E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 19

Please welcome today's guest author, E.A. Weston!  E.A. (aka Elizabeth Kelly) is the author the Blackrock series, the Avalon series, and Lupo Legacy series.

Q+A with E.A. Weston
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

EA:  I began writing poetry when I was a teenager, where I entered a competition and won a place in a book of anthologies. I used to write songs a lot but did start my writing career until November 2013, after I saw a news story about cyber bullying I couldn’t get it out of my head, which lead me to write my first book.

I wrote my first book Scarred Hearts, which is part of the Blackrock series, in three weeks. It was self published in January 2014 and I haven’t looked back since ;)

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

EA:  I enjoy reading paranormal books and wanted to write in this genre for along time. I began reading Barbra Erskine books by accident while I was on my lunch break years ago. She writes time slip and ghost stories with historical events mixed in. I always found her books interesting and often wanted to emerge myself in her worlds.

My first Paranormal book, Killian, took me about six months to write because I wanted it to be perfect and I was also writing the Blackrock series at the same time. Killian is one of two series’ that I have always wanted to write it is set in the fictional world of Avalon in the fairy realm.  Once I have my fairy series complete I will move on to my other project (may already have notes upon notes written).

The other paranormal series that I have written is called the Lupo Legacy series. This series is written like a TV show, with six episodes released in 2014 and another six coming in November / December 2015. This is my werewolf shifter romance that follows a family of werewolves that come from an ancient royal bloodline of Italian wolves. Emery is 19 when we meet her but doesn’t know that she has a spirit wolf living inside of her until number of circumstances for the change on her. She has many trials not only in love but in dealing with what she now is.

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

EA:  I think I would have to be a fairy. I love the mystery that surrounds them and the of course the magic! Where could you go wrong, you even get wings!!

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

EA:  My upcoming release is season 2 of Lupo Legacy. It begins just where season 1 left off with Emery forced into hiding to protect what she is. Asher and his wolf are missing their mate and he is trying to solve the mystery of where she went and how he can find her, but a series of threats are made against her life, which has him feeling useless in the fight against the unknown.

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

EA:  Oh wow that is hard. I honestly have no idea who I would cast in any of my books. My characters are so diverse and they are all made up with no ‘real life’ person in mind when I develop them. But if anyone has any ideas I’ll gladly listen.

Thank you E.A. for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

Bite Me (Lupo Legacy #1) by E.A. Weston.

Emery Whitechurch is in love, in love with her best friend of thirteen years, Asher Carter. He doesn’t know, but Emery holds out hope of telling him one day and having their happily ever after. When Emery’s cousin Teegan, arrives for the summer she not only brings her smart mouth but a secret so wild Emery is shocked to the core.

Episode one of Lupo Legacy - Bite me, follows Emery and Teegan as they become friends again over the summer bonding over a broken heart and the loneliness it brings. After Teegan is attacked in the woods behind their house, she spills her secret forcing Emery to rethink her whole life and what it means to be in her family.

Lupo Legacy is a serial new adult paranormal romance with twists and turns that will draw you in and keep you guessing until the last episode. There are six episodes total.

Release Date: November 2014
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
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Want to read Bite Me, the first book in the Lupo Legacy series?  You're in luck!

Bite Me (Lupo Legacy #1) is FREE now on Smashwords.
To learn more about E.A. Weston and her books, please visit her website.

Have a question for E.A.?  Ask in the comments below.  We love comments!

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

This week's stop is the Inner Sea and our special guide is Howard Andrew Jones the author of the Pathfinder Tales fantasy novel BEYOND THE POOL OF STARS.

The Inner Sea's Top 5 Spooky Places
It might seem that a fantasy world like Golarion is so rife with the supernatural that you’d trip over it around every corner, but there’s a difference between the everyday use of magics—employed much like modern folks might use cell phones or microwaves—and the eerie, spine-tingling sense that something’s afoot “man was not meant to know!” Here are five spots in and around Sargava, the breakaway colony of the demon-haunted Chelaxian Empire.

Chelish Fleet Wreckage

In Desperation Bay, off the very coast of tropical Sargava, lies the wreck of a vast fleet sent to the bottom during a long and brutal fight with pirates paid to defend the homeland. It molders still, and is said to be the home to ghosts and other troubled undead, and the lair of monsters ready to rend the flesh of explorers eager to loot the sunken treasures.

Fortress of Fangs

High in the Bandu Hills sits a lonely outpost. Fangs and horns of hundreds of great beasts are worked into its crenelated heights—nothing besides remains, save for the lonely wind, and the shattered remnants of the city the fortress must once have shielded.

Arena of Crown’s End

Crown’s End is the most unsavory settlement within Sargava, and is infamous as a home for pirates, scoundrels, and black marketeers. It’s also a minor stop in the fighting circuit of the southern coast, and its arena is built into the ruin of an ancient temple. No one seems to know what exactly was stored within the temple in ancient days, but here are dim hallways and subterranean chambers that even stalwart guards fear to enter, owing to strange noises and moans from creatures that cannot be seen.

The Stasis Fields

Deep in the highlands of Sargava intrepid explorers chanced upon a hidden labyrinth of caves. They sought a lost treasure and instead discovered what some theorize must have been a vast underground prison. Whoever set the prison in place has long since vanished, but the prisoners—all of them mighty warriors of frightening aspect—remain in stasis.  No one can say when, and if, they might return to life, and what they would do if they walked free…

Kaava Lands

Haunted both by carnivorous lizards and head-hunting boggards, the Kaava Lands are no place for the faint of heart. Yet hidden in the cool green depths are said to be ruins of great civilizations, among them a wondrous city of the lizardfolk lying beyond the Pool of Stars, a fabled lake shining in the jungle depths.

Thank you Howard for giving us such a haunting tour of Inner Sea! 
To learn more about Howard Andrew Jones and his books, please visit his website.  You can add Beyond the Pool of Stars to your TBR list here on Goodreads, and don't miss your chance to win a copy of Beyond the Pool of Stars below!


 Beyond the Pool of Stars Giveaway
We are giving away TWO trade paperback copies of Beyond the Pool of Stars by Howard Andrew Jones.

To enter, please a comment on this post and include your email address so we may contact you if you win.  This giveaway is open to the US and Canada.  Giveaway ends December 13, 2015 midnight EST.

Fortress of Fangs, Arena of Crown's End, The Stasis Fields, or Kaava Lands—which Inner Sea location do you think sounds the spookiest?
On our last Paranormal Road Trip we visited Los Angeles with Rachel Marks.  Next week we'll be traveling to Soul's Harbor with Angela Dennis.

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

Happy Black Friday!  In addition to the annual Black Friday Shadow Sight 99 cent Kindle deal , it's time for our Bite Before Christmas Giveaway.

Kick back, relax, and grab a slice of pie.  We're making it easy to enjoy these Black Friday events.

Bite Before Christmas Giveaway
We are giving away winner's choice of a signed trade paperback copy or signed postcard and ebook copy of BLOOD AND MISTLETOE!


Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.2) by E.J. Stevens.

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

Ivy Granger, psychic private investigator, returns to the streets of Harborsmouth in this addition to the bestselling urban fantasy series.

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

The holidays just got interesting. Too bad this case may drive Ivy mad before the New Year. Heck, she'll be lucky to survive Christmas.

Blood and Mistletoe is an Ivy Granger series novella.

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
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To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends December 8, 2015.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Alisha S. the winner of the Burning Bright Audiobook Release Party Giveaway . 

Alisha will receive a signed BURNING BRIGHT postcard, BURNING BRIGHT audiobook download from Audible.com, and custom E.J. Stevens earbuds.



Thank you for all for entering, and don't forget to come back tomorrow when we kick off our annual The Bite Before Christmas Giveaway.

Happy Holidays!
*Giveaway winner randomly selected using Rafflecopter*

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

Congratulations Stephanie B. the winner of The Left-Hand Way Book Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Stephanie will receive a hardcover copy of THE LEFT-HAND WAY by Tom Doyle.


Thank you to all who entered!

**Winner randomly selected using Random.org. Winner will be notified by email.**

Please welcome today's guest author, Serena Gilley!  Serena is the author of the The Forbidden Realm series, including new release LICKED BY THE FLAME.

Q+A with Serena Gilley
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Serena:  I started writing as soon as I was old enough to hold a crayon. I loved books and was fascinated by the magical notion that all those confusing lines on the page could somehow tell a story. I was desperate to learn the alphabet, and made my mother spell words for me one letter at a time so I could write stories for her. I never quit making magic with words, although nowadays I use spell-check to help me out instead of my mom.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Serena:  There's just so much you can do! I love the freedom to create things that have never existed before, and I love the idea of being bound by a completely new set of rules. I've had so much fun imagining what it would be like to be a part of The Forbidden Realm, but even more fun when my magical characters have interaction with regular non-magical folks. There's a lot of freedom in writing paranormal and it really feeds my soul to play "what if?" at the keyboard.

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

Serena:  I have absolutely fallen in love with my dragon, Nicolai, from LICKED BY THE FLAME. I had so much fun building his world and I am looking forward to revisiting him in future books. I might even do a spin off and write a whole dragon realm series. If I could pick one of my characters to become, it would be a dragon. They are strong and powerful, plus they can fly and shapeshift and communicate telepathically. And breathe fire! Yeah, I would totally be a dragon.

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

Serena:  A hot, sexy dragon! He's definitely an alpha male, but he gets in touch with his softer side when he falls in love with Lianne. I hope readers love following along on their journey toward each other. There are some exciting "save-the-world" plot lines swirling around them, plus the fairies Raea and Kyne from the first two books in the series are there to lend a hand even as their romance continues to grow. A love building a complicated story with lots of twists and turns, but mostly I think my readers will love the sizzling attraction between Nic and Lianne.

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

Serena:  What a fun question!  Let's see--who would I cast... Nicolai is special. I'm not sure any one actor really fits my vision of him, but I'd love it if I could do a mash-up! I would probably start with someone who has smarts and a ready-for-action attitude like Daniel Craig, but he's going to look like David Gandy and have sexy tribal tattoos like Dwayne Johnson. For his spunky co-star, Lianne, I would cast Scarlett Johansson. She could give Lianne just the right combo of brains, confidence, and sex appeal, I think. And then I'd invite them all over to my house for a cook-out. Wouldn't that be a blast?

Thank you Serena for joining us here today at From the Shadows!
Licked by the Flame (The Forbidden Realm #2) by Serena Gilley.

Shape-shifting Dragon Nic Vladik has infiltrated a human technological organization to monitor their efforts on alternate fuel sources. It seems they have discovered the power being emitted from one of the Dragons' facilities. Nic must keep the humans from learning the truth about this Dragon stronghold at all costs and deter them from tapping into their heat source. That means stopping an incredibly sexy scientist from ruining his race.

Lianne McGowan is a human scientist sent to assist with the site. She believes this heat source will help save the planet and she will stop at nothing to learn more and discover the full truth about what lies beneath this mysterious mountain. But when she meets the sinfully seductive and dangerous Nic and dark forces start to work against them, she begins to realize that there is far more to the story than she ever imagined...

Release Date: July 7, 2015
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
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Have a question for Serena?
Please ask in the comment section below.  We love comments!  Learn more about Serena Gilley and her books on her website.

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

This week's stop is Los Angeles and our special guide is Rachel Marks author of The Dark Cycle urban fantasy series, including DARKNESS BRUTAL.

L.A.'s Top 5 Spooky Places
Spooky Places from DARKNESS BRUTAL (Los Angeles Area):

The Hollywood Sign:

Raised in 1923, and probably the most famous spot in Los Angeles, it was only created to last a few weeks. It once lit up the night and read "Hollywood Land", but in 1949 the "Land" was removed. In the between years, 1932, a very tragic story took place at the letter "H". An unknown actress at the time, Peg Entwistle, climbed to the top of the letter and leapt to her death. Since that day there have been literally hundreds of stories about hikers and trespassers spotting a woman wandering the grounds, dressed in the fashion of the 30s.

Houdini Mansion:

At the hight of his fame, Harry Houdini purchased an extravagant home in Laurel Canyon. It was like a fortress, with towers and hidden passageways, and underground tunnels. This is where he supposedly hid his chest of magical secrets. To this day the chest remains undiscovered, even after a fire burned the strange mansion down in 1959. By 1960 a rumor began circulating that Houdini had in fact not died, but had been seen in and around the property. Some people say he can still be seen in the area today.

Magu Rock (PCH):

Legend has it that a young native woman was brutally murdered by a rich land owner on a property near the location of Magu Rock. Her spirit is said to still roam the shore, like a woman in white with dark holes for eyes.

Griffith Park:

The area of land that incorporates Griffith Park is very large, and many ghost stories were born in one or more of the famous locations on the property once owned by the Feliz family and is said to be cursed because of a family dispute about how the land was passed down. Today it consists of the Observatory, the Greek Amphitheater, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Museum of the American West, the Travel Town train museum, two golf courses, a merry-go-around, countless hiking and horse trails, and the Hollywood sign. The most interesting story to come from the cursed land originates in the picnic area. A haunted picnic table to be exact. In 1976 a young couple was making love on a picnic table when a large sycamore tree fell on them, killing them both. The couples ashes were tossed onto the spot by the family in memory, allowing them to be forever together. And to this day the table and tree are still entwined, because when the city workers went to clean up the fallen branches the tree moaned and shook. It's said the couple became a part of the tree that still hasn't been removed.

The Devil's Gate (Pasadena):

If the stories of disappearances and deaths surrounding the land, and the strange rock formation shaped like a devil’s head don’t make you wary, then the story behind the myths most certainly will.

The land has always had the humans steering clear. Before the dam was built in the 1920s the Arroyo Seco River ebbed and flowed over the area on a seasonal whim. At times it would rage, causing serious flooding, then other parts of the year it would be as dry as a bone. The Native Americans believed that the land was cursed and barred their own from going anywhere near it, many saying there was a dark doorway in the area.

In the late 1940s, a very real reason became evident, and many more people began viewing the dam as a porthole to Hell, as one event after another spread the mythos. These events were said to be triggered by the real-life magic workings of the famous rocket scientist and occultist, Jack Parsons, along with the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. They believed the dam carried magical properties and powers, as the Native Americans had always said. But they also believed they could harness that power to call up something called, a moonchild; an anti-god that could abolish civilization as we know it.

These rituals and magical spells (dubbed the "Babylon Working") performed at the dam, as well as at Parsons' home, were said to have opened a portal to another world, allowing monstrous demons to come and go as they pleased.
Thank you Rachel for giving us such a haunting tour of L.A.! 
To learn more about Rachel Marks and her books, please visit her website.  Rachel will also return next month for an in depth Q+A to discuss her writing.  You can add DARKNESS BRUTAL here on Goodreads.


What did you think of Rachel's picks for spooky places?
On our last Paranormal Road Trip we visited Washington D.C. with R.S. Belcher.  Next week we have a special week of Black Friday bookish deals and giveaways planned. The following week we'll be traveling to Inner Sea with Andrew Jones.

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

Please welcome today's guest, Vonnie Winslow Crist. Vonnie is the author of The Greener Forest, The Enchanted Skean, Owl Light, and other fantastical books.

Q&A with Vonnie Winslow Crist
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Vonnie:  I've loved words since I was young. An avid reader, I began to write poetry with some seriousness in my late twenties. It wasn't until ten years later that I started writing prose. At first, I tried to write mainstream fiction, but I found I couldn't keep the speculative elements out of the stories. I think I comfortably settled into the "speculative writer" niche in my late forties, and have happily been writing science fiction, fantasy, and horror poetry and prose for the last fifteen years.

EJ:  What brought you to the science fiction genre?

Vonnie:  Truth time here – I'd say Star Trek, Star Wars, and the books of Andre Norton hooked me on science fiction. Of course, once I was bitten by the science ficiton bug as a reader and television and movie viewer, it was only a matter of time before those influences appeared in my writing. I remember a poetry workshop many years ago, led by poet Roger Kamenetz, where the poets had to send in three examples prior to the workshop. Roger handed our poems back to us at the beginning of the session. Scrawled in big letters on the top of my stack of poems was: "Science Fiction poetry – interesting. You don't see this every day." From that moment on, I realized my poetry was speculative in nature.

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

Vonnie:  I'd like long life, though I wouldn't want to be a vampire. Perhaps some sort of Faerie being or person with Elven blood which granted longevity would do the trick. I'd like to know what happens next, and after that, and after that. The future has so many possibilites, I'd like to see a few of my science fiction dreams become a reality.

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

Vonnie:  Owl Light is a speculative story collection, so there's a variety of tales. If one story doesn't quite strike a reader's fancy, I suspect another one will. The book includes steampunk, other-world science fiction, a fractured fairy tale, ghost stories, dark fantasy, and more. It should be noted, every story takes place between dusk and dawn, and every story has one or more owls in it.

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

Vonnie:  Since this is a collection of short stories, there would be lots of roles to cast! That said, I can see: Johnny Depp as the time-traveler, Mr. Hopewell, in “The Clockwork Owl;” Zoe Saldana as the archeologist in the science fiction tale, “Pawprints of the Margay;” Christine Ricci would make a good Darleen in the ghost story, “Bad Moon Rising;” Liam Hemsworth (he played Gale Hawthorne in The Hunger Games and its sequels) would be a great Fen in “The Burryman,” and for the protagonist, Thorn, in the fairy tale retelling, “Feathers,” I think Game of Thrones' Peter Dinklage would be wonderful.

I guess a few other movie roles I can envision: Selma Hayek as Mari in the Day of the Dead story, “Gifts in the Dark;” Ansel Elgort (he played Gus in The Fault in our Stars) would make a good Duffy in the dark fantasy, “Henkie's Fiddle;” Shailene Woodley (of Divergent, its sequel, and other movies) would be a good fit for sideshow performer Dusana in the mermaid story, “By the Sea;” and last, but not least, Game of Thrones' Emilla Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) would make a convincing Audra in the Halloween story, “Gabeta.”

The “whys” to all of the above castings are because either past roles, body language, or physical appearance seem to fit my vision of the character. But to be honest, I'm glad I'm a writer not a director casting a movie!

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

Owl Light by Vonnie Winslow Crist

In Owl Light, mystery and magic are close at hand. A deer hunter encounters the Daughter of Winter. Ghosts join a holiday celebration. A clockwork owl is the key to preventing murder. A gravedigger unearths a vengeful trow. To save the woman he loves, a dwarf strikes a bargain with faeryfolk. A sideshow attraction wishes to be normal, with unexpected results. And an anthropologist must choose between her modern world and an ancient culture.

These stories and more dare the reader to step into Owl Light, where early stars flicker, owls wake from slumber, and shadows appear where shadows ought not be. But be warned: Owl Light dims to darkness, dreams turn to nightmares, and dawn is more distant than you know.

Release Date: April 2014

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
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To learn more about Vonnie Winslow Crist and her books, please visit her website or blog, Whimsical Words.  Have a question for Vonnie?  Leave a comment below.

Have you ever had an encounter with an owl?

Today we are celebrating the audiobook release of BURNING BRIGHT, the third full-length novel in the award-winning Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.  Let’s party!

We have two very special book excerpts to share with you and, of course, A GIVEAWAY!  Keep reading for a chance to win.

Burning Bright Audibooks Now AvailableAmazon . iTunes . Audible

Burning Bright (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective #3) by E.J. Stevens, Narrated by Melanie Mason and David Wilson-Brown

Burning down the house...

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.

Along came a faerie queen... 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.

Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
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Book Excerpt #1(Ivy gets wet.)
My first impression of Emain Ablach was that it was wet.  Very, very wet.  But I didn’t have much time to think about that fact.  I was too busy drowning.

I struggled to swim to the surface—wherever the hell that was—the weight of my clothes, leather jacket, and weapons weighing me down.  My lungs burned and my brain screamed at me to find a way out of this wet torment.  I needed air, badly.

I forced my eyes open, salt and whatever else was in the water burning like acid, but being able to see my surroundings didn’t help matters. It did, however, make me glad for quick reflexes and muscle memory.

At the first sign of my assassin stalkers, back in a Harborsmouth alley, I’d grabbed one of my throwing knives.  I may not be able to throw it now, not in this water, but the pressure of the blade in my gloved hand made it easier to face the grinning corpses smiling back at me.

There were hundreds of them.

Bloated bodies in every state of decomposition drifted at the ends of seaweed infested chains that rose up from the ocean floor.  I would have assumed that the people on the ends of those chains were dead, a warning to anyone foolish enough to trespass here, except for the hands reaching outward and the curve of their rotting lips.

Grins like frightened, blue worms curled up toward vacant eyes.  The eyes, or what was left of them, were coated in a white film and looked as though they’d been nibbled on by grazing fish.  The chained corpses may not be able to see, but I had no doubt that they could sense my presence.  Their hands clawed at the water and their faces were all turned in my direction.  Perhaps they could scent me, like sharks on a blood trail.

Now that was a cheery thought.

I kicked away, trying to put more distance between myself and the grasping dead.  I recoiled as my boot hit something squishy.  Mab’s bones, I didn’t realize there was a chained corpse that close to where I swam.  I did not want to touch these things or the chains that bound them.  Those were visions I’d never survive.

The delay alone would kill me.

Heart pounding, I propelled myself upward, but I had a nagging suspicion that I wasn’t going to make it.  I’d sunk too deep into this watery hell.  Already my lungs burned and dizziness sent my head spinning like a ride on an otherworldly merry go round.  My limbs were cold and heavy and I could barely feel the knife in my hand.

How ironic would it be to die here, within spitting distance of a tree that grew magical apples capable of reviving the dead?

Air bubbles sprung from my nose and I fought not to breathe.  Inhaling water would mean my death.  I made one more sluggish stroke through the water and felt strong hands grip my waist and haul me upward.  I was sailing through the water, away from greedy hands and the hundreds of faces that grinned hungrily after me.

My rescuer was a strong swimmer and I doubted Torn would have gone to so much trouble to save me.  I felt a tingle of energy zing through my system, helping me to hold onto the slippery tendrils of consciousness. Ceff, it had to be Ceff.

I gasped as my head broke the surface of the water, gulping air and choking on a mouthful of water.  I coughed up phlegm and who knows what else—with those corpses steeping down below, I didn’t want to think about it—and pushed wet, bedraggled hair from my face.  I was alive, but
it wasn’t pretty.

I grimaced and pushed the floating evidence of my humiliating coughing fit away.  Ceff had a grip on my jacket, still helping to keep my head above the water’s surface.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

With his wet hair slicked back from large, dark green eyes and his chiseled jaw, he looked gorgeous.  He was completely in his element here, unlike his half-drowned girlfriend.

“I just swallowed a gallon of salty corpse tea and sea monkeys,” I said, a rueful grin on my face.  “I’ve been better.”

Book Excerpt #2(Spiders, why does it have to be spiders?)
“Have you both lost your minds?” Torn asked.

“What would you have us do, leave them here to become spider food?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said.  “Yes, exactly.  It’s the cycle of life, a beautiful thing best left alone.”

I shook my head.

“That could have been any one of us,” I said.  “Hold still, we’re here to help!”

The last I yelled at the cocoon.  I didn’t know if the person inside could hear me, or how far gone they were if they could, but I had to try to comfort them.  Plus, I really didn’t want to risk maiming the person I was trying to save.

“You have no idea what kind of monster is inside that thing,” Torn said.

I scowled at Torn.  No one deserved to be hung out like prosciutto and gobbled up by some huge spider.

“This is a hero’s path,” Ceff said.  “It is highly probable that they are honorable.  If not, at least we tried.”

Torn sighed and shook his head.

“Fine, it’s your funeral,” he said.

“Ready?” Ceff asked, holding the bundle as still as he could.

“I was born ready,” I said, doing my best tough guy impersonation.

I carefully cut away at the tough fibers of the cocoon.  Almost there…

Thousands of baby spider fae poured out of the cocoon, skittering in every direction.  Except it wasn’t a cocoon.  It was an egg.  I screamed—though I’d deny it if I lived long enough for Torn to tell anyone—and stumbled away from the horde of spiders.  So much for my tough guy act.

I stomped on the spiders as I backed away, halting their progress.  A brave one ambled forward and sank it’s dripping mandibles into its nearest kin.  The other spiders followed suit, joining in the feeding frenzy.

“Oh, look, aren’t they cute?” Torn asked, pointing to where baby spiders were busy cannibalizing each other.

“Freaking adorable,” I growled.

I inched further up the trail, relieved to see that most of the spiders were too busy attacking each other to notice my retreat.

“Perhaps we should have listened to the cat sidhe, just this once,” Ceff said, whacking the more determined stragglers with his trident.

“I told you so, Princess,” Torn said.

I flexed my fingers, hands itching to wring the cat sidhe’s neck and wipe that smug look off his face.  Instead, I stormed past him and around the corner.  I’d had it with this place and its creepy inhabitants.  We needed to find Ailinn’s grave, grab a magic apple, and get the hell out of Dodge.


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