SHADOW BOUND and other fabulous books by Erin Kellison

This week I'm happy to feature Erin Kellison, who brilliantly blends dark fantasy and fairy tale elements into her stories. Her book, SHADOW BOUND, debuted in 2010 and is part of the SHADOW series:

From Goodreads:
Death
Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths
Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue
Adam Thorne founded the Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow.

Twilight

This is the place between life and what comes after - a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.

The above is not only a great example of a compelling story, but also a good, unique pitch.  Click here for an excerpt or view the trailer below:





Erin also collaborated with K.C. Klein and Jessa Slade on HOTTER ON THE EDGE, a science fiction romance anthology, with a novella entitled, "All that Glitters."

"All That Glitters"
Cheated out of a fortune by the Sol royal family, lowborn Simon Miner will do anything to get his revenge, no matter how ruthless. When Princess Mica Sol, a terraforming expert, is shot out of the sky on the way to her sister’s lavish wedding, she fears the worst—scavengers—and flees into an alien jungle to avoid capture. But the man who pursues and captures her is none other than Simon, her former lover. Passions reignite as violence rocks Sol City, and Simon and Mica must fight for love, family, and their world… or lose everything.






And finally, her new book, FIRE KISSED, will debut this July:

 Synopsis, from Goodreads:

Fae Fire
It is Kaye Brand's power to wield. But outcast from her kind, she's been selling herself to the highest bidder—money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future.

Angel Ice
One of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiancé, Ferrol Grey.

Magekind
War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order and the mage Houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow.
For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about to change...


Erin is a great person as well as a skilled author. Here are her answers to some of my questions:

On your website, you mention that you wrote your first dark fantasy adventure in sixth grade. How did your enthusiasm for writing originally develop?

I’d have to credit my family. My mom read to me when I was a kid and my dad always took us to the cool science fiction and fantasy movies. I’ve always loved stories—consuming them and making them up. I asked for a typewriter for Christmas when I was nine. My parents actually got it for me, too!  I think the atmosphere in our home when I was growing up fostered a love for stories. My parents can blame themselves.

It's wonderful when parents (or other helpful influences) can inspire us to explore creativity and storytelling. What a great experience!
I love that you mix unique supernatural elements into your fiction. Where did the idea for the SHADOW series first come from, and why do you think it was successfully able to sell?

SHADOW BOUND, the first book in my Shadow series, began with the idea of using a banshee for my heroine. I loved the idea of a character, both beautiful and frightening, with one foot in this world and one foot in the fae Otherworld. To find out more about her, I wrote how she (Talia) came to be conceived. It was purely a discovery exercise. That writing became the prologue of the book, which you can read here: http://www.erinkellison.com/books/shadowBound.html. The prologue informed so much of the world-building that the rest was organic from there. I think Shadow Bound ultimately sold because it was different from what was being published at the time, but evoked the pathos and passions associated with the ever-popular vampires.

It sounds like you've captured some really unique elements-- and it's good to know different genres can still be marketable!
Your next release, FIRE KISSED, comes out this July. How is it different from the SHADOW series, and which aspects were the most exciting to write?

FIRE KISSED is the first book in my Shadow Kissed spin-off series and centers on magekind, a race of people born with magic in their blood, but have no souls. Because Shadow is seeping back into the world, the supernatural powers of the mages are quickening. In antiquity they were kings and gods; now they are scheming to reclaim their power and lead the word into what they call the Dark Age. The passions of the mages are quickened as well, and amidst the great changes wrought on the world, alliances are formed—in the bedroom and out. The first books in my Shadow series focus on characters who recognize magic for what it is—beauty, power, possibilities—and either battle or embrace what comes of it. The Kissed series amps the effects of magic and explores what the world will become. I am having so much fun mixing contemporary life with magic and old world structures. The romance emerges in a clash of wills as my characters struggle with the paradigm shifts.
  
Definitely a compelling plot, and I can't wait until it debuts in July!
I love the design elements you incorporated into your website and blog. What recommendations do you have for aspiring writers who want to build a web presence?

I do my best in this area, but there is always more to do. It’s easy to get swallowed up by the millions of things available online. Overall, I think the key is accessibility. I recommend a professional-looking website, FB account, twitter account, and goodreads account to start. My presence on these varies according to where I am with my work in progress, but I try. Join in the chatter. Guest blogging is a great way to reach out. I just joined Pinterest and am having fun with the pinboards, and I have a google + account, but I really don’t pressure myself to be everywhere at once, and neither should an aspiring writer. Write first, then hit the rest.

Thank you so much for having me today! HOTTER ON THE EDGE is FREE through February at Smashwords.com with download code VJ32F.  Or check out HotterOnTheEdge.com for additional blurbs and excerpts. And you can see our inspirations for our worlds at Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jessaslade/hotter-on-the-edge/




Thanks, Erin! Great advice, especially the part about putting writing first. I'll definitely be going to Smashwords.com (and all of you should too)!