Guest Author Interview: Brindle Chase

Please welcome today's guest author Brindle Chase!  Brindle is the author of That One Night In Vegas, Gothic City Lights, Diva-licious, My Snow White, and The Grass Is Always Greener.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Brindle:   I started a novel about 20 years ago for a creative writing class in college. An epic fantasy, if I recall. Never finished it. Then about 10 years ago, started another one, a paranormal, didn't finish. Then when I turned 40 (4 years ago) I decided, screw it. I love to write but always let real life get in the way. For christmas, I went out and bought me a laptop and started writing every day on my lunch break at work. I started with re-writing that paranormal I started way back when. I Finished it a year later. Sent it off to 60 agents. All rejected me. *sniffle* But I knew then, I had more to learn about writing. So I hit the author forums and found out many of my mistakes. My muse fed me the premise for Gothic City Lights 2 years ago, so I took that on next. It was to prove to myself I was publishable. To exercise what I had learned from other authors and a year later, it was finished. I sent it off to 30-35 agents. Got several nibbles, but ultimately no offers. My test readers were established writers, so I trusted in them and tried this time with publishers. I sent it to 4 publishers and received 1 request for more, 2 rejections and 1 offer. I took the offer and Loose Id published Gothic City Lights this last June! Yeah!!! Oh, um, so the answer is, for real? About 4 years ago.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Brindle:   This is going to sound very geeky. I was playing Vampire: the Masquerade, Live Action version with a group of players that met on weekends to role play our vampire characters. The storyline I used for that character, was the foundation for the paranormal story I rewrote (and plan to rewrite again soon)

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

Brindle:   This is hard. Up front, my pick leans heavily towards being a vampire. But it would depend on which kind. I'm not a fan of bloodbank or small animal feeding, sparkling in sunlight, wussy vampires. I would be more like Lestat, but less sinister and callous. I would prey on two types of victims. Beautiful women (to sate my own desires, obviously. I never claimed to be a gentleman *lol*), but I would not drain them or cause them death. And then for hunting, I would seek out the worst of humans. The most evil, greedy and selfish, drain them until death claimed them. Depending on their crimes, I might torture them instead, force them to provide me finances and make serious amend to the world they have corrupted/blighted…. Etc… Basically a vigilante vampire. Hehehe.

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

Brindle:   My upcoming release, Trading Up, is a touching contemporary erotic romance. Its about two sisters, one dating a great guy, but she doesn’t really love him. He's fun at the moment. The other sister is head over heels in love with her sister's boyfriend. When the two sisters discover this, they plot a switch in the dark, one giving over the guy to her sister, when they realize he is Mr. Right, but for the other. Readers will enjoy the sexy eroticism of the switch. But the emotional depth, the vulnerabilities all the characters reveal and deal with, is very touching. Its not erotica… definitely a sweet, but extremely sexy romance! It releases in march 2011 from Breathless Press.

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

Brindle:  My paranormal erotic romance would definitely end up as a porn, or at least a Cinemax or HBO movie. Gothic City Lights is a very erotic paranormal romance. Very. Lilith is the heroine and she is a drop dead gorgeous succubus, a real bombshell. Casting her would be difficult. She's half Chinese as well, limiting it further. I think a young Kelly Hu maybe? And Gabriel is a buff, strikingly handsome angel. I see him sort of a young prettier and buffer Russell Crowe, with longer hair, maybe? Why? These selections are based on how I see the characters looks. Not sure if they could pull off the personalities, but hey, they are actors, right? Hehehe.

Gothic City Lights by Brindle Chase.

It was just a fling. Lilith Templeton had no clue he was a human agent working for the angels. No big deal, but she got caught and Mother Superior, Portland’s most powerful angel, wants penance. Or death, Lilith’s choice. Being a lowly half-demon and therefore not a participant in the never-ending war for souls, she knows it's insane to cross the full-blood demons like Mother Superior wants. But opting out isn't an option: do or die. For additional penance, she's paired with an angel who not only ignites her lust but something more. Lilith wants to fall in love, to know what it was like to share herself with just one man. Yet since succubi needed to stay sexually satisfied, falling in love with the angel of chastity is a mistake she can’t afford.

Gabriel would have never second-guessed his choice to ascend through the virtue of chastity. Until he meets Lilith. Now, his ascension would be forfeit if he cannot vanquish his need for her. Having no choice but to ignore the fire burning inside them, they work towards tempting the demon cult’s human leader into revealing the hideout. Lilith, sexually irresistible half-succubus, is the perfect bait. Get in, send the signal and wait for the angel to rescue her. Oh and not get killed, or tempt the angel. Simple, right? 

Thanks Brindle for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Brindle Chase and his books, please visit his website.

Book Review: The Fall

The Fall (The Rift, book 1) by Robert J. Duperre.

An ancient evil, trapped in the ruins of a lost Mayan temple for centuries, has been unleashed. It takes the form of a deadly virus, one that causes violent insanity in the living and the recently departed to rise and walk. It spreads around the globe, throwing the world into chaos and war. As it progresses, those in the States who find themselves far away from the epicenter watch it unfold with unbelieving eyes. From Washington D.C. to Dover, New Hampshire, regular people are hurled into an existence outside their control, left to deal with catastrophic situations that they find themselves unprepared to handle. Life becomes a nightmare, and that nightmare is spreading.


Move over old-school zombies, there's a new evil in town.  The Fall is the first book in the epic horror series The Rift.  Duperre whisks the readers to an archaeological dig in Central America, but this is not your typical Indiana Jones adventure.  Things go terribly, irrevocably wrong and an ancient undead evil is unleashed on the world.  I should warn you that if you have any insect phobias you will be scratching away before the first chapter is over.  That scene *still* gives me nightmares...and that was only the beginning.  The author then pulls the reader into the lives of regular people experiencing the heart-pounding terror of discovering the undead that now plague the living.  The creatures of The Fall are fast, deadly, and leave a path of gore and fear wherever they go.  Duperre's new take on zombies and the undead is both refreshing and terrifying.  The Fall is a masterful work of horror that will have you sleeping with the light on for many nights to come.

I highly recommend The Fall (The Rift, book 1) to readers of urban fantasy, speculative fiction, paranormal suspense, apocalyptic, dystopian, and zombie fiction and especially to fans of horror.  The Fall may appeal to fans of Richard Matheson, China Mieville and Steven King.

Sensitive reader warning: contains violence, gore, and terrifying illustrations.

Source: Provided by the author or publisher for honest review.

Read more about author Robert J. Duperre in his interview here at From the Shadows.

The Fall on Amazon.
The Fall on Goodreads.

Spirit Guide Series Valentine's Day Card

Sign up to receive an 8.5" x 5.5" 2011 Valentine's Day postcard from Yuki, E.J., and the Spirit Guide gang!  All cards signed by author E.J. Stevens.  Limited quantities.

To receive your Spirit Guide Series Valentine's Day Card, please fill out the form below.  Easy peasy!



Use the scroll bars to see entire form or click here to open the form in a separate window.  US mailing address only.  Limited quantities so sign up today.

Book Review: Black Wings

Black Wings (Madeline Black, book 1) by Christine Henry.

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It's a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.  Maddy's position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn't pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.  Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy's building. It's probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.  Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell...


What happens when a virginal agent of death and a smoking hot angel team up against a new deadly foe?  Black Wings is a wonderful mesh of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.  I have to admit that Madeline "Maddy" Black wasn't my favorite character, but the supporting characters really shine and I hope to read more of Beezle and Gabriel in the future.  Beezle, Maddy's gargoyle guardian, is adorable and adds comic relief to a story that is often dark and violent.  Black Wings is an action packed urban fantasy with a sizzle of paranormal romance that will appeal to both UF and PNR fans.  I'm curious to learn more about the Agents of Death, and how Madeline's responsibilities play out, in the second book in the Madeline Black series.

I recommend Black Wings (Madeline Black, book 1) to readers of paranormal romance, paranormal suspense, and especially to fans of urban fantasy.  Black Wings may appeal to fans of Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, Rob Thurman, and Daniel Arenson.

Sensitive reader warning: contains violence and adult situations.

Source: Won in a giveaway.


Black Wings on Amazon.
Black Wings on Goodreads.

Guest Author Interview: Adrienne Wilder

Please welcome today's guest author Adrienne Wilder!  Adrienne is the author of Blood Bonds and the novella series Darwin's Theory.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Adrienne: When I was very, very young. My baby book (you know those cheesy books that parents love to put in embarrassing entries about your childhood and pictures to document the moment) there is an entry in the "5 years old" section, which asks, "what do you want to be when you grow up." My answer was "a writer." My first "story" is on the next page where I used words to draw flowers and grass and a sun and why they are there. So I guess that's when I officially began writing.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Adrienne:  I like the fantastical. While I enjoy a good fantasy, urban fantasy and paranormal put the monsters closer to home. I love the idea of being able to ride down the street (In my case in Atlanta) and see the impossible.

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

Adrienne:  Ooooh, that one's easy. I'd want to shape shift. My second choice would be to be able to conjure up completed and edited manuscript with a thought!

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

Adrienne:  I'm really bad at pimping myself...so pardon me if I don't sound like a high school cheerleader (ra-ra-ra-buy my book).
I'd like to think people would enjoy City of Dragons: Blood Bonds because I've tried to do something other writers haven't done. I know there are books about dragons, even dragons living in modern times. And I know there are plenty of urban fantasies with fantastic elements, with incredible powers, magical moments, mind blowing battles with legendary weapons...I've actually tried to avoid ALL those things. I like to think that what I write is unique because my "fantasy" is based in science. Granted I take great liberties with genetics, physics, etc...but almost all of the metaphysical parts of my story have a truth to them. I've tried to make my monsters real. I don't want them to "be human". I don't want them be seen as human. I want them to be what they are meant to be, even if it means eating people and causing chaos.
In some cases Kin (dragons) carry cell phones, they drive cars, they even have jobs, but they are never human--and most never make excuses for what they are. And because of what they are they don't see the world through human ideals or have human taboos. On the other end of the spectrum there are Kin who simply want to be dragons--and they want humans to be tasty morsels.
The City of Dragons concept has something for everyone. Like our world I've made it diverse. There are struggles, there are failures, my heroes are not perfect and even sometimes selfish in their choices. I try to make my monsters (both the good and bad) as real and different as any one person, without making them human. Or in the case of my human monsters, I try to make them as scary as any fire breathing winged beasty.
In City of Dragons: Blood Bonds, you will find explosions, evisceration, big scary monsters, people getting eaten, dragons getting eaten, a metaphysically perfect Prince married to a narcissistic human woman...I even have Twinkies! Everyone loves Twinkies!

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

Adrienne:   Honestly, I would probably want unknowns, simply because I'd like the opportunity to find people who fit my characters and not change the characters to fit the actors.

City of Dragons: Blood Bonds by Adrienne Wilder.

Living with Humans is never easy. They don’t do scent exchange, they don’t lick palms, and they have this thing called “personal space”.  As the first and only Kin Agent for the Center of Folk and Kin Relations, Haley Night’s job is to help keep the public safe by helping keep the peace. But after an interview with serial man-eater Niles Fury goes terribly wrong, Haley finds herself face-to-face with a plot to destroy her species--genocide.  With the help from her best friend and partner Farley, she sets off on a race against time to stop a madman’s plot to destroy Kin. It’s a journey that will put to the test everything she thought she knew: Kin have no God, survive at all costs, and love is only a Human emotion.

Welcome to Atlanta, Georgia… City of Dragons…

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

To learn more about Adrienne Wilder, her books, and her artwork, please visit her website.

Guest Author Interview: Katie Salidas + Giveaway

Please welcome today's guest author Katie Salidas!  Katie is the author of Immortalis Carpe Noctem, House of Immortal Pleasures, Halloween Fantasies, and Hunters and Prey.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Katie:  I’ve been writing ever since I was a little girl. I have tons of old notebooks stored in my garage with writings from my childhood. The first full-length story I had written was about vampires. I had fallen in love with the Vampire Diaries after reading the first novel and wanted to create a story of my own. Sadly, that manuscript was lost when I moved from Texas to Nevada. It was a huge disappointment but It didn’t stop me from trying again. I’ve been writing about vampires ever since.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Katie:  I’ve had a love of all things vampire since I was a little girl. I can’t say exactly why, but those creatures of the night just struck a chord with me. Once I started reading about them I just couldn’t stop and that love of reading turned into a love of writing about them too.

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

Katie:  I’d be a vampire in a heartbeat. Maybe I should alter that a little. I’d be a Paranormal Romance based vampire. Horror vamps are still a bit grotesque, but the ones in romance have it all. LoL. The power, the Immortality, the sex appeal. Ha! Yep, I’ll give up suntans and early morning wake-ups to spend eternity with an immortal hotty!

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

Katie:  Have you ever wondered what it might be like to be a vampire? I mean a real one, not a sparkly teenage heartthrob or a grotesque horror monster. What would bloodlust be like? What would it be like to fear the sunlight? Could you say goodbye to your friends or family? Could you deal with killing for your own survival?
My debut novel Immortalis Carpe Noctem follows Alyssa as she struggles with those very questions.
Then, in the sequel, Hunters & Prey, you see what happens when the rules are broken and the hunters become the prey.
This exciting new series takes a fresh look at vampires and makes the reader experience everything from the eyes of a fledgling vampire who’s just trying to survive immortality.

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

Katie:  Let me give you my dream cast … (This includes characters from book one too.) I had many of these people in mind when I wrote the first book. Some are actors and actresses I have adored over the years while others just have the “look” I wanted to go for.

The girls:
Alyssa - Mila Kunis
Rozaline - Anne Hathaway
Crystal - Reese Witherspoon
Kallisto (Book 1) - Angelina Jolie or Catherine Zeta-Jones
Fallon - Kiera Knightly

The guys:
Lysander – Gerard Butler
Nicholas – Eric Bana
Drew - Matther McConaughey
Edmond (Book 1) - Jason Isaacs
Santino –  Vinnie Jones
Quentin – Mel Gibson

Hunters and Prey (Immortalis, book 2) by Katie Salidas.

Becoming a vampire saved Alyssa from death, but the price was high: the loss of everything and everyone attached to her mortal life. She s still learning to cope when a surprise confrontation with Santino Vitale, the Acta Sanctorum s most fearsome hunter, sends her fleeing back to the world she once knew, and Fallon, the friend she s missed more than anything.  Alyssa breaks vampire law by revealing her new, true self to her old friend, a fact which causes strong division in the group that should support her most: her clan.  Worse yet, her revelation entangles Fallon in the struggle between vampires and hunters and The Acta Sanctorum is ready to attack again, with a new army of hybrid creations: the Frenzy Soldiers.  If Alyssa hopes to survive and keep her mortal friend safe, she ll have to be willing to make a deal with the enemy, and regain her clan s support. It will take everyone working together in a precarious truce to fight against the Acta Sanctorum s new threat.

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

To learn more about Katie Salidas and her books, please visit her website.

**Katie Salidas Ebook Giveaway**

Katie will be giving away an ebook copy of one of her books...reader's choice!

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may send your Smashwords ebook code if you win) and choice of ebook (Immortalis Carpe Noctem, Hunters and Prey, Halloween Fantasies, or House of Immortal Pleasures).  Giveaway ends January 26th midnight EST.

**For information on our giveaway policy please visit our contact page**

E.J. at Bitten by Books

E.J. will be featured at Bitten by Books this Monday January 24th.  This will be an all day LIVE interactive event so bring all your burning questions!  There will also be a fabulous giveaway.

E.J. is giving away a She Smells the Dead tote bag stuffed with goodies including a signed copy of She Smells the Dead, signed copy of Spirit Storm, bookmarks, postcards, and one XL "I Smell Dead People" t-shirt.  International readers will have a chance to win their choice of She Smells the Dead and Spirit Storm from The Book Depository or ebook copies.

**Update**
RSVP here and get 25 bonus entries in the giveaway!

Click here to go directly to the event.

Don't miss out!

Bloody Valentine Giveaway

Here at From the Shadows we are counting down to Valentine's Day with some fabulous giveaways!

**Bloody Valentine Giveaway**

Enter to win a copy of Bloody Valentine: A Blue Bloods Novella by Melissa de la Cruz.

Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps - the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Combined with all the glitz, glamour, and mystery fans have come to expect, this is sure to be another huge hit in the Blue Bloods series. 

To enter, please leave a comment on this post including your email address (so we may contact you if you win).  This giveaway is international (to anywhere The Book Depository ships)!  Giveaway ends February 14th midnight EST.

Bonus entries:

+1 GFC follower (old or new)
+1 Follow E.J. on Goodreads
+1 Follow E.J. on Twitter

Guest Author Interview: Tina deCoux

Please welcome today's guest author Tina deCoux!  Tina is the author of I Thought We Were Friends, Shipping and Receiving, and Temptation.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Tina:  I started writing about ghost, and vampires, when I was in grade school, second grade maybe. I entered my stories in school contest, and often I would turn the stories into a play for my friends and family. In my teens I developed insomnia, and turned to books to help get me through the long sleepless nights. I put my writing aside and instead got lost in novels. I didn’t start writing again until 2009, when I wrote my first novel I Thought We Were Friends.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Tina:   I have always loved the paranormal. I mean what’s not to love? Vampires, demons, ghost, angels, shape shifters, and every other scary thing you were ever convinced was lurking under your bed at night. I can’t think of anything I’d rather read or write about.

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

Tina:   Vampires have always been my favorite paranormal creatures, so I think I would have to go with that. I have always been a night person so it would be an easy transition, oh and I’m allergic to garlic so that’s a plus too.

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

Tina:   Times are tough for the demon, Temptation. Once he enjoyed his work enticing humans to sin so their souls could be marked for collection. Now no one needs inducement from him. Lying, stealing, and cheating, has become the mortal's way.  This tiny gold-mining town in northern California and the bar he has just entered appear as corrupt as all the other places he has visited. However, he senses purity amongst the squalor, and he knows he has found the one soul he must tempt. Sunset. She is as decent as he is corrupt. As good as he is evil. And more hopeful about life than any human he has encountered. He must have her.  But he soon learns he has overstepped his bounds, and he must now find a way to free the souls of the wrongfully damned.  His long-time enemy, the Collector, has other plans. Here to chastise him, he takes great pleasure in announcing Temptation's punishment. He must pursue his quest, in human form, with human emotions. Emotions that lead him straight to Sunset.

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

Tina:   Hugh Jackman, as Temptation.

Jackman, would be the perfect fit, because he can be dark, mysterious, and sexy, but at the same time compassionate.

Charlize Theron, as Sunset. She’s a vision of beauty, and innocence, and some one even a demon would have a hard time not trusting.

Christopher Walken, as The Collector, because he is one of the scariest men on the planet.

Temptation (Soul Collection, #1) by Tina deCoux.

Times are tough for the demon, Temptation. Once he enjoyed his work enticing humans to sin so their souls could be marked for collection. Now no one needs inducement from him. Lying, stealing, and cheating, has become the mortal's way.  This tiny gold-mining town in northern California and the bar he has just entered appear as corrupt as all the other places he has visited. However, he senses purity amongst the squalor, and he knows he has found the one soul he must tempt. Sunset. She is as decent as he is corrupt. As good as he is evil. And more hopeful about life than any human he has encountered. He must have her.  But he soon learns he has overstepped his bounds and must now find a way to free the souls of the wrongfully damned.  His long-time enemy, the Collector, has other plans. Here to chastise him, he takes great pleasure in announcing Temptation's punishment. He must pursue his quest, in human form, with human emotions. Emotions that lead him straight to Sunset.


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

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

The Winter Queen

The Winter Queen

In the dark world of Shadow
During Solstice the Longest Night
The Winter Queen stirs
While her dreaded frost minions
Take flight

In this land of cold and fear
Stands a palace of ice and stone
Where locked deep within
Sits the Winter Queen upon
Her throne

Awareness returns to her
As she tries to open her eyes
Memory and pain
Erupts, but ice seals away
Her cries

The only thing not frozen
Are Winter Queen’s immortal tears
Which sparkle as they
Flow down her cheeks mingling with
Her fears

No one dare enter her realm
No man will ever kiss her lips
For death lingers in
Her embrace, into abyss
He’ll slip

So on this dark Solstice night
The Winter Queen sits upon her throne
Knowing she will sit here
Forever frozen and all
Alone.


-E.J. Stevens, Shadows of Myth and Legend
copyright 2010

Guest Author Interview: Syrie James

Please welcome today's guest author Syrie James!  Syrie is the author of Dracula My Love, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte, and Nocturne.

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Syrie:   I read voraciously as a child. My writing epiphany came in sixth grade, when my teacher required my class to adapt a YA novel into a play. The act of turning that prose into a script and performing the play for the entire school was a thrilling experience. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be a writer.  I asked for a typewriter, and my grandparents gave me a used one for my birthday. I immediately started writing my first book (which I never finished—probably just as well) but I was hooked. In the years that followed, I wrote every single class skit or play that was required in school, and my university thesis was a novel.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Syrie:   I became interested in vampires years ago, when my son Ryan asked me to co-author a screenplay featuring vampires. What drew me to the project was that he wanted to write about “good vampires,” creatures with a soul and a conscience, who didn’t want to hurt anyone. Before that, I had always thought of vampires as evil, murderous beings. It’s very compelling to write about characters who were good-hearted when they were human, and who remain good after they are changed—but because of the vampire blood running in their veins, they wage a constant battle every day to restrain their dark inner desires. That’s fascinating to me.

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

Syrie:  No contest; I’d love to be a vampire. They have everything we want. They're good-looking, fast, strong, eternally youthful, and best of all, immortal. Just imagine the possibilities if you could live forever!  I’d love to have all the time in the world to educate and better myself, to read all the books that have ever been written, and to become good at … everything. I’d want to be a vampire in Bram Stoker’s world, though, because his vampires (i.e. Dracula) can walk in sunlight. And I’m only interested if I can be a good vampire!

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

Syrie:  I’m excited about my new book, Nocturne, a haunting story of forbidden love. When Nicole Whitcomb’s car runs off the road on a Colorado mountain during a blizzard, she’s snowbound for days with a gorgeous, reclusive, fascinating man. There’s a good reason why Michael Tyler lives alone in such a secluded spot and shuns society, a good reason why he was reluctant to bring Nicole into his sanctuary. In the days that follow, the two fall deeply in love, a profoundly meaningful experience that is destined to change them both forever. But there are puzzling oddities about Michael and his lifestyle, and soon Nicole discovers the one thing Michael has spent years hiding, the one dark secret that could result in her death. I think you can guess what it is! And for fans of my other books, there’s a subtle reference in Nocturne to my novel Dracula, My Love. See if you can find it!

I’m thrilled by the book’s advance reviews. Enduring Romance called Nocturne “the most realistic vampire love story I've ever read." A Simple Love of Reading said, “Each incredible revelation kept me turning pages long into the night." All Things Urban Fantasy described Nocturne as "The perfect novel to read on a cold winter night. Just beautiful," and Merry Genre Go Round Reviews
said, "Readers will relish this strong, romantic suspense thriller." I really hope you and your readers agree, because Nocturne and Michael and Nicole are very dear to my heart!

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

Syrie:  Michael is the world’s sexiest Englishman. He’s very intelligent, accomplished, well-read, romantic, athletic, and haunted by his past. I’d cast either Rupert Penry-Jones, Gerard Butler, Sean Bean, Daniel Craig, Colin Firth, Clive Owen, or Christian Bale.

Nicole is young, smart, sensitive, thoughtful, well-read, adventurous, loving, athletic, and kind, and has a great sense of humor. She's also traumatized by a mistake that’s kept her from moving forward in her life. I’d cast Amanda Seyfried, Julia Roberts, Scarlett Johannson, Natalie Portman, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts, or Kate Winslet.

 Nocturne by Syrie James.

When Nicole Whitcomb’s car runs off a Colorado mountain road during a blinding snowstorm, she is saved from death by a handsome, fascinating, and enigmatic stranger.  Snowbound with him for days in his beautiful home high in the Rockies, she finds herself powerfully attracted to him and soon comes to realize that the feeling is mutual. But there are things about him that mystify her, filling her with apprehension—and Nicole can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t want her there.  Who is Michael Tyler? Why does he live alone in such a secluded spot and guard his private life so carefully? What secret—or secrets—is he hiding?  Nicole has secrets of her own and a past she is running from—but Michael understands her better than anyone she has ever known. Soon, she is falling as deeply in love with him as he is with her.  But as the sexual tension between them builds, the clues mount up. When Nicole learns the terrifying truth—that her host is an ages-old vampire who is torn between his love for her and his desire for her blood—there’s nowhere for her to run but into the blizzard raging outside, and he’s the only one who can save her life.


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

To learn more about Syrie James and her books, please visit her website.

Spirit Guide Series New Year's Giveaway Winner!

Congratulations BLHmistress of Book Lover's Hideaway the winner of our Spirit Guide Series New Year's Giveaway!  BLHmistress will receive a signed copy of She Smells the Dead, signed copy of Spirit Storm, bookmarks, postcards, and an extra large "I Smell Dead People" t-shirt.

Thanks to all who entered!

Didn't win?  Don't miss the Goodreads First Reads giveaway for a signed copy of Spirit Storm here. (Giveaway ends 1/21).

Keep track of ongoing giveaways at the official Spirit Guide series website.

**All giveaway winners selected using Random.org**

Dream Cast: Spirit Guide Series

My dream cast for the Spirit Guide Series.

Yuki...

Calvin...

Emma...

Simon...

Who would you choose?

**This was just for fun.  The above images belong to the celebrities featured.**