By night, Jennifer Estep is an author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next super idea. She writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy.

Jennifer’s Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love. Titles in the Berkley series include Karma Girl (May 2007), Hot Mama (November 2007), and the recently released Jinx (September 2008).

By day, Jennifer is an award-winning features page designer for a daily newspaper with a broad range of journalism and media experience. She's also a certifiable fangirl and an authority on fantasy literature and culture. Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, and other writing groups.

Jennifer's books have been featured in Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, and a variety of other publications. For more information, visit her Web site at www.jenniferestep.com or e-mail her at jennifer@jenniferestep.com.

An Interview with Jennifer Estep

PNR: Welcome Jennifer, I’m excited to have the opportunity to talk with you about your Bigtime series and your writing.

Jennifer E.: Thanks so much for having me here! J

PNR: Can you tell us a little about how you started writing; was it something you have always wanted to do?

Jennifer E.: I’ve always, always loved to read. In high school, I really became interested in writing and started thinking about crafting my own books. I wrote my first book when I was in college. It was a really crappy, really clichéd epic fantasy, but I’ve been hooked on writing ever since.

PNR: Are you able to write as much as you would like? Could you tell us about your writing schedule? What do you enjoy doing when not writing?

Jennifer E.: Of course not! I think any writer would tell you she’d always like to have more time to write. I’ve got so many story ideas, I know I’ll never have time to write them all.

I still have a day job, so I write at night after work and on the weekends.

When I’m not writing, I love reading, watching television and movies, and hanging out with my friends and family.

PNR: Who or what has been the biggest influence on your writing? Who has been your biggest support?

Jennifer E.: My mom has definitely been the biggest influence on my writing. When I was a kid, every Saturday she’d take me to the local library and let me look to my heart’s content. My mom is the reason I fell in love with books to start with.

She’s my biggest supporter, along with my significant other. He always encourages me to keep going, be patient, and dream big.

PNR: Most writers are avid readers, is this true for you? What titles would we see in your TBR pile?

Jennifer E.: Definitely! I’ve always loved to read, and I try to read as many books as I can. I just finished Lover Enshrined by J. R. Ward, and right now, I’m reading Eye of Heaven by Marjorie M. Liu. I’ve also got books by Kim Harrison, C.L. Wilson, Stephen Hunter, Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, and more in my TBR pile. I read a lot of different genres.

PNR: What do you feel are the essential elements of a great story?

Jennifer E.: I like stories to have a little bit of everything – action, danger, and romance. Those three things, along with strong, relatable characters (especially strong heroines), really make a story for me. I also like stories that are just plain fun, where the authors want to entertain readers and nothing more. No heavy messages, not a lot of angst, just fun.

PNR: Congratulations, readers are excited about the September 2008 release of JINX from Berkley; this is the third book in your Bigtime series. Could you tell us what inspired this fun fantasy series and a little about your vision for the project? What direction will the series be taking?

Jennifer E.: Thank you! I’ve always loved superhero stories. But the more I read comics and watched shows/movies, the more I wanted to change the stories. Like have all the women realize that their boyfriends/husbands were really superheroes in disguise. Especially Lois Lane. Clark Kent’s glasses aren’t much of a disguise. I started thinking what would happen if a reporter discovered her fiancé was cheating on her – and that he was a superhero to boot. That what-if idea eventually blossomed into the zany world of Bigtime.

I plan to just keep on keeping on, with fun, sexy stories. I also plan to expand my world and focus on characters who aren’t directly connected to the Fearless Five, which is my main superhero team. I also want to explore new places in Bigtime, with new villains and new trouble for my characters to get into.

PNR: Your series takes place in the fictional city of Bigtime, NY where “Super” events are an everyday occurrence.  Tell us about the challenges you face in world building with paranormal elements in a contemporary setting and making it work with the ideas you have in mind for the progression of your characters and the series? How much research is involved?

Jennifer E.: I wanted to create a world that was big, colorful, zany, and fun with lots of places for my characters to explore in the books. So I decided to go for a larger-than-life city where anything is possible, but that still has a modern, contemporary feel. A place where people have jobs and families and responsibilities, but where they also walk by superheroes on the street or see them eating out at a restaurant.

As for research, I just thought about the various superhero stories I’ve read and watched over the years and some of the tropes of the genre. Then, I put my own twist on them.

PNR: Could you give us some insight into the origin of your Superheroes that is the thread to connect your series?

Jennifer E.: I would say the thread that connects all my books is that they’re all fun, sexy fantasies with strong female characters. Whether they have superpowers or not, all my heroines are strong, educated women with jobs. They support themselves, they have goals and dreams and wants, and they are capable of handling anything life or ubervillains can throw at them.

PNR: Do you feel your writing is character driven or plot driven? How do you balance these two elements?

Jennifer E.: I would say character driven. You can have the best plot in the world, but if you don’t have a strong enough character to write about, you’re going to be spinning your wheels. For me, a strong character can really make a book come alive. Because the stronger the character (whether it’s physically or emotionally or whatever), the more you can throw at them and the more interesting you can make your story.

I usually come up with my main character first. Then, think about her personality, her power (or lack of), and what sort of situation might really challenge and bring out the best in her. And what sort of trouble would be fun for folks to read about. Then, I go from there.

PNR: You write wonderfully complex “Super” characters that are on a very human journey of self discovery that everyone can relate to; could you tell us about their development? What was your inspiration for these characters?

Jennifer E.: I think it would be really cool to have a superpower. But I also think it would impact your life in a lot of ways – some obvious and not-so-obvious. So when I come up with my characters, I try to think how a certain superpower would impact them – and how they might react to it. How it would shape their personality or change their reaction to the world around them.

I also think that we all have our own personal superpower – something that makes us strong and special. It can be anything from the love you have for your kids to your ability to compose music or paint or write. In each one of my books, the heroine eventually figures out and embraces what makes her strong and special. And it’s not always her superpower. Most of the time, it’s her tenacity or grit or desire to always do the right thing.

PNR: Many readers feel that books written in first person can make it difficult to ‘get inside’ the hero’s head. You write your series in first person from the female perspective, and in the case of your hero, Debonair for example, have deftly managed to get inside him without writing from his perspective. Could you tell us about your approach and the challenges you face in writing in first person?

Jennifer E.: I can understand why some people feel that way. But as a writer, first person is the voice that really sings to me – that’s why I write in it. Because it’s the voice that allows me to tell the very best story I can. Whenever I write in third person, I always feel like my stories are flat and lifeless and just dull.

I also think first person actually works well for my Bigtime books because they’re really about the heroine and her personal journey to figure out, understand, and accept what makes her strong, unique, and interesting (whether it’s a superpower or not). The romance is an important part of the book, but the heroine’s journey is really the core of the story.

So how do I work the hero in there? I like my characters to have heart-to-heart conversations. That’s one way I let the reader know what the hero’s thinking and feeling. For example, there’s a scene in Jinx, where Bella (the heroine) and Debonair (the hero) sit on a bench and just talk – about themselves, what they want, how they feel about each other, the future they could have together. It’s one of my favorite scenes in the book.

I also try to do a lot with body language to show how the hero’s reaction and attraction to the heroine, his emotions, etc. Oftentimes, I’ll also have my heroine overhear the hero talking about her or something that’s important to him. That way, you can see what the hero’s feeling and how his words impact the heroine at the same time.

All of these are just little things that can really help the reader understand the hero – just like they were reading from his point of view. That’s my goal at least.

PNR: Is your interest in writing Superhero characters fueled by a love of comic books and Superhero television shows and movies?

Jennifer E.: Absolutely! I’ve always loved superhero stories. As a kid, I used to drape a towel around my shoulders and pretend I was Wonder Woman. I’ve read comics and watched tons of superhero television shows and movies over the years. I’ve just always thought there was something so cool about having a power and using it to do good and help other people.

PNR: How would you describe the sensuality level of your books; do you find it challenging to write love/sex scenes?

Jennifer E.: My books are fairly steamy. As with everything else in the Bigtime books, I try to make the love scenes fun and playful and creative. I do find it challenging to write them because I want to give readers something fresh every time while still staying true to my characters.

PNR: What separates the Superhero and Super Villain from the typical paranormal hero & villain with enhanced abilities is the “Larger Than Life’ quality of the characters and setting.  Why do you feel that readers are attracted to this type of over the top character? What is it about this genre that captures your imagination?

Jennifer E.: I think readers are attracted to superheroes/villains because they are larger than life. The powers, the costumes, the epic battles. It just looks like fun, for the most part. But there is also a lot of poignancy, sacrifice, and heroism in superheroes/villains that resonates with folks on a variety of levels. Personally, I love the genre because absolutely anything is possible, which means I can go in any direction as an author.

PNR: Just for fun, if you could have any super power, what would it be? Your Superhero name? What color would your costume be?

Jennifer E.: I’d love to have super-strong, bionic wrists that would let me type 1,000 words a minute. That would be my dream superpower as an author. As for a superhero name, I’m pretty partial to Karma Girl already. I’d make my costume a deep, royal blue with some silver trim for flash and style. ;-)

PNR: You have written in the fantasy/urban fantasy genre; is there a genre you haven’t written but would like to try?

Jennifer E.: I also love westerns, and I have plans to write a western some day, probably with some magical or urban fantasy elements.

PNR: Could you tell us about your current projects, what can readers expect to see in the coming months?

Jennifer E.: I’m working on a new urban fantasy series. It’s called the Elemental Assassin series and focuses on Gin Blanco, an assassin who can control the elements of ice and stone when she’s not busy running her barbecue restaurant, the Pork Pit. It’s a little darker than my Bigtime books, but still a fun, sexy fantasy. It’s also got a heavy Southern flavor. The first book is tentatively titled Gin on the Rocks.

PNR: Thank you, Jennifer, for taking time out to talk to us. Where can readers find out what’s new and how can they contact you?

Jennifer E.: Thank you for having me! Folks can visit my Web site at www.jenniferestep.com, where they can read the first chapters of all three of the Bigtime books, sign up for my e-newsletter, and much more. Readers can drop comments on my blog or e-mail me anytime at jennifer@jenniferestep.com.

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Bigtime: Book 3

She never wanted to be a superhero. Too much danger. Too much spandex ...

Bella Bulluci's big passion is the arts. Her big pain is being born into a family of superheroes. Of course, Bella might feel differently if her own superpower was one she could control - or at least get some use out of. Instead, her power is one of capricious luck - supercharged telekinesis. In other words, static electricity. Bella knows that's not a power - just a jinx.

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Bigtime: Book 2

She can melt steel - and men's hearts ...

By day, Fiona Fine is a successful couture designer, catering to the high society players of Bigtime, New York. By night, she's Fiera, a superstrong superhero who can create and manipulate fire with her bare hands. Fiera, along with the other members of the heroic Fearless Five, make life miserable for the ubervillains who want to take over the city.

But Fiona's personal life isn't so fine. She still misses her fiance, who was killed by ubervillains a year ago. But men admire Fiona's smoking assets, and she decides to get back in the dating game especially after she meets Johnny Bulluci. But this notorious playboy has plenty of secrets to go along with his sexy smile. And, with two new ubervillains in town who are intent on raising hell, Fiona's love life might just crash and burn ...

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Bigtime: Book 1

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 fiance 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 Expose. Hobnobbing with modelizing millionaires and famished fashionistas is all in a day's work for the woman 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 ...