On Writing

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    My writing process …

    MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG

    Question: What is your writing process like?

    Answer: Here is what I generally do to write a book:

    First draft aka my vomit draft: I write about 5,000 to 6,000 words a day every day until I have a very, very rough draft. This is how I get the overall story, scenes, and characters down on the page (so to speak since I work/type on a computer). Usually takes about 3-4 weeks.

    Second draft: I read through and revise/edit/flesh out the scenes, characters, dialogue, descriptions, worldbuilding, and more. When I finish this stage, I have what I consider to be a “real” book, and I can usually tell if the story/characters really sing to me and if a project is worth pursuing or not. Usually takes about 6 weeks.

    Third draft: I print out the book on paper, read through it, mark my changes on paper, and then edit/revise on the computer. At this point, I am fleshing out the worldbuilding, studying the character arcs, making sure the magic system is logical and makes sense, and more. Usually takes 1 week to read and 2 weeks to edit.

    Fourth draft: I print out the book on paper, read through it, mark my changes on paper, and then edit/revise on the computer. At this point, I am cutting out unnecessary words, punching up the action verbs in sentences, and more “fine tweaking”. AKA all the fiddly bits, as my grandma would say. Usually takes 1 week to read and 1 week to edit.

    After the fourth draft, I usually send the book to my agent and beta readers to get their thoughts and revision notes. Then, after I revise the book, I start the production process, which I will talk about next week.

    This is just *my* writing process and what works best for me. Every author is different. Some authors only write one draft and edit/revise as they go along. Other authors write a draft, edit it once, and then finish the book. There is no wrong or right (write?) way to write a book.

    I think one of the best things you can do for yourself as an author is figure out the overall process that works best for *you* and your schedule, creativity, and more.

    Thank you for reading! 😎 

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    Elemental Assassin books in Kindle Unlimited …

    2 Comments

    Spider's Bite cover art with a woman holding a knife behind her backA reader alerted me to the fact that most of my Elemental Assassin books are now available in Kindle Unlimited. Woot!

    It looks like books #1-5 and #7-16 are available in KU. I’m not sure why book #6, By a Thread, isn’t included, and I’m not sure if some of the novellas/short stories are included either. 

    Note that the books that I indie-published — Venom in the Veins, Sharpest, Sting, and Last Strand — are NOT included in Kindle Unlimited. However, those books are available in Kobo Plus, for folks who subscribe to that reading service.

    If you have been wanting to check out my Elemental Assassin series, now is the time. Thanks for reading! 😎 

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    Order signed books and more …

    Several folks have asked me to do another signed book campaign. Woot! Here we go.

    Click here and fill out the Google form to order signed copies of my books

    The deadline to order is Monday, June 16. I will start sending out invoices in mid-to-late June. I hope to ship out all the books by the end of June, but I can’t guarantee arrival dates.

    I will be doing at least two more signed book campaigns this year in July/August for A Touch of Treachery and September/October for Only Rogue Actions. There is also a special edition of Only Bad Options in the works that I hope will be available this fall. More info on that is coming soon. 😉 

    Note: This offer is for U.S. addresses only, due to postage costs. International readers can order bookmarks and signed bookplates by checking the bookmark box and/or filling out the Comments section at the bottom of the form. Thank you for reading!

    NEW BOOKMARKS AND NOTEBOOKS AVAILABLE:

    Only Rogue Actions black bookmark with gold foilI have added a few new things to the signed book form, including foil bookmarks for Only Rogue Actions, Galactic Bonds #5, Oct. 15. Woot!

    The bookmarks are black with gold foil, and they are sooo shiny. I hope you all love them as much as I do.

    I also have a new notebook print available. “Bond of two, tried and true” is a quote from my Galactic Bonds sci-fi fantasy series.

    The “Tried and True” print is also available on shirts, mugs, and more in my Redbubble shop. Thanks for checking it out!

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    Print book links online for A Touch of Treachery …

    The print books are online for A Touch of Treachery, Aug. 26. Woot!

    A Touch of Treachery cover art with a man and a woman on a snowy background with an explosive in the distance

    GET THE PRINT BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop.orgBooksellers and librarians can order through Ingram iPage

    A Touch of Treachery is book #3 in my Section 47 urban fantasy, spies-with-magic series. This is a full-length book with Charlotte Locke and Desmond Percy, who are trying to track down their nemesis. 

    GET THE HARDCOVER BOOK:

    Amazon Barnes & Noble Bookshop.org

    Booksellers and librarians can order through Ingram iPageFind A Touch of Treachery at libraries with OverDrive

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    GET THE AUDIOBOOK:

    Amazon Audible

    A TOUCH OF TREACHERY DESCRIPTION:

    New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep serves up a new, action-packed adventure in her Section 47 urban fantasy world. This series features secrets, lies, and superspies with amazing magical abilities, along with dangerous missions, double crosses, and a swoon-worthy romance. Perfect for fans of Alias, James Bond, Jason Bourne, Nikita, True Lies, and Netflix’s Bodyguard.

    UNANSWERED QUESTIONS . . .

    My name is Charlotte Locke, and I’m on a mission to capture my nemesis. As an analyst for Section 47, a secret spy organization, I use my magical form of synesthesia to track down paramortal criminals, but one villain keeps eluding me—Henrika Hyde.

    Henrika claims to have answers about my father’s death on a Section 47 mission years ago, and she has also created a horrific new weapon capable of killing even the strongest paramortals, which makes her my number one target. Helping me is Desmond Percy, a powerful galvanist who is my partner both inside and outside Section 47.

    Desmond wants to take Henrika down just as badly as I do, but our mission quickly goes sideways, and soon we’re surrounded by enemies on all sides with no idea whom we can truly trust.

    A TROUBLING FUTURE . . .

    The  name Desmond Percy is well known inside Section 47, since I’m one of the organization’s top cleaners, aka assassins. Charlotte Locke and I have been tracking Henrika Hyde for months, and when we finally get a lead on her location, we jump at the chance to take down the weapons maker once and for all.

    I’m determined to help Charlotte get the answers she is so desperately seeking, as well as taking my revenge on Henrika for killing my best friend.

    But the deeper Charlotte and I dig into Henrika and her murky motives, the more dangerous our mission becomes. Henrika is playing her own spy game, and Charlotte and I are just the pawns she is using to achieve her own evil ends—caught up in a deadly legacy of treachery.

  • Only Rogue Actions cover art revealed …

    Some of you have seen this already, but here is the cover art for Only Rogue Actions. Woot! 😎 

    Only Rogue Actions cover art with a couple on an orange backgroundThe art is by Tony Mauro, who has worked on many of my book covers over the years. I think the colors are so cool!

    GET THE EBOOK:

    Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Apple Books Google Play Kobo Smashwords

    Only Rogue Actions is book #5 in my Galactic Bonds science-fiction fantasy series, aka my “Pew! Pew! Pew!” series. In this book, Vesper and Kyrion are doing some training to learn more about their truebond and find themselves in another situation with only bad options.

    Note that this is a shorter book — about 55,000 words — and it is basically an action-packed, standalone adventure for Vesper and Kyrion. Thank you for reading!

    GET THE AUDIOBOOK — Narrated by Lauren Fortgang and James Fouhey:

    Amazon Audible

    PRINT LINKS COMING SOON:

    Only Rogue Actions will be available as a print book. The print links will probably go online late this summer, and I will share the print links as soon as they are available. Thanks for your patience!

    ONLY ROGUE ACTIONS DESCRIPTION:

    “This is space opera at its finest.”—Ilona Andrew, #1 New York Times bestselling author on Only Bad Options

    New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep continues her Galactic Bonds series with a new, action-packed adventure that blends science fiction, fantasy, and historical romance. This rollicking space opera features a mix of magic and technology, along with a soulmates story and “Pew! Pew! Pew!” battle scenes. Perfect for fans of Star Wars, Dune, Bridgerton, and Pride and Prejudice.

    A WOMAN WHO DREAMS OF THE FUTURE . . .

    Once upon a time, I was Vesper Quill, a lowly lab rat using my seer magic and engineering skills to repair broken appliances at a Regal-owned corporation. These days, I’m one of the most infamous and wanted fugitives in the Archipelago Galaxy, along with Kyrion Caldaren, my partner.

    Kyrion and I are hiding out on a distant planet when we are offered a chance to train at a prestigious facility in hopes of better understanding our truebond, the psionic connection that lets us share thoughts, feelings, skills, and more.

    Mastering our magic is the only way we can hope to defeat our many enemies and make my dreams of a safe future a reality, so Kyrion and I accept the invitation. But evil forces are at work, and our training exercise is not what it seems, plunging us both into another deadly situation with only bad options. 

    A MAN WHO CAN’T ESCAPE HIS PAST . . .

    I’ve always been Kyrion Caldaren, a Regal lord with telekinesis, telepathy, telempathy, and other powerful psionic abilities. I might have gone rogue from the Arrows, the Imperium’s elite warriors, but my fighting skills are as sharp and deadly as ever.

    Vesper Quill and I need help with our truebond, so we agree to participate in a rigorous training exercise designed to test the depths of our connection. But a
    new enemy has other plans, and we’re soon separated and confronted with one dangerous obstacle after another.

    But my love for Vesper is stronger than any forces set against us, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make my way back to her—and kill anyone who gets in my way.

    Note: Only Rogue Actions is a 55,000-word book.