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    A different kind of book …

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    I’m still basking in the glow of the Publishers Weekly review, but today, I want to talk about a couple of things that are mentioned in the review, namely this:

    Bodies litter the pages of this first entry in Estep’s engrossing Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series … Fans of Estep’s humorous paranormal romances (Jinx; Hot Mama) may be taken aback by the gritty violence and steamy sex, but urban fantasy fans will love it. (Feb.)

    In other words, Spider’s Bite is a different kind of book than the ones in my Bigtime series. Spider’s Bite is dark and gritty, violent and sexy — it is not a lightweight comic book spoof like the Bigtime books are. The main character in Spider’s Bite is an assassin, and Gin does kill people in the book — in fact, she kills a lot of people in the book. She wouldn’t be much of an assassin if she didn’t kill people, now would she?

    So why am I bringing this up? Well, because I want readers — especially those who enjoyed my Bigtime series — to know what they’re getting with Spider’s Bite. Because it’s definitely a different kind of book, and those looking for a more lighthearted read may be disappointed.

    We’ve all seen blog posts bemoaning the fact that an author has switched genres, and I’m sure that I’ll get some e-mails from readers telling me that they don’t like Spider’s Bite and that I should have written another Bigtime book instead. So why didn’t I do that? Well, there are a couple of reasons.

    First, my previous publisher decided that they didn’t want any more Bigtime books. As much as I love writing the series, I have to eat and pay my bills just like everyone else. And in the book market right now, dark, gritty, urban fantasy and paranormal romance is where it’s at — that’s what editors are buying and that’s what readers are reading.

    Second, I had been wanting to write an assassin story for a while now and penning an urban fantasy gave me the opportunity to do that — and really stretch myself as a writer. That’s important to me because I think that writers who write the same kind of book over and over again get stale. I know that I’ve loved the first few books in a series only to be disappointed by the later titles that just seem like retreads of those first great books (Janet Evanovich comes to mind).

    But I hope that my Bigtime readers will give Gin Blanco and Spider’s Bite a chance. In the end, I think that Spider’s Bite and my Bigtime series have a lot of the same elements in common — a sassy, sarcastic, kick-ass heroine, cool world building, lots of fight scenes, and some sizzling romance. Everything is just much darker in Spider’s Bite, including the humor. In fact, I’m billing the book as dark, fun, sexy urban fantasy — we’ll see if my Bigtime readers and others agree.

    What about you guys? Do you like it or loathe it when an author switches genres? Share in the comments.

  • Publishers Weekly says …

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    Several folks were nice enough to let me know that Spider’s Bite has been reviewed in this week’s Publishers Weekly. Here’s what the reviewer had to say:

    Spider's Bite finalBodies litter the pages of this first entry in Estep’s engrossing Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. In the corrupt Southern metropolis of Ashland, weather witches mingle with vampires, giants, and dwarves. A mysterious client hires assassin Gin Blanco, known as the Spider, to murder a whistle-blowing financial officer named Gordon Giles. Then the client attempts a double cross and brutally kills Gin’s mentor. Now Gin, a stone elemental with a hard-boiled attitude, a closely guarded heart, and a penchant for throwing knives, has to join forces with one of the few honest cops in Ashland, sexy detective Donovan Caine, who hates her for killing his partner. Fans of Estep’s humorous paranormal romances (Jinx; Hot Mama) may be taken aback by the gritty violence and steamy sex, but urban fantasy fans will love it. (Feb.)

    Engrossing! Urban fantasy fans will love it! That’s a solid sentence-and-a-word of like. Huzzah! It’s really sad how jazzed a good review makes me. Writers … it takes so little to make us so very happy. 😉

    Although there’s actually one little thing that’s wrong in the review — there are no weather witches in Spider’s Bite. None at all. What the review should say is that elementals mingle with vampires, etc. There are four main kinds of elementals in my book — Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. And really, elemental is just a fancy word for magic user.

    Still, a sentence-and-a-word of like — I’m doing the happy dance! 😉

  • And the winners are …

    Thanks to everyone who left a comment about what they like most about the holiday season, and congrats to the winners:

    Spider’s Bite ARC: Sara M.

    The copy of Fragile by Shiloh Walker: Donna S.

    Three copies of Hot Mama (one per winner): Shannon, Xid Trebor, and Wendy.

    Winners, please e-mail your snail mail addresses to jennifer@jenniferestep.com so I can send your books to you.

    And if anyone wants some free bookmarks for Spider’s Bite, just e-mail me too, and I’ll tell you how to get them. I’ll be doing some more contests after the first of the year to promote Spider’s Bite, so check the blog for those. And be sure to sign up for my e-newsletter. Every month, I give away free books (and sometimes other stuff) to subscribers.

    I hope everyone has a great holiday season. Happy reading! 😉

  • Contest alert! Contest alert!

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    In the midst of all my Christmas shopping last week, I went to one of my local chain bookstores and saw something kind of sad — several copies of the trade version of Hot Mama outside the front doors in the $1 super bargain bin. And not only did I see them, but a couple of ladies in my critique group spotted them too when they went shopping.

    Yeah, I have to say that it hurt a little bit to see my book, something that I worked so hard on, outside in the cold (literally). It kind of made me feel like one of the misfit toys in the old Rudolph Christmas special.

    But my loss is going to be your gain. Because I bought those $1 copies of Hot Mama. It’s been a while since I’ve done a contest here on the blog, and what better time than Christmas to do one? 😉

    Spider's Bite finalBut wait, there’s more. Because I also have an ARC of Spider’s Bite to give away, the first book in my new Elemental Assassin series that’s coming out on Jan. 26.

    But wait, there’s still more. Because I also have an autographed copy of Fragile by Shiloh Walker. Shiloh was nice enough to give me one of her books during the Berkley author signing at this year’s RWA conference in Washington, D.C. Thanks, Shiloh!

    So here’s how the contest is going to work:

    To win one of three copies of Hot Mama or the copy of Fragile by Shiloh Walker, all you have to is leave a comment here on the blog about what you like most about the holiday season.

    To win the ARC of Spider’s Bite, you have to have a Facebook page, blog, etc., and you have to agree to read and post a review of Spider’s Bite by the release date (Jan. 26). You don’t have to like the book, but I would appreciate it if you’d post a review of it somewhere because the ARCs are expensive for my publisher to produce, and I only get a limited number of them to send out. So if you’d be interested in reading and reviewing the book, just leave a comment on this post telling me so.

    The contest will run through Thursday, Dec. 10. I’ll announce the winners on Friday, Dec. 11. Also note: This is open to U.S. and Canada residents only due to postage reasons. Sorry, overseas folks.

    What are you waiting for? Comment away! 😉

  • Holiday gift guide …

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    I love buying books to give as Christmas gifts, and I’m pretty good at picking out titles that my friends and family like. Seriously, it’s a weird, random skill that I have.

    So I thought that I’d put my skill to good use and share some of my picks for gifts for the book lover on your holiday shopping list. Here goes:

    Contemporary romance: Nobody writes it better than Lisa Kleypas, so check out Sugar Daddy, which is part romance, part coming-of-age story about a girl growing up in Texas. Another good bet is Kristan Higgins, whose books like Too Good to be True feature lovable dogs.

    Epic fantasy: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch focuses on a group of thieves and a con gone wrong. Also, check out The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe, which features a Sam Spade-type private investigator in a sword-and-sorcery fantasy world. For dragon lovers, you can’t go wrong with His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik. Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin is good for those who like female-focused epic fantasy.

    Paranormal romance: Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series is great for romance readers who like a variety of paranormal creatures and books with a dark, fairy tale feel. Start with the first book, A Hunger Like No Other. For vampire lovers, check out Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost or Dark Lover by J.R. Ward.

    Romantic suspense: Roxanne St. Claire’s Bullet Catchers series is fun, action-packed romantic suspense. Kill Me Twice is the first book in the series. For darker reads, check out Anne Stuart’s Ice series, which focuses on a group of spies and includes Black Ice.

    Thrillers: Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series is a solid choice. The first book is Killing Floor. For more of a vintage read, check out Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks. It features Ian Fleming’s super spy, James Bond.

    Westerns: Although he’s better known for his detective novels, Robert B. Parker has written a couple of westerns, including Appaloosa, which was recently turned into a movie. And there’s always Louis L’Amour. Several of his short story collections are available.

    Western historical romance: Try Jodi Thomas’ Whispering Mountain series, which kicks off with Texas Rain. Also, A Creed Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller would make a great before-Christmas gift. Never Love a Lawman by Jo Goodman is another good western romance to check out.

    Young adult: For teens who like epic fantasy, Graceling by Kristin Cashore is a good bet. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is another great YA read, and for teens who can’t get enough vampires, check out Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead.

    I could go on (and on … and on …), but those are some pretty good choices when it comes to books. Looking for something besides a book to give? Check out these items:

    Harlequin Notables stationary: I love this vintage line of stationary that Harlequin is offering, which features everything from notepads to collectible postcard tins. Also, watch the site for special deals, like buy 2 books get 1 free. Plus, if you’re a new customer, shipping is free on your first order. (I took advantage of that offer myself).

    Holographic bookmarks: I saw some of these at my local Hallmark store. Basically, they’re bookmarks that you turn this way and that to make the images on them move. Pretty cool and a little more interesting than your typical bookmark.

    Gift cards: Yeah, I know they’re a little boring, but sometimes, it’s just easier to give a gift card than it is to hunt for a certain book. And then, the person you’re buying it for can get exactly what he or she wants.

    What about you guys? What books would you suggest? Which ones are you giving or getting for Christmas? Share in the comments.