On Writing

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    Last Strand print book links …

    Just a reminder that the print book links for Last Strand, Elemental Assassin 19, March 16, are now online. Woot!

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print IndieBound

    Booksellers and librarians can order print copies through IngramSpark.

    Here is a look at the cover art, which was done by the awesome Tony Mauro. I love all the little details, like the spiderweb in the background.

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK:

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

    ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK:

    Last Strand will be released as an audiobook, and I fully expect the awesome Lauren Fortgang to return as the narrator. However, I do not have a release date for the audiobook yet. It might not come out on March 16 when the ebooks/print books are released. When I get more information about the audiobook release date, I will share it online.

    LAST STRAND DESCRIPTION:

    I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

    Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

    The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .

    THE ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES WILL CONTINUE:

    The Elemental Assassin series WILL CONTINUE. However, Last Strand will be the last full-length Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines on other books/projects.

    In the meantime, I am planning to write some novellas about some of the Elemental Assassin secondary characters, like Lorelei Parker. But rest assured that I am planning to write more books about Gin in the future, as my schedule allows. Thank you for reading. 😎

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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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    Pre-order The Beauty of Being a Beast short story, Feb. 9 . . .

    2 Comments

    I have written a Beauty and the Beast-themed short story for a German-language book anthology. My story is The Beauty of Being a Beast, and I will be self-publishing it on Feb. 9.

    Here is a look at the gorgeous cover art, which was done by Jenny Zemanek at Seedlings Design Studio. 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:

    I have written a Beauty and the Beast-themed short story for a German-language book anthology.

    My story, The Beauty of Being a Beast, was originally published in 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! 😎 

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    Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, set for March 16 …

    Last Strand, Elemental Assassin #19, will be released March 16. Woot!

    Here is a look at the cover art, which was done by the awesome Tony Mauro. I love all the little details, like the spiderweb in the background.

    PRE-ORDER THE EBOOK:

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

     

    PRE-ORDER THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon print B&N print IndieBound

    Booksellers and librarians can order print copies through IngramSpark.

    ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK:

    Last Strand will be released as an audiobook, and I fully expect the awesome Lauren Fortgang to return as the narrator. However, I do not have a release date for the audiobook yet. It might not come out on March 16 when the ebooks/print books are released. When I get more information about the audiobook release date, I will share it online.

    LAST STRAND DESCRIPTION:

    I’ve battled a lot of bad guys in my time, both as Gin Blanco and as the notorious assassin the Spider. But I’ve never faced off against anyone quite as powerful and deadly as the dastardly leader of the Circle secret society.

    Just when I finally have a lead on how I can defeat the evil group once and for all, new information comes to light that throws me for a loop. Suddenly, everyone and everything I love is in imminent peril of being destroyed, and I’m racing against the clock to figure out a way to save my friends.

    The stakes couldn’t be higher, and the danger has never been greater. Somehow, I need to weave one last strand in my web of death—and kill my enemies before they kill me . . .

    THE ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES WILL CONTINUE:

    The Elemental Assassin series WILL CONTINUE. However, Last Strand will be the last full-length Gin Blanco book for a while, due to my writing deadlines on other books/projects.

    In the meantime, I am planning to write some novellas about some of the Elemental Assassin secondary characters, like Lorelei Parker. But rest assured that I am planning to write more books about Gin in the future, as my schedule allows. Thank you for reading. 😎 

  • · · ·

    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.