E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 16

Last week, I had the pleasure of a being a guest at Boskone 53 in Boston.  Here are some of the highlights.

PANELS
Panels, panels, panels!  Here are my top three panels from Boskone 53 in no particular order.


The Ripper panel with Dana Cameron, Christopher Golden, Leigh Perry, Christie Meierz was ghoulish, and ghastly, and absolutely delightful. 

Dating 101 in Urban Fantasy with Darlene Marshall, Lauren Roy, Max Gladstone, and Charles Stross was fun...even if Charlie Stross did give me a nasty case of the plague. 

Dark Fairy Tales with John Langan, Jack M. Haringa, Hillary Monahan, and James Moore explored the darker, non-Disneyfied side of fairy tales.  Thought provoking and fun panel with a great lineup of panelists.

DEALER ROOM
I helped with the Broad Universe table in the dealer's room on Friday, and had a great time meeting members and talking books.  Broad Universe promotes women in speculative fiction.  You can learn more about Broad Universe on their website.

AUTOGRAPHING
My autographing hour was early Saturday morning, so I was incredibly grateful for all of the readers who came out for this event and to John Langan who shared the hour. 


BOOK PARTY
Thank you to everyone who came out for the Boskone Book Party and visited my table.  It was wonderful sharing my new books with you all!


BOSKONE 53

I met so many amazing readers, authors, artists, and publishing professionals at Boskone 53.  Special thanks to Larissa Glasser, Dana Cameron, Christopher Golden, James Moore, and John Langan for such a fun weekend. 

Additional thanks to Erin Underwood and the Boskone staff and volunteers for their hard work.  You put together a fantastic con!


I was also impressed with the convention hotel.  Thank you to the wonderful staff in the restaurant pub for having yummy vegetarian options.  Boston has no shortage of restaurants, but it is wonderful to have healthy choices at the hotel while on tour.

BOSKONE 54
Considering attending Boskone 54?  Boskone is scheduled for February 17-19, 2017 (Presidents Day Weekend) and includes guest of honor Brandon Sanderson.  You can still get the early bird rate for your Boskone 54 convention membership through the end of February.

Today we have a special book giveaway for our readers.  We are giving away a signed copy of GRUDGING by Michelle Hauck!


Grudging (Birth of Saints #1) by Michelle Hauck.

A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything.

The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.

On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.

The Women of the Song.

But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power. And time is running out.

A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.

Release Date: November 17, 2015
Add to Goodreads.

Grudging Book Giveaway
Win a signed mass market paperback copy of Grudging by Michelle Hauck.

To enter, leave a comment on this post.  Please include your email address so we may contact you if you win.  This giveaway is open to mailing addresses in he US and Canada.  Giveaway ends March 2, 2016 midnight EST.

Please welcome today's guest author Khai L. Bayne.  Khai is author of the Indebted adult paranormal romance series, including A SIN FROM ASHES.

Q+A with Khai Bayne
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Khai:  I've been writing since as long as I can remember. It started out as poetry, and short stories, but one day I decided that I wanted to try something a bit more challenging... and here we are 2 years and a LOT more grey hairs later... I have 3 books out an one on the way.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Khai:  I am the byproduct of a Trekkie and Star Wars Junkie... I tell people all the time that Paranormal and Sci-Fi are in my DNA.

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

Khai:  There are too many awesome things out there to dream about being. I've thought about being everything from a werepanther to a dragon. I change my mind a lot depending on mood. So I would say today, after my day at work I'd want to be a dragon.

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

Khai:  My stories are paranormal, but it is not totally in your face. I research different mythologies and customs so that I can make my characters interesting and not run of the mill. Plus with my style of writing, you can "see" what's happening as you read it because when I write I want it to seems like you are mentally journeying through a movie.

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

Khai:  This would be hard for me... I've always said that I wanted my books to be on a TV show broadcast by BBC so I wouldn't have to deal with censoring. As far as the "People" I would use that is hard because I don't use famous people for my muses. If I could I would try to get the people who I used their pics for inspiration cast as my characters.

Thank you Khai for joining us here at From the Shadows.
A Sin from Ashes (Indebted #1) by Khai L. Bayne



Release Date: April 2014
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Add to Goodreads.

Have a question for Khai? Ask away in the comment section (PG-13 questions please) below.

I am excited to reveal the cover for HOUND'S BITE, the fifth full-length novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.  We also have a giveaway and a sneak peek book excerpt to share!

Cover Reveal: Hound's Bite

Hound's Bite (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #5) by E.J. Stevens

Ivy Granger thought she left the worst of Mab's creations behind when she escaped Faerie.  She thought wrong.

In a cruel twist of fate, Ivy has unleashed a powerful horde of Unseelie beasts upon her city, turning her homecoming into a potential slaughter of innocents.  Now Ivy must gather her allies to fight a reputedly unstoppable force—The Wild Hunt.

Will the training Ivy received in her father's court be enough to save her city, or will Harborsmouth be forced to kneel before the Lord of the Hunt?  She is willing risk her own life, but some sacrifices come at a cost worse than death.  When an ally is bitten by one of The Wild Hunt's hounds, Ivy must face the possibility that winning this battle may mean killing the one person she has come to love most.

Release Date: July 12, 2016
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

Ivy Granger World
Books in this series: Shadow Sight, Blood and Mistletoe, Ghost Light, Club Nexus, Burning Bright, Birthright.
Books in the Hunters' Guild spin-off series: Hunting in Bruges.
Reading order can be found on the Ivy Granger World Complete Goodreads page.

Hound's Bite Book Excerpt
     “Are you saying we should run?” I asked, eyebrows raised.  “Because you should know me better than that.”
     “What he’s saying, Princess is that you woke up something too big for the three of us to defeat alone,” Torn said.
     That made me pause.  We’d fought faerie queens, pyro demons, a lovesick necromancer, and a psychotic lamia, to name a few.  I may not have come through those battles unscathed, or with all my guts still on the inside, but with my friends at my side, and a new arsenal of wisp powers at my fingertips, I felt nearly invincible.
     I looked to Ceff, hoping he’d grab his trident and join me for some quick monster cleanup.  I may not be on the clock for this one, but I didn’t let hungry fae prowl the streets of Harborsmouth.  And if Torn was right, I’d somehow let this one follow us out of Faerie.  No way was I turning tail, no matter how tired I was.
     But Ceff didn’t reach for his weapons.
     “We need allies,” he said.
     “And larger weapons,” Torn said, with a wink.
     The cat sidhe looked excited, which was a clue that I wasn’t going to like the answer to my next question.
     “And what monster do we need to gather our allies and weapons against?” I asked.
     “Haven’t you guessed yet, Princess?” Torn asked, eyes gleaming.  “We’re not just facing one howling beast.”
     Ceff turned to me, closing the space between us.  In the moonlight, I could see my reflection in the dark pools of his kelpie eyes—eyes that were tight with worry.
     “What are they?” I asked.
     Ceff’s voice was low and reverent, and tinged with the taint of fear.
     “The Wild Hunt.”

Hound's Bite Cover Reveal Giveaway
To celebrate the Hound's Bite cover reveal, we are giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card!


To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends February 23, 2016 midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
What do you think of the cover?
Haven't started reading this series?  You're in luck!  SHADOW SIGHT, the first novel in the Ivy Granger series, is FREE this month on Amazon.com, Amazon.CA, and Amazon.UK.

Download the First Ivy Granger Novel Free
Grab your free copy of Shadow Sight and enter the award-winning urban fantasy world of Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective.

Congratulations Anne the winner of The Magician Cover Reveal Giveaway !  Anne will receive a signed cover art postcard and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!


Thank you to all who entered.  I received some fabulous feedback on this cover.  I'm so glad you all like it.

More Dark Arcana series info coming soon!

**Winner selected randomly using Rafflecopter**

Please welcome today's guest author Lauren Smith!  Lauren is the author of the Love Bites vampire romance series, including her new release THE BITE OF WINTER.

Q+A with Lauren Smith
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Lauren:  I started writing when I was in the third grade. After watching Leo DiCaprio die in the movie Titanic, I went on a grand quest to re-write the ending so Leo wouldn’t die. Right then and there, I should have known I wanted to write romances. But I took a 20 year de-tour and started writing epic fantasy novels first. I’ve been writing ever since!

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Lauren:  I love ghosts, vampires, shifters, werewolves, and spooky things of any kind! I’m that person on the block who during Halloween does the entire interior of the house as though a Victorian vampire lives there, not a boring 29 year old lawyer. There’s something about the dusty, cob-webbed, candlelit feel of a haunted house that gets me inspired. I believe in ghosts and believe in things we cannot see or understand and I suppose that has always brought me back to the paranormal genre because it gives me a chance to explore plots where say…vampires are real! *wink

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

Lauren:  Animal shape-shifting. Definitely shapeshifting. There would be so many amazing things I could explore and experience if I could shift into any animal.

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

Lauren:  My new release is called The Bite of Winter. It’s a hauntingly sweet tale of two century-old Irish vampires Ian and Connor who are best friends and yet their relationship is strained because they lost the true mate they shared when she was murdered 80 years ago. When Ian brings home a helpless, homeless, Zoey, a young college age girl who needs their help, she tempts both the vampires back into love and life with her. I think what’s great about this book is that it’s not just hot and sexy, it’s powerful and emotional. It’s about the redemption of souls and the quest for true happiness through love. And it’s fun to picture yourself as lucky Zoey who gets not one hunky vampire in her bed, but two!

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

Lauren:  Jennifer Lawrence would definitely be Zoey, she’s curvy and beautiful in a subtle sort of way. Ian would be played by Liam Hemsworth. He’s got that tall graceful charm and sweetness, but also a sexy irresistible side. Mike Vogel would be the perfect, rough and tumble Connor who’s ready to seduce you right out of your clothes.

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

The Bite of Winter (Love Bites #1) by Lauren Smith.

She is theirs to claim. They are hers to save.

Zoey Blake is about as far down on her luck as she can get. A car crash took her parents, leaving her destitute and on the street. When she’s attacked by another homeless person, her lifeblood drains away as her fading vision is filled with the face of a handsome stranger.

Ian Kennedy, a century old Irish vampire, never could resist rescuing a stray. As a few drops of his blood heals Zoey’s wounds, he realizes she’s a sweet, tempting, flesh-and-blood woman. But there’s one problem. Connor, who made Ian promise decades ago: no more mortal lovers.

After another vampire murdered his soulmate, Connor O’Shea swore never to let amortal woman pay the price for loving him. Until he feels Zoey’s skin and tastes her lips. She makes him want to break that vow.

Zoey finds herself caught in their web of seduction. But as Christmas draws near and her grief deepens, happiness seems far out of reach. And Ian and Connor join forces to prove their love is sacred, special… and forever.
Release Date: November 24, 2015
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Add to Goodreads.

To learn more about Lauren Smith and her books, please visit her website.  Have a question for Lauren?  Let us know in the comments below.  We love comments!

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)

Nominate Your Favorite Science Fiction/Fantasy of 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?

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**

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.


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!

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 #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!


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?