Covers to Covet

Jennifer Estep has released the cover to book eight in her Elemental Assassin series, DEADLY STING. Again, this mass market paperback releases will have a step-back cover like WIDOW'S WEB. What do you think?

The cover is designed by artist Tony Mauro again. I really like the vault idea and all the red! DEADLY STING releases March 26, 2013.

Here's the book description. If you're worried about spoilers, please read at your own risk...

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.

Another one I'm very much looking forward to is Jennifer Armentrout's OPAL. This would be book 3 in the awesome alien YA series. Check out the cover! What do you think?

I love that they are still using the same couple throughout the series, but at first glance I thought that Daemon was holding on to something else. It wasn't until a second later that I realized he was holding her up. The black on black confused me there for a second.

No one is like Daemon Black.  

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on. 

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love. 

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever. 

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.

OPAL releases December 11, 2012.

 The Protected

by Shiloh Walker

No blurb yet but this book is part of Shiloh Walker's FBI Psychics series.  If you read the HOT IN HANDCUFFS anthology this year you got a taste for what that series is about.  I love this cover!

Available August 6, 2013

ARC Review: Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep

 Widow's Web
(More like 4.5 feathers!)

(Elemental Assassin #7)

by Jennifer Estep

WIDOW’S WEB is book seven in the Elemental Assassin series and this time, Estep makes it personal.

Gin Blanco has a new enemy in town. Her name is Selina Debouis and rumor has it, the water elemental is back in Ashland after her long disappearance to seek revenge. But it seems that that’s not the only thing Selina has her eyes on...

Owen, Gin’s lover and Selina have a complicated past. Struggling at a young age to survive, Owen, Selina, Owen’s younger sister, Eva and Gin’s other enemy Philip Kincaid banded together to do whatever was necessary to live onto the next day. One secret haunts them all and splits the group into two, severing any friendships that the group may have had. This secret is the most deceitful and it makes for a very interesting story.

Readers get a glimpse of a more vulnerable Gin in this book. The fact that Owen has ties to Selina makes simply killing her a complicated task, especially when Owen seems to be harboring feelings toward his oldest friend still. Emotions are rocked back and forth in this book and I have to say that this may be one of my favorites of Estep’s because she was able to create an engaging villain in Selina while creating some drama as well to stir things up.

Some scenes are hard to read because of the emotional depth involved in them. This was exactly the type of scenes I wished for in this series. Seeing Gin kick ass is fantastic, but seeing her deal with something far more important than saving her own life is even more special in my eyes. You see the depth of her relationship with Owen and you see her vulnerability. It just makes Gin a more multi-faceted character. It makes her more real.

With tons of action, emotional depth and a worthy enemy, WIDOW’S WEB is my favorite of the Elemental Assassin series yet! With that ending, I’m hoping that the next book comes sooner rather than later.

*ARC provided by publisher

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Interview and Giveaway with Jennifer Estep!

Today we are celebrating the recent release of BY A THREAD, the sixth book in the massively popular urban fantasy series by Jennifer Estep. Under the Covers got the chance to ask Ms. Estep some questions. Here's how it went down...

Jennifer Estep

Thank you, Jennifer for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us today! What can readers expect from BY A THREAD, the sixth book in your Elemental Assassin's series?

JE: Thanks for hosting me on the blog today. I appreciate it.

I’ve been calling BY A THREAD my “Gin on vacation” book. Basically, Gin decides to get out of Ashland for a few days so she can rest, relax, and recharge after everything that happened in Spider’s Revenge, the fifth book in the series. But Gin’s vacation ends up being anything but relaxing. One of Bria’s friends is being threatened by a vampire who wants her land, and Gin decides to help Bria’s friend – and finds herself in just as much trouble as ever. There’s also some emotional fallout between Gin and Bria because of what happened in Spider’s Revenge, so Gin is dealing with that, as well as the reappearance of someone from her past.

You also recently released an e-novella called THREAD OF DEATH. Can you tell us a bit about this novella?

JE: THREAD OF DEATH takes place around the time of the end of Spider’s Revenge. Basically, Gin and her friends attend the funeral of Mab Monroe, the Fire elemental who murdered Gin’s family. But trouble always seems to follow Gin around, and the funeral is no exception. In addition to Gin, the e-novella also features the points of view of Jonah McAllister, Mab’s lawyer and Gin’s enemy, and Phillip Kincaid, another one of the movers and shakers in Ashland.

Gin Blanco is kickass, smart and steady. How would you say Gin has grown over the course of the series?

JE: I would say that Gin has definitely opened up a little in her personal life and let people like Owen and Bria get close to her. That’s probably the biggest way that she’s grown and changed so far.

When readers hear your name, Jennifer Estep, they automatically think of your Elemental Assassin series. However, you do write two other series: the Mythos Academy and the Bigtime series. Can you tell us a bit about each series?

JE: I also write the Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series for Kensington. The books focus 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.

Books in the series are Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost. Dark Frost, the third book, will be published on May 29.

I’m also the author of the Bigtime paranormal romance series. The Bigtime books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love. Books in the series are Karma Girl, Hot Mama, and Jinx. A Karma Girl Christmas, an e-story, is also available.

Folks can visit my website at www.jenniferestep.com for more information and excerpts from my books.

You write several books from a female protagonist's POV. Gin Blanco, from the Elemental Assassin series and Gwen Frost from the Mythos Academy series are unique characters. Do they share any similarities? Any differences?

JE: I would say that the two series share a lot of the same elements – a strong, sassy heroine, magic/world building, lots of action/fight scenes, and a little romance. The Elemental Assassin series is darker and grittier than the Mythos Academy series. Also, as a heroine, Gwen is still learning about her magic, growing up, and trying to figure out what her place in the world is. So the Mythos Academy books tell a little more of a coming-of-age story than the Elemental Assassin books do.

You have created interesting worlds in your books. What would you say the best easiest part of worldbuilding? The most difficult?

JE: I would say the easiest part of world building is just dreaming up ideas for magic, powers, creatures, and more. That’s always fun to do. The hardest part is making sure that everything works together and that the magic system and world building makes sense.

When not writing, what do you do in your spare time?

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

Who are your go-to authors when you are in a slump?

JE: I like authors like Robin McKinley, Lisa Kleypas, Donald Westlake, Ian Fleming, and too many others to name.

What do you do when you are stuck while writing a particular scene?

JE: It depends. Sometimes, I’ll take a break for a few minutes and see if that helps or gives me any ideas about how to move forward with the scene. Other times, I’ll just keep writing and try to get something down that I can hopefully go back to later and work with.

If Gin could take another character (from another author’s books) out for a drink, who do you think she would pick and why?

JE: Hmm. That’s a tough question. I think there are a lot of characters Gin would be interested in having a drink with, but I’ll say James Bond from the books by Ian Fleming. Bond is sort of the ultimate spy, and I think Gin would be interested in learning how he’s survived so many deadly situations over the years. Bond could have a martini, Gin could drink gin, and they could share stories.

Thanks for answering our questions, Jennifer! It was a pleasure to chat with you!

When killing people is your job, there’s no such thing as a vacation.

Then again, how often does an assassin live long enough to enjoy her retirement? In this line of work, you either get lucky or you get dead. And since I destroyed my nemesis Mab Monroe a few weeks ago, all of Ashland’s lowlifes are gunning to make a name for themselves by taking out the lethal Spider—me, Gin Blanco. So I’m leaving behind my beloved barbecue joint and heading south with my baby sister, Bria, to cool my heels in a swanky beach town. Call it a weekend of fun in the sun.

But when a powerful vampire with deadly elemental magic threatens an old friend of Bria’s, it looks like I’ll have to dig my silverstone knives out of my suitcase after all. Complicating matters further is the reappearance of Detective Donovan Caine, my old lover. But Donovan is the least of my problems. Because this time, the danger is hot on my trail, and not even my elemental Ice and Stone magic may be enough to save me from getting buried in the sand—permanently.

READ OUR REVIEW

In honor of the recent release of BY A THEAD, Jennifer is giving away a copy to one US resident. To enter this giveaway, please:
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ARC Review: By a Thread by Jennifer Estep

 

By A Thread

(Elemental Assassin # 6)

by Jennifer Estep

With Mab Monroe out of the picture, Gin takes a much needed vacation with her sister, Bria. They stop at Sea Breeze, Bria’s friend’s trendy restaurant where Gin takes a bite out of the sweet owner, Callie. While I think Gin has grown from the previous books in the series, there are still times when I feel like she is still the callous person she was in book one. She notices how friendly Callie and her sister are and can’t help but feel jealous of their relationship. Gin has tried to develop the same kind of relationship with her sister, but it hasn’t reached the same affect so far. So while she pouts about that, I can’t help but wonder if they ever will learn to love and trust each other.

Now that Gin’s reputation as the Spider is common knowledge, violence seems to follow her everywhere. The action still doesn't stop! I think it’s safe to say that new readers can open this book and not feel like they are completely lost with the events that have happened before. Estep does a really good job of reviewing the past events so that are not too repetitive, but refreshing to old readers and summarizing those events for new readers.

Meanwhile, Estep pulls a few surprises in this book. A certain someone comes back into Gin’s life and his appearance causes her to stumble back a bit. I wasn’t sure how to take this because while I did like their relationship in the previous books, I don’t think his sudden appearance in this one should have changed or rocked the relationship Gin and developed with Owen.

I have to stay how well-paced and smooth this book is. Estep really knows how to hit home with each end to her chapters, making me want to read “just one more chapter!” It’s very well written, but I do feel like sometimes there is repetition of who Gin is, where she is from, what her powers and weapons are and so on.

Because Monroe is dead and gone, I was worried about where Estep would take this series. She introduces Randall Dekes, a powerful vampire who has a sick addiction of collecting things – you’ll find out what these things are when you read. Dekes was a sick bastard and loved his involvement in this book!

Now if only Gin can keep her jealously in check and remember that she’s got her own people in her life that care about her, then I think her and I could get along well.

*ARC provided by publisher

 

 

Purchase Link: Amazon

Review: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

 

Web of Lies

(Elemental Assassin # 2)

by Jennifer Estep

The Spider might be retired, but that doesn’t mean the action stops in Ashland.

Gin is now manning the Pork Pit, her beloved barbeque joint. It seems that danger lurks just around the corner because one night, a young teen walks in asking for the Tin Man aka the man who taught her everything. Soon after, gunshots litter her restaurant making it resemble Swiss cheese. It is only later that Gin realized that the shooter was aiming at the girl, not her.

Curiosity gets the best of her and now Gin must find this girl named Violet Fox and figure out who is after her and what business she has with the Tin Man.

While I enjoyed the writing of this book, I still can’t find myself relating to Gin. There’s this coldness to her that is necessary for her job as an assassin. She is kickass and intelligent, however there’s this sense of detachment from everything that makes it hard for me to relate to this book.

I can appreciate the action and the worldbuilding of this book, but when I can’t relate to the protagonist, we have a problem. Gin has all the qualities of a strong heroine, but I feel like she just goes through the motions. As I read it, it felt like this: Observe, plan the next move. Attack. Insert a snarky comment and execute killing blow.

I’m not sure what I expected. Maybe I hoped for some more emotion, some more passion. It was just hard.

Another thing I noticed a lot in the first book and in this book as well was the use of the word, “Mmm.” If you’ve read this series, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. Every single time Gin mentions Donovan Caine, you can be sure an “Mmm” will follow suit. Just a tad annoying, but I can understand that sometimes an “Mmm” is the only way you can express yourself when in the presence of Officer Hottie.

However, like I said earlier, there are some great action sequences in this book. Estep knows how to pace these scenes perfectly. The world continues to get better. I’m just not sure Gin is the right match for me.

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Review: Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

 

(more like a 3.75. Yes, I know that sounds weird. Read on to see why.)

Spider's Bite 

(Elemental Assassin # 1)

by Jennifer Estep

“I’m the Spider. Surely you’ve heard of me.”

Gin’s assassin reputation precedes her. She is feared by many and respected by those who share the same occupation as her.

Fletcher, her mentor and middle man has a job for her that requires her to take out Gordon Giles at an opera house. The assignment should be an easy one so Gin is all in. But what should have been an easy takeout becomes much more complicated and deadly.

In order to save her own life, Gin takes steps that inevitably pull Fletcher’s son, Finn and a detective named Donovan Caine into the mix, complicating matters greatly.

Many people have recommended this series to me, stating that I’ll want to be Gin “when I grow up.” While I may not be ready to make that statement just yet, I can definitely see why Gin Blanco appeals to so many people.

First off, being an assassin doesn’t bother Gin. She doesn’t obsess over her morals. She plays to her strengths and she just happens to be a damn good killer. On the flipside, I also felt that Gin was too detached. She does show a vulnerable side to her, but I wanted to see more of that. Kicking ass is good, but it doesn’t make a character real to me if that’s all she does.

I am really looking forward to reading more about Gin and her history; learn what makes her tick, what makes her cry and what she desires most. I’m sure with the next few books in the series Gin’s character will develop more.

Spider’s Bite was a little bit like a mountain. The beginning was OK, slowly increasing in its pace. The middle half was the best, hitting its highest peak in terms of pacing and plot. But then the ending felt a little flat for me. I was hoping for something more.

There is also a romantic subplot. Gin’s got the hots for the detective and while I did enjoy their chemistry, I felt like Finn and Gin had something better. Caine was simply too restrained for my liking. He was too busy having an internal battle about right and wrong that it really hindered the romantic aspect of the book.

Overall, I’m looking forward to reading Web of Lies. I can’t wait to read more about Gin.

 

 Purchase links: Amazon