Born in a decade that starts with an F, Ann now finds herself in an age decade beginning with the same dreaded letter. Her plan had always been to accept aging with the same effortless grace as any movie star with the last name of Hepburn, but now that her forehead is sliding down around her nose, and her neck attracts every rooster in the yard, she’s given up on grace and put her faith in a good moisturizer and turtle neck sweaters.
Ann had a B.A. in theatre and went to graduate school at the U. of M. in the M.F.A. acting program. She freelances as an actor and director in the twin cities area and has played everything from Eleanor of Aquitaine, to the third extra on the right with the gap in her front teeth.
Taking the advice from her father to heart, she never quit her day job. She works at a messenger service where the motto is: If you got it, a courier brought it. Her years in the business world have taught her a few valuable lessons: When designing a floor plan, never put your own office across from the bathrooms. All it has to do is snow to turn a great day to shit. It’s impossible to pick up a monkey at the airport, look him in the eye, and then deliver him to a testing lab. And transporting caskets, even when they’re empty, is just plain scary.
Visit Ann's Website *** Visit Ann's Facebook Page
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DYAD DREAMS by Ann Hinnenkamp
Eleanor Hennen is a voice artist longing for some excitement in her quiet life. Then her sister disappears and her life changes forever when she accepts help from a gorgeous man who might not even be human.Enigmatic Jacob Hastings serves an immortal and lives in a dark world of secrets and intrigue. His lonely existence is turned upside down when he is assigned the task of protecting Eleanor.
Eleanor unravels the mysteries surrounding Jacob as they battle kidnappers, supernatural forces and their growing passion for each other while on the dangerous quest to find her sister.
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DYAD QUEST by Ann Hinnenkamp
This is the sequel to Dyad Dreams.Aiden Rawlings has had centuries to perfect the art of staying unconnected. For over four hundred years he’s served as human partner to one of the immortal Dyads, protecting mankind from their worst enemy—themselves. Aiden’s carefully built emotional walls start to crumble when he finds Jude Kapfer dying from gunshot wounds. He asks the Dyads to heal her. They agree on one condition—Aiden must protect Jude and discover who is behind the attempt on her life. He’s only got one problem with that—how can he protect her if he can’t take his eyes off her?
Jude is having a bad week. First, a masked madman shoots her, then two insanely sexy men show up, heal her using some unseen power, and she discovers humans are not alone on Earth. To save her life, she must team up with Aiden and allow herself to be drawn deeper into the mysterious, hidden world of the Dyads. Maybe she should take her chances with the masked gunman—at least he’s human.
BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT
WIN - Join the party and leave Ann a question or comment today over here on our Cyber Launch Party and you'll get your name in the hat for a free download of the first book in her Dyad Series, DYAD DREAMS, a black silk DYAD DREAMS sleep mask, a DYAD QUEST chapter booklet and a "The Dyads are Coming" bookmark! One runner-up will win the sleep mask, chapter booklet and bookmark. The more comments you make, the more times your name goes in the hat! The winner will be announced right here, tomorrow - so be sure to check back!
What a super exciting day Ann!!!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to your cyber launch party and congrats on the print release of your first book and on today's release of DYAD QUEST. So much to celebrate!!
It was fantastic meeting you at Romanticon last month and I'm having such a great time getting to know your work. Tell me, how did you come up with the idea for the world you created in your Dyad Series?
Sit back, grab some cyber champagne and enjoy your special day - you deserve it!
Thanks for setting up the party DeNita. I like the idea of champagne but right now I'm sucking down coffee and waiting for it to hit my brain.
ReplyDeleteThe idea for the Dyad Series came out of my family life. I have twin nephews and one of the joys of my life has been watching them grow up.
When they were small I couldn't tell them apart. They seemed to communicate with eachother on a different level than the rest of us.
I always wondered what it would be like to be that connected with another person and the Dyads grew out of that concept.
I loved Dyad Dreams, and can't wait to read Dyad Quest! I know what I'll be doing this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jackie,
ReplyDeleteDyad Quest is Aiden's book. He's in the first book and I liked him so much, I wanted to spend more time with him. I hope you like him as much as I do.
Hi Ann
ReplyDeleteYour a new author to me. These Dyad books sound awesome though going to have to put on my WL. Congrats on the 2 new books!!!!
Hi Misty,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the Party. Maybe you'll win the free copy of Dyad Dreams and you can check it off on your wish list.
I love the theme of dangerous men falling for women they need to protect. Do you see this getting reversed in one of the books in your series and having the Dyads need a human to protect them?
ReplyDeleteKate M.
Congratulations, Ann! I always knew you'd sell your books. I'm so happy for you, and I can't wait to see your Joan on Saturday!
ReplyDeleteI loved your book and am very excited to read the next one! Keep writing!!! Looking forward to more.
ReplyDeleteMs. Hinnenkamp -
ReplyDeleteI loved Dyad Dreams. The plot was exciting, surprising, and I warmed to the characters instantly. I'm thrilled this is a series. I can't wait to read Dyad Quest. Good luck today! Thank you so much for such an enjoyable read. Please write more fast!!
Hi Ann,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting concept. And different, which is good :-)
Is your Dyad race all men and where did they come from are they of a different planet? I imagine it must be so much fun to create a new world/race. How many books do you plan for this series?
Thanks for answering all my questions and best of luck to you with both of your books.
Ann - congratulations on two wonderful books! I've heard so many good things about them (I'm buying Dyad Dreams on Saturday - wink!) and I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteWithout giving any secrets away, can you explain how Dyad Quest is the sequel to Dyad Dreams?
I'll stop back for your answer - and for some of that cyber champagne!
Hugs,
Laura
Hi Kate,
ReplyDeleteIn the third book, Dyad Love, the Dyad, Damien
needs the help of a woman. Not so much to protect
him, but to make him whole again after his Balance is shattered. For those of you who haven't been around the Dyads yet, a Dyad's Balance is his power. Without it, they're as normal as you and me. When Damien's Balanced is damaged it's as if he lost his eyesight. He's adrift without it.
Hi Tamara, thanks so much for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteTammy and I have been critique partners. She writes wonderful historicals and paranormals.
You might have seen her work duing the last American V contest.
This Saturday I'm speaking at the monthly meeting of Midwest Fiction Writers. It's called
a JOAN or Journey of a Novel. I'm going to talk about how I got these books written and published. And I've promised doughnuts to all who attend! The meetings are open to all, so if you're in the Minneapolis area and interested in checking it out, send me a email through my website and I'll send you some more information.
Hi Deonne and welcome!
ReplyDeleteIt's so nice to hear you liked the first
book. Please let me know what you think of
Dyad Quest.
You are new author to me. Can't wait to read Dyad Quest!
ReplyDeleteHi Joel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by. It's nice to see a male Dyad fan.
Just read some excerpts and can't wait until I have more time to read the rest!
ReplyDeleteI agree--the excerpts are truly tantalizing. The concept of Balance and the possibility of losing one's center is intriguing. What surprised you most about your world or characters while you were writing? (Without spoiling anything for us who haven't yet read the books...)
ReplyDeleteKate M.
Hi Ann
ReplyDeleteI'm fascinated to hear that your nephews inspired your trilogy. Huge congratulations on publishing Dyad Quest. I love these two books and I can't wait to read the third one. You do such an incredible job of blending human interest with the supernatural, and you throw in some funny/ clever big picture thoughts on the way humans live.
I've always been envious of your theatrical experience. It gives you such an incisive understanding of drama/ story.
Do you have any idea how many books you migh possibly write in this series? Can you see it stretching out to say eight?
Congratulations, mazeltov, and keep writing i can't wait to see more.
Hello Sharon,
ReplyDeleteGreat questions.
There are female Dyads. You meet the first one in the third book.
The Dyads were around long before the human race. They watched us evolve with a kind of stoic fasination and were very suprised when we ended up looking so much like them. In the first book one of them says, "What would you do if your dog started talking to you. That is how some of us felt."
So far there are three books in the series but the possbilities are endless.
Thanks for asking.
The atmosphere that you created in Dyad Dreams was very thrilling and chic. I can't wait to read Quest!
ReplyDeleteWrite fast, Ann! We're eager for the third book.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the Dyad books would make a good TV show? As a director, how would you handle the problem of showing inhumanly sexy identical beings on-screen?
Hi Laura,
ReplyDeleteHow is Dyad Quest a sequel to Dyad Dreams? Excellent question.
I wrote the books as stand alone plots. You should be able to pick them up in any order and not be lost in a world you know nothing about. However there is a series arc and if you are just finding the Dyad books, it's best to read them in order.
The characters you meet in book one are in book two and three. The protagonists change but the secondary characters should feel familar.
Ann- I am somewhat new to this genre of books. And I just recently just started reading your book(Dyad Quest.. And to say the least your writing style is unlike any other that I have read. I can admit I love this book. The dynamics between the sisters is captivating. Everyone loves a good suspense book too. I really look forward to reading your future books. Congratulations!
ReplyDelete-BeautifulBronze :)
If any of your are interested in learning more about Ann and her books, there is a fantastic interview posted over on AuthorIsland.com - click the Interview button at the top and look under Paranormal authors.
ReplyDeleteLove to see all the positive feedback! Congrats Ann! I (like many others) cant wait for the third!
ReplyDeleteDear Kate,
ReplyDeleteWhat suprised me most about my world of characters while I was writing?
To begin with, I intended to write a Vampire novel. They're my favorite supernatural and like all fans, I've read so many books about them and still find them interesting.
But, when it came down to it, I had nothing new and exciting to say about Vampires, at least not then. The concept for the Dyads came to me then, after I'd let go of the idea of writing a vampire, witch, werewolf or ghost story. I remember the line, "And now for something truly different," from the old Monte Python series sprang into my head and I laughed at what a nerd I was and then I thougt of my twin Nephews and the Dyad were born.
Looks like an interesting book, from the excerpts. I'd love to win a copy.
ReplyDeleteRE your answer to Kate--I think it's right on. I've heard, "if you've seen or heard it before don't write it or paint it." Your instincts were right on to take a different path--both books are fabulous and I couldn't put them down. More books now!
ReplyDeleteHello Ann,
ReplyDeleteJust read your interview and checked out your website. I'm very impressed and excited to find you!
I'm really liking the stories and love the comment of one of your Dyads about the dog starting to talk to them - how funny!
After reading your bio and interview, sounds like have a great sense of humor - how much of that is in your books? And how hot do the romances in your books get?
Thanks for the kind words Neroli,
ReplyDeleteDo I have any idea how many books might be in
the series?
I think the story ideas for the Dyads, the human women and me who love them and the state of the world they live in is endless. Well, mayme not endless. There can only be one thousand Dyads alive at one time, but the series could go on for awhile.
Hi Ann,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your books. How did you get started as an author? Was it always a dream and you finally put it down on paper (computer) ? The whole process must be a huge and exciting experience for you.
Anita
Hi Ann! You are so talented. I remember seeing it in action when you directed Man of La Mancha at MPP. Congratulations on a successful series!
ReplyDeleteRoxanne S.
Welcome to the party, Greta,
ReplyDeleteI think the Dyads would fit in perfectly on TV.
Especially on the SyFy channel.
The problem would be as you mentioned. Dyads don't just look alike. They are exactly the same, down to the last strand of hair. But in this age of Peter Jackson and digital wonders, the tech wizards should be able to solve it.
Might be expensive though. But remember the Parent Trap movie. The original with Haley Mills. They did most of that with a double. It worked fine for me.
Hi Ann
ReplyDeletei wonder how you got interested in reading and writing about the supernatural. And what it is about that world that continues to intrigue you?
thanks!
Congratulations on your book. I enjoyed it very much. I am looking forward to more. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteHi, Ann
ReplyDeleteThese books sound so good, I have to read them.
Hi Jerry,
ReplyDeleteI'm tickled pink you think I have a good sense of humor. To me it's one of the most important things in life. Right up there with pain free dentists and heat up car seats.
I put as much humor in the books as the characters and plot will allow. Because I'm attracted to a sense of humor, the Dyads and their human partners had to have one. Some of these guys have been working together for centuries and they've taken the practicle joke to an art form.
Hot hot are the books? In the movie world they'd be rated R for nudity and graphic language. I've always thought hotness is in the mind of the reader. But, I tell people with kids, no one under eighteen should read them. The sex scenes get intense.
Hello Anita, thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteI first started writing when I was very little and thought I was staring in a movie that needed a better script. But I put that all away when I discovered theatre. It wasn't until I started traveling so much for work and couldn't do a play for a few years that I went back to writing. At frist I just wanted to see if I could craft a scene and then I couldn't stop. It was too much fun.
Roxanne, how nice to hear from you.
ReplyDeleteI remember that production of Man of LaMancha. The cast was wonderful. LaMancha has always been my favorite musical. I never get tired of the songs and something about that old man, looking at windmills and but seeing dragons,touches me.
Neroli,
ReplyDeleteI think I got interested in the supernatural because as a kid, my life seemed so ordinary.
All my nightmares were about vampires. The scary kind, not the sexy kind. In one of them, I spit holy water and my left hand could transform into a cross at will. I was invincible. Saved all my friends. With a dream world like that, who's mind wouldn't wander is Sister Cosma's math class. It's the reason why, to this day, life without a calculator is impossible for me. I blame it on the vampires. That reasoning didn't work on my folks though.
Hi, Ann.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your comments on Parent Trap! And they pulled off the magical doubling of Lindsay Lohan just fine, in the remake. So here's hoping the Dyads make it onto the big or small screen, too!
Your books have a strong sf bent. What authors do you like outside of the romance genre?
I enjoy so many authors. George RR Martin, I've been a fan for years. And Sharon Shinn's angels--they're the best. I read straight through Guy Gavriel Kay's books when I found him. If you've never read Fionavar Tapestry I envy you. And my favorite, Charlaine Harris.
ReplyDeleteI buy her books the first day they come out and then save them for a special day I've set aside just to read it.
Hi Ann
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on these two great Books.
I have injoyed Reading them over and over again. I always new they would be published, you are a great writer. I'm Excited and can't wait to read the next Book.
You are the Best.
Good Luck and Best Wishes
youre Pal Amy
When can we buy your books at Barnes & Noble or Borders Books?
ReplyDeleteYou should be able to go into Barns & Nobel and order it but they don't stock it yet. For now, the best place to get the books is the publisher's web site. If you've never read an ebook before, give it a try. I recently bought the sony pocket ereader. I was sure I wasn't going to like it. You know, the feel of the paper, the smell of the book. I was a real snob about it. But I really like it. One of the best features is when you're reading and your eyes get tired, you hit a key and the print gets bigger. Excellent feature for those of us who've stared playing the trombone as we read.
ReplyDeleteMiss Hinnenkamp,
ReplyDeleteThis book looks like something I would enjoy reading. I look forward to this book and the ones yet to come. Please keep up the good work.
Patrick Joas
Do your characters seem more real now that they're published? Or like relatives you see once in awhile who are frozen in time?
ReplyDeleteKate M.
Thanks for stopping Patrick. If you do read the books please let me know what you think.
ReplyDeleteI laughed when I saw your question Kate because sometimes these characters seem more real to me than the real people around me. I think that's a common problem among authors. We spend so much time with our characters, they usually do exactly what we tell them to, and even if they are the villian, we still like them. How could real people compete with that?
ReplyDeleteAnn, you're so lucky you still get to spend time with your characters in ongoing books where they continue to live.
ReplyDeleteI'm always sorry to wave goodbye to a character I've come to love when I'm reading (and that's a lot less time than writing the book--wink).
Kate M.
Congratulations on your fabulous new books. Next: adaptations for the stage perhaps? It's a natural.
ReplyDeleteAnn,
ReplyDeleteCongrats. I always knew you'd make it. Your writing is incredible. See you Saturday,
Wynde
The stage would be great, as long as I get to cast it. I remember Frank Langella got his start on Broadway in the 70s in a production of Dracula. I couldn't think how they would ever pull it off but it was a huge success. They did it all in black and white except for the lining of his cape and the blood of course. That was red.
ReplyDeleteMiss Hinnenkamp,
ReplyDeleteI think that you are enormously talented and supernatural in your own right. I was curious why you haven't posed for your own cover art yourself? Or perhaps asked the tallest gal you knew in high school to perhaps do so? Congratulations on your books, you big shot! I enjoy YOU very much!
Pose for my own cover? How nice of you to think so, but I think those days left with wide belts and Prince in purple. But who knows, maybe with the right light and a complicated system of pulleys and counterweights, it just might be possible.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by you Amazon.
The whole Dyad + human universe is so richly detailed. Have you thought about doing a "nonfiction" companion book with info on the Dyads & their history, interesting things that don't make it into the novels, etc? I know the Gabaldon Outlandish Companion is big, and there's a similar atlas for Anne McCaffrey's works.
ReplyDeleteA companion book is a great idea but must wait for the future. I love those books. Each SF or Paranormal author has a "bible" of their world, even if it's only in their head. It's another look into how those authors mind's work. Although, I have to confess, I've never been able to make it through Tolkien's Simarillion.
ReplyDeleteBut what a mind that guy had.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by today. I have a great time talking to all of you.
ReplyDeleteBye for now.
Ann
OH NO! I missed the party! The Yahoo Group Reminder just came in my mail this morning (Fri). Well, shoot. But I can still say "Congratulations, Ann!", and tip my cup of coffee (w/Irish Creme)to you. Best Wishes!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone who stopped by to celebrate Ann's very special day with her - you guys ROCK!
ReplyDeleteCongrats goes out to Kate M - you win the free download of DYAD DREAMS and the sleep mask, chapter booklet and bookmark! Email me at AuthorIsland at yahoo.com with your mailing address and the email address you'd like the download sent to.
Congrats also goes out to Karen in TN - you win the sleep mask, chapter booklet and bookmark! I need you to email me with your address, as well so I can get your goodies out to you!
Wow, I'm thrilled! I look forward to every delicious moment of the book.
ReplyDeleteKate M.