Interview & Giveaway: Jennifer Estep

UFI welcomes Jennifer Estep Author of Mythos Academy, Elemental Assassin and Bigtime. Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking onyour bio or reading in another interview?

JE: Well, I’m a total geek. I love mythology, fairy tales, superhero stories, spy thrillers, and more, and I like playing Dungeons & Dragons and other games. Football is my favorite sport. I love the James Bond books and movies, watch way too much TV, and wish that I had more time to read. Some of my favorite musicians include Jimmy Buffett and The Killers. I also like to make people laugh, whether they are reading my books or talking to me in real life.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

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

What is your favorite part of writing?

JE: Finishing the latest book I’m working on. LOL. It always gives me a sense of accomplishment (and relief!) when I can type “The End” on a manuscript. I let myself enjoy the feeling for a few days before moving on and starting work on my next project.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

JE: I have a system that works for me. I’m a panster so I don’t really do detailed outlines, character sketches, or anything like that. Instead, I just think about my main heroine, her magic, and how she can defeat the bad guys with it, then I sit down and start writing.

I try to write about 2,000 to 3,000 words a day until I have a rough draft of about 50,000 words or so. That takes a couple of weeks. Then, I let the draft sit for a few weeks before going back to it and seeing if the story, characters, etc. hold together and what changes I might need to make. Then, I start working on my second draft, adding in more description, dialogue, action, etc. I do that a couple of times until the book is the best that I can make it and about 95,000 words or so (or about 90,000 words if I’m writing a young adult book).

I also need quiet to write, and I don’t listen to music or anything like that when I’m working on a book.

What are some of your favorite books or authors in the urban fantasy/paranormal genres?

JE: There are so many great books for adults and young adults in the urban fantasy and paranormal genres. It’s a great time to be a fan of the genres right now.

Some of my favorite young adult books are Graceling by Kristin Cashore; The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; Beastly by Alex Flinn; and Beauty by Robin McKinley.

As far as adult urban fantasy/paranormal authors and series go, I like the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole. I also like fantasy authors like Alex Bledsoe, David Eddings, Scott Lynch, and many, many others.

How would you pitch The Mythos Academy series to someone who has not heard of it before?

JE: I would say that the Mythos Academy series features myths, magic, monsters, and mean girls.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the series is set in?

JE: The series focuses 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.

So the world is mythology-based, and the two main gods featured are Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, and Loki, the Norse trickster god. Nike, Loki, and their followers have been locked in battle for centuries, and Gwen soon finds herself in the thick of things.

Do you have a favorite scene in KISS OF FROST?

JE: I really like the scenes with Gwen, my heroine, and Logan Quinn, the cute Spartan guy that she has a crush on. Logan knows how Gwen feels about him, and he seems to care about her too, but he’s dating another girl in Kiss of Frost. There’s one scene where Gwen and Logan argue about their feelings for each other that I like a lot and hope that readers will too. I also really like the big fight scene between Gwen and the Reaper bad guy near the end of the book.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

JE: I enjoyed writing Vic, Gwen’s talking sword, who is really bloodthirsty and determined to kill Reapers of Chaos, the bad guys. Vic says some outrageous things, and he’s full of opinions and attitude. He was a lot of fun for me to write.

I would say the hardest character to write was Nickamedes, the head librarian at the Library of Antiquities. Nickamedes is a character who’s a stickler for following the rules. He’s not a villain per se, but he and Gwen don’t really get along. Sometimes, I think it’s harder writing a character your heroine dislikes rather than a villain who’s out to destroy her.

What other projects can we look forward to reading from you?

JE: Dark Frost, the third book in the Mythos Academy series, will be out in June 2012. Crimson Frost, the fourth book, is tentatively scheduled to be published in January 2013. Right now, I’m under contract for six books in the series.

Visit www.jenniferestep.com for free short stories, excerpts, and more. Happy reading, everyone! ;-)

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Jennifer Estep writes 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. 

Touch of Frost, the first book in the series, was published today, July 26. First Frost, a prequel e-story to the series, is available now as a 99-cent download. Kiss of Frost, the second book, will hit shelves on Nov. 29. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more information.

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Find Jennifer and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Kiss of Frost
Mythos Academy #2
November 29, 2011

Logan Quinn was try­ing to kill me. My Spar­tan class­mate relent­lessly pur­sued me, swing­ing his sword at me over and over again, the shin­ing sil­ver blade inch­ing closer to my throat every time. A smile tugged up his lips, and his ice-blue eyes prac­ti­cally glowed with the thrill of battle...

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

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Update to Piper Maitland Post from 11/25

Due to some untimely computer issues and it being around a holiday I did not receive Piper's Guest post for her 11/25 post date. I have since received Pipers Guest Post and have updated the original post. You can now read and enjoy A Different Look at the Mythology of Vampirism

Review: Watched by Sharde Richardson

Watched
Author:Sharde Richardson
Release Date: May 30, 2011
Publisher: Jolt
Watched Book #1
ISBN:   0983149801
ISBN13: 9780983149804
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source- Teen Book Scene

Mikayla doesn't want much: just to rock out to her favorite band, become the next Kwiki Stop video gaming champion, and keep her Q-tip habit under control. What she does want is the sight of the sudden inexplicable dark auras around everyone to stop. Problem is, those auras are demons and Mikayla is the last trait holder with the power to ban them. Which is a total buzz kill.To make matters worse, the town folk of Sulphur Springs don't look the same, and her classmates are a little dark in the eyes. There are murders, suicides, reckless skinny-dipping, gratuitous use of Q-tips, and newfound powers that Mikayla must learn to control.
Her past becomes present when a shape-shifter tells her what her true identity is, and how to keep the demons of Hell from nipping at her Converse. Through him she'll discover who to trust, who to kiss, and how valuable her abilities are to the right beings. Because the evils of Hell aren't staying down without a fight...
Or without her soul.

Mikayla is an average girl that doesn't remember anything before she woke up alone in a hospital room at the age of 13. On what she thinks is her Seventeenth (which she finds out later is really her Eighteenth) Birthday she is attacked and almost killed after ice skating at night by herself and from the moment she again wakes up in a hospital room her life is not the same.

I found Mikayla to be annoyingly stubborn at a lot of turns and it made me want to knock her upside the head and tell her to open her eyes and cut the crap. She put things off because she didn't want to believe them which ended up making things worse. After everything she has been through in the book some of the easiest most logical things were the hardest for her to digest. Like I said, annoyingly stubborn. I like Lucas, he is mysterious, dangerous and all around knight in wolf armor. He is Mikayla's Sentry and wants to keep her safe even though Mikayla does everything to make it difficult. There isn't any romance in WATCHED but I'm hoping the next book will get into a more romantic state between the two of them.  I enjoyed finding out the secrets that were Mikayla and her past. I was a little frustrated at times that more wasn't revealed. Even at the end of the book there is still a ton of mystery and not a lot of answers. Even after saying that I still found the book fascinating and want to know more about Mikayla, her skills, her past and where she goes next with hopefully Lucas by her side.

I gave it 3/5 stars

New Releases Nov 27- Dec 3

Tues Nov 29

Acquainted with the Night by Piper Maitland

Angel of Darkness (The Fallen, #1) by Cynthia Eden

Fate's Edge (The Edge, #3) by Ilona Andrews

Hunter of Shadows (Moonlight, #5) by Nancy Gideon
Killing Rites (The Black Sun's Daughter, #4) by M.L.N. Hanover

Kiss of Frost (Mythos Academy, #2) by Jennifer Estep

Legend (Legend, #1) by Marie Lu

Vampires Dead Ahead (Night Tracker, #5) by Cheyenne McCray

Virtual Virgin (Delilah Street, #5) by Carole Nelson Douglas

Within the Flames (Dirk & Steele, #11) by Marjorie M. Liu

Let me know if you see something missing or see a mistake. Happy Reading =)

Interview & Giveaway: Marjorie Liu

UFI welcomes Author Marjorie Liu . Thanks for Joining us!!

What can you tell my readers about yourself that they might not know from looking on your bio or reading in another interview?

That’s always the hardest question for me to answer, because despite my presence on Twitter and my blog, I’m a rather private person. Also, I just can’t imagine I’m all that interesting. I knit, sometimes. I like to cook. But that’s not terribly exciting.

What do you enjoy doing on your down time?

The danger of this answer is that if I don’t elaborate it all sounds like a cliché, but what I love is to read, travel, and just putter around the house. Really, whatever strikes my fancy. That’s the beautiful part of making my own hours.

What is your Favorite part of writing?

There’s a burst of excitement and emotional resonance that hits when you start writing a book or short story. It’s a rush, some kind of high, centered right in your heart. Like falling in love, maybe.

Do you have any certain routines you must follow as you write?

None. The most important thing is to just sit down at the computer and set the wheels in motion.

What are some of your Favorite books or Authors in the Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Genres?

I love so many. Just to name a few: Eve Silver and Lynn Viehl; Clay and Susan Griffith; Lynn Kurland; Patricia Briggs; and Laini Taylor.

How would you pitch the Dirk & Steele series to someone who has not heard of it before?

A detective agency filled with creatures out of legend – mermen, gargoyles, shape- shifters, psychics – use their gifts to protect others from powerful forces of evil.

Can you tell us a little bit about the world that the series is set in?

It’s the same as our contemporary world, but with a magical underbelly that most people aren’t aware exists.

Do you have a favorite scene in Within the Flames?

I actually enjoyed myself while writing this book, which makes it difficult to pick out a single favorite scene. I can tell you, though, which scene was the hardest to work out – and that’s when Eddie and the heroine, Lyssa, meet for the first time. First meetings in my romance novels are always difficult to write, because so much rides on that initial chemistry. This time was no different.

Which character was your favorite to write about? What about the hardest to write about?

Again, I’m a sucker for Eddie…but the heroine, Lyssa, who is a dragon shape-shifter, might beat him in the race for my favorite character to write about in this novel. Her vulnerability and strength, her fear of hurting others…spoke to me during the creation of the novel. She endures a terrible amount of isolation because she doesn’t believe she’s strong enough to control her own dangerous strength – and that lack of confidence in one so powerful fascinates me.

Within the Flames is the 11th book in the series. Have you found it harder or easier to write the books as the series gets longer?

That depends on the characters. Eddie and Lyssa’s story wasn’t nearly as difficult to tell as Dean and Miri’s (from The Red Heart of Jade), but Dela and Hari in Tiger Eye were probably the easiest of all to write, so far. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because it was the first book, and there was no pressure.

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

Besides the comic books (X-23, at the moment), which are released monthly, the next Hunter Kiss urban fantasy novel will hit shelves at the end of December. The Mortal Bone opens with Maxine celebrating her recent marriage – a celebration that lasts until tragedy befalls her. The ‘boys’ – demons who live on her skin as tattoos – are suddenly ripped away, bonds broken, leaving her defenseless and heartbroken. Zee and the demons are not just weapons, they’re family – and Maxine is forced to question whether or not their bonds of family are real, based in love – or just the product of their forced imprisonment on her skin.

To celebrate The Mortal Bone my publisher is releasing one of the Hunter Kiss novellas, “Armorof Roses”, as an e-special – bundling it with an original, never-before-published short story told from Grant’s point of view.

Grant, for those unfamiliar with the series, is Maxine’s husband – a man who has his own unique powers that he still struggles to control. His origins, too, remain a mystery. He’s not from this world.

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I was born around Philadelphia, spent my formative years in Seattle, and now reside in the Midwest. I went to Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, for my undergraduate studies, majoring in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a minor in Biomedical Ethics. I then attended law school at the University of Wisconsin, graduated in May 2003, and was admitted to the bar a couple weeks after. I loved law school. Did not like being a lawyer. Which is why I decided to become a writer.
I’ve studied and traveled extensively through Asia, and spent some time working at the US Embassy in Beijing. I love to read, I love to write, but what I love best of all is proving to myself that dreams do come true.
Oh, and I like poodles. And cats.

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Find Marjorie and her books

Website / Twitter / Facebook

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Within the Flames
Dirk & Steele #11
November 29, 2011

Eddie is a pyrokinetic, a former car thief, and an agent of Dirk & Steele. He’s also recovering from a terrible illness that nearly killed him, and destroyed almost all his hard-won control over his powers. When he’s asked to go to New York City to investigate a string of murders, Eddie’s reluctant until he learns he’s also to search out a young woman who they suspect has similar powers over fire.

Lyssa is a shape-shifter, on the run for nearly a decade since her family was murdered. Afraid of hurting others with her wild flashes of power and magic, and in hiding from those who killed her loved ones, she has kept to the shadows living in the old tunnels beneath the streets of New York City. But when some of the homeless in her territory begin disappearing, Lyssa can’t let that slide. As she begins to look into the disappearances, she learns that her magical hunters are closing in, only this time, they’ve got help. And Lyssa has no one at all.

Until Eddie finds her. Uncertain she can trust him, Lyssa nonetheless finds herself drawn to Eddie, who offers not just his protection and friendship, but training in the use of her gift. But the price is steep. Being near her makes him a target. And not just him, but the entire Dirk & Steele agency.

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Week in Review 11/20-11/26

Books Ive Bought/received

*Surrender by Lee Nichols- Signed- For blog tour review

* Everneath by Brodi Ashton- Arc- From Shelfawareness

* Beauty Dates the Beast by Jessica Sims- ? Not sure exactly why I got this, probably for review? 




Books I read

Watched by Sharde Richardson
Surrender by Lee Nichols
Revenge is Sweet by Misty Evans

Reviews posted


Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews
Killing Rites by M.L.N. Hanover
Cold Fire by Kate Elliott

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?


* A promo post with Giveaway went up Friday for Acquainted with the Night by Piper Maitland

* I hope everyone that celebrates Thanksgiving had a fantastic day.

* Want to Swap books with me?

*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Promotional Post & Giveaway: Piper Maitland

UFI Welcomes Piper Maitland Author of Acquainted With the Night

A Different Look at the Mythology of Vampirism

When I was a tiny girl, I watched Dracula on The Late, Late Show, and I got so scared, I slept with a crucifix and garlic pods. I’m not kidding. I felt safe in daylight, but I kept a stash of holy water in my bedroom drawer, just in case I ran into an immortal. For years, until I discovered boys, I thought vampires might exist, and I wasn’t taking chances.

Years later, when I was working on Acquainted With the Night, I wanted to address the myths—the blood drinking, the aversion to crosses, shape-shifting, and the inability to walk in sunlight—and give them a biological foundation.

The main character in AWTN, Caro Clifford, didn’t believe in vampires until her beloved uncle was murdered at an archeological dig site in southern Bulgaria:

One week ago, Caro’s biggest problem had been juggling her tour guiding job. Now her uncle was dead, the Kardzhali police thought she’d murdered a man, and she was stuck in a  town with (maybe, possibly) vampires and a mad (but mortal) scientist named Jude.

“Isn’t there another explanation for the blood drinking?” she asked. “Like porphyria?”

“No, it’s vampirism,” Jude said.

“I’ve been bitten once,” Caro said. “In horror movies, it takes three bites, and that’s it, you become a vampire. So I’ve got two more bites to go, and I’ll turn into a ghoul?”

“It’s not the number of bites. It’s the number of stem cells that pass from the vampire’s body into yours. And how your immune system reacts.”

Caro shuddered. Best-case scenario: Somebody was making people act like vampires, and a crazy man was trying to protect her from them.

My vampires can venture outside on overcast days, but they must wear sunblock and protective gear—and they can’t stay outside for extended periods. Their immune systems are hyperactive. Their ketonin is sensitive to ultra-violet rays, and any direct exposure to the sun will cause second and third degree burns. Also, light affects the eyes; it causes corneal abrasions— even blindness.

I have a BS in nursing. Years ago, I was a chemotherapy nurse. Now, I write full time, and I’ve lost my medical edge. Fortunately, I live with two scientists—a physician and a biochemist. Our dinner table conversations center around cloning, stem cells, MRSA, and H1N1. When we’re around our medical friends, the talk often turns to the future of science—and also
 the history of diseases. For a writer, this is great fodder for a paranormal novel.

Early on, I decided that I wanted to honor the myths, but I also wanted to give them a twist. Like most predators, the vamps in AWTN have a biological edge. They are physically attractive. Their brains are more developed than a human’s—some are quite gifted with telepathy. They are physically superior. They run faster, never become ill, and heal at an extraordinary rate.

Jude Barrett is a biochemist—a book nerd and vampire hunter. He’d worked at a pharmaceutical company in Yorkshire:

“I harvested stem cells from mouse embryos,” he said. “The marrow is a rich site for hematopoietic stem cells. I made them grow into anything I wanted—skin, muscles, nervous tissues, livers I also induced mutations, which corrupted the genetic code. The mutated mice grew into adults. They were aggressive. Sensitive to light. Wouldn’t eat or drink—except they craved blood. The mutated mice bit the normal ones. Within hours, the bitten mice became like the others. I thought it was a virus. So I sedated the mice and took biopsies from various organs. I examined the tissues under the microscope. Nothing seemed out of order, except the specimens were loaded with stem cells.”

But that’s not all. Every part of a vampire’s physiology is significant. They possess a unique hidrosis, which is the Greek word for perspiration. They emit an odor—some smell of ketones and others smell like menthol. It’s not a pheromone, but it mimics one. The odor affects a human’s brain chemistry, relaxing their muscles and generating a sense of calmness. It also has a bit of an aphrodisiac effect. This is, of course, helps them subdue their prey.

Here, Jude explains it to Caro:

“It’s similar to a terpene,” Jude said. “I’m sure you’ve heard of Nepetalactone?”

“Catnip?” Father Aeneas asked.

Jude nodded.

“That would explain the aphrodisiac effect,” Father Aeneas said.

“But my tabby was immune to catnip,” Caro said. “Uncle Nigel was always setting out little herb-filled toys for Dinah. She ignored them.”

Jude touched his nose. “Perhaps she lacked the olfactory receptor. Some felines have it, some don’t. It’s genetic.”

Caro smiled. “What does bat-nip do to humans?”

Jude’s face went slack, as if he was offended by the comment. “It depends on the concentration,” he said. “In large quantities, the molecule causes sedation and numbness, followed by euphoria and hypersensitivity.”

“But I thought a vampire’s saliva had a toxin—one that caused paralysis in its prey.” Caro wiggled her fingers, remembering how they had gone numb after she’d been bitten. “Surely I wasn’t anesthetized from breathing these souped-up ketones.”

“I agree with Caroline,” Father Aeneas said. “If the catnip theory is true, then people would faint whenever they got near a vampire. Sidewalks and train stations would be filled with paralyzed humans.”

Jude lowered his eyebrows, flashing his I’m-Not-Good-at-Explanations look. “When the chemical is excreted by a vampire’s sweat glands, it evaporates and diffuses into the air and becomes less potent,” he said, his clipped, controlled voice barely containing his passion for science. “If humans inhale it, they feel relaxed. But it’s fleeting. A high concentration of this molecule is found in a vampire’s blood and saliva. That’s why Caro was temporarily paralyzed. She was prey. And predators are made for survival. They stalk, pounce, restrain, and feed.”

“Why don’t vampires succumb to their own chemical?” Caro asked. “Why doesn’t it paralyze them?”

“Is a spider killed by its own venom? Jude lifted one eyebrow. “An effective predator isn’t harmed by its own methods of predation.”

Of course, I added more to the mythology. I wanted to explain why vampires are so attractive to prey. As an example, I compared them to cone shells (Conidae are very beautiful, but they’re also toothed and impale their prey, infusing them with venom). I also explain the origin of vampirism by comparing it to the emergence of Methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus Aurea—better known as MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant bug.

“I’ve been thinking of ways to explain the science of vampirism,” Jude told Caro.

A shy grin flitted across his lips, as if he were giving her a bouquet of wildflowers instead of simplified information about stem cells. She hid her smile by taking a sip of tea..

“To create a strain, all you need is a petri dish filled with staphylococcus,” Jude said. “Add penicillin. It will kill ninety-nine percent of the staph. Take the surviving one percent and culture them. You now have bacteria that are resistant to penicillin. Actually, the bacterium’s resistance is a defense mechanism. If you put the penicillin-resistant strain into a petri dish and apply erythromycin, the antibiotic will kill a majority of the bacteria. Culture the survivors, and you have an organism that’s resistant to penicillin and erythromycin. If you repeat this process ad infinitum, adding various antibiotics, you will eventually create a superior organism—one that’s resistant to all antibiotics. And it’s indestructible.”

“You’re saying vampirism evolved like MRSA?” Caro set down her teacup harder than she’d intended and it clapped against the saucer.

“It’s evolution. Survival of the fittest. Vampires began in small numbers and multiplied. They’re adaptive. Strong, hard to kill. And they destroy the competing organism. Also, they’re still evolving.”

“Into what?”

“We’ll have to wait and see. If we’re still around.”

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Piper Maitland lives on a Tennessee farm with her family. She is the author of the vampire thriller, Acquainted With the Night (Berkley/November 2011). She is currently working on the sequel, A Requiem for Daylight. Piper has also written novels under the name Michael Lee West.

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Find Piper and her books

Website / Facebook / Twitter

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Acquainted with the Night
Night Book #1
 November 29, 2011

The pages of history are written in the blood of the undead…
A woman’s quest for the truth…
A medieval icon that holds the clues…
An ancient book with the power to shake Christianity—and humanity itself…

Caroline Clifford’s bland life as a London tour guide flips upside down when her beloved uncle is brutally murdered at a Bulgarian archeological site. While traveling to recover his remains, she meets a man who corresponded with her uncle. Jude Barrett is a biochemist on a mission—to eradicate the world of vampires…
At first, Caro is dismissive of Jude’s beliefs, but she can’t ignore the signs around her—the human bites on her uncle, the strange men following her, the anguished cries after sundown. Strange anagrams on her uncle’s passport lead her and Jude to a cliff-top monastery in Greece, where a shattering revelation connects a relic Caro inherited from her parents to an age-old text on immortality—and an enigmatic prophecy that pits the forces of darkness and light in a showdown that could destroy them all…

Acquainted with evil…

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