Jae El Foster's Blog

The highly anticipated fantasy romance novel Beauty Within is now available in Print and eBook from DCL Publications. An enchanted mask. A harrowing castle. A reclusive dark lord. With the helping hand of the village witch, these three ingredients form a spell that will warm your heart as much as it chills it. Madame Howell makes her second appearance in Jae El Foster’s literary universe in this fairy tale that puts a new twist on an old classic. When a village maiden finds herself in a forbidden castle, she discovers that its sole occupant might be less of a monster than he has been made out to be. However, dark secrets and black magic are afoot, and a ‘happily ever after’ could turn disastrous. Will true love conquer all, or will a dark power make their world come crumbling down? This novel contains the first clue in the Jae El Fandom Hardcore Easter Egg Hunt, in which the winner of the hunt will receive the ultimate Jae El giveaway. For full details, click HERE. A Magical Excerpt: Click HERE Print Link Kindle Link Nook Link Go behind the scenes of Beauty Within in the new Stories Behind the Stories essay about the creation of the book HERE.

Greetings! A new blog has been set-up, titled 'So, I had a Thought,' with Author Jae El Foster, and you are invited to join! Current blog posts and topics include time wasters for writers, tips on how to survive in the writing industry, and irrational fears and from where they begin. Possibilities of future posts are endless, but one thing is promised - they will not become political. Future post topics will include book, film and television reviews, humorous commentary, thoughts about aliens and the supernatural, and a whole lot more. Subscribe to this WordPress blog at https://thoughtsbyjaeelfoster.wordpre... to be notified every time a new post goes live!

Greetings! Yes, I know. I did not give you a Shaded Whisperings story for 2018, but that's okay. You see, instead of releasing book 3 (due early 2019) I am giving you the low-down on the next four Shaded Whisperings entries. Arriving in the first couple of months of 2019 will be the long-awaited, highly anticipated Shaded Whisperings: She Rises at Night. This entry into the series will tell the story of Bob and Karen, a very unhappily married couple that moves from Connecticut halfway across the world in an attempt to rekindle their marriage. I've been tight-lipped on the heavy details of the plot, but late last month I announced that this would be my first - and likely last - story to tackle the Zombie genre. Your first look at She Rises at Night is below. Book 4 of the Shaded Whisperings series will be titled Madhouse. This tale will follow a young woman who finds herself drawn into a haunted carnival as she attempts to save a child. It is no secret that I am terrified of clowns, and so this is an homage to one of my fears. Book 5 is Shaded Whisperings: Barren. Barren will venture into a world ruled by a visible Illuminati in a future where survival of the fittest is the name of the game. This story will encompass my other great fear - outer space. Yes. you just might find aliens lingering around. The final Shaded Whisperings book (yes, I just let you know that the series will hold only six titles) will be Shaded Whisperings: Apocalypse. Whereas the title alone gives a good hint to the subject matter of the novella, nothing will prepare you for the explosion of horror that will be trapped within its pages. The publication dates for books 4-6 have not yet been set. They will likely be published through DCL Publications, who published Shaded Whisperings: Forever and Shaded Whisperings: Playing St. Nick. Both of these titles are currently available on Amazon and B&N Nook. Some may wonder if I will have another horror series once Shaded Whisperings ends. The answer on that is to be determined. While I don't shy away from the idea of a series, it will have to be something really outstanding for me to consider it. Already, I have a number of other projects in the works, and I do not want to over-exhaust myself with another series if my heart isn't in it. We'll see how it plays out. Until then, there is plenty of terror to satisfy you in my current releases and in a few that I have arriving soon including: Beauty Within (Sept. 2018), Restive (Oct. 2018) and in White Padded Room - currently in the works. Thanks always for your support! Jae El Foster

Good afternoon and happy Friday! Today is the last day of the virtual book tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for the Kings & Queens anthology through DCL Publications! That means that this is your last chance to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card! Visit www.jaeelbooks.com/events for a list of all of the tour stops. On the stops, you may enter to win. Look for Interviews with my co-author Anarie Brady and myself. I also wrote a few guest blogs focusing on my love for book clubs, the power of ruling, and a behind the scenes look at writing my anthology contribution 'The Man with the Kind Eyes.' Tomorrow - Saturday, September 1 - is your Final Chance to get my 2012 hit paranormal romance Restless for FREE on Barnes and Noble Nook! Visit www.jaeelbooks.com for an excerpt, as well as links. The sequel, titled Restive, will be released in October, so this is your chance to catch up for free! The deadline for authors to submit their winter anthology entries to DCL Publications is Friday, September 7, by the close of the business day. If you would like to be alongside me and a lot of other great authors in The Greatest Gift of All, there is no time to waste. Full submission details can be found at www.jaeelbooks.com/submissions Also coming up is the deadline to enter for a chance to become a character in my upcoming horror novel White Padded Room. This novel will take my keen eye for dark, suspenseful horror and incorporate it with the fantasy and wonder of science fiction for the first time in novel-length form. Deadline for this is Thursday, September 6, with the winner drawn at random on Friday, September 7. I rarely repeat myself, so this may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can enter this contest at www.jaeelbooks.com/contests - standard US Contest Rules apply. That's it for now. Remember to always do good things. Jae El #contests #free #opencalls #publishing #anthology #deadlines #romance #horror #paranormal

Hey, there! In honor of both the current Virtual Book Tour promoting the Kings & Queens anthology, and the upcoming release of Restive, the original, highly-praised paranormal romance Restless is FREE on Barnes & Noble NOOK from now through this Saturday! Don't delay! Nab it today! Readers have called Restless "Sweet! Shocking! Wonderful!" and "a true guilty pleasure!" Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars on Amazon, it has proven to be a hit to readers of all types. If you have not yet read this thrilling tale themed with vampires, ghosts, and romance, now is your chance! Take advantage and get caught up on Restless before the sequel arrives in October! Click HERE for Restless, FREE on B&N Restless is a DCL Publication #freebook #vampires #ghosts #romancebooks #romance #horror #paranormalromance #paranormal #free #limitedtime #nookbook #nook

We are mid-way through the Kings & Queens promotional blog tour, hosted by Goddess Fish Promotions! All of the virtual book tour's stops are linked on my Events page on the website, and man, there is a lot to check out! You'll find interviews that will take you deeper into my mind. There are guest posts where I discuss the power of the crown and behind the scenes of 'The Man with the Kind Eyes.' I share this spotlight with the amazing Anarie Brady, who also gives insight and details into her great story 'As I Follow.' And, most awesome, there is a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card Drawing! Get crack-a-lackin' because it's been a fast week and it's just gonna get faster! Click HERE for the event page. Thank you to the following Blogs for their gracious hosting of DCL Publications, Anarie, and myself during this tour: August 27: Fabulous and Brunette
August 28: Jazzy Book Reviews
August 28: Readeropolis
August 29: Christine Young
August 29: Romance Novel Giveaways
August 30: Straight From the Library
August 30: Author C.A.Milson
August 31: Independent Authors #goddessfishpromotions #virtualbooktour #historicalromance #romancebooks #horror #sciencefiction

The secret is out! I am pleased to announce that a sequel to my 2012 book "Restless" is in the works. I don't want to give away too much, but the sequel - which will be titled "Restive" - will be published through DCL Publications and will once again follow best-selling author Nicola on yet another thrilling adventure as she embarks on a nationwide book tour. "But what about Nathanial?" I know you're asking, but for the answer to that question, you'll have to wait and see. The ending to the original "Restless" does seem like it would be difficult to work out a sequel. Let's just say, I promise not to disappoint. "Restive" promises to bring even more excitement, romance, and danger to Nicola than before, with a poetic ending that you won't see coming! In other news, for those of you who have not yet read "Restless," it will soon be available for FREE for a limited time on NOOK through B&N as part of a promotion for an upcoming release. Take some time and give it a read before the sequel is ready and released. You'll want to be all caught up and refreshed! I'll let you know the when's and where's when the time arrives. Also, I am pleased to say that the cover model for "Restive" has been chosen. Want to know who it is? Well, you'll have to hang in there for the official cover reveal! This all sounds like it's coming pretty soon, doesn't it? Don't get restive on me!

"Under Timmy's Bed," my long-awaited complete anthology of horror short stories, has been postponed. Hopefully, 2019 will be a better year for it. UTB is set to be a collection of some of my best pieces of short horror, including many tales from my past that had never seen the light of day. I am still excited for the project and I know that you will enjoy it, but in the meantime, I have a present for you. In its entirety, I am pleased to present to you one of those never read stories from the anthology. From 1997, here is a very short tale called "Ann Faulk Couldn't Sleep." Ann Faulk Couldn’t Sleep Copyright Jae El Foster, 1997, 2018 All Rights Reserved. Ann Faulk couldn’t sleep. She lay in her bed, restless as usual, and counted the sheep in her head. She tried to envision the sugarplums dancing around as she had heard in the storybooks. She thought of a million happy places, but when she would close her eyes none of them would be there. Awake and anxious, she looked to the window. It was black outside except for the occasional flake of snow. Monstrous trees blocked her view of the street. The wind howled violently, slapping the shutters closed over the window and blocking out any intrusion from outside life. That sealed it for her. Now, she was trapped in this dark, dark room with not even a glimpse of outside to calm her while the cold of winter raged on just outside those shutters. Ann somehow managed to sooth her frazzled nerves just the slightest bit and she allowed her tired eyes to begin to adjust to the absolute dark. As her eyes began to form the shapes of the dark, she saw her collection of dolls in the corner, her ballerina music box glistening on the dresser, her closet door slightly ajar… “Mommy,” she cried, fear sticking to her hot breath. “Mommy!” The rustling sound of feet could be heard racing down the hallway and ending in front of Ann’s bedroom door. “Honey,” a voice called, the doorknob rattling. “What is it?” her mother asked. “Mommy, something’s in here! I’m scared!” A flick of the light-switch illuminated the room. Everything was immaculate, with not an object or monster out of place. “See there. There’s nothing in here.” Mother smiled warmly. “Not here,” Ann pouted, pointing to the closet. “There.” Mother’s eyes moved to the ajar door. “Oh, Ann. You probably didn’t shut it after you put your things away.” Softly, Mother moved to it, shutting it instantly without even a peek inside. “But Mommy…” “No buts. Now go to sleep.” She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead, flicked out the bedroom light, and shut the door behind her – her feet shuffling against the carpet as she moved down the hallway. Ann lay in bed, her eyes wide with fear, fighting against the once-again sudden darkness. She was alone again – wasn’t she? “You forgot to look inside,” she whispered breathlessly, wishing her mother would hear her and come back, but Ann knew that wouldn’t happen. Her mother wouldn’t be back until morning. A thump... From where? Ann’s eyes darted around, trying desperately to readjust to the blinding darkness that her mother had cursed her with. A ball, maybe? Did a ball fall from a shelf or maybe from the top of… the closet? The closet… Ann believed she was going to wet her bed. The feeling passed – sort of – and she concentrated again on the sound, which was now gone. She was surrounded by silence and blackness. Closing her eyes and resting her gentle head once more on the pillow, she tried her hardest to drift off to sleep. For the longest time, there were no sounds to scare her and no monsters to make her cry. Silence… pure silence. Slowly and with ragged resistance, the closet door clicked and creaked open. “This isn’t real,” she whispered to herself, over and over again in hope that she could fool herself into justifying that the closet was empty. She did not believe herself, and she listened as tiny footsteps sounded softly across the bedroom floor. “Mommy!” she screamed again, trembling under the covers. “Go to sleep, Ann!” her mother answered back, far away in another room. The footsteps began to sound louder as they grew nearer and nearer to her bed. Curling her toes, Ann pulled her legs tightly under her and covered her whole body – except for her eyes – with the covers. It was still very dark and she could see no more than the top of the comforter above her nose. With a pounce, the night creature leapt from the floor and onto the blanket. It took no more than a fragment of a second for Ann to scream again and rise to her feet. She was quick to the floor and rushed over to her bedroom door. Hurriedly, she struggled with the knob until the door pulled open. Light from the hallway flooded inside, and Ann was pleased to see her mother rushing toward her. “What is it, honey?” the mother asked. “There… there’s something in there,” the child whimpered. “It jumped on my bed!” Flipping the light switch on once more, Mother looked around in the nearly immaculate room. The only thing out of place was the comforter, which had been dragged to the floor. The closet door was still shut, just as she had left it. “You have to get over this fear of the dark, Ann,” Mother whispered worriedly to her daughter. “It’s not healthy!” “Can I please sleep with you and Daddy tonight?” the girl’s eyes pleaded wide and tearfully. “Not again. You’ve slept with us all week! Tonight, you need to try it in your own bed!” She gave her daughter another kiss on the forehead and a pat on the back, sending her back into the room. “Now, scoot! You’ll feel better in the morning.” “Can I at least leave the light on?” Ann begged. “You’ll get used to it, I promise” Mother said as she pulled the door shut, leaving Ann alone in the dark, yet again. Turning around, Ann faced the darkness of the room with nervous stillness. Her mother had failed to comfort her, as she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had felt something leap onto her bed. Running her hand against the wall, she moved to her dresser and turned on a tiny lamp. It produced just enough light for her to dimly see her bedroom. The closet door was shut, there was nothing on her bed, and a pink bunny stared up at her from the dresser top. With a jump, Ann moved away and tried to scream again, but the scream was lost and replaced with a tiny squeak that was barely audible. The bunny looked warm and friendly as it batted its sparkling blue eyes. Through its smile, it showed humorous buckteeth and the red of the tongue tucked behind. The pink of its fur was thick and appeared quite clean and pure. The bunny stood no more than two feet tall, and if one had been at a distance from it, they would have thought the bunny to have been no more than a stuffed animal. But by the animal’s light breathing and friendly expressions, Ann knew that it was no more inanimate than she was. “Don’t be afraid of me, little girl,” the bunny announced with a cheerful disposition. Ann did not reply, but she did feel the strong urge to wet herself again. “I’m not going to hurt you,” the creature promised. “I’m just looking for a friend!” “A… a friend,” the girl whispered. “Certainly! I love playing with little boys and girls – just like you!” His voice seemed friendly, considering the fact that he was a talking pink bunny, and it managed to curb Ann’s fear just the slightest bit. “What are you?” she asked, finding timid strength. “I am a Closet Bunny,” he cried, leaping into the air and onto the carpeted floor. When he landed, he presented a great Ta-Da and took a bow. “I’m a gentle, friendly bunny who lives in children’s closets! We play all sorts of games and things, but mostly we travel to the Land of Toys!” “The… the Land of Toys?” she inquired, more curious than afraid now. “Sure! The Land of Toys! Inside every little girl and boy’s closet is a secret, magical portal that leads to it! There are dolls, teddy bears, tea parties, swimming pools, fun rides, cotton candy… anything a child could ever ask for! The Land of Toys is wonderful!” The soft pink bunny hopped up and down again, rubbing its fluffy paws together. Ann had been taught to never talk to strangers, but she had never heard of a stranger being a bunny or knowing where a Land of Toys was located. And if, indeed, this bunny did play with other boys and girls all across the world, then maybe… just maybe… he really was a good creature and not the terrible thing she had thought when she first saw him. “So, little girl, how would you like to visit the Land of Toys?” The blue of its eyes seemed to sparkle even brighter. “I’d… I’d love too!” she answered, only half-aware that she had done so. “Follow me!” Hurriedly, the bunny hopped across the floor to the bedroom closet and leapt high onto the knob, twisted it, and pulled the door open before dropping back to the ground. With an usher to follow along, he stepped inside to the mess of toys and clothes and dolls. Ann followed slowly, and when she had entered, the door shut behind her, sealing her in. “Where is the magical portal?” the girl asked as she looked around, seeing nothing now but darkness. “First, we have to say the magic words,” the bunny answered. “Together, we must say Tolkoo, Voodoo, Vour – Open up the Door in the Floor! Got it?” “Got it,” Ann said assuredly. “On the count of three then… one… two… THREE!” And on the count of three, the girl and the bunny recited the magic words and the closet began to glow with a marvelous light. Ann looked down and watched as her closet floor turned into a magical white door. “This is the door to the Land of Toys?” she asked, just to be certain. ‘That it is,” the friendly, excited bunny replied, and reaching down, he lifted the tiny door open. There was barely enough room for Ann to stand now, and she stared down into the portal, seeing only more white light. “We have to jump in! That’s half the fun!” explained the bunny. So, with another count of three, Ann closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, and jumped into the glowing portal. She fell for quite some time and noticed that the light around her gradually changed from white to a deep red. Other than that, she could see nothing. When she finally landed, she did so with a thump and exhaled deeply. Rubbing her eyes and rising to her feet, she stared with eagerness at the Land of Toys. All around her, the bodies of several hundred children were strung along the tall stone walls, which seemed to encompass everything for as far as the eye could see. Chains held the children up, but their stomachs had been split open and their faces ripped off. It was more than apparent that they were dead… or at least in the process of dying. Finally, Ann screamed, and turning around to run, she found the bunny standing behind her. “It’s time to play,” the eager rabbit growled in a deep demonic voice, and without a second to spare, it leapt upon the face of the shrieking little girl that was Ann Faulk. The End

I will be on Twitter All. Day. Long on Saturday, June 23, with a promotional tour of Kings & Queens: Anthology from the Dark Castle Lords that will be chock full of freebies, excerpts, snippets and more! From 12 pm CST until 10 pm CST. All you have to do to qualify to win a prize is Follow @jaeelbooks on Twitter by or before the event. Even if you follow during the event, you qualify. The last prize will be awarded at the end of the event. I will be promoting my newest tale "The Man with the Kind Eyes" during this event, and will be answering questions about this story and others through tweets. Come join me!

Hey, dear readers and those who have somehow strayed to my edge of the universe, and welcome. I'm pleased to announce that my new series 'Stories Behind the Stories' has launched on the website. This series will chronicle the creations behind some of your favorite - and my favorite - releases. Currently live on the site are the stories behind writing "The Man with the Kind Eyes" and "First Person Shooter." Soon, the story behind "Restless" will be added as well. Since my Facebook presence is all but extinct nowadays (I love people, but Facebook is not for me - people sure fight a lot on that site), I decided to offer this series to you as a way for you to continue to feel close to me in a manner similar to how we connected on Facebook. Except, on here, it's not memes or jokes, political postings or recipes of the day. Instead, here you will get to enjoy being inside of my terrifyingly beautiful brain (have I mentioned I'm modest?) in a whole new way that I've never presented before. Whether horror, romance, or something else, I write what I write for you, and so I feel it is only fair that I share with you the reasons behind the projects you've enjoyed the most. Other titles coming soon to the series include the stories behind "Playing St. Nick," "The Estranged Affair," and the upcoming tales "Beauty Within" and "To Adventure" - just to name a few. Check the website often, and remember to sign up for the newsletter. You'll receive a full monthly update on everything new and happening in one concise email. How cool is that? Enjoy and thank you always for the opportunity to entertain you!