Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year


Thank you all for a fabulous year.  2012 saw the debut of my new Ivy Granger urban fantasy series and the continuation of the Spirit Guide young adult paranormal series.  Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1) released July 2012, Brush with Death (Spirit Guide #4) released October 2012, and Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5) released November 2012.  Shadow Sight also contracted for an audiobook edition to release Spring 2013.

I am so happy with feedback regarding the Ivy Granger series.  Amazing readers like you have kept Shadow Sight on Amazon's Top 100 Urban Fantasy books every week since its July release.  Wowzers, thank you!

I would also like to thank all of the authors who were generous with their time and came to visit From the Shadows this year.  Hugs and thank yous to Amanda Bonilla, Andrew Valentine, Angela Corbett, Ashlynne Laynne, Barbara Ashford, Cat Hellisen, Daniel Arenson, Deborah Coates, Donald Allen Kirch, E.S. Moore, Faith Hunter, James Lyon, Jefferson Smith, Jess Haines, Joseph Nassise, Juliet Dark, Kate Evangelista, Kelly Hashway, Kimberly Sabatini, Laura Kaye, Lauren Hammond, Lynda Hilburn, Marta Acosta, Michele Vail, Nina Post, Ruth Frances Long, Ruth Warburton, Suzanne Johnson, Suze Reese, Suzy Turner, Tera Lynn Childs, and Wendy Higgins. (Did you miss one of these fab interviews or guest posts? Click on the author name to visit the article in our archives.  Easy peasy!)

Happy New Year. xx

**Update**

I have just discovered that both the Ivy Granger series (for Shadow Sight) and Spirit Guide series (for entire series and Brush with Death) have won awards in the 2012 PRG Reviewer's Choice Awards.  Thank you all!

Also, it's official, 2013 will bring The Pirate Curse (Spirit Guide #5), Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2), Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5), and Shadow Sight in audiobook format.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

The Bite Before Christmas Giveaway Winner


Congratulations Library Lady winner of The Bite Before Christmas Giveaway at From the Shadows.  Library Lady will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card (or book up to $10 value at The Book Depository) and a holiday grab bag of goodies (holiday candy, book swag, and more!).

Thank you to all who entered.  Happy Holidays!

*All winners selected using Random.org*

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Final Days of 2012 Giveaway

With only 12 days of 2012 remaining, it's time to finish up those reading challenges, catch up on those favorite series titles, and get ready for all of the fabulous new releases coming 2013.  It's time...for a giveaway.

Final Days of 2012 Giveaway

We are giving away Two Ravens and One Crow, an Iron Druid Chronicles novella by Kevin Hearne, Blood and Mistletoe, an Ivy Granger urban fantasy novella by E.J. Stevens, and Have Stakes Will Travel, stories from the world of Jane Yellowrock by Faith Hunter.


Recipient must be able to accept Kindle ebooks gifted through Amazon.  Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter.  Giveaway ends December 31st midnight EST.

Blessed Solstice, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!  xx E.J.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Guest Blog: Joseph Nassise (King of the Dead)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Joseph Nassise.  Joseph is the author of the Great Undead War series, Templar Chronicles, Riverwatch, Eyes to See and King of the Dead.

The Road to Redemption

I spent some time this past week talking to various English literature and creative writing classes at the Christian high school just down the street from where I live.  The kids were very enthusiastic and I really enjoyed the time we spent together talking about the writing process and how one goes about becoming a writer.

As part of my introduction to each class, I noted that most of my work falls into a genre commonly known as urban or contemporary fantasy and defined that genre as fantasy set in a modern setting, often with supernatural elements.  Inevitably, at some point in the discussion with each class, one of the students asked why I wrote the kind of fiction that I did.

I explained that the vast majority of my work deals with the issue of redemption, that journey from personal darkness back into the light.  Sometimes that journey is almost literal, such as Jake Caruso’s journey beneath the foundations of the Blake family mansion and into the tomb of the Na’Karat in RIVERWATCH or Cade Williams repeated journeys into the Beyond searching for the lost soul of his wife Gabrielle in the Templar Chronicles series.   My most recent book, King of the Dead, is no exception.  In fact, the entire Jeremiah Hunt Chronicle is set up around this very process.

When we first meet Jeremiah in the opening scenes of EYES TO SEE, he is a less-than-likeable character.  Okay, I’ll admit it – he’s pretty much a total jerk.  For years he has been focused on discovering what has happened to his daughter, Elizabeth, to the detriment of all else.  He has lost his job and his wife as a result of his obsession and somewhere along the way he began to lose his humanity as well.  He withdraws from associating with others and begins his slide into darkness, culminating in his Faustian bargain with the Preacher to give up his sight.

EYES deals with the search for his daughter and his need to rely on the help of others to get him where he wants to go.  For a man who has been alone and walking in darkness (literally) for several years, this is no easy task.  In KING OF THE DEAD, Jeremiah continues walking the path he has set for himself, though not without a few detours along the way.

As I explained to the kids the other day, I write about redemption and restoration because I think that is part of our human condition.  It is a path that all of us – man, woman, child – must take at some point in our lives and therefore one that touches every reader in one way or another.

King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt) urban fantasy by Joseph Nassise

King of the Dead (Jeremiah Hunt #2) by Joseph Nassise

Joseph Nassise shook up the urban fantasy genre with Eyes to See, a novel New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry called “heartbreaking, deeply insightful, powerful and genuinely thrilling.” In a devil’s deal, Jeremiah Hunt sacrificed his human sight in exchange for the power to see the hidden world of ghosts and all of the darker spirits that prowl the streets. Hunt uncovered a world of murder and magic that took his daughter from him and nearly cost him his life, but that was only the beginning....

Now Hunt is on the run from the FBI, who have pegged him as a mass-murdering dark sorcerer. His flight from the law is diverted to New Orleans when his companion, a potent witch, has a horrific vision of the city under magical siege. When they arrive, they realize that the situation is more dire than they could have imagined: the world of the living faces a terrifying attack by forces from beyond the grave. King of the Dead, the second book in this groundbreaking series, promises more of Nassise’s electrifying writing that will enthrall readers looking for a supercharged, supernatural thrill.


Release Date: November 27, 2012 Tor Books
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

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

To learn more about Joseph Nassise and his books, please visit his website.  Also, don't miss our interview with Joseph here.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Q+A with Kelly Hashway (Touch of Death)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Kelly Hashway.  Kelly is the author of Touch of Death.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Kelly:
  I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but I got serious about it in 2004 when I decided to try writing a novel (and actually finish it). After writing a very bad first book, I went back to school to learn more about writing for children and teens, and I began seeking publication in 2009.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Kelly: 
I've always loved the paranormal. It's like our world, only better.

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

Kelly: 
I'd to fly because I hate driving, but I think I'm going to go with being a witch of some sort. Being able to do magic would be amazing.

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

Kelly:
  If you enjoy mythology and zombies, then Touch of Death is the book for you. It's Medusa, Hades, and zombies all rolled into one.

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

Kelly:
  This is a tough one for me because I don't usually look for actors who match my characters. I really think the girl on my cover looks like Jodi, though. When I saw her, I thought, "Yes, that's her!" If she can act, I'd cast her. For Alex, I'd need a sexy blond every girl would want to follow her around. I'm not sure who that would be, though.






















Touch of Death (Touch of Death #1) by Kelly Hashway.

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.


Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.


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

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

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Blood and Mistletoe Giveaway Winners

Congratulations Natalie, Cecilia, and Ashley winners of our Blood and Mistletoe Release Party Giveaway at From the Shadows!

Natalie, Cecilia, and Ashley will each receive an ebook copy of Blood and Mistletoe and an Ivy Granger series swag pack.  Swag pack contains signed Shadow Sight and Blood and Mistletoe postcards, Ivy Granger magnet, Shadow Sight sticker, Private Eye logo sticker, and a gorgeous Blood and Mistletoe poster.

Thank you to all who entered.

*All winners selected using Random.org*

The Bite Before Christmas Giveaway

It's time for our annual The Bite Before Christmas Giveaway!  This year we have some fabulous prizes for our readers.


We are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card (or book of your choice up to $10 value at The Book Depository) and a holiday grab bag of goodies (holiday trinkets, book swag, candy, and more!).

To enter, leave a comment on this post (please include your email address so we may contact you if you win).  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends December 19th midnight EST.