Friday, March 18, 2011

Indie Authors Relief: Raising Funds for Japan







Indie Authors Relief is raising money for Red Cross International to provide assistance in the wake of the Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster.  We have auctions going on now with fab items up for grabs.  Check out all of our auction items here

Want fun YA paranormal books and swag?  Check out E.J.'s auction (#2: Spirit Storm Tote Bag Full of Goodies by E. J. STEVENS ) for a Spirit Storm tote bag stuffed with signed copies of She Smells the Dead and Spirit Storm, the first two books in E.J. Stevens' YA paranormal series, an "I Smell Dead People" t-shirt (size XL), Spirit Guide series bookmarks, postcards, and Romance Trading Cards - packs of 5 full-color cards each for She Smells the Dead and Spirit Storm.  Auction ends 3/20 at midnight EST.

A HUGE thank you to all who participate. xx

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Guest Author Interview: Ramona Wray












Please welcome today's guest author Ramona Wray!  Ramona is the author of Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Ramona: 
I started keeping a journal as I turned six, but I don’t know if that counts as “writing”. I can’t really remember when I sat down and wrote my first story - I must’ve been eight, or so. Writing is something I always did; it’s kind of hard to say when it began.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Ramona: 
I was brought up by my grandparents, which was awesome because they were both very talented storytellers. With my country’s rich folklore, virtually every bedtime story I can remember kept to the supernatural. It was my grandparents’ favorite genre, too. So I grew up listening to these fantastic tales and trying to imagine the characters featured in them. No wonder I ended up writing paranormal fiction.

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

Ramona: 
I’ve said it before - I’d like to be able to read really fast - as in, glance at a page and instantly learn the whole content. This is because, although I’m a fast reader, I never get enough time to read as much as I’d like.

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

Ramona:
  Hex is an easy story - in the sense that it has been written to entertain. The language is very relaxed, the mythology behind - easy to follow, and there are enough twists and turns to keep a reader turning the pages. Not to mention the boys :-) I’m banking on the two male protagonists to elicit a few sighs here and there from the female readership.

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

Ramona: 
Ah, the second trickiest question in the world :-) I think I’ll leave it up to the readers to imagine it. I’m sure every person who picks up Hex will visualize the three major characters somewhat differently. To give them famous faces would be to interfere with that. So rather than sharing mine, I’ll leave the readers to do their own fantasizing ;-)






















Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by Ramona Wray.

Like most girls at Rosemound High School, seventeen-year-old Lily Crane is acutely aware of Ryder Kingscott. Hands down the cutest guy in school, Ryder is cool, mysterious, and utterly untouchable…especially for Lily. For when she touches someone, Lily instantly learns all about their lives. And while such a skill might seem nifty, in truth it is wrecking Lily’s life. So she is shocked when Ryder asks her out — and even more shocked to discover he has a rival. Lucian Bell is the gorgeous new kid who can’t take his eyes off of Lily. Being pursued by two hotties should make a girl happy, but Lily is skeptical. The boys act as if they’ve met before, hating each other with a passion that could only be rooted in a dark, dangerous past. A past full of terrible secrets. The kind of secrets that could get a girl killed.


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

To learn more about Ramona Wray and her books, please visit her website.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Shadows of Myth and Legend Book Birthday Giveaway

Happy One Year Book Birthday to Shadows of Myth and Legend!  My collection of paranormal poetry Shadows of Myth and Legend released one year ago this month and I am celebrating with a giveaway.


















Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens.

"Filled with poems about vampires, demons and other creatures of the night."
-Melissa, Books R US

"I just want to sit back and enjoy the flow of the words, the haunting world of myth and legend, of paranormal creatures and beasts of times long gone that Stevens has immortalized in the written word.  And enjoy it I did."
-Roxanne, Fang-tastic Books

"The author has beautiful poetry featuring wolves, vampires, fae, gnomes, zombie's, unicorns, sirens, reapers and more. Each poem is wonderfully written and has a dark feel to each one."
-Amy, My Overstuffed Bookshelf

"I recommend this delectably dark book to every one!"
-Freda, Freda's Voice

"Each poem found within this book recounts a vivid story which at times can be dark, haunting, disturbing and yet beautiful in its own individual way."
-Calum, The Secret Writer

"Shadows of Myth and Legend is a lyrical and spooky collection that will appeal to anyone with a penchant for eerily beautiful things."
-Pirate Penguin, Pirate Penguin Reads

"E.J. Stevens’ Shadows of Myth and Legend is a fascinating collection of short, powerful poems that thrill, chill and delight."
-Andrew Valentine, author of Bitter Things























**Shadows of Myth and Legend Giveaway**

One US winner will receive a signed copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend a SoM+L magnet and bookmarks.  One International winner will receive an ebook copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend.
To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  One prize pack is for US mailing addresses only and one prize is international (please see details above).  Giveaway ends March 31st midnight EST.