Jennifer Estep's Blog, page 138
March 3, 2009
Appearances …
So I have some tentative events coming up I thought I’d share:
April 13: 7 p.m., Bristol Public Library, Bristol, Va. I’ll be at the library to kick off National Library Week (I believe the library is hosting authors every night that week). I’ll be doing a Q&A about writing and signing books. The program should run 60-90 minutes. More details coming soon.
July 15-18: I’ll be appearing at RWA Nationals this year. I should be at the literacy signing and the Berkley authors signing. And I’ll be wande
March 2, 2009
Things to do …
So I’m taking some time off from the day job this week. Usually, when I’m off, it just never seems like I get the things done that I want/plan to. But this — this week! — will be different. This week, I am going to do book stuff. I am going to get things accomplished!
Mainly, I want to finish revising the Spy book so I can send that to my agent to read. That’s goal number one. I also need to update the Web site, write some more on Quiver, and clean off my desk. In between laundry, chores, and all
February 27, 2009
The waiting game …
So a few weeks ago, I talked about where an author’s advance goes. Today, I thought I’d talk about something else authors have to deal with — waiting.
Because nothing – nothing — in publishing happens fast. Not one darn thing.
Case in point: I started working on the first Assassin book in the fall of 2007, and it’s not coming out until February 2010 — more than two years later. Of course, this one is partially on me, since if I’d written the book right to start with, things might have happened fas
February 26, 2009
Taken away …
So Wheezley and I went to the movies last weekend and watched Taken.
If you haven’t seen the previews, Taken stars Liam Neeson as a former government agent (think an older version of Jason Bourne). When his daughter is kidnapped in Paris, Liam goes over there to rescue her. Car chases, explosions, and general mayhem ensue.
Wheezley and I were both in the mood for an action movie, and Taken certainly delivered. There were plenty of fistfights and bloody deaths, and Neeson was convincing enough as
February 25, 2009
Still on the title hunt …
So my agent, editor, and I are still on the hunt for a perfect title for the first Assassin book. Even though the book isn’t coming out until February 2010, the title stuff needs to be nailed down by the end of March. That’s how far ahead the world of publishing works.
We’ve pretty much ruled out the “Gin” titles — Gin on the Rocks, Bitter Gin, etc. I like them, but my agent pointed out that they make the books sound like they take place in a bar and that they’re not that paranormal or urban fant
February 24, 2009
Two hot messes …
I was actually enjoying last night’s episode of Heroes — until the very end when it was revealed that yet another city (Washington, D.C. this time) is on the brink of explosive destruction.
So this makes what – three? four? – times that a city/the world at large has either been threatened with destruction or actually blown up since the show started. Any writer will tell you that you can’t keep doing the same things over and over again. There has to be some variation (or advancing of the overall s
February 23, 2009
928 and counting …
Finished Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas. This is the second book in her contemporary romance series about the lives and loves of the Travis family.
Sugar Daddy, the first book in this series, was my favorite read in 2008, so I had high, high hopes for BED — and I’m happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed.
This book is about Haven Travis, the sister in the super-rich Travis family. Haven meets the rough, rugged, wealthy oilman Hardy Cates at her brother Gage’s wedding to Hardy’s childhood love, Li
February 19, 2009
Problem solved … or not …
So I think I’ve finally got a handle on how I want to start Quiver, the young adult fantasy that I’m writing. I’m going to make my main character a Robin Hood, outlaw-type and then go from there. Sword fights! Adventures! Magic! Etc.!
This is about the sixth time that I’ve rewritten the beginning at this point. Seriously. Six times. I think I have a really cool idea here, but the beginning is kicking my ass. Which is strange since I usually don’t have any problems starting out a book. It’s when I
