On Writing

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    Elemental, my dear …

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    A while back, someone asked me what an elemental was and why my Spider’s Bite is the first book in the Elemental Assassin series. (He was wondering about the name of the series). Well, here’s the answer.

    Basically, in Spider’s Bite and the other books in the series, an elemental is someone who can create, control, and manipulate one of the four elements — Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone. (And yes, the letters are capitalized because I thought it would make things clearer for readers).

    Gin Blanco, the heroine of the series, is an Ice and Stone elemental, which means that she can control not one by two elements. For example, her Ice magic lets her make small shapes, like cubes, crystals, and the occasional knife. Her Stone magic lets her make her own skin as hard as marble and hear the vibrations of the stones around her. In my world, people’s actions and emotions permeate the environment around them. So for instance, Gin can tell if someone has been murdered inside a brick home and that sort of thing. And she can do other things with her elemental magic besides what I’ve mentioned here (powers to be revealed in future books). 😉

    The Elemental Assassin series also features vampires, giants, and dwarves, because I wanted to include a variety of folks/creatures/magic users.

    So how did I come up with a book about elementals? Read on.

    Several years ago, when I was first getting serious about writing, I wrote a pretty crappy epic fantasy novel. Seriously, it was all kinds of bad — your typical farmgirl-with-a-great-destiny plot. I shudder to think of it now. Shudder-shudder.

    But one of my secondary characters was an assassin — and I eventually realized that she was much more interesting than my farmgirl heroine was. So I decided to write another epic fantasy with an assassin as the main character. I tried and tried and tried … writing a couple of different drafts/chapters with different plots and different characters, but I could never get it just right. So eventually I moved on to the Bigtime series, among other things.

    But I kept thinking about writing an assassin story and during a lull in between my work on the Bigtime series, I finally decided to forget the epic part and go with a modern, urban fantasy. And finally, the character and story started to click for me.

    But the assassin needed magic, since this was an urban fantasy. All along while writing the various drafts/chapters, I’d had a half-formed idea of having the assassin be able to use some kind of Stone or Ice power. (I also thought about putting golems in there too based on a really strange dream that I had one night).

    But if my assassin could use Stone magic, then I wanted my villain to be able to use some kind of Fire power (because who isn’t afraid of being burned alive?). However, having only two kinds of powers seemed a bit limiting (you never want to limit your magic too much). So somehow, somewhere along the way, I decided to put two more types of magic in there — Air and Ice — because they were the opposites of Stone and Fire (there’s a lot of duality in my magic system). And thus, the magic portion of the Elemental Assassin series was born.

    Now, elementals are not a new idea. I’ve read fantasy books over the years where folks can control the weather or water or whatever. But I thought it would be cool to have an elemental as my main character simply because of the powers that I could give her. I also think it helped to make Spider’s Bite more marketable because elementals aren’t in every book — and they’re certainly not as common as vampires and werewolves these days. Agents/editors are always saying that they’re looking for something fresh and different, so I tried to give it to them.

    So there you have it. Some of my inspirations for Spider’s Bite and the Elemental Assassin series in a nutshell. Frightening, isn’t it? 😉

    Got questions? I’ll answer them in the comments …

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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.

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    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.

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    Cover blurbs 4 …

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    So here’s what everyone said about Spider’s Bite, along with the final version of the cover:

    Spider's Bite finalNalini Singh: “Spider’s Bite is a raw, gritty and compelling walk on the wild side, one that had me hooked from the first page. Jennifer Estep has created a fascinating heroine in the morally ambiguous Gin Blanco — I can’t wait to read the next chapter of Gin’s story.”

    Lisa Shearin: “A sexy and edgy thriller that keeps you turning the pages. In Spider’s Bite, Jennifer Estep turns up the heat and suspense with Gin Blanco, an assassin whose wit is as sharp as her silverstone knives. When Gin is double-crossed, framed, and her handler murdered, she’ll leave no stone unturned and no enemy breathing in her quest for revenge. Spider’s Bite leaves you dying for more.”

    Lilith Saintcrow: “Watch out world, here comes Gin Blanco. Funny, smart, and dead sexy.”

    Jackie Kessler: “I love rooting for the bad guy — especially when she’s also the heroine.
    Spider’s Bite is a sizzling combination of mystery, magic, and murder. Kudos to Jennifer Estep!”

    Adrian Phoenix: “Jennifer Estep is a dark, lyrical, and fresh voice in urban fantasy. Brimming with high octane-fueled action, labyrinthine conspiracies, and characters who will steal your heart, Spider’s Bite is an original, fast-paced, tense, and sexy read. Gin is an assassin to die for.”

    As you can see, Nalini’s blurb is on the cover. All the blurbs are so great that I wish we could put them all the cover. But alas, that is not how it works in the book business.

    So what happens to the other blurbs? Well, I imagine that they’ll get used in other places, like on the back cover and in the pages in the front of the book where the author’s other titles/reviews/accolades are listed. And, of course, in Pocket’s various marketing materials for the books and in mine too — on my bookmarks, flyers, Web site, etc. Honestly, I probably won’t know exactly how all the blurbs are used until I get my author copies of Spider’s Bite.

    Still, I just want to take a moment to say thanks to everyone who read the book and gave me a blurb. I really do appreciate it. You guys rock!

    I also want to give a shout-out to artist Tony Mauro, who designed the truly awesome cover for Spider’s Bite — and the one for Web of Lies that is just as good. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share that one soon.

    In the meantime, I’m going to go bask in the glow of my blurb goodness. 😉

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    Cover blurbs 3 …

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    Okay, I finally got at the final cover for Spider’s Bite from my editor, which means that I can continue my miniseries on cover blurbs. In my last post, I talked about sending out my cover blurb package to authors asking them to read Spider’s Bite. Now, I want to talk about the folks who were kind enough to take the time to read and blurb the book. Here they are (in no particular order):

    Nalini Singh: Nalini is the New York Times best-selling author of the paranormal romance Psy-Changeling series, as well as the urban fantasy Guild Hunters series. Her latest Psy-Changeling book, Blaze of Memory, comes out this week. Nalini is a Berkley author, and I first met her at one of the Berkley author signings at RWA a few years back. We had run into each other at various conferences since then and e-mailed a few times about various things. Nalini was also nice enough to send me some magazines when Hot Mama was excerpted in the Australian version of Cosmo a while back. Nalini does really cool world building in her books and writes complicated, interesting characters, so I thought she would be a great blurber for Spider’s Bite.

    Lisa Shearin: Lisa is the national best-selling author of the fantasy adventure Raine Benares series, which includes Magic Lost, Trouble Found. Now, before I asked her for a blurb, I had never met Lisa at a conference, never e-mailed her, nothing. But I saw a post about her on her agent, Kristin Nelson’s blog, and I thought her books sounded really cool. (Seriously, how often do you see a first-person female heroine in epic fantasy?) So I checked out her books. I really liked the fact that she wrote such a strong, but fun female character in Raine, so I e-mailed her about blurbing. I have to say that I was surprised (and thrilled) when she said yes.

    Lilith Saintcrow: Lilith is the author of several urban fantasy and other series, including the Dante Valentine series and the Jill Kismet series. I had read the first few books in the Dante series, including Working for the Devil, and enjoyed them. A while back, I had also written some brief review blurbs on the books for my newspaper and had e-mailed the pages to Lilith. When I e-mailed her asking for a blurb, she remembered my reviews, which was really cool. Lilith also writes really strong female characters and the world building in her Dante Valentine series is an interesting mix of sci-fi and fantasy.

    Jackie Kessler: Jackie is the author of the Hell on Earth and Icarus Project series (with Caitlin Kittredge). The Icarus series includes Black and White, which is about superheroes, a subject near and dear to my heart. I met Jackie at RT last year in Pittsburgh, and we’ve run into each other at various conferences since them. Jackie was also nice enough to interview me for her Cat and Muse blog, and we’ve e-mailed about various book stuff. Jackie writes a really zany, fun character in Jezebel in her Hell on Earth series, along with a great bad boy in Daunuan.

    Adrian Phoenix: Adrian is the author of the urban fantasy The Maker’s Song series, which includes A Rush of Wings. Think FBI agents, vampires, and more in the steamy locale of New Orleans. Like me, Adrian is another Pocket Books author, and my editor asked her about blurbing Spider’s Bite, which she graciously agreed to do. (It’s very common for editors to ask other authors at their houses for blurbs). I’d heard a lot of good things about Adrian’s books, so I was really excited that she was reading my book.

    (I was excited that all the blurbers were reading my book — and a little nervous too. You always want other folks to like your work).

    So to sum up, I had previously met or e-mailed Nalini, Lilith, and Jackie before asking them for blurbs. So I guess the moral of the story is that it really does help to network with other authors.

    But, on the flip side, I had never met or e-mailed Lisa or Adrian before, so I guess that moral is that it never hurts to ask another author for a blurb (whether it’s you or your agent/editor). The worse she can do is say no.

    As for why I (and by extension my agent/editor) picked these authors, they all really have two things in common — really strong female characters and cool world building. We also tried to get folks in a variety of genres, in this case paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and epic fantasy.

    Up next: What the blurbers said about Spider’s Bite. And the cover!