Showing posts with label E.J. Stevens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label E.J. Stevens. Show all posts

Friday, November 5, 2010

Fab's First Flip-it-Forward Giveaway + Author Q&A

Fab's Flip It Forward is a feature I am starting to pass on some of my books to you.  They may be books for review or books I purchased on my own- either way, I'll be passing some of these books along to you.

For my first Flip-it-Forward I'm passing on to you my first book I received while blogging for review from Author E.J. Stevens, She Smells the Dead.






She Smells the Dead
by E.J. Stevens

While reading several reviews of this I saw a few comments stating, "I haven't ever heard of this..."
So now is your chance to get your hands on my copy that I received from E.J. Stevens.

(click on the title of the book to read my review)



As part of my first Flip-It-Forward I was lucky enough to snag a quick and quirky interview with E.J. Stevens.

[1] Did you write a little of yourself into Yuki?
Absolutely! Yuki was originally based on myself at her age, but the things she must face during this series push her to grow and develop her own personality.

[2] Is there a character, beyond Yuki, that you found yourself connecting with while developing? Get yourself a werewolf crush (I kid- I kid)?

I have a strong connection with all of my characters, but the character I found myself wanting a deeper connection with was Simon.  Simon's dry wit and roguish charm are addictive.  I have totally developed a character crush.  Who wouldn't want to walk on the wild side with Simon?

[3] Do you enjoy dung beetles as much as Yuki does? Or are you a little softer when it comes to them? (That might be a really gross pun... let's not go there.)

I once had a photo that I called the "Dung Beetle Sunset" set as my desktop background. It was this fabulous silhouette of a dung beetle against a red and purple sky. That is really as far as my fondness for dung beetles goes though. LOL!

I have found a dung beetle soft side with my new plushie pal DB. A friend who is a fan of the series crafted a dung beetle plushie for me for my birthday. DB is amazingly cute. (Here's a link to a picture of DB helping me get ready for my She Smells the Dead book tour: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_msQXCAHFBwc/TH7F0c8lXCI/AAAAAAAABAA/AIvur1njf68/s1600/book+tour+w+DB.jpg) Isn't he just adorable?

[4] Where is your favorite place to write? 

I live in a magical forest and can often be found writing beneath a moss covered tree or on the stone wall beside the nearby graveyard. When the weather becomes too dreadful to write outdoors I retreat to my writing desk.

[5] If you have/had a spirit guide would it be a dung beetle? How about a wolf? Something more common or more unique?

My spirit animal is the red-tailed hawk. In many cultures hawks are thought to be messengers and have the ability to awaken visionary power and guide you to your life purpose. The hawk is also believed to be a catalyst for new ideas. When I am having a case of writer's block, I close my eyes and picture a red-tailed hawk flying to me carrying a new story idea. Admittedly I would rather these ideas be carried to me by Simon, but I digress. ;)


Thank you E.J. Stevens for stopping by and being a part of my first Flip-It-Foward Post and Giveaway! 

If you'd like to purchase your own copy of She Smells the Dead click the following link: She Smells the Dead (Spirit Guide, Book 1)

Contest ends Thursday, November 18, 2010 at midnight est.
To enter, please click the link below and fill out the form.
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Contest Policy: 
[1] Must be 13 years or older to participate
[2] Winner must have a US mailing address
[3]One Entry Per Person

[4] Must enter by: 11/18/10 by midnight est.
Contest + Privacy Policy



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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Review: She Smells the Dead

She Smells The Dead
She Smells the Dead by E.J. Stevens
Date Released: September 09, 2010 (Available NOW!)
Published by: Sacred Oaks Press
Age: Young Adult
Pages: 168
Provided by: E.J. Stevens
Overall:Photobucket
It's the beginning of senior year and Yuki's psychic awareness of ghostly spirits is threatening to ruin her life. Her ability to sense spirits of the dead isn't glamorous like the ghost hunting on television.

SHE SMELLS THE DEAD.

The smell impressions are becoming stronger. Yuki is being visited in her dreams, and she suspects that her friend Calvin is involved in something strange. To make matters worse her crush on Garrett is going unrequited, Yuki's friend Emma is on a rampage against bee oppression, and annoying Calvin Miller mysteriously disappears.

Will Yuki be able to focus her powers in time to save the lost soul who is haunting her? Meanwhile, who will save Yuki from following the spirits into the light?

Synopsis via Goodreads

My thoughts:

She Smells the Dead provides something new and fresh to the YA realm.  Who knew that smelling the dead and having your best friend compare you to a nasty little beetle could spell out your fate?

Vanessa Stennings, otherwise known at Yuki, isn't your typical teenager girl with a free spirited gothic style.  With a crush, two best friends, one of which has secrets of his own, and a stinky following, Yuki's life is a full on enchanted mystery with what seems to be a silver rope typing the best friends together in a way they were not aware existed.

I do wish this first installment of the Spirit Guide series would have spanned through the big day of Samhain, otherwise known as Halloween.  The build up was threaded throughout the whole book but that will be what brings me back.  The need to know what happens to these three best friends and the circle of people (and beings) around them, is what will help drive this series forward.

Simple yet thorough writing, a beautiful portrait for a cover, a mysteries that needs solving, the start of a possibly Yuki-epic love story, a rope tying two worlds together, and an added factor of I-Don't-Want-To-Put-This-Book-Down, She Smells the Dead, is a great quick read that left me wanting more.

Cover:Photobucket
Characters:Photobucket
Storyline:Photobucket
Overall: Photobucket