Eva Pohler's Blog, page 47

Roll Call! Are You a Bot?

I can’t believe there are nearly 800 subscribers to this site. I fear a good portion of you may not be human! So, in order to test who my true audience is, I’m calling roll. Please comment below with a simple, “Here!”

Each person who answers this roll call will be entered into a drawing, using Random.org, to win the audiobook edition of the first four books in The Gatekeeper’s Saga, plus your choice of an advanced reader’s copy (in PDF) of either The Gatekeeper’s Secret (#5, TBR April 1st) OR The Mystery Tomb (#2 in The Mystery Books Collection,TBR February 1).

To help you decide, here is the blurb for each of the upcoming releases:

The Gatekeeper’s Secret: Gatekeeper’s Saga, Book Five:

When Zeus invites Therese and Thanatos to a party on Mount Olympus in their honor, they and the other gods who have formed the Athena Alliance are immediately suspicious of a trap. They fear Zeus has learned of their desire to free Metis and Cybele and to stand up for all the women he has wronged. Although Therese succeeds in recruiting Dione, Amphitrite, Poseidon, and others to the Alliance, Pete has unwittingly sabotaged their plans by revealing to Zeus the prophecy from the ghost of Mr. Holt. And now, the day that might have been the most wonderful day of Therese’s life will be wrought with conflict where someone is fated to die. Can Therese and the other gods in the Alliance bind the almighty Zeus and restore justice and true democracy among the Olympians? Or will Zeus succeed in swallowing Therese and separating her from Thanatos for all eternity?

The Mystery Tomb (#2 in The Mystery Book Collection):

Meet Samantha Beck and Rebecca Nisha—two women born twenty-five years and hundreds of miles apart, yet joined together by a shocking family ritual. When Samantha discovers the remains of an ancient tribe in Pennsylvania , she expects to at last prove her grandmother’s Native American ancestry and to make a name for herself as a budding archaeologist. She does not expect to make an enemy and a lover of a fellow descendant—son of Rebecca Nisha—who unwittingly wears a necklace made of his dead mother’s bones.

 As the novel unfolds, alternating between Samantha’s story and Rebecca’s twenty-five years before, Samantha becomes more and more determined to discover the devastating mystery that estranged Rebecca’s wealthy Pennsylvania Dutch father from her half-Native American son. Samantha gradually uncovers a troubling secret and decides to risk everything—love and career—to restore harmony to Rebecca’s family.

I will run this contest for one week and will choose the winner on next Thursday at midnight (Thursday night/Friday morning), CST. I should add that you must be subscribed to this website to win.

Introducing my Mystery Book Collection!

I have some exciting news! First things first. The Mystery Box has had a face-lift. Here is the new cover, designed by Melinda Vanlone:

 

 

Pretty cool, huh? Here’s the blurb on the back:

Soccer mom Yvette Palmer lives an ordinary life in San Antonio, Texas when a box is delivered to her by mistake, and in taking it to its rightful owner—a crotchety neighbor named Mona who shares her back fence—is drawn into a strange and haunting tale. 

Mona’s ratty robe, mood swings, and secretive behavior all raise red flags, and Yvette is sure someone else is living there despite Mona’s claim to live alone, but Yvette is unable to break away as she listens to how Mona transformed from a young college woman about to be married to the odd, reclusive, ghost of a woman she is now. 

As Yvette listens to her neighbor’s tale, she discovers a shocking connection, but doesn’t know whether Mona’s come to help or to harm her and her family.

Now for the next piece of exciting news. The second mystery book, The Mystery Tomb, is coming in February! That’s right, next month! As soon as the cover is ready I’ll show it to you. Meanwhile, here’s the blurb on the back:

Meet Samantha Beck and Rebecca Nisha—two women born twenty-five years and hundreds of miles apart, yet joined together by a shocking family ritual. When Samantha discovers the remains of an ancient tribe in Pennsylvania , she expects to at last prove her grandmother’s Native American ancestry and to make a name for herself as a budding archaeologist. She does not expect to make an enemy and a lover of a fellow descendant—son of Rebecca Nisha—who unwittingly wears a necklace made of his dead mother’s bones.

          As the novel unfolds, alternating between Samantha’s story and Rebecca’s twenty-five years before, Samantha becomes more and more determined to discover the devastating mystery that estranged Rebecca’s wealthy Pennsylvania Dutch father from her half-Native American son. Samantha gradually uncovers a troubling secret and decides to risk everything—love and career—to restore harmony to Rebecca’s family.

The final book in The Mystery Book Collection will be released early next year. It’s called The Mystery House. It’s about four best friends and empty nesters who decide to buy and flip a house, but during the renovation, they come upon some shocking discoveries that lead them on a mission to learn what was really going on in that house.

Meanwhile, The Gatekeeper’s Secret: Gatekeeper’s Saga, Number Five is in the final editing stage and with the graphic artist. It is still on schedule to release April first. I’m so excited for you to read this next installment! One of my beta readers told me its her favorite in the series so far! You won’t believe what Therese is up to now!

And if you haven’t already checked out The Purgatorium, the first in my newest young adult series, please do. The second book in that series, Gray’s Domain, should be coming out on June 1st.

We’ve got lot’s of fun and excitement over here at Eva Pohler Books, that’s for sure!

Kirkus Reviews: The Gatekeeper’s Sons

In this teen fantasy novel and love story, an orphaned girl finds herself at the center of a war brewing among the gods of Olympus.

When a book opens with a bang like this, readers might expect great things. Fifteen-year-old Therese is riding in a car with her parents when a gunman opens fire, hitting her mother and causing her father to careen off the road into a pond. Before Therese can free herself from the submerged car, she watches helplessly as both her parents die. Pohler’s (The Mystery Box, 2012, etc.) description of their deaths is gruesomely clear and heartbreaking. While Therese is still in a coma following the accident, she travels through the dream world and meets two alluring young men, Hypnos, or Hip, and Thanatos, or Than, twin sons of Hades. Hip is a cad—he says things like “Are we going to make out now, or what?”—while Than is quiet and sensitive. Than, whose job is to eternally guide the souls of the dead to the entrance of the underworld, is immediately drawn to Therese. After this fast and eventful introduction . . . Than makes a deal with his father: 40 days among humans to try to make Therese his bride, with some stiff and arbitrary conditions attached; these are Greek gods, after all. . . . The entire pantheon of Greek gods picks sides, and, in an arena battle sure to thrill Hunger Games fans, Therese shows her mettle. The outcome neatly tees things up for the three books (at least) in the series still to come.

.–Kirkus Reviews

Another Raving Review from Midwest Book Review!

Diane B. Donovan, senior ebook editor at Midwest Book Review, wrote the following review of The Gatekeeper’s Challenge, Gatekeeper’s Saga, Book Two in this month’s publication:

Book 2 of ‘The Gatekeeper’s Saga’ (a powerful young adult fantasy novel with fifteen-year-old Therese Mills as its heroine and guiding force) begins where Book One left off and is especially recommended for those who have read and enjoyed its predecessor, The Gatekeeper’s Sons.

The Gatekeeper’s Challenge opens with seemingly Therese newly reunited with her god/love Than for a quick visit after a ten-month separation, and the perplexity over her mortal good friend Peter (who may be more than just a friend) when their relationship is threatened by Than’s return.

In quick succession appear the Furies, Poseidon in a chariot, and more figures from mythology – and with them, once again, is confusion over where Therese really belongs and the true nature of reality and fantasy itself… for her encounter with Than proves to be a dream, even as the real Than is spending his time and efforts trying to find a way to be together with Therese and make her his queen.

Therese doesn’t know this fact, however: to her it’s been ten long months with no communication with Than and no indication that he is still interested in her, and so when he shows up when her hamster dies (he is, after all, a god of the underworld), she still only gets a tidbit of conversation and not nearly enough time to discuss romance, intentions, or the future.

Her decision to search out and take a drug that provides a near-death experience so she can have a proper talk with her underworld boyfriend goes terribly awry and results in a challenge issued by Hades that will either make her a goddess or destroy her.

It’s Therese’s strong will, courage, and determination that will be the real tests of her capabilities under Hade’s near-impossible challenge: that and her ongoing love for Than, which continues, unchanging, through both worlds and under impossible conditions.

There are also surprising, humorous moments in Therese’s encounters – as when she pursues a treasure guarded by a monster and entices him with a (drugged) cinnamon roll: “Therese opened her purse and took out the cinnamon roll. “Hera gave me a gift to give to Ladon.” It wasn’t exactly true. Technically, Hera hadn’t given it to her. But it had been her idea. Too frightened to approach the tree and the nymphs, Therese tossed the roll through the air where it was caught and eaten by one of Ladon’s hundred heads.” Really: conquering a legendary monster guardians with SleepAid tablets and Prozac?

Even as Therese faces her own challenges, she’s tasked with protecting her mortal friends, occasionally with extraordinary means. Being mortal means she sometimes fails – as in trying to protect Vicki – but sometimes succeeds – as with her friend Jen. It also means she has a lot to give up in the process of making the right moral, ethical choices at times – possibly even her future with Than.

But one strong message in The Gatekeeper’s Challenge is ‘never give up’ – and Therese continually finds her approaches that allow her to keep her promises, protect her friends, and retain her own clear vision of what she wants from her life and the afterworld.

Speaking of which – also at the heart of the story is finding one’s purpose in life: a task that involves not just mortals but gods and goddesses alike: “Every god and goddess must serve humankind or the world in some way. We have to find a purpose for you, or this transformation won’t last.”

As Therese moves ever closer to her heart’s desire and to identifying what that desire might mean in the bigger picture of two worlds, she finds herself facing her greatest challenge.

Once again, expect no neat conclusions, here. The Gatekeeper’s Challenge is a complex, shape-shifting fantasy with an evolving protagonist and changes to all involved. The conclusion only sets the stage for more possibilities, drawing readers to a mercurial ending that cries out for more.

Jen and Therese are on Twitter!

Jen Holt
@JenBHolt

I’m 17. I live near Durango, CO on a horse ranch. In a relationship (sort of) with Hip. Bestie to Therese Mills. Swimmer. French Horn player. Horse lover (obv).

Therese Mills
@ThereseKMills

I’m 17. Animal lover from Colorado. In a relationship with Than. Best friends with Jen Holt. Swimmer. Flutist. Archer. And did I say animal lover?

Therese is having trouble getting her account verified, so you might not be able to follow her right away, but Jen is there and is lonely, so be sure to follow her and send her your tweets!

Both girls also plan to join Instagram soon and have lots of fun pics to share of their boyfriends, pets, and crazy adventures. Therese recently took this photo of Than when he was in a dark mood!

This pic was taken right after Therese accepted a challenge from Artemis. Than was not pleased!

I’ll send you an update soon!

Let’s Start the New Year with a Giveaway!

I just received word that The Gatekeeper’s House: Gatekeeper’s Saga, Book Four is now available in audiobook!!

To celebrate its release, I’d like to give a free copy of the audiobook to a random commenter. Tell me your New Year’s Resolution, and I will use Random.org to choose a winner at midnight, Central Standard Time, tonight!

Happy New Year!

We Have Winners!

The Goodreads Giveaway of three signed copies of my new young adult release, The Purgatorium, is over.

Goodreads Book Giveaway


The Purgatorium
by Eva Pohler

Giveaway ends December 24, 2013.

And the winners are………

Brittany Smyth of Woodridge, Logan (Australia)

Lucinda Fountain of Guildford, Surrey (Great Britain)

and Kelly Carter of Fairborn, Ohio (United States)!

 

Congratulations to these winners! Your signed paperback editions should arrive to you within 3-4 weeks (if not sooner).

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Sweet Kwanzaa, and Cheerful Solstice to all!

I Want This Harry Potter Room!

I went to my cousin’s new house for the first time tonight for a family Christmas gathering. As she took me on a tour, at my request, I admired her beautiful decor in every room. But it wasn’t until the very end of the tour, when one of her kids asked me to come look at a book case.

He pointed to the sign over the book case, but never in a million years would I have understood it was a hint…

That’s right! The book case led to a secret passageway. Oh my God! I’ve always wanted a house with a secret passageway!

But the best thing about this particular secret passageway was that it led to the cupboard beneath the stairs! And, you guessed it, it was filled with…

HARRY POTTER PARAPHERNALIA!!!!!!

I want that room!

I want to LIVE in that room!

What do you think? Would you like a cupboard under the stairs/secret passageway in your house?

Come See Me at the Authors and Readers Convention in Phoenix!

It’s official!

I will be attending and serving on various panels at the Authors and Readers Convention 2014 in Phoenix, October 16-19!

I would be THRILLED if some of you would come to the conference, too. It’s one of the least expensive cons out there, with lots of fun events planned for everyone. Plus, Jennifer Armentrout will be the keynote speaker, and Quinn Loftis will be the master of ceremonies during the award luncheon.

If you do plan to attend, please mention on your registration that I sent you. There’s a contest to see which author can bring in the most readers.

If you plan to go, leave me a comment below so I can be sure to look for you.

An Exclusive Gift for My Readers!

I can’t believe there are already 500 followers subscribed to this site. Thank you all so much. You have tons of media to choose from, and I’m thankful you chose to include me in your life!

To show my appreciation, I have an exclusive, holiday gift for you. From now through Christmas, you can use the following code to download your free ebook edition of my newest release, The Purgatorium: VV86W (that’s vee, vee, 8,6, double-you). Please don’t share the code. It’s only meant for fans of Eva Pohler Books. Click on the cover to download your free ebook in whatever format you require. Don’t forget to enter the code!

On December 26th, the code will no longer be available, and the ebook price is $3.99. I won’t be offering a price reduction again until the second book of The Purgatorium Series is released next summer.

Thanks again for choosing me! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Sincerely,

Eva Pohler