E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 74

Paranormal Guest Author: Shayne Leighton (Of Light and Darkness)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Shayne Leighton!  Shayne is the author of Of Light and Darkness.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Shayne:  I've always loved to write, and actually began writing short stories back in grade school. I remember this one short story in particular that I wrote in the fourth grade about what it would be like to live inside a bubble! That's still one of my favorites. (LOL) But I only began seriously writing pretty recently. "Of Light and Darkness" is my debut novel, and the first full length novel I've ever written. I began writing that one in high school when I was sixteen. It took about four years to get it completed and published and I'm really excited to share this story with everyone!

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Shayne:  Again, I've always loved magic and fantasy for as far back as I can remember. Fairy tales were always my favorite. My favorite Disney movie was a film called "Hocus Pocus" starring Bette Midler, about three witches. Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. So I was automatically attracted to the paranormal genre! And you can never go wrong with vampires...they are always sexy! ;) The first vampire I ever fell in love with was Lestat from Anne Rice's "Interview with the Vampire". Great movie and a fantastic book!

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

Shayne:  This was an awesome question! It really got me thinking. My initial reaction was...Vampire! Definitely a vampire because they are just too deliciously bad. But after thinking about it more, I wanted to come up with a more interesting answer. I think I'd love to be a siren. I get to seduce sailors all day, I get to have a beautiful singing voice, and most importantly...I get fins! Sounds fun to me!

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

Shayne:  I am definitely aware that bookshelves are absolutely saturated right now with vampire stories. But one thing I must emphasize, is this story is much different than the others. There are so many other fantastic creatures and characters woven in, and if I do say so myself, "Of Light and Darkness" is much darker and more dangerous. I think fans of other paranormal series will really find something they love within this book, but also discover something brand new as well. Plus, it takes place in Prague - which is a city you don't normally hear about much! :-)

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

Shayne:  It's interesting you should ask this, because currently "Of Light and Darkness" is in development to be made into a film. My background is primarily in screenplay writing and filmmaking, so this just seemed like a natural next step to take with it. Currently we have Michael Welch from "The Twilight Saga" cast for the role of Aiden in the film and Cassie Scerbo from ABC Family's "Make It Or Break It" is slated for the role of Sarah. If you want to keep up with more casting announcements, check our facebook fan page! :-)
























Of Light and Darkness: The Vampire's Daughter (Of Light and Darkness #1) by Shayne Leighton

When one human stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of overcoming them in this coming-of-age modern fairytale may result in war between light and darkness.

Abandoned as an infant in Prague, naive and strong-willed Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by one of the last Vampires left alive. As a human, she knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches drew spells of enchantment, Phasers threw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin. Charlotte has lived her life in the dark with her Guardian, content to having him to herself and reveling in his attention, until she's realizes she wants more...

Resident medical doctor and Vampire, Valek Ruzik fears the day his ward would come of age and blossom into a fine woman, and he is forced to confront his own motives as time is of the essence once his past catches up to him, and their lives become endangered...

As genocide and war threatens their secret society, the dictator in power is ready to wipe out Valek's race, but Charlotte will not allow that to happen. Fighting for the only one she's ever loved and truly believed in, she will do whatever it takes to save their love...before the sun comes up and light takes over.


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

To learn more about Shayne Leighton and her books, please visit her website.

Paranormal Guest Author: Kathryn Leigh Scott + Dark Passages Giveaway

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Kathryn Leigh Scott!  Kathryn, known for her role as the bride of vampire Barnabas Colllins in Dark Shadows, is the author of Dark Passages.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Kathryn:  I started writing when I was about 7 years old, and wrote a story about a little girl named Pixie who walks into the woods on the edge of her family's farm and comes across the ruins of a cottage. It becomes her secret dollhouse, which she loves to play in because  a good witch appears who gives her dolls the ability to speak. I actually lived on a farm with a derelict cottage in the woods at the end of a meadow. My parents forbid us to play in the woods for fear we would get lost, and made sure we didn't disobey by telling us a wicked witch lived there. I desperately wanted a dollhouse and I guess my imagination took it from there!

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Kathryn:  I originally wrote DARK PASSAGES as a coming of age story set in the 1960s. When I finished the novel, I was reading a portion aloud to my husband when it occurred to me, "What if . . . . Meg Harrison was a real vampire?" I made some notes and rewrote the book. Thinking back, it was a natural choice and felt entirely organic to the story. Now I can't imagine the story without those elements. I know it also has much to do with being steeped in Dark Shadows lore and having originated the role of Josette duPres, the doomed fiance of vampire Barnabas Collins. The series is now celebrating its 45th anniversary and is still very much a part of my life.

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

Kathryn:  Mind reading! I've thought of the downsides, but they don't stack up against the terrific advantage of knowing what someone else is thinking. Communicating with the dead is also appealing, providing one has a choice on who is called up. I'm not sure I would say no to acquiring any sort of special gift —who wouldn't want to fly or have superhuman strength?

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

Kathryn:  If I may say so, I think the very fact that the characters and story were fully formed before the paranormal elements were included give the novel more dimension. It's also a very personal story for me, although it is anything but a "memoir." I draw on what I know and remember, of course, and I believe readers familiar with my nonfiction books about Dark Shadows will enjoy my wild imaginings of what "might've, could've" taken place.

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

Kathryn:  Carey Mulligan is the first to come to mind to play Meg Harrison. Young Bella Heathcote, who plays Josette DuPres in the new Warner Bros film of Dark Shadows, would also be a good choice. 























Dark Passages by Kathryn Leigh Scott

Dark Passages is a coming-of-age story encapsulating the romance and innocence of JFK's Camelot era and the tumultuous "dark passages" of Meg Harrison, a vampire raised by her mother to resist the temptation of human blood. Meg arrives in New York determined not to use her vampiric gifts to fulfill her dream of becoming an actress. She joins the cast of the cult hit Dark Passages, only to face her nemesis, a beautiful 300-year-old witch bent on destroying her. Their rivalry leads to a final confrontation as the telekinetic vampire and spell-weaving sorceress engage in a spectacular battle for supremacy. It takes all of Meg's wit and tenacity to defeat the witch and win the affections of a handsome young mortal with a secret life of his own. In the end, Meg realizes that the powers she always denied within herself are not a curse, but a blessing.


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

To learn more about Kathryn Leigh Scott and her books, please visit her website.























**Dark Passages Giveaway**

We are giving away a paperback copy of Dark Passages by Kathryn Leigh Scott to one lucky winner!

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 to US mailing addresses only.  Giveaway ends September 23rd midnight EST.

Paranormal Guest Author: Allyson James (Stormwalker Series)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Allyson James!  Allyson is the author of the Mortal series, Tales of Shareem series, Dragon series, and the Stormwalker series including Stormwalker, Firewalker, and Shadow Walker.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Allyson:  I started writing stories when I was about eight years old. I'd already read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and had started on Little Women and Anne of Green Gables. I realized that these novels were make-believe written down, and I was very good at make believe. So I started writing down stuff I made up. I also knew that people wrote books for a living, and the books went to libraries and bookstores. I couldn't imagine a better job.

I didn't start writing seriously for publication until many years later. I tried "real" jobs, but I always came back to writing. One day I said, "Why not?" and I started writing and submitting. It took about six years after that, off and on, to finally sell my first novel (which I did in 2002).

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Allyson:  I grew up reading fantasy. I'd read the Lord of the Rings series by the time I was twelve, plus I loved C.S. Lewis's Narnia series. I went from there to fantasy writers such as Terry Brooks, Barbara Hambly, and David Eddings. I've always loved high fantasy and quest fantasy.

I originally wanted to be a fantasy writer, but when I started writing for publication, that market was hard to break into (or so I thought). Plus I always wanted to add romance to my stories, and at the time, romance was a no-no in fantasy (at least, not as much romance as I wanted to include).

So, I decided to be a romance author. I loved historicals (paranormals weren't yet a big thing), so wrote those. I still love historicals and still write them, but as soon as the paranormal romance market really opened up (moving beyond vampire romances), I took it as a green light to write all those stories I'd been saving up.

I kind of had to cajole my editors into letting me write paranormal, because I was doing pretty well at historical, and they didn't want me to stop. But I convinced them, and it's going well! I still write historical, though. Love that too.

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

Allyson:  I think shape shifting would be cool. I'd love to have animal senses and be much stronger and faster than I am now (sitting and writing isn't good for your figure). Plus with shifting back and forth, you can take full advantage of your human skills as well as your animal skills. Best of both worlds. And maybe then I'd understand what my cats are constantly meowing at me about.

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

Allyson:  Shadow Walker (Book 3 of the Stormwalker series) has plenty of action plus plenty of heartbreaking romance. Janet Begay, a Navajo Stormwalker, has to face the possibility that her boyfriend, Mick (dragon-shifter) might be lost to her forever, and that she will have to lose everything she has and everything she is to save him. Throw in some humor with Coyote, the trickster shape shifter, dragons who either want to help Mick or kill him, and a drag-queen magic mirror, for a fast-paced tale of magic, action, and drama.

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

Allyson:  Good question. I'm bad at knowing who is who in Hollywood, or who would be right for my books. So if readers have their own ideas about Mick and Janet from the Stormwalker series (or Liam and Sean Morrissey from the Shifter series I write as Jennifer Ashley), have at it. :-)























Shadow Walker (Stormwalker #3) by Allyson James

Stormwalker Janet Begay returns home only to have the ground collapse beneath her-literally. After tumbling two hundred feet underground, Janet is rescued by her dragon boyfriend, Mick. But something dark touches Mick while in the sinkhole, and Janet might lose him forever unless she recruites the most unlikely of allies to stop the growing shadow.


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

To learn more about Allyson James and her books, please visit her website.

Paranormal Guest Author: Stuart Land

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Stuart Land!  Stuart is the author of Back from the Dead, Epiphany, Shadow House, and Original Blood.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Stuart:  I began several times. First, I was in the sixth grade and wrote a time travel story for a history assignment. The second time I was in Junior high and wrote a story about love lost (I know, who hasn't). Then a bunch of years went by until I was working in the Hollywood film business as a sculptor. I was on many sets and got see how the preeminent directors and writers of our time created these incredible films I worked on. Ok, so not all were so incredible. I mean, what's wrong with Neon Maniacs, I ask you? But there was also Aliens, Polterguist II, Predator, Independence day, and everyone's favorite, Nightmare on Elm street V.

I thought I could write as well, or even better, so bought my first portable computer (the only portable computer) a Campaq portable, the size of a sewing machine, 640 k, with a tiny green screen, no hard drive, and five inch floppies. It looked like the monitor from the Matrix. I remember my first attempt at "serious" writing. I broke out in a cold sweat. I had spent a small fortune on hardware and software, and after a week all I had to show for it was poo. That's right, not all writers are born to the task. Some of us have to actually work at it.

It was a year or so later, after taking every guru writing course in Hollywood and beyond, reading over a hundred screenplay and loads of books, and studying with directors, actors and writers, that I finally had something I considered readable. That was almost twenty screenplays and five novels ago.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Stuart:  I grew up with sci-fi and monsters on TV and in the movies. Later, I worked on some of the most famous sci-fi and monster movies in America cinema, so I guess I always loved the paranormal since it was a large part of my life. However, the stories I write, though many are paranormal, always are very different than anything else out there. Everything I write is really cross-genre and doesn't fit neatly into just one genre. This makes it hard for people to initially pick up, but every person who has read my books has enjoyed them, with many saying that my stories have allowed them to enter a genre they didn't care for before.

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

Stuart:  This is an unexpected question. But, clever girl, I'm ready for it. In my stories, I like supernatural to be close to natural, but mightily enhanced. In my book, Original Blood, one of the characters is turning into a vampire, and during this transition, she can move really fast, faster than any other vampire. How she uses this to her advantage is the power I'd like.

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

Stuart:  My newest novel, Epiphany, isn't paranormal at all, but reads like one. It's based entirely on science fact, yet feels so supernatural because I skirt the edge. Here's the blurb:
Doctor Sam Enright and his geneticist wife, Dorinda, face turmoil in their small town when a dozen adolescent girls show up pregnant at Sam's office—and they're all virgins. When their own daughter falls victim to the same fate, the Enrights rush to Homeland Security for answers. As the questions multiply, they realize they are at the vanguard of a worldwide epidemic, and the mystery deepens. As events escalate, a disparate group of international doctors, scientists, and mothers-to-be are brought together at Dorinda's genetics lab in Middle America. They race to find the cause and meaning of the mysterious pregnancies, but every discovery reveals a new, worse scenario, leaving humanity's very existence in question.

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

Stuart:  I hadn't really thought this out so much, even though I worked in Hollywood a long time. When I write screenplays I think about this, but not for novels. Novels are very specific, whereas screenplays give a lot of latitude as who can play a part. Plus actor and actresses change faster than the weather in San Francisco. Anywho, here are a few choices:

Original Blood (a vampire tail following two women two centuries apart):
Jennifer Lawrence – Zondra
Toss-up between
Natalie Portman - Gailene
Noomi Rapace – Gailene

Epiphany:
Jennifer Hudson - Dr. Dorinda Enright























Original Blood by Stuart Land

Original Blood is the delicious, but tormenting tale of Zondra and Gailene as they're turned into vampires against their will. Separated by two centuries but bound by familial blood that threatens to destroy the vampire nation, Zondra experiences a mind-bending skewed Cinderella story with hot motorcycles, limitless money, and ancient mansions teeming with the undead, while Gailene must rise from devastation, rage, and vengeance to become a powerful vampire leader in the New World. Both women are forced to overcome their circumstances, one of privilege, one of destitution, to gain the power that will save themselves and the man they both love from the retribution of their creator.


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

To learn more about Stuart Land and his books, please visit his website.

Character Interview: Percone + Blend Series Giveaway

Please welcome today's special guests Percone of Earth Blend and paranormal author Lori Pescatore!

Lori: Hello and welcome. My name is Lori Pescatore and I am the Author of Human Blend and the newly released Earth Blend. I have with me today one of my characters from the books. He has graciously offered to sit down with me for an interview and talk about the new book. Percone, welcome, thanks for coming.

Percone: You make it sound like I actually wanted to do this.

Lori: Don't you?

Percone: Why would I want to spend time talking to you? You're a human. The people reading this are human. I hate humans.

Lori: Why do you hate us so much?

Percone: Isn't it obvious? You and your kind have polluted this Earth for far too long. You, as an Author, have killed trees to publish your work. The only good thing that has happened is with this e-book thing.

Lori: For those of you who do not know it, Percone is an Earthling. A creature created by the Earth to protect itself from the damage we humans have caused. Percone, I understand why you are upset, but I think the humans have taken quite a stand recently in trying to be more green. Does that not count for something?

Percone: Too little, too late. You are trying to put a band-aid on a wound that is seeping life from the abrasions caused by man.

Lori: Okay, I think we are getting off topic here. We can debate this another time. Let's talk about the book. You were first introduced at the end of Human Blend. Do we get to know you more in Earth Blend?

Percone: At least this time I get a whole chapter devoted to me.

Lori: And you are also in the book in a lot of other chapters as well.

Percone: Not enough.

Lori: Tell us about your Earthling abilities.

Percone: I'm Mother Nature. I can control the elements, although I'm not supposed to unless I am helping save the Earth.

Lori: Something tells me you do not always follow those rules.

Percone: Rules are meant to be broken.

Lori: How do you think people will react to Earth Blend?

Percone: I don't really care.

Lori: Percone, we agreed you would be nice and do this.

Percone: You threatened to kill me off if I didn't do it. I'm preserving face time.

Lori: Should I get someone else to do it? Maybe Eli?

Percone: You would, wouldn't you? You favor him just like Suron.

Lori: Suron is the leader of the Earthlings, correct?

Percone: More like a spokesperson. He is the voice of our Mother Tree.

Lori: I know the first six chapters are actually a prequel to Human Blend. The history of your people is explained.

Percone: Yes, I did like that part. We get to hear how those Blends came to be as well.

Lori: The Blends being part human, part something else.

Percone: I tolerate them more because they are not fully human. We have enough of those. Can we be done?

Lori: One last question... Why don't you wear clothes?

Percone: Why anyone wears those itchy, scratchy things is beyond me. Mother made us this way.

Lori: Some of the Earthlings wear clothes.

Percone: Only the stupid ones.

Lori: I've seen you interact with humans.

Percone: For purely nefarious reasons, I assure you. I thought you said one more question.

Lori: I did not ask any. I only made statements and you responded.

Percone: (mumbling something)

Lori: What was that?

Percone: You can't print what I said and that was another question, I'm done.

Lori: Okay, fine. Is there anything else you want to say before you go?

Percone: Save a tree, buy an e-book.

Lori: Thanks Percone.























Earth Blend (Blend Series, #2) by Lori Pescatore

Earth Blend is the second book in the Blend trilogy and the sequel to Human Blend. In this installment, the mysteries of the Blends and Earthlings are revealed. How can Julie live a normal life when she is anything but normal? Her relationship with Austin is complicated by emerging abilities in them both. Trust is hard to come by as lies and secrets hinder them at every turn. Is the past destined to repeat itself as the Earthlings once again rush to save them? Ensuing chaos breeds fatal consequences.


Thank you Lori and Percone for joining us here today at From the Shadows !

Don't miss Lori's author interview here at From the Shadows discussing her first book in the Blend Series, Human Blend.






















**Blend Series International Giveaway**

We are giving away ebook copies and paperback copies of the Blend Series by Lori Pescatore!  One winner will win ebook copies of Human Blend and Earth Blend and a second winner will win paperback copies of Human Blend and Earth Blend signed by the author.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post with 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 September 16th midnight EST.

Forever Freed Giveaway Winners

Congrats tlynnetolles, Emma Lai, and Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club winners of our Forever Freed Giveaway at From the Shadows!

Tlynnetolles will receive an ebook copy of Forever Freed by Laura Kaye.

Emma Lai and Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club will receive Forever Freed trading cards.

Thank you to all who entered.

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

Paranormal Guest Author: Sang Kromah (Concealed)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Sang Kromah!  Sang is the author of Concealed. 

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Sang:  I actually created the background story as a child, but I began writing the story on a trip to California with my mom. It was the summer before I began grad school and I was supposed to be having fun and concentrating on modeling, but we got to the airport in San Francisco, I saw a girl, who for some reason took me back to the memory of the story I'd created as a child. When we got to the hotel, I began writing ferociously, and three months later, Concealed was born.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Sang:  I've always been a paranormal fanatic. My parents always wondered what was wrong with me. They told me so many paranormal stories as a young child and when I became obsessed they wondered why. I'm always researching strange happenings and watching scary films (in various languages). I'm just passionate about the genre and couldn't imagine writing anything else. I'd go crazy!

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

Sang:  Oh wow! My younger brother and I ask this question quite frequently. My supernatural talents would be rapid cellular regeneration, so I could be indestructible and to be a healer. It may seem lame, but I could save so many people with my power. I wouldn't publicize it. To me these two powers go hand in hand, because in order to continue to heal people you'd have to stay alive, and better way to do that than by being indestructible.

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

Sang:  Readers will love Concealed, because it's unique and totally random. It's an introduction to a side of fantasy that hasn't quite been seen before with colorful characters that walk the line between good and evil so artfully it makes it hard to tell the difference. It's a tasteful blend of fantasy, teen angst, mythology, and history rolled into one, and you won't be able to put it down.

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

Sang:  My main character, Bijou is racially ambiguous and is stylish and Bohemian. You know the type, beautiful but insecure. She would most likely be played by Gossip Girl's Jessica Szohr or Smallville's Kristin Kreuk. The only other character that I have definitely found a match for is Amina. I watch a lot of foreign television and I watch an Australian soap opera, Home and Away. There's this actress, Tessa James and I swear it was as if my words came to life and created this girl. Her whole look is Amina, the accent, the feisty yet bubbly attitude is so her.























Concealed (Concealed #1) by Sang Kromah

When sixteen year-old Bijou Fitzroy and her nomadic grandmother leave New York City to live in a home in the sleepy town of Sykesville, Maryland, Bijou thinks she will finally be able to live a normal life and be like everyone else. This move will be permanent, and Bijou cannot be anymore thrilled. After years of being shut away by her grandmother, Bijou will finally able to interact with peers, make friends, go to school, and live like a normal teenager.

Moving around and being homeschooled definitely made it difficult to make friends, but there are other reasons for Bijou's solitude. With eyes that constantly change from gray to green to a honey-coated shade of brown and an ability to feel exactly what other people are feeling, the concept of obtaining closeness is more of a fable than a reality. Although her eyes are beautiful, their constant shift in color instills a sense of fear within other people and causes them to look away. Bijou's premonitions, blackouts, and semi-prophetic dreams of a faceless boy don't help her social musings either. Regardless, she decides to attend the local high school.

Bijou is immediately introduced to Sebastian Sinjin, a quirky and unusually beautiful boy who doesn't seem to belong in a high school in nowhere Maryland. Sebastian is also special. Instead of looking away from Bijou, he makes direct eye contact with her. And when he shakes Bijou's hand something dark and familiar to awaken within her as an electric shock surges through her body. Bijou soon finds herself deeply attracted to Sebastian, who remains aloof and often acts like Bijou doesn't exist.

Despite the pains of having her first real crush, Bijou makes friends quickly and excels in all of her classes…well, all except for Mythology with Mr. Jennings. Mr. Jennings' class starts off great with endless discussions of djinn and how they conceal themselves from the human eye, but things soon take a turn for the worse when the stories of the mythical creatures begin to take shape in Bijou's life.


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

To learn more about Sang Kromah and her books, please visit her website.

Paranormal Guest Author: Elizabeth Miles (Fury)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Elizabeth Miles!  Elizabeth is the author of Fury.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Elizabeth:  I have always written. As a child, I wrote fiction and non-fiction and what would now be considered "fan fiction" — stories that continued or expanded on the trajectories of well-loved (by me) characters like Laura from the Little House on the Prairie series. In college, I majored in print journalism and I started working for an alt-weekly newspaper after I graduated. That's still my day job: narrative journalism with an alternative spin. I started writing fiction again in 2010, at the urging of my longtime friend and fellow YA author Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall, Delirium), who was instrumental in helping Fury become a reality.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Elizabeth:  I love realistic fiction, but I appreciate the freedom that paranormal provides. Incorporating paranormal elements into a contemporary tale, which is what I feel I did with Fury, gave me the opportunity to heighten certain scenarios, to give (creepy) life to esoteric emotions, to attach real danger to typically cerebral concerns. It allowed me to explore the concept of vengeance from an amplified perspective. Not to mention, it's fun — both to read and to write. And I like creepy things.

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

Elizabeth:  I used to hem and haw over this question — invisibility? teleportation? mind-reading? All of those options sounded cool but none them really inspired me. Then, the other day, I was watching Enchanted, gleefully smiling during the singing/dancing scene in Central Park ("That's How You Know"), and my boyfriend said, "This would be your superpower — the ability to turn normal situations into big musical scenes." And he's dead right! Brilliant! I would be the Musical Theater Mage, transforming quotidian life into sweeping, powerful production numbers.

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

Elizabeth:  Fury is both scary and sexy, and its characters are real, flawed, and interesting. The idea of karma, the question of whether or not revenge is actually sweet — these are concepts we grapple with daily (whether or not we want to admit that is a different story). Fury offers a fresh, exciting take on paranormal YA lit.

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

Elizabeth:  I don't want to say too much about this because I don't want to influence the way readers imagine the characters in their heads. That said, I really enjoy Elle Fanning (she was so good in Super 8 and Somewhere!) and I would be honored to have her portray a character in the Fury series.























Fury (Fury, #1) by Elizabeth Miles

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

It's winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year's even better--the guy she's been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there's no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em's best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that's nothing compared to what's really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it's only a matter of time before he's exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.


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

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

Wolf Days of Summer Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Harpreet of A Spark of Interest: Books for Teens winner of our Wolf Days of Summer Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Harpreet will receive copies of Spirit Storm (Spirit Guide #2) by E.J. Stevens, Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) by Maggie Stiefvater, and Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) by Andrea Cremer.

Thank you to all who entered!

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

Happy Birthday (to me)

I'll be away from my blog (and Twitter, and Goodreads, and email...)  much of the day.  I've scheduled a mini blog holiday, but the paranormal guest author schedule will resume this Thursday with a visit from Elizabeth Miles, author of Fury. 

I'm off to celebrate my birthday and eat LOTS of cake! xx