And Introducing...E.J. Stevens

Today I would like to introduce you to E.J. Stevens. Author of the Spirit Guide and the Ivy Granger series. For a complete list of all of her books please visit her Goodreads Author page.

Thank you E.J. for taking the time answer a few questions.

1. How long have you been writing?

Writing has always been in my blood. I grew up in a family of prolific storytellers and my childhood was steeped in tales of supernatural horror and suspense. When I was very young I would join in the thrill of telling ghost stories. Writing novels was a natural progression to this early storytelling, though it wasn’t until 2010 that my first novel was published.

She Smells the Dead, the first novel in the Spirit Guide young adult paranormal series, published in 2010. This was soon followed by Spirit Storm, Legend of Witchtrot Road, and Brush with Death. The Pirate Curse, the fifth novel in the Spirit Guide series, is scheduled to release Fall 2013.

Shadow Sight, the first novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, released in 2012. Blood and Mistletoe, an Ivy Granger novella, released later that year. Ghost Light, the second Ivy Granger novel, is due to release July 9, 2013 and will be followed by Club Nexus, a collection of short stories set in the urban fantasy world of the Ivy Granger series, later this year.

2. Can you tell us about any of your future works?

I have three books publishing in 2013.

THE PIRATE CURSE is the fifth novel in the Spirit Guide young adult paranormal series. In this series, Yuki has the unusual gift of sensing ghosts through the sense of smell. Though smelling dead people isn’t much of a gift. For Yuki, a goth outsider who’s already the target of her school’s worst bullies, it’s more like a curse. 

Thankfully, Yuki has an amazing group of friends who have helped her to survive high school. But now high school is over. With the knowledge that nothing will ever be the same once the summer ends, Yuki is determined to make the most of the time she has left before her friends leave for college.

But when Yuki starts smelling salt brine and seaweed, she finds her summer vacation hijacked by pirates...the DEAD kind. Will the ghost of Black Sam Bellamy, Prince of Pirates, lead Yuki and her friends to treasure or terror?

GHOST LIGHT is the second full-length novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series. Ivy Granger is back, gathering clues in the darkest shadows of downtown Harborsmouth. Ivy’s psychic detective agency is beginning to prosper. Too bad her newfound notoriety brings a mob of angry faeries to her office door. 

CLUB NEXUS is a collection of short stories set in the world of Ivy Granger. Harborsmouth is built on a confluence of ley lines, and at the center of this convergence of power sits a nightclub hidden in shadow. If you’ve ever wondered what vampires and faeries do for fun, look no further. When you’re a supernatural beastie, all roads lead to Club Nexus.

3. If your books were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?

Such an exciting idea! 

I think actress Jodelle Ferland would be excellent in the role of Yuki, the lead protagonist of the Spirit Guide series. Gemma Ward looks very similar to how I envision Yuki’s best friend Emma. Chris Zylka and Chase Crawford each have the potential to play swoonworthy Calvin. Ian Somerholder has the perfect mannerisms for Simon. I’d love to see Field Cate as Gordy and Georgie Henley would make a cute Katie.

Casting the Ivy Granger series is a bit more difficult. There are so many possibilities! Megan Fox, Odette Annabelle, Erica Cerra, Olivia Wilde, and Taylor Cole would each make an excellent Ivy Granger. I haven’t found the perfect actress for the role of Jinx, Ivy’s rockabilly best friend, but Zooey Deschanel may have the right style for the part. Tilda Swinton would be wonderful as The Green Lady, the glaistig who rules the Harborsmouth carnival. Johnny Depp has the ability to play charismatic eccentric characters and would be excellent in the role of Sir Torn, lord of the cat sith. Mia Wasikowska would be lovely in the role of Ivy’s mother in her younger years and Caleb Landry Jones would be excellent in the role of Will-o’-the-Wisp. Amanda Seigfried has the look of the Tuatha Dé Danann druid Béchuille. With the help of CGI, Bryce Dallas Howard could make an impressive Melusine. Rose Leslie may be able to pull off the role of the Hunter Jenna. Helena Bonham Carter would be fabulous as the powerful witch Madam Kaye. Then, of course, we must cast our hot kelpie king. Henry Cavill has the chiseled good looks and six-pack abs necessary to play Ceffyl Dŵr, though his baby blues would have to be hidden behind midnight green contact lenses.

4. Can you tell us anything about yourself that we may be surprised to know?

I am completely ruled by my corgi overlord. No, really. Think about it. My corgi has more beds than I do; she has seven beds, while I have just the one. And she dictates my writing schedule. If my corgi wants attention, I don’t have a choice but to obey. 

5. Who has been your favorite character to write? Why?

I love all of my characters, but I have to admit that I most enjoy writing mischievous characters. For this reason, I adore writing scenes featuring the brownie Hob. I also enjoy writing about kleptomaniac pookas and troublesome pixies.

If you’d like to keep up with my current writing mischief, visit my blog or follow me on Twitter.

Thank you so much for having me here today at Words Escape Me.


Author Bio:

E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series and the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series. When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles. E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

You can learn more about E.J. by visiting her blog From the Shadows:http://www.fromtheshadows.info

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Got new books? Then feel free to join in. Anyone can play along.

I haven't done a book haul in months. But this week I got three new books and I thought I would share.

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting  I've read the first three books in this series and loved them.

House of Secrets by Chris Columbus & Ned Vizzini  I love Chris Columbus. He has given us Goonies, Gremlins and directed my favorite Harry Potter movies. I read an article that this imaginative story came to him several years ago while he was jogging along the San Francisco bay. He wanted to make it into a movie, but to stay true to his vision, he figured the movie would cost upwards of $500 million. He worked on it for several years and just could not bring himself to sacrifice the story because of a budget. He then decided the best thing he could do was to make it a novel.

The picture does not do this cover justice. The gold on the top is this raised foil type paper with intricate skulls carved into the corners. The spine looks like an old fashion leather bound book. It looks wonderful on my shelf.

The Spinders by Lauren Oliver What can I say? I guess I was in a middle grade mood this week.

Have you been stacking your shelves? I'd love to hear about it.

Book Review and Giveaway...Flame by Mari Arden

Flame, by Mari Arden
A Fireborn novel

Some secrets change your life forever. 
Have you ever felt invisible? I do. Everyday. I can't get close to anyone, and people can't get close to me. Everytime I feel a friendship beginning, something inevitably happens, and I become invisible again. Unseen. Ignored. It's been a part of me for so long that it's hard to imagine anything different. 
Then the Saguinox arrive, and my life is forever altered. People are fascinated by these beautiful creatures who look and talk like us. They're alluring. Seductive. Intoxicating. And two of them are going to my school. Rhys is everything I shouldn't want, but his eyes are like something from a memory. I can't help but be intrigued. He's the only one who can really see me. 
Some secrets you're better off not knowing. 
I had been found on a cold winter night with nothing but a blanket, and ashes covering my skin. My mother saved me from death, and took me in with love. But she couldn't save herself. I didn't think heroes were real anymore until the day Kaiden saved me. I couldn't believe in miracles until the day he revealed I was the miracle they had all been hoping for. Deep inside I always knew my past mattered.
I just didn't know my life would depend on it.

My thoughts~
Mari Arden has a fresh voice and does a fantastic job brining this entertaining story to life. Her characters live in a world far from ordinary where an alien race has made themselves known to Earth and are generously welcomed into today’s society.

Kenna is a likable character with a mysterious past that we learn right along with her. Though she spends most of her time alone and is easily ignored, Kenna is not one to sit around and take pity on herself. 

Then enters Rhys. Rhys is attractive, intriguing and it is not long before Kenna is paying attention to him. He keeps to himself at first, but when we get into the meat of the plot his true character is revealed and he really stands out. 

Flame is an enjoyable read and moves along at a steady pace. Combined with a solid plot and well-developed characters I recommend the read. 

Now for the fun part...THE GIVEAWAY!!!! So a while back I got this really cool swag pack from, the every so lovely, Mari Arden. I got some bookmarks, magnets and keychain. Well they are kind of sick of hanging around my place, so I decided to send a few of them out into the world to share with you. You have three chances to win!

Grandprize= one ebook copy of Flame, one bookmark and one magnet.
2nd & 3rd place= one book mark or one magnet

Flame is available in ebook and paperback. You can purchased here~
Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords 

Add to Goodreads or visit Mari's blog

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's finally here! Awakened is live!

It's ALIIIVE!!

When I started my blog, I never thought I'd actually see the day when I listed my own book. But here she is.

It has been an unbelievable journey from start to finish. When I started this endeavor I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The work...oh the tons and tons of work that goes into a book. There were several moments when I wished I had never even started, but I was to far along to quit. Now that it is all said and done I'm glad I never did. I'm pretty proud of myself for sticking with it and seeing it through to the end.

Now the fun begins! It's time to get the word out. If you are interested in reading Awakened you can follow the links to the right. At this time it is available on Amazon and Smashwords. Barnes & Noble should be within a day or two and the paper back should be up by the end of the week.

I have a book blast and blog tour scheduled and if you are interested in being a part of it you can follow the links below. Every blog that is a part of the book blast will be able to give away an ebook of Awakened.

Click here to sign up for the book blast.
Click here to sign up for the blog tour. (The tour is only 15 spots, so not every blog that signs up will get a spot. The blogs will picked by the tour host, Xpresso Book Tours.)

I want to say thank you to everyone who has followed my journey and I look forward to bringing more stories to you in the future. Now off to the writing cave, book two isn't gong to write itself.

Just Finished Reading...Clockwork Princess

My copy from the signing event at Barnes & Noble

My thoughts~

I have no words....

Just kidding. This book leaves me with mixed emotions. Over all I loved it. I've loved the series from the opening page in Clockwork Angel and devoured every word in the series since.

What I loved most about these stories were the characters. A lot of writers can write dynamic scenes with realistic settings, but it was the larger than life personalities of Cassandra's characters that sucked me in.

I'm not saying this book didn't have its faults, because in a way I felt like the author took the easy way out when it came to dealing with the love triangle. Because when Tessa and ______, did you know what, I thought to myself. Really? Now? I just didn't buy it. (yes you have to of read the book to get what I'm talking about, but I didn't want to spoil anything for future readers)

I think for the series as a whole I liked Clockwork Prince the best. But the gut wrenching story told to us in Clockwork Princess will stick with me for a while. When I read the epilogue it brought out real emotion in me. I felt the tension build in my chest, and if I would have been alone, I may have cried. It was that strong. But I didn't cry and only one book in the world has ever made me do so. (Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows in case you were wondering.)

Even though I was not the biggest fan of City Of Lost Souls, I, along with you, must wait impatiently for City Of Heavenly Fire. Thank you, Cassandra Clare, for bringing this story to life and sharing it with us.

Cover Reveal...Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Aberrant by Ruth Silver

Book Synopsis:

In the future dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system.  There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone.  The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations.  Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison.  The only crime committed, her existence.  Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen."  The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system. 

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run.  Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together.  Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven.  New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay.  Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands.  Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her.  Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive.      

Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17696943-aberrant

 Author Biography:

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication in the spring of 2005.  While in college, she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she self-published in 2004.  Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories.  Her love of writing led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia.  Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all writing.  She loves dystopian and fantasy young adult stories.  Her latest novel published by Lazy Day Publishing, ABERRANT is scheduled for release April 13th.  Ruth has been actively writing since she was a teenager.  She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. You can find Ruth by following her on Twitter @writeawaybliss, or on Facebook: writeawaybliss

Book Blast...Settle by Brina Courtney

Today I am happy to share Settle, by Brina Courtney. It will be available for purchase April 4th, 2013. Brina is hosting a release party on Facebook for all to join in, on the same day as the book release. For an extra bonus for those interested, Brina has made book one, Reveal, free for a limited time. See the links below to get your copy and to join the release party.

Settle summary~

Betrayal leaves nasty scars. A soul departs. Love must conquer all, or be lost forever.

Shay's life has once again fallen into mystery as she discovers her father's whereabouts. On a mission to locate him and bring him home she learns more about who to trust than she thought possible. Her group of cryptids will be forced to rise again and defeat their common enemy, but they will also discover another hidden threat. As their queen, Shay's discoveries in Settle, the final installment of the Cryptid Tales series, will shake the cryptid world forever.

Settle Release Party:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/events/120011488183765/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/881118-settle-release-day-party

Brina's Bio.:

Brina Courtney is a young  adult author obsessed with chocolate, crime shows, and fantasy movies.  She's spent the last few years as a beauty queen and elementary teacher.  She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania with her husband and two very  loud, small dogs.

Brina's Links:

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brina-Courtney/270546116309774

Twitter - https://twitter.com/brinacourtney

Website - http://www.brinacourtney.com/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5295520.Brina_Courtney

Don't forget your free copy of Reveal!

Reveal Summary:

Shay could be the key to ending a war that humans don't know exist. Of a race of beings that aren't real, or are they?

Shay Tafford's childhood has been fatherless, filled instead with memories of speaking to the dead. She is forced to hide her unique ability from those living around her. That's why it's been comforting to have Jeremy, a child ghost, as her confidante. But recently he's been absent, perhaps lost as her father is. When Shay meets Hugh, the guy she's had a crush on for weeks, and finds he can speak to ghosts too she's just starting to find a normalcy in her life.

But as Hugh reveals the truth to Shay, about who she really is and about what it is she can do, he erases all chances she had at a normal existence. Turns out talking to ghosts is just scratching the surface of her genetically engineered gifts. Shay learns she may be part of an age old prophecy that could save the entire race of cryptids. But can she?

Reveal  Links:

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Reveal-Paranormal-Romance-Cryptid-ebook/dp/B006MOTN42

B&N - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reveal-brina-courtney/1108006049

iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781470173326

The Cassandra Clare Book Signing!

It is no secret that I absolutely love Cassandra's books. All hail Cassandra Clare! So when I heard she was coming to Portland Oregon, come hell or high water, I knew was going to be there.

It was a cozy little event. It was just me and about 400 (give or take) of my closest friends sitting (and standing) in front a small stage set up in the middle of a mall. From the time we arrived to get our wristbands we were there for seven full filled hours. It was worth every minute. Cassandra took questions from the enthusiastic audience and she was very gracious and entertaining in her answers.

As a favor to all of you who plan on attending a Cassandra Clare signing I will tell you this. By the time we got to the signing table I felt like I was in a whirlwind. We were ushered through the signing line very quickly. She had two assistants, one took the book from me, slid it in front of her, she signed it, then her other assistant took it from her and handed it to me. Then the next book was in front of her. In all I had about ten seconds to interact with her. So be prepared. Don't lolly gag or worry about pictures, unless your bionic, because you have to be fast.  Maybe in a different environment she would be able to give each person more time to chat, but that was not really possible at the time I went through.

In all, I still had blast. I got to spend the day with a special friend, made a new friend, and I got to listen to an author I have long admired.

I just read on Twitter that Cassandra has outlined another trilogy for the Shadowhunters. It will take place in 1903! She's calling in TLH. She also said there will be another trilogy that takes place after The Dark Artifices!