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Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Author Interview + Giveaway: @Jennifer_Estep talks The Spider!



I want to welcome one of my FAVORITE authors to my blog today! Jennifer Estep took a few minutes out of her chaotic schedule to answer some questions about herself and also about her newest release in her Elemental Assassin series, The Spider.

Kelsey (KO): I just want to start by saying Thank You for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions for me. I look forward to knowing even more about you. 

Jennifer (JE): Thanks for hosting me on your blog again. I appreciate it.

KO: I know your 10th book in your Elemental Assassin series, The Spider, is set to publish December 24, 2013 and I really want to talk about that. But first, I’d like my readers to know a little about you.

KO: What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? 

JE: One quote that I really like is “Never give up, never surrender” from the movie Galaxy Quest. It’s a fun movie, and I think it’s a cool quote to keep in mind whenever things get tough.

KO: What do you do when you are not writing?  

JE: I love to read, watch TV/movies, and hang out with friends and family. 

KO: We’re going to talk about your book that you’ve written, but first, let us learn a little about how you got your start in writing.

KO: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

JE: One of the hardest parts for me is just making the time to sit down and actually write a book. Authors do so many other things besides write – social media, blog, edit, answer e-mails/comments, etc. – that it’s sometimes tough for me to carve out actual writing time. 

KO: Who or what influenced your writing over the years?

JE: I would have to say that one of my biggest influences has been my mom. When I was a kid, she used to take me to the library every week, and that’s how I fell in love with reading and books in the first place.

KO: Okay, now we can get to talking about The Spider. 

KO: Tell us a little bit about The Spider.  

JE: The Spider is actually a prequel book, in that it takes place 10 years before the timeline in Spider’s Bite, the first book in the series. The Spider is basically an origin story chronicling the assignment that truly turned Gin into an assassin. So I hope that fans of the series will enjoy taking a look back at Gin’s past and that new readers will check it out as well.

KO: What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

JE: It was fun to me to show how Gin “meets” some of the secondary characters for the first time. There are lots of little Easter eggs and shout-outs to people and places in the Elemental Assassin series in this book. I hope readers have as much fun reading them as I did writing them.

KO: What was the hardest part about writing this installment?

JE: Since she is younger in this book, Gin is a bit more carefree, impulsive, and reckless. So it was interesting for me to write a different sort of Gin.

KO: Who designed the cover?

JE: All of the covers in my Elemental Assassin series have been designed by Tony Mauro (http://tonymauroillustration.com/). I think he’s done a really great job of capturing Gin and the world of Ashland on the covers.

KO: Thank you again for taking time to answer these questions. Now here are some last parting questions.

KO: Have you started your next project yet? If so, can you tell us anything about it?

JE: I’m always working on something. LOL. Right now, I’m working on Poison Promise, the 11th book in my Elemental Assassin series that is tentatively set to be released in August 2014. After that, I’ll get to work on the 12th Elemental Assassin book, which is tentatively set to be released in December 2014.

KO: What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

JE: Just writing a book and getting it published was amazing. I still remember holding the final printed copy of my first book in my hands for the very first time. It was a special moment to me.

Other than that, I would have to say getting to travel to conferences and meeting so many amazing authors, readers, bloggers, and folks who love books.

BONUS FUN QUESTIONS

KO: Do you go out of your way to kill bugs? Are there any that make you screech and hide?  

JE: I do not. LOL. If I see a bug outside, I will live and let live. If I spot a bug inside, especially something like a wasp, then I will kill it.

KO: If you could be anyone for one week, who would you be and why?

JE: I would say J.K. Rowling. I think it would be interesting to learn more about her creative process.

KO: Where is your favorite place to read?

JE: On my couch.

KO: What is your favorite song?

JE: One song that I really like and that I think fits Gin well is “Human” by The Pretenders.

KO: What book would you love to see turned into a movie and why?

JE: I think it would be cool to see one of my books turned into a movie. I’d love to see a real-life version of some of the places in the books, like the Pork Pit or Jo-Jo’s salon.

I’d also like to see Beauty by Robin McKinley turned into a movie. It’s a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story, so it has that fairy tale feel that I think would be really lovely to see on screen.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. The Spider, the 10th book in her Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, will be released on Dec. 24. For more information, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads


ABOUT THE SPIDER
How did I end up in a career where I always have blood on my hands? Well, let me tell you a story about an assassin who thought she could do no wrong. . . .

Ten years ago. A blistering hot August night. I remember like it was yesterday. The night I, Gin Blanco, truly became the Spider. Killing people is what I do best, especially now that I’ve honed my Ice and Stone magic. But back then, I had yet to learn one very important rule: arrogance will get you, every single time.

This particular job seemed simple: murder a crooked building contractor with ties to ruthless Fire elemental Mab Monroe. My mentor, Fletcher Lane, had some misgivings, but I was certain that I had the situation under control . . . right up until I exposed my weaknesses to a merciless opponent who exploited every single one of them. There’s a reason assassins aren’t supposed to feel anything. Luckily, a knife to the heart can fix that problem, especially when I’m the one wielding it. . . .

PURCHASE

GIVEAWAY
Jennifer was gracious enough to offer one lucky winner an autographed copy of her newest installment to the Elemental Assassin series, The Spider! Contest is open to US only and end January 1, 2013. Prize will be mailed by Jennifer. To enter just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway



11 comments:

Texas Book Lover said...

have to admit I skipped over any spoiler parts of this interview since I haven't read this series yet. I am slowly gathering them on my shelf as I see them on sale. I only have a couple more to go. So hopefully I will start them soon...which is good since I keep hearing so many amazing things about them!

erin said...

Congrats to Jennifer on the success of her series :) I love, love, love it! Thanks for sharing!

Jennifer Estep said...

Texas Book Lover -- Thanks! Hope you get a chance to check out the books soon.

Midu Hadi said...

Just started this series & liking it :-D Thanks for the giveaway!

Jennifer Estep said...

Erin -- Thanks! I appreciate all the congrats and nice words about my books.

Midu -- Thanks! Glad you are enjoying the series so far.

Victoria said...

I find it amazing that you authors are so good that you can keep a series fresh - love it. Thanks.

catslady said...

This sounds like a very interesting series!

Jennifer Estep said...

Victoria -- Thanks! I appreciate that.

Catslady -- Thanks! Hope you get a chance to check out the series.

donnas said...

Love this series. Its one of my favs.

Anonymous said...

I have a couple of the series, and this book does sound like the perfect place to start! Thank you for the giveaway!!
Bonnie Hilligoss
bonnie at bonnieanddave dot com

Jennifer Estep said...

Donna -- Thanks! I appreciate that. Glad you are enjoying the series.

Bonnie -- Thanks! Hope you get a chance to check out the book.

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