I’m a bit nervous as I step into the Pork Pit but the smell of grease and spices in the air makes my belly rumble in hunger. I have a lunch date with Gin “The Spider” Blanco and I did not want to pass up on such an opportunity. I mean, how many gals like me get to ask an assassin some questions?

I walk to the bar, take a seat and patiently await Gin’s arrival/acknowledgement of me.

Gin looks up from the paperback book that she’s reading. She uses a credit card receipt to mark her place, then gets to her feet and walks toward me.

“What’ll it be?” she says, pulling an order pad and pen out of the back pocket of her jeans.

I glance at the menu, “I would love one of those famous BBQ beef sandwiches.” And my stomach growls in agreement.

As the order is being processed I look at Gin, “let’s start this interview then!”

Q 1: What can we know about Gin Blanco that doesn’t get us in to trouble?

Gin: *Snorts.* Please. Trouble is my middle name, sweetheart. But since you asked so nicely, I’ll tell you a little about myself.

Basically, I’ve spent most of my days walking through the shady side of life as the assassin known as the Spider. Yep, I was an assassin, someone who killed people for money – a lot of people for a lot of money. I did it to survive, mostly, and because it was something that I was good at.

A couple of months ago, though, I decided to retire from the life. So now, I spend my days running the Pork Pit and serving up the finest barbecue in Ashland and the rest of the South. That’s my day job.

At night, well, let’s just say that I haven’t put the Spider persona completely to rest just yet. I keep getting mixed up with these people – good, decent folks – who have problems that can only be solved by an assassin like the Spider.

So far, my retirement’s turning out to be just as dangerous as being an assassin full-time ever was. Helping folks who truly need it isn’t a bad way to pass the time, though – even if I usually end up bruised, broken, and bloody by the end of the night.

Q 2: The story of you so far, can you give us a brief overview “Gin style” for those who haven’t met you?

Gin: My name is Gin, and I kill people. That’s it in a nutshell. Oh, you want more info? Well, here’s the short version.

My family was brutually murdered by a Fire elemental when I was 13. I bummed around on the streets for a while before Fletcher Lane, the owner of the Pork Pit, took me in. Fletcher trained me to be an assassin and dubbed me the Spider. The old man was like the father that I never had, and I loved him dearly. But Fletcher was murdered not too long ago, right here in the Pork Pit. Of course, I took care of the Air elemental who killed him and the rest of her cronies – Spider style.

I also eliminated a greedy dwarven mine owner who was threatening one of Fletcher’s friends and his granddaughter.

More recently, I’ve learned who killed my family and the fact that my baby sister, Bria, is still alive. I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do about either one of those situations, but one thing is for sure – someone’s going to die along the way.

Q 3: Gin Blanco on romance in her life? *Gin puts a plate in front of me with a hot, thick, juicy barbecue beef sandwich and a small bowl of baked beans. HHmmmm Gin, that’s a sneaky way to distract me from your love life. Jeez this food smells so good my mouth waters. I still need an answers though…

Gin: Let’s just say that I’m not as good at all the romantic stuff as I am at killing people. And I hate talking about my feelings.

Sometimes, I think about settling down – or at least finding a guy to have a little fun with. It’s hard to get serious with someone when you’re always coming over late at night with blood on your clothes.

I thought Detective Donovan Caine was a promising candidate, since we worked together and hooked up a few times, but the detective just couldn’t get over my past as an assassin. He let his morals and black-and-white code get in the way of what we could have had together. Yeah, I’m still pissed that he broke things off with me, especially since I was willing to give him a chance and he turned his back on me.

But there’s another guy circling around me – sexy businessman Owen Grayson. Owen’s made it clear that he wants me, but I’m not so sure that I want to start up something new with someone else. Even assassins need time to lick their wounds.

But Owen doesn’t seem like the type to give up easily ...

Q 4: What is the best and the worst of being a Stone and Ice elemental?

Gin: The best parts are the cool things that I can do with my magic, like using my Stone power to make my skin as hard as marble so nothing can hurt me. Or when I use my Ice magic to make small shapes, like lockpicks. Those come in real handy in my line of work.

The worst part is knowing that my magic isn’t full-proof and that it doesn’t make me invincible. That one day, I’m going to meet someone who’s elemental magic is stronger than mine – and that maybe she’ll get the best of me because of it.

Q 5: In extension of Q4, what other elementals are out there and what is it like to live in Ashland. I might one day think of moving here so inquiring minds want to know *smiles*

-I’m munching on a sandwich in the meantime and I need to control myself not to wolf it down. It’s that good *nom nom nom*-

Gin: Ashland is one of the dirtiest, violent, most corrupt cities that you could ever set foot in. Batman thinks he has it bad up there in Gotham. Heh. He needs to come down to Ashland sometime and get a gander at our criminals, yours truly included.

The city is divided into two sections – Northtown and Southtown. The poor, blue collar folks live in Southtown, along with the vampire hookers, their pimps, and junkies. Southtown is not the kind of place you want to visit – ever. As for Northtown, well, that’s where the rich folks live, but that doesn’t mean that part of Ashland is any less dangerous. In Northtown, people will call you sugar to your face before they stab you in the back.

Besides Stone and Ice, there are also Air and Fire elementals, as well as folks who can tap into offshoots of the four elements. For example, some people can manipulate metal, water, and electricity. Magic has many quirks, so there’s always someone with some new power popping up in town.

Q 6: Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Can you give us the 411 on Finnegan Lane, Owen Grayson and Detective Donavan Caine? I’m afraid us female readers have quite an interest in them *grin*

Gin: Well, Finn is the son of my handler Fletcher Lane. Finn is basically my foster brother. He also happens to be a greedy, womanizing investment banker who loves money and all the pretty things that he can buy with it. Naturally, the ladies all love Finn, and he loves them all right back.

Owen Grayson is a sexy businessman that I’ve recently become aquainted with. I don’t know too much about Owen yet, except that he has a strange interest in me – and that I’m attracted to him far more than I like.

As for Detective Donovan Caine, he was one of the few honest cops in Ashland. We worked together a few times, although our ideas of justice radically clashed. He liked putting people in jail, while I preferred burying them in the ground. Still, we had a few steamy encounters – before Donovan broke things off and left Ashland. Good riddance, I say. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself ...

Q 7: You were once an assassin freshman, what did your basic training entail? Was it a “wax on-wax off kind off” type of learning?

Gin: Fletcher Lane, the old man who was my handler, wasn’t much for wax-on, wax-off. Instead, I learned by doing. The old man taught me everything that he knew about being an assassin – how to fight, how to kill, and how to get away after the fact.

Q 8: What do you do to relax in your off time?

Gin: I like to cook, read, spend time with family and friends, and sharpen my silverstone knives when they need it. I’m a simple girl that way.

Q 9: I’m a total dessert girl in the kitchen but what is your favorite recipe to make?

Gin: I’m with you – I love a good dessert. One of my favorite recipes to make is a Chocolate Chip Pound Cake – it’s defiinitely a chocolate lover’s dream. One of my favorite recipes to eat is a Mountain Dew cake. It’s a sweet treat that uses Mountain Dew to give it even more of a sugar rush. You find both recipes here: http://www.jenniferestep.com/books-series/elemental-assassin-series/

Q 10: Do you think we can get a peek in to the super secret files of VENOM and have a small excerpt?

Gin: Sure.

Finn got to his feet, straightened his tie, smoothed down his walnut-colored hair, and stepped into the swirling crowd. He strutted toward the Ice bar, probably to ask the bartender about Xavier. His path took him close to the edge of the dance floor. The blond hooker he’d been eyeing blew Finn a kiss. He grinned and veered in her direction. Less than three minutes later, the two of them were ensconced at the bar, drinking martinis and making goo-goo eyes at each other.

I drummed my fingers on the tabletop. A pretty face and tight body could distract Finnegan Lane from his own funeral. I should just have told him I was leaving. I reached for my cell phone to text him that news flash, when a shadow fell over me.

“Why, Gin, what a lovely surprise,” a male voice murmured.

I looked up to find Owen Grayson standing in front of my booth. Like Finn, Grayson wore a rich suit, black in his case, with a charcoal gray shirt underneath. The fabric accentuated his compact, sturdy figure, which always reminded me of a dwarf’s stocky physique. But at six foot one, Grayson was far too tall to be a dwarf.

His glossy, blue-black hair gleamed under the club’s muted lights. So did his eyes, which were a light violet. A white, thin scar slashed down his chin. The faint mark would have ruined the look of another man’s face, but it added a hard, sexy, dangerous edge to Grayson’s features, giving him a roguish, rakish air. Or maybe that was just because I liked the rest of the package so much. Owen Grayson knew how to wear a suit very well, and I couldn’t help but speculate what lay beneath his designer duds. Somehow, I knew it would be as appealing as the rest of him.

Still, despite the slick, expensive threads, Grayson looked like the kind of guy who’d taken more than one punch in his time. A real fighter through and through. The strong, self-assured way he carried himself only made him more impressive to me. I’d always admired confidence—especially when the person actually had something to be confident about. Since Owen Grayson was one of the richest businessmen in Ashland, he had millions of reasons to smile.

I’d met Grayson a couple of weeks ago back in November. His younger sister, Eva, had been eating at the Pork Pit when Jake McAllister had tried to rob the restaurant. Grayson thought he owed me something since I’d saved Eva from getting dead.
“Hello, Owen,” I replied. “What brings you here tonight?”
He shrugged, his broad shoulders straining against the fabric of his suit. “Eva wanted to come dancing.”
My eyes flicked over to the dance floor. Sure enough, I spotted Eva Grayson grooving in between a guy and another girl. Eva had the same coloring that Owen did, which made her look like a real-life version of Snow White. Add her rocking figure on top of that, and Eva attracted plenty of attention. She whirled away from one guy to turn and smile at another waiting at the edge of the dance floor. Eva crooked her finger, and the young man eagerly stepped into the fray surrounding her.
I looked back at Owen. “And you came along to babysit her?”
“I like to watch out for her,” he rumbled in a low voice. “Besides, she said I needed a night out of the house. Evidently, running my various business interests and adding to her trust fund isn’t exciting enough for her tastes.”
I smiled. Like most college-age girls, Eva enjoyed flirting with the opposite sex. Dancing the night away at Northern Aggression would be right up her alley—even if big brother Owen would be watching her every move.
“Care if I join you?” Owen asked.
I shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Grayson unbuttoned his jacket and settled on the opposite side of the booth so he was sitting across from me. He signaled one of the waiters and ordered an expensive scotch. I requested another gin on the rocks, with a twist of lime this time. Maybe that would cut the bitter taste in my mouth.
Our drinks came back, and I took a healthy pull off mine. Nope, still bitter. I sighed and rubbed my index finger down the side of the glass, leaving a trail in the condensation that had already formed there.
“Something the matter?” Grayson asked, taking a sip of his scotch.
I shrugged again. “Just not in the mood to party tonight, I suppose.”
Owen stared at me with his violet eyes. “Perhaps you and I could go somewhere else. Make our own party.”
“Let me guess where that party would end . . . your bedroom?”
Grayson smiled. “Actually, I was thinking the nearest hotel myself. Why drive that far?”
“Back to wanting to sleep with me again?”
Grayson’s smile widened. “I figured it couldn’t hurt to give it a shot.”

Gin, thanks so much for taking the time to answer my inquisitive questions. I enjoyed the lunch and I had fabulous company!

Gin: Thanks for stopping by the Pork Pit. I’m glad you enjoyed your meal. Y’all come back now, ya hear? ;-)

You can find the muse of Gin, aka Jennifer Estep at:
Website - Twitter - Facebook

The Giveaway: Jennifer Estep has generously provided one copy of VENOM which is for US/Canada only. BUT since we at ROOB love this series so much we also have one luck commenter win his or her choice in a copy of the Elemental Assassin series; Spider's Bite - Web Of Lies or Venom. Our giveaway is international or where the Book Depository Store ships. So there are two chances to win a copy YAY

All you have to do is leave a comment and if you have a question for Gin or Jennifer, please feel free to ask !!

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Pocket; Original edition (September 28, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1439148015
ISBN-13: 978-1439148013
Main Characters: Gin Blanco, Finnegan lane, Sophia & Jo-Jo
e-copy received from author for review
Purchase at: Book Depository Store

Cover Summary:
It’s hard to be a badass assas­sin when a giant is beat­ing the crap out of you. Luck­ily, I never let pride get in the way of my work. My cur­rent mis­sion is per­sonal: anni­hi­late Mab Mon­roe, the Fire ele­men­tal who mur­dered my fam­ily. Which means pro­tect­ing my iden­tity, even if I have to con­ceal my pow­er­ful Stone and Ice magic when I need it most. To the pub­lic, I’m Gin Blanco, owner of Ashland’s best bar­be­cue joint. To my friends, I’m the Spi­der, retired assas­sin. I still do favors on the side. Like rid­ding a vam­pire friend of her over­sized stalker—Mab’s right-hand goon who almost got me dead with his mas­sive fists. At least irre­sistible Owen Grayson is on my side. The man knows too much about me, but I’ll take my chances. Then there’s Detec­tive Bria Coolidge, one of Ashland’s finest. Until recently, I thought my baby sis­ter was dead. She prob­a­bly thinks the same about me. Lit­tle does she know, I’m a cold-blooded killer … who is about to save her life.

Leontine's Review: With each new story revolving around Gin and company a riveting read chockfull of edge of your seat action and suspense, vivid character interaction and a sultry attraction is delivered. VENOM starts out a bit slow due to the recap info of the two previous stories; Spider’s Bite and Web Of Lies but this was only in the first fifty pages. I think my impatience to get fully absorbed again by the next chapter in the overarching plotline is what irked me a bit about the recap information. But for those discovering this series with VENOM it is essential to catch up and get their interest piqued for the previous novels!

The entire cast of characters held familiar faces and it does a formidable job of deepening the interpersonal relationships. The dialogues are rife with wit and sarcasm and the underlying tone with the banter showcased how much these characters meant to each other or how they were equally matched in spirit. In their own weird way they formed a family and the love and loyalty to one another just made the risks and rewards all the greater!

Gin is still very much the skill-honed assassin with her own outlook on life, her own morals, humor, sass and sense of what love is all about. Through the first person narrative Gin practically leaps of the pages with her train of thoughts, feelings and opinions. She comes so very much alive with her down-to-earth persona and the compassion she feels for those who are wronged. While she doesn’t blink twice about plotting and scheming a plan for those she needs to take out it is her sense of right and wrong that make her redeemable. The people she wants to save are worth saving. Gin is an intriguing heroine who does the unexpected and I can’t get enough of her. 

Gin has very few people in her life she feels a connection or love for. Finnegan Lane, her stepbrother, is one of them basking in her favor. Their brother-sister like banter delivers relief in the sometimes tense circumstances and creates a familiarity that will make me feel welcome again in their inner circle. Finn is a ladies’ man to the very core of his being. He has many sweethearts but never turns in to a womanizing kind of man, he is a charmer and his twinkling eyes even get me weak in the knees. He might have his charm and humor but he is also very cunning, on the top of his game and has a knack to find all sorts of info that helps Gin various times. I get to know Finn a bit better with each book and each time he claims me a bit more.

There are also the dwarf sisters Jo-Jo and Sophia. Jo-Jo is an air elemental and beautician/healer, she is always there to guide and nurture but in VENOM it is Sophia who drew my attention. She has this mysterious vibe and I can’t shake the feeling there are more secrets clinging to Sophia that anyone can guess. This is just another character development that keeps me so invested in each story and enriches the reading experience.

In each novel Jennifer Estep delivers a plot where I just get sucked in and keeps me in its web of intrigue. In VENOM a giant stalker of the worst kind has shifted his focus to vampire Rosalyn Phillips and Bria Coolidge draws the attention of Mab Monroe. These two elements are the basis of a grabbing plotline where Gin knows both women and plunges in the middle of it all. At times the action delivered high-skilled fighting scenes and at other times it was silent and observing giving a creepy, eerie vibe and both build the tension to an exquisite high.

I love being a part of the characters lives, their trials and tribulations, and Jennifer Estep really ups the ante in VENOM. Next to the action there is also a romance developing albeit it is a small thread within the whole it has an incredible impact on Gin herself. The sultry attraction humming between her and the man in question, whom I don’t want to reveal for spoiling too much, is causing hot flashes at times. They challenge each other, test each other, tease each other and I really think they make a spectacular couple. The man surprised me in many ways and Gin’s reaction to him is something me romantic nature savors and can only cheer for!

Jennifer Estep has developed a series that has become a must-read for many an urban-fantasy reader! Save the first fifty pages everything stands out again. From the dynamic backdrop of Ashland, the well-rounded and unique cast of characters, to an action filled plot, it all turns VENOM in to an addictive urban-fantasy story. 2010 is definitely the year of Gin Blanco!

Quote Gin:
And then the three of them stared at me. Finn, Jo-Jo, Sophia. Hell, even Rosco turned his head back in my direction. All of them looking steadily at me, expectation shining in their eyes. Oh, fuck. They actually expected me to talk about what had happened tonight. To share my feelings. I sighed again. I’d much rather have hacked and slashed my way through a platoon of Mab Monroe’s giants than explain how I was dealing with my emotions. But they were my family, for better or worse.

Quote Gin:
“Now that we’re both clean,” I said in a sly tone. “Why don’t we do something dirty?” Another smile tugged at ***** lips, softening the slashing scar on his chin. “I thought you’d never ask.” We moved toward each other and met in the middle of the shower. I threaded my hands in his slick hair and pulled his mouth down to mine. Our lips met in a kiss that was as gentle as the water cascading over our bodies—and that quickly turned into one of white-hot passion, desire, and need.

Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Pocket (May 25, 2010)
ISBN-10: 143914799X
ISBN-13: 978-1439147993
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Book two in Elemental Assassin series
Main Characters: Gin Blanco, Donovan Caine, Finnegan Lane, Jo-Jo and Sophia Deveraux.
On sale at: Book Depository Store.com

Cover Summary:
Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon.

I'm Gin Blanco.

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.

Leontine's Review: Jennifer Estep impressed me with her first novel in her Elemental Assassin series; Spider’s Bite. Now I have read WEB OF LIES and she did it all over again and then some! I just love the world she created with the Runes, elemental magic and the corrupt and violent Ashland. Friend and foe characters come alive via Estep’s imaginative and flowing writing style and the mystery ensnares from page one. The driving force in Web of Lies is Gin Blanco and she has become one of my favorite heroines in 2010.

Just by reading the first chapters Gin already reintroduced her quirky persona to me, though she has retired as an assassin she is far from being a desperate housewife. She runs the Pork Pit and with three cliché sentences, quote WoL; “Freeze! Nobody move! This is a robbery!” the plot commences. With these words uttered Gin is forced to fall back on her assassin skills as she is gradually pulled deeper and deeper in a scheme for more money at the expense of innocent people. From those cliché sentences I got a feel Jennifer Estep was instantly presenting me with key characters who were involved in the plot somehow. Jake McAllister and Eva Grayson where only the first two I got to meet who were related to some of the most influential people in Ashland.

Gin Blanco is an assassin who tries to lead a normal life. She enjoys cooking and is good at it, she also takes classes at a community college and runs the Pork Pit. In some ways Gin is very caring yet her morals guide her, and her assassin side is lethal which can quickly emerge to take charge in dangerous situations. Gin’s humor was also evident as she can reflect on her own behavior at times yet it is her passion and loyalty that prevents her from becoming too cold or distant. It makes her a very fascinating character and combined with her inner thoughts she is a woman that will stick out of a crowd.

From the first page in Web of Lies the mystery was in my face and the hints made me wonder about the bigger picture because if there is one thing this author does excellent is putting together a layered plot. With the folder left by her former handler it is almost as if Fletcher Lane is challenging her curiosity from the beyond. It brought family issues to the forefront and I was just as curious as Gin to find out how it was all interconnected with each other. Because next to the family secrets that needs to be solved there was also the current plot at work. This started when a young woman named Violet Fox came to the Pork Pit asking for the help of the Tin Man, which so happened to be the assassin name of Fletcher Lane.

There’s almost nothing more gratifying then when a mystery builds up to a pinnacle where it is all or nothing. Where true evil lurks around to fulfill their self centered needs for more power and more money. Those who will not shy away from extortion or murder to get their obstacles out of their way. The trepidation of whether it was all going to work out, whether the good would victor the bad, was making my heart beat faster and simultaneously drove me to read the pages faster too. Tobias Dawson and Mab Monroe were cruel, self-absorbed and violent but incredible characters I just ‘love to hate’ and it contributed to the need to see where their scheming would end.

Next to Gin there was a distinct group of supportive characters who I never grew tired of. First of all, the dwarfs Sophia and Jo-Jo; Sophia is a cook at the Pork Pit and can clean up a crime scene like nobody’s business. Jo-Jo is an Air Elemental, a healer and a beautician, both sisters are loyal friends to Gin and they are secondary characters that bring more flavor to the story. Finnegan Lane is a charmer of the highest order, his humor makes me smile and he is the brother Gin never wanted but will always need. Next to a few characters Gin trusts there’s also Donovan Caine, she feels an attraction for him that is not going away, something she wishes to explore but Donovan’s code of justice is a huge obstacle for them to overcome. Another man who captured my attention is Owen Grayson, he is also a man who doesn’t back down easily and contains a charm all of his own. He definitely remains on my radar!

The romance plays the third wheel in Web Of Lies yet I couldn’t escape the impact of certain actions and decisions made by Donovan and Gin. It created a drama I didn’t expect and tugged at my heart strings. This is mostly because Gin is such an awesome heroine who I also want to see happy romantically. She gives me all of her angst, her passion, her joy via the first person narrative. She is an assassin called The Spider, she lives by her own morals but deeply cares for those rare few who niggle their way into her heart. The potential of the fiery attraction is pulsating between Gin and Donovan, and though it might not be the center of attention it simmered of the pages each time they met.

Gin Blanco is an assassin with heart you’ll love instantaneously! WEB OF LIES contains a distinct and memorable cast of characters who toke me on a ride to unravel a mystery so well-crafted that I breathlessly turned the pages in want to find it all out. All that is left for me is to eagerly count down for the release of VENOM.

Quote Gin:
I heard the hard resolution in his voice. Donovan Caine had made himself a promise, and he wasn’t going to break it. Oh, I imagined I could get him to forget about his morals, his rules, his vows. All I’d have to do would be to crawl over and start giving him the lap dance of his life. A variation of the striptease I’d performed earlier this evening in the rain. But I’d made the first move twice now. I wanted the detective to want me, Gin Blanco, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Not just succumb to my charms in the heat of the moment, then feel guilty about it afterward.