Crown of Shards series

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    Cover art revealed for Tear Down the Throne, Gargoyle Queen #2, May 3 …

    Here is a look at the cover art for Tear Down the Throne, book #2 in my Gargoyle Queen epic fantasy series. Woot!

    I love the colors, the bloody sword, and how Gemma looks like she means business — and has already been in a battle (or two). 😎 

    You all know that I love writing fight scenes, so I think the title is very appropriate for the book/storyline.

    Tear Down the Throne will be released May 3 at all the usual retailers, and the book is available to pre-order.

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print Barnes & NobleBooks-A-Million IndieBound

    PRE-ORDER THE AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon Audible Apple Books Google Play Kobo Libro.fm

    TEAR DOWN THE THRONE DESCRIPTION:

    Bestselling author Jennifer Estep continues her Gargoyle Queen epic fantasy series where magic reigns, alliances are tested, and a dangerous attraction could tear down a throne. . .

    Crown princess. Clever spy. Powerful mind magier. Gemma Ripley of Andvari is all those things—and determined to stop an enemy from using magical tearstone weapons to conquer her kingdom.

    Gemma’s quest for answers leads her to a trade Summit between the various kingdoms. Among the other royals in attendance is Queen Maeven Morricone of Morta and her son, Prince Leonidas—Gemma’s charming and dangerous nemesis.

    Gemma knows that Maeven always has a long game in motion, and sure enough, the cunning queen invokes an arcane tradition that threatens the fragile truce between Andvari and the other kingdoms. Despite her best intentions, Gemma once again finds herself thrown together with Leo and battling her growing feelings for the enemy prince.

    When a series of deadly attacks shatters the Summit’s peaceful negotiations, Gemma realizes that someone wants to tear the royals down from their thrones—and that this enemy just might succeed.

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    Write Your Own Cake essay available now …

    Write Your Own Cake, my essay about writing and worldbuilding, has been released today, Feb. 8. Woot! 

    In the essay, I talk about writing and some of the things I thought about when I was creating Kill the Queen and my Crown of Shards epic fantasy world. So if you are interested in writing and worldbuilding, you might enjoy it. Also, please note that Write Your Own Cake is only be available as an ebook. Thanks!

    WRITE YOUR OWN CAKE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    WRITE YOUR OWN CAKE DESCRIPTION:

    When it comes to writing, worldbuilding is like making a cake. Why a cake? Because every author starts with the same general ingredients of characters, plot, and setting, but it’s how each author combines and adds to those ingredients that makes a book an author’s own unique creation.

    This essay offers a few tips and poses some questions for figuring out the things you enjoy and do best as an author, so that you can write your own cake, whether it’s a big, bold epic fantasy adventure, a subtle, nuanced mystery, an emotion-packed romance, or something else.

    Note: Write Your Own Cake is a 2,000-word essay about writing and worldbuilding. It first appeared as part of the Scribbler subscription box in November 2018.

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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! 😎 

    I believe this deal is U.S./Canada only, but you can check with your favorite retailer to see if it’s available in your country.

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle B&N Nook Google Play Apple Books Kobo

    Many times, if you buy the ebook, then Amazon will let you get the audiobook for a few dollars more. Again, you might want to check and see if that sort of deal is available in your country:

    GET THE AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon audiobook Audible audiobook Google Play Kobo LibroAmazon MP3 CD

    GET THE PRINT BOOK:

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

    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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    Capture the Crown ebook on sale …

    Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, is on sale for 2.99 through Tuesday, Nov. 30. Woot! Capture the Crown is set in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy world, and the heroine is Gemma Ripley.

    I believe this deal is U.S. only, but you can check with your favorite retailer and see if it’s available in your country.

    CAPTURE THE CROWN EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo

    You can also still get the audiobooks and the print books. Usually, when you buy the Kindle ebook at Amazon, you can add the audiobook for a few more dollars, so you might check and see if that deal is also available.

    CAPTURE THE CROWN AUDIOBOOK – Narrated by Lauren Fortgang:

    Amazon Audible Google Play Kobo Libro.fmAmazon audio CD

    CAPTURE THE CROWN PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble Books-A-Million IndieBound

    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. Happy reading! 😎 

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    Jennifer’s 2021 book and other releases …

    Some folks have asked for a list of my 2021 book/story releases. Here you go:  

    The Beauty of Being a Beast

    This is a stand-alone, 7,000-word short story. It is twist on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I had a lot of fun writing the short story, and I might write some more fairy-tale stories in the future. 

    Last Strand — Elemental Assassin #19

    This will be the last Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines. Up next, I will be writing some novellas from the points of view of some of the secondary characters, like Lorelei Parker.

    Capture the Crown — Gargoyle Queen #1

    This is the first book about Gemma Ripley. It is a new trilogy that is set in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy gladiator world. 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.  

    Also, please note that Capture the Crown — and the books in the original Crown of Shards series — are adult fantasy books that contain violence, language, and sex scenes. THESE ARE NOT YA BOOKS.

    A Sense of Danger — Section 47 stand-alone

    Coming Nov. 16

    A Sense of Danger focuses on Charlotte Locke, Desmond Percy, and other agents of Section 47, a secret government agency dedicated to spying on paramortals, or those with magic and other extraordinary abilities, like synths, enduros, combustos, galvanists, and more. The urban fantasy book is basically spies with magic.

    A Sense of Danger is told in first person from the viewpoints of both Charlotte and Desmond. As of right now, this book is a stand-alone adventure, although if it does well, then I might write some more Section 47 books.

    Happy reading! 😎