Deadly Sting Blog Tour: Interview & Giveaway with Jennifer Estep

Today we are interviewing author Jennifer Estep. Welcome to The Book Vixen Jennifer!

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The Book Vixen: How did you come up with Gin's names (Gin Blanco, Genevieve Snow, and the Spider)?

Jennifer Estep: A lot of my character names just sort of pop into my head as I’m writing, and I think that’s what happened with Gin and some of her names. One of the reasons I decided on Gin for her main name was that I originally thought that all the books would have the word “Gin” in the title, like Bitter Gin, Cold Gin, Gin and Tonic, etc. Of course, that didn’t happen, and we ended up using spider-related titles instead, but I still think that Gin was the right name for Gin.

The Book Vixen: Where do you get inspiration for the Elemental Assassin world and its components?

Jennifer Estep: I’ve always loved reading about assassin characters in fantasy books. Assassins can be everything from cold to calculating to crazy, and it seems like there are so many different stories that you can tell with them. One day, I thought it would be cool to write my own assassin character with my own magic/world building. So that’s what I did, and that was sort of the start of the Elemental Assassin series.

The Book Vixen: Why did you pick the South to set the series in? Are you from the area?

Jennifer Estep: I am from the South. People always say write what you know, so it just seemed natural to write a book with a Southern flavor to it. Plus, I thought it would be an interesting backdrop for my characters.

The Book Vixen: Who is your favorite secondary character in the series? Your favorite villain?

Jennifer Estep: Finnegan Lane is probably my favorite secondary character. He’s just so unabashedly greedy. He’s a lot of fun for me to write. I’ve enjoyed writing all of my villains, but Elektra LaFleur was one of my favorites, because she was like an evil version of Gin. That was a lot of fun for me to write too.

The Book Vixen: When you first started writing this series, did you know where it was going to end up?

Jennifer Estep: I had the first general story arc with Gin and Mab Monroe in mind, and I knew some of the things that I wanted/needed to happen in the first few books. But I’m a panster in that I don’t do a lot of detailed plots of outlines, so when I sit down to start writing, I generally know the big turning points of the book, and then I go from there. If I’m doing a story arc that spans more than one book, then I think about what needs to happen in each book that will drive the story arc forward to where I ultimately want it and the characters to go.

The Book Vixen: What has been the most challenging aspect of writing this series?

Jennifer Estep: For me, one of the most challenging things about writing is just making the time to write. Authors do so many things – social media, answering e-mails, blogging, marketing, etc. – that it can sometimes be hard to find the time to sit down and write.

The Book Vixen: What genres do you read? Who are some of your favorite authors?

Jennifer Estep: I read pretty widely in all sorts of genres – all kinds of romance and young adult books, thrillers, mysteries, spy stories, and westerns. Some of my favorite authors include Ian Fleming, Donald Westlake/Richard Stark, Robin McKinley, Lisa Kleypas, David Eddings, Robert Parker, and many others.

The Book Vixen: What are five random things readers don't know about you?

Jennifer Estep: Here are five random things that I enjoy doing: watching football, eating dessert, browsing in a library/bookstore, hanging out with friends/family, and attending book conferences.

 

Find the author online: website | blog | twitter | facebook

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Title: Deadly Sting
Series:Elemental Assassin, Book 8
Author: Jennifer Estep
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: March 26, 2013 by Pocket Books

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.

 

Read Brianna’s review of Deadly Sting.

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Thanks to Jennifer Estep, one lucky winner will receive a print copy of Deadly Sting. Good luck to all who enter!

• No purchase necessary.
• Must be 18 years old or older to enter.
• Giveaway open to US residents. Void where prohibited.
• Comments are appreciated, however, you must fill out the Rafflecopter form in order to enter this giveaway.
• Please read TBV's Giveaway Policy before entering.
• Giveaway ends 9:01 pm (Pacific Time) on 4/12/2013.

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