Crown of Shards series

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    Lauren Fortgang to narrate Capture the Crown audiobook …

    2 Comments

    I’m thrilled to announce that Lauren Fortgang will be narrating the Capture the Crown audiobook. Woot!

    As many of you know, Lauren is the voice of Gin Blanco in my Elemental Assassin series, and she was also the narrator for the original Crown of Shards series. I’m so excited she is back for the Gargoyle Queen series, and I can’t wait to listen to her interpretation of Gemma Ripley and all the other characters.

    Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, will be out on July 6. The book is up for pre-order:

    CAPTURE THE CROWN EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

    CAPTURE THE CROWN PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million IndieBound

    CAPTURE THE CROWN AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon Audible Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon audio CD

    CAPTURE THE CROWN DESCRIPTION:

    Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy.

    Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier – and a spy. 

    Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta – her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle.

    Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre.

    The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne …

    Note: Gemma Ripley was first introduced in Kill the Queen, book #1 in my original Crown of Shards series. Gemma was 12 years old then; in the new series, she is 29 years old. Some of the characters from my original Crown of Shards will make cameo appearances in the new series, but this is very much Gemma’s story.

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    Crush the King on sale for $1.99 …

     Crush the King, Crown of Shards #3, is on sale for $1.99 through May 31. Woot! 😎 

    Crush the King is the conclusion to Evie’s story. I believe the ebook deal is US/Canada only, but you might want to see if it’s available in your country.

    Now is your chance to get caught up on the original Crown of Shards trilogy before Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, comes out on July 6. Gemma Ripley (from Protect the Prince) is the heroine in Capture the Crown. Thanks! 

    CRUSH THE KING EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Apple Books Google Play Kobo

    The book is also available in print/audio at all the usual retailers, although those formats are not on sale.

    CRUSH THE KING PRINT BOOK:

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

    CRUSH THE KING AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon audio Audible Google Play audio Kobo audio Libro audio

    Amazon MP3 CD

    The audiobook is once again narrated by the awesome Lauren Fortgang.

    CRUSH THE KING DESCRIPTION:

    A fierce gladiator queen must face off against her enemies in an epic battle in this next thrilling installment of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards series—an action-packed adventure full of magic, murderous machinations, courtly intrigue, and pulse-pounding romance.

    Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona has survived the mass murder of the royal family, become a fearsome warrior trained by an elite gladiator troupe, and unleashed her ability to destroy magic. After surviving yet another assassination attempt orchestrated by the conniving king of Morta, Evie has had enough. It’s time to turn the tables and take the fight to her enemies. 

    There is no better opportunity to strike than during the Regalia Games, a time when warriors, nobles, and royals from all the kingdoms come together to compete in various sporting events. With the help of her loyal friends, Evie goes on the attack at the Regalia, but things don’t turn out the way she hopes. Soon, she is facing a terrifying new threat, and she will have to dig deep and learn even more about her growing magic if she has any chance of defeating her foes.

    Because to secure her throne and ensure her kingdom’s survival, Evie must think like a true Bellonan: she must outsmart and outwit her enemies . . . and crush the king.

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    Cover art revealed for Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, July 6 …

    4 Comments

    Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, July 6, is up for pre-order. Woot!

    And here is a look at the cover art. Isn’t this gorgeous? I love the colors in this one, along with the spikes in the title.

    CAPTURE THE CROWN EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

    CAPTURE THE CROWN PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million IndieBound

    CAPTURE THE CROWN AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon Audible

    CAPTURE THE CROWN DESCRIPTION:

    Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy.

    Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier – and a spy. 

    Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta – her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle.

    Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre.

    The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne …

    Note: Gemma Ripley was first introduced in Kill the Queen, book #1 in my original Crown of Shards series. Gemma was 12 years old then; in the new series, she is 29 years old. Some of the characters from my original Crown of Shards will make cameo appearances in the new series, but this is very much Gemma’s story.

    I hope everyone enjoys the book at the cover art. Thanks! 😎 

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    Kill the Queen on sale for $1.99 …

    Kill the Queen, book #1 in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy series, is on sale for $1.99. Woot! 😎 

    You can get the ebook at all the usual retailers:

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play Apple Books Kobo

    Only the ebook is on sale, but of course you can also get the print and audiobook, if you prefer those formats.

    GET THE PRINT BOOK:

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

    GET 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, is the narrator for Kill the Queen. You can listen to a clip of Lauren’s narration by clicking on the SoundCloud excerpt box below:

    KILL THE QUEEN 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.

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    Jennifer’s book release schedule for 2021 …

    As of right now, here is my book release schedule for 2021:

    March 16 – LAST STRAND, Elemental Assassin #19:

    You can pre-order the ebook now, and the print book/audiobook links should be going online soon. I’ll share those when they are available.

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    This will be the last Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines on other books/projects. However, I am planning to write some novellas about the secondary characters.

    May 18 – Ebook/print book for A SENSE OF DANGER, Section 47 standalone:

    I will be self-publishing the ebook/print book for A Sense of Danger, and I will share those links when they go online. A Sense of Danger is available in audiobook right now:

    Amazon Audible

    A Sense of Danger focuses on Charlotte Locke, an analyst, and Desmond Percy, a cleaner (aka assassin). Both Charlotte and Desmond work for Section 47, a secret government agency that tracks paramortal bad guys, and they have to team up to figure out who wants them both dead.

    July 6 – CAPTURE THE CROWN, Gargoyle Queen #1:

    This book is set in my Crown of Shards world and takes place about 16 years after the events of Crush the King. My new Gargoyle Queen trilogy will focus on a grown-up Gemma Ripley (from Protect the Prince) as she tries to get to the bottom of a plot against her kingdom.

    CAPTURE THE CROWN EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

    CAPTURE THE CROWN PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble IndieBound

    CAPTURE THE CROWN AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon Audible

    A NOTE ABOUT PUBLISHING DATES AND OTHER PROJECTS

    1) The release dates for these books *probably* won’t change, but I just never know what might happen due to various publishing whims, etc. Just keep in mind that many book release dates have changed due to the pandemic.

    2) I also have a few smaller projects – a Beauty and the Beast-themed short story, etc. – in the works that I also hope to release in 2021. I’ll post more info about those projects as it becomes available.

    3) I’m excited to share the books with you all. I think my schedule this year is a nice mix of new and old series, and I hope you enjoy reading more about Gin and getting to know Charlotte and Gemma better. 😎 

    What books are you looking forward to this year?