Jennifer Estep has a database and isn’t afraid to use it…

First of all, let me say that I am completely anal retentive. Obsessive compulsive. Detail oriented, as my significant other says. I like neatness. Order. Tidy stacks and piles. Everything in its place, and a place for every thing.

In other words, I am stark raving mad.

My desire for order above all else even extends to my books – and my book database in particular. Yes, Virginia, I have a database of all the books I’ve read with the author, the year the book came out, and my ranking (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10, with 10 being the best). I recently added a new field for the year that I read the book.

I’ve kept this database ever since high school, when I scribbled it down in a notebook. Since then, it’s gone through several incarnations and moved from computer to new computer. Right now, I’m at just over 800 books read. Some of my recent reads include Dark Lover by J.R. Ward, Demon Angel by Meljean Brook, and High Profile by Robert Parker.

I thought I was the only person in the whole world who kept a database of the books she’d read, until I started reading some of the romance blogs a couple of years ago. But I discovered something wonderful – there are lots of people out there who do the exact same thing that I do. Some of them are even more serious about it than I am.

Which means that I am not alone in my insanity. Yeah!

Keeping a list may seem silly to some, but I enjoy it. More importantly, it helps me keep track of all the authors I’ve read and enjoyed in the past. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been putting in a new entry when my eye’s caught on an author that I hadn’t thought about in a while. More often than not, I go to Amazon and find out to my delight that they’ve released a couple of books since last I read them. A couple of clicks, and bada-bing, bada-boom, Jen has more cool books to read.

So, yeah, I’m anal retentive. Obsessive compulsive. Detail oriented.

And proud of it.

What about you? Do you keep a list of all the books you read? Inquiring minds want to know …

It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, NO it is Jennifer Estep

1) Why write about superheroes? Isn’t that what comic books are for?

Absolutely. Comic books and graphic novels are filled with all sorts of wonderful, complex, interesting heroes and villains. The stories are fantastic, and the art is incredible. I wouldn’t have written Karma Girl and Hot Mama without the long, storied foundation of comic books to build on and the creative genius of Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Frank Miller, Alan Moore, and all the other writers and artists. They truly are titans.

In the last few years, several movies and television programs have focused on comic book superheroes, from “Spider-Man” to “The Incredibles” to “Smallville.” I’ve enjoyed many of these, but a thought kept nagging at me. Why doesn’t Lana Lang ever figure out that Clark Kent has superpowers? Why can’t Mary Jane Watson see that Peter Parker is Spider-Man? Why doesn’t Commissioner Gordon realize that Bruce Wayne is Batman?

Why don’t the people closest to the heroes and villains ever figure out their secret identities? In some story lines, they do, or the hero tells them. Plus, some superheroes are open about their powers and purpose, like the X-Men. But many comics are built around the idea of having a secret identity.

I wanted to look at superheroes from a different point of view – from a woman betrayed by the man she loved. What if an investigative reporter, a Lois Lane-type, discovered that her fiancé was cheating on her with her best friend? And that he was a superhero? What would she do? Why, expose him, of course! With that idea, Carmen Cole aka Karma Girl was born. Plus, it was just fun to create my own comic book world.

2) Where do your ideas come from?

Everywhere. Movies, books, television shows, news stories, real life, my own overactive imagination. Whenever I read a book or watch a program, I always put myself in a character’s place. What would I do? How would I react to these circumstances? How could I be the hero or the villain?

I also have a tendency to invent new characters to add to my favorite books and movies. I always thought that Luke Skywalker needed a love interest in the Star Wars movies – someone with a Southern accent. I’ve imagined myself as Sydney Bristow’s Alias sidekick, Buffy Summer’s nemesis, a member of The A-Team, and a thousand other characters.

My ideas grow from the world around me. I’ll hear about something, and think what if … It’s one of the most powerful, inspiring thoughts you can ever have.

3) How long does it take you to write a book? How do you do it?

Writing a book is a long, complicated process. I start with an idea, then think about the characters, setting, etc. Once I have my story and characters firmly in mind, I write a rough draft, usually about 50,000 to 70,000 words. Honestly, it’s more like a detailed outline than a rough draft. This takes about a month.

Then, I let the story sit for a few weeks, before going back to it and seeing what revisions need to be done, adding in more descriptions, etc. I usually do this a couple of times, until the book is as perfect as I can make it. Overall, this can take anywhere from several months to a year, depending on how busy I am with other projects.

4) Are your books more fantasy or romance?

This is a toughie mainly because my books aren’t one thing or another. The Bigtime books, including Karma Girl and the sequel Hot Mama, are classified as paranormal romance. There’s lots of sexy superheroes in them, and lots of single gals looking for love.

But the books are written in first person from one character’s point of view, which gives them a chick-lit feel and tone. Also, large parts of the books are about the heroine’s journey, about her figuring out some things about herself – like how to come to grips with her superpower (if she has one), what she wants out of life, how she can become a better person, what makes her strong and special, etc.

The Bigtime books also have quite a bit of action in them. Lots of stuff blows up, buildings get leveled, etc. They’re set in a comic book world, which isn’t your usual paranormal setting. And they’re very campy, very tongue in cheek, sort of like the old “Batman” TV show with Adam West.

They’re just … Bigtime books. Fun, sexy, fantasy. Or sex, lies & superheroes, as my tagline says.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll start a trend and soon everyone will be writing superheroes.

5) If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Which superhero would you be?

Honestly, it depends on what I’m doing. There are just so many cool superpowers out there, it would be hard to pick just one.

When I’m writing, I’d like to have superstrong wrists (that are completely immune to carpal tunnel) and be able to type a thousand words a minute. (Every writer’s dream!)

When I’m stuck in a car on a long trip, I’d like to be able to immediately teleport to my destination. Or when I’m in a long meeting or waiting at the doctor’s office, I’d like to be able to fast-forward through time … You get the idea.

But I guess I’d have to say that if I absolutely had to pick one superpower or superhero to be, I’d go with Wonder Woman. That rockin’ body, the shiny tiara, the bulletproof bracelets, the Lasso of Truth, the Invisible Jet … that woman has it all!

Now it is your turn… Got a Question… Hit Jennifer with your best shot. She got to be bulletproof right?!?

Amie Stuart’s Hands On Contest Winners are…

Last week, we ran a contest for two copies of Amie Stuart’s Hands On and the winners are…

Amy S

&

Cathie

Click here (simply because it’s too fun not to)

Thanks for playing!  Please email your addresses to redwyne @ gmail. com (minus the spaces). 

If you’re outside the US, it may take 4-6 weeks for your book to arrive.

Amie Stuart’s Hands On Contest Winners are…

Last week, we ran a contest for two copies of Amie Stuart’s Hands On and the winners are…

Amy S

&

Cathie

Click here (simply because it’s too fun not to)

Thanks for playing!  Please email your addresses to redwyne @ gmail. com (minus the spaces). 

If you’re outside the US, it may take 4-6 weeks for your book to arrive.

Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep

Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep
***May 1, 2007***

Someone has to pay for what happened to Carmen Cole …

Bigtime, New York is not big enough for both Carmen Cole and the superheroes and ubervillains who walk its streets. An intrepid reporter, Carmen’s dedicated her life to unmasking the spandex wearers, all because her fiancé turned out to be a superhero, and a cheating one at that — sleeping with none other than his nubile nemesis.

Exposing the true identities of the nation’s caped crusaders and their archenemies has catapulted Carmen from her sleep southern hometown to the front pages of one of the country’s biggest newspapers, The Exposé. Hobnobbing with modelizing millionaires and famished fashionistas is all in a day’s work for the woman hot on the trail of the Fearless Five and Terrible Triad. But when Carmen gets the scoop of her career, her life comes crashing down around her. And even Bigtime’s sexiest superhero, Striker, may not be able to save her …

You can read the chapter here and then com back on April 30 when Jennifer will be guesting with us. It should be bigtime fun!

A Super Contest

Want to win a free autographed copy of Karma Girl and some cool bookmarks?

Tell me who your favorite superhero is and why.
(comment in this post)

Entries will be accepted until midnight EST April 30.

The winner will be announced here at The Good, the Bad, and the Unread and on my blog.

Jennifer Estep: Why She has Always Wanted to be a Superhero

Wonder Woman. Batman. Spider-Man. The X-Men. I’ve always loved watching and reading about them. When I was about five or six, I draped a towel over my shoulders, climbed up a metal trellis at my grandma’s, and deflected imaginary bullets with my bare wrists. (Because I didn’t need any stinkin’ magic bracelets like Wonder Woman, although I always wanted her supercool tiara.) I even got an old piece of twine and pretended that was my Lasso of Truth.

So, it’s not too surprising that my debut book, Karma Girl, is set in a world full of superheroes and ubervillains.

Or that I think we all have our own superpowers.

Superpowers, you ask? We don’t have superpowers. We can’t crush diamonds with our bare hands. Or teleport across great distances in the blink of an eye. Or create fireballs with just a thought.

No, we can’t.

But we can do other things that make us just as super. For example, take my superpower – writing.

In high school and college, it always confused me when people said they couldn’t write to save their lives. The other kids always dreaded the essays and term papers and creative writing assignments. Not me. I loved ‘em. Even the fifty-page research paper I did on sexism in fairy tales.

When someone would complain to me about writing, my response would be something like: Why? It’s so easy. And so much fun too! This sentence was always said in a cheery tone with a smile stretching across my face. And it was always greeted with a dark look and some mumbling that sounded like Geez. What a nutjob.

But I could always write, whether it was for school assignments or for my own twisted pleasure. My best friend used to call me the Queen of … well, let’s just say the initials are BS, and it doesn’t stand for bachelor of science. Admittedly, I don’t always write well (hey, even Spider-Man’s powers go on the fritz from time to time), but I always enjoy it. Writing always makes me feel strong, empowered, and yes, special.

So that’s why I consider writing to be my superpower. But it’s not the only one out there.

My mom can do things with sugar and flour and vanilla extract that boggle the mind. My significant other takes gorgeous photographs and sees things in a camera lens I can’t even imagine. My grandfather is the kind of guy who can build an entire civilization out of tin cans, used motor oil, and banana peels.

So what do you think your superpower is? Because everybody has one. If you’re a writer like me, maybe you’re great at dialogue. Or can describe a scene so vividly people can see and smell and even taste it. Or can write sex scenes that make women rush off to find their significant others.

Even if you’re not a writer, you still have a superpower just like the rest of us. Are you an accountant? Maybe it’s your ability to keep people from being audited by the IRS. A librarian? The ability to help people to discover the joy of reading. A teacher? The power to impart knowledge to others.

And superpowers aren’t just related to your job. Your love for your kids. Your sense of duty. Your desire to do the right thing and be the best person you can be. They’re all superpowers in their own way. They all make you strong and special and the kick-ass heroine (or hero) of your own life.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that we’re all Wonder Women. So figure out what your superpower is. Embrace it. Celebrate it. Be proud of it. I am of mine.

Now, if I can just get my hands on Wonder Woman’s tiara …

What about you? What’s your inner superpower? Inquiring minds want to know …

Guest Author Day: Jennifer Estep author of Karma Girl

This is a very interesting time in romance, as much as we bemoan lack of variety we are being presented with some very different books. And is it just me or does a lot of it seem to be coming from Penguin?

When I first hear about Jennifer Estep’s Karma Girl, I have to admit I clicked on the site. Saw a nifty site, with sound, and clicked out. I expected to not give it too much more thought.

There were two factors that made me return, stop, and listen. Another romance author (who has a thing for superheroes) was completely over the moon about the idea of this series and wouldn’t shut up about it. And Jennifer’s editor, Cindy Hwang, continues to give romance readers interesting and different books with a high wow.

But regardless of what got me there, it was Jennifer that sold me on her unique idea. A romance about superheroes and ubervillian didn’t sound all that possible or ‘doable’ to me. She makes you a believer.

So stick around and learn a little bit about what makes a hero super, how villian’s become uber and enjoy the over the top camp of it all. And if you like superheroes anyway, you will be in heaven!

And if you don’t, who knows you might find you like it. If you are a writer, newbie author Jennifer Estep is and all, I have to say the woman knows how to market herself.

If nothing else it makes for bigtime fun.

Something…. just a little different

A suggestion

If you go to your control panel and then go to add or remove programs, if you see firefox twice - don’t remove one.

And if you do, make sure you have IE on your computer. FOUR computer towers in my apartment… I swear to god one day I will take a computer class and know what the fuck I am doing.

All is well now.

But the post that went up wasn’t suppose to go up yet. So bare with me for a second - just pretend you didn’t see it.

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