Interview + Giveaway: Spartan Promise by Jennifer Estep (@Jennifer_Estep)

UFI welcomes Author Jennifer Estep. Thanks for Joining us!!

How do you select the names of your characters?
JE: For my main heroines, I try to come up with a name that I think reflects their personality or that ties into the plot, setting, etc. For example, in SPARTAN PROMISE, Rory’s last name is Forseti, who is the Norse god of justice, among other things.

So I thought giving Rory the last name of Forseti would tie in with the overall mythology theme of the Mythos world, as well as Rory’s quest to bring her parents’ killer to justice.

But for KILL THE QUEEN, I kind of went about things in a different way. I knew that I wanted my heroine to have the nickname of Evie, since she goes undercover at a gladiator troupe. Then I worked backwards from there, trying to figure out what her full name would be, and I eventually decided on Everleigh.

So how I choose the names varies, depending on the book and the characters.


What is your favorite childhood book?

JE: One of my all-time favorite books is BEAUTY by Robin McKinley. It’s a lovely retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.

I also loved reading the Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley High, Nancy Drew, and tons of other books when I was a kid.


Which character in SPARTAN PROMISE (or the entire series) was your favorite to write about?

JE: I always have a lot of fun with the secondary characters, like Babs, Rory’s talking sword. I love coming up with characters like Babs (and Vic, Gwen’s talking sword from the original Mythos series) who are larger than life and have these really strong personalities.


What about the hardest to write about?

JE: I always think that it’s a challenge to write the villains, especially Covington, who is my main villain in the Mythos spinoff series. You want the villain to have their own goals, motivations, and personality quirks, but you also have to show how at odds he is with the heroine and how he is truly a bad guy. So that can sometimes be a tough balancing act.


What Other Projects can we look forward to reading from you?

JE: WINTER’S WEB, Elemental Assassin novella #17.5, will be out on March 12. WINTER’S WEB takes place after the events of VENOM IN THE VEINS, book #17, and features Gin and the gang going to a renaissance faire. WINTER’S WEB first appeared in the SEASONS OF SORCERY anthology in 2018.

PROTECT THE PRINCE, book #2 in my Crown of Shards epic fantasy series, will be out on July 2. I hope everyone enjoys reading Evie’s next adventure.

I’m also working on the next Mythos Academy spinoff and Elemental Assassin books, although I don’t have release dates for those yet. I’m also mulling over an idea for a new series.

Also, for those folks who are interested in checking out the Mythos Academy spinoff series, SPARTAN HEART, book #1, is on sale for $2.99 through Jan. 31.

Thanks for hosting me on your blog. Happy reading, everyone! ☺

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Jennifer Estep is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea.

Jennifer writes the Mythos Academy spinoff young adult urban fantasy series. Spartan Promise, book #2, was released on Jan. 15.

Jennifer is also the author of the Elemental Assassin, Crown of Shards, Bigtime, and Black Blade fantasy series.

Find Jennifer and her books

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Spartan Promise
Mythos Academy: Colorado #2
 Amazon  BN  Apple  Kobo  Google Play   Smashwords

Hunting for the bad guys has never been so dangerous . . .

My name is Rory Forseti, and I attend the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy, a school of warrior kids, powerful artifacts, and mythological monsters.

I’m a student, a fierce Spartan warrior, and a member of Team Midgard, a group of kids and adults tasked with stopping the evil Reapers of Chaos. There is one Reaper I’m determined to hunt down above all others: Covington, the man who murdered my parents.

So when the Midgard gets a tip that Covington is going to try to steal a dangerous artifact, I’m ready to fight. But the situation is far more complicated than it seems, and the Reapers aren’t my only enemies.

I’ll have to use all my Spartan strength and skills to survive this. And even then, it might be my blood that gets spilled . . .

 SPARTAN HEART ON SALE FOR $2.99:
SPARTAN HEART, Mythos Academy spinoff #1:

@AmazonKindle: http://amzn.to/2yJSI9W
@BNBuzz @nookBN: http://tinyurl.com/y8b9c2o5
@AppleBooks: http://tinyurl.com/ya84jd4d
@GooglePlay: http://tinyurl.com/y9ydqvf8
@Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/ybpl4tgt
@Smashwords: http://tinyurl.com/ybb6fqke 
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