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    Taking over the Internet (again) …

    4 Comments

    Tangled Threads is out on April 26 (less than three weeks now!), so you know what that means — that it’s once again time for me to take over the Internet with a blog tour. With four books out this year, I think people are going to get real sick of me real soon. LOL.

    I’ve got a ton of guest blogs coming up over the next few weeks. Below is a list of all the blogs that I plan to visit. First, I want to say thanks to all the bloggers for having me on their sites. I really, really appreciate that.

    Second, most of these posts will have giveaways of Tangled Threads with them. 😉

    I’ll post the links to the day’s blogs here on the website in the morning. However, some of the blogs get posted in the morning, while others don’t get posted until the afternoon. So you’ll have to check the sites to see when the blogs are actually live. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy all the guest posts:

    April 18: A Buckeye Girl Reads

    April 18: SOS Aloha

    April 18: Fresh Fiction

    April 19: Book Crazy Scrapbook Mama

    April 19: Sara’s Urban Fantasy Blog

    April 20: Word Nerd Blog

    April 20: Amberkatze’s Book Blog

    April 21: Drey’s Library

    April 21: Fiction Kingdom

    April 22: Author Sound Relations

    April 22: Paperback Dolls

    April 22: The Spinecracker

    April 25: Larissa’s Bookish Life

    April 25: Smexy Books

    April 26: Bitten by Books

    April 26: The Good, the Bad, and the Unread

    April 26: John Scalzi

    April 27: Joann’s Best

    April 27: All Things Urban Fantasy

    April 28: Paranormal Haven

    April 28: Literary Escapism

    April 29: Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks

    April 29: The Romance Dish

    May 2: Night Owl Reviews

    May 2: Magical Musings

    May 3: Urban Fantasy Investigations

    May 4: Books and Things

    May 4: SciFi Guy

    May 5: Nocturne Reads

    May 5: Rex Robot Reviews

    May 9: Romancing the Book

    May 9: Fiction Vixen

    May 10: Paper Cut Reviews

    May 10: Hanging with Bells

    May 11: Wicked Lil Pixie

    May 11: Books Devoured

    May 12: LovLivLife Reviews

    May 12: Dawn’s Reading Nook

    May 13: Ellz Reads

    May 13: Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

    May 16: Love Romances and More

    May 16: Dangerous Romance

    May 18: Supernatural Snark

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    Books and info …

    24 Comments

    So several days ago, I posted about some of the book blogs that I like. Since then, I’ve been thinking about where folks go to get information about books.

    Mostly, I learn about upcoming releases by visiting book blogs or reading magazines like Romantic Times. But what about after that? Where do you go if you want more information about a book or author?

    Most folks would probably say that they go to an author’s website to get info on their books. But you know what? I hardly ever look at an author’s website. It’s just something that I never think to do. Instead, my first stop is usually Amazon. Why? Well, to me, Amazon isn’t just a place to buy books — it’s more like a giant database, with covers, release dates, similar books, and more. The same thing goes for the Barnes & Noble and other bookseller websites. Sometimes, I’ll look up books on Goodreads, but really, I use Goodreads as a database to keep track of the books that I’ve read, rather than to get info on other books.

    I’m weird, I know. LOL.

    I wonder if folks do the same thing that I do — look everywhere else but an author’s website for information. I try to have quite a bit of info on my own site about my various book series, characters, worlds, frequently asked questions, and more. But sometimes, I wonder if anyone ever reads any of the info. Do people even want that much info? Or are excerpts and a book description enough?

    Yes, Virginia, these are the things I think about … 😉

    What about you guys? Where do you get your book info from? Authors’ websites? Amazon? Goodreads? What do you like to see on authors’ websites?

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    Tangled Threads review …

    10 Comments

    I’m thrilled to announce that Tangled Threads got 4 1/2 stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times. Huzzah! Here’s what the reviewer, Jill Smith, had to say about the book:

    It’s assassin vs. assassin in the fourth chapter of Estep’s outstanding Elemental Assassin series. Gin Blanco is one the most intriguing heroines on the scene today. As the action heats up, Estep thoughtfully reveals additional aspects of Gin’s character, showcasing her evolution. If you have not gotten on the Gin bandwagon yet, do so today!

    After the most recent defeats she has suffered at the hands of the Spider, it is not surprising when mob boss/Fire Elemental Mab Monroe brings in the big guns. As Gin and her foster brother Finn surveil a planned hit, they spy deadly electrical elemental assassin Elektra LaFleur. After learning that LaFleur has kidnapped a child and is planning on assassinating Gin’s still unacknowledged baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, Gin goes on the warpath. (POCKET, May, 384 pp., $7.99)

    I just want to say thanks to Jill and the folks at RT for taking the time to read and review the book. I appreciate it.

    And I have one more piece of good news: Gin Blanco was named the winner of the Urban Fantasy Protagonist category in the magazine’s annual RT Book Reviews awards. I think this is the first award that I’ve ever won for one of my books. I was happy just to be nominated, especially since there are so many great urban fantasy books out right now.

    Anyway, I’m totally doing the happy dance today. 😉

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    Where to get Tangled Threads when it’s released …

    9 Comments

    The release date of Tangled Threads is inching nearer (25 days and counting down!), so I wanted to do a post about where to actually get the book once it’s released.

    Why? Well, every time I have a new book out, I always get e-mails from folks asking where my books are available at. So I figured I would just do a post on it this time around.

    Now, if you have an e-reader, you can just go to your site of choice (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) and download the book on April 26 just as soon as it gets posted. Bada-bing, bada-boom, it’s yours to read whenever you want.

    But if you want a paper copy, things are a little trickier. As far as I know, copies of Tangled Threads will not be available at Borders, due to the chain’s bankruptcy issues. I’m also not certain if Walmart will order any copies. I’m waiting to get that information from my editor. I know a few people looked for Venom at Walmart back in October, but they didn’t order any copies of the book, which is why it wasn’t available there.

    So if you want a paper copy, I would say look for the book at your local Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, or independent bookstore. I don’t have huge print runs, which means that most stores will only have a few copies of my books on hand at any given time. So if you want to get it the week that it comes out, I’d say your best bet would be to order it online through Amazon, B&N, BAM, etc.

    As far as overseas readers go, I know several folks have mentioned to me that they use The Book Depository. It looks like Tangled Threads will be available there on June 1. Also, several bookstores in Australia, like Rosemary’s Romance Books and Intrigue, the Romance Book Store, usually carry my books. Other than that, I knew very little about where the book is available overseas.

    Anyway, I hope that helps. Now if April 26 would just hurry up and get here already … 😉