In the Indie Spotlight

E.J. and Shadows of Myth and Legend are featured at The Indie Spotlight today.  Stop by the interview and say hello!

Hobgoblins Nibbling on my Laptop

A few days ago, while venturing back to my writing desk, I noted with dismay that pesky hobgoblins had been busily nibbling upon my laptop.  The greedy little creatures didn't leave much behind.  With a shriek of alarm (or had that come from me?) and a gleam of beady, mischievous eyes they vanished leaving only laptop scraps behind.  I apologize for my absence over the past few days.  I ordered and have now received my new laptop and have promised my raven sentinels an extra helping of seed and lost souls if they guard this new contraption.  Time will tell whether the hobgoblins return but I promise that this time we'll be ready. There shall be no more blog absences!  Ravens, to battle!

Review at Fang-tastic Books

Shadows of Myth and Legend received a 4.25 out of 5 Fangs rating over at Fang-tastic Books.  To read the review by author Roxanne Rhoads click here. 

Roxanne Rhoads is the author of Eternal Desire and Insatiable.

Guest Blog at VampChix

Come visit E.J. as she guest blogs at VampChix today and enter to win a signed copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend.  The Virtual Book Tour continues!

Review at Books R Us

There is a wonderful new review of Shadows of Myth and Legend at Books R Us today.  If you stop by to read the review you may leave a comment to enter to win a signed copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend and swag pack!

In My Mailbox: 4/18

This week I received some fabulous books.

From Steph at Paper Cut Reviews I won Changes, book 12 in the Dresden Files urban fantasy series by Jim Butcher, in hardcover. Thank you Steph!

Books I ordered from Amazon include Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost, A Local Habitation by Seanan McGuire, Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz, Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr, Poison Study by Maria Snyder, and Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater.

As you can probably tell by the flippy cover I've already read Halfway to the Grave.  I had recently read First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost and loved it (I believe the comment I left on Goodreads was "So hot I was amazed the pages didn't burst into flames") so decided to go back and read the original Night Huntress books.  I was not disappointed!

I was also very excited to see Shadows of Myth and Legend in other bloggers IMM posts such as over at Sparrow Review.  Yay!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren.  Check out the other participating blogs to learn about great books to add to your TBR list!

On Writing: Journey Into the Shadow Realm

I've been frequently asked about my writing process and yet realized that I haven't written about this process here on my own blog. *head desk*  So in an effort to remedy this oversight I have decided to share with you a sneak peek of where I write and how I prepare myself.

On a typical day I can be found traipsing through the magical forest where I live, armed with notebook and writing pen, accompanied by my trusty corgi side-kick.  I find that I am most productive while on one of these writing adventures.  I will seek out a mossy spot beneath a tree, where I can sit with pen and paper poised for action, and then relax and let the lines between imagination and reality waver.  You never know when the wind sighing through the trees will become a voice that speaks to you, when the far off baying of hounds will signal the beginning of the wild hunt, or when the dryad living within the oak pressed against your back will grace you with a song of the long-lived.

If you would like to try this method, then find the magical spot that calls out to you, relax, unfocus your eyes and truly see the world of which you wish to write.  Perhaps when next we meet it will be in the Shadow Realm where hauntingly beautiful stories are made.

Where is your place of magic?

Reviewed by Fantasy Book Critic

Shadows of Myth and Legend was reviewed by Cindy Hannikman at Fantasy Book Critic today. 

Fantasy Book Critic is composed of a team of reviewers who focus on reviewing science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction.
Visit Fantasy Book Critic here to read the lovely review.

E.J. at Fang-tastic Books

Come visit E.J. as she guest blogs at Fang-tastic Books today.
E.J. will be taking readers on a tour of The Bestiary.  Be sure to bring plenty of garlic and cold iron!

Someone fed the birds...

Oh dear.  Did I not warn you all against feeding the birds?  Apparently one of my guests did not heed my warning.  Now the shadow servants shall have their hands full until midnight when my ravens return to regular size.  *sigh*  I do believe I need a strongly brewed cup of tea!  Perhaps I can coax the rose goblins into making a pot or two while my shadows are busy.

So many Winners!

Book Release Party Winners:

Aubrie is the winner of a signed copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend and bookmarks!
Dprissypunk is the winner of the $15 iTunes Gift Card and bookmarks!
Faerie Moon Creations is the winner of the Shadows of Myth and Legend magnet and bookmarks!

Thank you all for joining me on such a momentous occasion.  All US party goers will receive a Shadows of Myth and Legend bookmark and a From the Shadows bookmarks as party favors!

The winner of the 150 Followers Contest, for a signed copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend, a Shadows of Myth and Legend bookmark, a From the Shadows bookmark and a Shadows of Myth and Legend magnet is Robin K.  Congratulations!

The shadow servants and I will be wrapping books and addressing envelopes throughout the day and hope to have many of these wonderful gifts ready to mail by tomorrow.  I will be contacting winners by email and retrieving mailing addresses later today. 
Enjoy!

Virtual Book Release Party!

Hello everyone!  Let's adjourn to the parlor where the shadow servants have brewed us a steaming pot of tea and have laid out some lovely finger sandwiches.  Oh, but do be a dear and don't feed the birds.  They have a nasty habit of perching on my guests and whispering all my secrets.  Naughty birds!   

Ah, but it is time.  Let the festivities begin!

Today is the official release of my new book of paranormal poetry Shadows of Myth and Legend.  To celebrate I have some goodies to give away throughout the day.

One lucky visitor will receive a signed copy of Shadows of Myth and Legend.

Shadows of Myth and Legend by E.J. Stevens

Now available at
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell's Books,  Smashwords and other fine book sellers.

Reviews at
My Overstuffed Bookshelf, Paranormal Romance Guild, and Goodreads.

Book Trailer on YouTube.



All party goers who leave a comment on this post on April 11th will receive a free Shadows of Myth and Legend bookmark (while supplies last! US only).  Please leave a comment here on the party post with your email and I will contact you for your mailing address.

One of my party guests will also receive a $15 iTunes Gift Card!

One lucky winner will receive a lovely Shadows of Myth and Legend magnet with their bookmark!

Let's Do The Hop!

I missed the Book Blogger Hop last week but can't wait to visit all of your fabulous blogs this week!

This past week has been a busy week here at Shadows Central.  My blog reached 200 Followers this week (yay!) and the preliminary reviews of my new book Shadows of Myth and Legend have been fabulously positive.  I finished reading Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout today and hope to have a book review up early Saturday.  My 150 Followers Contest will end this Sunday April 11th which is also the official release date for Shadows of Myth and Legend.  I'll be hosting a book release party here on Sunday and will be giving away loads of prizes so be sure to stop by and join in the celebration!

So what have you been up to this week?

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Crazy for Books.  

To join in the fun go here and leave your information on McLinky.

Paranormal Romance Guild Review of Shadows of Myth and Legend

April is National Poetry month and to celebrate the Paranormal Romance Guild book review team selected my new book of paranormal poetry, Shadows of Myth and Legend, for review.






EJ Stevens’ Shadows of Myth and Legend is a fascinating collection of short, powerful poems that thrill, chill and delight. Delving into established mythology, Stevens brings all manner of mythical creatures out of the shadows for a glimpse of the world behind the curtain.  Her strategy is not to explore the legends deeply, but to provide hints of them; the result is a beguiling and provocative volume that creates more curiosity and tension than would facing the horror full on.

Like From the Shadows, Stevens’ previous collection of shaded paranormal poetry, this collection is divided into sections.  Stevens takes us on a tour of the darker side of the elements (e.g., “Earth & Below;” “Fire & War”) and each of the sections presents short vignettes, such as the cautionary tale of a would-be unfaithful husband in “Woman in White,” or brief psychological sketches, as in “Loup Garou.”

In fact, “Loup Garou” is one of the shortest in the collection at eight-lines; but it also one of the most thrilling with its cold revelation of a once-human’s nature. The Loup Garou is a French legend of a human who changes into a wolf at his/her own will, and in Stevens’ hands, the narrator’s choice to kill is entirely her own; unlike a vampire or a more commonly known werewolf, the Loup Garou can choose its nature – and, in this short, chilling poem, does.

The last section of the book, interestingly, provides a Bestiary, listing all the strange and frightening creatures she writes about and the pages on which they could be found.  These include banshees, fairies, vampires, werewolves and zombies, among others.

While none of the poems in the collection has been previously published, some have been released earlier on the Internet, such as “The Winter Queen.” All of them, however, deserve to be read and re-read.

Each of the poems displays Stevens’ impeccable sense meter and rhyme.  A lesser poet may find herself slave to the lilting rhythm and flowing words Stevens so masterfully controls.  After all, it’s easy for a writer to lose himself in verbal games, thereby losing the reader in technique.  Stevens, however, works wondrously and naturally within her structure without misstep.  She’s a rhythmic virtuoso!

The book’s haunting photography perfectly emulates the spirit of the material, from the shot of the author, with face downcast, descending steps in a cemetery on the cover – an image that hints at dark relations with a lover entombed below – to the black bird on the back cover, which reminds the reader of “The Raven” by Stevens’ literary forebear, Poe.

When it’s time to turn the last page and close the back cover, the reader will want to remain in the Shadows with Stevens – evermore.
 
Special Guest Reviewer- Andrew Valentine , Author of Bitter Things 

Visit author Andrew Valentine at www.BitterThingsTheBook.com. 

To learn more about the Paranormal Romance Guild visit their lovely website at www.ParanormalRomanceGuild.com. 

This review was reprinted with the permission of the Paranormal Romance Guild.  Please do not reprint or distribute without permission.

Book Review: Need

Need by Carrie Jones
ISBN: 9781599903385
Bloomsbury

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you"d have to fear.

Need is a suspenseful paranormal YA novel of a young woman dealing with grief, fear, and the awakening of new love. The author's description of fae and weres is believable and the setting, a rural town in northern Maine, made the story even more real for me since I live in southern Maine and have traveled to the region where most of Need takes place.  I couldn't put this book down and can't wait to read Captivate!

200 Followers!

Wow!  200 Followers!  Welcome to all of the new followers and thank you to all of my followers, old and new!

My 150 Followers Contest is still running until April 11th, the release day for my new book of paranormal poetry Shadows of Myth and Legend.  I will also be having a HUGE book release party here at Shadows Central on April 11th!  I will be adding extra items to the book release party giveaways in celebration of making it to 200 Followers.  I am looking forward to celebrating with you all and giving away Shadows of Myth and Legend goodies throughout the day!