Spotlight on: Erin Kellison!!!

I'm really excited to have debut author Erin Kellison as my spotlight author today.  I met Erin through my local Romance Writers of America chapter and it's been exciting watching her journey on the road to publication!  Erin Kellison is the author of the Shadow Series, which includes SHADOW BOUND and SHADOW FALL. The first was just released and has so far recieved fabulous reviews.

Erin, welcome.  It's great to welcome another Erin to my blog.  :)  Tell us about your Shadow Series:

Erin K:  First of all, a big thank you to Erin Quinn for sharing her blog with me! I am giving away a copy of both my debut release, Shadow Bound, and its sequel, Shadow Fall, to one lucky commenter today. Also, consider popping by my website, http://www.erinkellison.com/, to sign up for my newsletter and to put your name in the hat for my Nook raffle.

Erin Q:  Wow, a Nook raffle?  Do you hear that readers???  And a giveaway here too.  Be sure to leave a comment!  Okay, onto the meat.  Tell us about the Shadows.....


Erin K:  When I was first beginning Shadow Bound I had a good idea of who my hero, Adam Thorne, and heroine, Talia O’Brien, were as people. I could picture them. I could hear them speak in my head. I knew exactly what they would do next, and why. I can’t say the same of Adam’s good friend, Custo Santovari. I tried to delete him from the manuscript of Shadow Bound several times. He was the guy that did the dirty work for Adam, and I wanted Adam to do his own dirty work, as any hero should. Delete.

A couple days later, I’d be writing him back in again. I didn’t even like him, but I needed him for this spot right here. And that scene. And in the chapter to come. As I was writing, I discovered that Custo wasn’t just a guy who got things done and helped to move the plot for me. In fact, not one of those convenient helper-outer scenes remained. Instead, he became a foil for Adam and Adam’s psychotic brother. In the darkest of times, Custo kept Adam grounded, kept him sane, kept him human.

Something bad happens to Custo in Shadow Bound. Very bad, but critical to the book. One of my critique partners said, “Reconsider. You can’t do that to a sidekick.” I remember reading the message on my computer screen and shaking my head in bafflement. Custo had gone way past sidekick. Custo was a hero.

At least in my mind.

Up until that point, I had never remotely considered writing a book about Custo, but now he was stuck in my head. When I got “The Call” from my editor with an offer for Shadow Bound, she asked if I had ideas for future books. She seemed interested in one direction in particular, but I wanted Custo. I didn’t have a pitch prepared, and had very little of a story in mind. My passion must have come across, however, in the near-incoherent, please-let-me-try plea I gave on behalf of Custo. She asked to see a proposal. Shadow Fall comes out July 27th.

And I’d wanted to delete him altogether in the beginning. Now, frankly, he’s my favorite.

Who are some of your favorite characters?

Here’s the back cover blurb for Shadow Fall:

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.

Erin Q:  I can't wait to read these!  I've had them on my TBR since before they were published and since I'm not one of those readers who has to wait for a whole series to come out before starting, no more delay.  :)

Want to know more about Erin?  Go to:  http://www.erinkellison.com/ and don't forget about that raffle on her site for the Nook or the contest here for autographed copies of her books!
Erin, thanks so much for stopping by!!!!