Something Wicked Returns: Cat Winters Top 10 Creepy Characters & Giveaway of In the Shadow of Blackbirds!

 Today I'm excited to welcome Cat Winters to the blog for Something Wicked Returns.  Her book, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, is perfect for this time of year!  I read it several months ago and encourage you to check out my rave review.  She's also a local author to me and one I have been lucky to meet several times! 

There's still lots of fun happening for Something Wicked Returns. Be sure to stop by all the other stops going on today.

 Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Kelly Sheridan: Mortality Series/Hitchhiker Strain Series
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Tina Connolly: Copperhead

Ginny@Gin's Book Notes: Melanie Karsack- The Harvesting

J.A.@J.A. Garland: Dysus Dreamer by J.A. Garland

and tomorrow

Oct. 24th:
Ali@My Guilty Obsession: Brigid Kemmerer: Elemental Series
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Jeyn Roberts: The Rage Within
Tara@Dividing by Zero: Charles Day: The Legend of the Pumpkin Thief

Now let's welcome the awesome Cat Winters to the blog!

Top 10 Favorite Creepy Characters

by Cat Winters

In celebration of Halloween, I’m paying tribute to creepy literary characters. These infamous men, women, children, and beasts aren’t necessarily the villains of a book, but they all fall into my own, personal category of “unsettling—yet fascinating.” In alphabetical order, here are my Top 10 favorites.

 

Boo Radley

(To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee)

The first half of Lee’s classic novel—one of my favorite books as a kid and teen—is primarily a hunt for the mysterious recluse Boo and all the stories surrounding him. Is he a ghost? A troubled youth prone to violence? Or just a lonely, misunderstood soul?  

Clark

(One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss)

My enjoyment of creepy characters can be directly traced to this sinister-looking creature that was found in a park in the dark. Amid all the colorful pages of the rest of Seuss’s classic book, I was always happiest when my parents flipped to Clark’s chilling section with the black background and gigantic, portable test tube/aquarium.

Count Dracula

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Bram Stoker’s literary version of the Count isn’t nearly as sexy as he’s often portrayed in the movies, but he’s the king of gothic creepiness. Not only is the guy a notorious bloodsucker, but he likes to climb down his castle wall, headfirst, like a lizard. That makes even Boo Radley seem like a normal neighbor.

Death

(The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak)

Zusak brilliantly chose Death to be the narrator of his bestselling WWII novel, and what a haunting, heartbreaking journey we readers travel alongside this overly busy grim reaper.

The Duchess’s Baby

(Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll)

When I first read Carroll’s novel as a child, it wasn’t the temperamental queen who unsettled me the most—it was that freaky baby who turns into a pig!

Miss Havisham

(Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens)

The woman lives in a decaying mansion, dressed in the same wedding gown she’s been wearing since the day she was stood up at the altar decades earlier. Enough said.

Mrs. Danvers

(Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier)

Rebecca was my favorite novel when I was in high school, so Mrs. Danvers—a creepy, manipulative housekeeper obsessed with her deceased mistress—is an absolute must for this list.  

The Other Mother

(Coraline, by Neil Gaiman)

There’s nothing scarier than a diabolical creature who resembles your own mother…except for a diabolical creature who resembles your mother AND has buttons for eyes!

President Snow

(The Hunger Games series, Suzanne Collins)

For me, good old President Snow moved from a regular evil villain to a fascinatingly creepy character as soon as I learned why he surrounds himself with all those roses. *shudder*

Professor Severus Snape

(Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling)

I have a weakness for bad guys who aren’t as bad as they seem on their menacing exterior. Let’s just say the scene that drew the most tears from me when I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows involved this delightfully creepy Hogwarts professor.

Bonus Creepy Character: Who is the movie character I would call the creepiest? I’d give that top honor to The Child Catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, created by the film’s screenwriter, Roald Dahl.  

What about you? Who are your top-favorite creepy characters?

Bio:

Cat Winters's critically acclaimed debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, is a nominee for YALSA's 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults and was named one of Booklist's 2013 Top Ten Horror Fiction for Youth. Both Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal called the book “deliciously creepy” (starred reviews). Her second novel, The Cure for Dreaming, is coming Fall 2014. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at www.catwinters.com.

 In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

Cat Winters is generously giving away a signed hardcover copy.

Open to US/CA only.

Must be 13 or older.

Ends October 31st, 2013

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Something Wicked Returns: Interview with Karen Kincy and Giveaway of Shadows of Asphodel

I'm so very excited to welcome Karen Kincy to the blog today for Something Wicked Returns.
Before we get started I want to remind you to check out the other stops for Something Wicked Returns at
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Stacey Kennedy: The Cat's Meow
Ginny@Gin's Book Notes: Christie Rich
and
Oct. 20th:

Ali@My Guilty Obsession:Something Wicked Returns Challenge

Beris@ Fantasy is More Fun: Marie Hall: Crimson Night

Ginny@Gin's Book Notes:Sharon Kay: Wicked Wind

Karen Kincy is the author of the Others series published by Flux and more recently she's self published a New Adult dieselpunk called Shadows of Asphodel.  This was one I anticipated all year and when I finally got my hands on it I squeed in excitement and commenced to devour immediately.  It ended up being one of my most favorite reads of the year and I honestly cannot recommend this book any more highly.  I already reviewed this book here (hint: pure LOVE).  Let's welcome Karen Kincy to the blog!


Thanks so much for being on today Karen! As you already know from earlier discussions, and my

rave review, I absolutely fell in love with Shadows of Asphodel. Wendel is one of the best male characters I've read about and I'm sure you'll have plenty of swooning fans pining after him. You create characters that are morally complex (your words from our previous discussion). Which is my favorite kind of character. What is the trick to creating such fabulous characters that are so multifaceted?


Good characters have to be like good friends. Or, on the other end of the spectrum, bad enemies who give you a secret vindictive pleasure every time they fail. Or, if we’re talking about romance, they have to someone you could fall in love with. Flaws and all. Actually, I think defining a character by their flaws is an excellent way to figure out who they are. And I find characters who are vulnerable badasses to be the most fascinating.

Your book is 'dieselpunk' which is like steampunk but runs on diesel instead of steam. What made you decide to do this, and has it been confusing for readers?

I was obsessed with the glamour and innovation of the Belle Epoque, and all the empires that came crashing down by the end of World War I. That era seemed too modern for steampunk, though I wondered if it was modern enough for dieselpunk. I did some research on the inventor of the diesel engine, Rudolf Diesel, and found out that he died under mysterious circumstances in late 1913. So of course I had to include him as a character in the book. Who better than to star in a dieselpunk? If anybody has been confused by the genre, they haven’t admitted it yet. And I hope it spurs on some readers to do a little research into the true stories that inspired mine.

This is your first book with some major steam (of your published titles anyway ;), was this hard for you to write? I know I blush the whole time I'm reading it, are you blushing while writing it? And did you let your family read it? My family would never know if I published a book that steamy, I would never be able to let my mom read something I wrote with sex in it, no way!

My mom has read Shadows of Asphodel. (gasp) The sex scenes were some of the hardest ones to write in the whole book. Each of them actually advances the plot and further elaborates on Ardis and Wendel’s relationship. And there’s the description, which has to be steamy. And the dialogue, which takes the banter and turns it up to eleven. And then there are those moments of emotional vulnerability. But I loved writing the steamy scenes, so I won’t stop now.

There are some fabulous characters in the book that aren't main characters but have big 'presence'. Have you considered maybe writing a spin off series with any of them? In particular a certain character name Konstantin?

Konstantin definitely has unfinished business! (Hint: automatons. And a kiss.) Anything more would be spoilery.

Original Cover, new one is at bottom of post

Wendel is a necromancer, can you talk about some of the other sorts of paranormal elements your books have (or will have if it hasn't made an appearance just yet)? There's magic, but is there more to it all?

I intentionally wanted to keep paranormal elements rare in this world. Wendel’s necromancy is natural magic, meaning an inherited talent, and so he can raise the dead with a touch. There’s also technomancy, which is the science of magic and emulates different kinds of natural magic. Sort of how like early scientists studied lightning when experimenting with electricity. Wendel is a bit disdainful of technomancy, since he sees his talent as the real deal. Oh, and I plan on introducing more paranormal elements in bits and pieces as the series continues.

Now I could talk about Wendel and Konstantin all day. And Ardis, duh, can't forget her! But I want to talk about your publishing journey just a little. You are traditionally published with Flux for one series and then you decided to self publish this series. Can you tell us a bit about that? Why did you decide to self publish? Did it turn out better or worse than you thought? Do you plan to self publish more titles?

I realized that I could finish Shadows, see if any publishers wanted to buy it, and then wait about two years between the hypothetical sale and the bookshelf. Or I could write Shadows and self-publish it as soon as I was done. Since the book is set in 1913, I really wanted to release it in 2013. I did meet that deadline of awesome! I’m still learning the ropes of self-publishing, but I’m hoping to self-publish a sequel, Storms of Lazarus, in 2014.

Something Wicked is all about the scary, creepy and wicked- who is the most wicked character in your books? (And yes, that can mean all kinds of different things. ;) Wickedly gorgeous, wickedly stunning, wickedly evil, wickedly genius. Oh yes, wicked fits about anything, it just makes it so much better!

Wendel, of course! He’s wickedly gorgeous, wickedly stunning, and has his wickedly evil moments. I’m not sure about wickedly genius. That might be taking it too far. ;)

If you wanted to scare yourself, where would you go, or what would you do? What scares Karen Kincy?

I went to the catacombs under Paris and scared myself pretty good. Which is, of course, why my characters visit some catacombs in Shadows of Asphodel. Even if you aren’t claustrophobic, the idea of navigating a maze of old bones is enough to creep anybody out.

One of my favorite things is getting people's real life ghost stories, I personally have many. Do you have any real ghost stories to share with us? Any experiences?

The old library in my hometown was haunted! It used to be a Victorian house. On the top floor, among the narrow stacks, they said a woman in white drifted between the books at night. I never glimpsed the ghost lady, though I did get goosebumps as a kid.

Okay, so I'm really DYING to read Storms of Lazarus, so I'm going to let you get back to it, because the sooner that book is in my hands, the happier I shall be. But before we go can you tease us just a little teeny tiny bit about what we might see in the next book?

I could tease you mercilessly, but I will be a kind and generous author and give you the beginning of the first page of the first draft for Storms of Lazarus. Spoilers!

In the dead of night, Ardis heard the necromancer singing. She braced herself at the edge of the ridge, kicking her boots deeper into the snow, and glanced backward. Wendel wasn’t more than a few paces behind her. He trudged with his head bowed, his ragged black hair shadowing his face, his breath milky in the moonlight.

“Stille Nacht,” Wendel sang, “heilige Nacht, alles schläft; einsam wacht.”

His honey-gravel voice lent itself well to the melody, even if he wasn’t entirely on key.

“Silent Night?” Ardis said, also in German. “Really?”

Wendel raised his head, his eyes glittering with amusement.

“Of course,” he said. “It’s Christmas Eve.”

Be sure to send Wendel and Ardis my love! I shall miss them until next time!
Thanks so much for having me, Candace, and I will try to write faster! ;)

When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.

1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.

But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.

If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster—or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.

Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?

(Dieselpunk romance. Recommended for ages 17 & up.)

Karen is generously giving away one signed copy of Shadows of Asphodel.

US only.

Must be 17 or older to enter

Ends October 31st, 2013

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm organizing a tour for this book in December as well!  There are a few slots left, if you are interested go HERE to fill out the form! 

 

Something Wicked Returns- Six Months Later by Natalie D Richards Interview, Review & Giveaway!

Welcome to Something Wicked Returns for today's stop with Natalie Richards and her book Six Months Later.  Make sure you check out all things Something Wicked Returns and today's stops at Gin's Book Notes with Tia Silverthorne Bach: Chasing Memories
and then tomorrow:
Candace@Candace's Book Blog: Karen Kincy
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Stacey Kennedy: The Cat's Meow
Ginny@Gin's Book Notes: Christie Rich
Let's welcome Natalie to the blog!


When you were writing the book were there any true life events that had occurred that you took

some inspiration from? (Or any creepy, disturbingly similar stories you've read about in real life, even after the book being written.)

The whole book started after this completely eerie nightmare I had about closing my eyes for the teeniest little catnap and then opening to find that summer had turned to winter and day had turned to night. It was insanely short, but it was one of those dreams that scared me so much it stayed with me all day. I felt completely weirded out.

Another thing that really drew me into Six Months Later is the fact that Chloe discovers her memory loss. It’s more like lost time than typical amnesia, and I think that’s scarier. There are a few old stories, usually associated with alien abduction, that talk about people who can’t remember hours, days, or even weeks of their lives. Every time I’ve heard them, it’s made the hair on my arms stand up. I mean, how creepy would that be? If you couldn’t blame some sort of accident or trauma—if you didn’t have any memory at all of the things you’d done or said? Yeah, that’s just beyond scary to me.

Since Something Wicked is about the scary, creepy and wicked, what are a few things that really scare you?

My freak-out-factor lies firmly in the land of the supernatural. I’m not afraid of bad neighborhoods or serial killers breaking into my house. But the idea of a poltergeist or possession—while logically I know these things are less realistic, they are so far outside the scope of something I can control that they scare the crap

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesjordan/1024159748/

out of me.

I’m also randomly afraid of mirrors in shadowy or dark spaces, old, rusty cargo vans (I always call them VODs – vehicles of death) and walking near corn fields at night. *shudder*


One of my favorite things to read about are ghost stories, have you had any ghostly experiences that you can share with us?

I totally did! On our honeymoon, my husband and I stayed at this unbelievably gorgeous Bed & Breakfast in Massachusetts. It was built in the 1600’s, so I was thinking historical and charming! I should have added ghostly to that list. ;-)

We arrived on a Monday evening and we were the only guests staying that night. The innkeeper decided to have dinner with friends and called us to tell us where she’d kept the key. So, there we were alone, exploring this breathtaking house with its creaky stairs and ornate crown molding. My husband and I both started hearing music, and not your typical Top 40 stuff, this was really distinct, obviously live, “big band” music, with horns and the like. We were sure someone was having a pretty elaborate lawn party, but we didn’t remember any houses nearby (the B&B was on an enormous lot) and the music seemed to be coming from different directions. Totally bizarre, but neither of us really considered the creepy factor. Or the fact that no one has parties on a Monday night.

We eventually gave up, but at breakfast asked the innkeeper about the music, figuring this had to be a big deal, and being such a small town, she’d probably know about it. She had a very strange smile when she told us that No, there definitely weren’t any parties. We persisted, because we were so sure we’d heard it and she quietly agreed that Yes, yes we probably had.

She never said ghost, and we never asked, but we heard the music again here and there. And I’m pretty darn sure there aren’t that many mid-week lawn parties in small-town New England.

;-)

How do you celebrate Halloween? Do you do anything special?

I love Halloween! My absolute favorite thing is the pumpkin patch. We have a pumpkin patch near our house

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorbould/2921133266/

that’s practically a theme park. It’s crazy-pants. There are hay rides and corn mazes and slides and tire swings and giant rocking horses – I don’t even know where to begin. But the whole places smells like kettle corn and fall leaves and I savor every moment.


Do you have a favorite costume from some time in your life (pictures welcome!)?

I had a seriously rocking pirate costume. I mean, Jack Sparrow, step back, this wench is about to wear your guts as garters! Sadly, I couldn’t find any pictures! Arrrrgh! Terrible pun, but totally irresistible!


Where do you think the spookiest places are? Where do you go that really gives you the heebie jeebies?

Surprisingly, not cemeteries. I think there’s a lot of love and reverence in a graveyard, so they’ve never

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmillera4/6296249907/

bothered me at all. Now, show me an old, abandoned prison or a mental institution, or even an unfamiliar forest in the middle of the night and yeah…I’m not going in there. Abso-freaking-lutely not.


I like to keep my interviews short and sweet, so before we go can you tell us what you have planned in the future? Any chance we might see more of these characters and the amazing Adam?

My next book, One Name a Week, is another teen thriller and I’m beyond excited about this one. My heroine discovers some very sinister truths about her high school and gets the opportunity to make things right. But justice comes at a cost she might not be able to pay.

As for Six Months Later, I’m so glad you enjoyed Adam and the other characters. They were tough to let go of, and I’m still not sure I wouldn’t consider a few “deleted scenes” on some of Chloe’s missing months from Adam or Maggie’s viewpoints. You never know what the future will bring, right? J

Candace, thank you so much for having me today! I’m super excited to be here and adored your completely spook-tacular interview!

Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards

Paperback, 336 pages

Published: October 1st, 2013 by Sourebooks Fire

Source: Publisher

Chloe didn't think about it much when she nodded off in study hall on that sleepy summer day. But when she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the last six months of her life. Before, she'd been a mediocre student. Now, she's on track for valedictorian and being recruited by Ivy League schools. Before, she never had a chance with super jock Blake. Now he's her boyfriend. Before, she and Maggie were inseparable. Now her best friend won't speak to her.

What happened to her?
And why can't she remember?

I've really been enjoying YA thrillers and mysteries so I was really excited to pick this one up.  There's just something so creepy and intense about not knowing.  We don't know why she's lost 6 months of her life and why her life is so drastically different.  Desperate to find answers, it's nearly impossible to set the book aside.

Chloe is a great character from the beginning.  She's got some balance in not being the smartest girl in school, but yet having big dreams.  She's not popular, but not a big trouble maker, though she's far from being a goody two-shoes and isn't afraid to break the rules sometimes.  Chloe felt more real to me than many YA characters because she wasn't a cliche, she didn't fit in one box.  We didn't get a big chance to know her before we get the new Chloe.  Only she's not actually a new Chloe, she fell asleep and it's six months later and she's suddenly discovered she's been leading a very different life.  One that's not her.  She's suddenly super popular, super smart, and she's landed the hottest guy in school.  But Chloe is so awesome that she doesn't just say "YAY" and go with it, oh no, she knows something is wrong.  I loved that she didn't just fall for Blake, but questioned things.  I love that the romance took a different direction and even though it was clear who she really liked it took a little time to actually happen.

The book was intense, as I mentioned above, and I loved watching the clues fall into place.  I didn't guess what was really going on, but I did guess some of the players in it.  I enjoyed the romance, the real romance, and how sweet it was.  I loved that her parents were present and a part of the story and that it was part of the story.  I did wish that there had been a bit more exploration with her mother and her and their differences, but this was minor issue.  We weren't left hanging though.  I thought the ending was fantastic and everything wrapped up well without being too neat.

I definitely recommend this to fans of thrillers and mysteries, just be sure to set aside a few hours as this is one you'll want to read straight through!

Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes, all opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

Sourcebooks is generously giving away one paperback copy of Six Months Later.

Open to US addresses only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends October 31st, 3013

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Something Wicked Returns: E.J. Wesley with a Haunting Story + a Giveaway!

Today I'm really excited to welcome author E.J. Wesley to the blog for Something Wicked Returns.  He's one of my favorite indie authors and it's a pleasure to have him visit again! You can check out my reviews of Blood Fugue and Witch's Nocturne HERE.

Be sure to stop by the other stops for Something Wicked Returns today:
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Suzanne Johnson: Fields of Elysium
and tomorrow:

 Candace@Candace's Book Blog: Natalie D. Richards

Ginny@Gin's Book Notes:  Tia Silverthorne Bach: Chasing Memories 

A few days ago I shared my own ghost story, if you missed it you can find it HERE, and so I asked E.J. if he had one to share, and he did!  Lets welcome him to the blog!

Our Haunted Farm – A Freaky Family Tradition

by E.J. Wesley

It’s a mid-winter night on an isolated farm in rural Oklahoma. Inside of an old farmhouse—that was once an even older church—a noise sounds in the dark. A boy stirs, still half-asleep, under a mountain of quilts so thick and heavy he can barely rollover.

His grandmother, who is slumbering in the next room, can’t afford to run the gas stoves at night. There are times the house gets so cold her false teeth freeze in their overnight cleaning solution on the bathroom counter.

The blankets are a practical necessity. But deep inside the child’s groggy mind, they offer something even more important than blessed warmth. They’re a wall of protection between him and the unseen terrors lurking in the void around him.

Grandma had sealed him underneath the folds with a kiss on the forehead shortly after she’d finished reading him his favorite Bible story. What could offer more protection than that? No, Daniel hadn’t been afraid in the lion’s den, and this little boy wouldn’t be too scared to sleep through the night by himself.

In his mind, he had been there to protect her in the first place. His grandfather had died a few years before, and Grandma was completely deaf, leaving her alone and vulnerable. So he and the other grandkids tried to spend as many nights as they could with her.

With his eyes squeezed tightly shut, he searches for his courage. Perhaps it was only a creaking floorboard, or maybe one of the barren branches from the lilac bushes clawing a window. Old houses are full of strange sounds…

A bitter wind howls outside. Suddenly, all of the mundane nighttime activities of a country habitat—an owl screeching in the barn, a coyote yipping on a far away hill, a bobcat squalling on the creek bottom—become the stuff of nightmares. Each new addition to the hellish symphony playing outside of the thin, farmhouse walls pushes the boy further awake, and further into panic.

He wrestles with his nerves, pulling the covers up over his head. Completely shielded, he dares to open his eyes fully. The fear of the make-believe monsters outside dissolves as his mind clears.

But why does his heart still race? Why hasn’t the buzz of warning tingling his spine gone away?

With dawning horror, he realizes what really startled him from his dreams: a feeling of being watched. Someone, or some thing, was in the room with him. He was sure of it. Holding his breath, the boy tries to determine if the presence is real. Another creaking sound, too near to be imagined, is all the confirmation he needs.

With trembling hands, he inches the covers downward until he can see. He scans left, toward his grandmother’s closed bedroom door, hoping she’ll be standing there looking in on him. She isn’t.

He looks straight ahead to the dining room, but sees nothing but the swirls of his own breath in the cold and moonlight tracing funny shapes on the floor through the curtains.

At last, he cuts his eyes to the right, where he knows he should see an empty recliner, a coffee table, and a black-and-white television. All is exactly where it should be, except the chair isn’t empty. Grandpa is sitting in it, wearing his overalls, just as the boy had seen him do in so many of the old photographs lying around the house. 

The boy blinks once… still there… twice… still there. He forces his eyes closed this time, and says a silent prayer for the apparition to be gone when he opens them again. Still there! His grandfather simply watches him.

The boy flings the covers back over his head, yearning to cry out for his grandmother. But he knows she won’t hear him. Refusing to leave the safety of the blankets, or set eyes on the ghost of his dead grandfather again, the boy stays awake until he sees the sunrise glowing from beneath his shroud or protection.

***

My older brother has told me that story over and over, and it still frosts my bones each time I hear it. Mostly because I spent so many nights in the old farmhouse myself that it makes the imagery, sounds, and the terror as real as if it happened to me yesterday.

In the years since my brother’s “encounter”, my grandmother has passed as well. Various family members have lived out at the farm in her absence—some in the old house, and some building homes of their own on the land. But all have some interesting stories to share.

Among other things, objects inexplicably moving, the sounds of footsteps on the floorboards in the middle of the night, and hearing my grandmother humming church hymns on the creek where no one else could possibly be around. 

Most recently, my sister (who has a home on the farm near the old house) has found picture frames and other knickknacks removed from the walls and shelves, and then placed gently on beds, chairs, and the floor. She has a security system, nothing has been tripped, and nothing broken into. (She’s found a few of them in different rooms, so she’s pretty sure they aren’t just falling on their own.)

As far as a haunting goes, there could be lots of sources for paranormal activity. As told in the story, the farmhouse was a church prior to my grandparents buying it and moving it to the farm. Churches in our part of the world tend to host many funerals. There’s also historical evidence that a large Native American battle was fought on our land. We’ve found numerous arrowheads and other artifacts, so it stands to reason that perhaps the farm was the final resting place for the warriors who lost their lives there.

It often leaves me pondering: Is this family legend, or family history?

Book 1 - Blood Fugue

What it's about: 

Suddenly, instead of burying it with the dead, Jenny is forced to confront the past. Armed only with an ancient family journal, her rifle, and an Apache tomahawk, she must save her grandfather’s life and embrace her dangerous heritage. Or be devoured by it.

Where you can find it:

Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble| iBooks | Goodreads

Book 2 - Witch's Nocturne 

What it's about: 
After receiving an ancient tribal journal from her grandfather, Jenny is sent on a mission of discovery in an attempt to unravel clues to her family's monster hunting past. The journey becomes more than academic when she is asked to confront a coven of dangerous witches who plan to cast an insidious spell on the plains of West Texas.

Where you can find it:

Amazon |  Barnes & Noble |  Smashwords | iBooks | Goodreads

Book 3 - Dark Prelude

What it's about:

Jenny Moonsong recently inherited the title of "monster hunter" and an ancient tribal journal/how-to manual passed down by her Apache ancestors. Unfortunately, a lot of on-the-job training is required to be a monster hunter, and unlike her computer repair business, this gig could literally kill her.

Dark Prelude finds the feisty protagonist, Jenny, searching for her best friend Marshal's missing father in the midst of a freak, West Texas winter storm. To survive the frigid night, she'll have to deal with a hated town rival, face a monstrous creature no Moonsong hunter has ever encountered before, and undo a mysterious curse. Can she keep everyone alive? If not, who will pay the ultimate price?

Where you can find it:

Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

The newest cover has just been released!

~About the Author~

Growing up in small-town Oklahoma, there were limits on the amount and types of entertainment at my disposal. Perhaps that’s why I set my imagination free. After collecting degrees in psychology and counseling, life brought me to Missouri, Texas, and Northern California—where I currently read, write, and live. I fill my spare time playing video games, watching movies, planning for the zombie apocalypse, reading graphic novels, and playing with my dogs.

My passion for New Adult literature led me to producing the weekly New Adult Lit Chat on Twitter, and contributing to the NA Alley Blog. I’m also the author of the Moonsongs Books, a series of New Adult, speculative-rural fantasy novelettes.

~Links~

WEBSITE – BLOG – NA ALLEY (contributor) – TWITTER – NEW ADULT LIT CHAT (founder/producer) – FACEBOOK – GOOGLE+ - LINKEDIN - GOODREADS

The Moonsongs Anthology is only .99 for the kindle book at Amazon through the 18th, so be sure to grab a copy at this amazing price!

E.J. is giving away a signed paperback copy of the Moonsongs Anthology.
Open to US addresses only
Must be 17 or older due to mature content.
Ends October 31st.
Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Something Wicked Returns: Michael Pierce Flash Fiction + Giveaway!

 Today I'm excited to welcome author Michael Pierce to the blog for Something Wicked Returns.  He's the author of Provex City and SUSY Asylum.  I loved Provex City and you can find my review HERE, and my SUSY Asylum review will be up soon (it's also awesome!).  

This post happens to also coincide with the tour for SUSY Asylum, so I decided they could go together!  This tour is hosted by me and you can find the tour page HERE (there's a $50 Gift Card being given away there as well!)

Be sure to stop by the other Something Wicked Returns stops:

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Elizabeth Norris: Unbreakable

and tomorrow:

 Candace@Candace's Book Blog: EJ Wesley: Moonsongs Series
Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings: Suzanne Johnson: Fields of Elysium

 Below is a short story flash fiction by Michael Pierce.  Don't get too scared.  ;) Enjoy!

 

Pictures Attached

 

The boy stood in the center of the basement, directly below one of the horizontal support beams holding the house up on its broad shoulders. His hands were secured behind his back with zip ties and he balanced precariously on a stack of four hardbound books. A choke chain looped around his neck was connected to a fifty-foot-long dog leash thrown up and over the beam, pulled tight by a thick man in weightlifting gloves on the other end.

The man—Xach Attack, but who’s laughing now—pulled harder, causing the choke chain to dig into the boy’s neck and lift him to his toes like a grotesque dancer. Then he was kicking in midair, several inches above the top book in the pile. He thrashed to find some piece of ground, but there was nothing. And there was no more screaming, just gasping for each miniscule breath of air, waiting for the moment there would be no more.

On the floor, anchors with metal latches had been drilled into the concrete, leading all the way to the back wall. One anchor stood at attention every six inches, arranged in a perfectly straight line, with a faint pencil line still visible. The captor bent down and connected the loop at the end of the leash to the third latch. The leash was said to hold a maximum weight of 120 pounds, and it seemed to be groaning almost as much as the boy. It would hold. He had faith—or hoped—it would hold until he was finished.

Xach Attach walked over to an overflowing bookshelf and picked out two more hardbound books. Placing them on the stack beneath the boy, now totaling six, Xach helped the flailing feet find purchase. The boy feebly gained balance and the chain around his neck loosened. Uncontrollable coughing nearly threw him off the makeshift pedestal from which he stood. But he somehow managed to keep his footing. He stared at the man with confusion and horrorstruck recognition in his shiny, red eyes—and the man gave back nothing but a forced half smile. 

David stopped typing for a moment, with his eyes focused on the blinking cursor like it knew the next line of the story before he did. He leaned back in his computer chair and took a sip of herbal tea while he reread the scene. First drafts always had the skin and bones, but rarely the meat, the substance that brought the scene and characters to life. He knew the man’s motivations, no matter how sick and twisted they were. But what about the boy’s, well, besides the obvious? What memories were ignited as he balanced before his captor; what was he about to say? Would he plead? Or curse? Forgive? Or simply give up?

The icon for incoming email shone at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. David abandoned his questions and clicked on it out of reflex. Outlook popped up. The email address was unfamiliar to him, but for someone used to getting a steady stream of fan mail, he clicked on it without much thought or reservation. The body of the email read:

How high can he go? I have to know.

X

The short message seemed to make no sense, but when David clicked on the first attached picture, everything became nauseatingly clear.

The picture on his screen was impossible—but here it was staring back at him like a dead relative who’d come for a visit. A boy stood on six hardbound books, his hands behind his back, a metal choke chain around his neck, with a red dog leash extending up and out of the frame. The boy’s face was bruised and dried blood framed his mouth like crusty lipstick. David saw everything, all of the details he’d written, what no one else had ever read, but what he was most drawn to were the boy’s eyes—the emptiness and hopelessness in them—as they stared straight into the camera, straight back into the eyes of the author.

With a shaking and apprehensive hand, David clicked on the next attached picture.

 About Provex City, the 1st book:

 Fifteen-year-old Oliver Grain begins his school year fighting off bullies, learning about the boy who committed suicide in his room, and trying to understand why his history teacher, Mr. Gordon, has taken such a personal interest in him.

Do you believe in ghosts? Do you believe you can make bullies simply disappear? Do you believe you can walk through walls?

Mr. Gordon tells Oliver: "When you truly believe anything is possible, you will be able to open doors where there were only walls." And one of those doors leads Oliver to Provex City, which puts him in far greater danger than he can possibly fathom.

SUSY Asylum by Michael Pierce 

Book Description: (Do not read until after you've read the 1st book!)

In SUSY Asylum, there is no release. There is no escape. No hope.

Oliver and Desiree are introduced to the writings of a mysterious blogger, Commodore Chaos, when they return to Provex City to indulge in what the sublime city has to offer. The blogger claims the Lornes are collecting people venturing between the higher planes of awareness and locking them away in a mythical asylum. But are these legitimate concerns for inter-plane travelers or just the ramblings of an anonymous conspiracy blogger?

Oliver looks to Provex City as his only connection to his father while Desiree looks to the city as an escape from the torment of losing her best friend—again. Provex City is a wonder of beautiful treasures, entrancing them to continue returning. But behind the beauty, wolves have continued hunting Oliver, a boy who is still unaware of his importance in the rebellion.

Oliver’s belief is waning. Desiree will not always be by his side. Mr. Gordon will not always come to his aid. Oliver finds himself alone, forced to confront his biggest fears, fight his inner demons, and face the very cold reality that no one is coming to save him.

Welcome to SUSY Asylum.

 About Michael Pierce:

I believe in a future where I will be able to write full-time, a picture I already hold vividly in my mind. It all starts with my debut young adult novel, Provex City. I love Harry Potter & The Marbury Lens, Tool & Elliott Smith, Dexter & Donnie Darko, bold coffee & amber ale. I also love dabbling with writing music and recording, with no illusions of ever making it a career. I am ecstatically married and the lucky father to a beautiful baby girl.

Find the author: Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Michael Pierce is generously giving away a $15 Gift Card.

Open Internationally 

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends October 31st

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Something Wicked Returns: Nikki Jefford Guest Post & Giveaway + Review of Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter!

 Today I'm excited to welcome author Nikki Jefford to the blog for Something Wicked Returns.  She's put together an awesome guest post and a fantastic giveaway!

Nikki is the author of the Spellbound trilogy which I loved, and the Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter series, which I am reviewing at the bottom of this post.

Be sure to stop by the other Something Wicked Returns posts as well!
Tressa@Tressa's Wishful Endings: C.J. Hill: Slayers
Maja@The Nocturnal Library: Veronica Rossi

The Chewing Dead

You know what they say – stereotypes exist for a reason and it’s no different for vampires. Biting, bloodsucking, anti-aging, and murderous tendencies. Vamps have a rep for a reason.

LEGEND HAS IT

While coming up with the Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter series, I wanted to stay true to certain stereotypes while putting an entirely new spin on what it means to be undead. One of the biggest differences is that only people with AB negative or positive, the rarest blood types in the world, could become a member of the undead.

The second trigger is disease.

One of my biggest sources of inspiration while outlining the series (after Buffy, of course) was Mark Jenkins book Vampire Forensics: Uncovering the Origins of an Enduring Legend.

Poll: What Blood Type Are You?
O
A
B
AB

SYMPTOMS OF VAMPIRISM

Curiously, most vampire folklore originates during times of plagues and other outbreaks throughout history.

In 16th and 17th century Italy the legend of the “chewing dead” was taken so seriously that bricks were rammed inside the mouths of suspected plague-causing vampires before their burial as a means of stopping the creatures from rising from their graves claiming more victims.

One of the most frequently cited medical causes of vampirism is rabies. Spanish neurologist Dr. Juan Gomez-Alonso made a connection between reports of rabies outbreaks running rampant in Hungary from 1721 – 1728 and reports of “vampire epidemics” that followed shortly after. He found that nearly 25 percent of rabid men had a tendency to bite other people.

Other genetic disorders further fueled the legend. Porphyria, for example, usually lies dormant in the bloodstream, but once awakened causes hyposensitivity to sunlight – so much so that it can destroy a person’s nose, fingers, and gum tissues – making teeth appear more prominent (ie: fanglike).

Tuberculosis, yet another disease associated with vampirism in the past, caused languid periods of lethargy in those it afflicted followed by a surge in energy, appetite, and sexual ardor.

Folklorist Michael Bell once said, “What better food for the imagination than a creature that incorporates sex, blood, violence, shapeshifting, superhuman power, and eternal life?”

About the Author:

Bookaholic, nature girl, and animal lover.

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands (WA) where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada in a town without a single traffic light.

She married the love of her life, Sebastien, while working as a teaching assistant in France. They reside with their Westie, Cosmo in Friday Harbor.

Loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.

(Check out the BRAND NEW COVER!)

Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter Vol. 1 by Nikki Jefford

ebook, 543 pages

Published March 5th, 2013 by Nikki Jefford

Source: Purchased (ages ago!)

If there is one thing eighteen-year-old Aurora Sky wants, it’s to get off the iceberg she calls home. Being kissed before she graduates wouldn't hurt either.

Then a near-fatal car wreck changes everything. Government agents step in and save Aurora’s life in exchange for her services as a vampire hunter. In Alaska. Basically she’s a glorified chew toy. All thanks to her rare blood type, which sends a vampire into temporary paralysis right before she has to finish the job… by hand.

Now Aurora’s only friends are groupies of the undead and the only boy she can think about may very well be a vampire. And if he’s a vampire, will she be forced to kill him?

***Upper Teen/New Adult series with mild language, violence, sexual situations, and blood sucking.***

I have grown to really like Nikki Jeffords writing style.  I'll admit that it took me awhile to warm up to it (not with this book but the first book of hers I had read).  Now that I'm familiar with it I have found I really like it a lot.  I'm not sure how to describe it, but it's easier reading than many and more matter of fact, not all crazy drama and angst.  Not that the characters don't act appropriately, but they don't spend all this time dwelling in this major life change.  In Aurora Sky's case it's becoming a vampire hunter after nearly dying in a car accident.  She has to come to terms with vampires existing, but she also is suppose to hunt them.  Yeah, a bit of a shock!  And she goes a bit nuts, but it doesn't go on for  so long we grow exasperated with her. 

I really love the twist to the whole vampire thing.  It's easy to understand but it's the vampire hunter aspect that's really unique and cool and I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes.  I like that there's gray areas when it comes to vampires, some are horrible but some aren't so bad.

Aurora actually took me awhile to warm up to and I think it's because we barely meet her when she has this major life changing event and totally changes.  She becomes a different person, rebelling and sort of working toward finding herself.  She doesn't act the best during this transition, but I see that's it's bringing her to the person she needs to be.  It's a journey, all of us go through it in one way or another in our life, and major life changing events can certainly trigger it.  By the middle of the book or so I definitely was liking her and really warmed up to her personality.

The romance was actually pretty sweet.  I have a tendency to really like the bad boys that are really soft hearted underneath all that leather and whatnot.  Fane was a character that I really loved, especially once I got to know him better.  I am really hoping that we get to see a lot more of him in the future as I think he's my favorite part of the book.

This was a very fast read, I think my kindle said it took me two hours to read the entire thing.  It would have been easy to sit and devour in one sitting, unfortunately I have too many interruptions to pull that off, but it still didn't take long.  I like having a nice easy read that still delivers a great story and this certainly did that.

I label this YA, but it's definitely mature YA only.  She's 18 but still in high school so we have the high school setting still.  However, there's mature content in the book.  Not too bad, but it's there.

This is the first that people are seeing the just redone cover of the book! Here's the full version.  Isn't it great?!

Nikki Jefford is being very generous and giving away a paperback copy of Vampire Forensics (since she talked about it) blood bath cherry shower gel, and an Aurora Sky paperback (old cover).

Open to US addresses only.

Must be 13 or older to enter.

Ends October 31st.

Fill out the rafflecopter to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway