Para-RT13: Interview & Giveaway with Jennifer Estep!

Today I have the honour and the privilege of welcoming one of my favourite Urban Fantasy authors to the blog! The one, the only: Jennifer Estep! Not only am I OBSESSED with her Elemental Assassin series but a couple of bloggers will be meeting up with her for a breakfast date at RT! Here’s hoping I can avoid having an embarrassing fan-girl moment that day!


Introduce yourself to our readers:

[box]My name is Jennifer Estep, and I’m the New York Times bestselling author of the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series, and the Bigtime superhero paranormal romance series.[/box]

Tell us a little about your books?

[box] My Elemental Assassin series focuses on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional Southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.[/box]
[box]My Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.[/box]
[box]My Bigtime books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.[/box]
[box]Folks can visit my website at www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts, free short stories, and more information about my books.[/box]

Is this your first RT convention?

[box]No, I think this will be my fourth RT convention.[/box]

What are you most looking forward to at RT?

[box]RT is always a fun time, and there are always tons of panels, mixers, parties, etc., so there is something to do around the clock. But some of the things that I look forward to the most are meeting and interacting with readers, bloggers, and other authors. It’s always great to meet folks in person that you’ve talked to online about books.[/box]

If you’ve been to one before any tips for us newbies?

[box]I would definitely check out the agenda on the RT convention website: http://www.rtconvention.com/agenda. If you have some favorite authors, you can search and see what panels, mixers, etc. they are participating in. I would definitely note the panels, etc. that you really want to go to and plan out a schedule for each day.[/box]
[box]But I’d also leave yourself some time to just relax and mingle with folks you meet and also some time to get out and explore the city, if you’d like.[/box]

Where can we find you at RT? Are you on any panels, going to any parties, etc.

[box]I will be participating in some of the events. I’ll be at the Spooky Soiree event on Wednesday afternoon and That Old Black Magic urban fantasy panel on Friday morning.[/box]
[box]On Thursday, I’ll be at the Kensington Afternoon Book Spree event and then at the Ebook Expo that afternoon.[/box]
[box]During the Saturday book signing, I’ll be sitting in the YA Alley, and I’ll be participating in a YA speed dating even that afternoon and then the YA party on Saturday evening.[/box]

Authors you’re most excited about meeting?

[box]I’m doing That Old Black Magic urban fantasy panel on Friday with Kat Richardson, Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Chloe Neill, and Richard Kadrev, so I’m looking forward to meeting all of them. I think it will be a really cool panel to be a part of.[/box]

If we see you at the bar what drink will be in your hand?

[box]Ginger ale.[/box]

Tell us a little about your newest book?

[box]Deadly Sting, the eighth book in my Elemental Assassin series, was released on March 26. In this book, Gin goes to a fancy art museum, but the party isn’t quite the fun, relaxing time that she hoped it would be, especially when a group of giants try to rob the museum. But, of course, Gin decides to derail the giants’ plans.[/box]

Any plans in the city while you’re there?

[box]No specific plans, but I do hope to get out and see some of the sites. I’ve never been to Kansas City before, but it seems like a cool place to visit. Happy reading, everyone![/box]


[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EulFH_CRwZg/UUER1-3yewI/AAAAAAAAHeQ/s2DhLcBCQJ4/s320/JenniferEstep.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Jennifer has worked as a features writer and page designer for a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper and has more than 10 years of journalism experience. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and other writing groups.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
[/author_info] [/author]

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[tabs slidertype=”left tabs”] [tabcontainer] [tabtext]Spider’s Bite[/tabtext] [tabtext]Web of Lies[/tabtext] [tabtext]Venom[/tabtext] [tabtext]Tangled Threads[/tabtext] [tabtext]Spider’s Revenge[/tabtext] [tabtext]By A Thread[/tabtext] [tabtext]Widow’s Web[/tabtext] [tabtext]Deadly Sting[/tabtext] [tabtext] [/tabtext] [tabtext]Touch of Frost[/tabtext] [tabtext]Kiss of Frost[/tabtext] [tabtext]Dark Frost[/tabtext] [tabtext]Crimson Frost[/tabtext] [/tabcontainer] [tabcontent] [tab] 




My name is Gin, and I kill people.




They call me the Spider. I’m the most feared assassin in the South — when I’m not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don’t use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.




Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I’m out for revenge. And I’ll exterminate anyone who gets in my way — good or bad. I may look hot, but I’m still one of the bad guys. Which is why I’m in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I’m battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction…especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.
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Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.




I’m Gin Blanco.




You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.[/tab] [tab]




What kind of assassin works pro bono?




It’s hard to be a badass assassin when a giant is beating the crap out of you. Luckily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My current mission is personal: annihilate Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered my family. Which means protecting my identity, even if I have to conceal my powerful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most.




To the public, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best barbecue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spider, retired assassin. I still do favors on the side. Like ridding a vampire friend of her oversized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his massive fists.




At least irresistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detective Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sister was dead. She probably thinks the same about me. Little does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer . . . who is about to save her life.[/tab] [tab]




I’d rather face a dozen lethal assassins any night than deal with something as tricky, convoluted, and fragile as my feelings.




But here I am. Gin Blanco, the semi-retired assassin known as the Spider. Hovering outside sexy businessman Owen Grayson’s front door like a nervous teenage girl. One thing I like about Owen: he doesn’t shy away from my past—or my present. And right now I have a bull’s-eye on my forehead.




Cold-blooded Fire elemental Mab Monroe has hired one of the smartest assassins in the business to trap me. Elektra LaFleur is skilled and efficient, with deadly electrical elemental magic as potent as my own Ice and Stone powers. Which means there’s a fifty-fifty chance one of us won’t survive this battle. I intend to kill LaFleur—or die trying—because Mab wants the assassin to take out my baby sister, Detective Bria Coolidge, too.




The only problem is, Bria has no idea I’m her long-lost sibling . . . or that I’m the murderer she’s been chasing through Ashland for weeks. And what Bria doesn’t know just might get us both dead. . . .[/tab] [tab]




Old habits die hard. And I plan on mur­der­ing some­one before the night is through.




Killing used to be my reg­u­lar gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spi­der, assassin-for-hire. And I was very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly mat­ters: Mab Mon­roe, the dan­ger­ous Fire ele­men­tal who mur­dered my fam­ily when I was thir­teen.




Oh, I don’t think the mis­sion will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more prob­lem­atic than expected. The bitch knows I’m com­ing for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters she hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keep­ing Bria safe is my first pri­or­ity. Tak­ing Mab out is a close sec­ond.




Good thing I’ve got my pow­er­ful Stone and Ice magic — and my irre­sistible lover Owen Grayson — to watch my back. This bat­tle has been years in the mak­ing, and there’s a chance I won’t sur­vive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s com­ing with me…no mat­ter what I have to do to make that happen.[/tab] [tab]




The sixth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series featuring Gin Blanco, who by day owns a Tennessee BBQ joint, and by night is a tough female assassin known as the Spider. I never thought I’d need a vacation from being an assassin…




My name is Gin Blanco, and I’m the assassin the Spider. All the Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning for me and trying to make a name for themselves by taking out the Spider. So I think it’s a good idea to get out of Ashland for a while until things cool down.




So I’m headed south to a swanky beach town, along with my baby sister, Bria, for a weekend of fun in the sun. But when an old friend of Bria’s is threatened by a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic, it looks like I’ll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. But this time, not even my own Ice and Stone power may be enough to save me from coming home in a pine box…[/tab] [tab]




I used to murder people for money, but these days it’s more of a survival technique.




Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town.




Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back in town, she thinks he’s hers for the taking.




Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.[/tab] [tab]




Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.




Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me — Gin Blanco, aka the Spider — it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’ priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.




Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.[/tab] [tab] [/tab] [tab]




My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy — a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody’s head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.




But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I’m determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why – especially since I should have been the one who died… [/tab] [tab]




Logan Quinn was trying to kill me.My Spartan classmate relentlessly pursued me, swinging his sword at me over and over again, the shining silver blade inching closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes practially glowed with the thrill of battle…




I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Academy, and I have no idea how I’m going to survive the rest of the semester. One day, I’m getting schooled in swordplay by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gorgeous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invisible archer in the Library of Antiquities decides to use me for target practice. And now, I find out that someone at the academy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword… [/tab] [tab]




I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me–again.




Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects–and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me? It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me–and I’m in for the fight of my life.[/tab] [tab]




For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes–the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki–the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.




I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming. I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison–and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…[/tab] [/tabcontent] [/tabs]

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