E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 71

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween greetings from your favorite Spirit Guide series characters:


Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Can you match the characters to the monsters?

Hint: Check out the character pics below.














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Don't miss our All Hallow's Read Giveaway here.

All Hallow's Read Giveaway

All Hallow's Read, the creation of author Neil Gaiman, is a fabulous new Halloween tradition for book lovers.  You can learn more about All Hallow's Read on the official All Hallow's Read website.

We are celebrating All Hallow's Read here at From the Shadows with a giveaway.  All Hallow's Read requires that a spooky book be given freely during the Halloween season.  We have a spooky poetry collection perfect for Halloween.

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Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens

A collection of dark faerie tales inspired by folklore, myth and legend told in the haunting lyrical style of dark poet E.J. Stevens. Filled with poems about vampires, werewolves, and other paranormal creatures of the night.

Take a journey into the pages of Shadows of Myth and Legend and discover what creatures lurk in the shadows.

Includes:
Queen of Elphame, Vampire's Thrall, Exile, Jiang Shi, Love of a Shifter, Last of the Rowan Berries, Shadow Queen of the Sidhe, Spriggan Guardians, While You Lay Sleeping, Loup Garou, Elven Bride, Zombie's Cold Embrace, Unicorn, Barghest and Mauthe Doog, To See a Fetch, Gargoyle Sentry, Siren Song, The Reaper, Warding charm, Possession, Woman in White , The Phoenix Cycle, Fafnir the Wyrm, Vampire Court, Basilisk, Goblin King, Curse of the Seer, The Dullahan, Prince of Lies, The Morrigan, Sating the Selkie, The Winter Queen, Grindylow, Ghost Ship, Garden Pixie, Banshee at Water's Edge, Hippocamp, Wendigo, Kiss of the Korrigan, Swan Maiden, Kraken
















**All Hallow's Read Giveaway**

We will be giving away a copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens to one lucky winner!

To enter, leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends November 7th midnight EST.

Paranormal Guest Author: Keri Arthur (Riley Jenson, Dark Angels)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Keri Arthur!  Keri is the author of the Nikki and Michael series, Myth and Magic series, Ripple Creep Werewolf series, Damask Circle series, Riley Jenson Guardian series (Full Moon Rising, Kissing Sin, Tempting Evil, Dangerous Games, Embraced by Darkness, The Darkest Kiss, Deadly Desire, Bound to Shadows, Moon Sworn), and Dark Angels series (Darkness Unbound, Darkness Rising).

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Keri:  I actually started writing when I was about 12, after I'd read a book where the author killed off a character I loved. I was so incensed I rewrote the book and made the character live! I've been writing 'seriously'--that is, with the aim of getting published--for about 20 years, and was first published with ImaJinn (a US small press) in 2001.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Keri:  I've always loved reading fantasy novels, and the first three books I wrote were all fantasy romances. Then I read Children of the Night, by Mecedes Lackey, fell in love with Andre, and knew that's exactly what I wanted to write.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Keri:  I'm not actually sure I'd want to be a paranormal--this world isn't ready for them! lol As for a supernatural talent, again, I'm not sure I'd want one. Such gifts always have their downsides, and to be honest, I'm happy just being me, as I am!

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Keri:  My upcoming Dark Angels series is set in the same world as the Riley Jenson series, so old friends are occasionally revisited. Plus, Risa can kick arse almost as well as her aunt Riley, and she has the help of a seriously sexy Aedh, as well as a reaper.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Keri:  I'd love my books to be made into movies, and honestly, as long as the actors were appropriate (for example, Riley has red hair and can kick male arse, so the actress has to at least look like she could do that--no wimps allowed!) then I wouldn't care.























Darkness Unbound (Dark Angels #1) by Keri Arthur

Risa Jones is as extraordinary as her heritage. Born from a lab-enhanced clone mother and an Aedh father, she can not only talk to the souls of the dying and the dead, but she can see the reapers and walk the gray fields that divide this world from the next.

They are skill she rarely uses, however, preferring to concentrate on the business she shares with her two best friends. But when her mother asks her to help the parents of a little girl locked in a coma, she reluctantly agrees. What she discovers scares the hell out of her. Because the little girl's soul no longer resides in her body, and it wasn't death and the reapers that took her.

Someone had ripped her soul from her flesh.

As it turns out, a creature consuming the souls of the innocent–and not so innocent–is the least of her problems. Because someone wants to rip open the gates that divided hell from earth, and Risa is a key component in their plans. And the only person standing between her and disaster is a reaper who isn't exactly on her side.


Thank you Keri for joining us here today at From the Shadows !

To learn more about Keri Arthur and her books, please visit her website.

Fading Into Magic Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Mary winner of our Fading Into Magic Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Mary will receive an autographed copy of Fading Into Magic by Vone Savan.

Thank you to all who entered!

**All giveaway winners selected using Random.org**

Teen Read Week Book Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Nina of Death Books and Tea winner of our Teen Read Week Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Nina will receive TWO copies of Legend of Witchtrot Road by E.J. Stevens; one copy to read and one to donate to the library, school, teen book club, or youth center of her choice.

Thank you to all who entered!

**All giveaway winners selected using Random.org**

Paranormal Guest Author: Nell Stark + Everafter Giveaway

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Nell Stark!  Nell is the author of Running with the Wind and Homecoming and is co-author of the Everafter series which includes Everafter, Nevermore, and Nightrise.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Nell:  I began writing as soon as I was literate. I honestly don't remember a time when I wasn't composing stories: first by hand on lined paper, then on my family's clunky Apple IIE, and later on more sophisticated computers. Everywhere I went as a child I saw stories, and I always wanted to write them down. At age 16 I finished my first novel, which turned out to be an earnest but really quite awful "epic" fantasy story, the protagonist of which was my idealized self. During my college years, I began to refine my skills in earnest through coursework and workshops. Later, as a doctoral graduate student, my first manuscript (a traditional romance) was accepted by Bold Strokes Books. I met my partner and everafter collaborator, Trinity Tam, through my publisher. Trin and I began work on the everafter series late in 2008.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Nell:  I came to paranormals via fantasy, which I discovered at age 8 when my mother handed me a copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. She wasn't sure I was ready for Middle Earth, but I quickly became hooked. After years of reading fantasy, I branched out into urban fantasy and paranormals. I've enjoyed writing the everafter series because creating paranormal characters is an intriguing way to explore the human condition. Vampires and were-creatures are in many ways "more human than human," in that they are compelled to surrender to their animal appetites. Vampires thirst for the very essence of life, while Weres don't just act like animals--they become them.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Nell:  If I were asked to choose between life as a vampire or as a were-creature, I'd choose the latter. I would not want to miss out on having the chance to experience the world through animal-caliber senses!

However, if I could have any supernatural ability, I'd choose the ability to heal.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Nell:  As a paranormal romantic thriller, everafter combines the best features of three genres. It features a lesbian romance between paranormal characters as well as an action-adventure plot set in contemporary New York City. Its two sequels, nevermore and nightrise, introduce additional challenges for the central couple and also allow readers deeper access into the underground society of vampires and wereshifters.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Nell:  I love this question!

If everafter were made into a film and I could call the casting shots, Valentine Darrow would be played by Katee Sackoff, and Alexa Newland would be played by Rachel McAdams.
























Everafter (Everafter #1) by Nell Stark and Trinity Tam

How far would you go to save your lover's soul? When medical student Valentine Darrow is bitten by a Vampire on her way home to propose to her lover, Alexa Newland, her life becomes a nightmare. She is consumed—both by a craving for human blood, and by an obsession to find her attacker and bring him to justice. Alexa is determined to be everything that Valentine needs, but when Val's appetite outstrips Alexa's ability to nourish her, Alexa risks her life to save her lover. Will Valentine be able to control her thirst—for blood and for vengeance? And can Valentine and Alexa's relationship endure against seemingly impossible odds?


Thank you Nell for joining us here today at From the Shadows !

To learn more about Nell Stark and her books, please visit her website.






















**Everafter Giveaway**

We are giving away three copies of Everafter by Nell Stark and Trinity Tam!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!). This giveaway is international.  US winners will have their choice of ebook or paperback.  International winners will receive an ebook copy.  Giveaway ends November 5th midnight EST.

Paranormal Guest Author: Sophie Jordan aka Sharie Kohler

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Sophie Jordan!  Sophie also writes under the name Sharie Kohler and is the author of the Firelight series (Firelight, Vanish) and the Moon Chasers series (Marked by Moonlight, Kiss of a Dark Moon, To Crave a Blood Moon, My Soul to Keep, Night Falls on the Wicked).

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Sophie:  I write off and on since I was in junior high. I only determined to write with the serious goal to become published, however, in my late twenties.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Sophie:  I've always been a fan of the horror genre and interested in paranormal lore. Honestly, there weren't too many paranormal books I'd read when the idea for a "lycan" story came to me and I quickly got to work on it. That book became MARKED BY MOONLIGHT, the first book in my Moon Chasers series. When I wrote that book I had no idea it would even become a series! And now here I am on book five.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Sophie:  Hm, tough … I think I'd like be an empath like the heroine in my third paranormal novel, TO CRAVE A BLOOD MOON. She's just the most distinctive protagonist I've creatied and her supernatural "gift" made her wonderfully complex.

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Sophie:  NIGHT FALLS ON THE WICKED is a blending of several paranormal "creatures" that I've thus far introduced in my series. Lycans, hybrid lycans, witches, demons … in each Moon Chasers book, the world has expanded. So with NIGHT FALLS ON THE WICKED, book #5, the world really explodes and the stakes are higher than ever. And of course … there's steamy romance. Always got to have that!

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Sophie:  Oh, I'm a HUGE fan of Mila Jovovich. I love all her Resident Evil movies. She's the ultimate kick-ass heroine and just has tremendous presence. She's really lovely with her exotic looks, too … oh, and it doesn't hurt that she's a great actress! I can see her perfectly in the role of any of my heroines.























Night Falls on the Wicked (Moon Chasers #5) by Sharie Kohler

Sharie Kohler returns to the shadowy world of the Moon Chasers, where a seductive witch stalked by demons finds protection in the arms of a lycan on a mission of blood vengeance. . . .

Darby lives her life below the radar, moving from town to town in the coldest climates, eluding the demons that hunt her—and never allowing herself to get close to anyone. Now, in frigid isolation, Darby waits tables in a small town and tries to forget who she is—what she is—and the danger forever nipping at her heels. Until a new danger finds her—a lycan pack whose distant howls have the locals on edge. But the call of the lycans has also drawn a handsome, menacing stranger. . . .

For years, Niklas has searched for the bloodthirsty pack that murdered his mother and infected him. Darby is overwhelmed by his raw appeal and dangerous strength. Niklas senses her need and vulnerability . . . and together they give in to the hungry attraction blazing between them—but desire this fierce brings dangers of its own. When Darby is targeted by the lycans, the stakes are higher than ever—and Niklas is not about to lose another woman he loves to their evil bloodlust.


Thank you Sophie for joining us here today at From the Shadows !

To learn more about Sophie Jordan, aka Sharie Kohler, and her books please visit her website.

Paranormal Guest Author: Kristen Painter (House of Comarré Series)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Kristen Painter!  Kristen is the author of Heart of Fire, Dark Kiss of the Reaper, and the House of Comarré series which includes Blood Rights, Flesh and Blood, and Bad Blood.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Kristen:  I've been writing all my life in some form: poetry, short stories, non-fiction articles. I began writing with the goal of publication about six years ago.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Kristen:  I love the open-endedness of the What If that paranormal offers. There are truly no limits in that genre, only those you impose on yourself.

EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Kristen:  I'd love to be able to teleport, mostly because I hate waiting. lol

EJ:  Tell us why readers will enjoy your new release.

Kristen:  I hope they enjoy it because it meets their reading need - to be swept away into another place, to forget about life for awhile, or just to experience something new.

EJ:  If your book(s) were being made into a movie, who would you cast for the leading roles? Why?

Kristen:  That's a tough question. There aren't any actors in Hollywood that immediately come to mind, so I'd probably want unknowns.























Blood Rights (House of Comarré #1) by Kristen Painter

The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely-wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré—a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.


Thank you Kristen for joining us here today at From the Shadows !

To learn more about Kristen Painter and her books, please visit her website.

Teen Read Week Book Giveaway

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Teen Read Week is an annual event to promote teen literacy.  I feel strongly about the importance of reading, especially for young adults (#YASaves), so we are celebrating Teen Read Week with a book giveaway.  Yay!

We are giving away TWO copies of Legend of Witchtrot Road by E.J. Stevens.  One copy for you and one for the library, school, teen book club, or youth center of your choice.

To enter, please comment on this post and include your email address (so we may contact you if you win). You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  This giveaway is to the US, UK, and Canada only.  Giveaway ends October 24th midnight EST.

Chosen By Fate Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Crystal of My Reading Room winner of our Chosen by Fate International Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Crystal will receive a copy of Chosen by Fate signed by the author, Virna DePaul, with trading cards.

Thank you to all who entered.

**All giveaway winners selected by E.J. using Random.org**