E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 66
May 22, 2012
Blood Divided Excerpt + Soul Born Saga Giveaway
Please welcome today's guest author Kevin James Breaux. Kevin is the author of Soul Born and Blood Divided.
Keep reading for a chance to win a Soul Born Saga Gift Box filled with goodies!
The following is an excerpt from Blood Divided by Kevin James Breaux.
Late that night, after her husband was asleep, Tala opened her eyes, staring straight up into the heights of their enormous canopy bed. Draped with vibrant orange silk, the family heirloom sat in the middle of the royal bedroom, flanked with two wrought-iron candelabras of which all but five candles total had burned down to the end.
Tala spent many of the first days she lived with the king decorating his bedroom; it clearly required a woman’s touch. Lining the room were many tall lush plants, so many so that the room appeared green when one squinted their eyes. Atop a shelf in the one corner was a collection of rare antiquities that the king had collected from various elven tribes, including the jawbone of a lizard man that an elven chieftain gave him as a thank you for King Ethan’s aid after a flood decimated the chieftain’s lands. Tala always sneered at it whenever her husband was not in the room—it did not go with her décor—but she was too polite to ask him to remove it.
Although she had not lived with her people for a long time, she still held true to a few of their customs. One such tradition was beating the walls with dried Orange Sparkle Blossoms, a flower that was indigenous only to the north of Kel Tora Castle on the border with New Maejika. It was said to keep the spirits from entering the room, but Tala mostly did it because it left a fresh smell that made her feel like she was sleeping in the wild.
The king knew well of her love of the outdoors, and thus sprinkled wild flower petals on the bed daily. It was a testament of his love for her; one she always repaid kindly with a morning kiss.
The mere thought of explaining where she was going, what she had to do, it made her feel almost as uncomfortable as seeing the man who called himself Khaos just the other day. With no other option in sight, Tala decided to sneak out in the middle of the night.
It had been many years since Tala vowed never to return to Drae’Qu’s lake home, but Khaos’s appearance forced her to break that vow. Like it or not, Tala knew the enigmatic fairy would provide her with some beneficial information in this moment of stressful perplexity.
Tala slithered from the bed like a snake shedding its skin, slowly sliding out of the sheets. The candlelight caressed her sweat moistened naked skin, making it shine and sparkle as if covered with thousands of tiny jewels. Tala drew a deep, silent breath and quickly dropped onto a rug on the floor next to her side of the bed. She placed her hands on the floor and sat in a crouch for a moment. She looked around the room. Tala had planned her exit carefully before retiring for the night with her husband. At the far end of the room was a window she had left open. It was her sole means of escape; she would exit where the cool breeze entered.
Underneath the window, about twenty feet below, was the balcony of the royal hall. Another fifty or so feet beneath that was the royal garden and fountain, a place Tala knew very well. The fountain itself was a sculpture of a pair of women back to back. They held hands out to their sides and spilled water from their mouths at a forty-five degree angle upward. She always thought it was a beautiful sculpture, but very silly too. The pool of the fountain was very large and reached toward the castle some. She had swam in it a very long time ago, so she recalled its dimensions with some clarity. Tala knew it was deep, but she was unsure if it was deep enough to handle a dive from the height of the balcony. Tonight she would find out.
She stared at the window intently. Her muscles tensed. Her eyes moved to a pile of dirty clothes she had hidden her satchel underneath. Inside the pack was simple attire, something she could wear to blend in with the townsfolk. At the bottom of the pack was a pair of hooked knives, a rope, and a small water skin.
Tala could hear the guards walking outside the bedroom and even some of the ones outside the window on the grounds. To her advantage, elven hearing reached much further at night, when most of the world around was silent and still. She waited for a clear sign that the guards were distant, then made her move. Sprinting toward the window, her bare feet slid across the chilled stone floor. A tiny shiver of anticipation shot across her body. Without breaking stride, she bent forward and scooped up the satchel from its hiding spot, finally slinging it over her shoulder. Then, with one clean motion, she jumped up to the windowsill, landing still and quiet. She brushed her yellow-green hair from her face and peered down to the balcony. No guards as far as her eyes could see. A gust of wind blew so hard she was forced to brace herself on the cold, lifeless stone behind her. Once she regained her balance, she took a final glance back at her husband in bed across the room. He laid still, sound asleep.
With a hop, Tala jumped down to the balcony. It was a quick fall, but it still caused her heart to race. She landed softly on the hard stone balcony, as only an elf could, with only the slightest thud. Tala snapped her head to the right and then the left. As she feared, a guard approached from far away. Knowing she had only a moment to act, Tala backed herself into a shadowy corner, until her body was completely engulfed in darkness. How embarrassing it would be, she thought, to get caught leaving through a window in the middle of the night, naked. How would I explain myself to my husband? It has been years since I did this. What would the king think? Unfortunately, it was all a risk she had to take to get the answers she needed.
The guard rounded the corner and passed with his back to her. His footfalls chimed a clunky metallic rhythm as he walked. A sound, she thought, that was loud enough to wake the dead. Humans and their silly need for heavy armor; she shook her head. After waiting for the guard to round the next corner, she confidently stepped from the shadows. Tiptoeing softly to the railing, Tala gazed down at the moonlit, sparkling water inside the fountain.
Not wanting to waste another moment, she threw her backpack down into a fully grown rose bush below. After a short elven prayer passed her lips, she stepped up to the railing and dove down to the water.
Tala hit the water, creating only a minute splash. Immediately after piercing the water, she arched her body, pulling her head back hard toward the surface. She could feel the skin on her knees tear as they scrapped open at the bottom of the fountain. The structure was shallower than she remembered, leaving a fresh sense of relief where the fear of dying once sat in her chest.
Tala breached the water slowly, moving her head steadily as an alligator would while patiently watching its prey. A pair of guards marched by the garden, neither aware of her presence. The crystal clear water rippled around her body as she swam to the furthest end of the fountain. After swiftly pulling herself out of the basin, she scurried into the shadows toward her backpack. Her wet bare skin tingled against the night air; it had been a long time since Tala had taken a refreshing, nude swim. The sensation was exhilarating, revitalizing her with an energy she had not felt in many, many months.
Once dressed, Tala crept from tree to bush, taking care to keep hidden in the shadows. She worked her way from the castle to the town, where she stepped out onto the street as if she had always been there. The town was normally quiet at this time of night. Only guards and the occasional traveler were seen about. Security was relaxed due to the nearly nonexistent crime in Kel Tora. Acting as if she had done it every night, Tala walked out of town through the gates past the guards.
It did not take Tala long to jog out to the fairy’s home. As always, she was cautious, making sure no one followed her. Few knew of this small lake’s existence, let alone its importance.
Unlike other bodies of water in the forest outside of Kel Tora, this lake held one of Mother Nature’s most precious secrets. It was the hidden dwelling of one of the last surviving fairy kind. Although invisible to human eyes, the lake shimmered with a pale blue radiance at night, its illumination a product of the magical energy from the fluttering of the fairy’s wings.
It was the fact that she knew what the shimmering light belonged to that made her feel slightly sick to her stomach. The lake held many memories for Tala, both good and bad. Slowly, old emotions began to overwhelm her, squeezing her between the sensation of wanting to cry and the urge to empty her stomach. Kneeling on the soft soil beside the water, Tala breathed deeply and rhythmically. After a few moments to calm herself, she felt better.
“Drae’Qu, I’m here,” she called out while wading into the water.
The water’s radiance grew with intensity until the fairy emerged from the center of the lake. The fairy looked like a tiny human, a sight that most would find odd, yet Tala had grown so used to, she gave it no mind. As she flew, the fairy’s butterfly-like wings created a tranquil fluttering sound. Although the wind whipped the fairy’s long, wavy, light blue hair around, it did not move the silver ribbon that slithered around her otherwise uncovered body as if it were alive.
Drae’Qu buzzed around Tala a few times before settling into a hover beside her face. After staring deep into the young elf’s eyes a moment, Drae’Qu spoke in her native tongue, a voice that sounded like a dozen children screaming all at once, mismatched in time.
“How long has it been, Avatar?”
“Over ten years,” Tala sheepishly admitted, looking away. “Please, do not call me that.”
“I knew you would return this week. The balance has been tipped. There is great evil coming to our lands.”
“I fear the evil is already here. I saw him.” Tala paused. “You should’ve warned me.”
“My knowledge is limited to these shores. Opal left over twenty years ago.”
“So it’s true. This man, Khaos… is the son of Karn and Opal?”
“Yes,” the fairy answered gravely.
Tala dropped her head down, facing the water out of frustration. When she lifted it back up, the fairy waited eagerly.
“Tell me, how did your children accept the knowledge that they were Karn’s children as well?”
It was this moment that Tala had hoped to avoid all these years. She did not want to tell them the truth that their father was not the king, instead the long dead hero Karn. The King of Illyia had raised her children since they were babies. He had provided them with everything they needed, from shelter and food to education and sophistication. She did not feel it was fair to him. He had given them so much and asked for nothing in return.
“I have told them nothing.” She hoped to at least wait until after her husband passed to reveal this secret.
“You promised to tell them on their sixteenth birthday!” Drae’Qu snapped.
“Look, I’m sick of these responsibilities, Drae’Qu! That’s why I stayed away for so long.”
“Try to avoid them as you may, but you are one of Nature’s Avatars.”
Tala hated the title—with it came unreasonable responsibilities that she felt had ruined at least half of her life. She wanted nothing more than to be a normal girl, rid of all of this.
“What more could you ask of me, Drae’Qu?” Tala insisted. “I have lied! I have killed! I have done everything you desired!”
“You have been rewarded for your services too,” Drae’Qu said with her tiny arms crossed.
An uncomfortable silence passed between them as Tala and the fairy, stared at each other.
“What should I do?”
“You know the legend. The child of Karn will unify nature and man, bringing peace to the lands,” Drae’Qu reminded her.
“I always figured it was Lucien, that one day he would become King of Illyia,” Tala replied. “Now I am not sure which child. Could the legend be about the child of Karn and Opal?”
“Tala, I am sure of this: Khaos is pure evil. What worries me now is the safety of your children,” the fairy added.
Tala had not thought that Lucien or Autumn would be in serious danger. Now the sick realization that Khaos may have come to kill them drilled deep into her chest.
“I will bring Autumn to you tomorrow. She needs to know the truth.” Tala gave in.
“What of your son?” Drae’Qu asked.
“He loves his father so much. This news may devastate him, and I need his strength now more than ever.”
“It is, in the end, your decision.”
A moment passed before Tala spoke again. “Can you do me a favor now?” she asked shyly.
“Would you like to see…?” Drae’Qu began to ask.
“No,” Tala interrupted. “No visions today. I need an animal spirit.”
The fairy perked up; she enjoyed using her magic in every way.
“It has been a very long time since you took the spirit of an animal. What was it last?”
“A bear,” Tala answered, recalling the memory.
“Yes, a bear. What spirit would you require this time?”
“One that can fly high and fast.”
***
All of Kel Tora was resting silently. The townsfolk slept comfortably in their homes, and guards stood casually on alert while the remainder of Kel Tora’s army slept off another night of drinking. One of the royal guards, an older veteran walking the outside perimeter near the balcony of the royal hall, watched as the large bird flew the night sky. The falcon glided effortlessly atop the wind, flapping its feathered wings only once in a great while. The guard watched as the falcon seemed to point itself directly at the castle. He muttered hushed words of confusion to himself, not understanding where the feathered creature could be going. Perhaps it was just going to crash into the coarse stonewalls, he thought. The guard repositioned himself to get a better view of the falcon’s path. As he did, it became obvious to him that the bird was flying directly toward the king’s chambers.
The old guard jolted out of his relaxed state and ran as fast as his weary bones would let him through the royal hall. The sound of his heavy metal armor and metal-encased boots alerted other guards who raced to his position.
“What is it, Deter?” one guard yelled as he realized the loud footfalls belonged to a friend.
“I just saw a bird fly directly into our lord’s room!”
“So?”
“It looked like a falcon!” Deter yelled as they ran through the castle.
“A war falcon?”
“I pray not!”
The two guards ran up the staircase and down the halls of Kel Tora’s most inner sanctum. As they approached the king’s chambers, the number of guards increased. Outside the king’s room stood six stoic guards. They were dressed in dark red-orange colors, even though Kel Tora’s royal guard’s colors were black. All in service of the king knew that any soldier wearing the dark red-orange sigils belonged to Kel Tora’s elite Vermillion Force. They were a complete mystery: all were young, strong, and silent. No one knew their names or where they resided, only that they were loyal—dangerously loyal.
Both royal guards slowed their pace and identified themselves before reaching a comfortable distance from the king’s chambers.
“State your business,” one of the elite Vermillion Guards said coolly.
“I was walking outside the hall when I witnessed a falcon fly directly into our lord’s window.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth did one of the elite guards knock slightly on the door before shoving it swiftly open. Two of the six elite guards turned and entered the room, while the other four held their positions facing away from the room. As the two guards stepped into the dark room, Tala greeted them. Emerging from the shadows wrapped in a shawl that barely covered her, Tala moved directly to the guards as they stood cautiously.
“Lady Tala, we have word that a falcon may have entered your window. Is everything… satisfactory?”
Tala slid up the shawl slightly to reveal just the bottom most point where her legs met her hips; had the candles in the room or torches in the hall been any brighter the two royal guards may have been able to view the most intimate part of her anatomy.
“As you can see, I’m not properly prepared for guests.” Tala spoke softly.
“Please, accept our apologies, milady.”
“The falcon you saw is one I’m training as a gift for my husband.”
“Then all is well?”
“All is well… as long as you did not wake the king,” Tala whispered as she turned away from the guards, giving them a full view of the curves of her buttocks.
The elite guardsmen quickly exited the room and stepped back into formation. After the guards shut the door, Tala unraveled the shawl that hid her body. Feathers that had only seconds before lined her transformed body dropped softly to the floor while others still clung sideways to her body. She could not help but giggle as one falling feather brushed against her ankle before landing on her foot.
Tala collected the extra feathers and placed them carefully aside, out of view. After surveying the room for any proof she was up, or even worse, out, she stepped up to the bed. Her husband lay still, asleep as she left him—lucky for her he was a deep sleeper. Tala climbed back into bed, wrapping her body up against his in a spooning position. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had much more to worry about than just waking the king now.
Blood Divided (Soul Born Saga #2) by Kevin James Breaux
There exists an ancient elven proverb, dating before the time of man. Life and death, like day and night, meet at a point where they blend into one. It is that brief moment when anything is possible.
There was a time when four sparks of life burned brighter than the sun itself. Megan was born with power, Lucien born with station. Autumn was born full of life, while Nathan was entwined with death.
Peace has come and gone... The conflicts of old have returned-rejuvenated and driven. This is the beginning of the end. The children of Karn have come of age, and now they will take part in shaping the fate of Illyia.
Will they join forces, or with blood will they be divided?
Thank you Kevin for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Kevin James Breaux and his books, please visit his website. Also, don't miss our interview with Kevin here.
**Soul Born Saga Giveaway**
We are giving away a Soul Born Saga Gift Box with:
(1) Soul Born signed
(1) Blood Divided signed
(1) Soul Born cover print
(1) Blood Divided post card signed
(3) plastic knights
(1) $25.00 gift card to Amazon.com
To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email so we contact you if you win. This giveaway is to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends June 6, 2012 midnight EST.
Keep reading for a chance to win a Soul Born Saga Gift Box filled with goodies!
The following is an excerpt from Blood Divided by Kevin James Breaux.
Late that night, after her husband was asleep, Tala opened her eyes, staring straight up into the heights of their enormous canopy bed. Draped with vibrant orange silk, the family heirloom sat in the middle of the royal bedroom, flanked with two wrought-iron candelabras of which all but five candles total had burned down to the end.
Tala spent many of the first days she lived with the king decorating his bedroom; it clearly required a woman’s touch. Lining the room were many tall lush plants, so many so that the room appeared green when one squinted their eyes. Atop a shelf in the one corner was a collection of rare antiquities that the king had collected from various elven tribes, including the jawbone of a lizard man that an elven chieftain gave him as a thank you for King Ethan’s aid after a flood decimated the chieftain’s lands. Tala always sneered at it whenever her husband was not in the room—it did not go with her décor—but she was too polite to ask him to remove it.
Although she had not lived with her people for a long time, she still held true to a few of their customs. One such tradition was beating the walls with dried Orange Sparkle Blossoms, a flower that was indigenous only to the north of Kel Tora Castle on the border with New Maejika. It was said to keep the spirits from entering the room, but Tala mostly did it because it left a fresh smell that made her feel like she was sleeping in the wild.
The king knew well of her love of the outdoors, and thus sprinkled wild flower petals on the bed daily. It was a testament of his love for her; one she always repaid kindly with a morning kiss.
The mere thought of explaining where she was going, what she had to do, it made her feel almost as uncomfortable as seeing the man who called himself Khaos just the other day. With no other option in sight, Tala decided to sneak out in the middle of the night.
It had been many years since Tala vowed never to return to Drae’Qu’s lake home, but Khaos’s appearance forced her to break that vow. Like it or not, Tala knew the enigmatic fairy would provide her with some beneficial information in this moment of stressful perplexity.
Tala slithered from the bed like a snake shedding its skin, slowly sliding out of the sheets. The candlelight caressed her sweat moistened naked skin, making it shine and sparkle as if covered with thousands of tiny jewels. Tala drew a deep, silent breath and quickly dropped onto a rug on the floor next to her side of the bed. She placed her hands on the floor and sat in a crouch for a moment. She looked around the room. Tala had planned her exit carefully before retiring for the night with her husband. At the far end of the room was a window she had left open. It was her sole means of escape; she would exit where the cool breeze entered.
Underneath the window, about twenty feet below, was the balcony of the royal hall. Another fifty or so feet beneath that was the royal garden and fountain, a place Tala knew very well. The fountain itself was a sculpture of a pair of women back to back. They held hands out to their sides and spilled water from their mouths at a forty-five degree angle upward. She always thought it was a beautiful sculpture, but very silly too. The pool of the fountain was very large and reached toward the castle some. She had swam in it a very long time ago, so she recalled its dimensions with some clarity. Tala knew it was deep, but she was unsure if it was deep enough to handle a dive from the height of the balcony. Tonight she would find out.
She stared at the window intently. Her muscles tensed. Her eyes moved to a pile of dirty clothes she had hidden her satchel underneath. Inside the pack was simple attire, something she could wear to blend in with the townsfolk. At the bottom of the pack was a pair of hooked knives, a rope, and a small water skin.
Tala could hear the guards walking outside the bedroom and even some of the ones outside the window on the grounds. To her advantage, elven hearing reached much further at night, when most of the world around was silent and still. She waited for a clear sign that the guards were distant, then made her move. Sprinting toward the window, her bare feet slid across the chilled stone floor. A tiny shiver of anticipation shot across her body. Without breaking stride, she bent forward and scooped up the satchel from its hiding spot, finally slinging it over her shoulder. Then, with one clean motion, she jumped up to the windowsill, landing still and quiet. She brushed her yellow-green hair from her face and peered down to the balcony. No guards as far as her eyes could see. A gust of wind blew so hard she was forced to brace herself on the cold, lifeless stone behind her. Once she regained her balance, she took a final glance back at her husband in bed across the room. He laid still, sound asleep.
With a hop, Tala jumped down to the balcony. It was a quick fall, but it still caused her heart to race. She landed softly on the hard stone balcony, as only an elf could, with only the slightest thud. Tala snapped her head to the right and then the left. As she feared, a guard approached from far away. Knowing she had only a moment to act, Tala backed herself into a shadowy corner, until her body was completely engulfed in darkness. How embarrassing it would be, she thought, to get caught leaving through a window in the middle of the night, naked. How would I explain myself to my husband? It has been years since I did this. What would the king think? Unfortunately, it was all a risk she had to take to get the answers she needed.
The guard rounded the corner and passed with his back to her. His footfalls chimed a clunky metallic rhythm as he walked. A sound, she thought, that was loud enough to wake the dead. Humans and their silly need for heavy armor; she shook her head. After waiting for the guard to round the next corner, she confidently stepped from the shadows. Tiptoeing softly to the railing, Tala gazed down at the moonlit, sparkling water inside the fountain.
Not wanting to waste another moment, she threw her backpack down into a fully grown rose bush below. After a short elven prayer passed her lips, she stepped up to the railing and dove down to the water.
Tala hit the water, creating only a minute splash. Immediately after piercing the water, she arched her body, pulling her head back hard toward the surface. She could feel the skin on her knees tear as they scrapped open at the bottom of the fountain. The structure was shallower than she remembered, leaving a fresh sense of relief where the fear of dying once sat in her chest.
Tala breached the water slowly, moving her head steadily as an alligator would while patiently watching its prey. A pair of guards marched by the garden, neither aware of her presence. The crystal clear water rippled around her body as she swam to the furthest end of the fountain. After swiftly pulling herself out of the basin, she scurried into the shadows toward her backpack. Her wet bare skin tingled against the night air; it had been a long time since Tala had taken a refreshing, nude swim. The sensation was exhilarating, revitalizing her with an energy she had not felt in many, many months.
Once dressed, Tala crept from tree to bush, taking care to keep hidden in the shadows. She worked her way from the castle to the town, where she stepped out onto the street as if she had always been there. The town was normally quiet at this time of night. Only guards and the occasional traveler were seen about. Security was relaxed due to the nearly nonexistent crime in Kel Tora. Acting as if she had done it every night, Tala walked out of town through the gates past the guards.
It did not take Tala long to jog out to the fairy’s home. As always, she was cautious, making sure no one followed her. Few knew of this small lake’s existence, let alone its importance.
Unlike other bodies of water in the forest outside of Kel Tora, this lake held one of Mother Nature’s most precious secrets. It was the hidden dwelling of one of the last surviving fairy kind. Although invisible to human eyes, the lake shimmered with a pale blue radiance at night, its illumination a product of the magical energy from the fluttering of the fairy’s wings.
It was the fact that she knew what the shimmering light belonged to that made her feel slightly sick to her stomach. The lake held many memories for Tala, both good and bad. Slowly, old emotions began to overwhelm her, squeezing her between the sensation of wanting to cry and the urge to empty her stomach. Kneeling on the soft soil beside the water, Tala breathed deeply and rhythmically. After a few moments to calm herself, she felt better.
“Drae’Qu, I’m here,” she called out while wading into the water.
The water’s radiance grew with intensity until the fairy emerged from the center of the lake. The fairy looked like a tiny human, a sight that most would find odd, yet Tala had grown so used to, she gave it no mind. As she flew, the fairy’s butterfly-like wings created a tranquil fluttering sound. Although the wind whipped the fairy’s long, wavy, light blue hair around, it did not move the silver ribbon that slithered around her otherwise uncovered body as if it were alive.
Drae’Qu buzzed around Tala a few times before settling into a hover beside her face. After staring deep into the young elf’s eyes a moment, Drae’Qu spoke in her native tongue, a voice that sounded like a dozen children screaming all at once, mismatched in time.
“How long has it been, Avatar?”
“Over ten years,” Tala sheepishly admitted, looking away. “Please, do not call me that.”
“I knew you would return this week. The balance has been tipped. There is great evil coming to our lands.”
“I fear the evil is already here. I saw him.” Tala paused. “You should’ve warned me.”
“My knowledge is limited to these shores. Opal left over twenty years ago.”
“So it’s true. This man, Khaos… is the son of Karn and Opal?”
“Yes,” the fairy answered gravely.
Tala dropped her head down, facing the water out of frustration. When she lifted it back up, the fairy waited eagerly.
“Tell me, how did your children accept the knowledge that they were Karn’s children as well?”
It was this moment that Tala had hoped to avoid all these years. She did not want to tell them the truth that their father was not the king, instead the long dead hero Karn. The King of Illyia had raised her children since they were babies. He had provided them with everything they needed, from shelter and food to education and sophistication. She did not feel it was fair to him. He had given them so much and asked for nothing in return.
“I have told them nothing.” She hoped to at least wait until after her husband passed to reveal this secret.
“You promised to tell them on their sixteenth birthday!” Drae’Qu snapped.
“Look, I’m sick of these responsibilities, Drae’Qu! That’s why I stayed away for so long.”
“Try to avoid them as you may, but you are one of Nature’s Avatars.”
Tala hated the title—with it came unreasonable responsibilities that she felt had ruined at least half of her life. She wanted nothing more than to be a normal girl, rid of all of this.
“What more could you ask of me, Drae’Qu?” Tala insisted. “I have lied! I have killed! I have done everything you desired!”
“You have been rewarded for your services too,” Drae’Qu said with her tiny arms crossed.
An uncomfortable silence passed between them as Tala and the fairy, stared at each other.
“What should I do?”
“You know the legend. The child of Karn will unify nature and man, bringing peace to the lands,” Drae’Qu reminded her.
“I always figured it was Lucien, that one day he would become King of Illyia,” Tala replied. “Now I am not sure which child. Could the legend be about the child of Karn and Opal?”
“Tala, I am sure of this: Khaos is pure evil. What worries me now is the safety of your children,” the fairy added.
Tala had not thought that Lucien or Autumn would be in serious danger. Now the sick realization that Khaos may have come to kill them drilled deep into her chest.
“I will bring Autumn to you tomorrow. She needs to know the truth.” Tala gave in.
“What of your son?” Drae’Qu asked.
“He loves his father so much. This news may devastate him, and I need his strength now more than ever.”
“It is, in the end, your decision.”
A moment passed before Tala spoke again. “Can you do me a favor now?” she asked shyly.
“Would you like to see…?” Drae’Qu began to ask.
“No,” Tala interrupted. “No visions today. I need an animal spirit.”
The fairy perked up; she enjoyed using her magic in every way.
“It has been a very long time since you took the spirit of an animal. What was it last?”
“A bear,” Tala answered, recalling the memory.
“Yes, a bear. What spirit would you require this time?”
“One that can fly high and fast.”
***
All of Kel Tora was resting silently. The townsfolk slept comfortably in their homes, and guards stood casually on alert while the remainder of Kel Tora’s army slept off another night of drinking. One of the royal guards, an older veteran walking the outside perimeter near the balcony of the royal hall, watched as the large bird flew the night sky. The falcon glided effortlessly atop the wind, flapping its feathered wings only once in a great while. The guard watched as the falcon seemed to point itself directly at the castle. He muttered hushed words of confusion to himself, not understanding where the feathered creature could be going. Perhaps it was just going to crash into the coarse stonewalls, he thought. The guard repositioned himself to get a better view of the falcon’s path. As he did, it became obvious to him that the bird was flying directly toward the king’s chambers.
The old guard jolted out of his relaxed state and ran as fast as his weary bones would let him through the royal hall. The sound of his heavy metal armor and metal-encased boots alerted other guards who raced to his position.
“What is it, Deter?” one guard yelled as he realized the loud footfalls belonged to a friend.
“I just saw a bird fly directly into our lord’s room!”
“So?”
“It looked like a falcon!” Deter yelled as they ran through the castle.
“A war falcon?”
“I pray not!”
The two guards ran up the staircase and down the halls of Kel Tora’s most inner sanctum. As they approached the king’s chambers, the number of guards increased. Outside the king’s room stood six stoic guards. They were dressed in dark red-orange colors, even though Kel Tora’s royal guard’s colors were black. All in service of the king knew that any soldier wearing the dark red-orange sigils belonged to Kel Tora’s elite Vermillion Force. They were a complete mystery: all were young, strong, and silent. No one knew their names or where they resided, only that they were loyal—dangerously loyal.
Both royal guards slowed their pace and identified themselves before reaching a comfortable distance from the king’s chambers.
“State your business,” one of the elite Vermillion Guards said coolly.
“I was walking outside the hall when I witnessed a falcon fly directly into our lord’s window.”
No sooner were the words out of his mouth did one of the elite guards knock slightly on the door before shoving it swiftly open. Two of the six elite guards turned and entered the room, while the other four held their positions facing away from the room. As the two guards stepped into the dark room, Tala greeted them. Emerging from the shadows wrapped in a shawl that barely covered her, Tala moved directly to the guards as they stood cautiously.
“Lady Tala, we have word that a falcon may have entered your window. Is everything… satisfactory?”
Tala slid up the shawl slightly to reveal just the bottom most point where her legs met her hips; had the candles in the room or torches in the hall been any brighter the two royal guards may have been able to view the most intimate part of her anatomy.
“As you can see, I’m not properly prepared for guests.” Tala spoke softly.
“Please, accept our apologies, milady.”
“The falcon you saw is one I’m training as a gift for my husband.”
“Then all is well?”
“All is well… as long as you did not wake the king,” Tala whispered as she turned away from the guards, giving them a full view of the curves of her buttocks.
The elite guardsmen quickly exited the room and stepped back into formation. After the guards shut the door, Tala unraveled the shawl that hid her body. Feathers that had only seconds before lined her transformed body dropped softly to the floor while others still clung sideways to her body. She could not help but giggle as one falling feather brushed against her ankle before landing on her foot.
Tala collected the extra feathers and placed them carefully aside, out of view. After surveying the room for any proof she was up, or even worse, out, she stepped up to the bed. Her husband lay still, asleep as she left him—lucky for her he was a deep sleeper. Tala climbed back into bed, wrapping her body up against his in a spooning position. She breathed a sigh of relief. She had much more to worry about than just waking the king now.
Blood Divided (Soul Born Saga #2) by Kevin James Breaux
There exists an ancient elven proverb, dating before the time of man. Life and death, like day and night, meet at a point where they blend into one. It is that brief moment when anything is possible.
There was a time when four sparks of life burned brighter than the sun itself. Megan was born with power, Lucien born with station. Autumn was born full of life, while Nathan was entwined with death.
Peace has come and gone... The conflicts of old have returned-rejuvenated and driven. This is the beginning of the end. The children of Karn have come of age, and now they will take part in shaping the fate of Illyia.
Will they join forces, or with blood will they be divided?
Thank you Kevin for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Kevin James Breaux and his books, please visit his website. Also, don't miss our interview with Kevin here.
**Soul Born Saga Giveaway**
We are giving away a Soul Born Saga Gift Box with:
(1) Soul Born signed
(1) Blood Divided signed
(1) Soul Born cover print
(1) Blood Divided post card signed
(3) plastic knights
(1) $25.00 gift card to Amazon.com
To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email so we contact you if you win. This giveaway is to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends June 6, 2012 midnight EST.
May 15, 2012
Unspent Time Launch Party + Tour Giveaway
Please welcome today's guest author Graham Parke. Graham is the author of No Hope for Gomez! and Unspent Time.
Keep reading for details on how to enter to win a Kindle Fire and more.
Graham is giving us a sneak peek at his new release Unspent Time with a few (hilarious) sound bite excerpts:
“I'm looking into my past lives. I'm convinced some of them still owe me money.”
“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.”
“I didn’t actually want to do it,” Kiala told the boy. “The universe just kind of conspired to force me to make a fool of myself. It does that quite a lot, actually.”
“Sadly, my socks are like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike.”
Unspent Time by Graham Parke
Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive to the opposite sex and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%*
(*These statements have not been evaluated by anyone of consequence.)
From the award winning author of ‘No Hope for Gomez!’ comes a collection of 20 impossible tales. Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time. Pockets of ‘should have been’s and ‘might have happened’s. Time that was allotted but never spent. In this realm we find the stories that could have been true.
Such as the story of Kiala, whose aunt and caretaker disappears one day, leaving her as the sole Huntress to battle the giant octopi to feed her village. Or the revealing tale of Goki Feng Ho: the ancient Chinese art of decoding the meaning of car license plates. And the heartbreaking story of the man responsible for choosing the colors of the insides of your shoes. As he toils away in obscurity, his work impacts society in ways we’ll never fully comprehend. And let’s not forget the story behind Unspent Time itself, the metaphysical ramifications of which will leave the scientific community feeling mostly indifferent about it for decades to come…
Thank you Graham for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Graham Parke and his books, please visit his website.
**Unspent Time Tour Giveaway**
For the launch of the new novel Unspent Time Graham decided to discount it to $0.99 for today (PC and eBook), give away some exclusive content, and raffle off two Kindles.
All entrants will get:
An exclusive spin-off novelette (not available for purchase anywhere!)Making of Gomez: behind the scenes eBookSignature for their paperback or kindle editionChance to win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch(Prizes can be traded for Amazon gift certificates if you already own them.)
Just email your receipt to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com to enter. Each purchase counts, so stock up on birthday presents (for people you don't like that much, for instance) The discount ends today, but be sure to send the receipts no later than June 1st.
Coupon code for today: ZB77D
(To use coupon code, visit Smashwords.com)
Please note, this is a tour giveaway. Winners will not be drawn by From the Shadows. Please visit the Unspent Time Launch Party page for more details.
Keep reading for details on how to enter to win a Kindle Fire and more.
Graham is giving us a sneak peek at his new release Unspent Time with a few (hilarious) sound bite excerpts:
“I'm looking into my past lives. I'm convinced some of them still owe me money.”
“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.”
“I didn’t actually want to do it,” Kiala told the boy. “The universe just kind of conspired to force me to make a fool of myself. It does that quite a lot, actually.”
“Sadly, my socks are like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike.”
Unspent Time by Graham Parke
Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive to the opposite sex and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%*
(*These statements have not been evaluated by anyone of consequence.)
From the award winning author of ‘No Hope for Gomez!’ comes a collection of 20 impossible tales. Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time. Pockets of ‘should have been’s and ‘might have happened’s. Time that was allotted but never spent. In this realm we find the stories that could have been true.
Such as the story of Kiala, whose aunt and caretaker disappears one day, leaving her as the sole Huntress to battle the giant octopi to feed her village. Or the revealing tale of Goki Feng Ho: the ancient Chinese art of decoding the meaning of car license plates. And the heartbreaking story of the man responsible for choosing the colors of the insides of your shoes. As he toils away in obscurity, his work impacts society in ways we’ll never fully comprehend. And let’s not forget the story behind Unspent Time itself, the metaphysical ramifications of which will leave the scientific community feeling mostly indifferent about it for decades to come…
Thank you Graham for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Graham Parke and his books, please visit his website.
**Unspent Time Tour Giveaway**
For the launch of the new novel Unspent Time Graham decided to discount it to $0.99 for today (PC and eBook), give away some exclusive content, and raffle off two Kindles.
All entrants will get:
An exclusive spin-off novelette (not available for purchase anywhere!)Making of Gomez: behind the scenes eBookSignature for their paperback or kindle editionChance to win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch(Prizes can be traded for Amazon gift certificates if you already own them.)
Just email your receipt to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com to enter. Each purchase counts, so stock up on birthday presents (for people you don't like that much, for instance) The discount ends today, but be sure to send the receipts no later than June 1st.
Coupon code for today: ZB77D
(To use coupon code, visit Smashwords.com)
Please note, this is a tour giveaway. Winners will not be drawn by From the Shadows. Please visit the Unspent Time Launch Party page for more details.
May 8, 2012
A Good Man Excerpt + Giveaway
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Vanessa Morgan. Vanessa is the author of Drowned Sorrow, The Strangers Outside, and A Good Man.
Keep reading for a chance to win a pdf ebook copy of A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan.
Vanessa has provided us with an excerpt, the opening words, from her new screenplay, A Good Man.
Snow-covered streets seen through a floor-to-ceiling window.
FRED (V.O.)
Would you like to begin, Eric? Your case is rather peculiar.
ERIC (V.O.)
My name is Eric. I've been a vampire since 1973 and I have constant headaches because of a brain tumor. An eternal headache, if you get what I mean. I'm also suffering from depression, but that's curable, they say – even for a vampire.
A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan.
Louis Caron is a good man - he is a vegetarian, feeds homeless people, takes care of animals and is concerned with environmental issues. But his altruism has a sinister edge: he's a vampire and local inspector Taglioni becomes increasingly suspicious of him. Louis' attempt to escape the police will take him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but where he will also destroy the lives of those he cares about.
Thank you Vanessa for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Vanessa Morgan and her books, please visit her website or read E.J.'s interview with Vanessa.
**A Good Man Giveaway**
We are giving away a pdf ebook copy of A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan to one lucky winner.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post (include your email address so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends May 24th midnight EST.
Keep reading for a chance to win a pdf ebook copy of A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan.
Vanessa has provided us with an excerpt, the opening words, from her new screenplay, A Good Man.
Snow-covered streets seen through a floor-to-ceiling window.
FRED (V.O.)
Would you like to begin, Eric? Your case is rather peculiar.
ERIC (V.O.)
My name is Eric. I've been a vampire since 1973 and I have constant headaches because of a brain tumor. An eternal headache, if you get what I mean. I'm also suffering from depression, but that's curable, they say – even for a vampire.
A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan.
Louis Caron is a good man - he is a vegetarian, feeds homeless people, takes care of animals and is concerned with environmental issues. But his altruism has a sinister edge: he's a vampire and local inspector Taglioni becomes increasingly suspicious of him. Louis' attempt to escape the police will take him on a journey into his own private hell where he is not only forced to confront his worst fears, but where he will also destroy the lives of those he cares about.
Thank you Vanessa for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Vanessa Morgan and her books, please visit her website or read E.J.'s interview with Vanessa.
**A Good Man Giveaway**
We are giving away a pdf ebook copy of A Good Man by Vanessa Morgan to one lucky winner.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post (include your email address so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends May 24th midnight EST.
May 1, 2012
Q+A with Virgil Allen Moore (Demon Vampire)
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Virgil Allen Moore. Virgil is the author of Demon Vampire.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Virgil: At ten I came up with the idea for a story in elementary school. My initial attempt at the writing was so impressive, the teacher gave me high marks. Unfortunately, I didn't finish the project, which would normally result in a failing grade. However, I was able to land a solid A- considering the shear innovation of my narrative. As a ten year old, I saw great inspiration in this. My career as a writer was cemented in that fact.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Virgil: There was a time when I read Anne Rice and thought her vision of vampires were near perfect. Later on in life, I had the misfortune to read a book that betrayed my feelings as a reader in that genre. I spent two very spirited weeks ranting to my friends about my experience with that book. One day they told me that I should just write a more comprehensive and intertwining collective of a novel. Their words rang deeply, leading to the inception of my current beauty, Demon Vampire.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Virgil: Immortality has always been a fascination for me. Not that of a vampire, but true, legendary immortality is my aim. The ability to live complete and everlasting in order to accomplish all of my whims, dreams, and desires is priceless to me. The thoughts of all I could do with that amount of time are wondrous in my mind.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Virgil: Demon Vampire is a poetic novel that builds to a climax that is so fulfilling to a reader, it sets a standard for story complexity that is well felt in the end. It is a book for those who enjoy a large, slow paced novel filled with imagery that paints the mind in hues of tempting color, while releasing a narrative that lingers after the book is completed. Demon Vampire asks that perfect question: If you had to choose power, grace, and immortality at the cost of your soul, would you? What if the choice was easier than you think? Small, incremental segments of strength for a few childhood memories? The ability to accomplish your dreams, your desires, for the corners of your mind you don't often use? What if you could have everything you ever wanted and the only price would be the things that make you who you are? What would you do? Faced with a grave choice of morality, what would you choose?
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Virgil: I've thought about that a lot over the past two years. The only roles that I've been able to select to date would be Gary Oldman, and Rachel McAdams. One of the elder vampires of the story, Fear, would lend well to Oldman's talents as an actor. His dark portrayal in many movies is a perfect representation of that character's propensity for violence and terror. McAdams would play the main character's mother, Lucretia. I believe although she has not played any truly evil and sadistic roles in her career, she would love the character's ability to be utterly base in her primal needs and expectations of the world. As for the rest of the cast, I haven't found any really fit to what I have written. The story is so complex and interweaved, the acting involved would need to be by relatively unknown people. Allowing them to express the full depths of the book in all its crimson sanguination.
Demon Vampire by Virgil Allen Moore
Demon Vampire asks the question, if given the choice to have power, grace, and immortality at the cost of your soul, what would you do? What if the choice was easier than you think? Small incremental segments of you childhood for a boost in strength? The ability to protect your loved ones for the corners of your mind that you don't often use? Regeneration for the traits that make you who you are? If faced with a grave decision of morality, what would you choose?
Thank you Virgil for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Virgil Allen Moore and his books, please visit his website.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Virgil: At ten I came up with the idea for a story in elementary school. My initial attempt at the writing was so impressive, the teacher gave me high marks. Unfortunately, I didn't finish the project, which would normally result in a failing grade. However, I was able to land a solid A- considering the shear innovation of my narrative. As a ten year old, I saw great inspiration in this. My career as a writer was cemented in that fact.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Virgil: There was a time when I read Anne Rice and thought her vision of vampires were near perfect. Later on in life, I had the misfortune to read a book that betrayed my feelings as a reader in that genre. I spent two very spirited weeks ranting to my friends about my experience with that book. One day they told me that I should just write a more comprehensive and intertwining collective of a novel. Their words rang deeply, leading to the inception of my current beauty, Demon Vampire.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Virgil: Immortality has always been a fascination for me. Not that of a vampire, but true, legendary immortality is my aim. The ability to live complete and everlasting in order to accomplish all of my whims, dreams, and desires is priceless to me. The thoughts of all I could do with that amount of time are wondrous in my mind.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Virgil: Demon Vampire is a poetic novel that builds to a climax that is so fulfilling to a reader, it sets a standard for story complexity that is well felt in the end. It is a book for those who enjoy a large, slow paced novel filled with imagery that paints the mind in hues of tempting color, while releasing a narrative that lingers after the book is completed. Demon Vampire asks that perfect question: If you had to choose power, grace, and immortality at the cost of your soul, would you? What if the choice was easier than you think? Small, incremental segments of strength for a few childhood memories? The ability to accomplish your dreams, your desires, for the corners of your mind you don't often use? What if you could have everything you ever wanted and the only price would be the things that make you who you are? What would you do? Faced with a grave choice of morality, what would you choose?
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Virgil: I've thought about that a lot over the past two years. The only roles that I've been able to select to date would be Gary Oldman, and Rachel McAdams. One of the elder vampires of the story, Fear, would lend well to Oldman's talents as an actor. His dark portrayal in many movies is a perfect representation of that character's propensity for violence and terror. McAdams would play the main character's mother, Lucretia. I believe although she has not played any truly evil and sadistic roles in her career, she would love the character's ability to be utterly base in her primal needs and expectations of the world. As for the rest of the cast, I haven't found any really fit to what I have written. The story is so complex and interweaved, the acting involved would need to be by relatively unknown people. Allowing them to express the full depths of the book in all its crimson sanguination.
Demon Vampire by Virgil Allen Moore
Demon Vampire asks the question, if given the choice to have power, grace, and immortality at the cost of your soul, what would you do? What if the choice was easier than you think? Small incremental segments of you childhood for a boost in strength? The ability to protect your loved ones for the corners of your mind that you don't often use? Regeneration for the traits that make you who you are? If faced with a grave decision of morality, what would you choose?
Thank you Virgil for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Virgil Allen Moore and his books, please visit his website.
National Poetry Month Giveaway Winner
Congratulations Mindy fangedmom winner of our National Poetry Month Giveaway at From the Shadows! Mindy will receive a prize pack containing bookmarks, postcards, magnet, and autographed copies of From the Shadows and Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens.
Thank you to all who entered!
**All giveaway winners selected using Random.org**
April 26, 2012
Q+A with Suze Reese + ExtraNormal Tour Giveaway
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Suze Reese. Suze is the author of ExtraNormal.
Keep reading to learn more about the ExtraNormal book tour, and win prizes. Grand Prize includes an ExtraNormal book bag stuffed with a Kindle, signed copy of ExtraNormal by Suze Reese, EN t-shirt, 5 signed EN bookmarks, and $20 Amazon Gift Card!
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Suze: I'm pretty sure I was taking notes in the womb. "Mom was crying again today. She says she's tired of being bloated, whatever that is." I got great grades in school, not because I was smart, but because I could pretty much write my way through anything. I was in my early twenties when I decided to try writing a novel. It took about 5 years and kind of stunk. It had good elements, but I hadn't learned about story structure, which is an entirely different skill set from writing.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Suze: That's one of my favorite questions. It was a college science class. Science was something I avoided like the plague. But eventually they informed me that I would not graduate without at least one science credit. So I picked the most interesting-sounding one I could find: Evolution. And while the professor went on about the evolutional changes on our world, I daydreamed about a world that started out just like ours but evolved differently. By the end ExtraNormal was born. I did get an A in the class, so I guess I didn't daydream too much.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Suze: Well, this talent probably isn't cool enough to make it into a paranormal book, but if I were forced to pick just one I'd have to grab the house-cleaning nose twitch from Bewitched. (If you could see the room I'm sitting in you'd tell me to go for it.)
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Suze: I've been told it's unique from what's out there right now. It's a fairly complex story and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. There is what I hope a good balance of intrigue, romance, action, and humor. It takes a look at humans from an outsider's perspective, which I think gives readers a lot to consider.There are so many things we take for granted that Mira is just discovering--our food, our technology, our social situations. I've been told over and over that it sticks with the reader. They think about it when they put it down. In fact, yesterday I had lunch with a close friend who had just read an ARC of ExtraNormal. In fact we were meeting so I could pick it up from her. And mid-way through lunch she says, "I've just got to tell you. Three or our times during our chat I've had the thought that I need to tell you about this amazing book I just read. And then I go 'Oh that's right, she wrote it.'" Plus Jesse is very hot.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Suze: I didn't want to have a set image as I developed my characters, so I've tried not to "type cast" them. But my son tells me that Mira as she's depicted on my cover looks like Selena Gomez. And while I think she's a versatile actress, she's a little too short for my Mira. I think I'd have to pick Jessica Alba. She has the right look, has Mira's hint of sophistication, and as a bonus has had some sci-fi and paranormal roles. For Jesse I'm thinking Zac Efron. He'd have to dye his hair, but his eyes and smile are perfect. Orlando Bloom is my hands-down pick for Everett, who is supposed be the embodiment of the perfect male specimen. And maybe that's just my opinion of Orlando, but there you go. He is a little old to play a 17-year-old. In fact probably all of them are. But we're talking fantasy casting here, so I'll let Hollywood worry about the age problem.
ExtraNormal (ExtraNormal #1) by Suze Reese
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she's really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated. But a series of serious accidents make it clear that someone wants to force her return. Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.
Thank you Suze for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Suze Reese and her books, please visit her website.
**ExtraNormal Book Tour Giveaway**
Author Suze Reese is on tour for her new release ExtraNormal and giving away some fab bookish prizes. Grand Prize includes an ExtraNormal book bag stuffed with a Kindle, signed copy of ExtraNormal by Suze Reese, EN t-shirt, 5 signed EN bookmarks, and $20 Amazon Gift Card. Additional prizes include $15 Amazon Gift Card, two EN t-shirts, and autographed EN bookmark sets.
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends May 4, 2012. Please note that this is a book tour giveaway. Winners will not be selected by From the Shadows. Visit the ExtraNormal tour page for more info.
a Rafflecopter giveaway<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Keep reading to learn more about the ExtraNormal book tour, and win prizes. Grand Prize includes an ExtraNormal book bag stuffed with a Kindle, signed copy of ExtraNormal by Suze Reese, EN t-shirt, 5 signed EN bookmarks, and $20 Amazon Gift Card!
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Suze: I'm pretty sure I was taking notes in the womb. "Mom was crying again today. She says she's tired of being bloated, whatever that is." I got great grades in school, not because I was smart, but because I could pretty much write my way through anything. I was in my early twenties when I decided to try writing a novel. It took about 5 years and kind of stunk. It had good elements, but I hadn't learned about story structure, which is an entirely different skill set from writing.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Suze: That's one of my favorite questions. It was a college science class. Science was something I avoided like the plague. But eventually they informed me that I would not graduate without at least one science credit. So I picked the most interesting-sounding one I could find: Evolution. And while the professor went on about the evolutional changes on our world, I daydreamed about a world that started out just like ours but evolved differently. By the end ExtraNormal was born. I did get an A in the class, so I guess I didn't daydream too much.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Suze: Well, this talent probably isn't cool enough to make it into a paranormal book, but if I were forced to pick just one I'd have to grab the house-cleaning nose twitch from Bewitched. (If you could see the room I'm sitting in you'd tell me to go for it.)
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Suze: I've been told it's unique from what's out there right now. It's a fairly complex story and yet doesn't take itself too seriously. There is what I hope a good balance of intrigue, romance, action, and humor. It takes a look at humans from an outsider's perspective, which I think gives readers a lot to consider.There are so many things we take for granted that Mira is just discovering--our food, our technology, our social situations. I've been told over and over that it sticks with the reader. They think about it when they put it down. In fact, yesterday I had lunch with a close friend who had just read an ARC of ExtraNormal. In fact we were meeting so I could pick it up from her. And mid-way through lunch she says, "I've just got to tell you. Three or our times during our chat I've had the thought that I need to tell you about this amazing book I just read. And then I go 'Oh that's right, she wrote it.'" Plus Jesse is very hot.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Suze: I didn't want to have a set image as I developed my characters, so I've tried not to "type cast" them. But my son tells me that Mira as she's depicted on my cover looks like Selena Gomez. And while I think she's a versatile actress, she's a little too short for my Mira. I think I'd have to pick Jessica Alba. She has the right look, has Mira's hint of sophistication, and as a bonus has had some sci-fi and paranormal roles. For Jesse I'm thinking Zac Efron. He'd have to dye his hair, but his eyes and smile are perfect. Orlando Bloom is my hands-down pick for Everett, who is supposed be the embodiment of the perfect male specimen. And maybe that's just my opinion of Orlando, but there you go. He is a little old to play a 17-year-old. In fact probably all of them are. But we're talking fantasy casting here, so I'll let Hollywood worry about the age problem.
ExtraNormal (ExtraNormal #1) by Suze Reese
Mira Johns is pretty much like any other teenage girl. Except that she knows how to harness electro-magnetic energy to communicate without words. And she's really, really far from home. Her assignment as an emissary to Earth sounds fairly simple: blend in, observe, and stay away from the planet’s primitive males. But after she finds one mysterious boy too irresistible for stupid rules, she realizes the real reason she's supposed to keep her distance: mates from her world can die if separated. But a series of serious accidents make it clear that someone wants to force her return. Mira decides her only hope is to uncover the truth to why she, the most mediocre of candidates, was actually chosen for this assignment—before the agency discovers her secret and sends her back home.
Thank you Suze for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Suze Reese and her books, please visit her website.
**ExtraNormal Book Tour Giveaway**
Author Suze Reese is on tour for her new release ExtraNormal and giving away some fab bookish prizes. Grand Prize includes an ExtraNormal book bag stuffed with a Kindle, signed copy of ExtraNormal by Suze Reese, EN t-shirt, 5 signed EN bookmarks, and $20 Amazon Gift Card. Additional prizes include $15 Amazon Gift Card, two EN t-shirts, and autographed EN bookmark sets.
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends May 4, 2012. Please note that this is a book tour giveaway. Winners will not be selected by From the Shadows. Visit the ExtraNormal tour page for more info.
a Rafflecopter giveaway<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
April 24, 2012
Q+A with Jefferson Smith (Strange Places)
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Jefferson Smith. Jefferson is the author of Strange Places.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Jefferson: I first received critical acclaim for a recurring fantasy adventure serial I wrote throughout the sixth grade. My teacher and principal both loved it. I submitted my first story to the short-fiction market while in the tenth grade, thus securing my first official rejection. But to be honest, I started writing at about the same time I learned to print and I've been doing it ever since. My career as a special effects and animation consultant in Hollywood got in the way for a couple of decades, but I finally found my way back to telling my OWN stories about seven years ago.
As a long time explorer of the arts (writing, painting, animation, composing, etc.) I went back to school to do an unusual PhD program: I studied creativity theory for a doctorate in Computer Science, developing a technique for making humans more creative when they use multimedia software tools. As part of that research, I wrote a musical score for a strange world, and then I wrote a novel to go with it. The result is Strange Places, my first published work of fiction, which is also the first installment of a series called Finding Tayna. I'm now hard at work on the second book, due out at the end of this year, and the musical soundtrack CD will be out this spring. Meanwhile, I write regularly about these strangely intersecting topics (writing tips, software tools for writers, and creativity theory) on my blog: The Creativity Hacker.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Jefferson: Believe it or not, like all good science geeks, I started out as a stubborn sci-fi nut. But over the years, I came to realize that what fascinated me most about those stories wasn't the actual fictional science part - it was the fabulous mental landscapes and imaginative story worlds that those authors were creating. More recently, as I've watched the acceleration of technology and its rapid proliferation throughout society, I've come to realize that science fiction, as I know it, is dead. Who needs fantastical predictions about the future of science when your nearest Best Buy or even Wal-Mart will have new eye-popping techno widgetry available tomorrow afternoon? We've become jaded to new technology, and the sciences have become so specialized that the only people capable of projecting those topics more than 5 minutes into the future are the specialist researchers themselves, who are usually horrible story tellers.
If you examine most of what science fiction is now doing, it's really just fantasy, dressed up in technological battle gear. I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't exactly come to fantasy consciously so much as I was brought here and abandoned by science fiction. But now that I'm here, I realize that I have always been here and science fiction was just an illusion from my youth.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Jefferson: No question. I would want to be able to see into the souls of others and find the one thing to say that would make them fall down laughing. Not only would this be a fabulous power for a writer like myself to have (since I work hard to make my writing funny as well as thought provoking and fantastical) but it would actually be a great super power, too. No evil genius can fight you if they're too busy clutching their sides, gasping for breath, and rolling around on the floor in hysterics. Better yet, nobody can stay mad at a person who can make them laugh, so I'd be converting all the bad guys into friends every time we clashed, and it's just a short walk between making them friends and turning them into good guys. So yeah, that would be my power of choice.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Jefferson: Imagine that you had lived your entire life in a gloomy orphanage run by cruel nuns only to discover in your teen years that you might not even be an orphan at all. You'd freak, right? "You mean I've been washing your laundry and scrubbing your floors all this time, and somewhere I might have parents who actually love me? I am so out of here!"
Well, that's exactly what happens for Tayna, my razor witted maybe-orphan. But leaving that orphanage proves to be just the beginning of her troubles. Not only does she know nothing about the world outside the walls, but she quickly learns that her family (if they really exist) are not even in our world at all, but in another, mythological world - one she'd never even heard of before that day. So how is she supposed to find them there?
So you've got this funny but lonely teen, searching for where she belongs, and kicking butt along the way. If she only knew how much her fans loved her, she probably wouldn't be so miserable, but then again, I wouldn't have a book, either. (Note to self: don't tell Tayna how many people out here love her. It would get weird.)
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Jefferson: I think Ellen Page would have made a great Tayna five years ago, but she's probably too old now to play a believable teen, so I'd want to use someone new and unknown. There are so many great young actresses out there and I really like working with people who are just getting started in their arts careers.
Peter Dinklage would be fabulous for my villain, the creepy Lord Angiron.
I wish I could have put Heath Ledger in to play the quirky and mysterious Duck Man. He has so many sides to him. I mean, who else could play a guy who wanders around town in hip-waders and a pink trench coat, saying inappropriate things to children in one minute, but who seems to have your back and acts like a trusted but quirky ally in the next? Since I can't have Heath, I think my second choice might be Jason Segal.
The real question, in my mind, is who would play Abeni - the mountain-muscled, dark-skinned Djin adventurer with the kettle-drum laugh? I can't think of a single actor I have ever scene on film who would be right for the part, so I'm going to make one up. Take Arnold Schwarzenegger's body, stuff him inside Denzel Washington for looks and charm, and then cram Woopie Goldberg down inside that skin to handle the comedy and the laughing. Yeah, that would be sweet. I shall call him Denzoopie Schwarzenberg.
Strange Places (Finding Tayna #1) by Jefferson Smith
Raised as a modern-day kitchen slave in an orphanage run by child-loathing nuns, and now stalked by disturbing strangers, thirteen year old Tayna gambles everything on a desperate journey of self-discovery that will lead her to the far corners of two strange and unfamiliar worlds: one filled with shopping malls and televisions, the other with Brownies, Djin and magic.
Thank you Jefferson for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Jefferson Smith and his books, please visit his website.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Jefferson: I first received critical acclaim for a recurring fantasy adventure serial I wrote throughout the sixth grade. My teacher and principal both loved it. I submitted my first story to the short-fiction market while in the tenth grade, thus securing my first official rejection. But to be honest, I started writing at about the same time I learned to print and I've been doing it ever since. My career as a special effects and animation consultant in Hollywood got in the way for a couple of decades, but I finally found my way back to telling my OWN stories about seven years ago.
As a long time explorer of the arts (writing, painting, animation, composing, etc.) I went back to school to do an unusual PhD program: I studied creativity theory for a doctorate in Computer Science, developing a technique for making humans more creative when they use multimedia software tools. As part of that research, I wrote a musical score for a strange world, and then I wrote a novel to go with it. The result is Strange Places, my first published work of fiction, which is also the first installment of a series called Finding Tayna. I'm now hard at work on the second book, due out at the end of this year, and the musical soundtrack CD will be out this spring. Meanwhile, I write regularly about these strangely intersecting topics (writing tips, software tools for writers, and creativity theory) on my blog: The Creativity Hacker.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Jefferson: Believe it or not, like all good science geeks, I started out as a stubborn sci-fi nut. But over the years, I came to realize that what fascinated me most about those stories wasn't the actual fictional science part - it was the fabulous mental landscapes and imaginative story worlds that those authors were creating. More recently, as I've watched the acceleration of technology and its rapid proliferation throughout society, I've come to realize that science fiction, as I know it, is dead. Who needs fantastical predictions about the future of science when your nearest Best Buy or even Wal-Mart will have new eye-popping techno widgetry available tomorrow afternoon? We've become jaded to new technology, and the sciences have become so specialized that the only people capable of projecting those topics more than 5 minutes into the future are the specialist researchers themselves, who are usually horrible story tellers.
If you examine most of what science fiction is now doing, it's really just fantasy, dressed up in technological battle gear. I guess what I'm saying is that I didn't exactly come to fantasy consciously so much as I was brought here and abandoned by science fiction. But now that I'm here, I realize that I have always been here and science fiction was just an illusion from my youth.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Jefferson: No question. I would want to be able to see into the souls of others and find the one thing to say that would make them fall down laughing. Not only would this be a fabulous power for a writer like myself to have (since I work hard to make my writing funny as well as thought provoking and fantastical) but it would actually be a great super power, too. No evil genius can fight you if they're too busy clutching their sides, gasping for breath, and rolling around on the floor in hysterics. Better yet, nobody can stay mad at a person who can make them laugh, so I'd be converting all the bad guys into friends every time we clashed, and it's just a short walk between making them friends and turning them into good guys. So yeah, that would be my power of choice.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Jefferson: Imagine that you had lived your entire life in a gloomy orphanage run by cruel nuns only to discover in your teen years that you might not even be an orphan at all. You'd freak, right? "You mean I've been washing your laundry and scrubbing your floors all this time, and somewhere I might have parents who actually love me? I am so out of here!"
Well, that's exactly what happens for Tayna, my razor witted maybe-orphan. But leaving that orphanage proves to be just the beginning of her troubles. Not only does she know nothing about the world outside the walls, but she quickly learns that her family (if they really exist) are not even in our world at all, but in another, mythological world - one she'd never even heard of before that day. So how is she supposed to find them there?
So you've got this funny but lonely teen, searching for where she belongs, and kicking butt along the way. If she only knew how much her fans loved her, she probably wouldn't be so miserable, but then again, I wouldn't have a book, either. (Note to self: don't tell Tayna how many people out here love her. It would get weird.)
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Jefferson: I think Ellen Page would have made a great Tayna five years ago, but she's probably too old now to play a believable teen, so I'd want to use someone new and unknown. There are so many great young actresses out there and I really like working with people who are just getting started in their arts careers.
Peter Dinklage would be fabulous for my villain, the creepy Lord Angiron.
I wish I could have put Heath Ledger in to play the quirky and mysterious Duck Man. He has so many sides to him. I mean, who else could play a guy who wanders around town in hip-waders and a pink trench coat, saying inappropriate things to children in one minute, but who seems to have your back and acts like a trusted but quirky ally in the next? Since I can't have Heath, I think my second choice might be Jason Segal.
The real question, in my mind, is who would play Abeni - the mountain-muscled, dark-skinned Djin adventurer with the kettle-drum laugh? I can't think of a single actor I have ever scene on film who would be right for the part, so I'm going to make one up. Take Arnold Schwarzenegger's body, stuff him inside Denzel Washington for looks and charm, and then cram Woopie Goldberg down inside that skin to handle the comedy and the laughing. Yeah, that would be sweet. I shall call him Denzoopie Schwarzenberg.
Strange Places (Finding Tayna #1) by Jefferson Smith
Raised as a modern-day kitchen slave in an orphanage run by child-loathing nuns, and now stalked by disturbing strangers, thirteen year old Tayna gambles everything on a desperate journey of self-discovery that will lead her to the far corners of two strange and unfamiliar worlds: one filled with shopping malls and televisions, the other with Brownies, Djin and magic.
Thank you Jefferson for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Jefferson Smith and his books, please visit his website.
April 17, 2012
Q+A with Lynda Hilburn (The Vampire Shrink)
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Lynda Hilburn. Lynda is the author of The Vampire Shrink.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Lynda: I started writing nonfiction as a teenager: journals, high school and college newspapers, then later academic articles and papers. I wrote a newspaper column in my local paper for 5 years called The Psychic Counselor. I didn't start writing fiction until 2004, when I decided to try my hand at writing a vampire book, since I was such a rabid fan. Since then, I've written and published 3 novels, 1 novella and 6 short stories.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Lynda: In addition to being a fan of the supernatural and paranormal (vampires especially), I also explored the metaphysical and occult. Talking to dead relatives was a normal occurrence in my family, so my invisible friends were my companions throughout childhood. Later I studied the tarot and utilized my intuitive/psychic abilities, all of which caused me to be slightly odd, according to the "normal" world. Combining all my interests as a writer has been a no-brainer.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Lynda: Like my vampires, I would be able to travel via thought. They can move through time and space by intending to do so. That would be incredibly awesome. There would be no end to the places I could visit, the people I could meet and the experiences I could have.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Lynda: I hope readers will enjoy sharing Dr. Kismet Knight's transformation from skeptical psychologist to believer in the paranormal. Finding herself enmeshed in the vampire underworld causes her to question everything she thought she knew. Her relationships with master vampire Devereux and FBI profiler Alan Stevens create problems in her personal and professional life and my readers have divided into the Devereux camp and the Alan camp. Readers also tell me they like sharing Kismet's thoughts about her psychotherapy clients -- human and vampire.
The Vampire Shrink (Kismet Knight, Ph.D., Vampire Psychologist #1) by Lynda Hilburn
A sizzlingly sexy urban fantasy sure to feed the hunger of ravenous, vampire-loving fans. Kismet Knight, a brainy Denver-based psychologist with a stalled career and a nonexistent love life, is about to have her world rocked. Not only does her newest patient, Midnight, long to become a vampire, but the teenager insists that a coven of the undead hangs out at a local goth club. The always-rational Kismet dismisses Midnight's claims as the delusions of an attention-starved girl--until bodies start turning up drained of blood and the hottest self-proclaimed vampire ever to walk the face of the earth enters her office. What's real? What's not? As inexplicable events and romantic opportunities pile up, along with the corpses, Kismet finds herself in a whirlwind of passion, mystery, and danger. But this tough and funny heroine--who doesn't do damsel in distress--is about to turn the vampire-meets-girl convention on its head.
Thank you Lynda for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Lynda Hilburn and her books, please visit her website.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Lynda: I started writing nonfiction as a teenager: journals, high school and college newspapers, then later academic articles and papers. I wrote a newspaper column in my local paper for 5 years called The Psychic Counselor. I didn't start writing fiction until 2004, when I decided to try my hand at writing a vampire book, since I was such a rabid fan. Since then, I've written and published 3 novels, 1 novella and 6 short stories.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Lynda: In addition to being a fan of the supernatural and paranormal (vampires especially), I also explored the metaphysical and occult. Talking to dead relatives was a normal occurrence in my family, so my invisible friends were my companions throughout childhood. Later I studied the tarot and utilized my intuitive/psychic abilities, all of which caused me to be slightly odd, according to the "normal" world. Combining all my interests as a writer has been a no-brainer.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Lynda: Like my vampires, I would be able to travel via thought. They can move through time and space by intending to do so. That would be incredibly awesome. There would be no end to the places I could visit, the people I could meet and the experiences I could have.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Lynda: I hope readers will enjoy sharing Dr. Kismet Knight's transformation from skeptical psychologist to believer in the paranormal. Finding herself enmeshed in the vampire underworld causes her to question everything she thought she knew. Her relationships with master vampire Devereux and FBI profiler Alan Stevens create problems in her personal and professional life and my readers have divided into the Devereux camp and the Alan camp. Readers also tell me they like sharing Kismet's thoughts about her psychotherapy clients -- human and vampire.
The Vampire Shrink (Kismet Knight, Ph.D., Vampire Psychologist #1) by Lynda Hilburn
A sizzlingly sexy urban fantasy sure to feed the hunger of ravenous, vampire-loving fans. Kismet Knight, a brainy Denver-based psychologist with a stalled career and a nonexistent love life, is about to have her world rocked. Not only does her newest patient, Midnight, long to become a vampire, but the teenager insists that a coven of the undead hangs out at a local goth club. The always-rational Kismet dismisses Midnight's claims as the delusions of an attention-starved girl--until bodies start turning up drained of blood and the hottest self-proclaimed vampire ever to walk the face of the earth enters her office. What's real? What's not? As inexplicable events and romantic opportunities pile up, along with the corpses, Kismet finds herself in a whirlwind of passion, mystery, and danger. But this tough and funny heroine--who doesn't do damsel in distress--is about to turn the vampire-meets-girl convention on its head.
Thank you Lynda for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Lynda Hilburn and her books, please visit her website.
Shadow Sight ARC Sign Up
Earlier today we announced that Shadow Sight, the first novel in the Ivy Granger Psychic Detective urban fantasy series, has been scheduled to release July 24, 2012. We also promised reviewers a way to sign up for an advance reader copy of Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens.
Are you a book blogger interested in reviewing Shadow Sight? If so, we have an easy peasy Google Docs signup form.
Reviewers will receive Shadow Sight ARCs (advance reader copies) in .pdf and .mobi formats by June 1, 2012.
Happy reading!
Shadow Sight Release Date Announcement
It's official! Shadow Sight, the first novel in the Ivy Granger Psychic Detective urban fantasy series, is scheduled for a SUMMER release.
The official Shadow Sight release date is July 24, 2012.
Mark your calendars! We will be having a huge release day party with giveaways happening here on E.J.'s blog, on Twitter, and around the blogosphere.
Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1) by E.J. Stevens
Some things are best left unseen...
Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.
Demons are never a good sign...
A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.
There's blood in the water...
Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.
The lesser of two evils...
Sacred Oaks Press
2012
Interested in reviewing Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens? We'll be announcing Shadow Sight ARC sign up details later today. There will be an easy peasy Google Docs form and an option to host a giveaway on your blog for Shadow Sight books and signed swag.
Newsletter subscribers will also be receiving their FREE signed Shadow Sight postcards May 2012. Not signed up? Click on the newsletter signup form and include your mailing address. You can read E.J.'s April newsletter here.
The official Shadow Sight release date is July 24, 2012.
Mark your calendars! We will be having a huge release day party with giveaways happening here on E.J.'s blog, on Twitter, and around the blogosphere.
Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1) by E.J. Stevens
Some things are best left unseen...
Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.
Demons are never a good sign...
A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.
There's blood in the water...
Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.
The lesser of two evils...
Sacred Oaks Press
2012
Interested in reviewing Shadow Sight by E.J. Stevens? We'll be announcing Shadow Sight ARC sign up details later today. There will be an easy peasy Google Docs form and an option to host a giveaway on your blog for Shadow Sight books and signed swag.
Newsletter subscribers will also be receiving their FREE signed Shadow Sight postcards May 2012. Not signed up? Click on the newsletter signup form and include your mailing address. You can read E.J.'s April newsletter here.
