Eva Pohler's Blog, page 11
September 7, 2021
Fright and Delight Giveway
To celebrate the upcoming Halloween release of The Shade of Santa Fe, I'm running a giveway contest.
If you'd like a chance to win a $25 gift card to your favorite bookstore and a signed copy of one of my paperbacks (your choice), enter this contest giveaway on my Facebook author page here.
This Fright and Delight Giveway will run through October 30th. The winner will be announced on Halloween--release day for The Shade of Santa Fe.
If you haven't already preordered your copy of The Shade and would like to, you can do so here.
If you have friends who might like to enter this Fright and Delight Giveaway, please share using the social media buttons below.
September 4, 2021
Black Mariah Author Julieanne Lynch
SEASON ONE, EPISODE SIX
Fia Hamill, wife, victim, prisoner--survivor. Cut off from her once loving family, Fia has been devising a plan to leave her abusive police officer husband. Then the planes come, and along with them, a deadly mist.
Like any other day, Fia dreaded her husband Craig coming home from work. All the despair, hurt, pain, and humility are more than Fia can bear alone. For months, she has divulged her secrets to ‘C47CH-22’, an entity on the dark web. But when Craig returns home wearing a gasmask, Fia learns her rural town has been obliterated.
Cut off from the outside world, with no electricity, no transport, and no way of knowing if they are the only ones left, Fia, along with Craig and a small band of survivors wait on the next broadcast, and when C47CH-22’ drops hints of a safe zone, and someone called ‘Crow’, they are desperate to find the truth. Someone is watching, someone who knows more than what the government or media are willing to divulge.
All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal—to centralize the world’s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.
Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today’s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called “Defiance” is born.
This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what’s to come?
ABOUT JULIEANNE LYNCH
Julieanne Lynch is an author of YA and Adult genre books, specialising in horror, fantasy and contemporary women’s fiction.
Julieanne was born in Northern Ireland, but spent much of her early life in London, United Kingdom, until her family relocated back to NI in the early nineties.
Julieanne lives in Northern Ireland with her family, where she is a full-time author. She studied English Literature and Creative Writing at The Open University.
Julieanne is represented by Italia Gandolfo and Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management and has several projects optioned for film.
Visit Julieanne's website at julieannelynch.com.
Buy Season One, Episode Six at Amazon here.
August 29, 2021
The Devil Baby of Bourbon Street
It's interesting to me how often history demonizes women and children who don't conform to the expected norms of their day.
If you were to visit the French Quarter of New Orleans and go on one of the ghost tours, you would learn about three examples: Marie Laveau, Delphine Lalaurie, and the Devil Baby of Bourbon Street.
Marie Laveau was born in 1801 and died in 1881. Records indicate that she was both a Roman Catholic and a voodoo high priestess. Many people living in New Orleans at the time blended their Catholicism and their voodoo into a single hybrid belief system. Although Laveau is often depicted as a witch or agent of the devil, many sources indicate that she took care of the sick, ministered to inmates, served as a midwife, and nurtured unwanted babies until she could find them a home.
If you were to Google Delphine Lalaurie, the phrase "serial killer" appears beside her name, even though there is no concrete evidence proving that she ever killed or hurt anyone. Sources do say that imprisoned slaves were found during a house fire, and many of them appeared to have been grotesquely disfigured. The thing is, Delphine's husband was a surgeon known for "curing hunchbacks" and performing other experimental surgeries. We also have records that prove that at one time before the house fire, Delphine attempted to divorce her husband. Why is that she has gone down in history as the villain and not her husband-doctor?
The story of a devil baby whose cries can still be heard on Bourbon Street involve both Marie Laveau and Delphine Lalaurie. People at the time believed the devil baby was the result of a curse that occurred when Marie Laveau was asked to use her voodoo magic by an unrequited lover. But more evidence suggests that the unfortunate child was a Harlequin baby who suffered from a rare genetic skin disorder. A baby with this condition is born with thick plates of skin that tear apart as the baby grows, often causing deformity in the facial features.
Sources also indiate that when the baby's mother died during the delivery and the father ran off, wanting nothing to do with the disfigured child, Marie Laveau took care of it. There are multiple reports that she frequently took the baby to the Lalaurie residence and that Delphine helped Marie to care for the child. Delphine even insisted on a baptism and offered to sponsor the baby. Wouldn't it make sense that Marie Laveau turned to the Lalauries because 1) they had a lot of money and 2) because Delphine's husband was a surgeon? It seems likely that the doctor performed the skin grafts that were necessary for the child's growth and development. It makes sense that the child would then convalesce at the Lalaurie residence while recovering from surgery. I would imagine this happened repeatedly until the child's death.
I think Marie Laveau was demonized because she lived the role of a priest at a time when women were expected not to lead but to serve quietly. She also used methods that were considered unorthodox by the Church. I think Delphine Lalaurie was demonized because she dared to ask for a divorce when it was strictly prohibited by the Church. And her husband, being a renowned surgeon, couldn't possibly be blamed for the disfigured slaves. And the poor Devil Baby was demonized because he looked different, and rather than feel compassion for this child, society spurned him.
In my novel French Quarter Clues, the heroines--friends in their fifties--discover the truth about these three historical persons while investigating a tethered ghost.
Each novel in The Mystery House Series is based on a true historical injustice. The ladies go from one haunted location to another to investigate why the ghost or ghosts have been unable to move on. Each time, they uncover a piece of history that most people don't want to remember. But only by bringing the past injustice to light can the tethered souls be vindicated and able to find peace.
If you'd like to learn more about The Mystery House Series, please go here.
If you found this post interesting, please share.
August 25, 2021
Five Ways to Overcome Writer's Block
Everybody gets it. I've written over thirty novels and have more in my head, but there are some days when I have trouble getting into my writing. Although I'm a firm believer in taking personal and mental health days off from authoring, the only way I've managed to make a successful career from my books is through discipline. I strive to write an average of 1000 words per day. This means that if I miss a few days, I'll need to up my word count over the next day or two to catch up.
So what do I do if I'm just not in the mood? I've come up with five strategies to help.
Walk. Many of the great geniuses walked to stimulate their minds. If I'm stumped on what should happen next in my story, a quick walk around the block almost always does the trick.
2. Shower. If the walk doesn't work, or if the weather is too bad for walking, taking a shower is the next best thing. There's something about the water flowing over me that gets my creative juices flowing. If writer's block is a problem for you, try a long shower.
3. Sleep. Try not to fall completely asleep. Put yourself in that twilight between being awake and being asleep. This is a very creative state for the human mind. It explains why some of our best ideas come to us just as we're falling asleep. If you're suffering from writer's block, try closing your eyes and thinking about your story. You may actually fall asleep and waste a bunch of time, but more often than not, something great will occur to you.
4. Eat something high in carbs. This may sound crazy, but when nothing else works, I turn to sweets. That jolt of sugar rushing through my sytem really gets my mind working. It's not a great technique if you're watching your waistline, but it's almost a sure thing as far as overcoming writer's block.
5. When all else fails, overcome writer's block by writing anything. You can write about your day or about a dream you had or about what you want to do for a family vacation. Just start writing. Once you get going, allow your mind to wander to other ideas. Be sure to tell yourself that this is only an exercise, and you don't need to worry about whether it's good writing. It's a warmup exercise. You'll be surprised by how often this will get your thoughts in motion.
If you found this helpful, please share using the social buttons below.
Click to tweet: Five ways to overcome #Writersblock by @evapohler #writingcommunity.
August 21, 2021
Black Mariah Author Mercedes M. Yardley
SEASON ONE, EPISODE FIVE
Zora Lehmbeck lost her husband in the biggest mass shooting in American history--that massacre was a drop in the bucket compared to the horrors of Black Mariah.
Zora is suffering from extreme PTSD after witnessing her husband’s murder during the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting. She is at a club for the first time since the tragedy, but the throbbing music and crush of bodies force her to flee before the fog machine fills the air with smoke and a mysterious lethal agent.
Zora’s mental health deteriorates as the city-wide panic forces her to isolate at home with her nine-year-old daughter, Jazz. Access to her medication is cut off and she’s going through horrific withdrawals. As she fears for her sanity and her ability to care for Jazz, Zora must rely on the young stoner next door as she tries to get in touch with her emotional lifeline: her ex-metro PD best friend who lives in Washington. Unable to trust her own mind, Zora fears she is spiraling into paranoia as she comes to believe in an entity called The Crow who sends her mysterious messages warning her that the conspiracy is bigger than she could imagine.
All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal—to centralize the world’s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.
Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today’s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called “Defiance” is born.
This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what’s to come?
ABOUT MERCEDES M. YARDLEY
Mercedes M. Yardley is a whimsical dark fantasist who wears stilettos, red lipstick, and poisonous flowers in her hair. She is the author of many diverse works, including Beautiful Sorrows, the Stabby Award-winning Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love, Pretty Little Dead Girls: A Novel of Murder and Whimsy, Detritus in Love, and the BONE ANGEL trilogy. She recently won the prestigious Bram Stoker Award for her story Little Dead Red. Mercedes lives and creates in Las Vegas with her family and menagerie of battle-scarred, rescued animal familiars.
Mercedes is a member of the Horror Writers Association and co-chair of the Las Vegas HWA Chapter.
Visit Mercedes's website at mercedesmyardley.com.
Purchase Season One, Episode Five from Amazon here.
August 16, 2021
The Rest Cure
The "rest cure" was a post American civil war treatment developed by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell prescribed to people suffering with what he and other doctors at the time called hysteria and neurasthenia.
Mitchell developed different cures for men and women. Men were given the "West Cure," which required them to go out west and wrangle cattle, camp outdoors, bond with other men engaging in similar vigorous exercise, and write about the experience. The men returned home looking and feeling reinvigorated.
Women were given the "Rest Cure," which required them to check into sanitoriums for eight weeks, isolate themselves from others, and avoid activity by staying in bed all day. Massage, force feeding, and electroshock were also part of their therapy. During their internment, they were to avoid any intellectual stimulation. Once they were discharged, they were told to keep such intellectual activities to no more than two hours per day, and only when necessary. They would be better served, the doctors said, by living as domestic a life as possible.
American author Charlotte Perkins-Gilman was a patient of the Rest Cure, and she wrote about it in her now famous short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." The story echoes the modern-day sentiment that while the "West Cure" helped the men, the "Rest Cure" hurt the women. The isolation and lack of stimulation only made the mental health of women worse.
My novel The Secrets of the Greek Revival ( the first in The Mystery House Series) was inspired by Perkins-Gilman's story. Described as Nancy Drew meets The Golden Girls, it tells of three friends in their fifties who flip a house only to discover that it's haunted. They feel compelled to solve its old mystery to help untether the ghost as they conduct their renovation. Although they don't know what they're doing, and they get in way over their heads, they have good hearts and eventually discover the harrowing treatment of women that took place inside its walls.
Each novel in The Mystery House Series is based on a true historical injustice. The ladies go from one haunted location to another to investigate why the ghost or ghosts have been unable to move on. Each time, they uncover a piece of history that most people don't want to remember. But only by bringing the past injustice to light can the tethered souls be vindicated and able to find peace.
If you'd like to learn more about The Mystery House Series, please go here.
If you found this post interesting, please share.
August 11, 2021
One Month's Worth of Social Media Posts for Book Lovers
If you're like me, you love to talk about books. Maybe you're slightly introverted (or extremely so) but you'd still like to interact with others on social media about your book love.
Over the years, I've picked up some ideas for how to share that love and encourage other book lovers to interact on social media. Here is my list of one month's worth of social media posts for book lovers.
Anticipated Upcoming Release Cover Review Book Haul (Books you bought) Book Mail/Unboxing (Books you received) Cover Review Book Review My Review of Someone Else's Review Author Spotlight (You can find bio and media kit on their website) Book Comparison (If you liked this, then you'll like this) Book to Movie Review Trope Spotlight (Favorite books containing the same trope) Teaser/Blurb from a Book I Want Book about a Cause I Care About Spotlight on a Fellow Book Lover What's Trending Before and After (Before I read the book, I thought this. Now I think this) Book Featuring One of My Favorite Hobbies Pros and Cons for a Book I Feel Mixed About Book Shelfie This or That (Ask fellow book lovers to vote on a book) A,B,C, or D (Same as above, but give them more options) Spotlight on a Bookstore TBR Stack Tips for Getting Through a TBR Pile Genre Spotlight (favorite books in a single genre) Currently Reading Book Swag Review Book Series Spotlight Second Time Through (How your second reading of a book may differ from your first) Best Book(s) of the MonthIf you're posting in a month with 31 days, you can always add another Author Spotlight or This or That. Take turns repeating one of the above during the longer months.
I hope you found this helpful. If so, please share using the social media icons below.
Click to Tweet: A month's worth of social media posts for #booklovers #bookstagrammers #bookbloggers and #booktubers from @evapohler.
August 7, 2021
Black Mariah Author Eva Pohler
SEASON ONE, EPISODE FOUR
As Marianne Turner tends to her garden in a suburb of San Antonio, Texas, she doesn’t notice the planes and the feathery white mist they leave behind, until her dog, Mo, collapses--the first of many more heartbreaks ahead.
After her computer-savvy daughter, Carley, relocates to work her very first job as a software developer, empty-nester Marianne Turner consoles herself by planting a new garden. The house will feel empty with both her son and daughter gone, but at least Kyle and his husband, Bobby, lived nearby. With the latest pandemic outbreak over, Marianne will be able to see them regularly again—that is, if her husband, Jim, doesn’t interfere.
When the mist comes and her dog, Mo, dies, along with countless other neighborhood pets, Marianne begins to believe her daughter’s crazy theories, especially when people start getting sick again. Jim, a doctor, assures her it isn’t yet another new Covid strain. While he continues to live in denial, Marianne pays attention to Carley’s cryptic messages urging them to leave Texas. Carley warns that a global plot is afoot, something called Operation Black Mariah, and Texans have been slated to die.
All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal—to centralize the world’s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.
Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today’s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called “Defiance” is born.
This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what’s to come?
ABOUT EVA POHLER
Eva Pohler earned her Ph.D. in English in the mid-nineties, specializing in twentieth-century British and American narrative strategies. She has taught writing and literature for over twenty years at a university in San Antonio, her hometown, where she lives with her husband, two of her three adult children, and three dogs.
A USA Today bestselling author of over thirty novels in multiple genres, Eva writes mysteries, thrillers, and young adult paranormal romance based on Greek mythology. Her books have been described as "addictive" and "sure to thrill"--Kirkus Reviews.
Whichever genre you read, you will find an adventure in Eva Pohler's stories. They blur the line between reality and fantasy, truth and delusion, and draw from Eva's personal philosophy that a reader must be lured and abducted into complete captivity in order to enjoy the reading experience.
Buy Season One, Episode Four from Amazon here.
August 6, 2021
Audiobooks in Production
According to publishing industry sources, audiobooks will continue to rise in demand and market share. In response to that, I'm working with producers to get the rest of my catalogue available in audiobook. I have three different narrators currently working with me to make this happen.
Eros: Cupid's Captive Series, Book One is being produced by narrator Bri' Johnson, who has a lovely, lyrical voice that I find mesmerizing. Such a voice is just right for this steamy paranormal romance.
For The Mystery Man: The Nightmare Collection, I chose producer Kodi Richardson, who captures the essence of the main character perfectly with her tonal voice. She's also comfortable with the mysterious physics professor's technical verbiage.
The producer for The Marcella II: Vampires and Gods, Book One is Jaelanne Gilliam. This book has such a huge cast of characters, so I was super pleased with the versatility of Jaelanne's narration.
These audiobooks are expected to release sometime this year. I'll be sure to keep you posted.
Soon The Shade of Santa Fe will also be in production with my long-time producer Debbie Andreen. Debbie has narrated the bulk of my audiobooks and has been praised in numerous reviews for her ability to bring the characters to life.
If you're an audiobook fan, please visit this page to see which of my books are already available in that platform.
July 24, 2021
Black Mariah Author Lindy Ryan
SEASON ONE, EPISODE THREE
After her wife’s death, Rachel Mason wants to grieve in peace. But when the place she’s sought for sanctuary becomes another site in a series of strange events sweeping the nation, she’ll have to brave the Alaskan wilderness to survive.
Former cop turned mystery novelist, Rachel Mason wasn’t ready to live without her wife Ruby, but that didn’t stop the hiking accident that claimed Ruby’s life from happening. Heartbroken, Rachel left behind the noise of the East Coast to hide away in her parent’s guest house in Juneau, Alaska with nothing but her grief, her memories, and her two dogs.
When she is startled awake during a weekend camping trip by the sound of a low-flying plane, Rachel returns to town to find her parents and her dog have disappeared—along with everyone else in Juneau. The only clues to the disappearance of over thirty-thousand people are a strange white dust, the tail end of a ferry in the distance, and a caravan of blacked-out military vehicles she’s never seen on the island. Concerned that all of her late wife’s “doomsday predictions” are coming true, Rachel is forced to lean on the knowledge Ruby taught her if she’s to find her family, and—as the first hints of snow arrive in the mountains—stay alive.
All over the world, from small rural towns to big cities, from Alaska to South Africa, something is happening. Though events differ from place to place, all point to the same chilling outcome: the implementation of a New World Order by the global elite. Their goal—to centralize the world’s power and wealth into their own hands, and to control humanity. But first they need to cull the human population to sustainable levels, and their plans have begun. Wave One of Operation Black Mariah has begun.
Welcome to the world of Marie D. Jones Presents Black Mariah, a harrowing near-future ripped from today’s headlines that dares to look at what might come next. This is a world of conspiracies and cover-ups, of lies and deception, of chaos and confusion, and of small groups of people who realize the only way to survive is to harness the power of the human spirit. To defy and persist. In the wake of the quest for survival, a revolution called “Defiance” is born.
This is a stand-alone story in the Black Mariah Shared World, a collaborative effort by authors from all across the globe whose characters react and respond to the same events, but in their own unique ways. Each story takes the reader on a journey of one of these characters, allowing for multiple perspectives to unfold. The only thing these characters have in common is that they survived Wave One. But will they survive what’s to come?
ABOUT LINDY RYAN
Lindy Miller Ryan is an entrepreneur, award-winning analytics professor, and publishing professional. In 2011, Ryan became the co-founder of Radiant Advisors, a business intelligence research and advisory firm, where as Chief Content Officer, she leads the company's editorial and research divisions, and its data enablement practice, for clients that have included 21st Century Fox Films, Warner Bros., and Disney. In 2017, Ryan founded Black Spot Books, an independent small press focused in speculative fiction, which was acquired by Vesuvian Media Group in 2019. Now an accomplished publishing professional, Ryan currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and was named as one of Publishers Weekly's 2020 Star Watch Honorees. In 2021, Ryan founded media agency DARKLINE with author and screenwriter Burke Bryant.
Ryan is a multi-genre award-winning and bestselling editor and author who grew up cutting her teeth on Goosebumps and now counts Anne Rice, Grady Hendrix, and Neil Gaiman among her favorite authors. She also writes clean, seasonal romance under the name Lindy Miller, where her books have received numerous awards and been adapted for screen. Currently, she is collaborating as the lead author on a horror franchise project with a top veteran Hollywood director and an award-winning screenwriter.
When she's not immersed in books, Ryan is an avid historical researcher, with specific interest in nautical and maritime history, cryptozoology, and ancient civilizations. She is represented by Gandolfo Helin & Fountain Literary Management, and is a member of numerous literary organizations, including the Horror Writers Association, the International Thriller Writers, and the Romance Writers of America.
Visit Lindy's website at glitterandgravedust.com.
Purchase Season One, Episode Three on Amazon here.
