Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Here she discusses the evolution of her Mythos Academy series, which this summer unveiled its fifth volume: the pulse-pounding Midnight Frost…
Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.
As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there.
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YOUNG ADULT: What is your earliest memory involving writing?
Jennifer Estep: One of my earliest memories involving books is my mom taking me to the library every Saturday so I could pick out some books to read. That’s really what made me fall in love with books and reading, and it eventually sparked my interest in writing my own books.
YA: Tell us a little bit about your latest work. What is different about Midnight Frost and what does it bring to the Mythos Academy series?
JE: MIDNIGHT FROST is the fifth book in my Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy series. The series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the gift of psychometry, or the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. After a serious freak-out with her magic, Gwen is shipped off to Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors like Spartans, Valkyries, Amazons, and more.
I would say that Gwen becomes a little more of a leader in MIDNIGHT FROST. When a friend is poisoned by the bad guy Reapers, Gwen is the one leading the charge to find the antidote in time to save her friend. So I hope that readers enjoy seeing her take charge of situations more than she has in other books in the series!
YA: How did the idea for this book arise? What were your major influences?
JE: I’ve always enjoyed mythology and the stories of all the gods, goddesses, warriors, and creatures battling each other and going on these epic quests and adventures. One day, I thought it would be fun to write my own mythology story and try to put my own spin on the gods, goddesses, warriors, and creatures. So that was sort of the start of my Mythos Academy series.
YA: Take us through a typical writing day for you.
JE: In the morning, I start off by checking my social media sites and answering comments and e-mails. After that, I work on whatever I need to tackle that day, whether it’s writing a rough draft, doing copy edits, reading through page proofs, etc. I check e-mail and my social media sites a few more times during the day and keep working until I reach a good stopping point. Then, I get up the next morning and go back to work. So it’s really just like having any other job. I usually work at least 40 hours a week, if not more. There’s always something to work on.
YA: Besides the classic ‘never give up’, what advice would you give to aspiring young writers today?
JE: I would encourage young writers to have fun and to write the characters/stories/books that appeal to them. Only you can write a book. No one is going to do it for you, so write the characters/stories/books that speak to you. Plus, I think that when someone is having fun with what they are writing, it shows in the finished product. Hopefully, readers will enjoy reading the story/book as much as someone did writing it.
YA: What’s next for you?
JE: MIDNIGHT FROST was published on July 30. SPARTAN FROST, an e-novella from the hero’s point of view, is also available. KILLER FROST, the sixth book in my Mythos Academy series, will be released in March 2014.
Folks can check out my website at for more information about my books, or they can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
YA: What other authors, YA or otherwise, do you idolize? Or, what YA books are on a pedestal for you?
JE: One of my favorite books is BEAUTY by Robin McKinley. It’s a lovely retelling of the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale.