiting a lifetime for.

You can only pick 3 words for your main characters..what would they be? *to describe your main characters*

Philip: strong, brave, true

Adrian: loyal, loving, gentle heart

Which was the easiest character to write and the hardest ~ and why??

Adrian was the easiest to write because he came to me as a complete person, strengths and faults and all. The scenes with him seemed to write themselves. They flowed smoothly as his personality and goodness unfolded naturally in the storyline. And besides, I was excited to be writing about a gargoyle, something I’ve wanted to do for quite a while.

I had more trouble with Philip. He’d been raised in isolation and was more quiet and introverted than Adrian. He came to me slowly. I seemed to discover him much as my readers will, a little at a time throughout the book.

How many books are you shooting for in this series??

I don’t have a limit. I’ve been working on the sequel, which is to take place directly from where Philip’s Watcher left off. We’ll see what happens after this one.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on the sequel to my psychological thriller novel ALEX. I also have several more erotic romances I’m finishing up and a couple more planned out. Keeping busy!

Do you have anything due to release soon?

I have several stories due out from Breathless Press in the near future, MERRY CHRISTMAS, SHELTON and WEE WILLIE WINKIE-a naughty nursery rhyme. I’ll also be in a couple of anthologies early next year.

What's one thing that you enjoy about writing?

It might sound odd, but I feel so accomplished when I finish a story. It’s such a satisfying feeling that an idea I had and characters that made themselves known to me, all came together to tell their story. And that I was able to travel with them to the end, publication, makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Since we're cover hussies....what was your first impression of your cover?

A big slow grin crossed my face! They captured Adrian’s intenseness and concern perfectly. Love his eyes! And Philip…just yum. No wonder Adrian fell in love with him. And I absolutely adore the cool blue they used.

What do you prefer ebooks or paperbacks?

Paperbacks. It’s a tactile thing.

Is there a genre you would like to write but are a little apprehensive to try?

I’ve always wanted to write a sci-fi story, but I’m afraid the science is beyond me. I’ll have to find the time for some real research before I attempt that one.

Okay.... personal time!!!! Oh yeah, I go there... Hahah...

Be sure you want to!

If you thought you were safe... Nah... Forgot it... Not a chance! We will start off slow and easy, I promise!

If I had a nickel for every time…

What is on your night stand/dresser? Night stand: alarm clock and three stuffed bears from my kids. Dresser: jewelry box and various knick knacks and a stack of books.

What are you listening to you right now?

A CD my daughter gave me to listen to, Ratatat. Not bad!

What are you reading right now?

Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz

What is your favorite season? Holiday?

Autumn is my favorite season but Christmas is my favorite holiday.

And what has been your best b-day present ever??

My very first laptop computer from my family. My husband, mother-in-law, and my sister all pitched in to buy it for me.

Hard and Quick Time! Don't think... Just answer! Okay, before we go this route, I will get us a refill on our drinks... I will be right back...

Got a beer in there?

You know you do... Quickie time... Think fast....

Are you a quickie kind girl? No

Dark or Milk Chocolate? Dark

Whipped or Melted? Whipped

Straight up or with a twist - sex? Straight up

What's ur fave drink - in a glass or on him? Carmel latte in a mug

Spank or Flogger? Spank

Junk or Health Food? Junk

Ties or Chains? Ties

Leather or Lace? LaceSoft or Hard... Bed, where was your mind? Soft-to start with

Control or Be Controlled? Be controlled, but no telling…

Hot Wax or Whip Cream? Whip cream

Vampire or Werewolf? Vampire

Twitter and/or Facebook? Both

Pinterest or not? yes

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

After growing up in California and spending the first ten years of marriage in Colorado, I now live in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with my incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours I spend hunched over the keyboard letting my characters play.

I have to say, Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write my slightly twisted tales. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside, a fire crackles on the hearth inside, and a cup of hot coffee warms my hands which kindles my imagination.

Currently, I work as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for me. When not writing, I can express myself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: http://diannehartsocksalex.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock

***Blog Tour Giveaway***

Dianne will be awarding a $10 gift card from All Romance Ebooks to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

I encourage you to follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/09/virtual-nbtm-tour-philips-watcher-by.html

And remember... Always keep it Dirty, Smutty & Hussy!