About Books

  • 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.

  • The truth about book signings …

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    So I’m back after the long holiday weekend. Hope everyone had a good turkey day. I know that I still feel stuffed from all the food! 😉

    Someone asked me the other day if I was going to be doing any book signings for Spider’s Bite when it comes out in late January. The answer? Yes and no.

    I plan on doing one signing at my local comic book store. Yep, that’s right. Just the one signing. Well, maybe one more at my local library, if they’re up for it. So two signings, total.

    Why so few? Because the truth is that book signings kind of suck.

    Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love meeting readers, and I am more than happy to sign books until my fingers bleed (not that my books are popular enough for that to happen, but hey, it’s something to strive for).

    But my previous signings at my local chain stores have not gone all that well — I’ve never sold more than a handful of books at them. At the worst signing, I only sold one book — and that’s only because my high school Spanish teacher came into the store completely by chance and took pity on me. How sad is that?

    Mostly, during a signing at a chain bookstore, it’s me sitting at a table for two hours as people walk on by, desperately avoiding making eye contact with me. And the people who do approach me? They mostly want to know where the bathroom is. (Seriously, people will ask you that all the time).

    Of course, it might help if I were a great salesman, but the truth is that I’m not. I’m good at talking to folks one on one, but not necessarily at attracting their attention in the first place. And honestly, all of this kind of ties into one of my pet peeves. Because I don’t like the folks who sit outside of the grocery store selling doughnuts, Girl Scout cookies, or whatever to raise funds for their cause. You know the ones I’m talking about, where as soon as you approach the door, the folks run over to you, get in your way, and shove their product into your face. If I wanted to buy your doughnuts, I would come over and ask you about them. Otherwise, leave me alone. I’m only here to get groceries, nothing else. Okay, mini rant over. 😉

    The bottom line is that I don’t want to be that kind of person. I don’t want to hassle people. I figure folks can read the sign, see the books, and figure out why I’m there. So I sit at my little table and leave it up to them to walk over to me (which is probably the wrong approach, but it’s the one I’m comfortable with).

    And then, there’s the manager at one of my local chain stores. A while back, I tried to set up a signing for Hot Mama, and I called her four times — even speaking to her once or twice on the phone. She promised that she’d call me back and that we’d set something up, but she never did. It was such a hassle trying to pin her down that I didn’t even bother trying to set up a signing for Jinx. I went by the store the other day and dropped off a cover flat for Spider’s Bite, along with my contact information. And, of course, she hasn’t called me. And I know that she won’t. Sigh …

    And really, it’s kind of a pain to even set up a signing at a chain store in the first place. Because to sign at a Barnes & Noble, Borders, or wherever, you’re supposed to have your publicist set it up. (And having a publicist is not as glamorous as it sounds because she’s also the publicist for tons of other books that are also coming out that month from the publisher. You are one author/book among dozens).

    Last year, when I was considering doing a signing for Jinx, I was told by my publicist that one of the local chains wanted me to guarantee that at least 40 people would show up at the signing. Seriously — 40 people. Can you believe that? I don’t even think I know 40 people, much less have the gumption to ask them to interrupt their Saturday to come to my signing and buy a book. That’s just rude.

    All of this is why I really love the signings at conferences like RWA and RT. Sure, they are big, massive, noisy, and exhausting, but people are there to meet authors and buy books. Even if I only sell a few books, I still have a good time, because there are tons of other authors and readers to talk to. And, you know, authors that I want to meet myself. 😉

    I also like signing at my local comic book store. The owner there has been great to work with, and his customers love all kinds of fantasy books. I think it’s a win-win for all of us. Because even if no one buys any of my books, I still get to talk about Buffy, Chuck, and all the other latest, greatest fantasy TV shows, books, and movies.

    So yeah, I’ve basically decided that me signing all by my little lonesome at a chain store isn’t really a good use of my time. I might sell a few books, but that’s also two hours that I could be writing, reading, or blogging. But you know what? The next time I see an author at a bookstore, I’m going to go over and at least say hi to them — because I know exactly how lonely those two hours can be.

  • ·

    More on cover blurbs …

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    So a few weeks ago, I did a series of posts on getting cover blurbs for Spider’s Bite, the first book in my new Elemental Assassin series that’s due out on Jan. 26.

    One of the authors that I asked to blurb the book was Jim C. Hines. Jim writes the Jig the Goblin series and the Princess series. I would describe his books as funny fantasies set in a sword-and-sorcery type of world. If you’re looking for lighter, epic-type fantasy along the lines of say, John Moore, you should check out his books. They’re fun reads.

    Anyway, I had read Jim’s books and liked them and had swapped a few e-mails with him about various things, so I approached him about doing a blurb. I really like the girl power theme that he has going on in his Princess series, and I thought that might mesh well with Gin Blanco, the kick-butt heroine of Spider’s Bite. Because I do love me some girl power in books. 😉

    Jim was kind enough to read Spider’s Bite, and a few weeks ago, he wrote me to say that he didn’t think he would be a good fit to blurb the book after all. He thought that his light, funny books were a little too different in tone from Spider’s Bite, which is a dark, gritty, sexy, urban fantasy. And he didn’t want to mislead his fans, who might expect a lighter book than what Spider’s Bite is.

    Was I disappointed? Of course.

    But did I understand his reasoning? Absolutely. If you don’t feel comfortable doing something, you shouldn’t do it. That’s just a general life rule to live by.

    And being an author can be very tricky at times, especially when it comes to things like blurbs. Because while you want to help out folks, you have to think about your reputation as an author too — especially what you put your name on.

    And then, there are your readers to think about. Would a reader be upset about seeing Jim’s blurb on my book even though the tones/genres are different? Would that reader feel betrayed in some way? I don’t know. But I think he’s a good author for considering that.

    Jim also wrote me to say that he wanted to do a post about cover blurbs and the ethics behind them and use Spider’s Bite as an example. Here’s his post. Check it out. He makes a lot of good points, and there’s quite a bit of discussion going on in the comments.

    Of course, this post is my two cents’ on the subject. So what do I think about cover blurbs? Honestly, I think they have more influence with marketing folks and booksellers than they do with readers. And even then, I wonder how important they really are. Is a blurb from a specific author going to make your book a bestseller? Probably not — unless it’s from Oprah. 😉

    As a reader, I don’t really look at blurbs when I’m buying books. The back cover copy (aka description of the book/plot) is much more important to me. I want a good story first and foremost — I don’t really care whose name is on the cover as a blurber.

    Now, as an author, I do look at blurbs, mostly just to see who’s blurbing who. Blurbs can tell you who knows who, or who knows someone’s agent/editor, or who writes for the same publishing house as someone else. Like most other businesses, a lot of writing/publishing is who you know or who your editor/agent knows.

    Spider’s Bite is the first book that I’ve actually gone out myself and asked other authors for blurbs.  Most of the authors I approached were very gracious and agreed to read the book. A few declined, citing deadline, etc., which was fine — I know how busy folks are with their writing. And then, there were some authors who never got back to me at all — not even to politely decline. I even contacted some of the authors’ agents, and the agents never got back to me.  (Which, frankly, I find a wee bit unprofessional. Telling me no is fine, but at least acknowledge my request.)

    One author that I contacted said that cover blurbs were her way of giving back, which I think is a great attitude to have about the whole process. Overall, it’s been a learning experience — one that will hopefully make me a better author in the end.

    So I just want to say thanks to Jim, everyone else who read Spider’s Bite, and the authors who responded to my requests. I really do appreciate your time and your thoughtfulness.

  • Bookmarks, bookmarks, bookmarks …

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    Final Spider's Bite bookmarkSo I finally have bookmarks for Spider’s Bite, the first book in my new Elemental Assassin series. As always, these are free to readers, librarians, bookstores, whoever wants ’em.

    But there’s a catch — you have to send me a self-addressed stamped envelope to get the bookmarks. Because frankly, I cannot single-handedly support the U.S. postal system. (In other words, the postage adds up fast — real fast).

    So if you want some bookmarks, send me an e-mail to jennifer@jenniferestep.com, and I will send you back the address to mail your envelope too. And I’ll throw in some Jinx bookmarks as well.

    In the meantime, here’s a look at the front of the bookmarks. So pretty! So shiny! 😉

    For those of you who are new to the blog, Spider’s Bite will be released Jan. 26. Technically, the book is a February release, but for some reason, my publisher, Pocket, releases all its mass market paperback titles the last week of the month before they’re supposed to be published.

    Jan. 26 … That’s not too much longer to wait now. I imagine I’ll start seeing some reviews in the next few weeks … I’ll post those when I spot them too …