Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: Luka by Dianne Hartsock @diannehartsock @GoddessFish

Friday, April 9, 2021

Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: Luka by Dianne Hartsock @diannehartsock @GoddessFish

Luka

by Dianne Hartsock

GENRE: MM, Romance, Fantasy

BLURB:

Luka makes a desperate wish and the earth shifts to his will. Regretting it immediately, he tries to undue the sorcery, but it is too late. He asked for hope, and to his horror, all the hope in the world is given into his keeping. He desires nothing more than to return this gift to the world.

Aethan wants to get his hands on the Well of Hope in Luka’s keeping. If he can ransom out hope to others at his whim, the world will be at his feet. Where it belongs.

With the aid of his lover, Rhys, Luka stays one step ahead of Aethan. But Rhys has his own enemy in Aethan, his estranged father.

Rescued by Luka, his sweet, gentle witch, Rhys now stands with him against Aethan. They have vowed to return the Well of Hope to the earth despite all odds, or die trying. For what is life worth, for anyone, without hope?

Excerpt:

“Keep your eyes closed, love,” a voice of music and magic whispered in his ear. His thoughts scattered. Who?

“It’s me.”

The tinkle of laughter made him smile. “Loralyn,” he croaked, and winced at the agony tormenting his throat.

“Don’t speak, sweet witch. Rest now.”

Fingers, light as butterfly wings, fluttered against his face, chest, hands, while a song of pure joy and sunshine wound through his head. He floated while his body healed, grounded by Rhys’s hand on his shoulder. He hoped with all his heart to kiss him again. He wished… No. He’d done enough damage with a wish. He would will himself better.

An eternity passed while he dreamed of summer days, a child holding his Mother’s hand while they walked sunlit paths through the forest. The splash of sunlight in a dark pool of a rippling creek. Squirrels chittering overhead. The scent of pine and leaves underfoot.

A meadow at dawn, mist on the grass, and a brief, stolen moment as a stag in dazzling sunlight, stared at them from the edge of the towering trees across the meadow. Luka’s heart leaped and thrilled as Mother squeezed his hand, and he knew without words that his father’s spirit was with them, and that Luka was loved.

Luka sucked in a breath, the pain wrapping his chest easing with each heartbeat. He became aware of hands cupping his face as he came back to consciousness. Soft lips brushed his, not Rhys’s, and he frowned, and felt his skin pull tight.

A bright laugh teased a smile from him. “Open your eyes, sweet one.”

Interview with Dianne Hartsock

What made you want to become a writer?

When I was a child my older sister Shari used to read us bedtime stories or make up stories of her own. She must have jump-started my imagination. I soon began telling stories of my own, and wrote my first story in first grade, as soon as I learned to write words. I write now because I still have that love of storytelling and want to share my stories with everyone interested.

What inspired you to write Luka?

I’ve been intrigued with wizards and sorcerers from the time I read Tolkien in my early teens. And I’ve always loved the tragic hero. So I thought, why not combine the two? And since Luka lives closer to the earth than the other magic users, I decided to make him a witch. No, Luka told me he was a witch. I put my lonely, powerful witch in an isolated cabin. Tragic past. Tragic love story. A dangerous enemy. The story wrote itself from there, blending magic and realism, hope and fear, loss and true love.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Luka?

Luka: He was born from the love of two magical beings when the ancient oaks in the grove were mere saplings. He appears a man in his prime, virile, skin dark as his beloved oaks, wise and powerful, wanting only to live in peace with his lover bartering his herbs.

Rhys: Rescued by Luka from imprisonment and torture at the hands of the sorcerer. Fair skin and hair, brave and beautiful, Luka’s lover. He aides Luka on his quest to bring hope back to the world.

Aethan: The dark sorcerer who wishes to take hope from the earth, keep it for himself, have the world and all it holds at his feet, doing his will for the treacherous promise, the faintest glimmer of hope in their lives.

Lorin: Rhys’s cousin and half-brother. The son and servant of Aethan, aiding him in his designs against Luka.

Ravan: Luka’s daughter and a powerful witch in her own right.

You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Impossible to choose! I’d say Tolkien and Ray Bradbury are first, with Ursula K. Le Guin and C.J. Cherryth close seconds.

Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?

I have an m/n romance novel coming out soon, Shelton in Love, one of my favorite stories. Shelton is a sweetheart. I’ve also just finished writing the second book in my fantasy series, The Karthagans. My current WIP is another m/m romance, this time with a paranormal twist I’m hoping my readers will love.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

Besides the characters, who I adore, I enjoyed doing the research for this book the most. I read about wizards and wiccans and herb lore and gemstones. Chemistry and natural wonders. Foraging for food in a winter landscape. Wards and magic circles and faery lore. So much more! Sometimes I’d find myself entrenched in research and forgetting what I’d started out looking for.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Dianne is the author of m/m romance, paranormal suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. She lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

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