E.J. Stevens's Blog, page 32

Please welcome today's guest author Felicity Heaton!  Felicity is the author of the Eternal Mates (Kissed by a Dark Prince, Claimed by a Demon King, Tempted by a Rogue Prince, Hunted by a Jaguar, Craved by an Alpha) paranormal romance series.

Keep reading for a chance to win an Eternal Mates ebook!

Q+A with Felicity Heaton
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Felicity:  I wrote a little in school when I was a teenager because we had to write the opening chapter of a gothic horror and it really got my mind working, and my teacher liked mine so much that she read it out to the class. I wrote more for it, had a whole plan for the story, but then schoolwork took over and it fell to the wayside.
I didn’t write until 2003 after that. I got really into writing fanfiction for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was running my own fanfiction website for my stories. A friend who was writing the same genre as me convinced me to give writing something original with my own characters a go. I took a little convincing but I took the leap and really loved it. I began indie publishing my books back in 2006 after being with an e-publisher for a year. It was just something I came to naturally. I didn’t set out to be a writer. It just sort of evolved into my career. I was happy balancing a full-time job with writing in my spare time. I never really believed that I would make enough money each year to be only a writer. I was shocked when I found I could quit my day job back in 2010. I went full-time writer in 2011 and I still can’t believe this is my job!

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Felicity:  I’ve loved paranormal genre stuff since I was really young, like just starting to read young and in single digits. I have book reports where I call every book boring unless it has vampires, werewolves, witches or monsters in it! I was hooked at an early age and it has stayed with me throughout my life. My passion for it only grew in strength when I read the classics as a teen, devouring Dracula and Frankenstein, and reading H P Lovecraft and Poe. I read classic romances too, like Jane Eyre, North and South, Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice too. I think I began to blend those two very separate genres, falling for vampires and other creatures of the night, imagining worlds where they existed.

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

Felicity:  A vampire. I’ve had a thing for them since I was a kid, as I mentioned above, and I always come back to them. I have flings with the idea of being a shifter, or an angel, or a witch, but I always come back to the vampires.

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

Felicity:  It’s a story of a love that will last forever and two characters finally overcoming the obstacles that stand between them in order to claim that forever they want with each other. Cavanaugh is the alpha of a snow leopard shifter pride and it’s a role he never wanted, but one he was forced to accept on the death of his father. His ascension separated him from the woman he loved and his new status means he can’t be with her, even though she’s his fated female, the one woman made entirely for him and the only one he can bond with and claim.

Craved by an Alpha is the story of Cavanaugh finally breaking down the barriers that stand between him and Eloise, the low-ranking woman he’s been in love with for years, and Eloise does a little breaking down of barriers of her own too. If readers enjoy a story of love finally finding a happen ending, a happily forever after in this case, then they’ll really like Craved by an Alpha. It has passion, emotion, and action, and a hero who will stop at nothing to claim the woman he loves and the future he desires with her.

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

Felicity:  I’d love to cast unknown or little known actors who really suited the characters’ appearances and personalities, but if I had to choose a few famous actors to cast in some of the leading roles, I could definitely see Chris Hemsworth as Snow from my Vampire Erotic Theatre series. I really think that Bradley Cooper would be a good choice too, but I’m not sure who I would cast him as. The why of it? Well, I just kinda like them as actors and extremely good looking men, and boy would it be awesome to spend days on set just watching them do their thing in the flesh!

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

To learn more about Felicity Heaton, please visit her website.  You can add the Eternal Mates series here on Goodreads.


Craved by an Alpha, the fifth book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website and sharing sneak peeks of the book.

Find out how to enter the Craved by an Alpha international giveaway (ends February 8th) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel.

We're also having a giveaway here at From the Shadows...


Eternal Mates Giveaway
In addition to the amazing giveaways happening on Felicity's website, we're hosting a giveaway for an Eternal Mates ebook, winner's choice of Kissed by a Dark Prince, Claimed by a Demon King, or Tempted by a Rogue Prince!

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 February 9th midnight EST.

Good luck!
Want more Felicity Heaton?  You're in luck!  Felicity will be back on February 14th for a fantastic Valentines Day Q+A as part of our month long February is for Paranormal Romance event.

Welcome to our stop on the Romance is in the Air giveaway hop!  We have teamed up with a ton of fantastic blogs to bring you Young Adult and clean romance book giveaways.  Keep reading to see what we're giving away here at From the Shadows!

Romance is in the Air Giveaway
We are giving away a complete ebook set of the Spirit Guide young adult paranormal romance series!

Win She Smells the Dead, Spirit Storm, Legend of Witchtrot Road, Brush with Death, and The Pirate Curse.

To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Winner will receive all 5 books in the Spirit Guide young adult paranormal romance series in their choice of Kindle, PDF, and ePub format.  Giveaway ends February 14, 2015 midnight EST.


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Visit all of the Romance is in the Air participating blogs for more YA/clean romance giveaways.

Good luck and thank you for hopping by!
Love books?  Don't miss our special February is for Paranormal Romance giveaway.  Visit guest posts from your favorite paranormal romance authors during the month of February for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card (or Paranormal Romance book from The Book Depository). 

Come on boys and ghouls!  It's time to hop on Route 666 for a spooktacular Paranormal Road Trip.  This week's stop is Banff, Alberta and our special guide is Nancy Baker, author of the vampire novels The Night Inside, Blood and Chrysanthemums, and A Terrible Beauty.

Blood and Chrysanthemums is set in Banff so it seems fitting that our guide for this week's Paranormal Road Trip be author Nancy Baker.  Let's see what terrifying places Nancy has planned for our tour.

Nancy's Top 5 Spooky Places
Who knew that Banff, site of great skiing, climbing and healthy daylight outdoor activities, has a secret spooky side? During my research for Blood and Chrysanthemums, I was on the lookout for locations that would suit my vampires Ardeth Alexander and Dimitri Rozokov during their time in the mountain town and I found enough scary spots to suit several stories.

The Banff Springs Hotel
This gorgeous century-old baronial-style hotel naturally has its share of ghost stories. Sam the bellman, a long-time employee who died in 1975 always promised to come back and haunt the place, has apparently appeared in period regalia to help guests when no bellman is on duty and is supposedly fond of opening and closing elevator doors at random times. There is also the “doomed bride” who is supposed to have fallen to her death down the curved stone staircase, catching on fire from one of the torches as she fell. Her flaming figure has been seen dancing in the grand ballroom. There’s also Room 873, which is supposed to have been the site of the gruesome murder of an entire family.  After the room was restored, guests reported screaming and the appearance of bloody handprints on the mirror. It’s claimed that the hotel had the room sealed up and the hallway replastered to conceal its existence.

The Old Banff Cemetery
Actually, this is quite lovely old cemetery that I’ve happily wandered through taking pictures on more than one occasion. It’s the perfect place for a walk whenever you feel that all that fresh air, sunshine and fleece outerwear is making you feel far too fit and sensible to be contemplating vampires.

Dead Man’s Flats
Not in Banff proper, but off the highway on the way, this one is interesting because of the bloody story behind the name. In 1904, Francois Marret murdered his brother with an axe and threw his body into the river to prevent his ghost from returning to haunt him. Explanations from the crime ranged from Marret’s anger that his brother had not paid him for work he’d done to the murderer’s believe that his victim was planning to kill him with a “whirring electric machine”. Justice moving more swiftly in those days, Marret was sentenced a week later. The verdict: not guilty by reason of insanity.  

Banff Park Museum
What could be frightening about a museum? Dead animals, for one thing. Lots and lots of stuffed dead animals. The Banff Park Museum has deliberately maintained its historical feel and I’ve always thought that being trapped there at night with all those beady taxidermy eyes trained on you would be terrifying.

The Trail through Cascade Gardens to Middle Springs
This one is personal. The Cascade Gardens are quite pretty. They are, however, part of the trail that winds its way up to the communities above them, which is where I usually stay in Banff. The first time we braved this trail alone at night, it was so dark we had to shuffle along, hands outstretched, to avoid running into a tree. On one trip, I walked up that path several times at night, wondering why on earth I didn’t just go the long way, waiting for a bear or a cougar – or a werewolf – to get me. Despite the fact that the scariest thing I’ve ever seen there is an elk, I still count this as my personal “spookiest place in Banff”.

Thank you Nancy for giving us such a haunting tour of Banff!  
To learn more about Nancy Baker and her books, please visit her website.  You can add Blood and Chrysanthemums here on Goodreads.



Have you visited Banff, Alberta?  Ever experience anything of the supernatural kind in and around Banff?
What did you think of Nancy's picks for spooky places?
Last week on Paranormal Road Trip we did a six month Paranormal Road Trip recap. In case you missed it, we're also having a Paranormal Road Trip Giveaway.  Win an Amazon Gift Card!

Next week we'll be traveling to Louisville with Shiloh Walker (aka J.C. Daniels).

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

February is for Paranormal Romance...and we have an incredible month of special author features for you.  Today we have a Valentine's Day themed "this or that" Q+A with Angela Addams. 

Keep reading for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Wolves' Bane!

Q+A with Angela Addams
EJ:  Chocolates or flowers?

Angela:  Chocolate….always CHOCOLATE! Flowers die. They dry up, they get crumbly and then fall all over your table and make a big mess and look disgusting. (Okay, so I totally neglect flowers. Don’t ever get me flowers. I’m a flower murderer.) But chocolate…mmm…it makes my heart ramp up and my mouth water. It melts on my tongue and makes me feel so happy. So, yeah, chocolate. Like, right now. I’m waiting.

EJ:  Going out or staying in?

Angela:  I like the idea of going out but when it actually comes time to leave the house I’d suddenly rather stay home. Unless we’re going out for dinner, then I’m all in. In fact, I’ll drive. So let’s go.

EJ:  Fancy restaurant or pizza/burger joint?

Angela:  I like steak therefore I require a restaurant. It doesn’t need to be fancy but it does need to have some good steak. I also like fast food. I hate cooking so really this is a trick question because it’s more like what are we having tonight? Burger? Pizza? Chinese? Steak?

EJ:  Action flick or romantic comedy?

Angela:  Action flick usually, especially if it’s an action flick with a kick ass female in the lead. I like movies like Underworld and shows like Buffy, so yeah, blood, guts and maybe a little bit of romance sprinkled here and there.

EJ:  Nightclub or ballroom?

Angela:  Nightclub for sure. I mean, not anymore because I’m way too old for that crap, but back in the day when I didn’t go to bed at ten, I’d be at the club dancing and drinking.

EJ:  Coffee or cocktails?

Angela:  Both? I mean, Bailey’s in one’s coffee is vital. I am not a huge drinker to be honest. I like to have the occasional bourbon but my daily intake of coffee probably means that I choose that over cocktails. When I’m on vacation though, all bets are off.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?
Thank you Angela for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

Angela Addams is the author of The Order of the Wolf paranormal romance series.



To learn more about paranormal romance author Angela Addams, please visit her website.

Now for the giveaways!  We are hosting a month long February is for Paranormal Romance giveaway AND author Angela Addams is offering an ebook copy of Wolves' Bane to one lucky commenter!

#1
Wolves' Bane Giveaway
The author is giving away an ebook copy of Wolves' Bane by Angela Addams to one lucky winner.

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.  Giveaway ends February 17th midnight EST.

#2
February is for Paranormal Romance Giveaway
All month long we are posting special features from our favorite paranormal romance authors, and we are topping this off with a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!


To enter, please use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  If you cannot accept an electronic Amazon Gift Card, you may choose one paranormal romance book from The Book Depository (value up to $10.00).  Giveaway ends February 28, 2015 midnight EST.

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Good luck!

That's right!  One comment on this post might get you entries into TWO fantastic giveaways (rafflecopter required for second giveaway entry), so share the comment love. 

Congratulations Storm Vikki the winner of our A Fistful of Evil Giveaway at From the Shadows!  Vikki will receive an ebook copy of A Fistful of Evil by Rebecca Chastain.


Thank you to all who entered!

**Giveaway winner selected using Random.org**

Interested in reading the Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne?  This is a good place to start.


Grimoire of the Lamb (Iron Druid Chronicles #0.4) by Kevin Hearne

There's nothing like an impromptu holiday to explore the birthplace of modern civilization, but when Atticus and Oberon pursue a book-stealing Egyptian wizard - with a penchant for lamb - to the land of the pharaohs, they find themselves in hot, crocodile-infested water.

The trip takes an even nastier turn when they discover the true nature of the nefarious plot they've been drawn into. On the wrong side of the vengeful cat goddess Bast and chased by an unfathomable number of her yowling four-legged disciples, Atticus must find a way to appease or defeat Egypt's deadliest gods - before his grimoire-grabbing quarry uses them to turn him into mincemeat.

Release Date: May 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

Review
Grimoire of the Lamb takes place before Hounded, the first full length novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles.  This means that many of the characters that fans of the series have come to love are not present, but this is not necessarily a bad thing for a novella.  Grimoire and the Lamb is distilled down to the heart of the Iron Druid Chronicles--Atticus and Oberon.

Grimoire of the Lamb is a fantastic prequel novella in the Iron Druid Chronicles series.  This novella may be short, but it contains all of the quirkiness I've come to expect from Kevin Hearne.  Atticus and his Irish Wolfhound Oberon are both adorable and hilarious together as always, and the bad guys are Evil with a capital E.




While most of the later Iron Druid Chronicles books deal primarily with the Norse and Celtic pantheons (with the occasional nod to Native American myth with the trickster Coyote), Grimoire of the Lamb gives a dark and somewhat twisted glimpse into Kevin Hearne's version of the Egyptian gods and goddesses.  Some of these descriptions had me cringing and laughing in equal turns (Bast is goddess of a cat sex cult with a Kama Sutra-like book printed on cat skin pages)--you've been warned--and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. 

If you haven't yet read any of the Iron Druid novels, this is a good place to start.  These books are an entertaining blend of action and humor, with different elements of world myth deftly woven into a modern day urban fantasy world.  Highly recommend.  5 stars.

My favorite quote:

It was creepy being chased by that many cats.  Their feet made no noise, but I knew they were there, because a good number of the house cats had little bells around their necks, and those become damn menacing when there are more than two on your heels.

*Warning: If violence against animals bothers you, you may want to give this novella a pass, and start the series with Hounded.*

Recommended for fans of the Iron Druid Chronicles, and for readers who are curious about this series, but don't want to commit to a full length novel.  

Wow!  I can't believe that it has been six months since we began the From the Shadows original blog feature, Paranormal Road Trip.  Time flies by when we're scaring the bejeebus out of you all, right?

Since I'm on vacation this week, I thought it would be fun to do a Paranormal Road Trip recap and see where we've been over the past six months.

Come on and take a ride with us down Route 666!
It all began with a terrifying trip to Savannah...

Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Savannah with J.D. Horn.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination New Orleans with Suzanne Johnson.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Manhattan with Melissa De La Cruz.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination San Diego with Eileen Wilks.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Jacksonville with Rinda Elliott.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination San Diego with S.J. Harper.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Austin with Gerry Bartlett.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Tokyo with Steve Bein.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Detroit with Laura Bickle.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Bruges with E.J. Stevens.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Nightshade with Marlene Perez.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Detroit with Amber Lynn Natusch.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination L.A. with Melissa F. Olson.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination South Tom's River, NJ with Shawntelle Madison.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Twelve Acres, Colorado with Teri Harman.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination New York City.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Eden, KY with Sharon Buchbinder.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination San Diego with Jennifer Harlow.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Sydney with Yolanda Sfetsos.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Dublin with Ruth Frances Long.
Paranormal Road Trip: Destination Boston with Skylar Dorset.

*shivers*  Since I live near Boston, that last Paranormal Road Trip gave me chills! 

What do you think of Paranormal Road Trip?  Have you enjoyed letting our favorite paranormal and urban fantasy authors take us on journeys into spooky cities around the world?  Where would you like to travel to next?

Paranormal Road Trip Giveaway
To celebrate six months of Paranormal Road Trip blog posts, we are giving away a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card!


To enter, leave a comment on any of the Paranormal Road Trip posts linked above.  Receive an entry for EVERY Paranormal Road Trip post you comment on!  Leave us a comment on this post to let us know which Paranormal Road Trip posts you commented on.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL (if you cannot use an Amazon gift card, you may choose a book from The Book Depository with a value up to $10.00).  Giveaway ends February 9, 2015 midnight EST.

Good luck!
Next week we'll be back to our regularly scheduled weekly Paranormal Road Trip.  We'll be traveling to Banff with Nancy Baker.

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

Please welcome today's guest author L.A. Starkey!  L.A. is the author of DECEIVED, the first novel in the Soul Keeper young adult paranormal series.

Keep reading for a chance to win Deceived and Destroyed by L.A. Starkey!

Q+A with L.A. Starkey
EJ: When did you begin writing?

LA:  I started four years ago in my early 30’s actually. I know most people will attest to having been writing since they were in grade school or high school, but I’m forever a reader more than a writer. I realized a few years ago that I’d read so many books (crazy amounts of books) that I’d figured out how to spot plot holes, bad characterization and poor flow. I figured if I could see all of that then maybe, possibly, I could write a novel myself with the right storyline involved.
I enjoyed reading so much that I wanted to give someone the experience that so many had given me, putting a smile on their face or a tear in their eye – whatever it meant for them. I just decided today to try it and within a few minutes of starting my characters took the show and the novel was done before I knew it. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and I’ve done it many times since.

 EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

LA:  I love disappearing when I read. I live a fast-moving crazy life and so where I am looking for adventure in the pages of a novel, I’m really also looking for something that could NEVER-EVER happen. I want to jump into a world where things exist that only do so in our imaginations. Paranormal novels do that for me every time. I try to read or write other genres and it never works out for me.

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

LA:  Oh man… That’s like giving a kid a candy store and asking them to choose their favorite type. I guess I’d be a vampire. Not that I would enjoy the blood sucking part of life, but life sometimes sucks so…. SeewhatIdidthere? Flying, living forever, moving fast, scaring and intriguing people, changing life and seeing so much? I’d totally sleep in a casket for those powers, especially if my male counterpart was a hottie, which is a must!

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

LA:  My Soul Keeper series has it all: love story, adventure, horror, paranormal elements, loss and despair, loads of humor and multiple characters for you to love. People will enjoy it because it because it will surprise you about the time you feel like it’s starting to slow down a little and the love story will cause your heart to beat a little fast. The ending is a cliff hanger and I know some people aren’t too fond of those, but I rarely encounter cliff hangers in life except at the end of a TV series season, so I’d prefer them in my books. Leave me wanting more… that’s what I tried to do to.

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

LA:  Let’s see… Marcus and Nicolas are twins so I’d pair them up with Kellan Lutz. Samantha would be Victoria Justice, and Julie would be Annasophia Robb.


Deceived (Soul Keeper #1) by L.A. Starkey.

They say a soul is the immaterial essence, the animating principle, the actuating cause of an individual life.

But what if you had to share yours with the one person you hated the most?

The soul mate principle states that for every one soul there is another that will recognize its match, hence creating the perfect union.

But what if you had two soul mates, which would you choose?

What if your choices had eternal ramification?

Deceived, the debut novel in the Soul Keeper Series, is a modern day love story about the implications of having more than one soul mate, and having to choose between the two of them. The decisions of the gods has left the next generation, their heirs, torn between fate and reality, and the balance of the future hangs in anticipation of what's to come.

Release Date: August 28, 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Young Adult
Add to Goodreads.

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

You can learn more about L.A. Starkey and her books by visiting her website.

Deceived Giveaway
The author is giving away signed copies of Deceived and Destroyed by L.A. Starkey.

To enter, use the rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open to US and Canada only.  This is an Xpresso Book Tour giveaway, therefore the winners will be selected by author or publisher, not From the Shadows.  Giveaway ends February 12, 2015.

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Good luck!

Come on boys and ghouls!  It's time to hop on Route 666 for a spooktacular Paranormal Road Trip.  This week's stop is Boston, Massachusetts and our special guide is Skylar Dorset, author of the Otherworld young adult paranormal series.

The Otherworld series is set in Boston so it seems fitting that our guide for this week's Paranormal Road Trip be author Skylar Dorset.  Let's see what terrifying places Skylar has planned for our tour.

Boston's Top 5 Spooky Places
North Grove Street

North Grove Street is spooky for what used to be there: Harvard Medical College. The school has since relocated, although North Grove Street is still the home of Massachusetts General Hospital. But why is this place spooky? Because it was the site of one of the most high-profile murders in history, which led to the so-called trial of the nineteenth century. The murder was so famous that the crime scene was the first place Charles Dickens asked to be brought when he came to Boston. But we don’t talk about it much anymore, so here’s the super-grisly story:

George Parkman was a wealthy Boston Brahmin (as Boston aristocrats were known). He actually donated the land on North Grove Street that Harvard Medical College was built on, and the street adjacent is still called Parkman Street. Later, it would supposedly become the scene of his death.

Parkman was known for lending money around town (a character right out of Dickens!). He was a well-known figure in Boston, where he was often seen walking the streets, collecting his debts (he was too cheap to own a horse!). The last time he was ever seen, it was going into Harvard Medical College, where one of his debtors, Harvard Med School Professor John Webster, had arranged a meeting with him.

Parkman’s worried, wealthy family reported him missing and launched a citywide hunt for him, papering the city with “missing” posters, dragging the Harbor and the Charles River, etc. The police also searched Harvard Medical College, but found nothing.

In the meantime, though, Ephraim Littlefield, a janitor at Harvard Medical College, decided to take matters into his own hand (there was a large reward being offered for information about Parkman’s disappearance). Littlefield knew that Webster had been in debt to Parkman, had met with him on the day of his disappearance, and had been questioned by the police. Webster, according to Littlefield, had a suspicious conversation with Littlefield about what Littlefield had witnessed, and later presented Littlefield with…a Thanksgiving turkey. (It was that time of year.)

Littlefield took the turkey home to his wife and they enjoyed a pleasant Thanksgiving dinner while Littlefield mused upon Webster’s odd behavior. But what could he be hiding? The police had searched the school building and turned up nothing. Littlefield remembered that the day before, though, Webster’s furnace in his laboratory had been burning all day. Curiouser and curiouser, Littlefield persuaded his wife to go to the school with him on Thanksgiving and keep watch while he broke into Webster’s lab. The privy in Webster’s suite of rooms emptied into a pit that hadn’t been searched by the police, and Littlefield focused his actions there, chiseling away at the brick wall (it was a time of strongly built buildings!). It was tough going, as you can imagine, and it was a holiday, so Littlefield gave up after a couple of hours and went to a dance. (True story.)

The next day, however, was no Black Friday shopping as we would have today. Littlefield went back to work, resumed his chiseling, broke through to the pit, and spotted human remains. He called for the police, who in turn arrested Webster, who in turn tried to commit suicide almost immediately. The police resumed their searching of Webster’s lab, which apparently had been totally half-hearted before, because now they found body parts, partially burned, in the furnace as well as in other hiding places around the lab. (Amazing detail: Parkman’s wife identified his body based on very personal parts of his body.)

There was a trial, so well attended that they had to hand out tickets and cycle groups of people in and out of the courtroom, and Webster was found guilty and sentenced to death. He later wrote a confession, claiming to have killed Parkman in self-defense. Webster was hanged…or so some people say. Others say he was never killed and was instead smuggled out of Boston. Still others thought Parkman himself hadn’t died and had simply fled the city. Sightings of both men happened all over the world for years afterwards. To this day, the whereabouts of Webster’s body is mere conjecture, because it was kept secret for fear of grave-robbing. (Or because he hadn’t died, if you believe the rumors.)

At any rate, who knows if either one of those tragically linked men ever left the spot of their final altercation?

(This story owes a debt to Cleveland Amory’s The Proper Bostonians, which was the first time I had ever heard of it.)

Langone Park in the North End

You might think that this is just a normal park, but, before it was a park, it was the site of a huge tank that stored molasses. Yes. Molasses. Which are basically a thick byproduct of the refining of sugar that you can use for a lot of stuff, and that was heavily used back in the beginning of the twentieth century. At that time also the North End was said to be the most densely populated area of the entire country, heavily packed with people.

In January 1919, the molasses storage tank, which had been poorly maintained by its owners, cracked open, possibly spurred by the stress of a sudden rise in temperature in the city’s weather. Molasses spilled into the North End at a speed of 35 miles per hour. A car can’t even reach 35 miles per hours these days in the narrow, clogged North End streets. The molasses plowed over crowds of people who couldn’t get out of the way quickly enough, killing 21 of them.

There are lots of historical ghosts in the North End, a very old part of the city that holds the famous Old North Church. But the molasses spill haunts more than anything else. On very hot days, the story goes, you can still smell the sticky sweet scent in the air.

Boston Massacre location outside the Old State House

In March 1770, a group of British soldiers fired into a crowd of Bostonians that had gathered in protest outside of the Old State House, killing five of them. Later, John Adams defended the soldiers and actually won acquittals for almost all of them, but the event was seared in the colonial memory as the Boston Massacre and helped spur the revolution that would come a few years later.

The victims are buried in the nearby Granary Burying Ground. The Granary Burying Ground and the Kings Chapel Burying Ground, also nearby, are both said to be haunted by plenty of unknown groups, but it’s the site of the Massacre itself that I find creepiest. It’s a round circle of bricks in front of the Old State House, now surrounded on all sides by very busy streets. In the midst of all the cars whizzing past, you can hear the chaos of that winter night that caused the frightened soldiers to fire into the crowd, and you can stand on the spot where the first five casualties of the American Revolution lost their lives.

Boston Common

Boston Common is the huge public park in the middle of Boston. In the beginning of Boston’s life, it was used for grazing cows. And for hanging people who upset the populace. These days, it’s just a park, but it’s said to be haunted by ghosts, both of those who lost their lives there and those who just loved the place and hate to leave it. You never know which kind you’ll meet!

Salem

This might be cheating, because it’s technically outside Boston, but it’s not very far, and no discussion of creepy goings-on in Boston is complete without remember the Salem Witch Trials of the late seventeenth century, in which an entire town was seized with panic and ended up gruesomely killing some twenty people accused of nothing more than being witches. Salem is full of witch trial linked attractions, but there is an official Witch Trials Memorial, adjacent to an old burying ground, that can raise chills as you read the words the poor victims pleaded in their defense.

Bonus Outside Boston Trip!

Medfield State Hospital: Formerly an asylum, this now-vacant hospital campus is open to the public daily for them to wander, but not many of them ever go. On the day we went, we were alone among the empty buildings where so many unfortunate, unhappy patients lived. Spooky and sad. And, if you want to see it, you should go now, because apparently they have begun demolishing the buildings

Thank you Skylar for giving us such a haunting tour of Boston!  
To learn more about Skylar Dorset and her books, please visit her website.  You can add the Otherworld series here on Goodreads.



Have you visited Boston, Massachusetts?  Ever experience anything of the supernatural kind in and around Boston?
What did you think of Skylar's picks for spooky places?
Last week on Paranormal Road Trip we visited Dublin, Ireland with Ruth Frances Long.  Next week we'll be doing a six month Paranormal Road Trip recap. Has it really been six months?  Wow!  The following week we'll be traveling to Banff with Nancy Baker.

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

Please welcome today's guest author Rebecca Chastain!  Rebecca is the author of Magic of the Gargoyles and A Fistful of Evil.

Keep reading for a chance to win an ebook copy of A Fistful of Evil by Rebecca Chastain.

Q+A with Rebecca Chastain
EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Rebecca:  I began writing as a preteen, though I’ve always made up stories. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized most people aren’t constantly making up little stories for themselves about the people or situations around them, or just about anything at all when they’re doing monotonous tasks. I love making up my own history for various people, which I later learned is the basis for creating characters. To this day, I still craft stories for people standing in line in front of me at the grocery store or the odd mailman, who comes on the sixth delivery day.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Rebecca:  Magic is the reason that I write. If I could actually do magic, I never would have become an author. I’d be a great sorceress somewhere, most likely riding an enormous horse or driving a chariot pulled by dolphins, depending on whether my powers were stronger on land or water. In the last two decades, I have never come up with a story idea that didn’t involve magic. I guess I came to the paranormal genre by default.

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

Rebecca:  If I could be any paranormal, it would have to be some form of were-animal. I’m rather partial to were-panthers, but even better would be a were-eagle. I would love to be able to fly! For supernatural talent, I would want to be able to touch an object and see everywhere it’s been. Can you imagine how incredible I would be as an archaeologist? Or better yet, think of all the amazing events I would be able to see that took place in the past!

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

Rebecca:  A Fistful of Evil is a lighthearted coming-into-power story of an everywoman trying to find her place in a secretive world to which she reluctantly belongs. The novel is a mixture of adventure and humor, with a fair share of evil and hot guys. While the novel is an urban fantasy, it doesn’t rely on the genre’s tropes; instead, there is a brand-new magic system, never-before-scene good and evil creatures, and nary a werewolf or vampire in sight. It’s also designed for pure entertainment, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously. If you like a little humor with your urban fantasy, you’ll enjoy A Fistful of Evil.

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

Rebecca:  I am terrible with celebrities: I pretty much know only the big names, and most of those are too old to play the roles I’d want for them in my novel. However, if I could pick actors at any age, I think a young Sandra Bullock (around the time of The Net) would make a great Madison Fox. She’s has an incredible ability to balance action with comedy, especially physical comedy. For Niko, I’m rather partial to Taye Diggs. I’m open to suggestions for the rest of my characters, except for Mr. Bond: He would be played by my cat, of course.



A Fistful of Evil (Madison Fox, Illuminant Enforcer #1) by Rebecca Chastain.

Madison Fox just learned that her ability to see souls is more than a sight: It’s a weapon for fighting evil. The only problem is she doesn’t have a clue what she’s doing.

On the positive side, her money problems are over, she’s possibly discovered her purpose in life, and her coworker is smoking hot. On the negative side, evil creatures now actively hunt her, and deadly experiences are becoming the norm.

When she thinks it couldn’t get worse, a powerful evil sets up shop at a local hotel’s video game convention, and it’s got its eye on more than the gaming geeks: it is hungry for Madison’s soul. Madison needs to become an expert illuminant enforcer overnight to save her job, her region . . . and her life.

Release Date: August 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

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

To learn more about Rebecca Chastain and her books, please visit her website.

Did Rebecca's Q+A make you want to read A Fistful of Evil?
If so, you're in luck.  We have a special book giveaway for our readers.

A Fistfull of Evil Ebook Giveaway
We are giving away one ebook copy of A Fistful of Evil by Rebecca Chastain.

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.  Giveaway ends January 31, 2015 midnight EST.

Good luck!