E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 18

It's the holidays, and we are giving away free books!

Fated Dates Book Giveaway
We are giving away an ebook copy of FATED DATES, the first book in the Fated Date Agency paranormal romance series by Abraham Steele.


Fated Dates (Fated Date Agency #1) by Abraham Steele.

Bryant had always known that Cade was straight. After years of crushing on his best friend, the bookish young omega was ready to move on. Cade would never be interested in him like that. It was time to move on - time for Bryant to get matched by the Fated Date Agency.

The agency's response only showed Bryant how cruel fate could be. His sexy jock friend wasn't just a crush - he was the only one for him. But Cade was still straight. Bryant couldn't let him know that they were fated mates.

And yet... he couldn't let him go.

Genre: M/M Paranormal Romance
Add to Goodreads.

To enter, please leave a comment below.  This giveaway is 18+ and is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends January 11, 2016 midnight EST.

Happy holidays!

Congratulations Lysa J. the winner of the Shattered Lives Series Ebook Giveaway here at From the Shadows!  Lysa will receive one ebook from the Shattered Lives series (Broken Dreams, Fractured Hearts, Awakened Desires) by Rissa Blakeley.



Thank you to all who entered.  I enjoyed reading your creative ideas of how you would survive a zombie apocalypse!

**Winner randomly drawn using Random.org**

I'm busy with last minute baking, so I thought I'd share a post from last Christmas. 

E.J.'s Vegan Gingerbread Recipe
This gingerbread is delicious!  And as a bonus, check the blog comments for my vegan coconut milk whipped cream recipe! YUM NUM NUM.

Happy Holidays!

BOOK BLOGGERS: There is still time to sign up for the cover reveals for my 2016 releases.

I am organizing two cover reveals, one for THE MAGICIAN, the debut novel in the upcoming Dark Arcana urban fantasy series January 19th, and one for HOUND'S BITE, the fifth full-length novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series on February 9th.  The sign-up form will include opportunities to sign up for either or both cover reveals. Each cover reveal will come with cover art, book blurb, a Rafflecopter giveaway, and optional easy to copy and paste HTML for the post.

THE MAGICIAN Cover Reveal
The Magician Cover Reveal and giveaway is scheduled for Tuesday, January 19, 2016.  Giveaway is international and will run from January 19 to February 2.  Winner will receive a signed THE MAGICIAN postcard and a $10 Amazon Gift Card.  An email with the Rafflecopter giveaway link, media kit, book cover art, and optional HTML for the blog post will be sent to all participants January 5th.

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.

Cover Reveal: January 19, 2016
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Cover art is by digital artist Ruxandra Tudorica of Methyss Design.

HOUND'S BITE Cover Reveal
The Hound's Bite Cover Reveal and giveaway is scheduled for Tuesday, February 9, 2016.  Giveaway is international and will run from February 9 to February 23.  Winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card.  An email with the Rafflecopter giveaway link, media kit, book cover art, and optional HTML for the blog post will be sent to all participants January 26th.

Hound's Bite (Ivy Granger #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.

Cover Reveal: February 9, 2016
Release Date: July 12, 2016
Cover art will be consistent with previous books in the Ivy Granger series.

Click Here to Sign Up!

It's the holidays and we are celebrating here at From the Shadows with book giveaways.  Who doesn't love free books?

Daybreak Ebook Giveaway
We are giving away 3 ebook copies of DAYBREAK, the first book in The Girl from the Stars science fiction series by Cheree Alsop.


Daybreak (The Girl from the Stars #1) by Cheree Alsop.

Liora Day, half-human, half-mess with her and you’ll die Damaclan, had been thrown onto a rough path at a very early age. But when she is broken out of a cage by Devren, the young captain of the SS Kratos, she is shown that perhaps humanity does have a heart. The Kratos is set on a mission to rescue fallen surveyors from the Revolutionaries, and Liora is given the choice to follow her Damaclan instincts, or trust Devren’s dark eyes and captivating smile that promise an adventure unlike any she has ever experienced.

Genre: Science Fiction
Add to Goodreads.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address so we may contact you if you win.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Ebooks will be gifted through Smashwords.  Giveaway ends January 5, 2016 midnight EST.

Happy Holidays!

Congratulations C and Stephanie B. the winners of the Beyond the Pool of Stars Book Giveaway here at From the Shadows!  C and Stephanie will both receive trade paperback copies of Beyond the Pool of Stars by Howard Andrew Jones.



Thank you to all who entered.

**Winners were randomly drawn using Random.org**

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.

The SHADOW SIGHT and BLOOD AND MISTLETOE Black Friday and Cyber Monday 99 cent Kindle deals have been extended, but they are ending soon.

Shadow Sight 99 Cent Deal
For a limited time grab a Kindle copy of SHADOW SIGHT, the first novel in the award-winning IVY GRANGER urban fantasy series, for $0.99/£0.99!

But that's not all. If you purchase a Kindle copy, the Audiobook is just $1.99. That is only $2.98 for the Kindle AND the Audiobook!



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

Shadow Sight is the winner of the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Paranormal Fantasy Novel and nominated for Best Urban Fantasy Series. Birthright, the newest book in the Ivy Granger series, has been nominated for Best Book in the 2015 BTS Red Carpet Book Awards.

Amazon Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Regular Price: $3.99
Sale Price: $0.99

Blood and Mistletoe 99 Cent Deal
A perfect holiday read at a great price...


Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #1.5) by E.J. Stevens

Holidays are Hell, a point driven home when a demon brings psychic detective Ivy Granger a case involving the bloody murders five Harborsmouth residents.  The victims are all fae, and each crime scene contains a disturbing clue—a piece of mistletoe floating in a pool of the victim's blood.

The holidays will never be the same again.

Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Regular Price: $2.99
Sale Price: $0.99

These deals end 12/16 midnight EST.  

Need a post-apocalyptic, new adult, zombie romance series to snuggle up with over the holidays?  We have you covered!


Broken Dreams (Shattered Lives #1) by Rissa Blakeley

Elaina Cooper’s world was turned upside down on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. She was about to marry Henry Daniels, the man of her dreams -- or so she thought. Just as she was to walk down the aisle, screams pierced the air.

In the days that followed, questions lingered in Elaina’s mind. Why did Henry seem to know so much about what was happening? And why did she feel like he was keeping secrets from her? Henry knew that his haunted past would eventually catch up to him…in more ways than one. Through all of this, he must face his demons, and Elaina must decide whether she can accept who he is. Henry is determined to fight to the very end to make their sexy, mercurial relationship work no matter what staggers in their path.

Along with their ragtag band of survivors, they must travel south to face Henry’s fears. There will be joys and loss but, in the end, is love enough to hold them together?

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Apocalyptic, Zombies, New Adult
Add to Goodreads.

Shattered Lives Series Ebook Giveaway
We are giving away one ebook from the Shattered Lives series (Broken Dreams, Fractured Hearts, Awakened Desires) by Rissa Blakeley.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post and include your email address so we may contact you if you win.  This giveaway is 18+ and is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends December 24, 2015 midnight EST.

What would you grab during a zombie apocalypse?

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

This week's stop is Soul's Harbor and our special guide is Angela Dennis author of the Soul's Harbor Pride series, including DANCE WITH THE DEVIL.

Soul's Harbor's Top 5 Spooky Places
Soul’s Harbor is a small island off the coast of South Carolina and it is crawling with lion shifters. Among the North American Prides, Soul’s Harbor is known for its violent history and somewhat unstable inhabitants. But even before the Pride took over the land, local folklore was filled with tales of ghost sightings and other strange happenings. As for haunted places—they’re all over—but here are the top five.

Winter Plantation – When Reginald Winter was appointed Alpha of his own Pride, he took the monetary allowance given to him by the Conclave and, combining it with his own familial inheritance, bought the island of Soul’s Harbor.  His first project was to restore the Civil War era plantation house back to its original splendour. But the more he worked, the more the house seemed to resist. Contractors and carpenters began to report hearing screams and having to avoid flying objects. But even when three workers fell to their deaths from the roof, Reginald refused to stop. The house was eventually rebuilt, but the stories of its supernatural inhabitants continued to escalate, culminating in the death of his wife. Refusing to accept the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death, Reginald blamed it on his first enforcer and rival, Anthony.  This decision led to the destruction of the Pride and bloody feud which would destroy the sanity of both men.

Fort Espy – Long before the Pride came to Soul’s Harbor, it was a military base. Confederate soldiers occupied the island, securing the coast for trade. Unbeknownst to their commanders, several of the soldiers were also using the Fort as a base for bootlegging moonshine.  They had a hidden still in the underground caverns. One night after imbibing too much of their own product, one of the soldiers thought he saw a Union soldier in the caverns. He fired his weapon, igniting the still.  The fire spread through the caverns to the Fort and fifteen men perished. Rumor has it you can still see the drunken soldier wandering the ruins, drinking his moonshine and mourning the loss.

Caverns beneath the Winter Plantation – When he brought the Pride to Soul’s Harbor, Reginald was faced with a dilemma. Many of his lions didn’t feel comfortable shifting in the open without a secure compound where they would be protected from human detection. So Reginald created a series of underground tunnels where his Pride could shift without fear of detection. Years later when his daughter, Jillian, returned to the Pride she came across the body of a lioness in the caverns. Murdered, her body ravaged beyond recognition, she was never identified and was buried in an unmarked grave in the woods. It is said her spirit still wanders the tunnels trying to find its way home.

Lester’s Cove – Named after an infamous ship captain, Lester’s Cover is known for its flickering lights, ghostly apparitions, and enormous ghost ship. Legend has it that Captain Lester was travelling down the coast of South Carolina when he came upon a pirate ship smuggling goods off the island. Steering his vessel toward them, Captain Lester opened fire, killing several men, but doing little damage to the other ship. Irate, the pirates set out after him, boarding the civilian captain’s ship and running it aground in the cove...after killing everyone a board.  Lester’s spirit still wanders the cove taking out his revenge on everyone he meets.

Clear Creek Chapel – Located in the ruins of Fort Espsy, Clear Creek Chapel was both a place of refuge for the soldiers and a clandestine meeting place for lovers. In the early years of the war, Elizabeth Sinclair, the daughter of the local plantation owner, fell in love with a confederate soldier stationed at Fort Espy.  When she found herself pregnant, she convinced her lover to flee with her to the North. The night they had planned to meet, she waited for him in the chapel until sunrise, but he never came. At dawn she left the chapel heartbroken. As she stepped onto the porch of her family’s plantation house, she heard a gun discharge in the distance. Unbeknownst to the young lovers, Elizabeth’s father had discovered their plan and shared that knowledge with her lover’s commanding officers. Elizabeth’s young lover was jailed and executed for treason that very night. Legend has it his spirit wanders the chapel, waiting for his lover and child.

Thank you Angela for giving us such a haunting tour of Soul's Harbor! 
To learn more about Angela Dennis and her books, please visit her website.  You can add Dance with the Devil here on Goodreads.


What did you think of Rachel's picks for spooky places?
On our last Paranormal Road Trip we visited Inner Sea with Howard Andrew Jones.  Next week we'll be traveling to South Carolina with Jay Wilburn.

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