Eva Pohler's Blog, page 8
November 16, 2022
A Holiday Haunting at the Biltmore Sale
A Holiday Haunting at the Biltmore is on sale in ebook for only $1.99 from now through Thanksgiving day.
The sale doesn't officially start until the 17th, but to make sure the vendors had the right price for my Bookbub Featured Deal tomorrow, I put the ebook on sale a little early. Grab your copy for $1.99 at your favorite vendor!
Although A Holiday Haunting at the Biltmore is the eighth book in The Mystery House Series, these books can be read in any order.
About the series: Three friends in their fifties flip haunted houses and get in way over their heads trying to solve the mystery that will untether the ghosts. Each mystery is based on a true historical injustice.
A Holiday Haunting at the Biltmore, Book Eight Voted "Best Mystery Book of the Year" for 2022 at Utopia Con! Ellen should have known that a gathering in America's last castle would entail a few uninvited guests.During a Christmas eve wedding at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, Ellen and her friends are visited by multiple ghosts. The spirits have come to tell their stories, to right the wrongs that history has done to their memories. Each of them died in Asheville with their voices stifled. One spirit is particularly adamant and threatening, despite her small size, and her mood fluctuates like the mountain winds surrounding the great estate. She claims to be the ghost of Zelda Fitzgerald, and she wants her story told, even if she has to kill to make it happen.
Like Nancy Drew meets The Golden Girls meets Supernatural.
Here's what other readers have to say about A Holiday Haunting at the Biltmore:
"I loved this book, so much so that I intend to read the others. The characters are likeable, and their sleuthing superb. The setting was great as well." ★★★★★ Liisa Freja
"I have enjoyed all the adventure of Ellen, Tanya, and Sue. The characters are so amazing and relatable that I become very engrossed in the adventure." ★★★★★ Donna M. Moore
"This story was so interesting. I couldn't put it down. I always enjoy reading this series can't wait to read the next one!" ★★★★★ Maurice Townsend
"A story concerning old farts like me doing mystical work. It is exciting, and compelling. Nice to know that older individuals can help straightening problems out!" ★★★★★ Amazon Reviewer
"I am hoping and praying that she will keep adding to them." ★★★★★ Patricia Mayo
"I am 71 years and reading these stories are so true. You can get hurt so easily. The Biltmore is totally Beautiful. To spend a Christmas there would be wonderful. And then add an angry Ghost would really be Something. Enjoy. The book it is GREAT." ★★★★★ Amazon Reviewer
November 9, 2022
How to Avoid White Saviorism
I learned a lesson after writing The Case of the Abandoned Warehouse: The Mystery House Series, Book Two. In that novel, three friends in their fifties buy a haunted warehouse and attempt to solve the mystery tethering the ghosts. As usual, they get in way over their heads as they uncover a shocking truth from American history. By bringing that truth to light, and by finding the bodies that had been missing for nearly a hundred years, these three women help the ghosts find peace.
One critic called the novel, "White saviorism at its finest."
The first book tells a similar story; however, the ghost in Secrets of the Greek Revival was a victim of the "Rest Cure" (you can read more about the Rest Cure here).
The main difference in the two stories is this: In the first book, white women save the ghost of a white person. In the second story, they save the ghosts of black people.
At first I was outraged by the criticism and thought to myself, should these ladies only concern themselves with helping white ghosts?
Then I took a breath and thought about it and amended my ways.
Since The Case of the Abandoned Warehouse, each of my stories in The Mystery House Series has continued to revolve around injustices in American history, which, unfortunately have happened to people of color more than they have to the white majority. So that part of my writing has not changed.
What has changed is the way the ghosts are saved. I have since given agency to each culture by having its ghosts be saved by one of its own leaders. The three white friends in their fifties still solve the mystery and bring the injustice to light, but the crossing over of the lost ghosts is done by a shaman, or a voodoo priestess, or a Japanese American priest--depending on the culture represented in the story.
This is true of my most recent release, The Enchanted Bungalow, which deals with a land dispute between a white settler and the Quileute tribe. In the novel, I am careful to give agency to the Quileute tribal leaders. Nevertheless, I still received a one-star review for writing about Native Americans.
The reviewer wrote: "Quit writing about Native Americans you nothing."
It's unclear whether the reviewer is offended by the way I portray indigenous people, or if he is simply tired of reading about them. But I felt compelled to write this post to explain my reasoning.
What do you think? Can white novelists include diverse characters and diverse cultures in their books without infringing upon own voices or committing acts of white saviorism?
October 20, 2022
Become An Eva Pohler Books Affiliate
How would you like to earn money by doing something that you already enjoy--recommending books to your friends (specifically, my books)?
It's super easy to become an affiliate on my website. An app takes care of everything--generating affiliate links, tracking your commissions, and paying you via Paypal.
First, make sure you're already a member of my site. If you aren't, just scroll back up to the header and look for the log in bar. Click on it to create an account.
Once you're a member of my site, you'll then need to sign up for my affiliate program. To do that, go to this page and answer the questions.
You'll be asked to verify your affiliate account via an email. Once you're in, it's easy peasy.
You'll find four tabs at the top of your affiliate membership page: "Home," "Marketing Tools," "Payments," and "Settings"--all in one place.
You can use a general referral link, which you'll find on your "Home" tab on the affiliate membership page, or you can create product-specific referral links on the "Marketing Tools" tab. You can also keep track of your payments on the "Payments" tab and change your profile settings--such as adding a profile image--on the "Settings" tab.
You'll also find media assets--graphics for social media posts--on the "Marketing Tools" tab.
Best of all, you use your affiliate link to get a 10% commission on your own direct purchases!
I want to make sure you understand that you will only make commissions from purchases your referrals make directly from me. I can't pay commissions on purchases made at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, or other vendors. Most of those places also have affiliate programs, so feel free to sign up there as well.
My program is more generous, however. Most affiliate programs offer a commission of less than 5% of sales. For example, I'm an affiliate of Amazon, where I earn 3.5% on sales I refer. Last month, I referred $1720 in sales at Amazon, and guess how much I made? $60.
If you referred that much in sales on my site, you'd make $172. See the difference?
If you'd like to see all the products I sell directly on my site, go here (you can make your commissions on any of these products except the premium memberships).
To get started, go here.
Let's have some fun and make some money together!
October 3, 2022
Fright and Delight Countdown to Halloween Release Giveaway!
For Pohler Bears only, I'm hosting a Fright and Delight Countdown to Halloween Release Giveaway in the Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook.
If you're a fan of my books, please join me in the Pohler Bear Lounge on Facebook from October 25th through the 31st for chances to win seven prizes--one for each day of the week leading up to Halloween and the release day of The Enchanted Bungalow (the ninth book in The Mystery House Series.)
Here's a preview of the prizes that will Fright and Delight you during this countdown to Halloween Release Giveaway:
First up is the first volume of my anniversary hardback edition of The Underworld Saga, which until recently was only available through my Kickstarter campaign. All three volumes can now be purchased signed through my site or unsigned from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, Target, Books A Million, and other fine bookstores. Learn more about where to purchase here.
The second prize is your choice of signed paperback or hardback of Secrets of the Greek Revival (or one of the other books from The Mystery House Series, if you already have this one).
The third prize is The Underworld Saga Coloring Book, which was previously only available through my Kickstarter campaign but can now be ordered from my store and other bookstores. You can order directly from me here, and I'll even sign it for you.
Try your luck at winning this fourth prize, the adorable "I'm Busy Exorcising" T-Shirt, which is also available for purchase in my store here.
You could also win a signed paperback copy of The Mystery Box (or one of the other books from The Nightmare Collection). This book is currently on sale in ebook for only 99 cents. Find it here.
The sixth prize up for grabs is this cute pair of "Holiday Spirit" socks. Can you see the little skulls? I just love mine! And they're also available in my store here for 20% off for a limited time.
And finally, you'll have a chance to win this equally cute "Holiday Spirit" Long Sleeved Shirt, available for purchase in my store here (and so perfect to wear over the holidays from Halloween through New Year's!). This shirt is on sale for 20% off for a limited time.
So, if you're a Pohler Bear (which is an intelligent mammal that feeds chiefly on the books of Eva Pohler), then please join my Fright and Delight Countdown to Halloween Release Giveaway on October 25th through the 31st in the Pohler Bear Lounge!
Hope to see you there!
September 16, 2022
Enter for a Chance to Win
If you missed out on ordering my special anniversary edition of The Underworld Saga, which comes in three hardback volumes (one trilogy each) with gorgeous dust jackets, here's a chance to win a set.
Enter for a chance to win signed copies if you're in the U.S., or unsigned copies if you're abroad (I will mail you signed bookplates to affix to the inside covers if you're abroad).
These covers are even more beautiful in person than they are in these photos. Best of all, when the spines line up, they create this awesome Pegasus:
The giveaway ends on September 24th, so enter for a chance to get your set before it's too late. These book won't be available for purchase until next month.
Here's where you can enter for a chance to win: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/72abbf8f45/?.
Best of luck!
September 12, 2022
Charon's Quest Is Free for a Limited Time
Greek mythology fans will be pleased to learn that Charon's Quest, a full-length, stand-alone novel that shares the world of The Underworld Saga, will be free in ebook for a limited time, from 9.9.22 - 9.18.22, where all ebooks are sold, including on this site.
Also available in paperback and audiobook, Charon's Quest tells the story of a lesser-known god. The ferryman of the dead is forced to leave the life he’s always known to experience a quest of his own, in order to reverse the aging process that is threatening his life.
Having never understood human grief, compassion, and love, the friends he makes along the way teach him these things--filling him with joy and breaking his heart.
The last thing Charon expects is to fall in love with a mortal woman—someone he can’t take with him when he returns. Charon must decide whether to abandon the love of his life or his duties.
This book is rated PG 13 for mild language, violence, and fade-to-black sex.
"I loved this book so much even when it felt like my heart was going to be ripped into a million pieces!"--Kerri Dawn Simpson, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★"Charon held me captive with the events that happened to him while in the Upperworld. I love the friends he made and the decisions he had to make, and I absolutely loved the ending."--Sam, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★"Kept me reading and wanting more!"--Aimee, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★"This story is like a friend that you walk along with. You share in the ups and downs of a god who, forced to abandon his job for a short period of time, learns about love, loss, and belonging from a mortal world he never thought he could embrace."--Michael J Looney, Amazon Reviewer ★★★★★
August 27, 2022
A Percy Jackson Fan Giveaway!
Tap on the image above to enter for a chance to win a paperback box set of the entire Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, plus a hardback of Demigods and Magicians, a Camp Half-blood duffle bag, prophecy of seven notebook, camp half-blood bead necklace, Percy’s blue cookies candle, Nico Ghost King bookmark, and an Annabeth sticker!
By entering your email address in this giveaway, you are giving your consent to receive e-mail communications from the following authors:
C.L. Cannon, Elizabeth Lavender, Jessica Renwick, Jill Jenkins, J.B. Norman, Katy Raemore, YA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts, F.P. Spirit, D.A. Wells, D. L. Armillei, Dani Hoots, A. M. Deese, Eva Pohler (that's me!), Christina Wallace, Cami Murdock Jensen, K.M. Jenkins, Niro J Hayle, Thalia Blake, J.A. Culican, Belinda Crawford, D. C. Gomez, Bella Andrews, and Lore Nicole.
Although you can always unsubscribe from these amazing authors after the giveaway, I hope you'll hang around a bit first to learn more about them.
This giveaway will end on October 11th at 10:00 p.m. UTC. It just takes a minute to enter, so don't put it off. You could be the winner of these fabulous Percy Jackson prizes!
Here's the link to enter the Percy Jackson Fan Giveaway.
Best of luck!
August 22, 2022
New Merch for Book Lovers
I'm thrilled to announce that new merch for book lovers is now available in my online store, and more will be rolled out between now and the holidays!
My Mystery House Series readers are sure to love my newest apparel and mugs. This first design is a must have:
And, just in time for Christmas, fun holiday shirts and socks! If you look closely, you'll notice that the holiday garland has little skulls and stars--perfect for ghost story readers!
Speaking of the holidays, check out this beautiful Pohler Bear Snowflake ornament--the perfect gift for the Pohler Bear in your life (even if it's you!):
Moon tree merch is still available, including this new Moon Tree Jacket. I can't wait to wear mine!
As always, I still have my "I'm a Book G[R]EEK" merch for my Greek mythology fans:
And last, but not least, the Pohler Bear T-Shirt, which will soon be available as a bumper sticker, bookmark, and car magnet:
Soon, I'll roll out bookmarks and sticker packs and more fun socks--all essentials for book lovers!
What new merch would you like to see? Reach out to me via social media or email, and let me know what merch for book lovers is on your list!
August 12, 2022
Coincidence or Spiritual Messages?
Are you a fan of tarot cards?
Readers of my books tend to be a mixed bag. Some believe reading tarot cards is a violation of the first commandment. Others fear that only demons communicate through such methods. Still others don't put much stock into the cards and think we tend to see patterns and messages because we want to and for no other reason.
Still others believe that God, or angels, or spirits (sometimes more vaguely referred to as the Universe), use tarot cards to talk to us when we are looking for guidance.
To me, tarot is a form of prayer. Some people use rosaries. Other people use votive candles. People use music, incense, movement, dance, images of saints, rattles, bells, crystals, sacred relics, sacred texts, and incantations to connect with the spiritual realm. Why not cards?
When I first began using tarot, I did not believe in their power to provide me with spiritual messages. I found them to be fun and entertaining. I eventually created my own deck to use as a tool to teach others about the gods, goddesses, and heroes of ancient Greece--characters that people my young adult fantasy novels. The cards served as flashcards and tarot, depending on the context.
I used them at book events to attract the attention of browsers by saying, "Would you like to hear a message from the gods of ancient Greece?" Most people would stop and say yes.
The more I used them, the more I came to believe in their power. There were too many superbly meaningful moments for them to be a "coincidence." It's uncanny how the right message is delivered at the right moment to strangers I know nothing about. Let me give you some examples.
Just last weekend, where I was selling my books at the Super Hero Car Show and Comic Con in San Antonio, a young man in his twenties asked for a reading. He wanted to know if his current relationship was headed in the right direction. After I shuffled the cards, he chose Pontus, the embodiment of the sea, who represents the unknown. I told him the deck was refusing to answer about the relationship's outcome, but if he took a leap of faith and jumped into the sea, he would ride a thrilling wave that would eventually lead to land. The journey was more important than the outcome.
Intrigued, he asked to see the deck. A fan of Greek myth, he enjoyed looking over my cards. When I asked him if he had a favorite, he said, "Hephaestus, but he doesn't like me."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"He's the god of work, and I'm struggling with what to do about my career."
"Then ask the deck another question," I said. "Let's see what the cards have to say."
As I shuffled, he asked, "Should I stick with what I'm studying, or should I follow a new path that has stolen my heart?"
I cut the cards and fanned them out. I held two partial decks that together made nearly a hundred cards with no more than two alike in the deck. Out of all those cards guess which one he drew?
That's right. Hephaestus.
"I thought you said he didn't like you," I teased. "He's telling you to follow your heart. If you can make your passion your job, you'll never work a day in your life."
"Wow," he said as goosebumps crawled across his arms. "That's incredible."
I had chills, too.
And that's just one of dozens of similar stories I've experienced.
Like the woman who chose Chiron, the centaur, who represents healing. To her, I said, "You will soon be facilitating someone's healing, and it may be part of your own healing process."
Tears filled her eyes. "I'm on my way to give a talk on living with PTSD."
Then there was the man in his fifties who asked if the woman he'd been talking to online for three years was right for him. They still hadn't met in person, and he hoped he hadn't been wasting his time on something that would never be. After I shuffled, he drew Psyche, who represents sacred unions.
Of all the cards he could have chosen? Really?
"According to this deck, she's your soulmate," I said.
He broke into tears. "No one has ever understood me, the real me, like she does. I don't care what she looks like. I love her and want to meet her."
Then there was the police officer who saw my Medusa banner at another signing, and he came up to show me his Medusa tattoo.
"That's my daughter's face," he said of the tattoo.
"It's beautiful," I said. "Would you like a reading?"
"You bet."
Guess which card he drew?
This was a single deck of 70 cards with only one of each card in the deck. Out of all those cards he drew Medusa.
He couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it.
"Medusa usually has something to do with forgiveness," I said. "Usually it means you have to let go of something, or your heart will turn to stone. But in this case, I think it has something to do with your daughter."
Tears filled his eyes. "I know exactly what it means, and my mind is blown."
"Mine, too," I said. And it was.
What do you think? Coincidence or spiritual messages?
June 28, 2022
Paranormal Pets with Brandy Stark
I had the honor of being interviewed on Pet Life Radio in a podcast called "Paranormal Pets" by the delightful host, Brandy Stark.
We have a whale of a time talking about our sweet rescue pets and their paranormal gifts. Have a listen!
