Sofia Wren — Be yourself, write for your book or business and FEEL the love. Make faster progress and always know what to do next because you hear your intuition and trust it. Use writing for transformational leadership and service.

Guest Post: Stacy Green, author of Into the Dark

by SofiaWren on January 21, 2013

For many months Stacy Green and I have been planning this guest post. Her romantic suspense novel has an amazing cover and has been out since November 2012. Already positive reviews have flowed in. Not to mention the positive vibes created by the Into the Dark Charity Tour. Let’s hear it for Stacy!

Thank you so much to Wren for having me today. I’m excited to talk about my debut novel, INTO THE DARK.

The book is set in Las Vegas, a city most of us associate with glitz, glamour, and high rollers. As a relatively sheltered girl from the Midwest, that was my image of Sin City when I first started researching.

My original idea was simple and a little shallow: I wanted to write about a SWAT officer, because they’re pretty sexy and the entire operation fascinates me. I set the story in Vegas because the city has one of the few full-time SWAT teams in the country. So there I was, with my heroine, Emilie–who was pretty vanilla at that point–stuck in a bank with two masked men. One of them has no interest in stealing from the bank. He’s after Emilie.

So I needed an escape route. I immediately thought of the founding fathers of Las Vegas–the mob. Surely there had to be stories of underground tunnels or escape routes somewhere. So I Googled “Las Vegas tunnels.”

That’s when I found out about the people who live in the storm drains beneath the city. The drains stretch over 200 miles, and it’s estimated between 100-200 people live in the system at any given time. Some make a living working the casino junket, cashing in credits they find. Some work small jobs that don’t pay enough to survive. Many are addicts brought down by their drug habit.

The homeless living in the drains were first brought to light by reporter Matthew O’Brien’s book, Beneath The Neon: Life and Death in the Las Vegas Tunnels. I immediately ordered the book and read about Las Vegas in a brand new light.

Suddenly INTO THE DARK was about much more than a SWAT officer with a hero complex and a tormented heroine. I not only had the perfect escape route, but I had an opportunity to talk about something real.

So I started writing, and over the months, created Nathan and Emilie. Nathan’s looks took a backseat and instead his true characteristics–loyalty, bravery, and festering guilt over his past–drove his character. Emilie went from being a stubborn woman to a strong female lead with ambitions and intelligence. Both characters venture into the drains, Nathan more than once. Both experience a life-changing reality down below.

INTO THE DARK isn’t about the storm drains or the people who call them home. It’s about learning from the past and accepting the events that made us who we are today. But the darkness and desperation of the tunnels add a depth to the book–a contrast to the bright lights and tourists–that makes the plight of the main characters real. Without the discovery of the tunnels, INTO THE DARK would be a different story.

Because of the inspiration from the homeless, the Charity Blog Tour for INTO THE DARK is about giving back. Readers can enter my Rafflecopter Contest for the chance to win the grand prize: a $100 donation from me to the homeless charity of their choice. The contest also allows participants to donate to HELP of Southern Nevada, the organization that assists those living in the drains and others in need in Las Vegas.

Into The Dark was a personal journey for me, and one that I’m very proud of. I hope you love it as well.

An Excerpt From INTO THE DARK

Emilie’s resolve faltered as they reached the tunnel entrance. She peered over Nathan’s shoulder at the triad of pipes branching off in different directions. Big enough for a tall man to walk through easily, their murky blackness was as foreboding as anything Emilie had ever experienced.

She pressed the button on her flashlight and shined it into the abyss. Four other lights joined hers, and the inner concrete walls of the tunnel became visible. Graffiti was scrawled over them. A bevy of cockroaches scuttled away from the intrusion.

Emilie followed Nathan and Chris across the threshold and tried not to give in to the claustrophobia that immediately wrapped itself around her. The tunnel was wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side with room to spare, but the sense of being closed in was amplified by the heavy silence. The group’s splashing feet echoed and then faded away into the never-ending darkness. How deep were the channels?

A smell resembling the rotten egg she’d once dropped on Evan’s porcelain kitchen floor hit her full force. Emilie’s hand flew to her mouth.

“Something else, ain’t it?” Chris’s voice broke the uneasy stillness. “I liken it to a men’s locker room filled with dirty socks and jocks after a five-mile run.”

“If you guys stink this bad, you need medical help. Christ.”

“At least my stomach’s not rumbling anymore,” Nathan said.

“Shit, I could eat,” Chris said.

“You can always eat. You’re like a human trash compactor.”

“Do you guys have any idea where to find Snake?” Avery’s voice came out muffled.

Chris turned around and shined his light on Avery. “Dude, that hanky over your face ain’t gonna stop the stink. Embrace it. Feel the burn.”

Emilie laughed as the knot in her stomach began to uncoil. The banter made it easier to forget why she was here.

Her right foot suddenly came down on something hard in the shallow stream of water. She stumbled into Nathan’s back before an arm caught her from behind.

“Watch it,” Avery said. “Last thing you want to do is fall face-first in this.”

“Sorry.” Emilie clutched the hem of Nathan’s thin T-shirt. “I tripped over something.”

She shined her light into the two-inch-deep water. A pair of soulless black eyes stared back at her. A child’s doll lay abandoned, its once-blond hair soaked with the filthy water.

Children lived down here?

Buy Into The Dark on Amazon

Coffeetime Romance

Bookstrand

All other digital formats at MuseItUp Publishing

Buy the paperback

Enter the INTO THE DARK Charity Raffle!

The homeless living in the storm drains of Las Vegas played a vital part in INTO THE DARK, and I want to give back. From November 1st until February 28th, participants will have several options to enter the raffle, including donating to HELP of Southern Nevada. The grand prize will be a $100 donation from me in the winner’s name to the homeless shelter of their choice.

BIO

Stacy Green is fascinated by the workings of the criminal mind and explores true crime on her popular Thriller Thursday posts at her blog, Turning the Page.

After earning her degree in journalism, Stacy worked in advertising before becoming a stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. She rediscovered her love of writing and wrote several articles for Women’s Edition Magazine of Cedar Rapids, profiling local businesses, before penning her first novel. Her debut novel, INTO THE DARK, is set in Las Vegas and features a heroine on the edge of disaster, a tormented villain, and the city’s infamous storm drains that house hundreds of homeless. INTO THE DARK is available on all digital formats and paperback November 30th.

Website: www.stacygreen.net

Follow Stacy online at her blog, www.stacygreenauthor.com

Twitter @StacyGreen26

Facebook Stacy Green, Author

Check out More Inspiring Author Guestposts

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Process: Building Off Memory for Fiction

by SofiaWren on January 17, 2013

By writing scenes based on memories I aim to capture an elusive something.

A meaning, a purpose for going through it all.
The essence of the difficulty and the consequential growth.
The patterns that still haunt my present life, so I can change it.
Something to share to prevent distress for others in similar situations.
A healing, a closure.

This is a lot to ask of a jumble of rapidly fading memories.

There are so many emotions that pit the lifetime of a sensitive person like me, and so much to write about.

But where does the story begin? And where does it end? Real life exists on a continuum that does neither besides birth and death.

That’s a much longer story. I find that a year can expand over hundreds of pages. I certainly have the notebooks to prove it.

Since November I have been chaining memories down, circling around a plot I have constructed out of wisps of nothing, a thread of feeling.

The past resurrected. I open the closets I fear, though often I find the contents more palatable than expected.

And now I come to the crux of the matter. The heartbreak. As I mentioned in How I Became a Witch and a Writer, once upon a time there was a particularly hard year for me.

I managed to keep the house of cards up until I met one very particular person. Not such a great person, but I was heart deep by the time I found that out. And angry.

“Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, Nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.” William Congreve

As a woman scorned I have burned the hottest anger in my life. I have the emails, I know what I said, what I thought. Words sent that I never thought I could direct towards anyone. Not gentle spirit me.

When I’m mad like that, I’m a bitch. I’m not classy and cool. I know it when I read the words, and I war with myself. He deserved it, I deserved better. But my heated behavior didn’t demonstrate any superiority.

And even when I directed all that anger at someone who wronged me so, even if I could rationalize that to myself—what I really didn’t deserve was my attachment to the situation. To step into the role of the angry scorned woman. It brought me no happiness.

When I cooled I realized the best way to step above is to move on, not waste my time.

I’m not perfect. And in my worst hours, I have done things I regret now.

But hot damn did I express myself. I laid my soul open.

On one side of the coin is deep love, and on the other is real heartbreak.

It’s real. It hurts. It moves. It disturbs. It’s terrifying. And it makes people do stupid things.

And that’s life.

Without those scenes, there’s no book.

Question–

How do you sort out your memories?

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Guest Post: Ally Shields, author of Awakening the Fire and the Fire Within

by SofiaWren on January 14, 2013

Ally Shields ushers in the Inspiration themed Guest Posts for January 2013. She is the author of the Guardian Witch Series, beginning with Awakening The Fire. The sequel Fire Within is scheduled for publication in March.

Inspiration is a word we throw around every day, but how often do you stop and think about what inspires you? I did just that when Wren asked me to write this post. I discovered the answer for me is really simple: life inspires me, the sum of my experiences. Since I suspect you want a little more detail than that, let’s stick with what inspires me as a writer.

It starts and ends with books. I love them, and I’ve read everything from Walter Farley’s horse books to Nancy Drew, Tolkien’s Trilogy, Charlaine Harris, Kim Harrison, Laurel K Hamilton and even Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. There have been a thousand more along the way. Each book, each intriguing world the author created inspired me to read the next book, and the next.

Somewhere along the way I began to dream of writing my own stories. Perhaps it was when I finished the last Walter Farley book and wanted to read more, because my first manuscript at age nine was a horse story entitled Golden King. I threw it away as childish when I was twelve, but I still remember the thrill of inventing that world and those characters. It fed the dream.

When I married, raised children, I still wrote whenever I could, and I have boxes of story ideas, partially written manuscripts and character sheets – a closetful that sat idle for years as family and job kept me busy. When I finally had time to write again, I pulled out those boxes and looked at them, but they were old ideas, and I wanted new.I’d read mostly mysteries and fantasy, and at the time was devouring Vince Flynn’s spy thrillers, so a mystery seemed a logical place to start. Mysteries were a genre I understood and loved. I chose my main character – her name was Samantha – and I sat down to write. But Samantha didn’t want to be Samantha, and she didn’t want to live in a normal world. In fact, along about day three, she announced she was a witch! For a long time, she didn’t reveal her name, and throughout the first draft, I continued to call her Samantha.Or maybe I just wasn’t listening closely enough to my inner muse in those early days.Eventually all the characters introduced themselves – Ari (my witch), Andreas (the vampire) and Ryan (the human cop), and my urban fantasy world began to evolve. So I guess you could say that the characters inspired my first novel that was eventually published in September 2012 as Awakening the Fire (Guardian Witch Book One).I’m now working on book five in that series. Fire Within (Book #2) will be released in March; Burning Both Ends (Book #3) is scheduled for late spring, and Blood & Fire (Book #4) is being submitted to the publisher. I continue to be inspired by these characters and by the readers who enjoy them.

Today I’m excited to give you a sneak peek at Fire Within (Guardian Witch Book Two) due out in March. The overall story arc continues from book #1.

Book Blurb:Otherworld cop Ari Calin refuses to believe her self-confessed human friend murdered a vampire, and she sets out to prove what really happened. When a second vampires dies, it’s obvious that Olde Town has a serial killer, threatening the vampires she protects. Maybe it’s just a vampire hunter run amok, but Ari suspects a hidden evil is stalking the city, preparing to take control, unless she finds a way to stop it.

Fire Within will be available soon at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online sites.
You can always find any of my books on Amazon by checking my author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/allyshields

If you haven’t read Awakening the Fire (Book #1) you can find it here:

Amazon US
Barnes & Noble
All Romance Ebooks

Ally Shields:

Ally Shields was born and raised in the Midwest along the Mississippi River, the
setting for her urban fantasy series. After careers as a lawyer and a juvenile court officer, she now writes full-time. Visit her official author website at http://allyshields.com.

The author may also be contacted through the following links:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Thank you, Wren, for inviting me to your blog. I hope you and your readers have a wonderful New Year and find many things to inspire each of you! —Ally Shields

~~Ally, The feeling is mutual, the whole year is ahead for writing and accomplishing our goals! It’s very exciting time. Best x Wren D

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Wren’s Journal: Deep Love New Moon

by SofiaWren on January 10, 2013

This month’s New Moon coincides with a major celebration—my two year anniversary with my love and now housemate.

Last year when he and I toasted our first year, or rather when I spilled the bubbling champagne all over myself and the floor, it was the first time I had ever hit that mark.

And now, having lived together for several months, see New Apartment New Moon, I can safely say this is going to last a while.

There are ups and downs, passionate arguments we engage in only because we care deeply about the other. Petty arguments about adding tomatoes or NOT, where to put the thermostat, and which TV show to watch, of course. My comfort zone has been challenged and will continue to be challenged.

As uber independent as I am, it’s still strange to have someone so opinionated about what I should and shouldn’t be doing in my life. Aha! So that’s what happens when someone really cares and is paying attention.

Two years in I see gleams of how my love will continue to deepen more than I have ever experienced. It’s miraculous how trusting another person has allowed me to trust myself and my vision more, too.

This is a good thing. *Nods and laughs*

Before I met this one, I was seeking so much: love, companionship, appreciation, respect, admiration, a pedestal, a guide, someone as nerdy/cool/crazy/smart/rebellious/ridiculous as I am.

I broke my heart on shiny but unreliable men. I passed up some good guys. Maybe the chemistry was off or maybe I wasn’t ready.

But I kept trying, through the hardest of times, I kept pushing myself to overcome my fears, to get out there, to strike conversations, to crack a joke even though the stakes felt high. Sigh, to write one more message to some rando on the internet.

But eventually this Wren found a nest with someone who cracks her up and gives good hugs. And he even fuckin’ cooks! He drugs me with capsaicin against my will, but it has numerous health benefits.

To all those who are seeking, keep it up. Make yourself as happy as possible in the meantime and one day, somebody will *poof* show up to help. No one knows when. Or where (tho probably not at work, in your house or rrr at the bar).

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a who.

And if you are a happy free bird, then rock on. ‘Nuff said.

But the one thing is–the who isn’t going to be perfect. Elements of importance will be there, yes, but there will always be something off. But the question is—do you feel perfect enough being together?

I do.

Love to all!

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Paranormal Erotica: What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian — 4 Stars

by SofiaWren on January 7, 2013

Description:

In his arms, her magic powers are on the rise…

Tessa, Etruscan Goddess of the Dawn, is desperately fighting off a malicious god, but her powers are weakening. She needs a hero and fast, because only sexual energy can give her strength. So she seeks out Caligo, whose sexual prowess is legendary…

And she’s the only one who can bring him into the light…

Caligo is a fabled Cimmerian warrior determined to stay away from spoiled goddesses who trample hearts after they’ve had their fun. But there’s something irresistibly hot and inviting about Tessa, and he knows he’s her only chance to escape the encroaching darkness…

Review:

A book about an Etruscan sun goddess battling darkness? Count me in. The title “What a Goddess Wants” drew me in as I assumed I’d find strong ladies, magic, and sexy scenes.

Overall I would say I’m pleased but by the end I found it didn’t quite jump out of my seat.

1. Tessa has a fresh fun attitude.

Tessa is more optomistic than Sookie Stackhouse but just as blond. She has a fierce side but as a goddess she is mostly powerless. She was called Thesan in the old days, with powers connected to sun, birth and (well) sex.

She can’t stand on her own but it’s because of things outside her control. Her roomie sends her out to the Boonies of Pennsylvania to find a guy to help.

2. Tough alpha type.

If you’ve followed my blog, you know alphas are not my thang. Sorry. But the chemistry was good. I appreciate Caligo for being a smartass, which adds some flavor.

Caligo is a Cimmerian, in sum he can’t feel much and he’s really strong. Heals fast. Sun’s no good.

Tessa is still a feisty sun goddess and claims the spotlight some of the time. She demands her way. Not all of the time, and she definitely yeilds to what Caligo wants in their very first meeting. Caligo does come to see her as his goddess, but he resists giving in completely because of what his warrior tribesmen will think.

I’d have liked to see Tessa kick some more ass. She delivers babies which is cool, but I think something is missing.

3. Don’t try this at home.

There is a plot for the book but it is often broken up by sexy scenes. They are like Tessa’s power charge, and she’s running low a lot.

Public Service Announcement time—
One of my pet peeves is when characters do things in books that are bad ideas.

This isn’t a sex ed class, but here’s a whisper. (Even goddesses should use lube for anal sex. Just winging it is a really bad idea but common mistake so I hear.) Emulating this book might seriously hurt.

BE WISE

Otherwise, the scenes are very steamy. It is unlikely anyone but the gods could copulate at such a rate. Perhaps I would have preferred fewer scenes with more buildup.

4. Awesome mythology theme and setting.

I love Philadelphia. As there is a huge Italian American population, it would kindof make sense if Estrucan gods hung out there and had secret sexy clubs.

The characters and conflicts are based in Greek and Etruscan myths according to the author.

I don’t believe Estrucans actually used the word Strega (Italian for witch), as the word was recorded much later according to Old World Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi. Still, although obviously the book is fiction, I find it’s mythical inspiration fun to learn about.

Looking forward to reading Book Two

See it On Amazon

On Goodreads

Stephanie Julian’s Site

For more badass with your goddess, see The Succubus Gift (4.5 Stars):

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Wren’s Witchy Writer Picks for Best Books of 2012

by SofiaWren on January 1, 2013

Guess what, it’s a New Year. Did you sleep in? Me. Too.

How about a book to join you in bed? If you are the owner of a Kindle, then have I some reads for you, as well as for those of you without an ereader. Have no fear. If you do try an ebook without an ereader, these ones are seriously worth scrolling through on your phone.

I’ll throw in some paper books for good measure as well. All fiction books have been reviewed through the year, click for more details. In memoir, mind-body-spirit & self-publishing titles, many bonus kickass books have been added.

And so it begins:

Best Paranormal: The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton (pic above)

This little ditty is a very witchy read, sure to please anyone who loves reading about battles against darkness, and/or super fanatic Christian mothers. I read it early in the year, but it’s stuck in my mind!

Best Speculative Fiction: When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

This was so good! The Scarlet Letter meets Handmaid’s Tale. In paper.

This is a hard choice, because Margaret Atwood’s Positron ebook Series and MR Cornelius’ H10N1 were also awesome spec fic books this year.

Best Mystery: Blood and Mistletoe by EJ Stevens

Macabre holiday cheer for your ereader. For books in hand, check out Susan Wittig Albert’s Cat Claw and Charlaine Harris’ Grave Surprise.

Best Erotic: The Succubus Gift by BR Kingsolver

This cross-genre masterpiece is sure to entertain feminist ladies who like sexy urban fantasy and women who rock the world. Not only are there super sexy parts but the action and magic entertain as well.

The paperback What a Goddess Wants by Stephanie Julian has been a wonderful addition to my bedstand. Haven’t quite gotten to the end, but it’s a good un.

Thriller: JET by Russell Blake

You knew it was going to win. Great ebook, also loved his Voynich Cypher.

For more female assassin bad-assery check out Secrets by S.L. Pierce. These are all ebooks, all my paper thrillers were throw away crap.

Historical Fiction: After the Fog by Kathleen Shoop

This story of a nurse in a mining town in Pennsylvania is amazing. It’s rich with secrets and emotion, family drama, pollution, choices and regrets. Check it out. Ebook.

For paper historical, check out The House of Velvet and Glass by Katherine Howe.

Nonfiction

Memoir: Just Kids by Patti Smith

Haven’t read it? Read it. Done. Journey of two lovers, friends and artist.

Best in Mind: Daring Greatly by Brenee Brown (not yet reviewed but mentioned)

For all human beings I suggest Daring Greatly by Brenee Brown. It’s a wonderful look into shame and vulnerability and how we can all strive to live whole and genuine lives.

Best in Spirit: Tie between Tarot for Your Self by Mary Greer and Archangels 101 by Doreen Virtue (not yet reviewed)

For Tarot Lovers, I am currently in awe of Tarot for Your Self. Written in 1984, it was the first Tarot guide to focus on interpreting the cards for oneself. Genius, huh? I use Tarot all the time, and especially for markers like the new year but it’s pretty much always for myself.

This book aims to teach you more about the Tarot as a psychological and transformative tool. Basically reading this book is stepping into a magical tarot dimension.

For those interested in Angels, Archangels 101 by Doreen Virtue is a great jumping off point. I have been enjoying it all year, and have to say, there is no reason by people of all faiths can’t enjoy angels together. Through their myths and presence, angels have blessed me and helped me grow in 2012.

Best in Body: Trigger Point Therapy for Myofascial Pain by Donna & Steve Finando

As a massage therapist I have to share my best massage book of 2012–useful to anyone with muscles–The Trigger Point book. Learn how to relax a back by pressing a few points. It’s the Vulcan technique minus the magic. It’s physiology, baby!

Best Business: How to Read a Client Across the Room by Brandy Mychals

How about a simple and easy read that will leave lasting impressions? This book both helped me feel more comfortable networking but also taught me deep shit about myself. S’all in the review.

Best Self Pub Book: How to Make a Killing on Kindle by Michael Alvear.

How to Make a Killing on Kindle actually contains some great information I’ve never seen elsewhere. If you are thinking of epublishing, this will definitely help you in researching, classifying and marketing your book.

Best Writing book: The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson (not yet reviewed)

The Plot Whisperer is so good I’m savoring it. From just the first few chapters I have gotten CRAZY amazing ideas. I’m a pantser, so ya know, I usually hate this stuff!

I’m riding fast and free on high emotion scenes. I can’t wait to share more…

Happy Reading in 2013!

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Wren’s Journal: Full Sensuality. Full Moon.

by SofiaWren on December 27, 2012

As we gear up to the new year, let us think on what will juice up our 2013.

In previous journal posts I’ve mentioned some negative things I don’t intend to take with me–shame and limitations. Feel me? Cool.

So now I’m thinking about the opposite.

In general, I want flow. I want life to feel easy. I want to desire things and get them, and I don’t want anything to get in my way.

And for this month, I am focusing on more physical matters than I usually do.

What’s Not Good about the past:

Societal Shameball of Body and Sex Issues

Last night I watched “Life After Porn” on Netflix. The documentary interviews a handful of former performers in the porn industry to see where their lives have gone after quitting.

Something really struck me. Pornography is a $ huge $ industry. People pay others to act out public fantasies. It’s a service. Not one everyone will offer, but it’s a service to others.

People (mostly guys) will pay a lot of money to enjoy these films in secret. But afterwards, the stars are thrown away like trash, and due to rampant judgement can lose the ability to have a career or a long-term love. Even though a huge number of people bought their movies.

By 2013 it’s time to embrace sexuality. Considering that it’s the reason humans still exist–we should probably stop punishing ourselves for liking it.

I’m not a big fan of porn, let me be honest. Nor fashion magazines. A beauty standard should not be based on vaguely humoid pictures that’ve been professionally diced, groomed and manipulated.

So here’s a new way to look at it.

How about we are all born sexual, but it comes to be expressed in different ways as deemed appropriate for our station in life. It may be more comfortable to think of it as sensuality.

According to me, sensuality is the enjoyment of being in one’s body and the senses.

If you think women haven’t been sensual or sexual their whole lives, despite the possibility of shame or judgement, you are flipping blind.

Boy bands

Tiny tank tops and makeup

Ear piercing

Child beauty queens

Twilight sexual tension

sexual fanfiction of young adult novels

Twilight => 50 Shades of Grey success

Claire’s

crushes

internet stalking

do you like me check box

the way people dance in middle school, high school, and clubs

the market share of romance

Romance fiction was the largest share of the U.S. consumer market in 2011 at 14.3 percent.

obsession with how we look

desires for a boyfriend

preoccupation with dating

high heels

girl drama (having gone to peaceful women’s college, I conclude, much of this is based on competition for mates.)

mothers obsessed with how their daughters look

wedding fantasies

baby crazy

the size of your wedding ring

Can you say hellllooo?

Women aren’t sexual because they are bad girls. They are

sexual because they are human. Whether or not they are

having lots of awesome shameless sex or not is their choice.

And for the love of — it’s really not a big deal.

So I’m choosing to have a sensual 2013.

Including but not exclusive to:

Bubble baths

massages

red toenail polish

something silk

wet pastel chalk

dark chocolate with cherries

super food smoothies

What else should be on the list?

Happy 2013 in advance!

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Urban Fantasy: Blood and Mistletoe by E.J. Stevens

by SofiaWren on December 20, 2012

Description:

Holidays are worse than a full moon for making people crazy. In Harborsmouth, where many of the residents are undead vampires or monstrous fae, the combination may prove deadly.

Ivy Granger, psychic private investigator, returns to the streets of Harborsmouth in this addition to the bestselling urban fantasy series.

Holidays are Hell, a point driven home when a certain demon attorney returns with information regarding a series of bloody murders. Five Harborsmouth residents have been killed and every victim has one thing in common–they are fae. Whoever is killing faeries must be stopped, but they only leave one clue behind–a piece of mistletoe floating in a pool of the victim’s blood.

The holidays just got interesting. Too bad this case may drive Ivy mad before the New Year. Heck, she’ll be lucky to survive Christmas.

Blood and Mistletoe is an Ivy Granger series novella.

BONUS: Blood and Mistletoe contains an Ivy Granger series Pronunciation Guide.

Review:

This series began with Shadow Sight which rated Fours Stars. The sequel is even better! I always recommend going in order with series but if you are looking for a holiday read, you can probably jump into this one straight on–it’s number 1.5.

This is EJ Stevens’ Urban Fantasy series. Her Young Adult series begins with She Smells the Dead, also excellent.

The challenge of this Blood and Mistletoe is a completely new foe–a special breed of dark fairy.

1. Macabre and cheer

There is an interesting mixture of the normal Christmas fixings—like mistletoe—interspersed with darker elements–like blood.

Part of the motivation of the killer is a dark and twisted love that centers around a dead lover.

The theme is just creepy enough to leave me on edge without being too graphic to turn my interest.

2. A tight story

Having hit her stride, EJ pares this book down to it’s essentials. The key points of the first novel play in this book as well, like her protection of the orphan Marvin, her preference to trudge the grungy city on foot, and the fae romance from book one.

It’s a very good sequel in that sense, and I appreciate the focus and deliberation this requires.

Best of all–EJ doesn’t info-dump. That is, she shows you her world Harborsmouth, she doesn’t spend pages telling you about it.

While I do wish I had seen a little more of what happens when Ivy turns the off the lights with her first boyfriend, I still feel like the plot satisfied me.

3. That index awesome!

When I read book one there wasn’t an index or pronunciation guide. I am very pleased there is one now!

EJ always has a way of incorporating lesser known folklore and mythology.

In Sum:

Once again this is an entertaining read from E J Stevens. I recommend treating yourself or a friend to this volume to celebrate the holidays!

More about Blood and Mistletoe:

See it on Goodreads

See it on Amazon

More about EJ Stevens

What inspires the Unusual Creatures of EJ STEVENS? See her Guest Post

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Young Adult: Spirit Storm by E J Stevens

by SofiaWren on December 19, 2012

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Guest Post: Katalina Leon, author of Strix

by SofiaWren on December 17, 2012

Katalina Leon is the last visitor for the “Hope” December Guest Post Series. It’s the week of the winter solstice for all you earthy readers. And so I present to you the author of many alluring books including Strix, and (my favorite title) Claimed by Dragons.

No matter what holidays you celebrate or don’t celebrate December is a month of hope and always has been. Why? Because in most places in the western world December comes during the harshest, darkest days of winter. The sunlight dwindles, the days get shorter until the December 21^st winter solstice arrives and turns the sun around. But even after the solstice brings a return to longer days, everyone knows the coldest most challenging days of winter still lie ahead.

The heart of winter is when we most need hope.

For a moment imagine yourself in our ancestor’s place. Imagine an existence without modern medicine or central heating. Imagine homes where the wash water froze every night in its bucket. Imagine the inconvenience of no transportation beyond horses, boats or foot and little or no communication with distant neighbors. As December’s days grew shorter and darker imagine the worries, “Did I plan well? Did I put enough aside? Do I have a loved one who might not survive the stress of winter?”

Not that long ago everyone in the northern latitudes spent winter this way and I think that’s why a celebration of hope in the month of December is so important. We bring fresh cut evergreen trees indoors as symbols of eternal life in the face of physical hardship. We light candles and hang Christmas lights to ward off the growing darkness. We bless the less fortunate, wish each other well and practice generosity during meager times because those practices have served humanity well for countless winters.

Here we are days away from the winter solstice of 2012, which coincides with the end of the Mayan’s long count calendar. December 21^st 2012 marks the end of the thirteenth b’ak’tun and the conclusion of the fourth world. According to the Mayan there were three previous worlds that didn’t work out so well and had to be destroyed. The fourth world, our world succeeded and humans were allowed to safely inhabit it.

A “b’ak’tun” is a 5125-year cycle. Chunky 5,125 year cycles sound impressive until you realize the Mayans really, really loved to count and they did it with gusto. For instance there is a carved Stela in Coba that marks the date of creation at 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13,13, 13, 13,13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13, 13.0.0.0.0

Or 20²¹×13×360 days or we could say the universe has 2 quintillion times more years left on it than it has already spent.

In other words, that ridiculous number predicts December 21 2012 it’s not the end of days, not by a long shot. This is good news. Apparently we’re living in a low mileage universe and hopefully the best years are yet to come. We have a quintillion years ahead.

Let’s put a single b’ak’tun in perspective. Subtracting a b’ak’tun from our familiar historical timeline would place us at August 11, 3114 BC. That date is contemporary with the infancy of Egypt’s earliest dynasties when they were just beginning to experiment with building crooked mud-brick pyramids. 5125 years ago the great stone pyramids had yet to rise. Humanity has accomplished a lot in 5125 years and the Mayans predict many, many b’ak’tuns ahead.

Honestly I think the Mayans would be appalled to be associated with the end of the world. They were very forward looking people. For goodness sake they even looked past the date they stopped existing as a culture by nearly a millennia. The second insult is the calendar that is continually presented to us, as the “End Date Mayan Calendar” is almost always the Aztec calendar. The Aztecs were a very different culture contemporary with the conquest of the New World. The Mayans and the Aztecs deserve to be recognized as separate and vivid cultures.

What does all this mean during the Christmas season when I will also be reflecting on the miracle of a divine child’s birth?

Have hope. I know things are far tougher for most of us than they been in other years but don’t allow fear to drive you. Have hope that our world is not ending, evil will not win and better times lie ahead. Have hope that others who lived long before you had it far worse and still found a reason to celebrate. Have hope that you’re resilient enough, determined enough and caring enough to make 2013 one of the most pivotal years of your life.

This is my blessing to you this holiday season, may you have HOPE and a beautiful 2013 ahead.

XXOO Katalina Leon

Katalina Leon

I’m an artist, an author, mother and wife. I write for Loose Id Publishing and Ellora’s Cave. I try to bring a touch of the mystical and a big sense of adventure to everything I write because I believe there’s a bold, kick-ass heroine inside all of us who wants to take a wild ride with a strong worthy hero.

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Monday December 3, 2012

Rachelle Alaya, author of Michal’s Window and Broken Build

Monday December 10, 2012

Laura Howard, writer and blogger at Finding Bliss

See What’s up in January

Or the great Lineup for Villains in November: