Eva Pohler's Blog, page 6

A New YA Fantasy Series

I announced a new YA fantasy series to my reader group and newsletter subscribers earlier this month and meant to write a post about it. The series is called Gods and Monsters. Each book will feature a different character from Greek mythology that has godlike and monster-like qualities. The first of these is Athena.

Here's the blurb:

Even the wise can be fools in love . . .

 

She grows up in the belly of her oppressive father, where she watches her mother build her armor and hatches plans for escape. Once freed, she becomes her father's favorite--a loyal subject, warrior, and advocate who stands by her father even when her favorite is sentenced for treason and chained to a rock, where his liver is eaten daily by Zeus's eagle. Then, her hopes for a reunion with Prometheus are crushed when he disappears, and years of searching prove futile. With a hardened heart, Athena becomes a powerful leader of the Olympians.

 

But when Prometheus returns from the shadows, her loyalties are challenged, her heart stirs with unquenchable passion, and her immortal life is forever changed.

Each book in the series will be told in two parts: ancient times and modern times. Although they'll include the character's origin story and most of the major canonical mythology points, the central focus will be a love story. The books will also stand alone and can be read in any order.

If you've read Dionysus, my optional prequel to The Vampires of Athens Series, you'll have an idea of what you can expect in the Gods and Monsters Series.

You may have noticed two different covers depicted in the first image above. That's because I'm doing something a little different with this new YA fantasy series. I'm using character art for the paperback and ebook version, like the image above, and I'm using symbolic art for the hardback and audiobook, like the owl cover below.

The covers for the second book for this new YA fantasy series have already been made by the very talented Gabriela of BRoseDesignz, but I'm going to hold off announcing the subject of that book, because I want to surprise you!

Meanwhile, the first book, Athena, is available for preorder and will release in all formats on April 25th. By all formats, I mean ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook.

Preorder your copy from my store or from your favorite vendor here.

A New Year Giveaway

Let's start 2024 off right with a New Year Giveaway. Enter for a chance to win the first ten books in my paranormal mystery series--The Mystery House Series--in paperback and ebook.

This giveaway is open internationally. You must be eighteen or older to enter.

The giveaway will run from January 4th through January 31st. The winner will be randomly selected and announced on February 1st. Prizes will be shipped the following day.

If the winner resides in the US, he or she will receive signed paperbacks. Winners from other countries will receive unsigned copies, but signed bookplates will be shipped in a separate mailing along with bookmarks and stickers.

This series has been described as NANCY DREW meets the GOLDEN GIRLS. Three friends in their fifties renovate haunted houses and try to solve the mystery tethering the ghosts. Each mystery is based on a historical injustice that occurred in that location.

For a limited time, you can read the first book, Secrets of the Greek Revival, for FREE in ebook. Find it here.

Good luck and Happy New Year!

Countdown to the New Year!

Countdown to the New Year with me in the Pohler Bear Lounge with five days of giveaways!

Here's a peek at what I'll be giving away:

My Moon Tree Zip Hoodie/Jacket has become a fan favorite with its soft, high-quality fabric and generous unisex sizing. That's why I've decided to give another one away.

Virginia Creeper is the perfect cozy mystery for the holidays, so that's why I've decided to give it away to one lucky winner. The books in The Mystery House Series can be read in any order, so no worries if you haven't read the others yet.

Many of you liked this Silver Book Charm Bracelet from my last giveaway, so I decided to offer up another one.

Since so many of you said you buy from Amazon, I thought I'd throw in a gift card, so one lucky winner can buy something they didn't get for Christmas.

Many of you mentioned thrillers and mysteries when I polled you about genre, so I'm offering up the complete Purgatorium omnibus signed.

I'm going to be out of town with friends on New Year's Day (the hubbie and I are staying with my friend upon whom the character Sue in The Mystery House Series is based). This means I, unfortunately, won't be able to have a ZOOM party. However, I'll announce all the winners on New Year's Day in the Pohler Bear Lounge.

I hope to see you there!

Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways

My Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways began as an experiment a few years ago. Wanting to build a stronger sense of community in my private Facebook group, The Pohler Bear Lounge, I created a new post each day over a twelve day period in December offering a prize to a random commenter on each day's post. To enter, the commenter needed to answer a "getting to know you" question.

I was floored by the response. The participation was amazing. I got to know my most loyal readers--along with some new-to-me readers--better than ever.

I can't recall if this is the third or fourth year, but we are about to begin again. On December eighth, the first giveaway will be posted in the Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook. This will continue through December 19th, during which time all giveaways will remain open, giving everyone a chance to participate. Then, on Wednesday, December 20th, I'll close the giveaways and use a random number generator to choose winners. The names of the winners will be announced that evening during a ZOOM Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways Party beginning at 8 PM CST. The party will be recorded and posted in the lounge so those who can't attend the live event can watch the replay. The event should last between 45 - 60 minutes. Consider this your invitation to join The Pohler Bear Lounge, participate in the giveaways, and attend the live Zoom event. You can join the Zoom party on the night of the twentieth here.

Here's a sneak peek of what I'll be giving away this year:

The first prize up for grabs will be a signed paperback copy of my newest release, The Haunted Bridge. Described as NANCY DREW meets THE GOLDEN GIRLS, The Mystery House Series depicts three women in their fifties who flip haunted houses and try to bring peace to the ghosts by solving the mystery of what's tethered them there. Each mystery is based on a true, historical injustice.

The Haunted Bridge takes place on and around the Great Salt Lake of Utah. The books in this series can be read in any order.

The second prize up for grabs is my Moon True Full-Zip Hoodie/Jacket. I and many of my Premium Pohler Bears own one, and all can attest to the high quality of the jacket. The material is soft and the sizes, being unisex, are generous.

The third prize up for grabs is this adorable pair of Library Books Earrings. Even if your ears aren't pierced, these make a great gift for your favorite book lover. Like the jacket and other prizes, they can be found on my store here.

On the fourth day, I'll be giving away a signed paperback copy of The Mystery Man, one of three stand-alone novels in my Nightmare Collection. These romantic thrillers all have one thing in common: a storyteller lures the main character into a haunting tale that eventually has a shocking connection to them and their family.

On Day Five, I'll be giving away this I Like Big Books T-Shirt, which is available in other colors. Like the jacket, the quality of the fabric is nice and soft and the sizes are unisex.

On the sixth day of my Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways, participants have the chance to win this lovely Infinity Love Book Charm Bracelet. This is another item my Premium Pohler Bears and I own, and so far I've received nothing but high praise for it. I love the way it looks on my wrist. It's not heavy or bulky but still stands out and shows off my love of books.

On the seventh day of my Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways, I'll be giving away a signed paperback copy of The Vampires of Athens Omnibus, which includes the entire trilogy. Described as Twilight meets Percy Jackson, this series portrays a teen from New York studying abroad in Athens, where she discovers the existence of vampires--an oppressed race living beneath the caves of the acropolis. Ignoring the warnings of her host family, the teen befriends a handsome vampire whose bite gives her temporary powers. She isn't sure whether she's falling for him or becoming addicted to his bite. Meanwhile the best friend of her host family, a demigod and sworn enemy of the vampire, is falling for her, and she becomes a part of a toxic love triangle that causes a war to erupt between the vampires and the demigods of Athens.

Eight days in, I'll be giving away this I'm Booked T-Shirt. Like the other apparel in my store, this shirt is made of soft, high-quality fabric and is available in unisex sizes in other colors. I get compliments every time I wear mine.

Nine days into my Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways, I'll be offering this Fashion Silver Book Charm Bracelet. I don't own this one yet but am eager to get it for me and my Premium Pohler Bears.

On the tenth day, I'll be giving away a signed paperback copy of The Purgatorium, The Complete Set. This omnibus contains the entire Purgatorium Trilogy and depicts a teen who feels guilty for her sister's death. Her parents, in a last-ditch effort to save her from committing suicide, send her to an island they've heard of where a doctor uses experimental methods that cross ethical lines. Soon the teen finds herself on the haunted side of the island wondering if her parents meant to help her or punish her.

I'm actually wearing this shirt as I type this post. My Emotionally Attached T-Shirt, like the others, is made of super soft, high quality fabric. It comes in other colors in unisex sizes. It's what I'm giving away on the eleventh day of my giveaways.

And finally, on the last day of my Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways, one winner will get this Pohler Bear Swag Pack. While the Pohler Bear Magnet is available in my store, everything else consists of swag that I have or will give to my Premium Pohler Bears. In addition to the Pohler Bear Magnet, the pack includes a Pohler Bear 2024 Calendar Magnet, a Pohler Bear 2024 Calendar Bookmark, three additional bookmarks, Holiday Pohler Bear Winter Mints and Tin, a Moon Tree Pen, a Pohler Bear Shelf Ornament, and stickers.

So there you have it! Twelve Days of Christmas Giveaways at a glance. If you would like to participate, please ask to join the Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook (if you aren't already a member). If you aren't on Facebook, you can still come to the Zoom party Wednesday night, where we will play more fun games for more great prizes. On the night of the 20th (8 PM CST), join here. I hope to see you there!

A Halloween Launch Party

I can't believe my fortieth book launches this Halloween. Has it really been forty books? In a way, the writing of my first book seems like a lifetime ago, but in another way, it feels like yesterday. I know that's a cliche, but it also happens to be true.

And my fortieth book is the twelfth book in The Mystery House Series, entitled The Haunted Bridge.

As with all of my launches, it's a good excuse to have a party. I hope you'll come.

The countdown giveaway will take place in The Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook. If you aren't already a member, you can join for free here.

Here's a sneak peek at what I'll be giving away.

On October 24th--seven days to launch00I'll be giving away the first volume of The Underworld Saga in this special anniversary hardback edition. It contains the complete first trilogy, which can be read without having to continue further into the saga. Isn't it beautiful?

On October 25th--six days to launch--I'll be giving away a hardback edition of Secrets of the Greek Revival, the first book in The Mystery House Series. Although this series can be read in any order, this is where it all begins.

Isn't this Ghoul's Hand Bookmark fun and creepy? I adore mine! You'll have a chance to own one, too, on October 26th--five days to launch.

Wouldn't you look amazing in this "I'm Busy Exorcising" T-Shirt? The chance to win it comes on October 27th--four days to launch.

If you don't already own a signed paperback copy of The Mystery Box, you'll have your chance to get one on October 28th--three days to launch.

On October 29th--two days to launch--I'm giving away this adorable pair of Library Books Earrings. Even if you don't have pierced ears, these would make a great gift for your favorite book lover.

Halloween and the upcoming holidays wouldn't be the same without this fun "Holiday Spirit" Long-Sleeved T-Shirt. Your chance to win? October 30th--one day to launch.

On October 31st, I'll announce all the winners at my Halloween Zoom Party at 7 PM Central Time. You can join the party here.

I'll record the party so you can watch it later in The Pohler Bear Lounge in case you can't be there for it live. During the party, I'll play games and give away more prizes, such as these adorable Book Club Babe Socks and Golden Girl Tote.

To further build excitement about the launch of The Haunted Bridge, I've temporarily made the ebook editions of the first book, Secrets of the Greek Revival, and the third book, French Quarter Clues, FREE and 99-cents respectively.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/0af8be_44c80650c3d0437dbbf77fd3e7293c72/720p/mp4/file.mp4

While French Quarter Clues will be 99 cents through the 20th, Secrets of the Greek Revival will be free through the 31st.

So, are you coming to the party?

The Inspiration for Thanatos

Readers often ask what inspired me to write Thanatos and The Underworld Saga.

I can still recall the moment the idea came to me. I had just finished watching the movie Meet Joe Black starring Anthony Hopkins and Brad Pitt. In this movie, Death makes a deal with a man (played by Anthony Hopkins) who's not fated to live long enough to attend his sixtieth birthday party. Death offers to extend the man's life until after the celebration if the man helps Death to better understand life. Death takes over the body of a young man (played by Brad Pitt) so that he can experience life as a mortal. He tastes peanut butter for the first time and has sex with a beautiful woman (played by Claire Forlani).

At the end of the movie, I had so many questions. I began to wonder how the movie might have been different if it had been based on Thanatos, the god of death in Greek mythology, and if it had been geared toward a young adult audience.

As I built out the story, I decided to make Thanatos and his fraternal twin brother, Hypnos, the children of Hades and Persephone, and I made the Furies their sisters. Traditionally, they are the children of Nyx and Chaos, but I did find one Orphic Hymn which mentions Persephone as their mother, so I went with it.

My main reason for wanting to focus on an Underworld family with Hades as the father was to defend the view of Hades that had been villianized in the Disney animated movie Hercules.

The Disney portrayal of Hades is actually pretty cool. Remember the blue hair?

But his personality is conflated with that of Lucifer/Satan from Christianity. Hades from Greek mythology is god of an Underworld that includes heaven (Elysium) and hell (Tartarus), and although he might not be merciful, he is just.

I wanted to defend Hades's character in my Underworld Saga by portraying him in a way that I believe is truer to the way he's depicted in the majority of the ancient stories.

I originally envisioned a trilogy, but when readers wanted more, I wrote a second trilogy. I truly believed when I wrote it that the sixth book was the end, but some readers convinced me to keep going, so I wrote a third trilogy. Then I wrote a prequel and a few spin-off series.

The books are available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audiobook here.

The ebook is currently on sale for 99 cents.

If you're an audiobook fan, you can use code AUDIO50 to get the audiobook for half off the USD $16.99 regular price.

All ten paperbacks can be purchased in a bundle deal for $100 here.

The series is also available in these three collector's special anniversary hardback editions (one trilogy per volume), which can be found here.

Have you read The Underworld Saga yet?

My Visit to the Great Salt Lake

My childhood friend Brenda Capshaw joined me on a trip to Utah to help me research the setting for the next Mystery House Book, The Haunted Bridge, releasing on Halloween.

Here we are in front of one of the colorful horses that were installed for the 2002 Olympics. We're on the historic 25th Street in Ogden just outside of a bar and grill called Roosters.

We went there for a late lunch after driving to Antelope Island for views of the Great Salt Lake.

The water is nearly turquoise, and white salt flats stretch for miles between the lake and the road, as the water has shrunk down to a third of its volume from the 1980's. The land mass in this photo is Fremont Island as it can be seen from Antelope Island.

Can you see the seagulls? Who would have thought there would be seagulls in Utah?

While in Salt Lake City, we took photos of some of the haunted mansions. My favorite was the McCune Mansion, where I walked on the grounds and stole a few photos, whether it was allowed or not!

The photo above is a side view of the mansion. The one below is from the back of the estate.

I also searched for the haunted St. Anne's Retreat, which is currently for sale for $700,000, and I found it! After calling the realtor, I was told that the property was already under contract and the buyer did not allow tours. So I snuck up to the fence line via a rattlesnake-infested land bridge and took the video below!

https://youtu.be/V3PdI7Rgp6M

One evening, we took the Grimm's Ghost Tour around the outer limits of Salt Lake City for an exciting night of ghost stories. Two of my readers from the area were able to join us. Below we're pictured from left to right: Yuliya, Shawnae, Brenda, and me.

While on the tour, we learned about the ghosts of the Masonic Lodge, the Kissing Tree, and the Jeffrey Dahmer hunting grounds! Pictured below is a wooded creek near a park where he lured some of his victims!

On a happier note, we drove north into Ogden Canyon for some delightful Mormon Muffins at Rainbow Gardens. Check out these amazing falls not far from the restaurant.

Past the canyon, we visited the oldest continuously run saloon in the U.S.--The Shooting Star Saloon--where I interviewed the bartender and other residents of the area about their ghost stories. You can listen to the interviews below.

https://youtu.be/j6seuqQERX8

We ended our trip with an afternoon in Salt Lake City, where we ate at, of all places, Eva's Bakery and toured the Olympic Torch Exhibit and the haunted Fort Douglas Museum on the University of Utah campus.

Yuliya was able to join us for lunch at Eva's Bakery.

Check out this cool shot I took of the Olympic Torch:

Here's a shot of Brenda and me in front of a helicopter flown in Vietnam by one of the docents we spoke to at the Fort Douglas Museum:

I can't wait for you to read this next installment of The Mystery House Series based on the ghostly legends of the Great Salt Lake! It's coming along swimmingly!!!!

You can preorder The Haunted Bridge here.

Launch Party for Summer House Mystery on July 4th

I can't wait for you to read the next book in my Mystery House Series! Summer House Mystery is set in Biloxi, Mississippi where the ladies are at it again, getting in waaayyyy over their heads in a decades-old murder case!

To celebrate the release on July 4th, I'm having a party and giveaway!

We'll start the 5-day countdown in the Pohler Bear Lounge on June 29th with the first giveaway! Each day, I'll post a new giveaway, leaving them open until blast off! Then, on July 4th at 7PM CST, I'll have a ZOOM Party, where I'll announce the winners and offer more chances to win!

Here's a peek at what I'm giving away:

First, a signed paperback copy of the last release in The Mystery House Series, Virginia Creeper. Set in Colonial Williamsburg, this book has holiday vibes as well as creepy ones!

Second, a signed paperback copy of The Mystery Tomb. This archaeology mystery slash romance set in Pennsylvania will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Third, this beautiful Infinity Love Book Charm Bracelet is perfect for showing off your love of books!

Fourth, this fun "Emotionally Attached" T-shirt comes in several colors in sizes small through 4X.

And finally, I'm giving away these adorable Library Fun Earrings!

If you aren't already a member of The Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook, please ask to join here.

The ZOOM party will take place here. I'll repost this link in The Pohler Bear Lounge on Launch Day!

Hope to see you there as I celebrate the release of Summer House Mystery, my 39th novel!

Dionysus Is Releasing!

Early praise for Dionysus:

"Magical and captivating!"-Karen Lynch, New York Times bestselling author of The Relentless Series.

To celebrate, I'm having a party!

I hope you can join me and other Pohler Bears on Wednesday, May tenth at 7 PM CST as we celebrate the release of my thirty-eighth novel (I can hardly believe that). No purchase necessary to party with us!

Look what I'm giving away!

You must be present to win.

I'll also be giving away a few other prizes--a book charm bracelet, library book earrings, and a bookish t-shirt.

Here is the link to join the party.

He is banished from Mount Olympus through no fault of his own.After roaming the earth for decades in search of a purpose, Dionysus creates his own magical vineyard on the island of Naxos, where he falls in love with Ariadne. But their marriage is doomed from the start and, broken-hearted, he creates a group of female companions to fight his loneliness and despair, and he begins his tradition of drinking and dancing on Mount Kithairon.

But the women return home and tear their husbands and children limb from limb, and the only thing that can repair this horrific toll on humanity is human blood; thus, the first generation of vampires is born, and Dionysus finds himself their lord.

His hopes of using this new purpose as a means for respect among the other gods is dashed when the vampires destroy Athens and become the scourge of the human race. Dionysus neglects the vampires and spends his time drowning his sorrows with wine and dancing until . . .

Desperate to fill the ache in his broken heart, he searches for love again, but his second love story ends even more brutally than the first, leaving him gutted.Then, seventeen years later, he learns that Philomena’s child—their child—did not die with her, and although he’s slow to allow himself to hope, everything changes.

You can grab your copy here.

Haunted Alamo Plaza

My daughter and I stayed at Hotel Gibbs in downtown San Antonio at Alamo Plaza to conduct paranormal investigations there and at nearby Main Plaza.

We started at Main Plaza in a shadowy corridor between the San Fernando Cathedral and another building, where, despite music and a light show, we used an Ovilus app to talk to a ghost named Scott. He was very talkative but seemed leery about digging into old regrets.

From there, we went to the Alamo but had no luck with the Ovilus app until we moved to the memorial across the street. There, the app went crazy. We think several spirits were trying to speak to us at once.

The bulk of our investigation was performed in our hotel room. The hotel itself sits where the fort once stood, where the first breach occurred in the Battle of the Alamo. Candace and I used the Estes Method, which was developed by a couple of paranormal investigators a few years ago in Estes Park, Colorado. We believe we may have spoken to soldiers from both sides of the conflict. We even

You can watch a video with the highlights of our investigation here:

https://youtu.be/fjSU0OuphJs