2/25/2011

Erin Kellison

Erin Kellison Explores the Shadows

I read Erin Kellison's debut book, Shadow Bound, last year and was amazed. It's a dark paranormal about the daughter of Death, who... well, you just have to read it. The twists start early in the book and I won't give anything away. It's fresh and gritty and full of action. I invited Erin to Get Lost in a Story today to talk about how the series is continuing!

Simone: Tell us about your latest release.

Erin: My latest release (August 2010) is Shadow Fall, book two in my shadow series. The hero, Custo Santovari, is the best friend of Adam Thorne, the hero of book one, Shadow Bound. In the first book, Custo got beat up pretty bad. At one point, he made me bawl, so I had to give the poor guy his own story. Which is ironic, since when I set out to write Shadow Bound, I tried to cut the character of Custo several times. But he kept coming back, the story needed him, and finally I relented. By the time I got to the end, I understood why.

Here’s the blurb:

Sacrifice
Custo Santovari accepted pain, blood, even death, to save his best friend. But a man with all his sins just isn't cut out to be an angel.

Mystery
One moment he's fleeing Heaven; the next, he's waking up stark naked in Manhattan. In the middle of a war. Called there by a woman who's desperately afraid of the dark.

Shadow
It gathers around Annabella as she performs, filled with fantastic images of another world, bringing both a golden hero and a nightmare lover.


Wolf
He pursues her relentlessly, twisting her desires even as she gives herself to the man she loves. Because each of us has a wild side, and Annabella is about to unleash the beast.

Simone: What is the first book you ever "got lost" in?

Erin: Easy. Jane Eyre. My family was very big on the library when I was growing up, and I found a middle-grade book titled, It All Began with Jane Eyre. The girl on the cover was basically me. The title piqued my curiosity. I was in 6th grade at the time, and I asked my mom about the real Jane Eyre. She responded that it was too difficult for me. Uh-huh. I can still feel the rock-solid determination that formed within me at those words. I would read that book if it was the last thing I did. Next time I went to the library, it came home with me. I read every word. Took me months. Did some of it go over my head? I’m sure. But I was still lost in the dark, gothic romance. I loved it. I was transformed by it (for better or worse), and yeah… now I write a bit dark and gothic myself.



Simone: Where is your favorite place to read?

Erin: In bed! Usually with something to snack on so that my husband grumbles when he finally joins me and discovers all the crumbs. I love to read, and before I had kids, I could easily spend an entire weekend in jammies, lost in a book. Total heaven. I could almost weep just thinking about it. Actually tearing up here…

Simone: What's one thing readers don't know about you?

Erin: I’m searching for a hobby. I tried knitting—total failure—but produced some very interesting scarves last year. One of the scarves, my favorite, can loop around my sister’s neck maybe fifteen times. The scarf belongs in Dr. Seussland, though I didn’t intend it that way. It was an earnest effort; maybe too earnest. Then I tried puzzles. I like puzzles. But, yeah, they remain unopened in my closet. Lately, I have decided on photography. I bought a book about it last week, and I plan to adventure out into the world and take stunning pictures. Soon. After my copy edits are done and turned in.

Simone: What are some of the things that inspired the Shadow series?

Erin: The Shadow series inspiration came largely out of a writing exercise I did to uncover the origins of the heroine of Shadow Bound, Talia O’Brien. Talia is a banshee, and has one foot in the mortal world, and the other in fae Twilight. I knew that much, but I had to learn how she was conceived in the first place. I sat down and simply wrote it. As I was writing, I came to understand that the fae world exists in between the mortal world and the hereafter—it’s the place where all the stories are true, where humankind visits when dreaming. It’s seductive and frightening, full of possibility. It’s also inhabited by a magical race trapped within that realm and longing for mortality. My imagination went wild with possibilities. I’m working on book four right now, and am contracted for a fifth.





Simone: Did you do any special research for the series?

Erin: I’m always checking up on this or that detail, but the bookish/computer research keeps me in my chair. The one thing I get a big kick out of are the weapons and combat stuff. I have an expert that I get to pepper with questions. I’ll ask for a new gun, ammo, armor, and get great information. And once, when I asked for a demonstration, he happily subdued my poor husband on the ground. That technique is in my e-novella, Shadow Touch.

Simone: Tell us what's next for you?

Erin: I’ve got two releases coming up. The first is Shadow Touch, an e-novella coming out in June. Then Shadowman, book three in the series, releases in September. For more info, check out my website, http://www.erinkellison.com/.

I’ll leave you with a taste of Shadow Touch:

“Is she dangerous?” Kalamos asked.

Ellie had answered this earlier, and repeated the same. “I don’t think so.”

“Our first priority is the safety of the men and women working at Segue. Can you please clarify?”

Ellie had promised herself that she’d hold nothing back, but his sharp approach had her hesitating. “She plays tricks,” she said, though this was the lesser truth. “And, depending on her mood, she can try to scare, or disturb, or…or confront....” Another dodge.

Kalamos leaned forward. “Can she physically touch anything? Can she affect electricity or water or light or air? Can she do anything?”

“No.” The lie came out smoothly, with zero outward angst, but—oh thank God, there she is—the lie, or maybe the memory underneath, had brought her shadow. Her naked self emerged through the wall—a bare leg, arm, breast and shoulder.

“Contact!” shouted a soldier. The two moved in tandem, taking new positions to face her shadow, guns aimed, ready, and utterly useless.



Her shadow was coming slowly, carefully, a look of extreme distrust on her face as her gaze cut from soldier to soldier. She snarled at them.

Lovely.


Thanks, Erin!

Erin has confessed her darkest hobby secrets, including the infamous Dr. Seuss scarf. What is your hobby, and are you any good at it? Does it matter if you're any good at a hobby?

Erin is giving away a copy of both Shadow Bound and Shadow Fall to one lucky commenter.



14 comments:

  1. Welcome to GLIAS, Erin. I think I'm tearing up about getting lost reading all weekend, crumbs in the bed and all... Hubby travels and doesn't grumble about much being in bed except the dog (she misses her spot when he's actually home).

    As for my hobby... I'm not certain I could narrow it down. If a hobby's something you do in your spare time? Then the appropriate answer would be cleaning house. LOL I love to take pictures, scrapbook, crafts, storyboard. But I rarely make time for those things. We're in the middle of "purging" rooms and cleaning. HA HA.

    Best of luck with the second book. ~~Angi

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  2. These books sound very interesting. They sound very original and I like finding books that are different.

    My favorite hobbies (besides reading, LOL), would be crocheting and beading. Although I must admit that they come in very far behind reading!

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  3. Oh BTW Angi--
    I don't think cleaning house could be considered a hobby. Hobbies are something you generally ENJOY doing, and I don't know of too many people who actually enjoy cleaning house! LOL

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  4. Thanks for being here, Erin!

    I guess my hobby is running. I like to take a jog around my neighborhood as often as I can. However, I am horrible at it... A 30 minute run usually just about kills me. I actually usually go after sunset so my neighbors can't see quite how pathetic I am in full daylight. lol!

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  5. Thanks for the warm welcome!

    I think I'm with June--cleaning house can't be a hobby, or else I guess I already have one. And I'm in the middle of a purge too, but somehow that makes the house messier (at least while in progress).

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  6. HI!

    My hobby again besides reading is photography. I love taking pictures and going out and finding different angles to take them along with different textures and perspectives. I'm always learning something new.

    Lisa B

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  7. Wow I just have to say these books look great. Something that I definitely want to pick up.
    My hobbies besides reading are playing computer games and listening to music.

    iqb99@yahoo.com

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  8. Erin, welcome to Get Lost in a Story, and Simone, thanks for turning us on to this author. You can tell Simone is passionate about your work... you left her speechless or typeless as the case might be. To be honest, some paranormals are leaving me cold these days because they appear to be ripoffs of other authors. Can't say I've seen many banshee protagonists or daughters of Death in the mix. Well done!

    Hmmm. Hobbies. I love to play bridge. The fact that I'm not a master player doesn't matter to me. It involves thinking and friendship and fun and that's why it's called a hobby ;)

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  9. @Modokker I'm hoping the photography thing works out for me too. :)

    @Danielle Thanks for the sweet comments. I could probably have a lot of fun with computer games, but they'd keep me in front of the computer. Argh!

    @Donnell Thanks for having me! Simone has been great. I'm so touched she invited me to blog here. And I'll have to try bridge... I like thinking and friendship. :)

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  10. Welcome Erin. Your books sound fabulous and I LOVE the covers. Yet more books for my TBR pile. :)

    I don't think it matters if you're skilled at a hobby. Enjoyment is the point, right?
    I knit, too, although I haven't for quite a while. I find it a great way to keep my hands busy while watching TV. Must go buy yarn. :)

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  11. I'm so intrigued! Can't wait to read SHADOW FALL, but first I must read SHADOW BOUND! I'm horrible that way! I won't go into the movie theater if we're late. Likewise, I have to start a series at the beginning!

    Hobbies? I believe I used to have those. No time anymore!

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  12. @Maureen Dangers of knitting while watching TV--the scarf I made was x3 normal length, and then it stretched. :)

    @Gjillian I won't go late to a movie either, and I hate to start a series midway as well. My books do stand alone, but I still get where you're coming from.

    So glad to be here. Thanks everyone.

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  13. My hobby is tennis. I've been playing for a few years and the more I play the better I get. You don't need to be good at your hobbie, but you will have more fun if you are.

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  14. I don't think it matters if you are any good at it as long as you enjoy what you are doing :-)

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