Friday, January 29, 2016

2016 Hugo Award Nominations (Best Science Fiction and Fantasy)

Vote 2016 Hugo Awards Scifi Fantasy Nominations

Nominations for the 2016 Hugo Awards are now open!

It's time to vote on your favorite 2015 releases in science fiction, fantasy, and horror.

*cough* Birthright is eligible for Best Novel. *cough*

Author: E.J. Stevens
Title: Birthright
Publisher: Sacred Oaks Press
Category: Best Novel (A science fiction or fantasy story of 40,000 words or more, which appeared for the first time in 2015)


During the nomination period ballots may be cast by members of MidAmeriCon II and Worldcon 75 (as of January 31) and members from Sasquan, the 73rd Worldcon. After the nomination period closes, only members of MidAmeriCon II are eligible to vote on the final ballot. Visit the Hugo nominations page for more details.

Up to five nominations can be made in each category.  Did you read any wonderful speculative fiction released in 2015?

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Saving Evangeline Book Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Meredith the winner of the Saving Evangeline Ebook Giveaway here at From the Shadows!  Meredith will receive an ebook copy of Saving Evangeline by Nancee Cain.



Thank you to all who entered!

**Winner selected randomly using Random.org**

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Dark World with Toni Sweeney

Paranormal Road Trip: Washington D.C. with R.S. Belcher

Come on boys and ghouls!  It's time to hop on Route 666 for a spooktacular Paranormal Road Trip.

This week's stop is Dark World and our special guide is Toni V. Sweeney author of A BIT OF THE DARK WORLD.

Dark World's Top 5 Spooky Places

In A Bit of the Dark World, Mother-to-be Lisa Chambers has the misfortune to lose her husband in an auto accident. Occurring on Land’s End Island, where he’s accused of trespassing. When she finds herself being pursued by the owner of the island, she has no idea what she’s getting into for Drexl von Dorff claims he’s other than human, the child of a creature out of Time and Space, and that Lisa’s child is also his.

When her son is born, Lisa refuses to believe the evidence of his otherworldly origin. Unfortunately, in her attempts to escape, she finds herself in Colfax Harbor, the heart of where it all began, and discovers the truth behind Drex’s claims and the place young Robbie is expected to take in the plans of the creature’s worshippers.

Colfax Harbor and its neighboring towns of Arkham and Dunwich have always had tales of mystery and horror surrounding them. Land’s End Island and its nearest island, St Simons, are equally filled with gory deed, if of a somewhat more historical nature.

1. Arkham

Even before Arkham lent its name to a popular comic book and a television series, the city was known for dark unspeakable deeds.

According to the brochure supplied by the Arkham Chamber of Commerce (which does try to play down its supernatural aspects), the city is located in Essex County, Massachusetts, a little north of Boston. It is home to Miskatonic University, established in 1691, named for the nearby Miskatonic River, and the site of several unsavory occurrences which the town fathers would prefer to forget. At the behest of the Reverend Cotton Mather and Judge John Hathorne, its Department of Occult Sciences came into existence after the Witch Trials in nearby Salem, in order to further study and explain the phenomenon of ‘demons and their possession of mortals.’

In keeping with its motto of Ex Ignorantia Ad Sapientiam, Ex Luce Ad Tenebras, (Out Of Ignorance Into Wisdom, Out Of Light Into Darkness), the university is well-known for its
collection of rare books on the occult, including one of the few existing copies of the Necromonicon by Abdul Alhazred, as well as Unaussprechlichen Kulten by Friedrich von
Junzt, the Coultes des Goules, Der Vermis Mysteriis, A Treatise on Certaine Prodigies Super-Naturall (of which the only other known existing copy was owned by Drexl Von Dorff of Land’s End Island, Georgia), and a fragment of the Book of Eibon. Recently this collection was moved to the basement of the library after a break-in which resulted in the death of the attempted thief and severe mental and psychological traumas affecting the security force discovering him.

There are many prominent families in Arkham, whose geneaological trees are filled with names of relatives whose existence the current members are not allowed to talk about or even mention.

To prevent her location in Colfax Harbor being discovered, Lisa Chambers drives to Arkham to use a pay phone when she wishes to call her aunt in Georgia.

2. Dunwich

Dunwich has always been associated with dark and eldritch happenings. Many of its people appear strange in appearance, batrician, even serpentine. There are tales of the captains of the clipper ships which sailed to the South Seas and beyond, bringing back odd creatures which adapted well to the dark and brooding atmosphere they found in Dunwich’s rugged, inhospitable climate. Indeed, even now, there are some areas where even the townsfolk will not venture at night, blasted heaths and abandoned houses which they say aren’t safe to enter without a weapon, and even then that may not be of any help.

3. Colfax Harbor

A small town near Dunwich and Arkham in Massachusetts, Colfax Harbor is the home of the so-called “sane” Whateleys as well as other citizens attempting to escape their unhealthy heritages by moving there. It’s a small community, attempting to carry on the task of living mundane lives, in order to live down the reputation of the larger towns from which it was settled. The one indication of Colfax Harbor’s existence to passersby is the Sunset Motel, located on the highway running from Boston northward.

It is at this hotel, owned by Marian Whateley, that Lisa Chambers stops when she attempts to run away from the memories of the events occurring on Land End’s Island.

4. Land’s End Island

An unnamed land projection already marked by mysterious stories and superstitious whispers, further enhanced by its mist-enshrouded shores and the bleak moss-draped terrain, the island is accessible from the Georgia Mainland only by a single bridge which bears a “No Trespassing” sign. Native tribes abandoned the area because of a shadow in the water, believed to be a being imprisoned beneath the waves, a thing sometimes briefly shaking off its slumbers and clawing its way to the surface, only to be dragged downward again by its chains.

In the early years of the first century of settlement, Henrich Wilhelm von Dorff, a man accused of wizardry in his native Austria, purchased the land from the Yamacraw, the tribe claiming ownership. Later, the new owner disappeared, and the Yamacraw declared he was killed after making an unholy pact with that undersea being. Some say the latest owner of Land’s End is the child of that underwater creature. Drexl von Dorff chooses neither to deny nor substantiate the rumors but even now, only the master of Land’s End Island dares swim unafraid in the waters pounded against its shores.

There is a manor house on the island, now in ruins after a fire, and an village, abandoned after the inhabitants, descended from the serfs von Dorff brought with him from Austria, fled. Also located on the island is a Stonehenge-like creation called the Ring of Stones, inside which it is believed various esoteric rituals were carried out by the owner. The Ring was partially destroyed during an electrical storm.

5. Bloody Marsh

In 1742, close to the time Land’s End Island was purchased by Heinrich Wilhelm von Dorff, the British settlements at Fort Frederica on nearby St. Simons Island were attacked by Spanish forces. Thinking they were safe from attack because they had the marsh on one side and a forest on the other, the Spanish were fired upon by British troops hiding in the trees.

Two hundred Spanish were killed within a short time, the marsh running red with the blood of the dead and dying. Panic-stricken Spaniards, refusing to listen to their commander who attempted to rally them, ran futilely into the woods in an attempt to avoid musket-file, only to run directly into the waiting enemy. It is said creatures rose from the depth to devour many of the bodies.

Thank you Toni for giving us such a haunting tour of Dark World! 

You can add A Bit of the Dark World here on Goodreads.

A Bit of the Dark World horror by Toni V Sweeney

What did you think of Toni's picks for spooky places?

On our last Paranormal Road Trip we visited Horry County, South Carolina with Jay Wilburn.  Next time we will be visiting York, Maine with J.E. Taylor.

Join us for another spine-tingling Paranormal Road Trip...
if you dare!

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

The Magician (Dark Arcana) Cover Reveal + Giveaway

I am excited to reveal the cover for THE MAGICIAN, the first novel in the Dark Arcana series by E.J. Stevens.  Cover art is by digital artist Ruxandra Tudorica of Methyss Design.

Cover Reveal: The Magician

The Magician Dark Arcana fantasy by E.J. Stevens

The Magician (Dark Arcana #1) by E.J. Stevens

When members of tarot's Major Arcana begin manifesting in the mortal world, magic is in the air and change is in the cards.

Release Date: September 20, 2016
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

The Magician Cover Reveal Giveaway

To celebrate The Magician's cover reveal, we are giving away a signed cover art postcard and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!

Win $10 Amazon Gift Card

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends February 2, 2016 midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
What do you think of the cover?

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Fated Dates Book Giveaway Winner

Congratulations Nenna the winner of the Fated Dates Ebook Giveaway.  Nenna will receive an ebook copy of FATED DATES, the first book in the Fated Date Agency paranormal romance series by Abraham Steele.



Thank you to all who entered!

**Winner randomly selected using Random.org.**

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Shadow Sight Free Urban Fantasy Kindle Deal

Urban Fantasy Freebie!

Shadow Sight Ivy Granger 1 Urban Fantasy Free on Amazon

Grab your FREE copy of Shadow Sight and enter an award-winning urban fantasy world filled with bloodsucking vampires, psychotic faeries, and snarky, kick-butt heroines.




Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #1) by E.J. Stevens

Welcome to Harborsmouth, where monsters walk the streets unseen by humans...except those with second sight, like Ivy Granger.

Some things are best left unseen...

Ivy Granger's second sight is finally giving her life purpose. Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills--most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client--until a demon walks through their door.

Demons are never a good sign...

A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.

There's blood in the water...

Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.

The lesser of two evils...

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Regular Price: $3.99
Today's Price: FREE

Spread the word and share with your friends.

Click to Tweet:

Tweet: Shadow Sight FREE #urbanfantasy #Kindle deal! http://ctt.ec/e9d5n+


Are you an audiobook fan?  Download the Shadow Sight Kindle book free, and Amazon will offer a special reduced price of $1.99 for the audiobook on Audible.com.  That's over $16 in audiobook savings!

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Saving Evangeline Ebook Giveaway and Q+A with Nancee Cain


Please welcome today's guest author, Nancee Cain!  Evelyn is the author of SAVING EVANGELINE.

Keep reading for a chance to win Saving Evangeline by Nancee Cain!

Q+A with Nancee Cain

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Nancee: 
I started writing as a teenager. My goal was to make my friends cry with very angsty romances. They were truly horrible. Someday I may post one of them for fun on my blog.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Nancee: 
I primarily write contemporary romances, but they weren't going anywhere. So for Nanowrimo 2013, I wrote Saving Evangeline to try something different. I pitched it and it was the one that sold.

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

Nancee: 
You'd think since I write about angels it would be to fly. However, I'm scared of heights. I think I'd like to be a witch and have the ability to be invisible and cast spells, make potions.

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

Nancee:
  Remi isn't your normal angel. He tends to get in trouble and bend the rules. He smokes. He cusses. He's snarky. But he's also loving and fun. And did I mention he's devastatingly handsome?

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

Nancee: 
There's a picture of model Christian Jorgensen shirtless that has the look of Remi. However, I have no idea if he can act. Evangeline would be Odette Annable.

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

To learn more about Nancee Cain and her books, please visit her website.  You can learn more about her new release Saving Evangeline below.


Saving Evangeline by Nancee Cain.

Evangeline is the town pariah. Everyone knows she’s crazy and was responsible for the death of her last boyfriend. Even her mother left her and moved cross-country. Lonely and desperate, Evie decides to end her life.

Rogue angel Remiel longs to return to earth, but there’s just one problem. He tends to invite trouble and hasn’t been allowed back since Woodstock. The Boss sends him to save Evangeline, but there’s a catch: he can’t reveal his angelic nature, and he must complete the task as Father Remiel Blackson.

Forced together on a cross-country trip, a forbidden romance ignites and love unfolds. A host of heavenly messengers tries to intervene, but Remiel and Evangeline are headed on a collision course to disaster. Will his love save her, or will they both be lost forever? 
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Add to Goodreads.

Saving Evangeline Ebook Giveaway

We are giving away an ebook copy of Saving Evangeline by Nancee Cain to one lucky winner!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends January 27, 2016 midnight EST.

Do you believe in angels?

Have a question for Nancee?  Ask in the comments below.  We love comments!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Q+A with Evelyn Lederman (Worlds Apart)


Please welcome today's guest author, Evelyn Lederman!  Evelyn is the author of the Nightshade series and the Worlds Apart series, including the new release THE MIND CONTROL TELEPATH.

Q+A with Evelyn Lederman

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Evelyn: 
I met Christine Feehan at Romcon2010 and she mentioned her characters talked to her. This was a common theme.  I thought authors were crazy, until it happened to me. On February 23, 2014 I was driving to play tennis when a real conversation that occurred outside Sedona, Arizona played in my head. Then all of a sudden five fictional girls started to talk to me. That was the beginning of the Worlds Apart series.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Evelyn:
  First of all, it is a genre I love to read. Paranormal stories are the best escapism around! As an author I am not limited to the ‘real’ world. I get to create multiple worlds, as my characters travel from dimension to dimension. The only limitation I have is my own imagination.

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

Evelyn:
  Vampire. There has always been something sexy and alluring about the fictional vampire. Lynsay Sands, Alexandra Ivy, Maggie Shayne, and Amanda Ashley (to name several authors), write about eternal love. Who would not want that?  Secondly, I think it would be fascinating to watch history unfold over time.

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

Evelyn: 
My next release will be the fourth book in the Worlds Apart series. Readers have told me to write faster, they want the next installment. I wrote the first book in my Nightshade Saga series between books 3 and 4. I had trapped a woman in the Nightshade dimension and wanted to ‘rescue’ her before I wrote The Mind Control Telepath.

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

Evelyn:
  For Alexandra Mann I would cast Lindy Booth, from The Librarians. I think she would be able to capture Alex’s spunk, while being able to fade into the shadows. For Tarsea, I would cast a young Eric Bana. Tarsea is the strong, quiet type. He is controlling and communicates more in a stare, then words.

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

To learn more about Evelyn Lederman and her books, please visit her website.  You can learn more about her new release The Mind Control Telepath below.


The Mind Control Telepath (Worlds Apart #4) by Evelyn Lederman.

JoAnna Carlson learned at an early age how to get everything she wanted- use her special gift. She blindly follows her soul mate to a parallel world, where their corrupt government possesses the same power. Koel Mardroft has desperately searched for his soul mate, only to have their joining threaten everything he has fought against.

Chartail Adholm was made to feel defective because she could not sway people's decisions with telepathic capabilities she had not inherited. Now in the penal world, she discovers she temporarily possesses the power she always abhorred.

Is the mind control telepathic power too much of a temptation for JoAnna and Chartail? Will JoAnna betray Koel, falling victim to the governmental pressures to use her growing talents?

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Add to Goodreads.

Do you believe in telepathy?

Have a question for Evelyn?  Ask in the comments below.  We love comments!

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Birthright Audiobooks Coming May 2016

Birthright, the most recent release in the award-winning Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, is coming to audio!  The talented narration team of Melanie Mason and Anthony Bowling are in the studio, and Birthright is scheduled for a May audiobook release.  I will be celebrating this audiobook release with a book launch party in Dublin, Ireland on Tuesday, May 31st.  More details below...

Birthright Ivy Granger urban fantasy audiobook by E.J. Stevens

Birthright (Ivy Granger #4) by E.J. Stevens, narrated by Melanie Mason and Anthony Bowling.

Being a faerie princess isn't all it's cracked up to be...

Ivy must go to Faerie, but the gateway to the Wisp Court is through Tech Duinn, the house of Donn—Celtic god of the dead. Just her luck.

Unable to share her secret with Jinx, and with Jenna called away on Hunters' Guild business, Ivy must rely on Ceff and Torn to lead her to Death's door, literally, and back again. As if that wasn't dangerous enough, there's no saying what horrors lay in store within the Faerie realm. Too bad the Wisp Court is the one lead Ivy has in the search for her father—and possible salvation.

Maybe hiding away and dodging sidhe assassins isn't so bad after all...

Release Date: July 2015
Audiobook Release: May 2016
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Birthright made the Top 5 Book Covers of 2015 list at Hot Listens and is a finalist for Best Book in the 2015 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards.

Book Launch Party:

The Birthright audiobook launch party will take place Tuesday, May 31st at the Irish Writers Centre at 19 Parnell Square N, Dublin, Ireland.  This will be a fun event with books, swag, limited edition posters, and wine!

Daybreak Ebook Giveaway Winners

Congratulations Brenda G., Debby, and Laurie E. the winners of the Daybreak Ebook Giveaway here at From the Shadows!  Our winners will receive ebook copies of DAYBREAK, the first book in The Girl from the Stars science fiction series by Cheree Alsop.


 Thank you to all who entered.

**Winners randomly selected using Random.org**

Monday, January 4, 2016

Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Horry County with Jay Wilburn

Paranormal Road Trip: Washington D.C. with R.S. Belcher

Come on boys and ghouls!  It's time to hop on Route 666 for a spooktacular Paranormal Road Trip.

This week's stop is Horry County, South Carolina and our special guide is Jay Wilburn author of the short story DEAD SONG which appears in The Best Horror of the Year Volume Five.

Horry County's Top 5 Spooky Places

My name is Jay Wilburn and as a ghostwriter, I write in a wide range of genre. As an author in my own name, I tend toward the darker fiction. I’m a big fan of the subtleties of Southern Gothic styles and tones in literature. It has a long history tangled up with the complex history of the region starting as far back as the Colonial Era. The land is marked by ghosts of past settlers and those displaced. These people that succeeded or failed in holding the land paint an interesting picture of the land. This is especially prominent along the coast of the southern United States.

Horry County, South Carolina where I live is on the coast near the North Carolina border. It includes the resort areas of Myrtle Beach as well as the swamps of Conway. It has all the oddness and hidden dangers of a beach tourist town along with the remnants of Old South culture giving way to newcomers moving into and retiring into the area from around the world. This is an interesting melting pot of clashing cultures. It is ripe for stories about ghosts from the past behaving in unsettled ways. I like to include my County in stories due to this layered richness and complexity.

I spoke with paranormal investigators in the area that do a lot of work throughout South Carolina. Some of the best sites in the area are hidden, private hauntings that would not be places that could be visited easily or legally. We talked about discussing these spots without identifying them directly or giving information that would identify the owners of the property. In the end, I decided it would be better to include examples that could be identified and visited. I extended out a bit from Horry County to pick a few good ones.

The Hermitage –
Located in Murrells Inlet, Dr. Flagg moved into the place with his sister in 1849. She fell in love with lumberjack that the doctor didn’t approve of. She met her man in secret. Her brother sent her away to Charleston where she grew ill. He brought her back then. She died. Some stories say Flagg discovered a ring on her finger which he threw away into the marsh. She was buried on All Saints’ Day under a marble slab that bore her name ALICE. Her ghost shrouded in white is reported around the area.

Old Gunn: Prince Fredrick’s Episcopal Church –
The church began to be built in 1859 in Prince Fredrick Parish. Mr. Gunn was the architect and was on the roof and fell to his death. The church is in ruins today, but there have been reports of lights in and around the roof. There have also been sightings of Gunn’s ghost through the trees around the property,

All Saints Cemetery –
This is near the Hermitage and Alice Flagg is said to be one of the ghosts that haunts this spot although there are obviously no shortages of ghosts to draw from when one is talking about a haunted cemetery. South Carolina is full of small family cemeteries which are not marked on public routes. Paranormal investigators get some of their strangest recordings and images from some of these lesser known spots around the county and state.

Litchfield Plantation –
This is located in Pawley’s Island. This house was built in the 1700’s. This area has reports of everything from hoof sounds at night, sightings, and disappearances often attributed to the original owners. Coastal South Carolina has a long, dark plantation history stretching back into the colonization of the Spanish and the French before the English colonies which led into Revolutionary history. There are lots of old ghosts to draw from through those years.

Pelican Inn –
Also in Pawley’s Island, the Pelican Inn has the distinction of claiming two dogs among the spirits that haunt these grounds. One dog died shortly after saving a boy from the ocean and the other died from sorrow. The spirits of these animals have been reported by people over the years from sound, sightings, and even touch.

Sometimes the ghosts that interest me most in the place where I live are those of the history we try to hide or the conflicts we carry around with us from the past. There are enough clashes and contradictions within Horry County to keep the stories coming for a long time.

Thank you Jay for giving us such a haunting tour of Horry County! 

To learn more about Jay Wilburn and his books, please visit his website.  You can add The Best Horror of the Year Volume Five here on Goodreads.

Best Horror of the Year Dead Song Jay Wilburn

What did you think of Jay's picks for spooky places?

On our last Paranormal Road Trip we visited Soul's Harbor with Angela Dennis.  Next time we will be visiting Dark World with Toni Sweeney.

Join us for another spine-tingling Paranormal Road Trip...
if you dare!

Sunday, January 3, 2016

E.J. Stevens 2016 World Tour Dates

E.J. Stevens and E.A. Weston 2016 world book tour Atlanta Dublin

Here is a sneak peek of my 2016 appearances.  Locations marked with ** indicate events where I will be joined by fantasy author E.A. Weston.
  • Boskone 53, BOSTON, MA Feb 19-21, 2016
  • The Novel Experience, ATLANTA, GA** April 6-10, 2016
  • Sinfully Yours Author Event, MANCHESTER, NH July 21-24, 2016
  • Signing Location TBA, DUBLIN, Ireland** May 31, 2016
  • Imaginarium Convention, LOUISVILLE, KY October 7-9, 2016

**E.J. Stevens and E.A. Weston (aka Elizabeth Kelly)

For joint signing events, special mini posters will be available in limited quantities.  Come early to get your poster, and collect both of our signatures!

In ATLANTA, we will be taking readers on a walking tour of Oakland Cemetery, followed by refreshments at Six Feet Under pub.  Currently, all reader spots have been filled, but we have a waiting list in the event of cancellations prior to the event.

2016 promises to be another amazing year.  I do hope to see you at one (or more!) of these events.