117) Pros and Cons by Jenna Black

The Blurb :
.As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down—but this time, her latest case leads to unexpected revelations of lies and betrayal...

My Thoughts :
Pros and Cons is an eNovella set in the Nikki Glass urban fantasy series, taking place between the events of the novels Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant.  Not yet having read Rogue Descendant, the third book in the series, I was eager to read this short story first.  It is unprecedented for me to actually read the ever so fashionable eNovella's in order but I am trying to keep on top of these things because they really do make more sense this way.  It is also a great way to catch up with a series and refresh your memory before getting into the next full length novel.
This short installment was a nice one.  It didn't focus too much on the mythological aspect of the series but more on the fact that Nikki Glass is actually a PI.  She takes on a job that seems simple and boring to only get pulled into something a lot more complicated and dark.  A great case that the author weaves into an even better story.  Of course the mythological aspect isn't totally kept out of this short installment and Nikki does get some help from a new friend.  
I really enjoyed this novella and it has made me more eager to get hold of the third book in the series.  I have always liked Jenna Black's work but this series hasn't had the huge pull that the others had.  Pros and Cons has made me wonder if I have made a mistake and left it too long between books.  Maybe I should have got hold of Rogue Descendent earlier?  With the TBR pile I have I won't be rushing out to get a copy right now but the book has certainly moved up in priority.   Must reads by this author : Morgan Kingsley Exorcist Series & The Guardians of the Night Series


  

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75) Deadly Descendant by Jenna Black

The Blurb :

As a living descendant of Artemis the Huntress, private investigator Nikki Glass knows how to track someone down. But when an Oracle shows up, warning the descendants about wild dog attacks in Washington D.C., Nikki is afraid it might be a trap. The Olympians believe the “dogs” are jackals, controlled by a blood-crazed descendant of the Egyptian death-god Anubis.

Whatever. . . . If Nikki hopes to muzzle Dogboy, she’s got to catch him in the act. But when she stakes out a local cemetery, she ends up face-to-snout with a snarling pack of shadow-jackals whose bite is worse than their bark. These hellhounds are deadly—even for an immortal like Nikki. “Dog” spelled backwards may be “god,” but that won’t stop Nikki from teaching these old gods some new tricks. Like playing dead.

My Review :

I have been following Jenna Black since her Guardian of the Nights series and really enjoy her work a lot. So when this new series started last year I couldn't wait to read the debut, Dark Descendant. To say I enjoyed it would be a understatement and I had this second part on pre-order as soon as it was available. However for some reason I put off reading it straight away. I will admit that I was a little worried that this sequel, like most sequels, wouldn't live up to my expectations. I was wrong.

Deadly Descendant finds Nikki trying to come to terms with everything that happened in Dark Descendant. Getting used to being what she is and living in a mansion is only a few of the new things in her life. So many questions and not enough answers are her main problem. So when the Oracle turns up and pulls her attention to some dog attacks, Nikki finally gets some answers. Even if they weren't the ones she wanted.

The whole concept of the series had quite a wow factor to it in the first book but this time around it just makes you kind of purr in happiness. The way the author has taken the whole mythological theme to another level and kept it completely different to the previous series that have used this aspect, for example the Dark Hunters, is just amazing. I always knew Jenna Black told a great story but I didn't realise how great she was at making something completely original.

Nikki is a special character and I feel I know her pretty well now. I like her and can't wait to spend more time with her because she isn't over dramatic or over the top. She is just your typical person who was going through life and something happened to make things more exciting and terrifying. There are no ridiculous powers and the author has kept things simple but unusual. The other characters are growing on me. I need to get to know them more but this second book really had me warming up to them. It will be interesting to see how Nikki and the rest of them develop as a team.

Great Urban Fantasy and a must read. I will look forward to the next book in the series and can't wait to see where the author takes things. If you are looking for something new and unusual then look no further. Mythology meets mystery with a good helping of action in this very cool series. Any fans of Jenna will love this new look on things.

Nikki Glass Series :

#1 - Dark Descendant
#2 - Deadly Descendant

Interview with Author Jenna Black!

This week the second Nikki Glass book, Deadly Descendant, released! Jenna Black is one of my favourite authors and I have been patiently waiting for this one. The debut in the series, Dark Descendant, was just soooo good! I have the new release on my Kindle and just need to read a couple of other books before I can start it. I can't wait!

So with a new book out I asked Jenna if she would be my guest again! The following interview is the result! I hope you enjoy it!

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your upcoming release, Deadly Descendant?

Jenna - DEADLY DESCENDANT is the second book in the Descendant series, featuring Nikki Glass. Nikki, a descendant of the goddess Artemis, finds herself on the hunt for an immortal serial killer who apparently uses a pack of dogs as his murder weapon of choice. She's used to hunting people like deadbeat dads, so she's in over her head tracking a serial killer, but she may be the only one who can stop him from killing more innocent people.

Amber - How did you come up with the idea for the Nikki Glass series? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?

Jenna - It was actually a pretty long process. I'd written a partial novel back around 2003 wherein there were immortals whose immortality could be stolen by their descendants, but that story wasn't working for me. (To date, it's the only novel I've started but not finished.) When I wanted to write a new urban fantasy series, I decided to try playing with the kernel of the idea for that previous novel, and that's how Nikki Glass and the Descendants were born.

Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?

Jenna - As a general rule, the names for my characters just pop into my head. I rarely go through any special process to pick them. There's just a certain name that "feels" right for a certain character.

Amber - You must do a lot of research for your books? Anything interesting or is it boring google time?

Jenna - I actually try to avoid doing too much research. My ideas flow much more freely if everything is coming from within me, and doing research puts me in a kind of analytical mode that isn't conducive to creativity. (I also find that I don't have the patience to be a good researcher.) That said, I spent a TON of time on Google Maps researching the settings for DEADLY DESCENDANT. I looked at maps, and also did virtual walk-throughs of neighborhoods using the street views. I could "walk" in neighborhoods I might hesitate to approach in real life and get a real good visual feel for where my characters were.

Amber - How many Nikki Glass books will there be? Does she have a long story to tell?

Jenna - I don't have a specific number of books in mind. I just signed on to write two more novels and a novella, and I'll figure it out as I go.

Amber - What else is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Jenna - I have a new YA series in the works, the first book of which, REPLICA, is due out in spring of next year, though no firm date has been set yet. It's a dystopian story set in the relatively near future in which corporations have taken over the United States and are run like hereditary monarchies. One of these corporations has invented a way to create what amounts to backup copies of human beings, called Replicas. My hero, Nate, is the heir to this state's "throne," and when he is murdered, his Replica and Nadia, the girl who's destined to be his bride in an arranged marriage, must find out who killed him before an innocent man is railroaded for a crime he didn't commit.

Amber - You have written some amazing books and I really miss Morgan Kingsley and the Guardians of the Night. Will we ever see them again?

Jenna - There are no plans for any further books in either of these series at the moment. However, with the rise of self-publishing, it is possible I could return to one of my past series in the future.

Amber - Which of your characters is your favourite? Why?

Jenna - My absolute favorite is Gabriel, from SHADOWS ON THE SOUL. I always love morally ambiguous characters, and Gabriel's the most morally ambiguous of them all. It was such a challenge taking a character who had done such horrible things in SECRETS IN THE SHADOWS and making him into a sympathetic hero. And it was also a challenge to make him into a sympathetic hero without completely defanging him--he was too dark to ever be a straight-up good guy. A close second is the Erlking, from the Faeriewalker series, again because of his moral ambiguity.

Amber - Are there any of your books you would like to add or edit to? Anything you would like to revisit and do again?

Jenna - I'm generally not much of a tinkerer. I used to be when I was a beginner, but nowadays I get to a point where I am done with my books and no longer in the frame of mind to think about changing them.

Amber - What are the good times and bad times of being an author?

Jenna - All of my worst times as an author have to do with self-doubt. Once upon a time, I thought that once I'd published a book or two, I'd become confident in myself and in my writing. However, that's far from the case. I know now that the self doubt never goes away, and that's a shame. Every time I see a negative review or get a rejection, the little demon pops up its ugly head and shouts "See? I told you you're not good enough!" I really could do without the little pest, but I've learned to live with it.

The best part about being an author is receiving messages from my fans. I always like to hear from my fans, but when someone writes to me and tells me that my book has in some way made his or her life better, even if it's just by providing an escape for a few hours, I get all tear-eyed with joy. Books have always been such a solace to me during the difficult times in my life, and knowing my books can have that effect on other people reminds me why it's worth it to battle the demon of self-doubt every day.

Amber - How long on average does it take you to write a book? Do you have a process you follow? or do you just start at page one and see what happens?

Jenna - It's hard to give a definitive answer, both because it varies and because in the publishing process, there's a lot of waiting time between phases. But if what you're asking about is first draft only, I'd say it usually takes me about three months. Just keep in mind that a finished first draft is a long, long way from being an actual finished book. I usually have a basic concept of what's going to happen in the book--the beginning, middle, and end--but I don't know much about what's going to happen in between those major plot points. Except when I do. LOL One of the things I've noticed is that my writing process is wildly variable from book to book. I'll write a book where I've outlined the whole thing scene by scene, and then follow it up with something where I'm winging it the whole way. Figuring out what process is going to work for the current book is one of my big challenges when starting a new project.

Amber - What paranormal creatures are you dying to fit into a story but you haven't managed to fit in yet?

Jenna - I love werewolves, but have yet to come up with an idea for a werewolf story. I always like stories where people have to battle their inner demons (sometimes literally!), and werewolves lend themselves easily to that kind of story.

Amber - Is there a paranormal creature you just don't like, and would never use in your books?

Jenna - I've learned never to say never, so no, there's no paranormal creature I can say I would never use in my books. For just about every paranormal creature (or element) I can think of that I generally don't like, I can think of an exception or two, so I guess the answer to this question on the whole is just "no."

Amber - Did you always want to be an author? Why did you decide to write something Young Adult and paranormal?

Jenna - I have pretty much always wanted to be an author. My very first "book" was an autobiography I wrote in fifth grade, complete with a construction-paper cover and illustrations. I gravitated to science fiction and fantasy during high school. I can't say for sure when I developed that particular taste, but I think it was around the time I read and fell in love with the Lord of the Rings. As for writing young adult, that kind of snuck up on me. I hadn't really read any young adult until Rachel Caine started writing the Morganville Vampire series. I'm a big fan of hers, so I had to read those books "even though" they were young adult. I loved them as much as I loved her adult books, so I started venturing out into other young adult books, and I was thoroughly hooked. Then one day I was trying to develop an idea for a new series, and I couldn't seem to come up with anything that worked. I had a world in mind, but I couldn't find a story to set in it, at least not one I was excited enough about to write. But when I thought about making the heroine a teen, suddenly, the story came to me. That's how the Faeriewalker series was born.

Amber - Would you ever be able to write a book together with another author? If yes, which author would you like to work with and why?

Jenna - I honestly don't know. Many years ago, I wrote a couple of short stories with another author and enjoyed the process. However, I might be a little too set in my ways now to be able to give up control like that.

Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?

Jenna - I'm not one of those authors. I write in silence. I used to write with music in the background many years ago, but now I prefer not to.

Amber - What have you been reading and watching lately?

Jenna - I most recently finished FAIR GAME, by Patricia Briggs. I absolutely love the Alpha and Omega series, and devoured this book. Before that, I read an ARC of GIRL OF NIGHTMARES, by Kendare Blake. It was fabulous--a more than worthy sequel to ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD--and I feel privileged (and maybe a bit smug) to have gotten an early look. As for what I'm watching . . . I spend a lot of time watching TV and knitting in the evenings, so I'm watching a lot of shows. My favorites right now are The Voice, Justified, and Awake. (How's that for variety?) I also really, really loved the first couple episodes of Touch and am looking forward to watching the series.

Amber - What's your favorite paranormal movie of all time?

Jenna - Hands down, that would be The Princess Bride. It's possibly my favorite movie of all times. Something about its combination of sweetness and humor really hits a chord with me. When I'm in a bad mood, I often turn to The Princess Bride to try to cheer myself up.

Amber - Thank you so much for being a guest on Amberkatze's Book Blog! I hope you will come back again ;)







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18) Prince of Air and Darkness by Jenna Black

The Blurb :

Hunter Teague is the prince of the Unseelie Court, the dark half of Faerie. Raised in an atmosphere of unspeakable cruelty, Hunter has learned the lessons of his mother, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and he’s ready to put them to use. He’s on a mission, one that will shift the balance of power in Faerie forever: he will seduce the Seelie king’s mortal daughter and sire a child upon her—a child who will be heir to both the Seelie and the Unseelie thrones. Hunter has never met a mortal woman he couldn’t seduce...until now.

Kiera Malone is a self-employed web designer and a self-professed cynic. She doesn’t believe in magic or soulmates, let alone her mother’s ridiculous claims to have slept with the mythical Faerie King. But when Hunter hires her to design a website, Kiera finds herself drawn to him in ways that seem almost magical. He’s gorgeous and sexy as sin, the kind of man any woman would swoon over—but her every instinct warns her there’s something dangerous lurking beneath his charming façade.

To succeed in his mission, Hunter must let himself get closer to Kiera than he ever planned. Soon, he finds himself burdened with the one thing a prince of the Unseelie Court can’t afford: a conscience. Now Hunter must betray either the woman who is slowly working her way into his heart, or the Queen of Air and Darkness...who would destroy him and Kiera both.

My Thoughts :

I am a huge fan of Jenna Black and miss her Morgan Kingsley Series and loved her Guardians of the Night series. While I am not a huge fan of Faerie books I just had to try this book. After all Jenna's Nikki Glass Series debut rocked! Maybe this one would too!

Things started off quite nicely. The story was nice and relaxed but had enough information and character building to keep things interesting. The underlying plot was familiar but not so much that it was boring and it was kind of fun to see things evolve between Hunter and Kiera. The supporting roles were very funny and I felt myself wanting to spend more time with Kiera's mum, her 'dog' and best friend. Definitely people I would love to drink coffee with.

All in all this was a well written, easy and quick read. With some action, great characters and quite a bit of romance. This one got a little hot at times and it was not over the top or too lovey dovey. Which is what I have come to I expect and love when it comes to this author.

I would highly recommend this one to any Jenna Black fans and anyone who likes a good Paranormal romance or Faerie tale. Everything gets tied up by the end so I doubt this is going to be a series and makes for a nice one off read. Definitely a thirst quencher until the next NikKi Glass book comes out in April.

*** Prince of Air and Darkness is only available as in E-book format from Nook or Kindle ***

April Monthly Giveaway Winners!

The Monthly Giveaway is now closed for votes and entries! It is time to see which book got the most votes and which lucky subscriber has won a copy of the winning book!

Sorry these results are a day late! Too much work and not enough play ;) So without further ado let's have a look which book you all want to win & read the most!

Here are the poll results!

It seems the books didn't want to take the last place alone. So with 10.84% both Demons are a Girl's Best Friend by Linda Wisdom & American Vampire by Jennifer Armintrout came in at joint 4th place.


Third place went toA Hard Day's Fright by Casey Daniels with 12.05% of the vote.


The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper really tried to win with 21.69% but it just wasn't enough this month and therefore the book only got second place.


With an outstanding 44.58% of the vote. The winner this month is Dark Descendant by Jenna Black! Well done!!


I hope all the five books made it to your wishlists or even your shopping baskets! However one lucky subscriber to Amberkatze's Book Blog wins a copy of the winning book, Dark Descendant by Jenna Black !







The Winner!

So congrats to the subscriber with the email address beginning with :


wildthing309!!!


Didn't win this time? There will be another Monthly Giveaway when May is over!

Also don't forget to enter the Nancy Haddock Contest which is running till Sunday!

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How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.

If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

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Monthly Giveaway & Contest Reminder

Have you entered your name into the April Monthly Giveaway yet? There are five books to vote for and the lucky winner of the draw wins the book with the most votes. If you add your name to the hat it will be there forever! That means you could win anytime!

Go and have a look at the books on offer and the info for the Monthly Giveaway.

Make sure you vote and enter your name by Tuesday 10th of May. Vote for the book you would like to see win by clicking your choice on the poll in the sidebar <---



Also have you entered this weeks contest? My author guest is Tate Hallaway and I am giving away a copy of her first Vampire Princess of St. Paul book, ALMOST TO DIE FOR! Check out the interview and enter the contest for your chance to win! The contest closes on Sunday so make sure you enter now!



Advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog on your site and get an extra entry for this and every other contest!

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You can also earn extra entries by emailing your friends about the contest. Just make sure you send a copy of your email or receipt to me at Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot net.

Make sure you post your links here so I can confirm your entries.

Keep the contests going by using the Bookdepository.com and Amazon.com links/Banners below and around the site!

Contest Winners!

This last week I had two of my favourite authors here as guests and both were giving away copies of their new releases!

Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series is a must read for me and was one of my top ten reads in 2010. I was lucky to be given an ARC of the newest edition to the series to read a few months ago but now Tangled Threads is out for you all to enjoy!

I hope you all read Jennifer's Guest Blog and entered the contest! She was giving away a copy of Tangled Threads and it is time to announce the winner!

Congrats to :


Mithah!!!


Keep reading to find out how to claim your prize!

My other author guest was Jenna Black. I just read the first book in her new series this week and I loved it a lot! Dark Descendant is out now to buy but you could have won a copy if you read the interview and entered the contest!

So Congrats to :


Darkangel_1988!!!


Find out how to claim your prize below!

Didn't win this time? Don't worry! There are more contests coming up and the Monthly Giveaway is starting tomorrow as well! Keep trying and you may win! Oh and make sure you get a copy of both of these books! You are definitely going to see both of them on my best reads of 2011 list!!







----------------------

How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.

If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

Never miss out on a new Author Event, Contest or Book Review! Subscribe Now!

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Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)

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60) Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

The Blurb -

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . . Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods.

Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy. But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .

My Review -

Jenna Black has been on my must read list for a while. I am slowly getting through her Faewalker series (I am not a huge fae fan....) but everything else she has written has gone straight on pre-order. So when Dark Descendant was on Amazon it was pre-ordered for my Kindle and I couldn't wait to see what delights the author was going to amaze me with with her new series.

Well to start things off I have to say 'WOW'! I am extremely amazed. I didn't expect this to be so good and grab me that much. I have to admit that the cover, although it looks cool, was putting me off a little and it didn't seem to fit the blurb. However it is the inside of the book that counts and the story is super. I am glad I didn't get put off by the cover and went with my love for the author.

Dark Descendant starts with a bang and doesn't let go till the end. The story is full of suspense and action while the plot flows in all the best directions possible. This new and unique concept really left me excited and surprised. I can't wait to see what happens next and where Jenna will take Nikki and the rest of the Descendants.

With a cool mythology twist and a nice set of characters, this series is going to be a winner. I am pretty sure that Dark Descendant is going to be in my top ten of best read books for 2011 because it was so well written and excitingly unusual. Urban Fantasy is never boring but Jenna Black has taken things to a new level with this one. I can only drool over the book and eagerly await the next book in the series.

Linda Wisdom Contest Winner!

My author guest last week was Linda Wisdom! Now the contest ended on Sunday but I have been away over Easter and didn't have much internet access! So I apologise for not getting the winner announced sooner!

So with no further delay I will say congrats to :


Mariee!!



Find out how to claim your prize below!

Didn't win this time? Then keep trying! There are two author contests still open for entries!

Jenna Black is giving away a copy of her latest release!

Also Jennifer Estep is giving away a copy of her new Elemental Assassins book!

Want to try Linda's books? Order a copy using the links to Amazon or Bookdepository!



----------------------

How to claim your prize!

Please contact me via email - Amberkatzes_book_blog at gmx dot eu within the next 7 days to claim your prize. Your claim will go quicker if you send me your address. If you won a contest where you can choose your prize, then please make sure you state in your email which book you would like. This will help things go alot quicker!

If you email me and don't get a reply within 48 hours please post on the blog letting me know. Some email gets eaten by my spam filter. However please don't send me more than one email unless you really don't get an answer within 3 days. I am not online 24/7 ;) Sometimes it takes a little longer to reply.

If a prize isn't claimed after 7 days I will, if the author agrees, pick another winner.

Please also note that I can not be held responsible for prizes that come direct from authors. I will check with them for you if you haven't received your prize but I can not hunt down your mail! Any prizes that come from myself could come from a 3rd party eg. Amazon or Bookdepository. If I am sending a prize myself please be aware that it could take a few weeks to reach you as it is coming from Europe.

Never miss out on a new Author Event, Contest or Book Review! Subscribe Now!

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Use the Bookdepository or Amazon links/banners to keep the prizes coming! Oh and advertise Amberkatze's Book Blog wherever you can ;)

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Jennifer Estep & Jenna Black Contest Reminder!

I have two author guests this week!

Jenna Black is here talking about her new release and giving away a copy!

(comments can now be made! Sorry about that!)

Also Jennifer Estep is here talking about her new release and her upcoming YA series! She is also giving away a copy of her newest book!

Both contests are open till Sunday! So make sure you enter!

Also apologies for my lack of reviews etc...I am on holiday and don't have much internet access! All will back to normal on Thursday and you will also finally find out who won the last contest as well as a new monthly giveaway!

Author Interview & Contest with Jenna Black

Jenna Black's Guardians of the Night Series was one of the first vampire books that I started to read and enjoy when I got into the genre. Her Morgan Kingsley series got me hooked on her work and now her Young Adult series has me intrigued!

Her latest release, Dark Descendant, is pre-ordered and I can't wait to try it! You can find out more about Jenna and her books by reading the interview. Maybe you can even win a Jenna Black book if you enter the contest!

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Amber - Welcome to Amberkatze's Book Blog! It is great to have you here as a guest! Could you start things off by telling us a little about your upcoming release, Dark Descendant?

Jenna - DARK DESCENDANT is about a private investigator who kills a demigod in a car accident and winds up inadvertently stealing his immortality.

Amber - Where did the idea for Dark Descendant come from? Was it a long process or did it just come to you?

Jenna -This one was a long time coming for me. I originally wrote a partial manuscript using the same core idea (although at the time, my mythology was entirely make-believe rather than being based on Greek and other “real” mythology) back in around 2003. I ended up abandoning that manuscript (the only book I ever started but didn’t finish), but I still liked the core idea of immortals whose immortality can be stolen, so when it came time to come up with a new urban fantasy concept, I decided to rework that premise.

Amber - Reading the blurb for Dark Descendant I can't help but think 'Dark-Hunters'. What is different about your paranormal Greek mythology mix?

Jenna - Pretty much everything. LOL The gods themselves are not characters (just people descended from gods), I have no vampires, and there’s a mixture of different mythologies, not just Greek. At the core of my story is the idea that the immortality can be stolen, which creates all kinds of fun conflicts. My immortals also have different abilities, based on the deity from whom they are descended, but those abilities don’t always manifest in the same way. Lastly, there isn’t any romance (at least not in the first book); only glimmers of potential romance to come.

Amber - Have you always been interested in Greek Mythology? Do you keep to the myths or did you twist things a little to fit in with your story?

Jenna -I’ve always been a Greek mythology fan, ever since I had to read Edith Hamilton’s MYTHOLOGY back in high school. I definitely twist the mythology, because I always have more fun working from my own imagination than working from “real” mythology. I’ve used the mythology only as a jumping off point, and to make the world more accessible to my readers. (As I mentioned, in the original partial manuscript, I made up a totally separate mythology, not linked to anything familiar.)

Amber - Is Dark Descendant the start of a new series or a one off? If it is a series when can we expect book #2?

Jenna - DARK DESCENDANT is the start of a series. I’m working on the second book in the series as we speak. I don’t know when you can expect to see book 2, however, because the release date hasn’t been determined yet. I’m guessing the plan will be to put them out at the rate of one per year, but that really is just me guessing.

Amber - I haven't managed to read (well I have the first in the series on audio) anything from your Faeriewalker series yet. Can you tell us a little about it?

Jenna -It’s about a sixteen-year-old girl who gets fed up with her alcoholic single mother and runs away to Avalon, the only place where the mortal world and Faerie intersect, to live with the Fae father she’s never met. Needless to say, the grass isn’t always greener . . .

Amber - What was it like changing to YA after writing so much adult action?

Jenna -I didn’t really make any big changes in my writing style when changing from adult to YA. I think of my YAs as adult books that happen to have a teenage protagonist. Obviously, with a teenage heroine, there are differences in language and in life experience, but even when I’m writing adult books, my characters all have very different backgrounds and life experiences, so this didn’t feel like much of a stretch.

Amber - I miss Morgan Kingsley and The Guardians of the Night. Is there any chance of seeing either of these series start up again or are they both done?

Jenna - At this point, it’s unlikely there will be more books in either of those series, although there is a Morgan Kingsley short story coming out in the CHICKS KICK BUTT anthology in June.

Amber - What is next? Are you working on any other projects you would like to tell us about?

Jenna - As I mentioned, I’m working on the sequel to DARK DESCENDANT right now. I’m also working on the proofs for SIRENSONG, the final book of the Faeriewalker series. I’m not sure where I’ll go from there. My agent is shopping a proposal for a new YA series, but we’ll have to wait and see if publishers are interested in it. (The better the Faeriewalker books do, the more likely I’ll be able to sell a second YA series, hint, hint . . .)

Amber - Why the Paranormal? Did you always want to write about the Supernatural?

Jenna - I’ve always loved the paranormal. I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy growing up, so that’s naturally what I started writing. Then when I started reading contemporary paranormal romances and urban fantasy, I fell completely in love with it. Creating completely make-believe worlds was fun, but I find it even more fun to work with the real world and add make-believe elements.

Amber - How do you pick the names for your characters? Do they have any special meanings?

Jenna - Usually, the names for my characters just come to me. I’ll think of names I like, or look through something like BehindTheName.com, and suddenly something will pop out at me and feel right. The only time I remember specifically going in search of names with special meanings were for the Morgan Kingsley books. I wanted Lugh and Dougal to have names with meaning, and it was lovely that I was able to find names that were in opposition. (According to my sources at the time, Lugh means “shining one” and Dougal means “dark stranger.”)

Amber - Alot of authors have 'soundtracks' for their books. Is there any music influenced your books?

Jenna - I’m afraid I’m not one of those authors. Books and music are totally separate for me.

Amber - What books do you enjoy reading? Do you have any favourite authors/series?

Jenna - I enjoy reading anything with paranormal/supernatural aspects, including but not limited to paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and young adult. I also occasionally enjoy thrillers and historical romances. As for favorite authors . . . I have a hard time answering that one, because I have too many author friends and I don’t want to insult anyone/leave anyone out. However, if I limit myself to only authors I don’t know so no one will be insulted, I’d say a couple of my favorite series are the Mercy Thomson series by Patricia Briggs, as well as her Alpha & Omega series; I’m also a big fan of the Hunger Games books.

Amber - If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be and why?

Jenna -I’m not sure I’d really want to be a paranormal creature, especially not considering the hell we authors put our paranormal creatures through. There are just too many disadvantages for any creature I can think of. I think I’ll stick with being human.

Amber - Thanks for visiting Amberkatze's Book Blog again!



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Contest Time

Jenna is giving away a copy of her new book Dark Descendant!


How To Enter


What Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance heroine would you most like to hang out with?


(Thanks to Bethany C. for suggesting this question! You have an extra entry in this contest!)


No answer = No Entry


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The contest will stay open until Sunday 2nd of May 2011 4pm CET and the winner will be picked by a randomizer. Entrants should check back to see if they have won. I do not hunt down winners and will pick new winners for any prizes not claimed within 7 days.