FFBC: Welcome to the club, Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3) by Jennifer Estep

Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3)
by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: April 26th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

Synopsis:

Bad Things Always Come In Threes…

As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls. 

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

“You are the worst thief I have ever seen.”

Felix Morales frowned, stopped walking, and dropped the large black duffel bag he was carrying on the ground. I winced at the clank-clank of the items inside the bag banging together.

“Why would you say that?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I sniped. “Maybe the fact that you are tromping through the woods like you are trying to kill every single blade of grass under your feet. Not to mention hacking through the bushes with your sword like we’re on a jungle safari. And then of course, there’s the talking. There is always the talking. It’s a wonder you don’t pass out from lack of oxygen.”

His eyes narrowed. “And what is wrong with having a little light conversation while we hike through the woods?”

“Light conversation? You’ve been talking nonstop ever since we left the mansion.”

“So?”

I threw my hands up into the air. “So you actually have to stop talking and be quiet to be a thief! That’s why!”

Felix gave me a mulish look and started to cross his arms over his chest—until he realized that he was still holding on to his sword, the one he’d been swinging around like a machete for the past twenty minutes. He glared at me, but he finally slid the weapon into the scabbard belted to his waist. Well, that would cut down on some of the noise. Now, if I just had some duct tape for his mouth …

Felix stabbed his finger at the guy standing with us, who was busy setting his own black duffel bag onto the ground, although with far less noise than Felix had made. “And why aren’t you lecturing him about being quiet?”

“Because Devon can actually walk through the woods without cracking every single branch he steps on.”

Felix snorted. “You’re just saying that because the two of you have been sneaking around the mansion sucking face for the last two weeks.”

I tensed, still not used to having a relationship with a guy, much less talking about it with that guy’s best friend. But Devon Sinclair stepped up and slung his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close.

“And it’s been the best two weeks of my life,” he said, grinning at me.

Hello Jennifer! We are super excited to have you once again in our FFBC tours.

JE: Thanks for hosting me again. I appreciate it.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about Bright Blaze of Magic and what’s going to happen in this third book in the Black Blade series?

JE: Bright Blaze of Magic is the third and final book in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. The series focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats.

Lila has a Talent for sight, along with transference magic — in other words, magic makes her stronger. To survive, she does odd jobs for her pawnbroker friend. Lila also does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families — or mobs — who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the powerful Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the most powerful Family in town.

So in Bright Blaze of Magic, Lila is a member of the Sinclair Family now, and she’s trying to figure out how to protect her friends from Victor Draconi, who wants to take over all the other Families in town. When Victor finally strikes out against the other Families, it’s up to Lila to figure out how to defeat him once and for all.

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

JE: Lila has a couple of scenes with the lochness, a monster that lives under a bridge, that she has sort of become friends with. I always enjoy writing those scenes. And I always like writing the scenes with Oscar, the pixie who lives in Lila’s room and helps to take care of her. He’s like a miniature cowboy, and he’s a really fun character for me to write.

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for Bright Blaze of Magic – Which one would you pick? 

JE: Oh, that’s a tough one! One of my favorite songs is “Human” by The Pretenders, so I’ll go with that one. 

If you had to pick one of the three books from the Black Blade series, which one would you say you had the most fun writing it and why?

JE: I would say that Bright Blaze of Magic was the most fun for me to write. I always love writing action and fight scenes, and this book has a lot of action from start to finish. So it’s probably my favorite book in the series.

What’s next for you? 

JE: I’m working on some books and e-novellas in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Unwanted, an e-novella from Finnegan Lane’s point of view, will be out on July 18. Unraveled, book #15 in the series, will be out on Aug. 30.

I’m also mulling over some ideas for my next young adult project. We’ll see what happens.

For more information about my books, folks can visit my website at http://www.jenniferestep.com or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Thank you so much for everything, Jennifer!

JE: Thanks to you guys as well. Happy reading, everyone! :)

Follow the Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

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FFBC: Welcome to the Club, Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2) by Jennifer Estep

Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2)
by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: October 27th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

Synopsis:

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.

Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.

As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone's going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing's for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...

Hello Jennifer ! Welcome Back! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours again!

JE: Thanks for featuring me again. I appreciate it.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about where Dark Heart of Magic picks up without giving away spoilers?

JE: Dark Heart of Magic is book #2 in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. The book focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats.

Lila does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families — or mobs — who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the two most powerful Families in town.

In Dark Heart of Magic, Lila is picked to represent the Sinclair Family in the Tournament of Blades, but she quickly realizes that someone will do anything to win the tournament, even hurt the other competitors. So there’s a lot of action, adventure, danger, and magic in the book, along with a little romance.

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

JE: I always enjoy writing fight scenes, and there are several of those in Dark Heart of Magic. I’ve always liked stories that feature tournaments/contests where the heroine has to use her wits and fighting skills, so the scenes at the Tournament of Blades were really fun for me to write in this book.

When writing a sequel in a series, do you have to go back and re-read the 1st book?

JE: No. If I have a question about a character or a plot point, then I’ll go back and re-read the passage that relates to that, but I don’t go back and re-read the whole book. I can usually keep all the characters and plotlines in my head from book to book.

Is there anything about writing that still surprises you after publishing so many books?

JE: I would say in every book that I write that a character does something unexpected or that the story goes in a slightly different direction than I expected. So every time I sit down to start writing a book, it’s like a new adventure to me, and I look forward to seeing how the story might twist and turn in ways that I didn’t expect.

Is there a specific routine you follow when you sit down to write?

JE: I don’t do a lot of plotting or outlining. I usually think of my heroine, her magic, and how she can use it to defeat the bad guys. Then I sit down and start writing and see where the characters and story take me. That’s just the process that works best for me.

Do you have a favorite fan moment?

JE: I’ve gotten so many nice comments about my books and met so many nice folks that I really couldn’t pick out just one moment. But it’s always great to hear that folks are enjoying my books, and it always makes my day.

What would you say is harder to write, the first line of a book or the last?

JE: I would say that it’s harder to write the last line. With the first line, you want to grab the reader’s attention, and that line opens up a world of possibilities for your story.

But with that last line, you want to wrap everything up and leave the reader feeling like your book was time and money well-spent and hopefully leave the reader looking forward to checking out more of your books in the future. So I would say that it’s harder to write that last line.

What authors are auto-buys for you?

JE: Some of my favorite authors include Robin McKinley, Lisa Kleypas, Donald Westlake, David Eddings, Ian Fleming, and too many others to name. 

Favorite book of 2015?

JE: Some books that I’ve read and enjoyed this year are The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy; The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen; and In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins. 

What shows are you currently watching?

JE: I love fantasy and superhero shows, so I’m watching Arrow, The Flash, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Once Upon a Time, along with several others. I also want to check out the new Supergirl show when it debuts. It looks like a fun superhero show.

Thank you for participating in our FFBC Tours again Jennifer! 

JE: Thanks for hosting me again. I appreciate it. Happy reading, everyone! J

Follow the Dark Heart Of Magic by Jennifer Estep Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

Win (1) of (3) print copies of Dark Heart of Magic (US only)

Win a $10 Amazon gift card (INT)

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FFBC: Welcome to the club, Cold Burn of Magic (Black Blade #1) by Jennifer Estep

Cold Burn of Magic (Black Blade #1)
by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: K-Teen
Release Date: April 28th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Synopsis:

There Be Monsters Here. . .

It's not as great as you'd think, living in a tourist town that's known as "the most magical place in America." Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power. 

I try to keep out of it. I've got my mom's bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick. 

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend's pawn shop, and I have to make a call--get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn't. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I'm stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I'm going to end up just like her. . .

One of my favorite books is Beauty by Robin McKinley. It’s a lovely retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, which is also one of my favorite stories.

I like Arrow, The Flash, Once Upon a Time, 12 Monkeys, and Person of Interest, among others.

I like the Marvel superhero movies, especially Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I like The Killers, and one of my favorite songs by them is “All These Things That I’ve Done.”

I love a lot of different foods, especially cheese fries, dark chocolate, and strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

I like the quote “Never give up, never surrender” from the movie Galaxy Quest. It’s such a great motto, especially when you’re having a bad day.

I’m a total fangirl when it comes to superheroes. I could talk about the characters, the comics, TV shows like Arrow and The Flash, and all the Marvel movies for hours on end. LOL.

Tough question! There are so many authors that I would like to meet, but I’ll say Robin McKinley.

Thanks for taking the time to feature my books. Happy reading, everyone!

Hello Jennifer! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.

Thanks for hosting me. I appreciate it!

COLD BURN OF MAGIC is the first book in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. The book focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats.

Lila does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families — mobs — who control the town. But when she saves a member of the Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the two most powerful Families in town.

So basically, the book is about magic, monsters, and mobsters. I hope that readers enjoy getting to know Lila and following her adventures in Cloudburst Falls.

Part of the inspiration for COLD BURN OF MAGIC came from some vacations that I’ve taken over the last couple of years. I always enjoy going on vacation, traveling to new places, and seeing new things. 

Somewhere along the way, I thought that it would be cool if there was a tourist town where folks went to see real magic and monsters, a place that was run by these mob Families who were fighting for control of the town. So that was sort of the beginning of my fictional town of Cloudburst Falls and COLD BURN OF MAGIC. 

I always enjoy writing action and fight scenes, and there are several of those in this book. Without spoiling anything, I really liked writing the big fight scene at the end with Lila and the bad guy.

One song that I really like is “Human” by The Pretenders. It’s about seeming tough and strong on the outside but still hurting on the inside, which I think relates to a lot of my heroines. I think it’s just a great song.

Well, bacon is Lila’s favorite food, so you might want to fix some BLTs, bacon-wrapped dates, or other bacon food for dinner before you start reading the book. LOL.

DARK HEART OF MAGIC, the second book in my Black Blade series, will be out on Oct. 27. The third book in the series is tentatively set to be published in 2016.

SPIDER’S TRAP, the 13th book in my Elemental Assassin series, will be out on July 28, with book #14 tentatively set to be released on Dec. 29.

I’ll also be releasing FANDEMIC, the fifth book in my Bigtime superhero series, on June 2.

Folks can find more information about all my books on my website at www.jenniferestep.com.

Thank you so much for everything, Jennifer!

Thanks again. Happy reading, everyone! J

Follow the Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

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