Book excerpt: New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep serves up an Elemental Assassin short story collection featuring danger, magic, and a touch of romance. Perfect for fans of Ilona Andrews, Anne Bishop, Patricia Briggs, and Faith Hunter. Flash back to one of Gin Blanco’s many missions as the assassin the Spider. Learn more about Gin’s relationships with her mentor, Fletcher Lane, and her foster brother, Finnegan Lane, and see what trouble the other characters get themselves into when Gin’s not around. From a ghost’s lost love to a villain’s origin story, this action-packed collection has something for every urban fantasy and paranormal romance fan. The Stings and Stones collection features ten short stories told by various characters: “Spider’s Bargain” — Gin Blanco “Web of Death” — Gin Blanco “Web of Deceit” — Fletcher Lane “Poison” — Finnegan Lane “Wasted” — Finnegan Lane “Tangled Dreams” — Jo-Jo and Sophia Deveraux “Tangled Schemes” — Bria Coolidge “Spider’s Nemesis” — Mab Monroe “Haints and Hobwebs” — Gin Blanco “Parlor Tricks” — Gin Blanco Note: Stings and Stones is a 67,000-word collection of Elemental Assassin short stories. Some of the stories previously appeared on Jennifer Estep’s website, while others have been featured in anthologies.