Epic fantasy

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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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    Pre-order Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, July 6 …

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    Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, will be out on July 6. Woot! Capture the Crown is set in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy world, and the heroine is Gemma Ripley. 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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    Enter to win a print ARC of Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, July 6 …

    81 Comments

    I have several print ARCs of Capture the Crown, Gargoyle Queen #1, to giveaway. Woot!

    To enter, use the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. The giveaway is open to those 18 and older, U.S. addresses only, due to postage costs. The giveaway runs through midnight, EST, Sunday, May 2.

    Capture the Crown is set in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy world, and the heroine is Gemma Ripley. 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.

    ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

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    Read it now — The Beauty of Being a Beast . . .

    2 Comments

    I have self-published The Beauty of Being a Beast, a fairy-tale-themed short story, today, Feb. 9. Woot!

    Here is a look at the gorgeous cover art, which was done by Jenny Zemanek. I’m a big believer that fantasy books should have cool, fun, whimsical fonts/typography, and I absolutely adore how Jenny hand-lettered the title and all the fun little touches, like the claw marks and blood dripping off BEAST.

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    Some curses aren’t meant to be broken . . . 

    Lady Griselle Mottern is cursed. On her sixteenth birthday, an evil wizard transformed Griselle into a wolflike beast because of a past misdeed by one of her ancestors. Now, with her twenty-first birthday approaching, Griselle has only a few days left to make a boy fall in love with her, or the curse will become permanent, and she will forever be a beast.

    But breaking the curse isn’t Griselle’s only problem. An evil is lurking in the forest, one that is creeping closer and closer to her castle. Griselle will have to summon all her beastly strength to defeat this evil, even if it means dooming herself forever . . . 

    Note: This 7,000-word short story originally appeared in the Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen German-language anthology in 2020.

    SOME MORE INFORMATION:

    The Beauty of Being a Beast was originally published in the German-language anthology Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen (aka “River Witches and Mermaids”) in December 2020 (left).

    So if you prefer to read in German, then you can get the Von Flusshexen und Meerjungfrauen anthology. But for those of you who read in English, you can buy the standalone story The Beauty of Being a Beast.

    I hope everyone enjoys reading my take on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. Happy reading! 😎