Rebecca Zanetti's Blog, page 12

COVER REVEAL!!!! Wicked Ride is Oh Sooooo Hot!

Alexandra Monzelle is a hard-fighting, heat-packing Seattle vice cop, and she’s not much interested in being protected. Her short skirt and sex-kitten heels are tools to lure her suspects into talking about the deadly new drug hitting the streets. She can take care of herself and then some. Unfortunately, she can’t seem to get that through to Kellach Dunne.

Kellach is a fresh import from Dublin, and he’s landed at the heart of a vicious motorcycle club that deals in guns, narcotics, and mayhem. He’s all male, all rough power—and all interference in her damn investigation. Maybe he’s one of the good guys. Maybe not. Lex knows an affair with an immortal like him would risk everything. No matter how delicious he looks…

PRE-ORDER now: 

What NOT to say to an Author

I love being an author, and I’m truly thankful at the chance to do what I really want to do and somehow make a living at it.  I mean, I make stuff up and people pay me.  How great is that?

But every once in a while, something tickles me, and I have to share.  (There are a couple of expletives in this post, FYI).  Also, please take this in the vein of fun in which I wrote it.  There are more than a few authors out there, and you guys will know exactly what I’m talking about.  You readers probably will, too…maybe.  So here it is.

 I have a great idea for a book.  How about I give you the idea, you write it, and we’ll split the profits?

The appropriate response:  Thanks so much for thinking of me, but I’m pretty swamped with deadlines right now and don’t have time for another project.

The real response, which might be bitten back or not:  Are you fucking kidding me?  I have seventeen books out, ten more in the pipeline, and the last thing I need is your idea.  The idea is the easy part.  You go park your ass in a chair and crank out 95,000 words.  Then you rearrange those words in a pattern that makes sense.  And tells a good story. And has character arcs, creates threads, finishes threads, and provides enjoyment for anybody ponying up money to read it. 

2.  I’d like to write a book, I just don’t have enough time.

The appropriate response:  Man, there’s just not enough time in general, is there?

The real response:  If you wanted to write a freakin book, saying you actually could, you could find the time.  I’ve written in the hospital (both as a patient and as a visitor), on planes, in airports, in carpool lines…you get it.  And during times of having another full time job and busy kids.  If it’s important, find the time, and don’t make it sound like those of us who’ve actually written a book somehow found and bribed the great time-fairy to give us more.  There is no more.

3. You’re so lucky you’re creative and can just sit and write. 

The appropriate response:  Fuck you.

The real response:  I am grateful for creativity and brain synapses that work well.  However, I have to say, that writing does take work.  No, I’m not digging a ditch all day breaking my back (although sitting all day ain’t good for it, I’ve learned), and my fingers are on a keyboard and not skidding across some guy’s brain trying to remove a tumor.  If I goof up, I move on, and nobody dies.  I get that.  I understand that.  But writing is about 10% natural creativity and 90% learning craft, business, etc…and sitting in the chair and actually working.  There’s no magical fairy dust or lovely muse that just perches and vomits a good story.  Although now I want to write a book about a fairy muse that pukes reality and somehow shifts the cosmos.  Hmmmm.  Was that the idea you had originally?  Because it is good.  Maybe we’ll have to revisit the 50-50.

4. Your books are doing well because your publishers promote you so much.

Appropriate response:  I like my publishers and they work hard…and I’m grateful for them.

Real response:  I like my publishers, and they work hard, and I’m grateful for them.  However, in effect, what you’re saying is that success is all about promotion and nothing about the book.  I don’t think so.  More than ever, especially this coming year, we’re going to see good books sell and okay books not sell – no matter on the promotion, marketing, or latest advertising fad.  I also like to think that I might have something to do with the books doing well.  That studying craft, writing sixteen hours a day, promoting like a mother-effer…you know.  I’ve contributed.  Yeah, I’m lucky, and yeah, I know it.  Doesn’t mean I haven’t worked my butt off, too. 

5. You published the wrong way.

Appropriate response:  Big punch to the face.

Real response:  Double punch with a kick to the balls/groin area.  Nobody, and I mean nobody, has the right to tell you how to create or how to live your life.  I don’t care if you’re solely traditionally published, solely self-published, Hybrid or Indie (and for the record, I’m not even sure labels make sense any longer), however you decide to get your work out there is your decision and it’s the right one for you. 

I like how I’m published.  I really like the people I work with.  I’m doing well, much better than I would’ve imagined, with the traditional publishing path I’ve taken.  Period.  Will I branch out?  It’s entirely possible, but who the heck knows?  Right now, it’s about the book, and it’ll always be about the book. 

This was fun, and I had fun writing it.   Now I have to go park my butt in the chair and crank out words.  Another big thanks for helping MARKED to hit the NY Times list!!!  It looks like the Sin Brothers are still on sale, as is Against the Wall from those Maverick MT cowboys.  Just a thought…

Party Like it’s 2015!

Wow!  Can you believe it’s 2015?  Neither can I.  First, let me say a huge, larger than life, heart-felt THANK YOU for making sure MARKED hit the New York Times Bestseller list.  I appreciate the support and all of the kind reviews I’ve been reading.  It’s hard to express how much it means to me.

So, what’s up for 2015?  For me, I’m hoping for a year of peace, family, and health.  You know – the good stuff that all ties together.  I have quite a few deadlines as well as book signings/conferences planned, but while I’m home, I want to make sure to hit all of the kids’ games and also have a date night once a week with Big Tone.  And I also want to get into shape and feel healthy again, which is tough to do when sitting at a computer all day.  So I need to work on that.

As for career, we have some good stuff planned already for 2015.  First, Blind Faith releases in print on the 27th of this month.  And then…we have Jory’s story, Total Surrender, releasing on March 31st.  Both my editor and early reviewers have stated that Jory’s now their favorite brother after reading it.  So I’m hopeful you’ll like it. 

Then we have a brand new series, a spinoff of the Dark Protectors, debuting in June.  Wicked Ride features Kellach Dunne, the badass, bike riding, witch enforcer from Ireland who’s pissed as all get out to be stuck in Seattle chasing down a drug manufacturer.  Throw in a sexy cop who has no problem shooting him, and let’s just say the alleys of Seattle get a workout. 

After that, we have Hawk and Dawn’s book from the Maverick Montana gang…and it’s a fun one!  Tons of sexy laughs with a little intrigue…and I’m hoping we come up with a name and a release date sometime this month.  I’ll let you know!

Provoked will be released in print in April, and Marked will have a print release in August, so if you’re looking for those in print, hit Books-A-Million either in the stores or online.

Then we have Scorpius Rising, which is the prequel novella in the Scorpius Syndrome series.  It’ll be in the On the Hunt anthology along with Alexandra Ivy, Dianne Duvall, and Hannah Jayne in August.  The Scorpius books are a new, gritty, sexy series with tons of surprises.  The first full book, Mercury Striking, is the one I signed with a film/TV agent, so I’ll keep you updated.

In December, we’ll have Teased, a Dark Protector novella, in one of the 1001 Dark Nights books.  Very excited for that one!  Remember Chalton, the computer guru?  Yeah.  He’s more than that.

Other than that, we’re talking now about a spinoff for those Dean Brothers – there has to be more brothers out there, right?  Can you imagine being a lone soldier, a badass, and finding out those Dean boys are your brothers whether you like it or not?  They’re not the type to give up on family, now are they?

So, that’s what’s shaping up (get it, ha-ha…I’m shaping up, too) for 2015.  Yes, there will be more bad puns, many hottie pictures on Facebook, and more tales about the family.  I hope that you and your family have a wonderful 2015, and I hope you chase your dreams until you catch them. 

XO  Rebecca

Get Marked Today for the Discounted Price

Hi all!  I hope you had a very Merry Christmas, or whatever holiday you celebrate!  We had a lot of fun with family and good cheer.  I wanted to pop by today to remind everyone that Marked is still available at the discounted price, and I’m not sure how much longer that will last.  We already have 114 five-starred reviews on Amazon, and the book hasn’t been out a week yet.  I checked for highlights in Kindle books, and here are a couple:

“Hold on, and when we get to your home, stay out of the way when your father tries to kill me.”  (Zane says this to Janie)

“At the end of these talks, regardless of books, science, and geographic boundaries, Janie becomes mine.”  (Zane says this to a bunch of folks)

“When he kisses me, the world makes sense , and when he orders me around, I want to kick him in the balls.” She plucked at a loose string on a pillow. “And more than anything, I want to be his everything.”  (Janie says this)

“I’ve loved you every second of this life, and if I died, I’d love you every second of the next. That, my beautiful Janie Belle, is something neither fate , destiny , nor stubborn will change.  Ever.”

So, if you received a gift card, and you’d like to buy Marked, now is the sales time.  (And this first week of sales goes toward the bestselling lists, just so you know.    )

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!!!

Kelly from Books-n-Kisses Interviews Zane from MARKED!

Hi all!  Kelly posted an interview on her blog with Zane Kyllwood from MARKED, and she said we could post it here, too. She did her best to get some info from that man! 

Books-n-Kisses is super excited to have Zane from Rebecca Zanetti Marked on the blog today. Marked is the last book in Ms. Zanetti Dark Protector’s series.   While I am so very sad to see this series come to an end, I am excited to finally learn more about Zane.   There have been so many questions about what and who Zane is.  And how he will help or hinder the Janie Kayrs.   So let’s see if we can get some information from Zane so we can figure out what he is.

Kelly: Hi Zane, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses

Zane: Ah, Hi, Kelly. I’m new to the interview scene, so go easy on me, will you?

Kelly: Thank you for taking time away from your busy……. schedule to sit down with me to take to talk about…. well you.

 Zane: Sure. Not much is going on right now besides war, world catastrophe, and my unsettled love life.

 Kelly: Okay I have to ask because everyone wants to know. What are you?

 Zane: Just a regular guy, I think. I mean, I’m a soldier and part vampire, but really, I’m just a normal soldier with maybe a couple of secrets thrown in. I like beer, football, inventing new weapons. You know. Normal guy stuff.

Kelly: Okay, so that didn’t work. How about a game of 20 questions?

Zane: I do love a good game. Usually when I win, I take over a continent, though.

Kelly: Sounds good.

Zane: All right – shoot them my way.

Kelly: Questions #1: What is your favorite color?

Zane: Blue – the exact color of Janie’s eyes.

Kelly: Questions #2: Do you have any magical powers?

Zane: Yes.

Kelly: Questions #3: Who is your favorite person in the whole world?

Zane: Janie Belle Kayrs would have to be number one. But I also like my brothers, usually. Their names are Sam and Logan.

Kelly: Questions #4: What are you?

Zane: Just a regular guy.

Kelly: Questions #5: Who is your least favorite person in the world?

Zane: I’d have to say Kalin, who’s a Kurjan, is probably my least favorite person. It’s hard to completely hate him, though. We’ve known each other since we were kids, and even when you don’t like somebody, there’s a type of bond you get with people you’ve known forever, you know? I hope I don’t have to kill him, but to save Janie, I may have to. I’m prepared.

Kelly: Questions #6: How tall are you?

Zane: Last time I checked, I was about 6’6.

Kelly: Questions #7: Do you drink blood?

Zane: I’m part vampire, so I do drink blood during battle or maybe during sex. We don’t need blood to survive and can make our own. I plan on biting Janie, just so you know.

Kelly: Questions #8: Do you dream walk with anyone except Janie?

Zane: No. Well, Kalin shows up sometimes, but Janie’s the draw for us both. Kalin and I have never met in the dream world without Janie.

Kelly: Questions #9: What are you?

Zane: A realist. I enjoy the romances throughout the Realm, but really? I don’t see myself having a happy ending. Of course, I hope I’m wrong about that.

Kelly: Questions #10: Tell me your favorite thing about Janie?

Zane: She’s smart as hell and a complete smartass. The smartass part is just a cover-up to keep everyone around her calm. She really has a huge heart, and she’s incredibly fragile but has no clue how true that is. Fate and destiny weigh heavily on her, and I have a feeling she’s about to meet both. She’ll win, though. She has to.

Kelly: Questions #11: Football or Basketball?

Zane: Football. I have two brothers, and we like to hit things.

Kelly: Questions #12: What do you do for a living?

Zane: I’m a soldier and a pretty damn good assassin. That weighs on me, to be honest.

Kelly: Questions #13: How much can you deadlift?

Zane: Two vampires and a Kurjan.

Kelly: Questions #14: What are you?

Zane: A guy about to make a move to get the woman I’ve loved for years. That makes me more dangerous than I’ve ever been, but I’m okay with that now.

Kelly: Questions #15: If you could go anywhere in the world for one night where would you go?

Zane: Well, okay. Don’t tell anybody, but I do have a retreat in the wilds of Alaska where I just get away from everybody and everything once in a while. I love that place.

Kelly: Questions #16: Whom would you take with you on the one night?

Zane: Janie Belle Kayrs, but she’d probably be mad if I kidnapped her. Not that I kidnap her or anything. Really. Trust me. 

Kelly: Questions #17: Whom do you work for?

Zane: If I told you who I worked for, I’d have to make sure you couldn’t tell anybody else, and I don’t know of any nice way to do that. So let’s just say I do have a job, and it’s bloody.

Kelly: Questions #18: Naughty or Nice?

Zane: Naughty. Life is too short for Nice.

Kelly: Questions #19: What are you?

Zane: Who are any of us? I guess it’d depend who you asked as to who I am. I’ve got friends, I’ve got enemies, and I’ve got Janie Belle Kayrs. Whether she considers herself friend or enemy, I don’t know yet. But I do know that she’s mine, so we’ll have to figure it all out, won’t we?

Kelly: Questions #20: Okay fine. Final question Boxers or Briefs?

Zane: Who has time for either?

Kelly: Okay seriously Zane, Off the record.  What are you?

Zane:  Okay, seriously. Off the record. Read MARKED. At the end of Chapter 1, both you and Janie will know exactly what I am. Let’s hope you’re not as pissed as Janie is. I do have a plan, you know.

 For my first interview, this is been a lot of fun. There are some tense moments in MARKED, and I’ve posted one.  It’s when I first meet Talen, who’s Janie’s dad.  Things, ah, didn’t go well.

 The damn earth ground to a stop. A weapon hit the pavement a yard away. Dage Kayrs’s eyes widened, and Moira Kayrs gasped.

Zane sighed and focused just as a locomotive the size of Talen Kayrs tackled him midsection, throwing him ten yards and landing hard on his chest. Zane’s head crashed onto the asphalt. Stars exploded behind his eyeballs, and unbearable pain cut into his brain. He tried to concentrate, to say something, when a fist plowed into his face.

Unconsciousness was a fucking blessing.

 BUTTONS TO BUY MARKED:

MARKED is available!

I can’t believe we’re finally to December 22nd.  After nine stories, nine happily ever afters, nine couples…we’re at the tenth and final story.  Zane and Janie’s book is here!!!  I hope you enjoy it. 

 

Izzy’s Insights – With Janie Kayrs

Sergej Khakimullin
Shutterstock

Janie will answer your questions if you leave them below in the comments!!

Oh my goodness, it’s so good to be back here with everyone.  If you last recall, the King sent a bodyguard my way, and well…we’ve been traveling the world and writing about it.  I have to say, I owe the king a solid.

But for now…guess who I have here in a brand new coffee shop in my town?  The folks here are kind and a lot of fun, and more importantly, they don’t know me.  Or rather, they don’t know about the Dark Protectors and how they keep ruining my interviews and food establishments in town.  But back to my main question…guess who’s here?

YEP!  JANET ISABELLA KAYRS.  Can you believe it?  Well, neither can I.  She’s all grown up now with long brown hair, intelligent blue eyes, and a kind smile.  She looks a lot like her mama, to be honest, and she didn’t get very tall.  We’ve already ordered coffee and it’s steaming in front of us.  Christmas decorations are all sparkly around us, and the music playing over the speakers is jolly.  But let’s get started.

ME:  Oh, Janie, I’m so excited to finally meet you in person.  I have to ask, how in the world are you here right now?

JANIE:  She gives a quick laugh.  That’s a great question, and I do understand what you mean.  Basically, how did I get away from a security detail, the Realm compound, and more importantly, my dad…to be here right now?

Me:  Exactly.

JANIE:  She shrugs.  To be honest, I started jogging by the cliffs and then kept on jogging.  Sure, we have sentries posted all around, but I know where they are, and I jogged into town and grabbed a taxi.

ME:  At this point, I wondered if the interview would kill me.  To be more exact, what was the king going to do to me if he found out I was sort of an accomplice?  Let’s not give the exact location – so far I’ve managed to keep my home town a secret.

JANIE:  No problem.  I totally understand secrets.  She glances toward the door.  Besides, we have plenty of protection.  I’m sure Max had guards on me the second I crossed the perimeter.

I turned to see two hulking guys at the front door.  As I watched, a young man in overcoat paused by the door, looked the guys up and down, and then scrambled across the street.

ME:  Oh my.  Please tell my your father isn’t coming.  Talen had demolished a restaurant once.  I swear.

JANIE:  You never know.  I’m sure the back door is guarded as well, so we can just relax.

ME:  Relax?  Yeah.  That’s a good one.  So…how’s it going?  I mean, the peace talks are about to begin, and that has to be stressful, right?

JANIE:  It really is, because if we could just broker peace, we’d finally be able to rebuild.  She turned and waved to one of the guys at the door, who waved back.

ME:  Okay.  That was sweet and not scary.  We might be okay here.  So you’re looking forward to the peace talks?

JANIE:  Well, sure.  The problem is, and don’t tell anybody because I’ve only told Garrett, but I don’t have any visions after the peace talks.  Nada, zip, zilch.

ME:  A shiver wound down my spine.  So you think that’s it for you? 

JANIE:  Eh.  I’m not sure.  It could just mean that fate is up in the air, which would be fine, except I’m not sure which way to go to make the fate I want.  You know?

ME:  Not really, but it sounds freaky.  What about Zane and Kalin?  Do you think you’ll meet them in person finally?

JANIE:  I’ve already met Kalin in person when I was a teenager during an attack on the headquarters, but I’ve never met Zane in person.  I do believe that will happen very soon, because I’ve seen excerpts around the net about it.  Sometimes being a fictional character gets weird, you know?  Other people right now know more about my life than I do, and I can’t wait to live it.

ME:  Reading between the lines here, you think you’ll live it when MARKED releases on Monday?

JANIE:  Sure.  Besides, if you really think about it, what makes you believe your world is the real one?  Maybe mine is, and we’re just playing out your story right now.

ME:  Okay, that’s waaaaay too deep for Izzy.  Do you love Zane?

JANIE:   I think so, but from the excerpts I’ve managed to uncover, he isn’t quite who I’ve made him to be in my head.  Of course, the guy is half-vampire, so you know he won’t be easy going.  In fact, one of the early reviewers stated:  “Zane was arrogant, possessive, stubborn, protective and the best freaking alpha male that I have read about in a long time!”

ME:  Oh my.  How do you feel about that?”

JANIE:  My gut feeling is that I’ll probably try to kick his ass.  Vampires need that sometimes, you know.

ME:  I actually did know that fact.  You keep calling him a vampire, and I have to ask, do you suspect his other half?  The big secret of what he is?

JANIE:  I have my suspicions, to be honest, but I truly don’t know.  Yes, I’ve heard that the first chapter of MARKED is up on the net, and Zane is revealed in it, but I don’t want to find out that way.  I’ll wait until Monday.

ME:  It seems like everyone is expecting you to fulfill fate and meet whatever destiny holds for you while still expecting you to keep yourself safe.  That must be tough.

JANIE:  Takes a deep drink of coffee, her gaze intensifying.  It’s not easy, and I don’t think even fate knows what I’ll do to protect my family.  I can tell you that she, meaning Fate, better stay the hell out of my way if our interests don’t mesh.

ME:  Wow.  I remember Janie as a little girl sometimes, and I had no clue she’d turn into such a warrior. 

The door opened.  The atmosphere changed.  Holy shittzballs.  I knew.  I mean that I KNEW who’d be there.  Sighing, probably loudly, I turned around.

Talen  Kayrs.  Yep.  The one and only. The strategic leader for the Realm, the most Alpha of the Alphas to the point of being a true pain in the butt, and Janie’s dad.  He moved toward us, all predatory grace and harsh angles.  Being three and a half, almost four centuries old really agreed with the badass.  He looked thirty, tops.

JANIE:  Damn.

ME:  Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn.

TALEN:  Is this a new coffee shop?  He glances around.  I like it.  Festive.

ME:  I pretty much stop breathing.  Uh, hi.  How are things?

Talen pierces me with a golden gaze.  Crap.  He didn’t even try to hide his vampire eyes, now did he?

TALEN:  Pretty good.  Nothing much going on.

ME:  Try to force lungs to breathe.  That’s funny.  Um.  Haha.

TALEN:  Rolls his eyes.  Janie?  Perhaps we should finish our coffee and go prepare for the peace talks, considering they start in a couple of days.

JANIE:  Dad, relax.  Have a coffee.  It’s really good.

ME:  OMG.  Did she just tell Talen Kayrs to RELAX?  Oh my. 

A scuffle sounded by the door, and I turned just in time to see all of the Kayrs women, led by Cara, shove past the body guards and approach our table.

TALEN:  Holy hell.

CARA:  There’s a new coffee shop we haven’t demolished.  Excellent!  Coffee all around.

ME:  Glance sideways at Talen, who has kicked back in his chair, apparently admitting defeat.  Well now, isn’t that a sight?  I smile and gesture around for chairs while leaning toward Janie to whisper:  Things are probably about to go south, and we both know it.  Will you answer any questions put here on the blog?

JANIE:  Her eyes twinkle and she gives a short nod.  I’ll check my computer and answer any questions if there are any.  Then she glanced at the troop of Kayrs vampires approaching the door.  Yep.  South and soon.

So, if you all have any questions you’d like to ask Janie, here’s your chance!

 

About Being an Author

Hi all!  I was contacted by Bob at Webucator to answer a few questions about being an author, and since I’m in blog mode right now with the blog tour and promo sweep for Marked, which releases on the 22nd, I figured now would be a good time to answer these.  Here it goes:

What were your goals when you started writing?

You know, it’s funny.  I think that with any endeavor, your goals change.  At first, I just wanted to finish a book.  Then I wanted to get an agent and a contract, which I did.  Then, really, all I wanted was to see the book and hold it.  That was a very exciting day, and the book was Fated, which is the first book in the Dark Protector series.  The tenth and final book, Marked, will soon release.  After that, well…then I wanted to write another series, so I wrote the Sin Brothers and the Maverick Montana series.

Right around the time that the fourth Dark Proctor book released, one of the publicists at my publisher mentioned that it might hit a list.  Well, I have to be honest.  I’d never even considered hitting a list.  We hit the USA Today list.  At that point, of course, I reeeeaaaallly wanted to hit the New York Times Bestselling list by myself with a book (instead of in an anthology or group set).  We hit the Times last March.

What are your goals now?

Now?  Honestly, now it’s all about the writing.  I want to keep improving and making each book better than the last. That’s the key.  Also, I just signed with a film/tv agent for a new series called The Scorpius Syndrome, which will debut next year.   Going to film/tv is more of a dream than a goal, though.  Still…it’s nice to dream.

What pays the bills now?

I’m fortunate in that my husband works hard and can always cover the bills.  However, to be honest, writing is paying well and has been since almost the beginning.  My first book came out in 2011, and in 2012, I replaced my salary as a college professor.

Assuming writing doesn’t pay the bills, what motivates you to keep writing?

I’d keep writing even if it didn’t pay, because I don’t think I could stop.  Once you open those floodgates, you’re always thinking about the next story.  That’s just the way it works, I think.

And optionally, what advice would you give young authors hoping to make a career out of writing?

Don’t give up!  Seriously.  I know several fantastic authors who just gave up instead of powering through.  Power through and keep on going…it’ll all work out.

Thanks for the Webucator gang for the fun questions!  Just a quick reminder that the Marked blog tour is going on right now, and you can enter daily for a chance to win $50 at Amazon.  There’s also a fun interview of Zane Kyllwood over at BooksnKisses today, and he’s giving away a couple of books.  Under the Covers interviewed me, and the raffle copter to win the gift card is on their site right now.  Drop by and say hi!

Win a Gift Card and/or Books to Celebrate MARKED!

Hi All!  I can’t believe December is here and that MARKED releases in less than two weeks.  Janie’s story is finally here.  If you preorder, you get the lowest price between now and release day, FYI!

To celebrate, we have a really fun lineup of articles, blogs, and interviews in a couple of tours.  For one of the tours, you can enter to win a $50 gift card, and you can enter once a day.  There are also other gift cards on stops as well as some books (earlier Dark Protector books) being given away.

To kick things off, today there’s a really fun interview over at GraveTells about the characters and the process of writing Marked.  There are no spoilers in the interview (I promise), so drop on in and get the scoop.  And there’s also an awesome review that doesn’t contain spoilers.

Tomorrow, the link goes live with a character interview of Zane Kyllwood.  Kelly at Books-n-Kisses tried really hard to get him to reveal who and what he is, but I’m afraid he may have outfoxed her.  This was a fun one, and I promise there aren’t any spoilers in it.  I’ve put the link in here, but I don’t think it’ll work until tomorrow (which will be 12/10).  I’ll also be at Under the Covers tomorrow with a cool interview tomorrow.

Here’s the button and link to the tour, and good luck on winning!!!

Q&A and Giveaway with Jennifer Estep!

Hi All!  Today I asked the awesome Jennifer Estep to come answer questions and play here on the blog.  Jennifer and I have an editor in common, and we usually meet up at conferences.  She’s witty and a lot of fun!  She’s giving away 1 copy each of Black Widow and Poison Promise to 1 winner — US only to a randomly chosen commenter on the blog.

So welcome, Jennifer! Please tell readers about your new book, Black Widow.

JE: Thanks for hosting me on your blog. I appreciate it!

Black Widow is the latest book in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series and will be released on Nov. 25. In this book, Gin Blanco is up against Madeline Monroe, an acid elemental who wants her dead. Madeline is a clever, cunning enemy, so Gin has to figure out what Madeline is really up – or Gin is going to wind up dead.

Here’s the description:

There’s nothing worse than a cruel, cunning enemy with time to kill—and my murder to plan.

With wicked Fire elemental Mab Monroe long gone, you’d think I could finally catch a break. But someone’s always trying to take me down, either as Gin Blanco or my assassin alter-ago. Now along comes the Spider’s new arch-nemesis, the mysteriously named M. M. Monroe, who is gleefully working overtime to trap me in a sticky web of deceit.

The thing is, I’m not the only target. I can see through the tangled threads enough to know that every bit of bad luck my friends have been having lately is no accident—and that each unfortunate “coincidence” is just one more arrow drawing ever closer to hitting the real bulls-eye. Though new to Ashland, this M. M. Monroe is no stranger to irony, trying to get me, an assassin, framed for murder. Yet, as my enemy’s master plan is slowly revealed, I have a sinking feeling that it will take more than my powerful Ice and Stone magic to stop my whole life from going up in flames.

This is the 12th book in your Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series–which is amazing and wonderful!  You’ve spent a lot of time in that world.  Can you tell us a little about the series?

 JE: 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.

The series features a strong heroine, magic, and lots of action and fight scenes, among other things.

I love a strong heroine!  Yours are wonderful.  What appeals to you about the urban fantasy genre?

JE: I like books with a little bit of everything in them – action, adventure, magic, danger, and romance. Those are the kind of books that I like to read, and those are the kind of books that I like to write.

Urban fantasy is one genre that really incorporates all of those elements. It’s such a varied genre, and you can do so many different things with characters, world building, and more. It’s just a genre that I really enjoy writing in.

What inspired you to write the Elemental Assassin series?

JE: I’ve always enjoyed reading fantasy stories about assassins. In fantasy stories, assassins can be everything from cold to calculating to cruel. One day, I thought it would be fun to write my own assassin character with my own magic system and world building. So that was sort of the beginning of Gin Blanco and my Elemental Assassin series.

 What are some of your favorite books/authors and why?

JE: One of my favorite books is Beauty by Robin McKinley, which is a lovely retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. I also like the James Bond series by Ian Fleming; the Dortmunder series by Donald Westlake; and the Parker series by Richard Stark. Other authors that I like include Lisa Kleypas, David Eddings, Robert Parker, and many others.

 Such a great list!  Have you always wanted to be a writer? What got you started on your writing journey?

 JE: My mom used to take me to the library every week as a kid, so that’s how I fell in love with books and reading in the first place. I’ve always loved to read, and I think that lead me to wanting to write my own stories. I wrote my first book one summer during college, and I’ve been writing ever since.

What’s next for you? What are you working on?

JE: I’m working on Spider’s Trap, the 13th book in my Elemental Assassin series, as well as the 14th book in the series. Spider’s Trap is tentatively scheduled to be released on July 28, 2015, with the 14th book tentatively scheduled to be released on Dec. 29, 2015.

I also have a new young adult urban fantasy series that will be coming out in 2015. The first book is called Cold Burn of Magic and will be released on April 28, 2015, with the second book tentatively scheduled to be released in November.

Happy reading, everyone!

JENNIFER’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website: http://www.jenniferestep.com/
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So, just leave a comment below for a chance to win 1 copy each of Black Widow and Poison Promise to 1 winner — US only.  Give us one characteristic of your favorite heroine.