E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 67
April 13, 2012
Royal Street Book Giveaway Winners
Congratulations Krystal Larson and Emily's Madness winners of our Royal Street Giveaway at From the Shadows! Krystal and Emily will each receive a signed copy of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson.
Thank you to all who entered!
**All From the Shadows giveaway winners selected using Random.org, unless otherwise noted.**
April 11, 2012
Teen Lit Day and Rock The Drop!
Happy Teen Lit Day!
It's time again to Rock the Drop!
I'll be participating in Rock the Drop, a fabulous idea created by the readergirlz online community, again this year. All day April 12th, I will be dropping signed copies of my Spirit Guide series young adult novels around New England. Look for the Rock the Drop bookplate inside the front cover and enjoy.
To learn more about Rock the Drop, please visit the readergirlz Rock the Drop 2012 page.
It's time again to Rock the Drop!
I'll be participating in Rock the Drop, a fabulous idea created by the readergirlz online community, again this year. All day April 12th, I will be dropping signed copies of my Spirit Guide series young adult novels around New England. Look for the Rock the Drop bookplate inside the front cover and enjoy.
To learn more about Rock the Drop, please visit the readergirlz Rock the Drop 2012 page.
April 10, 2012
Socialpunk Excerpt + Giveaway
Please welcome today's guest author Monica Leonelle. Monica is the author of Silver Smoke, Tin Soldier, and Socialpunk.
Keep reading for a chance to win a new iPad 3 (or Apple or Amazon gift card worth $500), new Kindle Fire (or Amazon gift card worth $200), autographed hardcovers of Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle, and more.
As part of her Socialpunk Tour, Monica has provided From the Shadows readers with an excerpt from her new release. Enjoy!
A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn't be published reputably, now or in the future.
Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn't be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.
He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn't deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he'd thought. He'd meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.
But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.
He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him—his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.
But he had done the unthinkable with this creation—he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He'd given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.
Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle
Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what's beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.
Thank you Monica for joining us here today at From the Shadows.
To learn more about Monica and her books, please visit her website.
**Socialpunk Tour Giveaway**
As part of her Socialpunk Tour, the author is giving away a new iPad 3 (or Apple or Amazon gift card worth $500), new Kindle Fire (or Amazon gift card worth $200), 25 autographed hardcovers of Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle, and more!
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. Please note that this is a book tour giveaway. Winners will be selected May 1st, by the author (not From the Shadows), from participating blogs. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends April 30th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Keep reading for a chance to win a new iPad 3 (or Apple or Amazon gift card worth $500), new Kindle Fire (or Amazon gift card worth $200), autographed hardcovers of Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle, and more.
As part of her Socialpunk Tour, Monica has provided From the Shadows readers with an excerpt from her new release. Enjoy!
A small, blinking red light from just inside his eyelid reminded him of the news they sent him earlier that morning. The company had cancelled his funding and would shut down his project within three months. According to them, the project cost too much and took up too much space, and the inconclusive results couldn't be published reputably, now or in the future.
Six years of his work, tens of thousands of lives at stake—and he could do nothing to save any of it. He bowed his head, letting his chin rest on the rim of his breakfast smoothie. The smoothie reeked of powder—crushed pills—but he supposed he had better get used to it. He wouldn't be able to afford the luxury of real food after they canned him.
He closed his eyes and called up the camera view of one of his favorites, number 3281. She fascinated him; he couldn't deny it. When he had designed her, her pre-teen rebelliousness lit fire in her eyes. A survivor, he'd thought. He'd meant for her to have it all—to grow up, to get married to the love of her life, and to have a beautiful family of her own someday.
But he had only given her sadness so far. Instead of creating a strict father, he had given her an abusive one. Instead of creating a loving boyfriend, he had given her a friend who could never love her. And instead of creating a strong, proud mother, he had given her a meek one, who watched the whole thing unfold and did nothing about it.
He looked at his last and final creation sitting in the chair across from him—his own son, not awakened yet. The law forbade him to have any children of his own, so this boy would substitute.
But he had done the unthinkable with this creation—he had bestowed on it his own thoughts, emotions, and decision-making processes. He'd given the boy his own mind, his own physical characteristics, his own wants and desires.
Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle
Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what's beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.
Thank you Monica for joining us here today at From the Shadows.
To learn more about Monica and her books, please visit her website.
**Socialpunk Tour Giveaway**
As part of her Socialpunk Tour, the author is giving away a new iPad 3 (or Apple or Amazon gift card worth $500), new Kindle Fire (or Amazon gift card worth $200), 25 autographed hardcovers of Socialpunk by Monica Leonelle, and more!
To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. Please note that this is a book tour giveaway. Winners will be selected May 1st, by the author (not From the Shadows), from participating blogs. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends April 30th.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&am... need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
April 3, 2012
Q+A with Ashlynne Laynne (The Progeny)
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Ashlynne Laynne. Ashlynne is the author of The Progeny.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Ashlynne: From the time I was eight and placed third in an oratorical contest, I was hooked. I was mostly a poet and songwriter before October of 2010- this is when I really got serious about my craft and honing it. I hope to place a piece of my original poetry in each of my novels. The selection, Blessed Eternity, appears in the epilogue of The Progeny and was written three years ago (and before writing novels ever crossed my mind). How's that for destiny?
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Ashlynne: I've always loved horror movies and I must admit I have a soft spot in my heart for vampires. Besides, have you seen how gorgeous they've gotten in the last fifteen years? What girl could resist them?
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Ashlynne: I'd definitely be a vampire. They have the whole mind control charm thing and eternal life. Imagine the things a vampire could experience in an existence. What's a little blood consumption to live multiple lifetimes?
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Ashlynne: The Progeny has something for everyone. Sci-fi enthusiasts will be wild for Ascher's back story and origins. Lovers of action will like the fight scenes and adventure elements. Romantics will swoon over the tender love story and forbidden love plot weaved in. Vampire lovers will love the vampire story while lovers of witch stories will love Shauna's story. There were just infinite possibilities for such a wicked couple and I've enjoyed exploring them all.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Ashlynne: I wrote The Progeny with a picture of the fantastic actor, Thomas Dekker, staring at me everyday, for inspiration. I just love him, so it's no wonder that I wrote Ascher in his likeness. I think he is so ridiculously talented and he isn't hard on the eyes either. He would be the only choice for Ascher, in my opinion. For Shauna, Zoe Kravitz would be an awesome representation for her. Besides her beauty, she has an intensity that definitely comes through on screen.
The Progeny by Ashlynne Laynne
"No fate other than the one I choose." The timeless creed, and tattoo, bore by the Rousseau's— a vampire clan with the purest bloodline of any vampire family. Out of this clandestine group came one who was different, yet the same: Ascher - a half-bloodling— half- human, half vampire.
Ascher questions the purpose for his existence and which world he truly belongs to: the human world or the vampire world. Two months from sealing to Ursula— a prearranged union to a woman he abhors — he's at his wit's end. He knows if he calls off the sealing, the Romanian clan will strike with deadly force, but he cannot see eternity with a cold empty shell of a woman like Ursula.
Just when he thought life was complicated enough, he meets Shauna— a beautiful, bi-racial human wiccan — and immediately develops an unshakable attraction to her. She makes him feel alive and vital despite his origins and Ascher makes a decision that turns his immortal world upside down.
Thank you Ashlynne for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Ashlynne: From the time I was eight and placed third in an oratorical contest, I was hooked. I was mostly a poet and songwriter before October of 2010- this is when I really got serious about my craft and honing it. I hope to place a piece of my original poetry in each of my novels. The selection, Blessed Eternity, appears in the epilogue of The Progeny and was written three years ago (and before writing novels ever crossed my mind). How's that for destiny?
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Ashlynne: I've always loved horror movies and I must admit I have a soft spot in my heart for vampires. Besides, have you seen how gorgeous they've gotten in the last fifteen years? What girl could resist them?
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Ashlynne: I'd definitely be a vampire. They have the whole mind control charm thing and eternal life. Imagine the things a vampire could experience in an existence. What's a little blood consumption to live multiple lifetimes?
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Ashlynne: The Progeny has something for everyone. Sci-fi enthusiasts will be wild for Ascher's back story and origins. Lovers of action will like the fight scenes and adventure elements. Romantics will swoon over the tender love story and forbidden love plot weaved in. Vampire lovers will love the vampire story while lovers of witch stories will love Shauna's story. There were just infinite possibilities for such a wicked couple and I've enjoyed exploring them all.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Ashlynne: I wrote The Progeny with a picture of the fantastic actor, Thomas Dekker, staring at me everyday, for inspiration. I just love him, so it's no wonder that I wrote Ascher in his likeness. I think he is so ridiculously talented and he isn't hard on the eyes either. He would be the only choice for Ascher, in my opinion. For Shauna, Zoe Kravitz would be an awesome representation for her. Besides her beauty, she has an intensity that definitely comes through on screen.
The Progeny by Ashlynne Laynne
"No fate other than the one I choose." The timeless creed, and tattoo, bore by the Rousseau's— a vampire clan with the purest bloodline of any vampire family. Out of this clandestine group came one who was different, yet the same: Ascher - a half-bloodling— half- human, half vampire.
Ascher questions the purpose for his existence and which world he truly belongs to: the human world or the vampire world. Two months from sealing to Ursula— a prearranged union to a woman he abhors — he's at his wit's end. He knows if he calls off the sealing, the Romanian clan will strike with deadly force, but he cannot see eternity with a cold empty shell of a woman like Ursula.
Just when he thought life was complicated enough, he meets Shauna— a beautiful, bi-racial human wiccan — and immediately develops an unshakable attraction to her. She makes him feel alive and vital despite his origins and Ascher makes a decision that turns his immortal world upside down.
Thank you Ashlynne for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
March 31, 2012
National Poetry Month Giveaway
Happy National Poetry Month! To celebrate, we are having a poetry book giveaway.
**National Poetry Month Giveaway**
We are giving away a prize pack containing bookmarks, postcards, magnet, and *autographed* copies of From the Shadows and Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens to one lucky winner.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post (please include your email address so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends April 30th midnight EST.
**National Poetry Month Giveaway**
We are giving away a prize pack containing bookmarks, postcards, magnet, and *autographed* copies of From the Shadows and Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens to one lucky winner.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post (please include your email address so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends April 30th midnight EST.
March 30, 2012
Wide Open Giveaway Winner
Congratulations Carl winner of our
Wide Open Book Giveaway
at From the Shadows! Carl will receive a print copy of Wide Open by Deborah Coates.
Thank you to all who entered.
Didn't win? Don't miss our Royal Street Book Giveaway . We are giving away two *signed* copies of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson. (International, ends 4/12)
**Giveaway winners selected using Random.org**
Thank you to all who entered.
Didn't win? Don't miss our Royal Street Book Giveaway . We are giving away two *signed* copies of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson. (International, ends 4/12)
**Giveaway winners selected using Random.org**
March 27, 2012
Q+A with Suzanne Johnson + Royal Street Giveaway
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Suzanne Johnson. Suzanne is author of Royal Street.
Keep reading for a chance to win a signed copy of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Suzanne: I've been writing for years as a journalist, but only began writing fiction in 2008, at first as a way to exorcise my demons of being in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina. Then I got the writing "bug"!
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Suzanne: I grew up reading Stephen King and Anne Rice, so it was a natural. I've always thought paranormal was the perfect blend of the speculative and the emotional aspects of fiction.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Suzanne: Hmm...teleporting would be awesome. No planes, no long drives, no airport security. All good!
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Suzanne: I hope they enjoy it on a couple of levels. It's a story of wizards and voodoo and undead pirates set in New Orleans, which is one of the world's most interesting cities. It has a lot of humor in it, but the humor's tempered with sadness because it's also about Hurricane Katrina and what life was like in the city afterward. So I hope readers will have fun with it, but also will have an emotional connection to it.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Suzanne: My lead character, DJ, is a wizard, and I've always envisioned her as looking sort of like actress Emilie de Ravin. I thought artist Cliff Nielsen, who did the book cover, captured DJ really well. She's pretty but she doesn't look artificial. Very real and down to earth. No leather or bustiers for this girl. As for her partner, Alex...I'm still doing auditions for that role! For the pirate Jean Lafitte, I think Giles Marini would do very, very nicely. Mais oui!
Royal Street (Sentinels of New Orleans #1) by Suzanne Johnson.
As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco's job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.
Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans' fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.
While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.
To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards' Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ's new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.
Thank you Suzanne for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Suzanne Johnson and her books, please visit her website.
**Royal Street Book Giveaway**
We are giving away two *signed* copies of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson.
To enter, leave a comment on this post (please include your email address so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends April 12, 2012 midnight EST.
Keep reading for a chance to win a signed copy of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Suzanne: I've been writing for years as a journalist, but only began writing fiction in 2008, at first as a way to exorcise my demons of being in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina. Then I got the writing "bug"!
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Suzanne: I grew up reading Stephen King and Anne Rice, so it was a natural. I've always thought paranormal was the perfect blend of the speculative and the emotional aspects of fiction.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Suzanne: Hmm...teleporting would be awesome. No planes, no long drives, no airport security. All good!
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Suzanne: I hope they enjoy it on a couple of levels. It's a story of wizards and voodoo and undead pirates set in New Orleans, which is one of the world's most interesting cities. It has a lot of humor in it, but the humor's tempered with sadness because it's also about Hurricane Katrina and what life was like in the city afterward. So I hope readers will have fun with it, but also will have an emotional connection to it.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Suzanne: My lead character, DJ, is a wizard, and I've always envisioned her as looking sort of like actress Emilie de Ravin. I thought artist Cliff Nielsen, who did the book cover, captured DJ really well. She's pretty but she doesn't look artificial. Very real and down to earth. No leather or bustiers for this girl. As for her partner, Alex...I'm still doing auditions for that role! For the pirate Jean Lafitte, I think Giles Marini would do very, very nicely. Mais oui!
Royal Street (Sentinels of New Orleans #1) by Suzanne Johnson.
As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco's job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.
Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans' fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.
While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.
To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards' Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ's new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.
Thank you Suzanne for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Suzanne Johnson and her books, please visit her website.
**Royal Street Book Giveaway**
We are giving away two *signed* copies of Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson.
To enter, leave a comment on this post (please include your email address so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends April 12, 2012 midnight EST.
March 20, 2012
Q+A with Ruth Warburton (A Witch in Winter)
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Ruth Warburton. Ruth is author of A Witch in Winter.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Ruth: I think I started writing stories pretty much as soon as I could write - the first proper story with a beginning, middle and end that I can remember was written when I was about seven. But even when I wasn't writing, I was telling stories. My sister and I had a long-running saga about a girls' school which we used to relate to each other on boring car journeys. It went on for years.
My written stories started off as a couple of paragraphs in my school books or bashed out finger by finger on my mum's typewriter. They just got longer and longer, and one day I found I was writing proper book-length manuscripts.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Ruth: I've always really loved stories about magic and witchcraft - two of my favourite writers, growing up, were Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula K Le Guin who both write beautifully about witches and wizards. They definitely influenced the magic in this book. I also loved Alice Hoffman's novels, in particular Practical Magic. The idea of combining heady magical powers with everyday problems is fascinating.
But somehow I never wrote about it myself - my stories were always realistic. Then the kernel of this story popped into my head pretty much fully formed - a girl who casts a spell on a boy she fancies, and then can't take it off. It kind of wrote itself from there.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Ruth: It would be incredibly convenient to be able to fly. Just think of all the possibilities - not to mention the saving in commuting time! But I think in reality huge powers would bring more problems than they'd solve, so perhaps my life is complicated enough already.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Ruth: Well it's got magic, gorgeous boys, a feisty "solve-my-own-problems" heroine, and lots of heart-ache. Is that enough?
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Ruth: Blimey, this is TOUGH. Um... well, Anna, in my head, looks a little bit like a younger Zooey Deschanel. Only Anna is 17 of course, and Zooey is a bit older. But I think she manages to look a portray characters who are a bit vulnerable and a bit kick-ass at the same time, which is Anna to a tee.
Seth is really hard. Maybe something like a younger, scruffier Tom Welling or Ashton Kutcher? He's an essentially good person who can snap and lose it if he's pushed too far, and I think they could both portray that.
A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy #1) by Ruth Warburton.
Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her – but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain.
Although a perfect fit for the paranormal romance genre, A WITCH IN WINTER avoids fangs, excessive body hair and submissive female leads, and tells the heart-wrenching story of a couple meant to be together, but being forced apart. Seth is utterly irresistible and Anna is an empowered, proactive young woman with unimaginable magic inside her. This is fast-paced, sensuous writing with believable incantations inspired by Warburton's research into witchcraft legend and old English.
Thank you Ruth for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Ruth Warburton and her books, please visit her website.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Ruth: I think I started writing stories pretty much as soon as I could write - the first proper story with a beginning, middle and end that I can remember was written when I was about seven. But even when I wasn't writing, I was telling stories. My sister and I had a long-running saga about a girls' school which we used to relate to each other on boring car journeys. It went on for years.
My written stories started off as a couple of paragraphs in my school books or bashed out finger by finger on my mum's typewriter. They just got longer and longer, and one day I found I was writing proper book-length manuscripts.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Ruth: I've always really loved stories about magic and witchcraft - two of my favourite writers, growing up, were Diana Wynne Jones and Ursula K Le Guin who both write beautifully about witches and wizards. They definitely influenced the magic in this book. I also loved Alice Hoffman's novels, in particular Practical Magic. The idea of combining heady magical powers with everyday problems is fascinating.
But somehow I never wrote about it myself - my stories were always realistic. Then the kernel of this story popped into my head pretty much fully formed - a girl who casts a spell on a boy she fancies, and then can't take it off. It kind of wrote itself from there.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Ruth: It would be incredibly convenient to be able to fly. Just think of all the possibilities - not to mention the saving in commuting time! But I think in reality huge powers would bring more problems than they'd solve, so perhaps my life is complicated enough already.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Ruth: Well it's got magic, gorgeous boys, a feisty "solve-my-own-problems" heroine, and lots of heart-ache. Is that enough?
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Ruth: Blimey, this is TOUGH. Um... well, Anna, in my head, looks a little bit like a younger Zooey Deschanel. Only Anna is 17 of course, and Zooey is a bit older. But I think she manages to look a portray characters who are a bit vulnerable and a bit kick-ass at the same time, which is Anna to a tee.
Seth is really hard. Maybe something like a younger, scruffier Tom Welling or Ashton Kutcher? He's an essentially good person who can snap and lose it if he's pushed too far, and I think they could both portray that.
A Witch in Winter (Winter Trilogy #1) by Ruth Warburton.
Anna Winterson doesn't know she's a witch and would probably mock you for believing in magic, but after moving to the small town of Winter with her father, she learns more than she ever wanted to about power. When Anna meets Seth, she is smitten, but when she enchants him to love her, she unwittingly amplifies a deadly conflict between two witch clans and splits her own heart in two. She wants to love Seth, to let him love her – but if it is her magic that's controlling his passion, then she is as monstrous as the witch clan who are trying to use her amazing powers for their own gain.
Although a perfect fit for the paranormal romance genre, A WITCH IN WINTER avoids fangs, excessive body hair and submissive female leads, and tells the heart-wrenching story of a couple meant to be together, but being forced apart. Seth is utterly irresistible and Anna is an empowered, proactive young woman with unimaginable magic inside her. This is fast-paced, sensuous writing with believable incantations inspired by Warburton's research into witchcraft legend and old English.
Thank you Ruth for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Ruth Warburton and her books, please visit her website.
March 13, 2012
Q+A with Deborah Coates + Wide Open Giveaway
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Deborah Coates. Deborah is author of What Makes a River and Wide Open.
Keep reading for a chance to win a print copy of Wide Open by Deborah Coates.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Deborah: I didn't do much writing at all until after grad school and initially I concentrated on short stories. I wanted to try lots of different things and short stories were made for that. I wrote a mystery novel, set that aside because I didn't know how to fix it, had some more success with short stories and finally got the idea for WIDE OPEN a little over four years ago.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Deborah: I love books with a strong sense of place and interesting complex characters. Writing about the paranormal lets me ground my stories in the contemporary world with characters who have recognizable life experiences, but then take all that and add a paranormal twist. What would people really do if our world had ghosts or sorcerers or ancient gods? I think the stronger and more solid the grounding, the more impact the paranormal elements have. I'm still working on how to do that, how different elements affect different characters and where particular stories lead. It's fun!
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Deborah: No contest. Immortality. Not only would I love the chance to read all the books and learn all the things, but to watch the world and the people in it grow and change, would be extraordinary. The long-term accumulation of wealth thing wouldn't be too shabby either.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Deborah: What I hope is that readers will be drawn to the setting--western South Dakota on the prairie--and the characters. Hallie is sharp-edged and brave and a little bit reckless (ha!). Boyd is thoughtful and steadfast and at least as brave as Hallie. I write for character much of the time and I hope readers fall in love with these characters in this place and want to come along for the ride.
EJ: If your book were being made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles? Why?
Deborah: Oh, wow. I have clear pictures in my head of all of the characters, but I know that good actors can become their roles in pretty amazing ways so I'm not sure I can point to someone and say--that one, that person, looks just like Hallie or Boyd or Hallie's dad. I'd love to see actors cast who are the same age as my characters because so often actors age down for roles and then we picture people in their teens and twenties as looking older than they really are. But honestly, I'd love to see WIDE OPEN made into a movie. I'd love to see what they do with it, how it looks, and even what they change. Maybe it would be awful, but the flip side is--it could be amazing!
Wide Open by Deborah Coates
When Sergeant Hallie Michaels comes back to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days' compassionate leave, her sister Dell's ghost is waiting at the airport to greet her.
The sheriff says that Dell's death was suicide, but Hallie doesn't believe it. Something happened or Dell's ghost wouldn't still be hanging around. Friends and family, mourning Dell's loss, think Hallie's letting her grief interfere with her judgment.
The one person who seems willing to listen is the deputy sheriff, Boyd Davies, who shows up everywhere and helps when he doesn't have to.
As Hallie asks more questions, she attracts new ghosts, women who disappeared without a trace. Soon, someone's trying to beat her up, burn down her father's ranch, and stop her investigation.
Hallie's going to need Boyd, her friends, and all the ghosts she can find to defeat an enemy who has an unimaginable ancient power at his command.
Thank you Deborah for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Deborah Coates and her books, please visit her website.
**Wide Open Book Giveaway**
We are giving away a copy of Wide Open by Deborah Coates to one lucky winner!
To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address (so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends March 29th midnight EST.
Keep reading for a chance to win a print copy of Wide Open by Deborah Coates.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Deborah: I didn't do much writing at all until after grad school and initially I concentrated on short stories. I wanted to try lots of different things and short stories were made for that. I wrote a mystery novel, set that aside because I didn't know how to fix it, had some more success with short stories and finally got the idea for WIDE OPEN a little over four years ago.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Deborah: I love books with a strong sense of place and interesting complex characters. Writing about the paranormal lets me ground my stories in the contemporary world with characters who have recognizable life experiences, but then take all that and add a paranormal twist. What would people really do if our world had ghosts or sorcerers or ancient gods? I think the stronger and more solid the grounding, the more impact the paranormal elements have. I'm still working on how to do that, how different elements affect different characters and where particular stories lead. It's fun!
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Deborah: No contest. Immortality. Not only would I love the chance to read all the books and learn all the things, but to watch the world and the people in it grow and change, would be extraordinary. The long-term accumulation of wealth thing wouldn't be too shabby either.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Deborah: What I hope is that readers will be drawn to the setting--western South Dakota on the prairie--and the characters. Hallie is sharp-edged and brave and a little bit reckless (ha!). Boyd is thoughtful and steadfast and at least as brave as Hallie. I write for character much of the time and I hope readers fall in love with these characters in this place and want to come along for the ride.
EJ: If your book were being made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles? Why?
Deborah: Oh, wow. I have clear pictures in my head of all of the characters, but I know that good actors can become their roles in pretty amazing ways so I'm not sure I can point to someone and say--that one, that person, looks just like Hallie or Boyd or Hallie's dad. I'd love to see actors cast who are the same age as my characters because so often actors age down for roles and then we picture people in their teens and twenties as looking older than they really are. But honestly, I'd love to see WIDE OPEN made into a movie. I'd love to see what they do with it, how it looks, and even what they change. Maybe it would be awful, but the flip side is--it could be amazing!
Wide Open by Deborah Coates
When Sergeant Hallie Michaels comes back to South Dakota from Afghanistan on ten days' compassionate leave, her sister Dell's ghost is waiting at the airport to greet her.
The sheriff says that Dell's death was suicide, but Hallie doesn't believe it. Something happened or Dell's ghost wouldn't still be hanging around. Friends and family, mourning Dell's loss, think Hallie's letting her grief interfere with her judgment.
The one person who seems willing to listen is the deputy sheriff, Boyd Davies, who shows up everywhere and helps when he doesn't have to.
As Hallie asks more questions, she attracts new ghosts, women who disappeared without a trace. Soon, someone's trying to beat her up, burn down her father's ranch, and stop her investigation.
Hallie's going to need Boyd, her friends, and all the ghosts she can find to defeat an enemy who has an unimaginable ancient power at his command.
Thank you Deborah for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Deborah Coates and her books, please visit her website.
**Wide Open Book Giveaway**
We are giving away a copy of Wide Open by Deborah Coates to one lucky winner!
To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address (so we may contact you if you win). This giveaway is open to US mailing addresses only. Giveaway ends March 29th midnight EST.
March 6, 2012
Q+A with Cat Hellisen (When the Sea is Rising Red)
Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Cat Hellisen. Cat is the author of When the Sea is Rising Red.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Cat: I decided to begin writing seriously about nine years ago. Before that I quite liked the idea of being a writer but wasn't all that keen in putting in the hours. I still prefer having written to the actual writing part.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Cat: I've always been fascinated by the Other - and the symbolism of supernatural and paranormal creatures and humans as they relate to our society.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Cat: Probably a vampire, since I'd get to live more or less forever. All it would cost me is my soul and I'm not using it anyway, I mean, I can't even remember where I left it.
I'd be a very orderly and ordinary vampire - sunblock and sensible clothes and blood donors and art exhibitions for the free wine. Also it would give me more time to learn to play the ukulele.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Cat: When the Sea is Rising Red would probably appeal most to readers who want to immerse themselves in a fantasy world rich with social strata and grey moralities and human emotion, and aren't looking for the usual love story.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Cat: Since it's unlikely that I'd get any say in casting, I'd just have to hope that if ever a movie was made, that the actors would be talented unknowns who more or less match up to their literary counterparts.
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen.
After seventeen-year-old Felicita's dearest friend Ilven kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg's magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.
Thank you Cat for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Cat Hellisen and her books, please visit her website.
EJ: When did you begin writing?
Cat: I decided to begin writing seriously about nine years ago. Before that I quite liked the idea of being a writer but wasn't all that keen in putting in the hours. I still prefer having written to the actual writing part.
EJ: What brought you to the paranormal genre?
Cat: I've always been fascinated by the Other - and the symbolism of supernatural and paranormal creatures and humans as they relate to our society.
EJ: If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?
Cat: Probably a vampire, since I'd get to live more or less forever. All it would cost me is my soul and I'm not using it anyway, I mean, I can't even remember where I left it.
I'd be a very orderly and ordinary vampire - sunblock and sensible clothes and blood donors and art exhibitions for the free wine. Also it would give me more time to learn to play the ukulele.
EJ: Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.
Cat: When the Sea is Rising Red would probably appeal most to readers who want to immerse themselves in a fantasy world rich with social strata and grey moralities and human emotion, and aren't looking for the usual love story.
EJ: If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?
Cat: Since it's unlikely that I'd get any say in casting, I'd just have to hope that if ever a movie was made, that the actors would be talented unknowns who more or less match up to their literary counterparts.
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen.
After seventeen-year-old Felicita's dearest friend Ilven kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg's magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven's death has called out of the sea a dangerous wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg's caste system, and the whole city along with it.
Thank you Cat for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
To learn more about Cat Hellisen and her books, please visit her website.
