Q+A with the McNite Sisters (Mystic Realm)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest authors, the McNite sisters!  Leigh and Rebecca are the authors of MYSTIC REALM.

Q+A with the McNite Sisters

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Leigh:  I started when I was in high school, back in the 90's. My writing was mainly a hobby. I also draw as well, but I would start a story and when I hit writers block, I would pass it to a friend. They would read it and write their opinions and give their idea of where I should go with it. When I got it back, I would  have new inspiration.  I had started a book, but it isn't finished. I don't know if I will finish it or not right at this point.

The school had a book called the Phoenix. They would publish student's drawings, short stories, and poetry in it. I entered a couple or poems and I think a few pictures. That's basically when I began writing.

Rebecca:  I started out in grade school, back in the 80's, but I wrote lots of poetry. I was inspired by William Shakespeare, I think I read Romeo and Juliet so many times that I lost count and Edger Allen Poe. I like the one poem about Anna Bell Lee. I wrote a poem about a troubled friendship, at the time I was having friendship issues. When I was 14 I wrote a poem about Princess Diana. Back in 97' When she died, I had watched her funeral and I cried. So I sat and wrote a poem about her. It almost got published into the National Book of Poetry, but I refused to let them publish it. The company wanted to change my wording and I didn't want them to. So it was never published.

It wasn't until I met Leigh that we started Mystic Realm. It started out with Leigh writing it just for fun. She would write while she was at work and when she would hit writers block she would call me and a friend of ours, that I was living with at the time, and read what she had wrote. Then we would give her ideas. It got to the point that our friend didn't seem to have any interest in it anymore so she would come to me for ideas and such. After a while of doing this, I began to write scenes with my characters for her. Like I had mentioned before, It was all just for fun. So one day I told her, "Why do this for fun when we can finish the book and get it publish for real." So we did and when it was done we got it published last year. It took us 7 years to write this book. The reason for that is because of Living arrangements and family issues. We are currently working on the second book. We are half way through it. We hope to get it finished by the end of this year or beginning of next year. It will be a series. We already have ideas for up to 8 or 9 books now.

EJ:  What brought you to the Paranormal genre?

Leigh:  I'm not really sure. ( Lol! ) There are a few things really. I saw my grandfathers ghost When I was really young. The house we lived in when I was a teen was haunted by my great uncle and two sisters. I saw one of their ghosts as well. Later I was drawn to witchcraft. I've seen, been through, and done a lot not to believe in it. I have also been fascinated in vampires and shape shifters. I always thought about being a ghost hunter as well.

Rebecca: Ever since I was little I've been drawn to the paranormal. I loved and still love anything and everything to do with Vampires. I don't know what it is about it. I love the Mystery and seduction of a vampire. I always felt that I never belonged in this life time or time period. My soul always felt old.  I'm not too hip about ghosts and zombies. I did, however, have a paranormal experience when I was younger. At the age of 8 or 9 I lived in a haunted house. I would hear footsteps going up and down the stairs, the attic, and would feel presences in the slaves quarters of the house.  I also lived in a haunted apartment. Some friends of mine had passed away tragically and weird stuff would happen, like things would fly across the room, my lamp would go on and off and nothing would be touching it, and my radio would be playing a CD it would stop, switch itself to play a song, then change back to the song it was previously playing. The wired thing about this was the song would start back in the same place it stopped at. Unfortunately, no one else witnessed this except me. So you can pretty much tell how that went when I told anyone. Anywho, that's what brought me into the paranormal genre.

EJ:  If you could be any Paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, What would It be? Why?

Leigh:  I can't name just one. I would be a vampire because of the longevity of life. I'm more of a night person as it is. I would also love to be a shape shifter because of the unnatural strength I would have. I've always loved wolves. So it's really hard to chose only one.

Rebecca: I also have a hard time choosing just one, but if I had to choose, I would have to say, that I would love to be a shape shifter, I guess. My favorite animal is the Panther. Such a beautiful creature. They are graceful, Mysterious, and they like to sleep in tall trees. They remind me of a ninja. At least I could get over my fear of heights. I wouldn't have to worry about anything. I could just live freely in the jungle.

EJ:  Tell us why readers would enjoy your new release?

Leigh:  Well our characters are different than any other vampire, shape shifter or creature that we have ever read about. There is love, emotions, action, suspense, and it leaves you wanting more. Most books we have read only has one male and female character. Our book has more than that. You will hear about more than one couple. So the reader will have more to like.

Rebecca: Like I have always been told It's in the eye of the beholder. We hope everyone enjoys the book. It's our first time writing. We hope people will want to read more. The guys and girls in our book have become family to us. They are in our dreams and we want to share them with the world.

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

Leigh: We have a list of actor/actress who we think would be great to play the characters. But honestly, we would love to find fresh faces. A movie would be great but we prefer to go anime with it.

Rebecca: Yeah, don't get us wrong. If someone came to us and asked to make our novel a movie we would not hesitate to say YES!!!! but like my co author has stated we would want some fresh faces. We want to give the first time actors or actress a chance in the world. Believe me I have found some actors I would love to play some of the characters just because of the personalities and such, but still in all, we would  want to give the new faces a chance.

Mystic Realm (New Beginning, Bad Endings #1) by the McNite Sisters.

Nik, Sassy, and Tee McNeal are three sisters living together in a new town trying to start fresh. Every day for the past year was simple and easy. They had their secrets they hid from the world. Then their whole life changes when shape shifting bounty hunters come into town and open up a whole new world for them. They meet new friends, start new relationships, and fall deeply in love. They soon gain new abilities which seem great, but all good things come to an end when someone else shows up to come between the sisters.

He stands watching from a distance, Danta Vesalivanic, a powerful menacing man with revenge in his heart. He came from the past and was long thought to be dead. He had been after the bounty hunters, who use to be his blood brothers, for a very long time. He followed the bounty hunters through a door from another realm. Now he is in the human realm and the sisters are a part of his prey. Some new beginnings turn out to be bad endings. Or do they?

Release Date:  October 2, 2013
Genre:  Paranormal Romance

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

To learn more about Leigh and Rebecca and their books, please visit their website.

Guarding Angel Giveaway + S.L. Saboviec Guest Post

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author S.L. Saboviec!  S.L. is the author of GUARDING ANGEL.  We have a fun guest post and giveaway for our readers.

Keep reading for a chance to win an ebook copy of Guarding Angel by S.L. Saboviec.

10 Things I'm Glad I've Done

by S.L. Saboviec

Since The Bucket List came out, I’ve seen lots of “here’s my before-I-die list” blog entries. I like that idea, I really do, but at the moment, I’m drowning in to-do lists. I have my work list, which never seems to end, and my personal list, which is so long that I’ve split it into categories. Now, instead of two, I have about six or seven—I don’t even want to count.

But what about all the things I’ve done with my life? Like the daily to-do list, once something happens, I tend to discount it once it’s crossed off. But today, I’d like to pause a moment and be grateful for all the things in the world that I’ve experienced.

Here are ten of them:

1. Gotten LASIK surgery

My big regret is doing it so young (age nineteen) because my eyes had a tad more adjustment to do and I don’t have the perfect vision I had when I first had the surgery done. But going from thick gas permeable contacts to being without vision correction has been freeing in a way only those who have glasses or contacts could understand. Thirteen years later, I still wake up in the morning and gaze across the room in wonder that I’m able to clearly see the details of the shirts hanging in my closer.

2. Journaled my way through college

For four solid years, I was committed to journaling, both as a way of discovering who I was as a person and as a way to develop my skill as a writer. Some nights I would sit in front of my computer and spend hours chronicling the events of the past day or two. And now I have a record of that tumultuous, exciting time in my life, one that I may or may not ever go back and read. But having it written down is precious to me. I’m so glad that I did it.

3. Started pursuing my writing dream at a relatively young age

After I finished college, I pursued the sensible course of action—a stable job with a nice pension and good benefits. I shelved my writing and didn’t look back. Yet I wasn’t fulfilled. And I kept wondering—what was missing?

A couple years ago, I realized that for a long time, I would think to myself, “I’ll write when I have time. Maybe when I retire. Maybe after the next promotion. The next project. The next time I have a long break.” Yet it never happened—until a friend helped me wake up and realize that writing was what I wanted to do. Never mind the career that didn’t capture my heart. So what if writing doesn’t pay the bills? That’s not why I do it.

And so, even though I was past thirty when I really got serious about writing, I did get serious. I’m realizing my dream, one book, one chapter, one sentence, one word at a time. And I’m grateful that I started, even if sometimes I want to beat myself up for starting so late.

4. Been laid off from my job of five years

This one isn’t as odd as it seems. At 27 years old, I was laid off from my job at a large bank. Due to a variety of circumstances, I spent the next nine months struggling to find work. Yet I count this as one of the most important things that happened to me in my life.

First, it taught me that I could overcome just about anything. By the end, I was running up credit card debt, having blown through all the savings I’d carefully squirreled away, never thinking that the day would come when I’d need it. Yet I came out the other side stronger.

And secondly, it taught me that corporations do not care about me. And I learned it at a very young age. Since starting my career ten years ago, I’ve seen all different demographics of people fired or laid off—retirement age, middle age, with young children at home, just starting their careers. And because I’ve been through it, it no longer shocks me. I’m still appalled and saddened and angered, but I understand that none of those emotions do me any good. I’m as loyal to my job now as I know it is to me—which is to say, we have an understanding.

5. Been in a cutting edge guild in World of Warcraft

Yes, I have to mention this. I’m a video gamer. In fact, it’s how I met my husband, in an online world. We played WOW for several years before really getting into raiding, which required quite a time and energy. Although I may never again be able to sustain the level of commitment to a computer screen that it requires, being really, really good at something and admired by “the masses” on our server was exciting while it lasted.

6. Fallen in love

I believe in soul mates, but I also believe that not everyone is destined to find theirs. That my husband and I met on an online game, another one of my loves, is both fitting and ridiculous! I’m grateful that I found him and had the courage to have a relationship with him.

7. Moved to a city …

As a result of falling in love and another bunch of extenuating circumstances (I seem to have a lot of those in my life), my husband and I ended up moving to Toronto. Some days, as I trundle off the train and get swept away by the rush hour crowd, I recall that I am a small town girl living in the big city. I think of the excitement of going to Chicago or New York City for the first time, the flutters in my chest at the hustle and bustle, and I think, Boy, you sure were an idiot.

I hate the city. The people. The smells. The busy streets.

But I’m glad I got to live here so that I knew what I was missing out on: not much.

Sorry, city folk.

8. … In another country

My husband is Canadian. Although Canada isn’t quite as foreign of a country as, say, North Korea, it still has its differences from the Midwest. Everyone is friendlier (except in the aforementioned Toronto commute). Everyone is more accepting. Everyone is more laid back and less concerned with everyone else’s business. Whether it’s the country, the tapestry of different religions and beliefs, or the Greater Toronto Area itself, I don’t know. But I do know I like the culture here, and I’m glad I have been able to experience it.

9. Went to Africa

This is actually the one thing that sparked the idea for this list. I loved going to Africa, and I would love to go back someday with my husband and future children. But even if I never do, the beauty, majesty, simplicity, and ruggedness of that continent will forever stay with me. It’s something that I think should be on every person’s bucket list. It was the only place that changed me by simply being.

10. Had a baby

Technically, I haven’t had a baby yet. But sometime on or around September 3, I will become a mother.

I have a confession: I’m not a baby person. I babysat for the money, not for the love of children. And at four months pregnant, upon holding my friend’s newborn in my arms, I thought perhaps the “ugh, what am I supposed to do with this thing?” feeling would be washed away by the pregnancy hormones. It was not.

But, as they always used to tell me, when it’s your baby, it’s different. Let me just make this clear, though: I don’t like pregnancy, the constant need to pee, the ravenous hunger that strikes with no regard to the clock, the aches and pains and weird stuff that you don’t even want to know about. But when I feel my baby roll inside me or kick a painfully sensitive spot (good golly, I wish he/she would stop doing that), some sort of oxytocin-fueled starry-eyed-ness goes off inside me. And I’m glad. This will be an amazing ride, I just know it. And they’re right. When it’s my baby, it’s different.

What about you? Are there one, two, three things you’re happy, gratified, excited, or glad to have experienced?

Guarding Angel (Fallen Redemption #1) by S.L. Saboviec.

Guardian angel Enael can’t seem to keep her human Wards in check. They’re the ones who choose their paths before reincarnating—she’s just there to help make sure they stay on track. But it’s not as easy as it might look.

When she meets and falls in love with charismatic Kaspen, a fellow Guardian, Enael’s feelings about Heaven, Hell, demons, and the life she’s known are turned upside down. Worse, angel-turned-demon Yasva, Kaspen’s former love, still holds him in her clutches. Even as Yasva works toward obtaining complete control of Earth, she taunts and haunts Kaspen’s and Enael’s lives.

Now Enael is forced to face her past (which is centuries long and bursting with secrets), her present (which is terribly unfulfilling and full of questions), and her future (which becomes more uncertain as time passes). Armed with a newfound love and fear of losing it all, she must figure out how to save the world—-and the angel she loves. Which side will win? Who will Kaspen choose? Will Heaven and Earth continue to exist, or will everything go to Hell?

Release Date:  May 19, 2014
Genre:  Adult, Fantasy
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Thank you S.L. for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about S.L. Saboviec's books, please visit her website.

Guarding Angel Giveaway

We are giving away an ebook copy of Guarding Angel by S.L. Saboviec to one lucky winner!

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.  Giveaway ends July 12, 2014 midnight EST.

Q+A with Stacey Marie Brown + Dwellers of Darkness Giveaway

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Stacey Marie Brown!  Stacey is the author of the Darkness series (Darkness of Light, Fire in the Darkness, Dwellers of Darkness).

Keep reading for a chance to win books and swag!

Q+A with Stacey Marie Brown

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Stacey:  I wrote since the time I learned how. Writing stories, plays, and poems were my way of release, expressing myself, and escaping. I don’t know why but I never thought about it as a career until the last couple of years. I went to school for acting, then architectural design. Creating worlds is always something I loved to do. When I started writing Darkness of Light, I knew without a doubt this was what I was meant to do. Everything led me here.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Stacey:  I’ve always preferred the paranormal/fantasy genre. My favorite movies growing up were Labyrinth and Goonies. There is so much possibility. You can create anything. There is no limit with fantasy. I like the thought there is more out there in the world, and that I can create a world were magic and mythical creatures exist.

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

Stacey:  I would like to have magic to travel anywhere in a blink of an eye and live for thousands of years. The older I get the faster I feel life is going by and I would like to stay around and discover all the amazing things in it.

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

Stacey:  Hot alpha bad-boy bikers, mystery, intrigue, adventure, funny sidekicks, and steamy sex, all wrapped up in a coming war between Light and Dark Fae. What more could you want?

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

Stacey:  I actually have up on my website and Pinterest my ideas of what I think my characters look like. But that is a hard one. People reading them have their own version and usually who they the directors cast never fits their ideas. My characters are so strong and developed it would be hard to cast them. I actually avoid any “names” when picking my pictures. To me there is only one Eli and Ember and seeing that well-known actor play another role would take away from that.

Dwellers of Darkness (Darkness #3) by Stacey Marie Brown.

Some days feel like years, but in Ember Brycin’s case just the opposite is true. She had only been in the Otherworld for a day or two when she returned back to the Earth’s realm. But it is three years later on Earth. Em is now 22. It would matter if she was human, but she’s not. She is a Dae, part Demon and part Fay, with a little Dark Dweller thrown in to make her even more of a freak.

Seeing Seattle rebuilt only confirms she has been gone three years. For her it was not long ago that the Seattle area was just rubble of concrete and death. All done by her hand.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is her undeniable connection to Eli Dragen, who is sexy, gorgeous, and even more volatile and frustrating. But her problems go way past him. The Seelie Queen of the Otherworld still holds Mark, Em’s father, and her friends, Ryan, and Josh as hostages. Em needs to rescue them without, once again, getting caught and being used as a pawn to help the Queen regain possession of Earth. At the same time Ember is in hot water with Lars, the Unseelie King, after breaking her contract with him.

As some secrets have come to light others seem to become even more enigmatic. The only truth Ember knows is,everyone is harboring secrets. As Eli’s past is revealed, Em understands more clearly why he acts the way he does and how much their lives are intertwined. But she also knows Eli is holding something back, something that could change their relationship forever.

Em herself continues to wrestle with her feelings toward Torin and her own secret she’s withholding from Kennedy. As the tension for war mounts between the Seelie and Unseelie (Light and Dark), the tension at the Dark Dweller’s compound mounts even more as they prepare to obtain the sword no matter what the price. But is Ember the answer to the location of the sword? Is she the one to fulfill the prophecy? As usual nothing is ever what it seems.

Release date:  February 27, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
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Thank you Stacey for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

To learn more about Stacey Marie Brown and her books, please visit her website.

Dwellers of Darkness Giveaway

The author is giving away the first two books in the Darkness series signed with tote bag (US only), a signed copy of Dwellers of Darkness and pouch (US only), and 5 ebook copies of any books in the Darkness series (international).

To enter, please use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below.  This is a tour giveaway.  Giveaway winners will be selected randomly by the author, agent, or publisher.

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Good luck!

Polar Opposites: Book Excerpt + Giveaway

Today we have a special POLAR OPPOSITES book excerpt and giveaway.  Keep reading for a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Polar Opposites (Super Villain Academy #2) by Kai Strand

The supers are balanced. Academies have altered their curriculum to teach both sides of the super power spectrum. All’s well in the super world. Right?

When Mystic kidnaps Oceanus, Jeff learns it isn’t all right. Turning to the newly balanced supers for assistance, he panics to find they’ve done nothing to rescue Oceanus. When no ransom request follows, he worries Mystic’s plan never included returning his girlfriend. Frustrated, he’s forced to work with the only super willing to help. Oceanus’ ex-villain, ex-boyfriend, Set.

Mystic isn’t the only one hiding something. Nothing about Jeff is balanced. Temper flares result in scorched clothing or flying furniture, and his charm has become an indiscriminating people-magnet.

Jeff is convinced, or maybe just hopeful, that his lack of control is directly related to Oceanus being gone. But will he and Set find her before Jeff loses control completely and will they find her alive?

Release Date:  June 1, 2014
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Book Excerpt

They never talked about how they ended the world. Twice. Jeff glanced at Oceanus, bent over her phone in the passenger seat of his car. A curtain of black hair shielded her profile from view, but he thought he saw her smile.

He reached over and tucked her hair behind an ear. Yep, she was smiling. So was he. He felt his skin heat, but not as a side-effect of his super power ability to create fire. This heat was due to thoughts of Oci running her small warm hands down his back and tilting her face up to accept his kiss.

“ How about a movie?” Oceanus asked.

“ Which one?” Jeff replied, scanning the traffic and then his girlfriend.

Oci’s thin arms, delicate wrists, and bird-like legs that barely reached the floorboards, all gave the impression she needed protection and caring for. Whereas, with her super strength, she could lift the car they drove in onto two wheels if someone were trapped underneath.

“ Oh, perfect!” Oceanus flung her hair over her shoulder and straightened in her seat. Her smile illuminated Jeff’s peripheral vision as he concentrated on traffic. “The one I want to see starts in forty-five minutes. That gives us plenty of time to get there, get popcorn and some good seats, and watch the previews. I love the previews, don’t you?”

Jeff glanced at her again. The devilish glint in her eye made him frown. “What movie?”

Oceanus peeked through thick black lashes. Jeff was pretty sure she even batted them a bit. “What movie, Oci?”

“ Accidental Hero.” At Jeff’s groan, Oceanus chuckled. “Come on, you have to admit the storyline looks kinda familiar. Besides, the special effects look amazing. You love that crap.”

Jeff stared at the traffic and said nothing. He knew it was useless. He could mount the best argument against seeing the movie, but Oceanus always got her way. Cursing his Oceanus-shaped soft spot, he turned at the next intersection and headed toward the theater.

The whiny guitar tones of the heavy metal song Super Villain erupted from his cell phone. He looked at the display and saw Mother’s number. “Can you answer that?”

Reaching for his phone, Oceanus said, “You know, now that we aren’t technically super villains anymore, you should consider changing your ringtone.”

Polar Opposites Giveaway

Enter to win $100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

To enter, please use this Rafflecopter form.  This giveaway ends 7/20/14.  Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the publisher. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Good luck!

Burning Bright Top 100 Urban Fantasy Giveaway

Yesterday we kicked off the release party for BURNING BRIGHT, the third full-length novel in the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series.

Our favorite kick-ass psychic detective is back!

If you haven't checked out our release party post, be sure to stop by for a chance to read book excerpts and enter the Burning Bright Release Party Giveaway for a chance to win 1 of 6 ebook copies of Burning Bright.  Prefer physical books?  Goodreads is giving away 3 trade paperback copies of Burning Bright in the Goodreads First Reads Burning Bright Giveaway.

Let's party!

While eating my share of cupcakes, I noticed something amazing.  Burning Bright was receiving 4 and 5 star squeee-worthy reviews, but that was not all.

Burning Bright hit Amazon's Top 100 Urban Fantasy Books.

I was floored.  My readers are THE BEST.  Burning Bright would not be on the Top 100 Urban Fantasy list without you.  So, in an effort to thank you all, I'm having a giveaway.

Burning Bright Top 100 Urban Fantasy Giveaway

We are giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Send a copy of your receipt to e.j.stevens.author [at] gmail [dot] com and you will be entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card.  I also have a fabulous Ivy Granger series swag pack for one lucky runner up.

This giveaway is international.  Receipt can be from any retailer.  Purchases of all book formats qualify for the giveaway.  Have a burning desire to own Burning Bright in both Ebook and Trade Paperback?  Go ahead!  Send both receipts and receive two entries.  Giveaway ends July 7, 2014 midnight EST. 

Burning Bright (Ivy Granger #3) by E.J. Stevens

Burning down the house...

Things are not going well at the offices of Private Eye. Jinx is having demon problems, the city is overrun with pyromaniacal imps, and Ivy's wisp powers are burning out of control, attracting the attention of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

Along came a faerie queen... It's the worst possible time for the Green Lady to call in a favor, but Ivy's bound by her deal with the glaistig. Too bad there's no wiggle room in faerie bargains.

Ivy must rid the city of imps, keep Jinx from murdering her one solid link to Hell, and fulfill her bargain with the Green Lady--with sidhe assassins hot on her tail.

Just another day's work for Ivy Granger, psychic detective.

Release Date: June 17, 2014
Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Previous books in this series: Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1), Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5), Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2), Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5).
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BURNING BRIGHT now available at:

Amazon, Amazon.UK, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and other fine retailers.

Release Party, Book Excerpts + Giveaway: Burning Bright by E.J. Stevens

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

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

Burning Bright (Ivy Granger #3) by E.J. Stevens

Burning down the house...

Things are not going well at the offices of Private Eye. Jinx is having demon problems, the city is overrun with pyromaniacal imps, and Ivy's wisp powers are burning out of control, attracting the attention of both the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

Along came a faerie queen... It's the worst possible time for the Green Lady to call in a favor, but Ivy's bound by her deal with the glaistig. Too bad there's no wiggle room in faerie bargains.

Ivy must rid the city of imps, keep Jinx from murdering her one solid link to Hell, and fulfill her bargain with the Green Lady--with sidhe assassins hot on her tail.

Just another day's work for Ivy Granger, psychic detective.

Release Date: June 17, 2014
Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Add to Goodreads.

Previous books in this series: Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger #1), Blood and Mistletoe (Ivy Granger #1.5), Ghost Light (Ivy Granger #2), Club Nexus (Ivy Granger #2.5).

Burning Bright available now on Amazon, Amazon.UK, Smashwords, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and other fine retailers.

Book Excerpt #1 (Ivy gets wet.)

My first impression of Emain Ablach was that it was wet.  Very, very wet.  But I didn’t have much time to think about that fact.  I was too busy drowning.

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

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

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

There were hundreds of them.

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

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

Now that was a cheery thought.

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

The delay alone would kill me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Are you alright?” he asked.

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

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

Book Excerpt #2 (Spiders, why does it have to be spiders?)

“Have you both lost your minds?” Torn asked.

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

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

I shook my head.

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

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

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

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

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

Torn sighed and shook his head.

“Fine, it’s your funeral,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Freaking adorable,” I growled.

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

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

“I told you so, princess,” Torn said.

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

Burning Bright Release Party Giveaway

We are giving away SIX Ebook copies of BURNING BRIGHT by E.J. Stevens.

To enter, please use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends July 2nd.

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Learn more about the Ivy Granger urban fantasy series by visiting the Official Ivy Granger Website.

Thank you for partying with us!

Q+A with Jacinta Maree + The Reapers Book Giveaway

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Jacinta Maree!  Jacinta is the author of the My Demonic Ghost series (My Demonic Ghost, The Reapers).

Q+A with Jacinta Maree

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Jacinta:  Well, I had found my love of the written world when I was very young. Some mind find it strange to hear, but I wasn’t a big reader but I loved to write. It had started when I was about six years old in grade two. We were given an assignment to write a story with our grade 5 buddies and I had written a horror about a haunted house infested with bats. Funny how little things change over the years. Horror writer then, horror writer now. All through my primary school years and high school I had grown up writing, either it be with friends, online or most of the time by myself. It was the most natural thing for me to do, just like breathing.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Jacinta:  I love anything that is beyond our reality. It can be paranormal, supernatural or even high fantasy. I just love the idea of being able to live in a world where anything is possible, where there can be ghosts and vampires, you can have super powers or run outside and take on a fire breathing dragon. There is no limitation, paranormal is just one small part of my love of stories. Same with my choice of movies, I seem to lean towards more alternative reality films like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings than contemporary.

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

Jacinta:  I’ve had a lot of discussions about this exact topic with my friends, and I actually come out sounding more like a super villain than anything else. I would want the ability to mind control. Yep, like I said, super villain. It’s pretty much a selfish wish but I like to think that I could use my ‘super power’ to defuse wars or talk people out of causing themselves or each other harm.

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

Jacinta:  I sure hope they’ll enjoy the second instalment to My Demonic Ghost, The Reapers. The story explores more of the paranormal world where we get to see the backstage dealings with the Reapers. We are introduced to a new character, Jordon Hastings, as he is thrown head first into a new world of angels and demons after being the victim to a horrendous murder.

It’s a different take on the tale of angels and demons fighting it out, but in this instance it’s the demons that you want to win. The whole idea revolves around a corrupted afterlife and where nothing is black or white.  

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

Jacinta:  I honestly have no idea. I’ve always pictured My Demonic Ghost more like an animation, like Rise of the Guardians or How to Train you Dragon. I haven’t yet come across an actor that I would think, ‘yes that’s Lock’ or ‘yes that’s Rachael’. I guess, to me they are too real to just have anyone pretend to be them.

If the book was ever turned into a movie, I would rather have fresh faced actors that are true to the characters instead of the biggest A lister.

The Reapers (My Demonic Ghost #2) by Jacinta Maree.

The day you die is meant to be the end, but for 18 year old Jordon Hastings, his death was only the beginning.

In a dark and twisted world, lost spirits known as Reapers remain behind after death to help collect the spirits from the realm of the living. A new Reaper, Jordon struggles to accept his fate and lingers in the shadows of his mortal life. But when a demon wolf starts to live through his shadow, hunting his family and friends Jordon has no choice but to leave. As soon as he accepts his new role the truth behind the relationship between Reapers and Angelic Hunters is revealed. His loyalty is tested, making him choose between a corrupted God and a single Banished Spirit.

Release Date:  September 17, 2013
Genre:  Paranormal, Young Adult
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Thank you Jacinta for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

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

The Reapers Book Giveaway

We are giving away an ebook copy of THE REAPERS by Jacinta Maree to one lucky winner.

To enter, please leave a comment on this post.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends June 23, 2014 midnight EST.

Good luck!

Release Day Launch Party, Book Excerpt + Giveaway: Descent by Kallie Ross

Today we are celebrating the release of DESCENT by Kallie Ross with a book excerpt and a giveaway!

Keep reading for a chance to win Amazon Gift Cards!

Descent by Kallie Ross.

Seventeen year old Ollie Miller is ready to leave all of her hurt feelings behind, but moving on seems impossible while living next door to her ex-best friend, Mateo. When curious earthquakes begin to shake and rip open the foundation of her small town, the ground becomes as unsteady as her feelings for him. When they fall, they fall hard…
 
Ollie’s disastrous attempt to save Mateo’s brother from falling into a curious chasm results in their descent into a cavernous wonderland. Ollie, Mateo, Jesse, and Alexis search for a way back home, and encounter a mysterious tribe of natives. Gabriel, the next in line to lead his people, is granted permission to guide them to the surface. On their treacherous journey, an overzealous elder threatens all of their lives, because he can’t risk them exposing his people, or the power he wields. The group discovers ancient secrets, unexpected truths, and uncharted feelings. Ollie must find a way out or risk being stuck in the caves forever—or worse, dead.

Release Date:  June 9, 2014
Genre:  Young Adult
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Book Excerpt

Using the widget below, read the first 5 chapters of Descent by Kallie Ross for FREE!

Descent (Chapters 1-5)

Descent Launch Party Giveaway

The author is giving away a $50 and a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

To enter, please use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open to the US and Canada.  This is a tour giveaway, therefore winners will be selected by the author Kallie Ross or the tour coordinator InkSlinger PR. 

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Good luck!

Q+A with Michele Drier (The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Michele Drier!  Michele is the author of the Amy Hobbes series (Edited for Death, Labeled for Death) and The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles (SNAP: The World Unfolds, SNAP: New Talent, Plague: A Love Story, DANUBE: A Tale of Murder, SNAP: Love for Blood, SNAP: Happily Ever After, SNAP: White Nights).

Q+A with Michele Drier

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Michele:  I’m not even sure. I’ve always loved to read and during my career as a journalist, had bits, scraps, notes and a partial manuscript in my desk drawer. About 35 years ago I entered a partial in the Jackson-Phelan Young California Writer contest. It was a story of growing up surrounded by aging ladies and learning to find one’s self in the world.
I didn’t win anything because that was the year that Anne Rice won for Interview with the Vampire. At the time, I didn’t realize it was karma, a weird seismic alignment, some kind of strange fate. And no, I didn’t start writing paranormal until 2011.

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Michele:  My daughter and son-in-law. I was happy because I’d just contracted for my first book, a traditional mystery. Like almost every writer, I had a file folder full of rejections from agents and publishers and the contract from the small press was validation that I wasn’t the crazy cat lady down the block!

After jumping up and down and shouting for a few hours, I called my daughter and her husband. He said, “Why don’t you write a vampire novel? Nobody reads mysteries.”
He was wrong about mysteries, but right about vampires. Once I began the stories of the Kandesky vampires, I was hooked.

The Kandeskys are a 500-year-old group of vampires from Hungary who slowly added members as they amassed a fortune in business and trade. They accumulated wealth until today, in the 21st century, they own SNAP, a multinational conglomerate built on celebrity gossip. There are nightly TV shows in North America, South America and all over Europe and a weekly magazine published in twenty languages.

Kandesky Holdings own other businesses as well, but SNAP provides the bulk of their income, now putting them among the richest in the Western world.
They’re urbane, sexy, work hard and play hard and I’m excited to get up in the morning and join them in their world. It’s a whole lot more fun than doing laundry and mopping floors and feeding the cat!
 
EJ:  If you could be any paranormal or have any one supernatural talent, what would it be? Why?

Michele:  That’s difficult. All paranormals have assets and drawbacks. I think I’d like to be a vampire because I’d heal faster, never gain weight and be around for a long time to find out what happens! Then again, living for centuries could get tiring.

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

Michele:  My newest release, SNAP: White Nights, introduces a new couple, Jazz and Nik, and helps Maxie make a decision. Maxie is a regular, the Managing Editor of SNAP magazines. She falls for Jean-Louis, the art director who is also second-in-command of the Kandesky family of vampires. He wants to marry her and turn her, but she can’t give up sunshine, the beach and good food.

In SNAP: White Nights, Jean-Louis and Nik, the third-in-command of the family, finally lure the last of their rival family, the Huszars, to death and Maxie finds peace. But the heat’s increasing for Nik and Jazz, the woman who took over Maxie’s job at SNAP when Maxie moved to Europe to be with Jean-Louis.

Will Maxie agree to marry Jean-Louis and be turned to a vampire? Will Jazz give up her Southern California life and sunlight to stay with Nik, a vampire and arms dealer who spends his time in the shadowy black and grey markets of weapons trading?

Fans and reviewers have called SNAP: White Nights, Book Seven of The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, the best of the series so far.

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

Michele:  Ian Somerhalder as Jean-Louis
Amy Adams as Maxie
Valorie Curry as Jazz
Paul Wesley as Nik

The Kandeskys are beautiful, mesmerizing creatures, most of whom were turned in their late twenties and early thirties. They’re grown-ups who have seen centuries of history and learned to grow and adapt with the times.

The actors should be mature enough to carry that sense of history, but the women, who are regulars and professionals, need to still have some naiveté when they run into vampires and danger.

SNAP: White Nights (The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles #7) by Michele Drier.

Nik, the third-in-command of the Hungarian Kandesky vampire family, has been handling the family's interests in Czech munition factories for upwards of four hundred years. He's been a contented bachelor, throwing himself into business until Jazz strolls into his life. Jazz is Maxie Gwenoch's successor as the managing editor for SNAP, the international celeb gossip magazine, another Kandesky company. Maxie, Nik, Jazz and Jean-Louis, the Kandesky second-in-command, are headed to Moscow to assess the business potential for a SNAP Russian bureau, until an old enemy shows up. Set against the tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the short Russian nights teach Maxie to cherish her time with Jean-Louis while Jazz faces her own questions about loving a vampire.

Release date: March 17, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Romance
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Thank you Michele for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

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

Q+A with Yolanda Sfetsos (Torn from the Shadows)

Please welcome today's paranormal guest author Yolanda Sfetsos!  Yolanda is the author of the Alyce Kerr series (Faithless, Careless, Boundless, Sinful, Relentless) and the Sierra Fox series (A Patch of Darkness, Split at the Seams, On Pins and Needles, Torn from the Shadows).

Q+A with Yolanda Sfetsos

EJ:  When did you begin writing?

Yolanda:  I started writing in my early teens because the stories I kept daydreaming about and making up inside my head wanted to get out. So I picked up a pen, grabbed some paper and started writing. I haven’t looked back since. :)

EJ:  What brought you to the paranormal genre?

Yolanda:  I’ve always had an interest in the paranormal. I’m a huge horror fan from way back. I love the endless possibilities hidden in the shadows, and I’m fascinated by monsters, myths and legends. But most of all, I love writing about them. I enjoy setting them loose in our contemporary world.

All things supernatural enhance the reading and writing experience.

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

Yolanda:  Oh, that’s a great question! I’m not sure I’d like to actually be one of them, though it would be cool to turn into an animal and be able to experience the world through their eyes… Nah, I think I would prefer to be friendly with a variety of supernatural creatures. So I could learn about their ways and learn about their origins.

But, I would love to be able to communicate without speaking. I think psychic phenomena is so fascinating.

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

Yolanda:  Well, if you’ve read the first three books in my Sierra Fox series, then you’ll enjoy catching up with Sierra & the Gang, to find out where her story leads six months after the events of ON PINS AND NEEDLES. And if you haven’t, you’ll be interested because even though there are vampires, pookas, demons, and phantasms in this installment…this is my werewolf book. ;)

On a serious note, if you like reading urban fantasy you might be interested because these books feature a spook catcher heroine who can see and interact with the dead, secondary characters that will have you wanting to know more about their story, a bunch of family secrets, and some pretty dark situations. It’s also set in an alternate version of Sydney, Australia.

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

Yolanda:  Firstly, that would be awesome! So, if my Sierra Fox series was being turned into a movie I would love to see fresh-faced actors cast in the roles of all my characters. But while researching and looking for inspiration for the characters in this world, I thought Sophia Bush was very close to how I imagined Sierra Fox. And Josh Holloway was the inspiration for Jason Papan.

These two actors captured so many of the physical traits that I had in mind.

Torn from the Shadows (Sierra Fox #4) by Yolanda Sfetsos.

All it takes is one goddess-affiliated demon to seal the deal.

Sierra Fox knows better than to believe the demon-obsessed freakshow has given up on her. She s settled into a nice routine of living with her sister, enjoying her relationship with a sexy werewolf, and staying on top of work and always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Predictably, things start falling apart as she s suddenly swamped with surprise visits and unwanted advances, and someone she despises wants her help.

When a spook-catching training session goes horribly wrong, she encounters a man who s not quite as dead as she d hoped. Mace is now more than human and still determined to get his hands on her. But not if Sierra accepts the strengthening gifts her grandmother bestowed at her birth.

Having the good guys put a price on her head is enough to ruin anyone s day, but Sierra refuses to give up or give in. Even if it means exercising the last option on earth she wants. But claiming the ultimate power may not be enough to save the man she loves before his werewolf past destroys him.

Warning: Phantasms, pookas, werewolves, and demons, "oh yes! " And a spook-catching heroine who must choose to take what s rightfully hers even if it means walking the shadows with a demon.

Release Date:  April 22, 2014
Genre: Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
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Thank you Yolanda for joining us here today at From the Shadows!

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

LUX: Beginnings and LUX Consequences Release Day Launch Party Giveaway

Today we are celebrating the launch of LUX: Beginnings (OBSIDIAN + ONYX) and LUX: Consequences (OPAL + ORIGIN) by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  And it wouldn't be a release party without a giveaway, right?  We've got you covered!

We are hosting a giveaway for a set of the hardcover bindings of LUX: Beginnings and LUX: Consequences by Jennifer L. Armentrout.  Keep reading to enter.

LUX: Beginnings (OBSIDIAN + ONYX) by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Now available together for the first time, don't miss Obsidian and Onyx, the first two books in Jennifer L. Armentrout's bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! "A thrilling ride from start to finish," says RT Book Reviews.

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Add to Goodreads.

LUX: Consequences (OPAL + ORIGIN) by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Now available together for the first time, don't miss Opal and Origin, the third and fourth books in Jennifer L. Armentrout's bestselling Lux series. Also includes bonus content exclusive to the print edition! "A thrilling ride from start to finish," says RT Book Reviews.

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger...and they know it.

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***LUX Release Day Giveaway***

Enter to win a set of the hardcover bindings of LUX: Beginnings and LUX: Consequences by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

To enter, use the easy peasy Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open to US/Canada only.  This is a tour giveaway and the winner will be selected by the author Jennifer L. Armentrout, Entangled Publishing, or InkSlinger PR, not From the Shadows.

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Good luck!