About Books

  • · · ·

    Pre-order a signed copy of KILL THE QUEEN from Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe …

    Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, N.C. is offering signed copies of Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1. Woot!

    CLICK HERE TO PRE-ORDER YOUR SIGNED COPY OF KILL THE QUEEN

    Malaprop’s is the ONLY BOOKSTORE offering signed copies. Kill the Queen will be out on Oct. 2, so get your pre-order in ASAP.

    You can also pre-order the book in ebook and audiobook formats:

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play iBooks Kobo

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK

    Amazon print B&N print Books-A-Million IndieBound

    PRE-ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon MP3 CD

    Fun fact: Lauren Fortgang, who narrates the audiobooks for my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will also be the narrator for Kill the Queen. I know many of you guys love Lauren’s narration, and I’m excited to hear how she brings Evie and all the other Kill the Queen characters to life. You can get a sneak peak at Lauren’s narration by clicking on the SoundCloud excerpt box below:

    Epic fantasy: I’ve gotten some questions about the book genre. Kill the Queen is adult epic fantasy — NOT YA fantasy.

    There is sex, language, and violence in Kill the Queen, just like there is in my Elemental Assassin series.

    That being said, if you like my YA books, especially my Mythos Academy series, you will probably enjoy this one too. There are some nods to Roman, Norse, and other mythologies in the book, but this is much more of an adult read than my YA series. And like all my other books/series, Kill the Queen features a strong heroine, lots of action/fight scenes, a hint of romance, and magic/worldbuilding, among other things.

    Book description: And here is the book description.

    The thrilling first novel of the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when a member of the royal family becomes a contender in a clash for the crown… 

    In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

    But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

    Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

    But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

    In other words: I’m pitching the book as Gladiator meets Game of Thrones with a kickass heroine.

    PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

    KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen. — Ilona Andrews #1 New York Times bestselling author

    KILL THE QUEEN rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please! — Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

    Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.
    — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles
     
    Read the first chapter: To read the first chapter, go here, scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.
     
    I hope that everyone enjoys the book when it is released. Happy reading and listening! 🙂
  • · · ·

    Listen to an audiobook excerpt for Kill the Queen, Crown of Shards #1, Oct. 2 …

    2 Comments

    I’m thrilled to announce that the awesome Lauren Fortgang will be the narrator for the Kill the Queen audiobook. Woot! Get a sneak peak at Lauren’s narration by clicking on the SoundCloud excerpt box below:

    Doesn’t Lauren’s narration sound great? Lauren also narrates the audiobooks for my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, and I’m excited to hear how she brings Evie and all the other Kill the Queen characters to life. 🙂

    PRE-ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon MP3 CD

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play iBooks Kobo

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print Books-A-Million IndieBound

    Epic fantasy: I’ve gotten some questions about the book genre. Kill the Queen is adult epic fantasy — NOT YA fantasy.

    There is sex, language, and violence in Kill the Queen, just like there is in my Elemental Assassin series.

    That being said, if you like my YA books, especially my Mythos Academy series, you will probably enjoy this one too. There are some nods to Roman, Norse, and other mythologies in the book, but this is much more of an adult read than my YA series. And like all my other books/series, Kill the Queen features a strong heroine, lots of action/fight scenes, a hint of romance, and magic/worldbuilding, among other things.

    Book description: And here is the book description.

    The thrilling first novel of the Crown of Shards epic fantasy series combines magic, murder, and adventure when a member of the royal family becomes a contender in a clash for the crown… 

    In a realm where one’s magical power determines one’s worth, Lady Everleigh’s lack of obvious ability relegates her to the shadows of the royal court of Bellona, a kingdom steeped in gladiator tradition. Seventeenth in line for the throne, Evie is nothing more than a ceremonial fixture, overlooked and mostly forgotten.

    But dark forces are at work inside the palace. When her cousin Vasilia, the crown princess, assassinates her mother the queen and takes the throne by force, Evie is also attacked, along with the rest of the royal family. Luckily for Evie, her secret immunity to magic helps her escape the massacre.

    Forced into hiding to survive, she falls in with a gladiator troupe. Though they use their talents to entertain and amuse the masses, the gladiators are actually highly trained warriors skilled in the art of war, especially Lucas Sullivan, a powerful magier with secrets of his own. Uncertain of her future—or if she even has one—Evie begins training with the troupe until she can decide her next move.

    But as the bloodthirsty Vasilia exerts her power, pushing Bellona to the brink of war, Evie’s fate becomes clear: she must become a fearsome gladiator herself . . . and kill the queen.

    In other words: I’m pitching the book as Gladiator meets Game of Thrones with a kickass heroine.

    PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

    KILL THE QUEEN is the definition of epic fantasy: exciting, original, and filled with characters who jump off the page. Jennifer Estep enters the arena and takes no prisoners. Long live the Winter Queen. — Ilona Andrews #1 New York Times bestselling author

    KILL THE QUEEN rocked my world! With court intrigue, a cast of fantastic characters, epic political sweep, and a slow-burn romance to die for, this book had me rapt. I only regret I devoured it so fast. And that I didn’t write it. More please! — Jeffe Kennedy, RITA® Award winning author of The Pages of the Mind

    Jennifer Estep takes the world of high fantasy by storm with a book so perfectly plotted and executed that I gasped out loud at each new reveal and unexpected turn. Evie is the heroine we all want to read about: as compassionate as she is ruthless, as cunning as she is kind, and as fierce and focused as anyone must be in order to KILL THE QUEEN.
    — Amanda Bouchet, USA Today bestselling author of The Kingmaker Chronicles
     
    Read the first chapter: To read the first chapter, go here, scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.
     
    I hope that everyone enjoys the audiobook when it is released. Happy listening! 🙂
  • · · ·

    Venom in the Veins on sale for $1.99 …

    Venom in the Veins, Elemental Assassin #17, is on sale for $1.99. So if you’ve been wanting to check out the book, now is the time. The ebook sale started on Amazon, although I imagine that it will spread to the other retailers over the next few days.

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Nook Google Play iBooks Kobo

    ADD THE AUDIOBOOK

    If you buy the Amazon Kindle ebook, you can also add the audiobook for an additional $1.99.

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook

    The awesome Lauren Fortgang is once again the narrator for the audiobook.

    PRINT BOOK STILL AVAILABLE

    Amazon print Barnes & Noble print

    Note: The print book is most likely NOT stocked at your local bookstore, so you will have to order it online through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

    Booksellers: Booksellers at indie and other bookstores can order print copies of Venom in the Veins through IngramSpark. Booksellers at Barnes & Noble stores can order the book through the B&N Press system.

    Blood might be thicker than water, but venom is stronger than just about anything … 

    It was supposed to be a nice, quiet, simple dinner with friends—but nothing is ever nice, quiet, or simple when you’re Gin Blanco, the Spider, notorious assassin and current queen of the Ashland underworld.  

    This time around, someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosley, the president of First Trust bank. Lots of people have grudges against Mosley, but the more I investigate, the more Mosley’s problems seem to be connected to some of my own, especially when it comes to the Circle, the evil, shadowy group that is secretly responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland. 

    But when another blast from my dark and deadly past as the Spider comes to light, I wonder if I’ll be able to survive this dangerous new enemy, who has a burning thirst for revenge that will only be satisfied with one thing: my death.

    Read an excerpt: To read the first chapter, go here, scroll down, and click on the Read Excerpt tab.

    I hope that everyone enjoys Gin’s latest adventure. Happy reading! 🙂

  • · · · ·

    Spinnenzeit, Elemental Assassin #10, has been published in German …

    A quick update for my German readers about some new and upcoming book releases by yours truly. 

    Spinnenzeit, book #10 in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, has been released in German.

    This book is called The Spider in English. This book is a prequel story that shows how Gin Blanco became the assassin the Spider. It is set several years before the events of Spider’s Bite, the first book in the series.

    Here is a look at the cover art. I always think it’s so interesting how the U.S. covers differ from the German covers. Almost all of my German covers have a white background, while only one of my U.S. books — Widow’s Web, Elemental Assassin #7 — has a cover with a white background. I think the German covers are really cool. I like their minimalist look.

    Also, if you like superheroes, Karma Girl and a couple of the other books in my Bigtime superhero series have also been released in German.

    Hard Frost, book #2 in my Mythos Academy Colorado series, will be released on Oct. 2 in German. Like the first book, this one also follows the adventures of Rory Forseti, a Spartan warrior who attends the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy.

    As of right now, there will be three books in this series. I’m not sure when book #3 will be released in German.

    When I get a firm release date, I will try to share that on my Facebook and Twitter pages. You can also sign up for my email newsletter to stay up to date on all my book releases.

    Also, this book will be called Spartan Promise in English. I’m hoping to release Spartan Promise in English in January/February 2019, but it depends on my writing deadlines. We’ll see what happens.

    I hope that all my German readers enjoy the books. Happy reading!

  • Books to add to my TBR pile …

    5 Comments
    It’s time to check in with the old TBR pile. Here are some upcoming books that I’m looking forward to reading. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon.
     
     
    Out on Aug. 28
     
    A standalone epic fantasy adventure featuring a band of legendary mercenaries set in the world of Kings of the Wyld from author Nicholas Eames, who has been hailed as “the voice of modern fantasy” by Michael R. Fletcher.
     
    Live fast, die young.
     

    Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.

    When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It’s adventure she wants – and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

    It’s time to take a walk on the wyld side.

    My thoughts: I’m going to buy this one for Wheezley, who loved Kings of the Wyld, the first book in the series.
     
    Toil & Trouble anthology by various authors
     
    Out on Aug. 28
     
    Scorn the witch. Fear the witch. Burn the witch.

    History is filled with stories of women accused of witchcraft, of fearsome girls with arcane knowledge. Toil & Trouble features fifteen stories of girls embracing their power, reclaiming their destinies and using their magic to create, to curse, to cure—and to kill.

    A young witch uses social media to connect with her astrology clients—and with a NASA-loving girl as cute as she is skeptical. A priestess of death investigates a ritualized murder. A bruja who cures lovesickness might need the remedy herself when she falls in love with an altar boy. A theater production is turned upside down by a visiting churel. In Reconstruction-era Texas, a water witch uses her magic to survive the soldiers who have invaded her desert oasis. And in the near future, a group of girls accused of witchcraft must find their collective power in order to destroy their captors.

    This collection reveals a universal truth: there’s nothing more powerful than a teenage girl who believes in herself.

     
    My thoughts: I like to read anthologies since they let me check out several different authors at once, and this one sounds really interesting.
     
     
    Out on Nov. 6
     
    A spy is dead. A legend is born. This is how it all began. The explosive prequel to Casino Royale, from bestselling author Anthony Horowitz. 

    Forever and a Day is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera, taking readers into the very beginning of James Bond’s illustrious career and the formation of his identity. 

    M laid down his pipe and stared at it tetchily. “We have no choice. We’re just going to bring forward this other chap you’ve been preparing. But you didn’t tell me his name.”

    “‘It’s Bond, sir,’” the Chief of Staff replied. “James Bond.”

    The sea keeps its secrets. But not this time. 

    One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseille, killed by an unknown hand. 

    It’s time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organized crime. 

    It’s time for James Bond to earn his license to kill.

    My thoughts: I love the James Bond books and movies, so I’m looking forward to checking out this new Bond story.

    What about you guys? What books do you want to check out this summer/fall?