Guest Post with Author Dianne Hartsock and Giveaway

Today I would like to welcome to the blog author Dianne Hartsock. Dianne is currently on tour and has stopped by RFTC to chat about her book Nathaniel. Before I give the floor to Dianne lets get to know her a bit.

Dianne 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 her tales. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside and a fire crackles on the hearth inside that kindles her imagination.

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

Places to find Dianne:

| Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

The Many Aspects of Magic

Magic is such an intriguing subject for me! Being a sensible, down to earth with no special ‘gifts’ of my own type of person, I’m fascinated by those who claim psychic abilities or can do palm readings, speak with the dead, all those magical things. They live in a world full of possibility while I stay here grounded in the mundane.

Crystals hold a certain interest for me. Crystals are Mother Earth's gifts to us, formed within Her body, they are living energy, in a way they are the keys to the Universe. Each particular type of crystal or mineral can be seen as a key, and we can use these keys to access specific energies, whether that be for healing, meditation, protection, understanding, as well as a thousand other uses. by Maria Georgiou

I find meditation an interesting topic as well, though I’m too restless to try it myself. By using a focused meditation, one can get into the frame of mind that is the most receptive to their intuitive side. Meditation will quiet down the outside noises of your conscious and will aid in centering your mind. This filtering of the noises of your conscious will allows your subconscious mind to stay in tune with the surrounding environment, while letting the subconscious speaks it thoughts. Many have called this state of mind an altered consciousness or a heightened state of awareness. by Sandy Stooge

In Nathaniel, my magic user has no need of crystals or to meditate. His psychic abilities come naturally to him, a gift his people are born with, though it is more often a curse. You see, Nathaniel has the power to crawl into a person’s mind, know their thoughts and to plant suggestions. He can control animals to do his bidding and manipulate nature in all its wonder and terror.

You can understand how this gift might seem like magic to my hero, Taden. Nathaniel’s powers are far beyond anything he’s seen before, wrapped in the package of a beautiful, vulnerable young man. Taden’s own people call Nathaniel a ‘witch’ and fear him. And like anything feared, they wish to destroy him. But all Taden knows is that Nathaniel is alone and confused and in need of a protector.

Taden hopes he can be that man and keep Nathaniel from the danger posed not only by his people but by the danger of madness lurking in Nathaniel’s own mind.

Magic comes in all shapes and sizes and forms. And though I know these abilities aren’t ‘magic’ but a person’s own natural gifts, I find Nathaniel’s magic far more terrifying than any wizards, since it’s grounded in reality.

Thank you so much for having me as a guest on ‘Ramblings’!

Dianne

From the moment Taden rescues Nathaniel from the Sutherlin soldiers’ torture, he finds himself caught in the gaze of the most beautiful eyes he’s ever seen; amazing eyes that hold him thrilled and confused. The Sutherlins are planning to invade the beautiful Tahon Valley, but as Taden secrets Nathaniel from their reach, he finds himself drawn to the young man. Not only does he feel the urge to protect him, but he feels an ache he hasn’t felt in many long years.

Nathaniel claims to be a traveler from a distant continent, saying he comes in peace. True or not, the youth has powers beyond anything Taden has seen—control over men and animals and the very weather. Taden falls hard for the strange traveler, protecting him not only from the Sutherlins but from his own mistrustful people, who don’t understand Nathaniel’s powers and accuse him of being a witch…

Places to Purchase:

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | All Romance | 

**Excerpt**

Taden’s scalp prickled, a shiver running through him. He twirled, hand on his belt knife, and found Nathaniel standing inches from him. They were almost touching, and Taden watched, fascinated, as Nathaniel’s green eyes darkened under his stare. The heat from Nathaniel’s body wrapped around him, caressing him in that intimate moment.

“Miranda’s finally asleep,” Nathaniel told him shakily.

“That’s good. She appeared exhausted.” Taden didn’t ask who she was. At that moment, he didn’t care. He touched Nathaniel’s gold-flecked curls, as silken as he’d imagined them to be.

Enthralled by the dimple at the corner of Nathaniel’s luscious mouth, he impulsively cupped his cheek, stroking the alluring hollow with a gentle finger. His pulses hammered at the contrast of pale skin and his own sun-darkened hand, picturing the exotic tangle of their bodies.

He slid an arm around Nathaniel’s waist as desire seared him. “Come with me,” he said huskily, aching to love Nathaniel as gently and tenderly as he could and drive the anxiety from his lovely eyes. Nathaniel lifted his shoulders but didn’t resist as Taden urged him into the trees.

Nathaniel remained silent as Taden spread the blankets on a fragrant carpet of pine needles. Taden gave him a close look. With a pang he realized that the young man stood passively, waiting for whatever Taden chose to do with him. As much as he hungered for him, Taden didn’t want Nathaniel like that, unresponsive. He reached for Nathaniel’s hand and pulled him down beside him on the blankets.

“I would never hurt you,” he said as he leaned into Nathaniel’s body and slid his tongue over his full lips. He played with the laces of Nathaniel’s tunic, loosening them further. Fire licked through him as Nathaniel’s chest rose on a quick breath. Taden slipped two fingers inside the soft fabric to stroke the lean muscles of Nathaniel’s chest.

He nudged Nathaniel’s lips wider and groaned as the young man’s tongue darted into his own mouth, jolting him with lust. He caught the tongue with his lips, sucking, wanting to swallow Nathaniel whole.

Taden lingered over his kisses, slowly undoing the rest of the ties on Nathaniel’s tunic. He shifted on the blankets and thrilled at Nathaniel’s sigh as he bared his chest. Taden slid his tongue along Nathaniel’s chin with a fond murmur, savoring the saltiness of skin and the prickle of unshaven hair. He kissed the slim column of his throat and paused to suck gently on a vein pulsing in the heated skin.

He glanced lower and suddenly leaned on an elbow, his eyes ravaging the intoxicating sight of small nipples sitting like jewels on white skin. A single mole, innocent, utterly provocative, lay within kissing distance and drew his lips. Taden teased it with his tongue, smiling slyly when Nathaniel made a startled sound and gripped his shoulders.

Taden circled each hardening bud with his tongue, tenderly kissing the fading bruises. He slid a hand across Nathaniel’s abdomen and felt his muscles tighten. He slid a finger along the edge of Nathaniel’s pants, then moved his hand upward to brush his thumb over a sensitive nipple. Heat slammed through him as Nathaniel arched his back with a guttural cry. Unable to resist the temptation, Taden dropped his lips to the free bud, flicking it with his tongue, nibbling and nursing on it until Nathaniel was panting, a pleading note in the sound.

The tone changed suddenly to panic, and Taden jerked his head up in surprise, clashing with eyes wide with fear and arousal. He watched a trickle of sweat follow the curve of Nathaniel’s cheek. Surely the Nathaniel wasn’t afraid of him?

“I won’t hurt you,” Taden assured him again. Unexpectedly, Nathaniel gave him a tentative smile and touched Taden’s hair. The shy, heated glance undid him, and he had to fight the urge to strip Nathaniel then and there and thrust his arousal deep into the enticing body.

Taden dropped his head on Nathaniel’s chest. “Give me a moment,” he whispered hoarsely, concentrating on control. He wanted their joining to be perfect. It was hard when Nathaniel continued to thread his hands through his hair. With a growl, Taden straddled him, pinning the wandering hands over his head. “Careful, or I can’t promise to be gentle.”

Nathaniel’s eyes were hooded, and Taden watched, enchanted, as the tip of his pink tongue slid across pale lips. “Do anything you like,” Nathaniel invited.

###

**Giveaway**

Dianne will be giving away an eBook copy of Nathaniel to 1 lucky person. Make sure to fill out the Rafflecopter form for your chance to win.

Good Luck =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway