GUEST AUTHOR: Jennifer Estep

Thank you Jennifer, for being with us today.

From your website, we note that you have a day job at the same time that you're writing the Elemental Assassin series. What was it like juggling so many things? What is a typical schedule like for you? 

It’s tough. I work 40 hours a week, then come home at night and spend a couple more hours doing book stuff. Not only writing, but things like blogging, e-mail, social media, advertising, designing bookmarks, etc. I try to get as much stuff done as I can on the weekends, especially on Sundays, when I work on book stuff for several hours.

Being an author is like having another full-time job. Essentially, I’m running my own small business. It’s a lot of work, but I love doing it. That helps me cope with the long hours.

Wow. I can't imagine how you do it. What set you on the path to writing?

I’ve always loved to read. When I was a kid, my mom would take me to the local library every Saturday so I could pick out some books for the week. That’s what made me fall in love with books and reading.

Somewhere along the way, I started thinking that I’d like to write my own books with my own characters and tell my own stories. So during college, I wrote my first book – a really crappy epic fantasy. LOL. But the writing bug bit me, and I wrote another book, then another one. I haven’t stopped writing yet.

How did you come upon the idea for the Elemental Assassin series?

I’ve always loved reading about assassin characters, especially in fantasy books. But the more I read, the more I realized that there were a lot of whiny assassins out there – characters who just kept going on and on and on about how evil and angsty and conflicted they were. It seemed to me like there was always a simple solution to their problem – quit being an assassin!

So one day, I thought it would be cool to write an assassin character who wasn’t whiny and angsty and conflicted. Someone who was okay with being an assassin. Someone who realized that maybe she wasn’t the best person around, but that there were worse people out there than her. Someone who slowly comes to realize that she can use her deadly skills to help people who need it. With that idea in mind, Gin Blanco and the Elemental Assassin series was born.

What kind of research did you have to do to prepare for writing this series?

I didn’t do much research. The beauty of writing fantasy books is that you can make up the whole thing. LOL.

Instead of doing research, I spend that time on the world building – making my magic, characters, and their various powers as interesting and unique as possible. In fantasy books, world building is key. You really have to make readers believe that your magical system is logical – and that people really could have these amazing powers if only our world were just a little bit different.

What kind of plotting technique did you employ in this series? Have you plotted Gin's entire story arc (i.e. over all the books in the series) or was it pretty much on a book-by-book basis?

I’m a total panster when it comes to plotting out my books. I don’t do storyboards or outlines or anything elaborate like that. I think about my characters and the plot and the major turning points in the book. And then, I just sit down and start writing. It’s just the method that seems to work the best for me.

That being said, I did think about the big plot points that needed to happen in every book to keep the overall story arcs going – which include how Gin gets her revenge on the person who murdered her family and Gin’s various romantic ups and downs. I also thought about how much of Gin’s past I wanted to reveal in each book and how I could tie the plot and new villain in every book back in with the overall story arcs. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of it so far. Hopefully, readers will agree.

How did you create Gin Blanco's character? Was she modeled after somebody?

Gin wasn’t really modeled after anyone. Like I mentioned before, I wanted to write an assassin character who wasn’t angsty and whiny. So I sat down and thought of the most bad-ass character that I could write, and Gin was the result. Readers seem to be pretty happy with her so far, and I hope that continues. ;-)

What was writing Gin like? She struck me as a character who knows what she wants to do and where she wants to go and wouldn't stand for anyone telling her otherwise. Did you encounter any trouble with her while writing? If yes, what?

Gin is a lot of fun to write. I enjoy writing really strong female characters, and Gin is definitely that. Gin definitely knows what she wants, and she isn’t shy about going after it, whether it’s taking on the bad guys or getting close to a guy she’s interested in. Gin is a character who’s really easy to write – her voice just flows for me.

And in the end, I’m the boss. So Gin does what I tell her to – most of the time, anyway. LOL.

What's up for Gin Blanco after Venom? Can you give us a sneak peek of the events in Gin's future? How many more Gin Blanco books can we expect after Venom?

Right now, I’m contracted for two more Gin books. Tangled Threads will be out in May 2011, and book 5 will be out in October 2011.

In Tangled Threads, an assassin named Elektra LaFleur comes to Ashland to kill Gin. It was a lot of fun to write an assassin who is just as tough, deadly, and witty as Gin is. LaFleur is definitely one of my favorite villains of the whole series.

I don’t want to give out too many more spoilers, but I will say that these five books will let me tie up all the major plot threads with Gin, like how she gets her revenge on her nemesis and who she ends up with romantically.

Of course, I’d love to continue the series beyond these five books, but that will depend on sales, like everything else does.

Oooh. Will Detective Donovan Caine make a reappearance? Guess I'll have to wait and see. Aside from the Elemental Assassin series, you have written another series earlier--the Bigtime paranormal romance series. Please tell us about it.

Of course. The Big­time books fea­ture sexy super­heroes, evil ubervil­lains, and smart, sassy gals look­ing for love. Titles in the series are Karma Girl (2007), Hot Mama (2007), and Jinx (2008).

Basically, the Bigtime books are comic book spoofs – kind of like the old Batman show with Adam West or Wonder Woman with Lynda Carter. The series is quite a bit lighter and campier than my Elemental Assassin books.

Sounds like fun. Anything else you'd like to tell us?

I want to plug my social media sites, if that’s okay. LOL. Folks can find me around the web at these sites:

Blog: http://www.jenniferestep.com/blog/

Facebook fan page: http://artist.to/jenniferestepfanpage/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jennifer_Estep

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/580315.Jennifer_Estep

I also do an e-newsletter every month with all my latest news, reading recommendations, and a recipe. I also give away free books every month to subscribers. The sign-up form is on my home page at http://www.jenniferestep.com/.

And I want to close by saying thanks to Carole and the rest of the folks here at The Romance Reviews for having me on the blog today. Thanks everyone! ;-)

Read our reviews:

Spider's Bite

Web of Lies

Venom

Exclusive excerpt:
Venom

Buy:

Spider's Bite

Web of Lies

Venom

Don't forget! Today is the last day to enter the giveaway, until 1159pm EST. You may also comment here or ask Jennifer a question, who will be dropping by from time to time.

Exclusive Peek: Venom by Jennifer Estep

Exclusive Excerpt:

I wasn’t sure how long I lay there on the ground, drifting in and out of consciousness, but the lights pulled me up out of the soft blackness I was swimming in. Red and blue lights swirled around and around far above my head. I squinted into the glare. Someone had parked a dark SUV on the grass a few feet away from me. The vehicle doors opened, and two pairs of boots hit the ground. One set definitely belonged to a man, a giant judging from the size. The shoes were almost as long as my arm. The other pair of boots were decidedly feminine, smaller and smartly cut with a low, sensible heel.

The boots crunched on the frosty grass and headed in my direction, joining the ones of the security guard. I got the sense the three of them were staring down at me.

“Is this how you found her? Just lying there like that?” The woman spoke in a voice that was as light and high and delicate as a set of wind chimes. It would have been a pure, lovely sound if not for the cold, flat resignation in her tone. Mine wasn’t the first body she’d seen. Maybe not even the first one today.

“Yes, ma’am,” the security guard replied. “I was making my usual rounds and called you guys right away.”

Well, now that I had a proper audience, it was time for Gin Blanco to come back from the dead, so to speak. I pulled in a breath and rolled over onto my back. The dull wave of pain I’d been surfing on surged into a tidal wave that threatened to drown me. A low groan escaped my lips, and white starbursts filled my vision again.

Silence.

“You idiot! She’s not dead. Didn’t you check her pulse before you called us?” the woman snapped. “Call the fucking paramedics, Xavier. Right now before she bleeds out.”

Xavier? I knew him. He was the giant who worked as a bouncer at a nightclub called Northern Aggression. Xavier also moonlighted for the Ashland police force on occasion. He wasn’t what I would call a close friend, but he’d probably help me if I asked him nicely enough. And slipped him some money later. C-notes would buy you all the friends you wanted in Ashland.

When I’d pushed the pain back down to a bearable level, I opened my eyes. The swirling police lights on the SUV made it hard to see the three figures, but I still recognized the giant. At around seven feet tall, Xavier was hard to miss with his shaved head and jet-colored skin and eyes.

“Xavier?” I mumbled, trying to move my broken jaw as little as possible.

More silence.

Then the three figures turned to stare at me once more. Probably shocked I could form a coherent sentence, much less actually speak, given the way my face looked right now.

“Do you know her, Xavier?” the woman asked.

A large knee flattened the grass beside me, and a shadow fell over my face, blocking the bright lights. I stared up into Xavier’s dark eyes. The giant’s gaze flicked over my features, trying to see through the blood, bruises, and swelling. Finally, comprehension filled his face.

“Gin?” he asked.

“In the flesh,” I mumbled.

“Do you know her?” the woman asked again.

Xavier nodded his massive head. “Yeah, I know her. Name’s Gin Blanco. She owns the Pork Pit. It’s a barbecue restaurant a few blocks away. Geez, Gin, they really did a number on you, didn’t they?”

“You’re talking to her like she can actually understand you,” the woman said somewhere above my head.

“That’s because she can, detective,” Xavier replied. “Gin’s the toughest gal I know. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking, just like a Timex. Isn’t that right, Gin?”

“Right,” I croaked. “Now, do me a favor.”

“Name it.”

“Call Finn.”

Xavier nodded, pulled his cell phone off the holder on his belt, and flipped open the device. “What’s his number?”

I forced out the numbers, which Xavier punched into his phone.

A few seconds later, the giant smiled. “My man, Finn. It’s Xavier. Listen, I need to talk to you about Gin . . .”

I let myself drift as Xavier explained the situation to Finnegan Lane. After a brief conversation, Xavier snapped his phone shut.

“The man’s on his way. Should be here in about five minutes. He said to tell you that he’s calling Jo-Jo right now, whatever that means.”

I nodded. Jo-Jo was Jo-Jo Deveraux, the dwarven Air elemental who always healed me whenever I got into a rough scrape. Like the one tonight.

“Good,” I croaked. “Now, help me sit up. Please.”

“You really shouldn’t move her—” the female detective started.

Too late. I wrapped my hand around Xavier’s massive forearm, and the giant eased me up into a sitting position. It took me several moments to get my breath back and blink the white spots out of my vision. Once I did, I realized I was the center of attention. While I’d been unconscious, someone had strung yellow crime scene tape around the spot where I’d been lying. A small crowd of late-night students had gathered around the tape like vultures flocking to a fresh corpse. Several of them had their cell phones out, snapping pictures of my battered face to post on the local campus gossip websites.

I squinted against the glare, trying to see if I recognized anyone. I spotted a couple of other coeds from my classic literature class, but that was it. Hardly worth the effort of sitting up. The pain washed over me again, and I would have toppled over from the force of it if Xavier hadn’t been propping me up. Right now, all I wanted to do was lie on a soft mattress somewhere, whimper, and plot my revenge against Mab Monroe, Elliot Slater, and most especially Jonah McAllister. Because the three of them were going to die. By my hand. Sooner, rather than later.

“Xavier, put her back down,” the female detective snapped. “She needs medical attention. Immediately.”

My eyes flicked up, but all I could see of the cop was her navy coat, the longish shag of her blond hair, and the three small rings she wore on her left index finger, which tapped out a quick pattern on her thigh. I would have tilted my head up so I could get a look at her face, if I hadn’t thought the movement would make me vomit blood all over the detective’s boots. Still, despite my limited view, something about the woman seemed familiar. Strangely so. Then again, the way my eyes were ping-ponging back and forth in their sockets, anything that didn’t spin around felt familiar.

“You want her to asphyxiate on her own blood? Trust me. She needs to sit up,” Xavier replied. “Besides, her friend will be here in a few minutes. Gin can hold her own until then. Can’t you, Gin?”

“Oh yeah,” I mumbled. “This is nothing. You should see me on a bad day.”

The detective snorted. “Snappy comeback for a woman covered in her own blood.”

“Oh, that’s me,” I said, staring at her jeans. “Snappy to the bitter, bitter end.”

Against my side, I felt Xavier’s wide chest quiver with contained laughter. At least I was amusing someone tonight.

The detective hitched up her jeans and crouched down in front of me, so we were eye level with each other. I blinked away another round of white starbursts and got my first good look at her.

And my heart stopped.

Longish, wavy, honey blond hair that curled under at the ends. Cornflower blue eyes. Perfect, rosy skin. A full, lush mouth. The detective was a breathtaking woman. But her beauty wasn’t what made my raspy breath catch in my throat and my heart twist in my bruised chest. It was what was on the silver chain she wore around her neck.

A primrose.

A small silverstone rune shaped like a delicate primrose rested in the hollow of the detective’s smooth throat. A primrose. The symbol for beauty. The same rune, the same necklace my baby sister, Bria, had worn as a child.

Bria.

She looked exactly the same as she did in a photo I had of her. And exactly like my memories of our mother, Eira Snow. The only real differences were the hard glint in Bria’s blue eyes and her tight, remote features. Both were more pronounced in person than they’d been in the picture. Bria’s beauty was a cold, guarded one. An elemental Ice queen come to life in every sense of the word.

For a moment, I wondered if I was losing my mind. If I was already dead, and this was just some sort of bizarre dream or final wish fulfillment before the powers that be shipped me off to Hades. A brief, tantalizing glimpse of what I wanted to see most, only to be taken away as quickly as it had appeared.

I drew in a ragged breath and had to spit out another mouthful of warm, slick, coppery blood before it choked me. No, not a dream. A dream wouldn’t hurt this much.

Bria, my baby sister, the one I’d thought was dead for the past seventeen years, the one I’d thought I’d inadvertently killed with my Ice and Stone magic, was here, crouching right in front of me. And all I could do was just stare at her.

Read reviews of:

Spider's Bite

Web of Lies

Venom

Book Summary:

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.

Available at Book Depository (print).

Elemental Assassin Books 1 and 2:

Buy Spider's Bite.

Buy Web of Lies.

Let's not forget the giveaway that's going on. You may also enter the giveaway by making a comment here in this post or by asking Jennifer a question.

And tomorrow, Jennifer will tell us more about the Elemental Assassin series and other stuff. See ya!

REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Venom by Jennifer Estep

 
ISBN 9781439148013

Series: Elemental Assassin, Book 3

Genre: Urban Fantasy

(c) September 2010, Simon and Schuster
Jennifer Estep's website

Rating: 4 stars

Available in Book Depository (print)

Jennifer Estep's third book in her Elemental Assassin series flows and sweeps you up into Gin's adventures without effort, immersing you into her heroine's world until you couldn't bear to tear yourself away and you couldn't help but sigh when you reached the last page. Because you want more.

Gin Blanco is the renowned assassin the Spider, but she has already retired from the profession. Unfortunately, her previous hits caught up with her, and she was beaten near to death in the campus grounds where she was taking up courses in night school. Coming face to face with her family's murderer (the wealthy and powerful Fire Elemental Mab Monroe) made Gin resolve to avenge her mother's and older sister's deaths. Add to that the complication of teaching a certain giant some much-needed lessons, discovering that her baby sister Bria was still alive and a new love interest in the form of one hunky businessman called Owen Grayson, Gin didn't have time enough to draw a deep breath before she was plunged once again into another action-packed, spine-tingling adventure.

Gin is really Genevieve Snow, an Elemental who could control both Ice and Stone, something rare. Most elementals could only control one element, but Gin inherited Ice from her mother and Stone from her father. She may be an assassin, but Gin is not the stereotypical cold and ruthless person that comes to mind when one learns of the nature of her profession. No, Gin has heart, and she values good friends and family. She also lives by her own code of honor. She pays her dues, and even gives more than what is required of her. For justice, to protect the weak and to teach the villainous giant that his lawless ways were over. Oh, and if this meant shaking the foundation of Mab Monroe's empire, so much the better. Not only that, but Gin is also one mean cook. Now, what man couldn't help but fall for her?

But Gin has been hurt in the past by Detective Donovan Caine who couldn't accept that she was an assassin, whose own code/morals couldn't align with hers. Nothing wrong with that, but it just meant that should they continue on, nothing good would come of their relationship. So the detective left. And now there was Owen, a prominent businessman whose reputation could be hurt by associating with her. Gin's past experience and logical thinking made her cautious and wary about giving her heart to the keeping of another, especially someone who didn't know all there was to know about Gin Blanco--the assassin Spider and the elemental who was on Mab Monroe's hit list. Sex? Heck, yes. Love? Wait and see.

Then there was her sister, crusading detective Bria Coolidge. Much as Gin aches to know her and build a sisterly relationship, she was afraid of how Bria would see, and consequently treat, her. Could Bria accept that Gin was an assassin? Or would she have the same reaction as Detective Caine?

Like in most urban fantasies, the romance--or almost-romance--took a backseat, with the heroine's crusading and avenging ways in the forefront, complete with action and suspense, mayhem and murder. Oh, and broken bones, battered faces, and tons and tons of healing magic.

I also find the titles to be very clever. Spider's Bite, Web of Lies, Venom and Tangled Threads (Book 4). Note how each refers to some aspect of the spider, who represents--or is--Gin.

If you've enjoyed Spider's Bite (review) and Web of Lies (review), be sure to get this book! Venom is also a stand-alone book that anyone who wants to start Gin's story here can do so without feeling as though you've missed anything. Ms. Estep gave a brief overview of Gin's background where needed, such that I didn't feel there was an information dump anywhere in the story. Though I found some of Gin's thoughts repetitive at times, it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book.

Note: This book was provided courtesy of the publisher/author.


Book Summary: 

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.

The first two books in the series:

Buy Spider's Bite.
Buy Web of Lies.

Jennifer Estep will be dropping by the blog from September 13 to 15, so if you've any comments or questions for her, now would be the time to ask.

Time for the awesome giveaway!

Jennifer is giving away a copy of Venom to one lucky commenter! US/Canada only, no P.O. Boxes.

How to Enter (Basic Requirement):

Comment here or in the next posts (until September 15) by:

1. Asking Jennifer any question, or

2. Answering this question: If you were given the choice to possess one of the major elemental powers (Air, Fire, Ice and Stone), which would you choose? Why?

Note: No question/answer = no chance to win 

Additional Chances to Win: 

1. Each time you spread news of this contest (via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, your blog, etc) earns you one point as well. Be sure to come back and give us the link of your tweet or announcement.

2. Follow us! Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Good Reads. Each "follow" earns you one point. (Old followers are automatically entered.) 

Contest Duration: September 13 to 15, 1159 pm EST 

Contest Winner Announcement: September 16 

The winner will be selected via Randomizer.org. Please send your name and mailing address to caroletrr(@)gmail.com, so be sure to come back and check because we won't hunt you down. If we don't receive the email within twenty-four hours, a new winner will be chosen.

REVIEW: Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep

ISBN 9781439147993

Series: Elemental Assassin, Book 2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

(c) May 2010, Pocket

Jennifer Estep's Website

Rating: 4 stars

Available at Book Depository (print).

Gin is the infamous Spider, the most dangerous and ruthless assassin in the South. In her last assignment, her mentor was murdered and she was framed for his death. Gin was able to take her revenge and prove her innocence. At the end of the book 1 (Spider's Bite, our review here), Gin decides to retire and take ownership of the Pork Pit but in Web of Lies we find that not even the Spider can stay away from the danger for long. Welcome back to the web Gin, they've missed you.

Gin, a somewhat retired assassin, is going about her daily business at the Pork Pit when two punks decide to rob the wrong bbq joint. Gin can't seem to stay out of retirement these days. She decides to take on a case, pro bono, to help out Violet Fox and her Grandfather from an evil dwarf, who thinks he is a cowboy. And yes, sexy, morally self-righteous, Detective Donovan is working with Gin again.

The relationship with Donovan has become a negative aspect to this book. His constant fighting with his morals 'to be with the assassin, or not to be with the assassin' is too Anita-Richard-esque for my liking. Thankfully, Estep figured this might happen so we are introduced to a new possible love, okay lust, interest for Gin (and the reader) to enjoy: Owen Grayson. Love triangles are considered possibly over done but this one is hot, tension-filled and done just the right way.

Now that the semi-negative aspect of this book is done let's talk about when Web of Lies is at its strongest; which is when Gin is doing what she does best: going on reconnaissance, assailing magically and physically fortified buildings, and killing bad guys so egregiously evil you cheer when they hit the floor (or get run over by a car. Twice.). Estep did a wonderful job of making the reader feel like they were at Gin's side, listening to her threat assessments and problem solving. (Though there were times when Gin would finish tallying up the attributes of a giant and move on to how she was going to kill him and I was still back on, "Wait, he's 7 feet tall, he can survive a direct shotgun blast to the chest and could break your neck with one punch? And you're going to attack?! Shouldn't we talk about this?") In Gin's world, local politics is a near-constant stream of graft, murder, and exploitation, allowing the reader to support her murderous justice wholeheartedly and enjoy the mayhem that ensues.

The repetitive descriptions can cause the book to feel bogged down at times but Gin's wit, Estep's overall writing, and the fast moving plot make this one of hell of a good read. Can't wait for Venom (Elemental Assassin #3).

Reviewed by Kyle Borland

Journey of KgB 

Note: This book was provided courtesy of the publisher/author. 

Come back tomorrow for the review of Venom and a fantastic giveaway by Jennifer Estep. Jennifer will be by the blog, too, so if you've any questions for her, now is the time to ask her! 

Book Summary:

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.

True Vows, Hope Tarr, Blogfest 2010 and Jennifer Estep

Now what do True Vows, Hope Tarr, Blogfest 2010 and Jennifer Estep have in common?

We discovered them all this year!

First, True Vows. Lisa Munley of TLC Book Tours approached me in August to see if The Romance Reviews would like to be part of a book tour for an exciting new sub-genre of romance that's about to be unleashed on the market. It's True Vows, Life...Romanticized, a couple's true story of love in novel form. I was seriously wowed, floored. What a marvelous concept! How utterly fascinating and interesting!

Of course I said yes!

Let them tell you in their own words what True Vows is all about. From the True Vows website:

Introducing True Vows, a daring new series from HCI Books that will rock the romance world and redefine memoir forever. A timely new dimension and subgenre of romance, each book in the True Vows series is sexy, entertaining, inspiring, and TRUE.

Welcome to Reality-based, or RB Romance™ where the inspiration of each novel is ripped from the headlines and based on personal interviews with real couples whose love stories read like the best in romantic fiction. Esteemed authors Judith Arnold, Alison Kent, and Julie Leto are beloved story-tellers whose distinctive styles have won them large and loyal followings.  Readers trust them to deliver compelling, page-turning reads, and beginning this fall romance readers will not be disappointed. They will be captivated by the unexpected—an experience that transcends anything that’s ever been offered in the genre before.

When fantasy meets reality anything can happen. Believe it. It’s true.

Want to see your story in book form someday? Submit your story.

Here are the first three books in this sub-genre:

I've read Meet Me in Manhattan and it's amazing! You really don't want to miss this. My stop on the blog tour will be on September 20, which will feature my review, so drop by then. I'll also be having a giveaway of these three books (one winner only).

Other information you might want to know:

Blog Tour info from September to November - Blog Tour starts on Sept 6!

More about True Vows

Chapter Giveaways

Submit your story

Hope Tarr will be visiting the blog on September 8 and 9, and will be sponsoring a giveaway! International! So drop by and come bearing questions! She loves them. ;)

The Romance Reviews is having a Blogfest party from September 10 - 12! The following prizes up for grabs (International), 3 winners:

Larissa Ione - Sin Undone
Joanna Bourne - The Forbidden Rose

Nalini Singh - Play of Passion

Check for the post on September 10 for the instructions to enter the giveaway!

Jennifer Estep will visit the blog from September 13 to 15, and we're also having a giveaway of Elemental Assassin #3 -- Venom, Jennifer's newest release! Check out our review of Spider's Bite. The reviews for Web of Lies and Venom coming soon!

REVIEW: Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep

ISBN 1439147973  
Series: Elemental Assassin, Book 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
(c) January 2010, Pocket Books

Jennifer Estep's website

Rating: 4 stars

Available at Book Depository (print) 

Gin Blanco is known as the Spider, an untouchable assassin for hire who kills people for the right price. She kills those who prey on the innocent and makes certain they will never hurt anyone ever again. Gin is an Elemental who has control over the elements of stone and ice, and in dangerous crunch times she can use her powers if need be. But Gin prefers to use old fashioned weapons, like knives, to hit her mark.

Gin covers up her real job with a part-time one as a cook for the Pork Pit which serves the best barbecue in Ashland, the fictional southern metropolis where Spider’s Bite takes place. The Pork Pit is run by Fletcher Lane, the man who saved Gin when her family was killed when she was thirteen. He raised her as his own daughter and taught her all the tricks of the assassin trade, which she puts to use to become the most sought after assassin east of the Mississippi.

Gin longs for the chance to take a vacation, but Fletcher has a job that is just too good to pass up. Who could say no to the sweet siren call of five million dollars? She is paid to take out Gordon Giles, a local businessman who has been embezzling money from a powerful fire elemental named Mab Monroe, who runs the Ashland underworld and pretty much the mundane world too.

It should’ve been a quick “hit it and quit it”, to quote James Brown.

The job, which was to be done at the Ashland Opera house, goes awry, starting with the presence of Detective Donovan Caine. He was obsessed with exacting revenge on the assassin who killed his partner…and that assassin just so happens to be Gin. She is also attacked by a fellow assassin who was hired to kill her after she killed Gordon Giles and barely makes it out of the opera house with her life. She runs back to the Pork Pit only to find Fletcher flayed alive and laying in a pool of his own blood. Gin runs to save Finn, Fletcher’s son, before he is killed and they disappear. This is personal and Gin won’t rest until the people who have done this pay.

The web, pun intended, of drama continues when the people responsible for killing Fletcher and going after Gin and Finn went after Detective Caine as well. Gin saves him and introduces him to her world and most importantly herself. This brings one of the most interesting aspects of the book to life: the relationship between Caine and Gin. The lust is instantaneous. Gin wastes no time letting the reader know how her body responds to Caine. One of the first descriptions we hear about him is “I wonder if he holds himself with so much confidence in the bedroom…I bet he does. I wish I knew first hand.”

Caine on the other hand is fighting with the two halves of himself: the half that wants to turn Gin, The Spider, in to justice for killing his partner (a dirty cop) and the half that has those dark desires of a man who aches for a woman like Gin.

The world that Estep creates, or the slice of the world that Gin and her cohorts inhabit at least, is full and richly detailed. I loved the way she went about developing her idea of a world inhabited by Elementals, vampires, giants, dwarves, etc. The different types of Elemental magic: Ice, Stone, Air, and Fire (the big four) are well described and each has its advantages and its weaknesses over the other three. The world works very well and each supernatural aspect was crafted in a way like it was meant to be part of Estep’s world, thanks to her vivid descriptions and attention to detail. 

Sometimes Estep breached the line of 'telling' not 'showing', especially in the beginning as Gin explained the mechanics of magic users, elementals and everything not fully human in between, but as the book went on Estep grew more confident in letting Gin's narration and insights color her surroundings. The story is told from Gin's POV, and she admits (many times) that she leans more towards the pragmatic amoral gray side of life, so the tone of the book is darker than if it was told from a third person standpoint. 

From graphic fight scenes and assassinations to steamy scenes of lust that get the most liberal of folk heated, Spider’s Bite is a must read for any Urban Fantasy fan. A great start to a great series.

Well done Mrs. Estep, well done.

Reviewed by Kyle
Journey of KgB


Book Summary:

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.

Note: This book was provided by the publisher/author for review.