Ivy Granger Box Set Pre-Order Sale

Love urban fantasy deals? The upcoming Ivy Granger Psychic Detective Box Set is on sale for 99 cents!  That's right.  If you pre-order now, you'll receive the first three award-winning Ivy Granger novels and a bonus prequel short story delivered to your ereader on October 24th—all for just 99 cents.  (Regular Price $9.99)

Pre-Order Now For 99 Cents

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

Regular Price: $9.99
Special Pre-Order Price: $0.99

Ivy Granger Psychic Detective Box Set by E.J. Stevens.

Ivy Granger Psychic Detective box set includes Books 1-3 and Bonus Prequel short story.

Enter an award-winning urban fantasy world where monsters roam the streets and things aren't always what they seem. Demons, ghosts, vampires, and necromancers—Ivy dodges the city's deadliest villains while solving its darkest cases. Will she save the day or die trying?

FROSTBITE (Bonus Prequel: Ivy Granger #0.5)

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.

SHADOW SIGHT (Ivy Granger #1)

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.

GHOST LIGHT (Ivy Granger #2)

Ivy Granger is back, gathering clues in the darkest shadows of downtown Harborsmouth. With the lives of multiple clients on the line, she's in a race against time. Ivy finally has a lead to the whereabouts of the one person who can help her control her wisp abilities, but will she put the needs of her clients above her own?

If Ivy doesn't find a solution soon, she could wind up a ghost herself.

BURNING BRIGHT (Ivy Granger #3)

Things are not going well at the offices of Private Eye. Jinx is having demon problems, the city is overrun with pyromaniacal imps, and Ivy's wisp powers are burning out of control, attracting the attention of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts. It's the worst possible time for the Green Lady to call in a favor, but Ivy's bound by her deal with the glaistig. Too bad there's no wiggle room in faerie bargains.

Ivy must rid the city of imps, keep Jinx from murdering her one solid link to Hell, and fulfill her bargain with the Green Lady—with sidhe assassins hot on her tail.

Just another day's work for Ivy Granger, psychic detective.

 Praise for the Ivy Granger series:

"I absolutely love this series!"
-My Urban Fantasies

"Highly recommended to adult urban fantasy fans."
-Rabid Reads

"The Ivy Granger series is fantastic!"
-Book Bite Reviews

The award-winning Ivy Granger Psychic Detective series is known for heart-pounding action, quirky characters, and supernatural horrors. Take a trip to Harborsmouth where you'll encounter bloodsucking vampires, psychotic faeries, sarcastic gargoyles, temperamental witches, and our favorite snarky, kick-butt heroine.

Add to Goodreads.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: October 24, 2019

This box set is already a steal at $9.99, but if you pre-order now, you can grab the Ivy Granger Box Set for just 99 cents!  Spread the word.  Tell your friends.  This is a great way to dive into this award-winning urban fantasy series.

Want to win fun prizes?

Come back on October 24th for the Ivy Granger Box Set Release Party and enter to win an Amazon Gift Card and signed Ivy Granger swag. 

Tales from Harborsmouth Pre-Order Giveaway

Tales from Harborsmouth releases in TWO WEEKS. We're celebrating by giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card and Ivy Granger series swag!

Tales from Harborsmouth (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #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 together in one collection and features two exclusive short stories the series prequel Frostbite and the newest Ivy Granger tale Thrill on Joysen Hill.

Featured in this collection:
     • FROSTBITE (Ivy Granger #0.5)
     • BLOOD AND MISTLETOE (Ivy Granger #1.5)
     • CLUB NEXUS (Ivy Granger #2.5)
     • THRILL ON JOYSEN HILL (Ivy Granger #5.5)

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

Add to my Goodreads TBR List.

Pre-Order Tales from Harborsmouth

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Want to read more books in this series? You're in luck.

Books in this Series

Shadow Sight

Ghost Light

Burning Bright

Birthright

Hound's Bite

Want to win fabulous prizes? We've got you covered.

Tales from Harborsmouth Pre-Order Giveaway

We're giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card and signed Ivy Granger swag.  

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Giveaway ends July 3, 2017.

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Club Nexus Ivy Granger Urban Fantasy 99 Cent Deal

CLUB NEXUS is on sale for a limited time.  This week you can grab an ebook copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iTunes for just 99 cents!

Club Nexus (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #2.5) by E.J. Stevens

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

This Ivy Granger series special contains four intertwining stories 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.

Club Nexus is a great introduction into the award-winning urban fantasy world of Ivy Granger.

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

Buy Now On

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

Whispersynch ready. Add audio for $1.99. 

Q+A with J.D. Brown (Dark Heirloom)

Please welcome today's guest author J.D. Brown!  J.D. is the author of the Ema Marx urban fantasy series, including DARK HEIRLOOM, DARK LIAISON, and DARK BECOMING.

Q+A with J.D. Brown

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

JD:  Hmm, I think it was 2009 or 2010 … My first novel, Dark Heirloom, was originally published in 2012, so I know it was a couple years before then. I used to write poetry in high school and college, but I kept my poems pretty private. They weren’t good.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

JD:  It’s always been my favorite genre to read, for as long as I can remember. Especially urban fantasy and paranormal romance. But I always wanted to know what happened after the ending; what happened after the vampire or werewolf or whatever bit his lover and brought her over to his world totally and completely. I always felt that would’ve made a better story than repeatedly watching these human girls fall in love with paranormal creatures and never getting to be the creature until the end. That concept was always in the back of my mind while writing Dark Heirloom, and is the reason why the main character, Ema, becomes a vampire in chapter two.

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

JD:  As long as I’m immortal and not disfigured or brain dead in the process, I’d be happy … So, probably a vampire or a witch, but definitely not a zombie!

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

JD:  If you’ve been waiting for a vampire series that is all about the vampires (and shapeshifters!) and nothing at all about humans, then the Ema Marx series for you. I’m told the female characters really make this series and I have to agree. They’re flawed and more human than their vampire genetics lead them to believe, but they’re tough. There’s definitely no Bella Swans in this series. It’s a very different kind of vampire story.

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

JD:  This is tough. I spent so much time making my characters unique, that I honestly can never chose an actor or actress. But if I had to… I’d cast Mila Kunis or Jenna Dewan as Ema Marx. Why? Well, Ema is Romany-American and I think both Kunis and Dewan could pull that off, but I think Kunis could really capture Ema’s sarcasm and personality.

As for the guys, Jalmari and Jesu…? I honestly have no clue. Maybe Luke Evans and Henry Cavill? I think those men have the acting talent to pull off complicated anti-heroes and would both look sexy as vampires, haha. Maybe I should leave casting to the professionals.

Dark Heirloom (Ema Marx #1) by J.D. Brown

"You're a vampire" is so not what Ema Marx wants to hear when she wakes from a two-day coma in a cryptic yet exquisite castle in northern Finland. Unfortunately, it explains a lot. Like why she's able to see in the dark and walk through solid objects. What she doesn't understand is why the other vampires expect her to have all the answers. It's their fault she turned into one of them...right?

Jalmari's hatred for his old-man intensifies when he's ordered to bring that troublesome girl to their castle. He has a clan to run; there's no time for babysitting newborn vampires no matter how they were converted to their culture. But when a two-thousand-year-old premonition threatens to take the crown and his life, Jalmari sees no other choice than to take out the catalyst, Ema Marx.

Fortunately for Ema, she could also be the clan's only savior. The race to figure out her vampiric origins is on. And maybe she'll get the hang of the blood-drinking gig along the way.

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

Thank you J.D. for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

If you would like to learn more about J.D. Brown and her books, please visit her website.  Have a question for J.D.?  Please ask in the comment section below.

Shadow Sight 99 Cent Black Friday Urban Fantasy Deal

It's time for the annual Ivy Granger SHADOW SIGHT Black Friday Week book sale.

Shadow Sight 99 Cent Black Friday Sale

For a limited time, SHADOW SIGHT, the first novel in the award-winning Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, is at the low price of 99 cents.  Just in time for the holidays!

Send your virtual stocking stuffers, load that gift Kindle, or stock up on holiday vacation reading.  But act fast, this sale will be gone before you can say ho! ho! ho!  Here is all you need to know about Shadow Sight and the Ivy Granger series.

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...

Release Date:  July 24, 2012
Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
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Buy Now

Books in this series: Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1), Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5), Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2), Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5), Burning Bright (Ivy Granger #3), Birthright (Ivy Granger #4).

Praise for Shadow Sight and the Ivy Granger series

"This must-read urban fantasy series is entertaining and fun! ...Ivy continues to be a supremely likable kick-ass heroine."
-Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews

"These books are always well written... Highly recommended to adult urban fantasy/fantasy fans!"
-Rabid Reads

"If you've been looking for an enjoyable urban fantasy I would definitely recommend checking it out."
-RhiReading

"The writing is strong, the characters are genuine, and the action is fast and furious. ...A good series for urban fantasy fans."
-If You Only Knew

"The worlds are well developed, the characters are brilliantly done and the story is enchanting.  ...Ivy is one of my all-time favorite Urban fantasy characters."
-The Reading Diaries

"As I followed Ivy through the case, building her army of misfits, I started to figure out, “Oh shit, this is going to be huge!”  When the final scene starts to unfold, I was glued to my spot, listening intently as the battle began!  Shadow Sight was a great start to a new series that I look forward to reading, or shall I say listening to!" [audiobook review]
-Paranormaly Yours

"This book reminded me why I love urban fantasies"
-The Reader's Hollow

All Hallow's Read Book Giveaway

It's time for our annual All Hallow's Read book giveaway!  I am on my way to Hallowread in Ellicott City, MD, but I leave you with this spooktacular giveaway.

All Hallow's Read Giveaway

We are giving away one ebook copy of Hunting in Bruges, the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series.

To enter, please leave a comment below and include your email address so we may contact you if you win.  BONUS ENTRY:  Leave a comment on this month's poll October Poll: What is your favorite paranormal creature? for one extra giveaway entry.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends November 3, 2015 midnight EST.

Hunting in Bruges (Hunters' Guild #1) by E.J. Stevens

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals.  With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions--but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

•  "Jenna Lehane. Hunter. Protector of the innocent. All-around bad ass. ...An amazing new series by E.J. Stevens!"
  -My Urban Fantasies
   
•  [Jenna] is full of brave, kick ass, heroine action that will keep you on your seat, and this is her first major story."
  -Happy Tails and Tales
   
•  "Perfect for the adult urban fantasy fan"
  -Rabid Reads
   
•  "Jenna is definitely one to add to my list of kick-ass fiction heroines. If you like the Ivy Granger series, then you will like this one too as it takes you into another aspect and perspective of that paranormal world."
  -VVB Reads 

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.
Buy on Amazon.

Happy All Hallow's Read!

Note: I'll be signing and on panels at Hallowread in Ellicott City, Maryland Friday, October 23rd and Saturday, October 24th.  I will also be there for the Blood and Mistletoe Paperback Book Launch Party Saturday at 4:30pm EST.  I hope to see you there!

October Poll: Favorite Paranormal Creature

Happy October!  October is my favorite month.  Halloween, spooky books...what's not to love?  And all of those spooky books and movies have me wondering...

What is your Favorite Paranormal Creature?

Shifters?  Vampires?  Faeries?  Unicorns?  Angels?  Zombies?  Ghosts?   

Poll:  What is your Favorite Paranormal Creature?

Will you be dressing as your favorite paranormal for Halloween this year?  Or have you done so in the past?  Let us know in the comments.  Bonus awesome points if you have pictures!  I love to see costumes.  

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!

Hunting in Bruges Release Day Party + Giveaway

Today is the release of HUNTING IN BRUGES, the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.  To celebrate, we are having a book and swag giveaway!

Keep reading for a chance to win a Hunting in Bruges signed book, t-shirt, and more!

Hunting in Bruges (Hunters' Guild #1) by E.J. Stevens.

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals.  With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions--but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.

Release Date:  November 11, 2014
Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.
Buy on Amazon | Amazon.uk | iTunes | Barnes and Noble.

Praise for Hunting in Bruges

"I could not put this book down. I flat out loved it! ...This book is full of action, deaths, supernatural creatures, and is perfect for the adult urban fantasy fan, and I for one, can’t wait for the next installment."
-Rabid Reads

"Hunting in Bruges has everything a great Urban Fantasy should, a kick ass heroine, a lovable hot guy, plenty of different supernatural beings and a fast paced story line. ...I absolutely loved this book!! ...Hunting in Bruges is a must read."
-Book Lover's Life 

About the Hunters' Guild series

The Hunters' Guild series is an urban fantasy series written by E.J. Stevens and set in the world of Ivy Granger.  The series is told in the first-person point-of-view of Jenna Lehane, a Hunter with a troubled past, a proficiency with weapons, and an intolerance for monsters who target the innocent.

About the Author

E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series, the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, and the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series.  When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles.  E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Connect with E.J. Stevens

Blog | Newsletter | Goodreads | Pinterest | Twitter

Hunting in Bruges Release Day Giveaway

We are giving away a HUGE Hunting in Bruges prize pack.  One winner will receive a Hunting in Bruges *signed* Trade Paperback, t-shirt, sticker, *signed* postcard, and poster!

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Winner will be randomly drawn by Rafflecopter.  Giveaway ends November 25, 2014.

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Thank you for partying with us and good luck with the giveaway!

Cover Reveal: Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens

It's time for a cover reveal!  Feast your eyes on the cover for HUNTING IN BRUGES, the debut novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.

Keep reading for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Hunting in Bruges (Hunters' Guild #1) by E.J. Stevens.

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals.  With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions--but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.

Release Date:  November 11, 2014
Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Pre-order on Amazon.
Add to Goodreads.

About the Hunters' Guild Series

The Hunters' Guild series is an urban fantasy series written by E.J. Stevens and set in the world of Ivy Granger.  The series is told in the first-person point-of-view of Jenna Lehane, a Hunter with a troubled past, a proficiency with weapons, and an intolerance for monsters who target the innocent.

About the Author

E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series, the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, and the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series.  When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles.  E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Hunting in Bruges Cover Reveal Giveaway

The author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner!

To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends October 7, 2014.

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What do you think of the cover?

Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Manhattan with Melissa De La Cruz

Come on boys and ghouls!  It's time to hop on Route 666 for a spooktacular Paranormal Road Trip.  This week's stop is Manhattan and our special guide is Melissa de la Cruz author of The Beauchamp Family (Witches of East End) series, the Blue Bloods series, and the Vampires of Manhattan series.

The Vampires of Manhattan series is set in Manhattan, one of the five boroughs of New York City, so it seems fitting that our guide for this week's Paranormal Road Trip be the amazing Melissa de la Cruz.  Let's see what terrifying places Melissa has planned for our tour.

Manhattan's Top Five Spooky Places

Manhattan is a city full of history and haunted places. A few of my favorite places to ghost-bust, below.

Hotel Chelsea
222 West 23rd St. 

The famous hotel in Chelsea was the site of many deaths. Poet Dylan Thomas, who wrote of the “dying of the light” and died there is said to haunt near room 206. Doomed punk couple Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are said to haunt the lower floors. Sid killed Nancy in a drunken, drugged out fight, and he died of a heroin overdose before he could stand trial.

White Horse Tavern
567 Hudson St.
One of my favorite bars downtown, and related to the Chelsea Hotel. Dylan Thomas reportedly drank 18 whiskey shots here before collapsing and being brought back to his room at the Chelsea. It’s said he haunts his usual table at the tavern from time to time.

One If by Land, Two If by Sea
17 Barrow St.


One of the most romantic restaurants in Manhattan, it is also the former home of Alexander Hamilton and his daughter Theodosia, who have supposedly never left. Diners are said to have experienced being shoved by them, lights flicker, and women’s earrings disappear. Staffers insist the ghosts are friendly, but maybe a little cheeky?

Edgar Allen Poe’s Abode
85 West 3rd Street
“Nevermore” author Edgar Allen Poe lived here for eight months in 1845 and 1846, and wrote “The Raven” here. The house has been demolished for NYU dorms but students say they’ve seen the haunted and haunting writer climbing the banister, the only remaining part of the original house.

Mark Twain House
14 W 10th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves
The practical and down to earth writer born Samuel Clemens lived in Greenwich Village from 1900-1901 and reportedly haunts this domain. He was skeptical of ghosts, so it’s hard to believe he became one upon his death.

Thank you Melissa for giving us such a haunting tour of Manhattan!

Want more Melissa de la Cruz in Manhattan?

Check out these two YouTube videos of Melissa de la Cruz giving an author tour of Manhattan's Uptown and Downtown.  These videos also bring Blue Bloods fans up-to-date as she launches her new series Vampires of Manhattan.

To learn more about Melissa de la Cruz and her books, please visit her website. Also, don't miss my reviews of Blue Bloods, Masquerade, Revelations, and The Van Alen Legacy here at From the Shadows. You can add her Vampires of Manhattan series here on Goodreads.

Readers, was this your first visit to Manhattan?  Have you experienced anything supernatural in and around Manhattan?

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

Last week on Paranormal Road Trip we visited New Orleans, Louisiana with Suzanne Johnson.  Next week we'll be traveling to San Diego with Eileen Wilks.

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

Readers: What do you think of this new weekly feature?  Your feedback is important to us as we strive to bring you fresh new content that you want to read. 

Q+A with Michele Drier (The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Michele Drier!  Michele is the author of the Amy Hobbes series (Edited for Death, Labeled for Death) and The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles (SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After, SNAP: White Nights).

Q+A with Michele Drier

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Michele:  I’m not even sure. I’ve always loved to read and during my career as a journalist, had bits, scraps, notes and a partial manuscript in my desk drawer. About 35 years ago I entered a partial in the Jackson-Phelan Young California Writer contest. It was a story of growing up surrounded by aging ladies and learning to find one’s self in the world.
I didn’t win anything because that was the year that Anne Rice won for Interview with the Vampire. At the time, I didn’t realize it was karma, a weird seismic alignment, some kind of strange fate. And no, I didn’t start writing paranormal until 2011.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Michele:  My daughter and son-in-law. I was happy because I’d just contracted for my first book, a traditional mystery. Like almost every writer, I had a file folder full of rejections from agents and publishers and the contract from the small press was validation that I wasn’t the crazy cat lady down the block!

After jumping up and down and shouting for a few hours, I called my daughter and her husband. He said, “Why don’t you write a vampire novel? Nobody reads mysteries.”
He was wrong about mysteries, but right about vampires. Once I began the stories of the Kandesky vampires, I was hooked.

The Kandeskys are a 500-year-old group of vampires from Hungary who slowly added members as they amassed a fortune in business and trade. They accumulated wealth until today, in the 21st century, they own SNAP, a multinational conglomerate built on celebrity gossip. There are nightly TV shows in North America, South America and all over Europe and a weekly magazine published in twenty languages.

Kandesky Holdings own other businesses as well, but SNAP provides the bulk of their income, now putting them among the richest in the Western world.
They’re urbane, sexy, work hard and play hard and I’m excited to get up in the morning and join them in their world. It’s a whole lot more fun than doing laundry and mopping floors and feeding the cat!
 
EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Michele:  That’s difficult. All paranormals have assets and drawbacks. I think I’d like to be a vampire because I’d heal faster, never gain weight and be around for a long time to find out what happens! Then again, living for centuries could get tiring.

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

Michele:  My newest release, SNAP: White Nights, introduces a new couple, Jazz and Nik, and helps Maxie make a decision. Maxie is a regular, the Managing Editor of SNAP magazines. She falls for Jean-Louis, the art director who is also second-in-command of the Kandesky family of vampires. He wants to marry her and turn her, but she can’t give up sunshine, the beach and good food.

In SNAP: White Nights, Jean-Louis and Nik, the third-in-command of the family, finally lure the last of their rival family, the Huszars, to death and Maxie finds peace. But the heat’s increasing for Nik and Jazz, the woman who took over Maxie’s job at SNAP when Maxie moved to Europe to be with Jean-Louis.

Will Maxie agree to marry Jean-Louis and be turned to a vampire? Will Jazz give up her Southern California life and sunlight to stay with Nik, a vampire and arms dealer who spends his time in the shadowy black and grey markets of weapons trading?

Fans and reviewers have called SNAP: White Nights, Book Seven of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, the best of the series so far.

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

Michele:  Ian Somerhalder as Jean-Louis
Amy Adams as Maxie
Valorie Curry as Jazz
Paul Wesley as Nik

The Kandeskys are beautiful, mesmerizing creatures, most of whom were turned in their late twenties and early thirties. They’re grown-ups who have seen centuries of history and learned to grow and adapt with the times.

The actors should be mature enough to carry that sense of history, but the women, who are regulars and professionals, need to still have some naiveté when they run into vampires and danger.

SNAP: White Nights (The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles #7) by Michele Drier.

Nik, the third-in-command of the Hungarian Kandesky vampire family, has been handling the family's interests in Czech munition factories for upwards of four hundred years. He's been a contented bachelor, throwing himself into business until Jazz strolls into his life. Jazz is Maxie Gwenoch's successor as the managing editor for SNAP, the international celeb gossip magazine, another Kandesky company. Maxie, Nik, Jazz and Jean-Louis, the Kandesky second-in-command, are headed to Moscow to assess the business potential for a SNAP Russian bureau, until an old enemy shows up. Set against the tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the short Russian nights teach Maxie to cherish her time with Jean-Louis while Jazz faces her own questions about loving a vampire.

Release date: March 17, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance
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Thank you Michele for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Michele Drier and her books, please visit her website.

E.C. Hibbs' Top 10 Favorite Vampires + Tragic Silence Book Giveaway

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author E.C. Hibbs!  E.C. is the author of TRAGIC SILENCE.

Since Tragic Silence is a fresh take on vampires, I asked author E.C. Hibbs to share her Top 10 Favorite Vampires.  Read on to discover her answers and to win a Tragic Silence ebook!

E.C. Hibbs' Top 10 Favorite Vampires

Count Dracula – Dracula by Bram Stoker

How could I not include this guy? Dracula is one of my favourite classic novels, and even though I love seeing all the different takes on him in movies and spin-offs, it’s the original incarnation of him which I think the most of. The one who wasn’t in love with Mina Harker. But, saying that, my favourite film version of him is the Francis Ford Coppola one with Gary Oldman. That did add the love story, but I didn’t mind because of the way he was played. Another reason I really like Dracula is because even though a lot of vampire tropes originate from him, there are some things in the book which are often overlooked in modern vampires. He never turns into a bat; he instead crawls down walls like a lizard. He can go out in the sunlight. And he does age, but not in the way you might expect.

Eli – Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

This is probably my favourite modern vampire story. The book is amazing and the film adaptation is just beautifully put together. And Eli’s character is the centrepiece of everything for me. Eli is a twelve year-old child who was turned into a vampire by a nobleman centuries before she meets Oskar. The two strike up a friendship which appears to evolve into innocent love. I really like this take on vampires because it shows a friendship between the creature and a human, rather than romance or antagonism. But another reason why I love it is because you’re never quite sure of Eli’s motives. Is she an innocent child trapped in immortality seeking a companion, or is she manipulating Oskar into becoming a caretaker to carry out her vampiric wishes? Eli is ambiguous in more ways than one, and that’s what draws me to her so much.

Carmilla/Countess Mircalla Karnstein – Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Carmilla is a vampire novella that came out 25 years before Dracula, and it’s clear that Bram Stoker took inspiration from it. The main character is one of the first female vampires in popular literature, and she has all the cunning and charm of most Victorian vampires. But she also sleepwalks and suffers from very sudden mood swings. I love her backstory and the connection she has with Laura, especially the way they meet and become friends after a carriage accident outside Laura’s house. Carmilla is one of my favourite classic vampires, and writing this has made me really want to read it again!

Selene – Underworld

This was actually a tough one to call between Selene and Viktor, but I decided to go with Selene because of how determined she is as a warrior. I really enjoyed the fact that she wasn’t interested in the finer aristocratic pleasures of being a vampire, and was instead obsessed with avenging the memory of her human family from centuries ago. To this end, she has become vicious and cold, and it’s only through her relationship with Michael that she is able to rediscover the ability to love. She’s very strong and her character arc is great, especially when she has to decide where her loyalties lie.

Sinclair Copley – Blood and Ice by Robert Masello

Sinclair is a vampire who I think slips under the radar for a lot of people. His character is very interesting to watch throughout the story, because of how much he changes. He begins the novel as a typical middle class Victorian gentleman, patriotic and wealthy, but his experiences of battle and vampirism cause him to become bitter and hard. He loses faith in humanity, and so begins to lose his own, with only the sure knowledge that his beloved Eleanor must always be with him. There’s something about him which I really don’t like, but yet I feel sorry for him at the same time.

Marlow – 30 Days of Night

I’m basing this mainly on the film rather than the comics, because I never finished reading the series. But Marlow is one of those vampires who really creeps me out. He’s the leader of the troupe which comes to Barrow, Alaska during the polar night, with the intention of feasting on the trapped residents. I really liked how these vampires are very naturalistic and almost animal-like in their behaviour and actions. There’s no doubt that they are undead, but they don’t have any kind of grace which you might see in other kinds of vampire. But despite clearly being driven by the simple want of blood, they are still cunning enough to plan the entire attack, manipulate living people, and cover their tracks, and that’s all seen most clearly in Marlow. Creepy!

David – The Lost Boys

This is my favourite movie that has teenage vampires as the main characters. David is the leader of the ‘lost boys’: a group of biking kids who constantly hang around the Santa Carla Boardwalk and generally cause trouble. It’s never made clear exactly how old he is, but he has an arrogance about him, which I think is partially from being a ‘bad boy’, and also because a lot of vampires have that trait. The thing which I really like about David is how much he enjoys himself. He never shows any remorse for the things he does, and it’s almost as though he sees killing and danger as a game. In that respect, he behaves a bit like a child, just wanting to have fun forever, and I can see the original links to Peter Pan in him. Plus, when he’s in full-out vampire mode, he looks brilliant. Those eyes have been stuck in my head for years!

My Swordhand is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick

It’s been a while since I read this book, but it had a definite impact on me. It’s set in 17th century Transylvania, long before the vampire became a cloaked, fanged, well-spoken villain. And the vampires in this story have nothing in common with the usual image we give them. These creatures are inspired by the original folklore of Eastern Europe, when they were seen as more like zombies with a bloodlust. There’s nothing suave or cunning about them, but like zombies, they just appear to be an unstoppable force. In that respect, they’re similar to the vampires from 30 Days of Night. But here, they are still bound by the traditional methods of repelling, like not being able to cross running water. It was very refreshing to see!

Lestat de Lioncourt – The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice

How can anyone not love the Brat Prince? He’s got to be one of the most charismatic, vain, enthusiastic vampires out there. And all the levels to his character are brilliant. I love how he often contemplates some pretty big philosophical questions in regards to what he has become, which I think are more poignant because it was never his choice to be a vampire. He can be quite brutal, but also selfless, and tragic in how lonesome he tends to be. And he becomes a rock star in the 1980s. That’s just awesome.

Count Franz Szekelys – Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

I tend to think of this book as Dracula for younger readers, because there are a lot of similarities to the Bram Stoker novel. But Blood Sinister is still a good story on its own, and one of its strongest points is the two main characters’ interactions with the vampire. The story jumps between Ellen Laidlaw, a young lady in Victorian London; and her distant descendant, Ellen Forrest, who is seriously ill with a mysterious illness of the blood. Both of them come into contact with Franz Szekelys, who begins as a character very like Dracula, but then is able to integrate himself into modern society. He’s a classic vampire, but creepy in his own right, and it’s nice to see his behaviour change between the two different time periods.

Tragic Silence by E.C. Hibbs

When tragedy strikes Bianka Farkas one night in her native Hungary, she loses more than a friend and her mobility. Some things are harder to understand. Waking up in a hospital, Bee struggles to remember exactly what happened the night she was attacked and witnessed a brutal murder. Memories of a mysterious figure plague her as well as bizarre and terrifying changes in her over the next few years. Facing this new horrifying reality with a surprising ally, Bee finally has the chance to take her revenge but at what cost?

Release Date: November 19, 2013
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal, Suspense
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Thank you E.C. for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about E.C. Hibbs and her writing, please visit her website.

***Tragic Silence Ebook Giveaway***

The author is giving away an ebook copy of Tragic Silence by E.C. Hibbs to one lucky winner!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address so that we may contact you if you win.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.   Giveaway ends May 21, 2014 midnight EST.

Who are your favorite vampires?

Q+A with Amanda Ashley (Night's Promise)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Amanda Ashley!  Amanda is the author of the Bound series (Bound By Night, Bound By Blood), the Vampire Trilogy (Shades of Gray, After Sundown, Desire After Dark), the Everlasting series (Everlasting Kiss, Everlasting Desire), Children of the Night series (Night's Kiss, Night's Touch, Night's Master, Night's Pleasure, Night's Mistress, Night's Promise).

Q+A with Amanda Ashley

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Amanda:  Gosh, I don't remember exactly. Probably in the late 70's.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Amanda:  Boredom :) I'd written a number of historical romances and I was getting kind of burned out. My agent at the time asked if I would be interested in writing a short paranormal story for an anthology titled The Topaz Man Secrets of the Heart, and I said yes. I wrote
"Masquerade" (now available as an eBook) and I was hooked on vampires. I've been writing them ever since.

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

Amanda:  Wow, that's a good question. I think being a shapeshifter because it would be the most fun.

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

Amanda:  Well...I like it If they're fans of the series, I think they'll like it because so many characters from previous books show up, like Mara and Edna and Pearl, real fan favorites. I think it's my favorite Night book. It has what I think is a cool twist and a yummy hero.

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

Amanda:  If only that would happen!!!! I would love to see my first full-length vampire book, Embrace the Night, made into a movie.

Casting, hmmm? I don't know. My favorite on-screen vampire is Frank Langella, but he's a little old for the role now. I love Ian from the Vampire Diaries, but I can't picture him as Gabriel. Maybe Chris Hemsworth? For the heroine, I don't know. It would have to be someone with some ballet experience, or at least someone who could fake it.

Night's Promise (Children of the Night #6) by Amanda Ashley.

For beautiful heiress Sheree West, vampires are more than a fantasy. They are an obsession. Night after night, she dresses in black and immerses herself in L.A.'s goth club scene. Searching for a lover who is more than a man. A creature of the dark who lusts for her blood. A legend who lives in the shadows and not just her dreams. Then, one fateful night, she meets him. . .

Derek Blackwood is no ordinary vampire. Descended from a bloodline as old as Cleopatra, and blessed with unearthly powers of seduction, he is everything Sheree wished for—and more. When he takes her in his arms, she is powerless. When he kisses her neck, she is his. But when the full moon rises—and passions flare—something is unleashed in Derek that he's never felt before. Something wild. Something dangerous. Something no vampire can control or stop. . .even for the woman he loves.

Release Date: February 4, 2014
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
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Thank you Amanda for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Amanda Ashley and her books, please visit her website.

Q+A with Skyla Dawn Cameron (Demons of Oblivion)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Skyla Dawn Cameron.  Skyla is the author of the Demons of Oblivion series (Bloodlines, Hunter, Lineage, Exhumed, and Oblivion).

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Skyla:  Pretty much as soon as I could hold a pencil.
From the moment my mother came home with me from the hospital, she would read to me, and I learned to read when I was about two and a half. Immediately I began telling stories, whether with my hundreds of Barbie dolls (all of which I still have!) or writing them down. I won several poetry contests in middle school, was an editor and writer for my high school’s newspaper later on, and pursued writing full time as soon as I graduated.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Skyla:  I was a weird kid.  Like, really weird. Sees-and-talks-to-people-who-aren’t-there weird. I was also allowed to watch anything (my favourite show when I was seven was David Lynch’s Twin Peaks). I’ve basically had a paranormal bent to my work for as long as I can remember.
As an adult, I’d say paranormal—like a lot of genre fiction—gives us a lens through which we see and experience the truth in a way reality doesn’t. My favourite show continues to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even so many years after it’s been off the air, and one of the reasons was how masterfully Whedon showed emotional truth in the fantastical.

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

Skyla:  Who says I don’t have any supernatural talents? ;-)
Honestly, I’m simple sort of girl: I like the powers of a witch. Cursing is big in my family.

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

Skyla:  I think the thing that makes this series a tough sell is also its greatest strength, which is the diverse cast of characters.
I imagine for a reader it could be a challenge going from narrator to narrator in the first three books—which are tied together but could be read as standalones—as it took a bit of an adjustment for me to write them. A narcissist vampire assassin to a demon-hunting nun to a socipathic quarter-demon mercenary? Yeah. Whiplash. But I strove with each book to give damn near every reader someone to root for, from the truly violent characters to the softer ones, so that if you’re thinking “Yeah, the nun main character really isn’t working for me”, there would still be someone snarky on the sidelines to bring a bit of fun. Once the full cast is assembled for the latter part of Lineage (book three) and for the entirety of Exhumed (book four), I think the diverse variety of characters previously introduced come together as a strong ensemble and play well off of one another.

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

Skyla:  The Demons of Oblivion series has a rather large cast of characters—the first three books alternate narrators (look, I get bored a lot, okay?)—which should mean a huge list here of potential actors but I’ve always been at a loss for a few of them.
While she doesn’t look exactly like Zara Lain, Sasha Barrese as the demon bartender Casey in the show Supernatural makes a very strong contender. Tall, hot, and kickass, just give her blue eyes and make her a vampire assassin.
Henry Cavill would make a good, very pretty warlock Nate O’Connor. Mmm, sexy brooding...
If we’re talking contemporary actors, I’d like to see what Megumi Okina could do with my sociopathic merc Peri Takata. (If I’m not limited to contemporary, you can’t go wrong with Meiko Kaji.)
For Nicolette, a tall pacifist vampire with a sunny disposition, picture Jenna Elfman from her Dharma and Greg days.
The witch Mishka Thiering would be Amanda Seyfried, who could do both vulnerable and manipulative witch wonderfully.
The characters from Hunter present the largest challenge for me, however I just saw the latest ep of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. the other night and I was quite taken with Pascale Armand. She has both a strength and vulnerability that would fit Ryann.
The psychic, Elliot Rhys, also has a very specific look I always drew a blank on but I actually think Fran Kranz (of Dollhouse, Cabin in the Woods, and Much Ado About Nothing fame) could pull that character off well even if he looks nothing like him.

Bloodlines (Demons of Oblivion #1) by Skyla Dawn Cameron.

After three hundred years of unlife, vampire Zara Lain has seemingly done it all, and she's now making a living as a successful thief-turned-assassin. Her newest assignment seems simple enough--kill the aging leader of the O'Connor Coven and his only heir, and she'll have another ten million in the bank.But in the dangerous world of the supernatural, few things are ever "simple."When a massive assault decimates the continent's population of powerful witches and warlocks, and its orchestrator has vampires being hunted down and captured, Zara realizes the tables have turned and now she'll be playing the hero. Forced to join with a smart-mouthed fellow vampire, a demonologist who's also a fan of hers, a recently widowed--and frequently brooding--warlock, and her best friend's mom, Zara's grudgingly willing to do what she can to save the day.If only people would stop ruining all her outfits...

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

To learn more about Skyla Dawn Cameron and her books, please visit her website.

As a special treat, Bloodlines is free for Kindle October 28th - November 1st!

Q+A with M.L. Brennan (Generation V)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author M.L. Brennan.  M.L. is the author of Generation V.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

ML:  Writing is always something that I’ve really enjoyed, going all the way back to a very young age. I remember that creative writing assignments were always something that I looked forward to in school, and that I always found them extremely easy (which, of course, is a very pleasurable thing for most students). I liked creating imaginary worlds and situations, and I always got As with very little effort. In high school I also dabbled with fanfiction – which was a fun offshoot of my enjoyment of a few TV fandoms.

But in terms of serious writing, I don’t think back on myself as a writer until I was in college. That was when I started really studying writing and pushing my own work as hard as I could. I also began working in short stories, and I was a senior in college when my first short story was accepted for publication in a literary journal. That was when I started really considering myself a writer.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

ML:  I think all the blame for this goes to my brother. He’s two years older than I am, so when I was young a lot of the books that I was interested in reading were the ones that he had – pretty classic younger sibling, I guess. I read Ender’s Game because he lent me his copy, I read his Star Trek novels, I read his Star Wars books, and the entire Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.

Our tastes started diverging around high school. He became more interested in very hard sci-fi (and by “hard” I mean in the hard/soft sense of technological/sociological focused sci-fi), while I went more into the fantasy direction with the Forgotten Realms books and Ravenloft. Then at one point I picked up a copy of Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks and became absolutely enraptured with the idea of monsters in the big city. So when it really crossed my mind that I wanted to write a speculative novel, I really gravitated toward urban fantasy.

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

ML:  I’d probably choose to be a shapeshifter. I like the idea of being able to see the world through different eyes and experience a heightened range of senses – plus, I’d finally get to understand why dogs always look so happy when they stick their heads out of car windows!

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

ML:  I think readers will really enjoy Generation V because it is the start of a series where I do two things. First, I take vampires a bit back toward their roots – these aren’t a group of misunderstood guys who just want to date high school girls, these are monsters who view humans as a food source. They don’t have feelings or empathy for humans. Secondly, I also changed my vampires around on a fundamental biological level – instead of vampires in this series being undead humans who are changed through a simple blood exchange and then do not age and live forever (can we say population control problem?) I made vampires into a completely separate species. These aren’t humans, and they never were humans – they are a species with long but finite life span and a very complicated and difficult reproductive cycle.

Also in my series is an idea that is based on crocodiles – a grown crocodile is one of the most badass animals in its environment, and no one is going to mess with it. But a baby crocodile is pretty much everything’s idea of dinner. My vampires gain strength and power as they get older – but my protagonist, Fortitude Scott, is a young vampire. He’s in his late twenties, and in terms of power, he’s basically on the level of a regular human. So while his older siblings might make everyone else wet their pants in fear, Fort can get beaten up by just about everything. To me that made him a much more interesting character – nothing bores me faster than a book where the main character is the strongest, fastest, most super-magical creature there. It’s obvious at the start of every conflict that this character is going to win pretty easily. Fort, though, is constantly outclassed by everyone he comes across – to get what he wants he has to outsmart his opponents, or find and make allies, rather than just getting into a fistfight.

Finally, I’m also bringing in myths and ideas that come from outside the usual pool of urban fantasy sources. My secondary character in the book is Suzume, a Japanese kitsune. This is a fascinating myth about a fox who can turn into a woman, and who can be either a trickster or a helpful character in old stories. I really incorporated that idea of a trickster when I was making her character, and I had so much fun writing her and the scenes that she’s in.

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

ML:  I’ve never really used movie characters as models for primary characters – it’s not how I think of Fort or Suzume, and I’m not sure I’d be comfortable even naming off a few actors, since I worry that that might lock me into something. But I do enjoy using this to help when I’m writing characters who appear less often. Fortitude’s mother, a very powerful, ancient, and dangerous vampire who presents a deceptively sweet and grandmotherly appearance would be best played by Betty White. I have a suspicious human private investigator sniffing around the edges of the story named Matt McMahon, and Jason Beghe (who played Mike Royce in Castle) was always the person who I used as a model.

Generation V (American Vampire #1) by M.L. Brennan.

Reality Bites.

Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.

But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can't ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.

But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…

Release Date: May 7, 2013

Thank you M.L. for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about M.L. Brennan and his books, please visit his website.

Q+A with Pamela Palmer (A Kiss of Blood)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Pamela Palmer.  Pamela is the author of the Feral Warriors series (Desire Untamed, Obsession Untamed, Passion Untamed, Hearts Untamed, Rapture Untamed, Hunger Untamed, Ecstasy Untamed, A Love Untamed), the Esri series (The Dark Gate, Dark Deceiver, A Warrior's Desire, Warrior Rising), and the Vamp City series (A Blood Seduction, A Kiss of Blood).

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Pamela:  When my youngest was in pre-school. I'd made an attempt at writing a book soon after college, but after the first chapter, I had no idea what to do. I didn't know there was such a thing as classic story structure, let alone know how to find it. What drove me to try again was a daydream that got too big to keep in my head. I started typing it on the computer and managed to get three chapters down before I hit that 'I don't know what to do, now' wall. Fortunately, a brand new library had just opened a few blocks away and as I strolled the aisles, I discovered an entire section of books on how to write. For the first time, I saw the things I didn't know: story arcs, plot points, turning points, character arcs, black moments, and realized I could learn them all. The rest, as they say, is history.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Pamela:  I fell in love with Star Trek when I was ten and never looked back.

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

Pamela:  I would love, love, love to be able to fly under my own power. So I'd probably choose to be a broom-driving witch, or a bird shifter, or even Superman.

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

Pamela:  In A Kiss of Blood, book 2 in the story of Quinn Lennox and vampire Arturo Mazza, more is revealed, the stakes become higher, as Arturo begins to realize that he's no longer the male he used to be, that something's damaged his conscience, and what. As Quinn starts to come into her sorcerer's power, and Arturo becomes determined to protect her, the dynamic between the pair changes dramatically.

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

Pamela:  Hmm, I'm not very good at choosing actors and actresses--I rarely know who plays what. But I love Julia Stiles and I think she'd make an awesome Quinn. For Arturo, maybe Ian Somerhalder. Arturo's friend, Kassius, would be Joe Manganiello (Alcide on True Blood) all the way. He was my inspiration for the character of Kassius, a werevamp.

A Kiss of Blood (Vamp City #2) by Pamela Palmer.

ONLY ONE WOMAN CAN SAVE VAMP CITY

One of the few humans who managed to escape the deadly twilight world of Vamp City, Quinn Lennox vows to never return. But the vampires want her back, for only she has the power to renew the magic of their crumbling world--and free the vampires trapped within.

When the handsome, dangerous, and all too seductive Arturo Mazza comes for her, Quinn knows she can never trust him after the betrayal she suffered at his hands. But with her beloved brother's fate hanging in the balance, and her own power beginning to emerge, she chooses to risk all on yet another perilous journey back to Vamp City. And though she tries to deny it, her heart begins to hold hope that even a ruthless vampire can learn the meaning of true love….

Release Date: June 25, 2013.

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

To learn more about Pamela Palmer and her books, please visit her website.