• 800 and counting …

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    I’ve been slack in my reading lately, but I finally finished Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines this weekend, marking the 800th book I’ve read since I’ve been keeping count.

    Goblin Quest focuses on Jig, a scrawny, little nearsighted goblin who gets roped into leading a group of adventurers through a mountain filled with all kinds of nasty things. There are hobgoblins and poisonous fish creatures and undead corpses and, of course, a dragon sitting on a hoard of treasure.

    Along for the ride with Jig are two arrogant princes, a reluctant elven thief, and a dwarf who likes to drink ale and draw maps. The book is basically a Dungeons & Dragons adventure come to life. And before you ask, yes, I play D&D, making me a total geek. 😎

    The book starts out slow, and Jig’s whining about being a goblin and treated like dirt by the other adventurers gets old after a while. But the book picks up steam as Jig realizes that he’s stronger and braver and smarter than he thinks. Plus, Jig has a cool pet — a fire-spider named Smudge.

    A good, solid, fatansy read. You’ll get a real kick out of it if you play D&D because you’ll recognize all the stereotypes. So, thumbs up.

    What about you? What have you read lately? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • Contest alert! Part Deux …

    In addition to the fun stuff mentioned below for the May contest, I’m also going to give away an advanced reading copy of Karma Girl. So you can read it before you can buy it.

    All you have to do (again) is sign up for my newsletter by March 1. I’ll draw the winner after that date and announce it on the blog. So, good luck!

    And thanks to The Good, the Bad, and the Unread for featuring my contest on their site. Thanks, guys! 😀

  • Contest alert! Contest alert!

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    Today, I am announcing my very first contest for Karma Girl. I’m going to give away five Banes & Noble gift cards (one for each member of the Fearless Five, my superhero team). Each card is worth $20 — or just enough to buy yourself a copy of Karma Girl and a tasty beverage or dessert of your choice at your local B&N. Not that I would encourage you to do that or anything … 😈

    Six lucky folks will also win Gold Rubik’s Cubes, courtesy of David Hedley Jones of Seven Towns. My main character, Carmen Cole, loves Rubik’s Cubes and plays with them all the time in Karma Girl, so I thought they would be something else cool to give away.

    All you have to do to enter is sign up for my newsletter by April 15. The sign-up form is located in the bottom right corner of every page (except this one). Winners will be announced on the blog beginning around the first of May.

    So, good luck!

    What about you? Do you enter contests by your favorite authors? Or am I wasting my time and money here? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • One hot cover …

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    hot_mama_cover.jpgOver the weekend, I got some cover art for Bigtime 2, aka Hot Mama. This isn’t the final cover, but it gives y’all an idea of what to look for.

    Personally, I looove it. It captures Fiera, the main character, exactly the way I picture her in my head. Sassy, sexy, and sophisticated. I can’t wait to get the final version with all the quotes, etc. so I can get some bookmarks made. I’m a bookmark junkie, and I like it! 😎

    Kudos to Stan Chow at Berkley for the stellar design once again. He also was the mastermind behind Karma Girl.

    What about you? Do you love the cover? Hate it? Would it make you want to know more about the book? Inquiring minds want to know …

  • Bookmarks, bookmarks, bookmarks …

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    bookmark_front.jpgbookmark_back.jpgHurray! I have bookmarks for Karma Girl. 5,000 of them to be exact. Or 48 pounds’ worth. Who knew they would weigh that much? Or take up so much room in my office? Want some freebies? Anyone, anyone? Bueller? Bueller? 😎

    If you want some free bookmarks, send me an e-mail at jennifer@jenniferestep.com, and I’ll tell you were to send your self-addressed, stamped envelope.

    I will be more than happy to drop you some in the mail. And let me tell you, these are nice bookmarks. They are 2 x 8 (bigger than average), heavy cardboard, shiny paper, and the color is just awesome.

    If you need to have bookmarks made for your titles, I would recommend the folks who did mine at Iconix Biz. They were really patient about all the little nitpicky changes I had, the price was very reasonable, and I got them about a week after I ordered them.

    What about you? Do you love bookmarks? Hate ’em? Inquiring minds want to know …