Interview with Jennifer Estep

Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2)by Jennifer EstepPublisher: KensingtonRelease Date: October 27th 2015Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

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...

INTERVIEW

- What kind of symbolism, magic and monsters, we will find in this second book?

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.

I’m trying to include a different monster in each book in the series, and readers will get to know more about tree trolls in Dark Heart of Magic.

- Do you think that sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...?

JE: In Cloudburst Falls, tourists come to see monsters – these strange, magical creatures like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more. But what really makes a monster? To Lila, it’s the actions of the villains in the book that make them monsters to her. So that’s definitely a theme that I play around with in the book.

- What things are imprescindible to write a novel Urban Fantasy for those who do not know this genre in Spain? What creatures not yet surfaced in the United States, but would you like to write about them in a new novel?

JE: Urban fantasy is a genre that has a little bit of everything in it – action, adventure, magic, danger, and romance. Many urban fantasy books are written in first person, and they often revolve around some sort of magical person, like a witch, wizard, mage, vampire, etc.

I really enjoy fairy tales and mythology, so I might write a book that features them in the future. We’ll see what happens.

- Would you like to add something to this interview or the followers of the web?

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

Happy reading, everyone! 

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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.