Spider's Revenge: Feature & Giveaway

No one will ever confuse me with a writer. I don't have the skill or that wonderful creative spark that brings characters to life.  But the awesome Jennifer Estep, author of the Elemental Assassin series, was kind enough to overlook that long enough to play along with me, when I asked if I could take a short walk through Gin Blanco's world. 

My little imaginary trip to Ashland should help bring you up to speed on our amazing assassin as we get ready for the big showdown with her nemesis in Spider's Revenge, which is out tomorrow! Take a look.


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It's been a long time since I've been to Ashland.

I'm not really good at keeping my head down. And with someone like Mab Monroe running the city, if you can't keep your head down, you're likely to lose it. But I've heard through the grapevine that things are changing there. Someone is fighting back. Someone called the Spider.

With that in mind, I packed my bags and flew in for a visit. I even dropped by my favorite club, Northern Aggression. The guys there are so hot! One was hot enough to prompt me to follow him out the door, around to the side of the building. Imagine my surprise, when Mr. Beautiful started picking up speed and pulling a gun. Long story short, he took out a giant who was about to pounce on a woman standing in the alley. Damsel in distress?  I think not. I watched as she carved a rune into the ground with a knife. A spider rune. It was only then I noticed all the other bodies surrounding her.  And then she looked up and saw me.

So, those are the events that lead me to a back room in the club, with an incredibly charming, gorgeous guy and a woman I can only assume is the assassin they call the Spider. I thought she would kill me, but she didn’t. Instead, we somehow ended up sitting around a table, with drinks in our hands. One drink turned into two and then into three, before I was unable to keep my mouth shut a minute longer..

Me: So, how long have you two been together?

Gin: Finn’s father, Fletcher, took me in when I was thirteen and living on the mean streets of Ashland. The old man taught me everything I know about being an assassin, and most importantly, how to survive. I’ll always be grateful to him for that. (lifts her glass in honor of Fletcher)

Finn: (lifting his glass as well) Hear, hear. And Dad would be proud of you and all the folks you’ve helped lately. But yeah, we’ve known each other since we were kids and have been getting into and out of trouble ever since then.

Me: Well, I guess you don’t have much time for relationships in your, er, line of work.

Gin: Well, that’s not necessarily true. I’ve been seeing someone lately: Owen Grayson. So far, things are going well between me and Owen, and I hope they stay that way for a long time to come.

Finn: And I’ve got my eye on one Detective Bria Coolidge, a very attractive blond who is playing hard to get, although everyone knows how much she secretly wants me.

Gin:(rolling her eyes) I think the only thing Bria really wants is to slap that smug smile off your face.

Finn: (grinning) Your baby sister will come around sooner or later. It’s only a matter of time. No one can resist the charms of Finnegan Lane for very long.

Gin snorts and takes another sip of her drink.

Me: Have you always done the kind of work that you do? I mean, you kill people, right?

Gin: Yes. My name is Gin, and I kill people. That’s all you really need to know.

Finn: Actually, she used to kill people for money... a lot of money. *Sighs dreamily* But lately, she’s been doing all these pro bono jobs.

Gin: Yeah, lately, it seems like I’ve been handling bad situations for good, decent folks who have nowhere else to turn and problems that the law can’t handle. It’s dangerous work, but it’s rewarding, knowing that I’m saving some innocent lives.

Me: But Mab Monroe isn’t exactly a regular mark.  They don’t come any scarier than her.  Why would you put yourself on her radar?

Gin: Because Mab killed my mother and older sister when I was a kid. Not only that, but she tortured me and would have killed Bria as well. And ours isn’t the only family that she’s destroyed over the years. Mab deserves everything that’s coming her way, and all the wrath that I can rain down on her and her men in the meantime.

Me: So... (I find myself whispering) Are you going to kill her?

Gin: That’s the plan, sweetheart. That’s the plan. Whether it actually happens or not *shrugs* we’ll see

The last word was barely out of her mouth when Finn’s phone rang. He spoke quietly for a moment than ended the call and looked up at me. Finn tells me my cab is here, I’m headed to the airport, and to get the hell out of town.

Sitting in the cab, I can’t believe the night I’ve had. The Spider was nothing like I expected. I’m almost sorry to be leaving. I have a feeling things here are about to get really interesting.

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Ha!! This was so much fun. A big thank you to Jennifer Estep for letting me visit with Gin and Fin and taking the time to share their answers with me. 

If this has whet your appetite for Spider's Revenge, you're in luck.  We're giving away a copy! This contest is only open to Red Hot Books followers in the U.S.  So if you'd like to enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.