Tales from Harborsmouth Pre-Order Party

Have you been wanting to give the Ivy Granger series a try, or are you a mega fan wanting more stories from the monster-filled streets of Harborsmouth? You're in luck.

Tales from Harborsmouth Now Available for Pre-Order

Tales from Harborsmouth, an Ivy Granger series collection with two novellas and two exclusive short stories, is now available for pre-order. More Ivy, Jinx, Marvin, Sparky, Forneus, and Torn! Are you excited? We are, and we're celebrating with an awesome giveaway. So grab some cake and pull up a chair. It's time to party!

Tales from Harborsmouth (Ivy Granger #0.5, #1.5, #2.5, #5.5) by E.J. Stevens.

In Tales from Harborsmouth, readers get to delve deeper into the award-winning world of Ivy Granger.

Ivy Granger is a psychic detective with ties to Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld. Too bad those ties tend to ensnare Ivy and her friend Jinx in the Machiavellian schemes of the city's teeming population of bloodsucking vampires and psychotic faeries.

Tales from Harborsmouth is the first time the Ivy Granger novellas are in one collection and features two exclusive short stories the series prequel Frostbite and the newest Ivy Granger tale Thrill on Joysen Hill.

FROSTBITE (Ivy Granger #0.5)

In this Ivy Granger prequel, join Ivy and Jinx on a disturbing case that leads down a dead end alley to a house ravaged by time and circumstance.

Everyone knows that there's no such thing as ghosts, but when a client claims that her house is being haunted, Ivy tries to keep her mind open and her weapons handy. If her psychic gifts and recent cases have taught her anything, it's that you're better off arming yourself for the unexpected. Anything is possible in Harborsmouth.

BLOOD AND MISTLETOE (Ivy Granger #1.5)

Holidays are worse than a full moon for making people crazy. In Harborsmouth, where many of the residents are undead vampires or monstrous fae, the combination may prove deadly.

Holidays are Hell, a point driven home when a certain demon attorney returns with information regarding a series of bloody murders. Five Harborsmouth residents have been killed and every victim has one thing in common—they are fae. Whoever is killing faeries must be stopped, but they only leave one clue behind—a piece of mistletoe floating in a pool of the victim's blood. The holidays just got interesting.

CLUB NEXUS (Ivy Granger #2.5)

A demon, a human, an Unseelie faerie, and a vampire walk into a bar...

These four intertwining short stories are set in Club Nexus, the hidden haunt of Harborsmouth's paranormal underworld.

Iced:  A bargain gone wrong leads a highborn Unseelie faerie to life as an enslaved bartender with a taste for revenge.

Dusted:  Being a highly skilled predator doesn't necessarily put you at the top of the food chain at Club Nexus. A southern vampire with a hankering for blood and wanton violence may have bit off more than he can chew.

Demonized:  The demon attorney we love to hate has his eye on a certain rockabilly human. Too bad she's brought a crossbow loaded with holy water dipped bolts for this night on the town.

Jinxed:  Just when Jinx needs a carefree girl's night out with Ivy, a smoking hot demon tries to buy her a drink. She really is the unluckiest human on the planet.

THRILL ON JOYSEN HILL (Ivy Granger #5.5)

Few places are as rife with opportunity or as fraught with danger as Harborsmouth's notorious Joysen Hill. 

Vampires own the real estate, and even the most ruthless human thugs won't venture out after dark, but when Torn gets stuck babysitting, he can only think of one place in Harborsmouth interesting enough to take a demon toddler, a teenage bridge troll, and a grouchy hearth brownie.  What happens next substantiates the city's advertising slogan.  No matter who or what you are, no matter how young or old, you can find your thrill on Joysen Hill.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Supernatural Suspense
Release Date: July 11, 2017

Pre-Order Available Now:

 Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | iTunes

Add to Goodreads TBR.

How's the cake?  Ready to win some great prizes?

Tales from Harborsmouth Pre-Order Party Giveaway

We are giving away an Ivy Granger Prize Pack, including a $25 Amazon Gift Card and *signed* collectible Passport to the World of Ivy Granger. 

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter from below. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends June 13th midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
In the Ivy Granger prequel story FROSTBITE, Ivy's client claims that her house is haunted.  Do YOU believe in ghosts?

The Bite Before Christmas Book Review

The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands and Jeaniene Frost.

In Lynsay Sands' "The Gift," Katricia Argeneau knows grey-eyed cop Teddy Brunswick is her life mate. She just needs to convince him they belong together, and being snowbound in a secluded cabin will make this a Christmas neither will forget.

It's "Home for the Holidays" in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. Cat and Bones may long to wrap presents and set up a tree, but this Christmas, an evil vampire and long-buried family secrets will threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer.

Add to Goodreads.
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Review

The Bite Before Christmas contains two short stories/novellas, one from Jeaniene Frost and one from Lynsay Sands.  Both stories were excellent.

The Gift (Argeneau #15.5) is a paranormal romance with the high heat level you expect from Lynsay Sands.  I was worried that this might have an ick factor due to the lead male's age, but I got past that quickly.  A fun romp in a holiday snowstorm that's a perfect quick read for the holidays.*

*Note: I almost took off half a star for the constant referral to Theodore's "little Teddy" since this is a pet peeve of mine.  To me "little Teddy" makes me think of children and teddy bears...neither of which should be in Theodore's pants.  Not.  Sexy.  Not sexy at all.

Home for the Holidays (Night Huntress #6.5) had the paranormal romance spark we love between Cat and Bones, but was primarily a kick-ass edge-of-your-seat urban fantasy with nearly all of our favorite Night Huntress characters.  This story is also set during the holidays which makes it a fun holiday read.

I don't know about you, but the holidays are chaotic here and so I find myself on a short story/anthology/novella kick this time of year.  The Bite Before Christmas contained two excellent stories that were the perfect length for my holiday-stress-induced short attention span.

Shadow Rating:  5-stars

How do the holidays impact your reading habits?

If you're like me and looking for something short and not so sweet this time of year, you'll love the following paranormal romance and urban fantasy short stories, novellas, and anthologies; Dark and Stormy Nights, Mean Streets, Naked City: Tales of Urban Fantasy, Must Love Hellhounds, Hex Appeal, Deep Kiss of Winter, Blood and Mistletoe, Reckoning, On the Prowl, Tales of the Otherworld, Kitty's Greatest Hits, Cat Tales, Have Stakes Will Travel, Black Water, An Apple for the Creature, My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, Magic Graves, Carniepunk, Vampires: The Recent Undead, First Blood, Kiss of Venom, Dates from Hell, Kisses from Hell, Vacations from Hell, Kicking It, Strange Brew, Unbound, Hexed, Winter Moon, Wolfsbane and Mistletoe, and Holidays are Hell.

Do you have a favorite paranormal romance or urban fantasy short story, anthology, or novella?  If so, share with us in the comments!

Those Who Fight Monsters Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations Mark winner of our Those Who Fight Monsters Giveaway!  Mark will receive a copy of Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives signed by Justin Gustainis.

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives is a fabulous anthology perfect for any urban fantasy fan.  Read E.J.'s review here.

**From the Shadows giveaway winners selected using Random.org**

Book Review + Giveaway 'Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives'

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives edited by Justin Gustainis.

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives brings together popular characters from many Urban Fantasy paranormal investigative series, for your enjoyment.

Meet the Detectives:

Danny Hendrickson - from Laura Anne Gilman's Cosa Nostradamus series.
Kate Connor - from Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series.
John Taylor - from Simon R. Green’s Nightside series.
Jill Kismet - from Lilith Saintcrow’s Jill Kismet series.
Jessi Hardin - from Carrie Vaughn’s Kitty Norville series.
Quincey Morris - from Justin Gustainis’ Morris/Chastain Investigations series.
Marla Mason - from T. A. Pratt's Marla Mason series.
Tony Foster - from Tanya Huff’s Smoke and Shadows series.
Dawn Madison - from Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series.
Pete Caldecott - from Caitlin Kittredge’s Black London series.
Tony Giodone - from C. T. Adams and Cathy Clamp’s Tales of the Sazi series.
Jezebel - from Jackie Kessler’s Hell on Earth series.
Piers Knight - from C. J. Henderson’s Brooklyn Knight series.
Cassiel - from Rachel Caine’s Outcast Season series.

Demons may lurk, werewolves may prowl, vampires may ride the wind. These are things that go bump in the night, but we are the ones who bump back!

Review:

Tasty bites of dark, gritty Urban Fantasy.  Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives is a wonderful collection of urban fantasy short stories.  This anthology takes us on numerous paranormal adventures with the intriguing, multifaceted perspective of fourteen hunters and their prey.  I enjoyed the diversity of this anthology.  While these short stories all share a common thread, they are also each unique.  Take a journey into the bowels of nightmare cities, roam the streets with weres and fae, or pull up a stool at your favorite watering hole.  No matter where you turn there be monsters...and those who dare to fight them.

Here are spoiler-free teasers to give the flavor of each short story in this delectable UF anthology.

"So, uh, what exactly is the beast of Felport? Werewolf, demon, undead mutant water buffalo? My grasp of local history is a little shaky"
-Little Better than a Beast

"Huuuuuuuman." That one came from somewhere off to my left.  The shiver became an itch, the urge to follow, to find the treasure such a creature undoubtedly hid here, below ground, in its mines.
-Dusted

Besides, I didn't have the best of luck with boys.  The first time I went out with a guy, he turned out to be a demon.
-The Demon You Know...

It's always half full of junk and garbage, and the only reason there aren't any bodies to step over is because the rats have eaten them all. You have to watch out for rats in the Nightside; some people say they're evolving.
-The Spirit of the Thing

When another hunter calls, you go.  It's that simple.  We who hold back the tide of Hell don't ask for help lightly.
-Holding the Line

What was it Kitty sometimes said? Just when you thought you were getting a handle on the supernatural, just when you thought you'd seen it all, something even more unbelievable came along.
-Defining Shadows

The once coal-black hair was shot through with streaks of gray that made him look older than his years.  The black hair came from the Morris family tree.  The gray was put there by the family profession, begun over a century ago by a man who died in the shadow of Castle Dracula.
-Deal Breaker

Having Henry Fitzroy, bastard of Henry VIII, romance writer, and vampire based in Vancouver was enough to bring in the fine and freaky.  Since Tony had started developing his powers, the freaky vastly outnumbered the fine.
-See Me

As a former vampire who'd been turned human again with the termination of her maker, Dawn knew just what it was like to feel the darkness as it tried to drag you under.
-Soul Stains

The Lament was theoretically a neutral zone in the Black, the ebb and flow of magical London that existed out of most people's sight.  No fighting, no magic and no Fae.
-Under the Hill and Far Away

Blame the werewolf in me.  When I get annoyed, my mask of humanity slips a little, even with my former employer.
-An Ace in the Hole

"I'm an equal opportunity succubus," I agreed happily.  Whatever the gender, whatever the form, I loved humans.  To death.
-Hell Bound

He worked as a curate at the rightly famous Brooklyn Museum.  As such, Knight had access to both religious and blasphemous articles of historical significance from throughout human history.
-Impossible Love

Luis didn't like to let me stray too far, claiming that I was a magnet for trouble.  That might have had some credence, actually; I did seem to draw attention to myself far too much for safety.
-Running Wild

I highly recommend Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives to readers of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, paranormal suspense, and especially to fans of urban fantasy anthologies.  Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives may appeal to fans of Justin Gustainis, T.A. Pratt, Laura Anne Gilman, Julie Kenner, Simon R. Green, Lilith Saintcrow, Carrie Vaughn, Tanya Huff, Chris Marie Green, Caitlin Kittredge, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Jackie Kessler, C.J. Henderson, and Rachel Caine.

Sensitive reader warning: mild violence, sexual situations.  The short story 'Hell Bound' contains explicit adult material.

Source: This book was provided by the author or publisher for honest review.

Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives on Amazon.
Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives on Goodreads.

 **Those Who Fight Monsters Giveaway**

We are giving away a copy of Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives signed by Justin Gustainis!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  US mailing addresses only.  Giveaway ends April 5th midnight EST.

The Bite Before Christmas: Holidays Are Hell Giveaway

We are giving away a copy of Holidays Are Hell, a paranormal holiday anthology, to one lucky winner!

This holiday, spend quality time with family and loved ones—living and dead... There's no place like home for the horrordays—unless you'd prefer a romantic midnight walk through a ghost-infested graveyard... or a haunted house candlelight dinner with the sexy vampire of your dreams. The (black) magical season is here—and whether it's a solstice séance gone demonically wrong with the incomparable Kim Harrison, a grossly misshapen Christmas with the remarkable Lynsay Sands, a blood-chilling-and-spilling New Year's with the wonderful Marjorie M. Liu, or a super-powered Thanksgiving with the phenomenal Vicki Pettersson, one thing is for certain: in the able hands of these exceptional dark side explorers, the holidays are going to be deliciously hellish!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  You do not have to be a follower to enter (though I always appreciate a follow!).  This giveaway is International (to anywhere the Book Depository ships).  Giveaway ends December 31st midnight EST.