This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Diane Demetre will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
What is the favorite book you remember as a child? Alice in Wonderland
Tell us about your current book in 10 words. This is as close to ten words as I can get it :-) When a talented ballerina is befriended by an ex-SAS sniper & his faithful dog, they must not only escape the clutches of a ruthless stalker, she must deal with a long-forgotten secret, so they can transcend the shadows of their tragic pasts and find love again.
What are you reading right now? The Cleaner by Mark Dawson
One book at a time or multiples? Since I became an author I tend to have a few books on the go at a time. My reading tends to be more for research and learning than enjoyment now.
Dog-ear or bookmark? (don't worry—Librarian Judith won't hold it against you—much) I never dog-ear. That’s sacrilege. Book mark always.
When do you do most of your reading? At night, when I go to bed.
Do you loan your books? Very rarely and only to people I know will return them in the same condition as I lent them.
How do you keep your books organized? In my home library by genre.
Re-reader or not? Normally not as I just don’t have the time, but I often re-read Alice in Wonderland most years. It’s wonderful escapism.
What would make you not finish a book? I lose interest because the characters are boring, the pace is too slow or because the writing lacks tension.
Keep books or give them away? I treasure all my books, whether they are good or bad. So, I never give them away.
Jessie Hilton is tough. Since the age of fifteen, she has dreamed of being a principal dancer with the Australia Ballet Company. Now at twenty-four, she stands on the brink of fulfilling her dream unaware of a secret buried deep within her.
Ex-military officer, Brad Jordan is rebuilding his life with the help of his boisterous Border collie, Whiskey. After helping Jessie out of a tight spot, he discovers a kindred spirit in the ambitious ballerina.
But with the sudden attention of an unwanted admirer, Jessie’s life begins to spin out of control. Called back to her family home in country New South Wales due to her father’s unforeseen illness, she is torn between career and family. As her dream of being principal dancer fades, her stalker edges ever closer. But there is more to overcome than a lurking psychopath. Can Jessie and Brad confront their own past demons and finally be free?
Award winning author, Diane Demetre writes genre-busting stories which delve deep into the human psyche, and Retribution is no exception. Winner of Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Pro Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript, Retribution is her first romantic suspense. If you love a cast of complex characters, a slow simmering romance and an intriguing plot, don’t miss this page-turning romantic suspense with a twist.
Cold, damp and hard—wherever she was, it wasn’t her bed. Scattered thoughts whirled in her head as she searched for recent memories. A pungent smell lingered in her nose wakening her further. It reminded her of science class. What was it? Chloroform? Crunched on her side, her body cried for movement and she strained to focus on her surroundings. But she couldn’t. She was groggy and dazed and there was no light by which to see. Exhausted, she heaved her hand in front of her face, but she couldn’t see that either. It was as if it wasn’t there. Absolute, petrifying blackness. A nightmare. It was another nightmare. But she knew it wasn’t. Now fully conscious, she lay somewhere dank and cold, in pitch blackness. The inability to see rendered her immobile, preventing her any chance of escape. Even if she began to crawl, feeling her way, she might tumble down a precipice or a staircase. She didn’t even know whether she was lying on the ground or on something man-made. All she knew was it was rock-solid, cold and a little uneven. He’s left me here, alone, to die. The thought scared her even more than her captor returning.
She rolled carefully onto her back. Stretching her body, she used her hands and feet to check that she wasn’t about to roll off wherever she lay. Once assured she was safe, she relaxed a little. Deep, controlled breaths cleared her mind and nose of whatever drug he’d used. With no idea how long she’d been unconscious, she existed in an abyss of unknown time. She struggled not to panic. As she stared into nothing, her sense of what was up and what was down destabilized. The subtle illusion of losing her balance teased her inner ear, increasing the fear. Rolling over slowly, she managed to get onto her hands and knees, connecting with the surface below to correct her equilibrium. Head lolling forward, she froze— humiliated, helpless and hopeless, overcome with despair. Minutes slipped by or was it hours?
Following her onstage career, Diane’s thirst for knowledge led her into the field of self-development. Using her highly developed communication skills and love of people, she spent many years as a stress & life skills therapist and life coach, teaching individuals, couples and groups the methodologies of personal success and fulfilment.
With her business acumen, Diane launched into the corporate arena, working in a variety of positions as a consultant in marketing, special events, tourism, business strategies, quality management and human resource management. Combining her entertainment and business backgrounds, she returned to the stage as a keynote speaker and corporate facilitator, educating business leaders in the ‘new mindset’ for business and relationship building in the 21st century.
Assuming the pseudonym of the Goddess of Love, she appeared as a guest presenter on Gold FM radio, Gold Coast, a national radio program broadcast to 1.4million listeners. Her weekly program proved popular with Diane providing empowering advice on life, love, sex and relationships, sprinkled with a good dose of humour. Her passion for life and compulsive sharing nature made her a great inspiration to her listeners. As the Goddess of Love she also appeared as a regular guest on the national television program Beauty & the Beast, where her practical insights were televised to viewers across Australia.
When she launched into a writing career, Diane’s debut erotic romance series, the Dance of Love was voted Luminosity Publishing Readers’ Choice Best Books and Best Covers for 2015 and 2016.
Her romantic suspense, Retribution won the Romance Writers of Australia Emerald Pro Award 2017 for Best Unpublished Manuscript. Diane loves to write genre-busting stories with a twist. Her works are packed with emotional punch and feature empowered heroines who live life to the fullest, much like the author herself.
WEBSITE: http://www.dianedemetre.com/
BLOG: https://dianedemetre.com/blogposts/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/dianedemetreauthor
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/DianeDemetre
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Diane-demetre/e/B015P878H4/
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy getting to read about books we had not known about previously for my family. We have found some great ones through these tours so thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWho is your favorite character in the book? Congrats on the release. Bernie Wallace BWallace1980(at)hotmail(d0t)com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite book is Alice in Wonderland as well, thanks for stopping by and sharing such interesting facts about yourself.
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