Monday, February 4, 2013

Author Blog Post: E.J. Wesley

“Why is it that the Apaches wait to die -- That they carry their lives on their fingernails? They roam over the hills and plains and want the heavens to fall on them. The Apaches were once a great nation; they are now but few, and because of this they want to die and so carry their lives on their fingernails.” ~ Cochise, Chiricahua Apache Chief

One question I’m frequently asked about the Moonsongs stories is, “Why the Native American twist?” Jenny, the Moonsongs heroine, is descended from a fictitious Apache tribe called the Navezgane. That connection serves as the basis for her adventures, as she learns (in Blood Fugue, Moonsongs Book 1) she has become the latest in a long line of tribal “monster hunters.”

When I came up with the concept for the stories, the first thing I decided on was the West Texas setting. When you travel to the more rural areas of Texas, you can’t ignore a sense that time has somehow leapt over some of the little towns you encounter. On the surface, the dusty streets, waving strangers, and vast stretches of undeveloped land seem to indicate that the rules of progress and change do not apply. 

I believe a large part of that feeling of timelessness is due to the Native cultures that once solely inhabited the land. Though they are now largely lumped into somewhat minimalizing terms like “heritage” and “history”, the spirit of those First People is still very much alive in the untouched areas. 

Standing in a field of golden wild grass as it dances around your knees, you can almost hear the whispering footsteps of the buffalo stalking hunters around you. As the sun rises behind a distant mesa, it’s easy to imagine the sight of a lone warrior or scout on horseback, scaling slowly to the top for an unfettered view of the sprawling prairie below.

Now take all of that deep connection to the very roots of humanity in the Western Hemisphere, the innate spirituality of the land, and juxtapose it with a modern twenty-two year old girl, who loves video games, has a purple mohawk, and would generally like to give the world a giant middle-finger. That’s Jenny, and that’s the basic framework for the Moonsongs stories.

Yes, there are monsters, big pickup trucks (hey, it’s Texas!), sinister witches, and tons of smartass interactions via Jenny and her best friend, Marshal. But Moonsongs is really about this jaded young woman, who hasn’t felt very connected to anything, discovering the power of having a purpose in life. Even if it is a very dangerous and scary-as-hell purpose.

I believe Jenny’s journey, her struggle for identity, is one many people in this age of Internet relativity can relate to.

~ E.J. Wesley ~
Blood Fugue (Moonsongs #1)
“Some folks treated the past like an old friend. The memories warmed them with fondness for what was, and hope for what was to come. Not me. When I thought of long ago, my insides curdled, and I was left feeling sour and wasted.”

Jenny Schmidt is a young woman with old heartaches. A small town Texas girl with big city attitude, she just doesn’t fit in. Not that she has ever tried.
Life has pummeled her heart into one big, lonely callus. She has no siblings, both parents were dead by sixteen, and her last grandparent—and caretaker—was in the ground before she turned twenty-one. She’s the last living member of her immediate family. Or so she thinks… 
“We found my ‘grandfather’ sitting at his dining room table. An entire scorched pot of coffee dangled from his shaky hand. His skin was the ashen gray shade of thunderclouds, not the rich mocha from the photo I’d seen. There were dark blue circles under each swollen red eye. A halo of white hair skirted his bald head, a crown of tangles and mats. Corpses had more life in them.” 
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.
Blood Fugue can be found at:

Witch's Nocturne (Moonsongs #2)
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.

Witch's Nocturne is the second of the Moonsongs Books, a series of paranormal-horror-action novelettes by author E.J. Wesley. These stories contain language and content better suited for mature readers.
Witch’s Nocturne can be found at:



About the author:
Born and raised in Oklahoma, E.J. grew up in a land of good earth and better people. He holds degrees in psychology and counseling, but prefers to spend his time in the heads of imaginary people to real ones. He writes and lives in South Texas, and loves to chat about movies, books, music, food, and family.

Find the Author: GoodReads | Facebook | Twitter | Blog
This is so interesting and look out for Aimeekay's reviews tomorrow of these books! Book #1, Blood Fugue is free right now at Amazon for today! You can try it out and then get the other 2 (there will be 3 in all) at a later date! Sweet! Right? If you happened to miss it and want to read it, just enter by commenting below! Any ebook format is available! I'll end the giveaway on the 9th.

There is also a tour giveaway!

  • 1 Prize Package #1: Signed copy of Soul Screamers Vol. 1 by Rachel Vincent, Signed copy of Capital Hell by Alicia M. Long, signed copy of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and Texas (Little Known Facts about Well Known Places (Package open to US addresses only) by Victor Dorff 
  • 2 winners of a $15 GC to amazon or B&N 
  • 1 winner of $20 towards The Book Depository (INT ONLY!)
Sweet right? Just fill out the rafflecopter form below for that giveaway.
Also, don't forget to go to the other stops in the tour! Just click HERE for those dates and addys.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

34 comments:

  1. Loving Witches, good luck on your tour EJ!

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  2. Good luck on the tour EJ! What a great guest post!

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  3. Thanks Siv & Felicia! :-)

    Also, huge thanks to Melissa for having me on Books & Things! Such a cool blog, and I'm truly honored to be here.

    Good luck to everyone in the giveaway,

    EJ

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  4. Everyone is looking for his roots.
    I lived in Arizona when I was younger, and the Native American culture still holds a place there.

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  5. This sounds like a really interesting series, and I have a feeling it's going to make me want to take a trip to Texas and just spend some time staring at all the wide open land:) Love that excerpt too!

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    1. Definitely come on down and say 'howdy' Jenny! :-) Texas truly is a friendly and remarkable place. And I'm originally from Oklahoma, so you know that's not an easy thing for me to say.

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  6. My dad lived in West Texas for a while. He has a cool arrowhead collection.

    So excited for you, EJ. Looking forward the next one! :D

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    1. We have a small collection of our own that we've unearthed over the years on our family farm back in Oklahoma. They're really a fascinating piece of history. :-)

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  7. Thanks so much for kicking off the tour Melissa! What a great start! I really hope you give them a try, I think you'd love 'em! I cant wait to hear AimeeKay's thoughts tomorrow.

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  8. Awesome! Shout out to EJ! Having read both these novellas, I can say they are much fun. I'm looking forward to the next in the series. Jenny is badass.

    BTW nice to follow this lovely new blog. Glad I was introduced. :)

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  9. Looking forward to reading these. I love that they have a Native American twist. Congrats EJ and nice to meet you Melissa. :)Best

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  10. EJ rocks! Love the series. Can't wait for the next installment!

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  11. @ PK - I--and Jenny--thank you. :-)

    @ Rebecca - Hope you enjoy!

    @ Morgan - I see only one rockstar here. She has flaming hair and a warming smile. ;-)

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  12. Another UF series I've neber even heard of! Wake up, Maja! I've always wanted to go to Texas (is that weird?) Somehow I have a feeling I'd like it there. :D
    Anyway, this sounds like a great series. I'll go add it to my tbr in GoodReads. That way I won't forget.

    Oh, and I love the new VD look. :))

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  13. I tell ya all... between the blog post, excerpt and AimeeKay's review (which I've already read). This sounds so good! Thanks for coming on the blog E. J.! :)

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    1. Truly appreciate the opportunity Melissa! Love your blog style and content, and have been telling my reading friends about you. Great place to connect with books and authors. :-)

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  14. I've always been fascinated with Native American culture and it's such a shame it's not really taught in schools. We did learn some in grade school and got to visit a reservation with the traditional long log cabin - forgot what it was called. (I lived in the Pacific NW.) It was sad when we lived in ABQ though. Many of the reservations in NM were run down.

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  15. Native Americans, witches and big pick up trucks! Gotta love that. I am excited to read something that features Native Americans you don't get too much of that. I grabbed my freebie! Thanks bunches!

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  16. Fantastic post! I can't wait for a chance to start reading. It sounds original and just up my alley. :)

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  17. These sound fantastic. I really don't know too much about Native Americans yet they are so important culturally. Good luck with the tour EJ!

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  18. SOunds like a great setting and I haven't read much about Native Americans.
    Happy reading,
    Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog

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  19. I like reading books about Native Americans since my husband is one :) I like the excerpt.

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  20. Nice to know more about you and your books, E.J.

    Great interview and introduction!

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  21. Thanks for the fun post and congrats to EJ on the new release! I just got it and I can't wait to start reading ;)

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  22. Congrats EJ, this sounds amazing :D
    Fun post! What a pretty blog~
    I have Native American in my roots. I'm always fascinated with this culture~

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  23. Congrats EJ and best of luck with the tour. Also thanks for such a great giveaway.

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  24. Ok, this is making me miss Texas in a big way! Wonderful guest post! I love your review as well! :-)

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  25. Thanks again for having me Melissa, and thanks to everyone for all of the kind words and downloads. Best of luck to those who entered the giveaway!

    ~EJW

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  26. Damn, can't believed I missed the downloading spree! Oh well, nobody to blame but myself. ;) Great post E.J.

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Thanks for commenting! I ❤ comments!