This is my post during the blog tour for The Glass Stone by Sara Michaels. The Glass Stone is a magical tale of hope and love inspired by the traditional story of Cinderella. Sometimes, just a little bit of magic is all you need to change the world.
This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 5 till 25 April. You can see the tour schedule here.
The Glass Stone (The Jeweled Fairytale Retellings #3) By Sara Michaels Genre: Fantasy/ Fairytale Retelling Age category: Young Adult Release Date: 5 April
Blurb: Power can take many forms, but sometimes the greatest magic comes from inside you.
Asha has been a servant for the cruel Duke Bryce for as long as she can remember, and when he married Queen Ilma of the Wind Kingdom, she was dragged to the castle with him and his daughters.
Now, the death of the queen has thrown the castle into panic: if her son, Prince Aither, doesn’t marry before his 18th birthday, the throne will go to Duke Bryce.
Prince Aither knows he must choose a wife, and he’s resigned to his fate. But Duke Bryce has his own ideas about who his bride should be, and if he gets his way, no one will be happy.
Asha is used to watching everything unfold from her place in the kitchen, but she soon finds herself on an unexpected quest set to change her life forever.
Meanwhile, Prince Aither must find a way to make the best of what seems like a hopeless situation and use his powerful magic as a force for good in the kingdom.
The Glass Stone is a magical tale of hope and love inspired by the traditional story of Cinderella. Sometimes, just a little bit of magic is all you need to change the world.
Lose your head in the clouds with Asha and Aither on their magical journey.
“Asha, Asha!” A squeaky little voice made her spin around. Mouser reared up on his hind legs on the stone wall, reaching his tiny little paws out toward her.
Maybe… Asha thought to herself as she noticed the scrap of paper in Mouser’s hand. Maybe animals are just better than people could ever hope to be. Mouser sure had always come through for her when she needed him.
Smiling, Asha reached out for the paper. It was still fully intact, not like the scraps she usually found or that Mouser brought for her drawings from around the castle. “Where’d you get this…?” Her feet still in time with the princess dance, Asha flipped over the parchment and flowing script sprawled across. “The Sun Kingdom!” Her eyes scanned the paper as quickly as she could. “Until we meet at your coronation, Duke Bryce.” She could feel the breeze start to pick up, and she looked around, curious, before peering down at Mouser, a glimmer of anguish washing through her. “I need to get this to Prince Aither—”
The kitchen door burst open, and a gust of wind blew her long hair back. The wooden door splintered as it slammed against the rocky wall behind it and the red on Duke Bryce’s face was as crimson as a Firebrute’s mighty fists.
“What do you think you are doing?” Duke Bryce’s instantly recognizable, dooming voice echoed in Asha’s ears and sent immediate shivers down her spine.
As nerves crept up her body, silencing her, Asha cursed herself for not having Sera’s Wind gift of hearing. Focusing on the Duke’s fuming red face, Asha stopped moving. Red fiery anger bubbled up his body and Asha felt her body crumple into itself. Why had she danced out in the open?
“C-cleaning,” Asha stammered, stuffing the paper into her dress pocket. She gulped, trying to steady her erratically beating heart. Her mouth dropped open slightly, but nothing would have come out, even if she could find the courage to speak.
“Who showed you that dance? I saw you through the window!” Duke Bryce’s voice ricocheted off the tall, stone castle walls that protected them from the outside. But while those walls might protect them from an attack, they were of no protection to Asha as Duke Bryce glowered down at her. “Where’s the mouse, the paper he stole from me?” He pursed his lips together and gritted his teeth so hard the pink in his cheeks turned to fire. “First the art… and now this!” Duke Bryce took two steps toward Asha, and she almost fell over herself, stumbling backward. His eyes scanned the ground—for Mouser? “Learning that dance, for someone like you…”
Duke Bryce gaped at Asha. His hands balled into fists at his sides and his shoulders seemed to shake as he stared at her. Asha was like a deer stuck in a hunter’s shadow, but Asha knew that Duke Bryce could see her even if she didn’t move a muscle. The ticking blood vessel in Duke Bryce’s temple silenced Asha’s every thought—except for those surrounding Duke Bryce’s power. What would he do to her? In the seconds of silence that seemed to stretch on forever in Asha’s mind, the vessel in Duke Bryce’s temple visibly throbbed. And the large clear stone embedded into his carotid artery caught the light as it pulsed in rhythm. An angry roar echoed against the castle’s stone walls as a heavy wind ripped through the quad.
“Give me that letter!” Duke Bryce demanded through gritted teeth. He lunged forward. Asha pulled away, but Duke Bryce grabbed her and tightened his vice-like grip around her forearm. “That letter was private…”
Asha took a few steps back and her legs knocked against the stone wall. “Private, because… because you plan to hurt Prince Aither? What scheme to you have cooked up with the Sun Kingdom—?” Asha gulped. Anxiety choked her. Had those words really just come out of her mouth?
“I will not let you mess up everything I’ve worked so hard to do…” Duke Bryce stomped his foot into the earth and lunged forward again, trying to grab her, but she slipped free of his grasp.
Asha slipped the gate latch and pushed through it, her heartbeat kicking into overdrive. “I’m telling Aither—” Asha balled her fists in her dress pocket around the letter Mouser had just given her.
“And you’ll ruin everything…” Duke Bryce shook his head, his eyes unfocused on anything but the barrage of thoughts that must have been streaming through his head. “Can’t take any risks…” He rushed her again, this time using his Wind magic to close the gap between them faster than Asha even realized he was moving.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry,” Asha stammered as she struggled against his grasp, trying to get Duke Bryce to let her go. Panic seized her. One hand twisted around her forearm, while the other squeezed her throat, choking her. Hurting her. “Let… go…!”
Honk! Honk!
Voda spat and hissed at the duke as she moved toward them, her wings and head up, staring pointedly at Duke Bryce as he mumbled wordlessly to himself. She beelined toward them, with her neck stretched out, hissing with every step. Asha tried to back away, but the duke’s grip on her arm didn’t allow her to move much. Voda’s gabble echoed in the small area. As Voda careened closer, Duke Bryce kicked at her, but she continued forward, dodging his flailing limbs until he let Asha go, pushing her to the ground. Dirt and pebbles lodged into her skin, and she cried out, gasping for air.
~~~~~
Earlier books in the series:
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The Chaos Daughter (The Jeweled Fairytale Retellings #1) by Sara Michaels The Chaos Daughter is an action packed adventure of self-discovery inspired by the tale of Anastasia. Question everything, and trust no one: what Nastasya’s about to discover will change the world forever.
You can buy The Chaos Daughter here on Amazon
The Order Revived (The Jeweled Fairytale Retellings #2) by Sara Michaels The Order Revived is a thrilling quest into the unknown inspired by the empowering story of Mulan. When your true calling is so clear, the only thing you can do is follow your heart.
You can buy The Order Revived here on Amazon
About Author Sara Michaels:
Sara lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs. A lover of the written word from an early age, Sara reads everything from middle grade to young adult and adult novels. She loves genres ranging from science fiction and fantasy to contemporary and historical fiction, which is why she writes and plans to publish across several genres, including contemporary, romance, young adult fantasy, and science fiction.
When she’s not writing, you can find her playing video games, reading way too many books at the same time, singing to music, or riding her motorcycle around a beautiful Washington backdrop. She also writes for several online blogs and newspapers.
Today Chantal Gadoury & A.M. Wright, Parliament House Publishing, and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover and the trailer for their YA Hansel & Gretel Fairy Tale Retelling, which releases on August 19, 2019! Check out the awesome cover and enter the giveaway!
On to the reveal!
Title: THE SHRIKE & THE SHADOWS Author: Chantal Gadoury & A.M. Wright Pub. Date: March 3, 2020 Publisher: Parliament House Publishing Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook Pages: 350 Find it:Goodreads, Kobo
Men have gone missing before.
The village of Krume is plagued by a haunted wood and a hungry witch. It’s been that way for as long as Hans and Greta can remember, though they have never seen the witch themselves; no one has.
When men start to disappear once again in the cover of night – their bloody hearts turning up on doorsteps – the village falls into frenzied madness.
Hans and Greta, two outcast orphans, find themselves facing accusations of witchcraft and are met with an ultimatum: burn at the stake, or leave the village forever.
With nowhere else to go, they abandon their only home.
As they venture into the strange forest, their path is fraught with horrific creatures, wild and vivid hallucinations, and a mysterious man tied to the witch’s past.
The Shrike is watching, just beyond the deep darkness of the woods.
.
About Chantal:
Amazon Best Selling Author, Chantal Gadoury, is a 2011 graduate from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing.
Since graduation, she has published “The Songs in Our Hearts” with 48Fourteen Publishing, and “Allerleirauh” with Parliament House Press, with future titles to follow. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues with that love of writing today.
Writing novels for Chantal has become a life-long dream come true! When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting, drinking lots of DD Iced Coffee, and watching Disney classics. Chantal lives in Muncy, Pennsylvania with her Mom, Sister and furry-‘brother’ (aka, puppy) Taran.
About A.M.:
A.M. Wright is an Ohio native, perched on the shores of Lake Erie for as long as she can remember. She is a graduate of Walsh University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communications, with two minors in Marketing and Writing. She has a passion for reading, writing, and drawing; and has a particularly strong love for shojo-manga and all genres of anime. When A.M. Wright isn’t focused on her day job, she is sorting through submissions, writing too many stories to keep track of, and playing video games with her fiance in a townhouse that’s just a fifteen minute drive from “The Roller Coaster Capital of the World.”
Everyone has read the tale of Little Red Riding Hood… Such a carefree, naïve
girl who fell victim to the wolf and had to be saved by the Huntsman.
I’d like to set that story straight. It all began with a girl, a
curse, and wolf. We all have a hero inside. All it takes is to
believe. Cara knew the legends of her village but she never thought
she’d become one.
Hi all, I’m JessiMcpherson.
I live in a small town in Iowa right on the banks of The Mighty
Mississippi. I started writing when I was about 10 years old. Almost
every girl has a journal but I not only had fun stories of the day
but poems and short stories that popped in my head. I love fantasy
and romance novels and read almost daily. I like to find my
inspiration in everyday life. That’s one of my goals is to find one
thing every day that inspires me. I grew up an army brats so I have
traveled to a few places over the years. I have two amazing children
and a very amazing husband. They thankfully put up with crazy work
schedules because being a mom and a writer isn’t enough but I am also
the general manager of Sidelines Sports bar in my home town. No
matter how busy I find time for it all. I do hope you enjoy my books
and I look forward to writing more.
Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!
Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!
You just might find your next read!
This week, #T4T presents to you:
To Bear an Iron Key by Jackie Morse Kessler and Crown of Ice by Vicki Weavil
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
*****
This richly-imagined universe from an acclaimed fixture of YA storytelling introduces a the young witch Bromwyn, a strong heroine who wields great power. Five years ago, Bromwyn refused a gift from the powerful fairy king. Tonight, on Midsummer, that decision comes back to haunt her. When her best friend Rusty picks the wrong pocket, he and Bromwyn are all that stand between their village and the rampaging fairies who have pushed through the World Door. If they cannot outwit the fairy king and queen before the World Door closes at sunrise, the friends will lose everything–their village, Bromwyn’s magic, and Rusty’s life.
“If you want to get lost in magic and spend some time away from this grey, dreary world of reality, then look no further.” – Nicky Peacock,Author
“his was a really strong little book–a wonderful start to a brand new series, and I think it’s safe to say I’ll be looking for more of Jackie Morse Kessler’s work!” – Kels, Literature Obsessed
“This is a great tale about the transitions in youth and of true friendship. It also depicts the emotional wounds caused from misjudgment and rejection.” – LuAnn,Rockin Book Reviews
Jackie Morse Kessler grew up in Brooklyn, NY, with a cranky cat and overflowing shelves filled with dolls and books. Now she’s in Upstate NY with another cranky cat, a loving husband, two sons, and overflowing shelves filled with dragons and books (except when her sons steal her dragons). She has a bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature, and yet she’s never read any Jane Austen (with or without zombies). She also has a master’s degree in media ecology. (The living study of technology and culture. Which is cool, but she still can’t figure out how to use Tweetdeck.)
Jackie spends a lot of time writing, reading, and getting distracted by bright and shiny new ideas. (She just came up with a new idea right now.) She has a weakness for chocolate and a tendency to let her cat take over her office chair.
Thyra Winther’s seventeen, the Snow Queen, and immortal, but if she can’t reassemble a shattered enchanted mirror by her eighteenth birthday she’s doomed to spend eternity as a wraith. Armed with magic granted by a ruthless wizard, Thyra schemes to survive with her mind and body intact.
Unencumbered by kindness, she kidnaps local boy Kai Thorsen, whose mathematical skills rival her own. Two logical minds, Thyra calculates, are better than one. With time rapidly melting away she needs all the help she can steal. A cruel lie ensnares Kai in her plan, but three
missing mirror shards and Kai’s childhood friend, Gerda, present more formidable obstacles. Thyra’s willing to do anything – venture into uncharted lands, outwit sorcerers, or battle enchanted beasts – to reconstruct the mirror, yet her most dangerous adversary lies within her breast.
Touched by the warmth of a wolf pup’s devotion and the fire of a young man’s desire, the thawing of Thyra’s frozen heart could be her ultimate undoing.
“Crown of Ice was great young adult fantasy novel. It offers an interesting and refreshing retelling of Snow Queen fairytale, but also so much more – realistic, confident and a bit bad heroine, magic, cute animals, subtle romance, …” – Dragana, The Paisley Reader
“Crown of Ice, is a luscious and fantastical retelling of the Snow Queen.” – Tina,Goodreads Reviewer
“A solid YA adventure with teenagers who learn so much about themselves, and each other. Even the expected happily ever after offers believable surprises that underscore the maturity and independence they each have gained.” –All Things Urban Fantasy
Vicki Lemp Weavil was raised in a farming community in Virginia, where her life was shaped by a wonderful family, the culture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and an obsession with reading. Since obtaining her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Virginia, she’s gone on to acquire two masters degrees, living in places as diverse as New York City and rural North Carolina. She’s currently the library director for a performing an visual arts university. Vicki loves good writing in any genre, and has been known to read seven books in as many days. She enjoys travel, gardening, and the arts. Vicki lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.
It’s the tour Grand Finale for
The Cinderella Theorem
By Kristee Ravan
Did you enjoy this logical fairy tale journey? If you missed any posts, go back and check them out now! Be sure to enter the giveaway as well!!
Launch with Excerpt (click on the link to read the full excerpt)
“Right. Well,” she took a breath. “To begin, I should say that your father is not dead.”
“But, he is dead. You told me that he died–that the train he was on hit a cow.”[i]
“No, Sweetie.” She patted my knee. “He’s not dead. He is alive and he’s coming to dinner.”
“I don’t understand. The train wrecked, the cow died, Dad died. You showed me the news story.”
Mom sighed. (Why is she sighing? Did she think that I would automatically understand? Did I miss the Lily, your dad is not dead memo?) “There was a train wreck, a cow did die. And it was on the news. But your father was not on the train.”
[i] If I seem a little slow to understand what my mom is telling me, keep in mind that fifteen years of believing my dad is dead is greater than 3 minutes of hearing he is alive. (15 > 3.)
Once upon a time, in a library far, far away, I discovered the fairy tale shelf. I remember it was in a sunny area. The books were smaller than normal and were a part of a set. I checked them out over and over again. I’m sure my seven-year-old self had heard or had all these fairy tales read to her before, but this was the first time, I was able to read them for myself. This began a life-long love for fairy tales…
Confession: I love to write Levi, the evil villain in The Cinderella Theorem. He’s to develop, he makes Lily (and everyone else) squirm and lose their cool, plus he’s greasy. Let’s explore the qualities that make up a good bad guy…
Is there a singular character that really touched your heart and why?
Lily has to make a couple of choices to be brave in the story. One of those is when she decides that she’d rather face facts and get to know her (previously believed dead) father than hold on to the nice, neat “story” of what she believed happened. I’m not always best at making hard choices, or being willing to do what is hard, so that aspect of Lily inspired me.
I need to let you in on a little secret. There’s math in my book. Probably an above average amount. It’s not a math book, but there is way more math in it than you would find in a regular book. And while I don’t think I’m BFFs with math, I do think I’m friendly with math. Which is interesting because there was a time in my life that math and I were not friendly at all…
“I liked the first-person writing style of The Cinderella Theorem; I thought Lily had a good voice. The characters were quirky and likable, and the ideas and world itself were delightful. The Cinderella Theorem is an enjoyable book, a fun play on the old fairy tales. Recommended.”
Skye Malone’s Blog – Fairy Tales You Aren’t Reading — But Should (Part One)
In my book, The Cinderella Theorem, a lot of the fairy tale world’s usual subjects show up: Cinderella, the Gingerbread Man, Sleeping Beauty. But I also got to shed some light on some of the rarer tales around, like the Erlking…
What is your favorite thing about writing a book partly set in a fairy-tale world?
Thinking up things like Marvelous Midas Creme—magical ice cream made by King Midas. From one carton, everyone will magically have whatever flavor is their favorite in their bowl. Creating the structure for HEA (The Office of Happily Ever After Affairs) was a lot of fun too!
Everyone’s got a favorite fairy tale and mine is Beauty and the Beast. There are a lot of reasons this tale could be my favorite, but the truth is there’s only one reason that it is my favorite…
2. This not only has a mathematical twist but a comical twist to the Cinderella theme? Will this become a series? If so, what type of theme will follow? If not, what will be your next project?
I am working on a sequel called Calculating Christmas. It will be a Christmas theme as Lily and her friends try to save Christmas. I also know what the third book will be about, but haven’t really planned it yet.
They start with once upon a time and end with everyone living happily ever after and in between those two things there is singing, talking woodland animals and a good deal of magic. Everyone knows that’s how fairy tales go. But do we really know these tales?
“I absolutely loved The Cinderella Theorem!! It was amazing. I thought it was so cool how Lily grew as a character and learned all these different lessons. The footnotes that the author added at the bottom of the pages were so great and helpful.”
“This is definitely the most unique fantasy novel I’ve read in a long time (and I read a lot of fantasy)! I love the main character and the way she views the world in terms of math.”
What kind of research (if any) do you do for your books?
Because math and fairy tales are so important in these books, I try to keep them in my mind by following blogs about fairy tales and math. I also read books about math and fairy tales. (Women in Mathematics and The Witch Must Die are what I’m working through now.) I’ve found that I’m faster at writing if I don’t stop to research in the moment, so I’ve started jotting down post-it notes of things to look up later. I’ve got some math friends that I ask questions of when needed. My friend, Kelly, helped me think of a math poster to be in Lily’s bedroom. I also use the internet quite a bit.
Mom hadn’t mentioned what I was supposed to wear for the interview, but then again, Mom hadn’t mentioned the interview either. There were a lot of things going unmentioned in the Sparrow family these days. Like my dad isn’t really dead, like I’m a princess, like I’m having a ball in my honor. So in the grand scheme of things unmentioned by my mother, what was one reporter, showing up unannounced, knocking on my bedroom door…
“I expected it to be okay, but it far surpassed my expectations. I picked it up and couldn’t stop! I was laughing out loud the entire time!… This book was SO much fun! I honestly loved every minute of it. The romance was fleeting, but promised more. I can’t wait for the next book!”
“I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more! I felt that I learned more about both fairytales and math while reading it so I feel smarter now than I was before I started. The ending was great and left me wanting more, so I was glad to get a sneak peek into the next book, Calculating Christmas (which is hopefully coming soon). If you or someone you know loves math, this book is a no brainer! If you don’t enjoy math, you will still find plenty about it to love, so give it a chance!!”
“This is a very interesting spin on fairy tales. I did truly enjoy the story. It was fun to think how I would feel as a teenager in this situation. She uses math to rationalize life. For a 15 year old girl I did not find her annoying. Most of the time the female character can be whinny and boy crazy. Lily was not like that and I was glad for a change of pace. A great fun read.”
“I’m not into math, but I love fairy tales. I passed my math classes, but it’s not my favorite subject, and I wasn’t sure how a story about fairy tales could possibly tie into math. But it worked! I thought it was very creative and the story was even written in a math book-type of format–little side notes and footnotes. It was interesting to see the way a logical girl could come to accept a fantasy world–almost like right brain meets left brain.”
“The Cinderella Theorem overall was a really great read. I had a few small issues with the book early, but they were minor things and I am so glad that I didn’t let them get in the way of enjoying the story, because this was a book that just kept getting better and better. I loved the concept of the story and the main character, Lily was a delight.”
“What I liked the most is that the author had me laughing. A lot. I can not wait until the next book comes out and I read more about these characters!”
From the Fireland Flame, the daily newspaper of EG Smythe’s Salty Fire Land:
Tybalt’s Tales, Gossip from all the Genres
August 19th has finally arrived! The day we’ve all been waiting for, Fireland! Princess Lily turns 15 today and finds out that she’s really a princess. How will our secret Protector respond?
Even though no one ever spells it correctly, I love my first name: Kristee. It’s unique and special and though a Google search will reveal that there are other Kristees in the world. I personally have never met one, and I know there’s no one else named “Kristee Ravan” (Kudos to my husband for giving me a unique last name, that no one ever spells correctly either…). So when I began creating Lily’s world, I wanted to be intentional with the names of the people and places. Here’s the inside scoop on what some the names mean.
I Am A Reader – Fairy Tales You Aren’t Reading, But Should, Part 2
Snow White and Rose Red
First of all, this is not the Snow White who hangs with the seven dwarves. This Snow White and her sister, Rose Red, were named for rosebushes that grew in front of their cottage, where the girls and their mother lived a happy life in the woods. (The dad’s dead.)
“The characters are well developed (and fun!), the plot is entertaining and very creative, the writing flows well, the dialogue is natural sounding and true to the character who’s speaking, and it’s overall just a good, fun read. I was also geekily excited that Lily shares information about Pi Day (March 14th – 3/14 – because pi is 3.14159… get it?) I’m looking very much forward to The Lily Sparrow Chronicles Book 2: Calculating Christmas…”
Calling for Reviewers!
We’re looking for reviewers! You don’t need a blog to sign up, but you do need to at least post a review on Amazon. Other sites (blog, Goodreads, etc.) are also appreciated. Reviews must be completed by the end of November. To sign up, please fill out this form.
The Cinderella Theorem
(The Lily Sparrow Chronicles #1)
by Kristee Ravan
YA Urban Fantasy
Paperback, 367 pages
March 17th 2014
Fairy tales are naturally non-mathematical. That is a fact, and fifteen-year-old Lily Sparrow loves factual, mathematical logic. So when her mother confesses that Lily’s deceased father is (a) not dead, (b) coming to dinner, and (c) the ruler of a fairy tale kingdom accessible through the upstairs bathtub, Lily clings to her math to help her make sense of this new double life (1 life in the real world + 1 secret life in the fairy tale world = a double life).
Even though it’s not mathematical, Lily finds herself being pulled into a mystery involving an unhappy Cinderella, a greasy sycophant called Levi, and a slew of vanishing fairy tale characters. Racing against the clock, with a sound mathematical plan, Lily attempts to save her fairy tale friends while proving that normality = happiness.
Kristee Ravan lives in Oklahoma with her husband, daughter, and pet fish, Val (short for Valentine). She wanted to be many things as she grew up including a general, an artist, and an architect. But she never bothered to say, “I want to be a writer when I grow up.” She was always writing stories and thought of herself as a writer anyway. She sent her first story to a publisher in the sixth grade. (It was rejected – in a nice way.) When she is not making up stories in her head, she enjoys reading, juggling, green smoothies, playing dollhouse with her daughter, and hearing from her fans. You can contact Kristee at the facebook page for her Lily Sparrow books: The Lily Sparrow Chronicles.
I’ll admit it. The cover drew me to this book. I didn’t even peek at the synopsis. So I was surprised to discover this was a fairy tale retelling. I’m glad I didn’t know, as I approached this with no preconceived expectations.
Now I understand the cover art and love it even more.
Please read further. I have my review for you along with the complete first Chapter.
And there’s a fantastic giveaway, so don’t forget to enter!
Not having read the book description before I started reading Divide, it took a while for me to realize this was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
There is a beautiful girl. There is a beast. But they are one and the same. They are Holland.
Holland’s world came crashing down when she was betrayed by her boyfriend and her best friend. They fell in love and her dreams went up in a puff of smoke. No three musketeers heading off to university together. No romantic adventures with her boyfriend. No late night girl talk with her best friend.
Just a void where her heart used to be. An empty shell of the girl she used to be.
And there’s the other thing. The thing inside her, waiting to come forth. To claim it’s place. The only way to save what is her, Holland has to fall in love. Love will break the curse.
I tried to put myself in Holland’s place. How could I fall in love when my heart was shattered, my self-esteem was at rock bottom, and I was mad at the world. How could I trust someone after such a deep betrayal?
Mick and Holland are good together. He makes her laugh in spite of herself, and I began to see a glimpse of the girl before the heartache.
I kept thinking, this is a fairy tale retelling. The author is free to tell the ending any way she wants. So maybe there will be no happy ending. Maybe Holland’s heart is broken forever. Then what will she become?
The tension built as Holland began to change earlier than expected. Time was running out. The beast was coming.
The writing was easy to follow allowing me to read this book straight through without a break. The dialogue was well done too, no confusion as to who was speaking. And Holland’s thoughts helped clarify things. Helped me to connect with her and care about her.
The author created a great love interest for Holland. Mick was funny, tender, patient, and determined. I held out hope for these two.
You don’t have to be a fan of fairy tales to enjoy this book. It’s only loosely based on the original and the author created her own version. One I liked very much.
4 STARS
~~~
Synopsis
From senior class president to dejected social outcast, with just the flick of a match.
After accusations of torching her ex-boyfriend’s home are followed by the mysterious poisoning of her ex-best friend, seventeen-year-old Holland Briggs assumes her life is over. And it is. But not in the way she thinks.
As Holland learns the truth about her cursed fate—that she is descended from the Beast most have only ever heard of in fairytales—she unites with an unlikely ally, good-looking newcomer Mick Stevenson.
Mick knows more about Holland’s twisted history than she does, and enlightening as it is to learn about, his suggestion for a cure is unsettling at best. Holland must fall in love with Mick in order to break the spell, and save their future generations from repeating her cursed fate. Having sworn off love after the betrayals of her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, this may be difficult to accomplish.
Complicating things further for Holland and Mick, time runs out, and Holland’s change begins way before schedule. With Holland quickly morphing into a dangerous mythical creature, Mick struggles to save her.
Should they fail, Holland will be lost to the beast inside her forever.
The girl looking back at me didn’t seem half as broken as I felt. She was beautiful, confident, sure of herself. A mask I’d worn for years out of habit, and more recently, necessity.
With a sigh, I slammed my locker door a bit harder than I’d meant to, shutting the magnetic mirror away for at least another hour. At least until I returned for more books between my next two classes and found myself staring at that pretty face again.
She was any magazine’s idea of perfection.
So unlike what lurked just under the surface.
I felt it. Moving around beneath my skin, waiting, calculating—counting down the days.
“Holl! Wait up!”
“Merde!”
I turned around to see my little brother heading toward me. The broad smile on his face pushed away my dark thoughts. With only eleven months between us, Cameron was busy enjoying the hell out of his junior year as I trudged through my senior. With way less enthusiasm.
Although, this time last year I’d felt differently. So much changed in a few short months.
“You cussed in French again, sis. People are going to think you’re a freak.”
I raised an eyebrow at my brother. “Seriously?”
As if saying a bad word in French would cause people to think I was a freak any more than all the rumors flying around about me.
Cam waved off my question with a flick of his wrist. “You ditching at lunch today?” he asked, pulling on his black and gold letterman’s jacket.
“No, Cam. That was just one time. Mom and Dad will kill me if I lead you down the path of destruction.” I over-emphasized the words the way our dad had so frequently.
Cam laughed and threw his arm around my shoulder, giving me a light noogie with his free hand. “If they only knew, huh, Holl?”
He leaned down and kissed the side of my head before he headed off to meet his water polo buddies. He may have been younger than me, but he’d already outgrown me by about six inches or so.
I headed to Physics, dreading what I’d find when I got there. The same thing I faced every day. I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and jutted out my chin. Walk in like you own the place. I repeated my mom’s advice for the millionth time as I entered room thirty-two and faced him.
As if it wasn’t enough that Rod had broken up with me two days before homecoming this past October—leaving me both broken-hearted and painfully dateless—I had to see him and Leslie draped all over each other every day in not just one, but two of my classes.
Just get through the year.
As I did every day, I walked past them without making eye contact and sat down at my desk. I pulled out my notebook, flipped it open and started my daily doodling. Somehow, I could excel at Physics with my eyes closed and a somewhat shoddy attendance record.
By the end of the period, Leslie had only glanced back at me four times. A new record. If this continued, then maybe she’d only look back at me once by the time Spring Break arrived, and no times at all by the time the school year ended.
Then I’d be out of Crappo Valley for good and could move on with my life. Maybe I should have switched schools like my parents had suggested. It sounded appealing, but it wasn’t like my fame would stay safely inside the walls of Capistrano Valley High School.
No, my fame would follow me. I had no doubt about that.
I waited for everyone to leave the class, then slowly headed for the door.
“Hollie? Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I closed my eyes, unable to believe it. She waited for me outside the classroom again. I don’t know why that surprised me, just that every day I hoped she’d change her routine. We’d gone over it a thousand times. Her pleas and my responses never changed. Would she ever stop?
“Hollie, please look at me.”
I slowly opened my eyes and repeated my mantra in my head. Like you own the place.
I faced Leslie and waited. She was neatly put together, as usual: dressed in a mint cashmere sweater, paired with a slightly-darker mint pleather skater skirt. I didn’t have to look down to know her toenails were impeccably painted in a contrasting yet complimentary pastel shade. Leslie’s blazing red-orange hair was pulled back into a perfect ponytail, with not even a single strand out of place. Though some would wonder how she created such a sleek hairdo, I knew her secret—Tres Flores hair pomade with massive amounts of Aqua Net. She’d die if anyone knew she used those products.
She’d also die if anyone lit a match within a five mile radius of her hair.
She licked her lips in preparation to speak the same tired words she’d spoken a million times. I fought the temptation to recite her speech for her, but she’d cried last time I did that, so I refrained. One of us had to be the bigger person. Or something like that.
Plus, her eyes already glistened the warning of yet-unshed tears. Ugh. I hated this.
“I miss you.”
I felt my jaw tighten at her words. Fact was that I missed her, too. And I missed Rod. And I missed my childhood spent with the two of them. My two best friends.
“We didn’t mean for this to happen. Please believe me. What can I do to fix this?”
Right on schedule, a tear slipped past the gate, sliding down her pale, freckled cheek. I watched the watery descent and began the same retort I’d repeated a million times.
“Look, Leslie. Just stop, okay? Do us both a favor and move on. You and Rod are in love. I get it. You didn’t mean to hurt me. Fine. But you did. And you can’t fix that kind of betrayal.”
I turned and walked away, not wanting to hear any more apologies. How many would I have to hear? I think I’d paid my dues and suffered enough. After all, I wasn’t the one who went behind her back with her boyfriend of four years.
I’d lost the two most important people in my life and she was the one crying? Ha.
I made it to the bathroom before my tears fell. I hadn’t let them really see how they’d broken me yet, and after four months, I sure as hell wasn’t going to start now. After checking to see that the room was empty, I huddled in the handicap stall and cried as quietly as I could, surrounded by graffiti-damaged gray walls, perfectly fitting for my mood.
When the bell rang a few minutes later, signaling I was late for my next class, I pulled out my compact and looked at my face. Puffy eyes. Fantastic. The red nose I could blame on the cold February winds, but the puffiness was a dead giveaway.
I focused on my blue eyes for a moment; sure I could see it if I only stared long enough.
I know you’re in there.
My eyes had started to change, the blue of my irises slowly seeping away. Only slightly, but enough that I could see the transformation. They were dull, grayer in color than they used to be. Surely, if anyone noticed, they’d probably just attribute the change to my depression.
I knew differently. Something wrong lived inside me, something that wasn’t fully me. Something foreign. Though, what it was, I had no idea.
The main bathroom door opened with a swoosh, followed by the loud thumping of heavy footsteps. I heard each stall door open with the bang of a fist against the metal door, and a swoosh-clank as each door flew inward and slammed against the toilet paper dispenser. One by one, the doors opened as the person made their way to me.
Bang
Swoosh
Clank
Repeat
When the cacophony stopped, black boots—with flat soles that had to have been a good five inches tall—parked right outside my stall. Squatting, with both feet up on the lid of the toilet seat, whoever stood there couldn’t see me. But the previous nine stall doors slamming open were plenty indication of what to expect next.
I climbed off the toilet lid and stood, unwilling to be caught off guard, even though I absolutely already was. I waited.
She cleared her throat.
Screw this. I wiped my tears from my cheeks. Like you own the place, I reminded myself. I opened the door and took a step back so I could see this psycho chick, whoever she was.
“Hey, Holland, right? I’m Rosemarie Stevenson. I’m new here.”
Her feminine name and sweet-sounding voice were in stark contrast from her strange clothing and door-punching habits. And her boots had more buckles than a straitjacket.
I almost laughed when I noticed that her face wasn’t nearly as scary as I’d assumed it would be. My gaze travelled down, from her tutu-corset thing-a-ma-jig, to her ripped purple and black tights, down to her crazy-ass boots. Then I brought my focus back to her face, and my head tilted slightly on its own accord. She was actually really pretty.
For a crazy chick in a Halloween costume.
The purple glitter eye shadow made her irises seem almost violet in color, and her jet black hair was cropped short and somewhat jagged. All she lacked were some sparkly fairy wings.
I peered over her shoulder, just to make sure wings weren’t fluttering behind her.
Her arm was still outstretched in front of me. I glanced at her black-tipped fingernails and ignored her awaiting hand, instead deciding to ask the pressing question.
“If you’re new here, how do you know my name?”
“Oh, please. You’re HollandBriggs. Aren’t you, like, famous around here?”
“Yeah, well, if you’re wondering if I burned a house down with my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend inside, you can wonder no longer. I just had last period with both of them, and they’re as fine as ever.”
I pushed past her, irritated that she was new here and already knew the rumors that I’d hoped to one day live down. How people could think I tried to kill Rod and Leslie even after they both returned to school and hung out with these idiots every day, I had no idea. Add to that Leslie’s daily pleading fests, and it was any wonder how people could still blame me, when she clearly did not.
“Wait! Holland! I’m sorry. We got off on the wrong foot. Can we start over?”
I spun on my heels and faced the new girl.
“Okay, Rosemarie, was it? I appreciate that you’re new here, and by looking at you I can see that you wanted to align yourself with the biggest freak in school, but I tend to keep to myself and don’t need any crazy-ass fangirls, okay?”
Her mouth fell open, but I didn’t care. She’d get over it.
I slipped out the door and back into the hallway, heading not for the cafeteria, but instead for the senior parking lot. Turned out I was ditching for lunch at Harbor House after all.
When I got to the car, Cam waited for me, his infectious smile already making me feel better.
“I knew you’d change your mind.”
I shook my head and slid into the driver’s seat of my red VW Cabriolet. Cam climbed in on the other side and tried to roll down his window, even though he knew from trying every single day before this one that it was a lost cause.
“Sure glad it’s cold out today because I can’t seem to get my window to roll down,” he said. “I don’t know why you insist on driving this car. You know Mom and Dad will get you whatever you want. Maybe even something from this century.”
“I love this car. It was Mr. Greenburg’s, and he trusts me to take care of it. Plus”—I waved my hand around the old interior—“character.”
Cam scoffed.
“If you hate Penny so much, why do you insist on driving to school with me?”
As soon as the words left my mouth I regretted them. We both knew why Cam hardly ever left my side, and I hated bringing it up. I was past it, but no one else seemed to think so. My little brother had sort of taken on the role of bodyguard, confidant, and babysitter. Always making sure poor Holland wasn’t heading for the deep end again.
“So who was that weird fairy-looking chick that followed you outside?”
I quickly glanced back at the doors to the school as I left the parking lot, and sure enough, my newest fan stood outside watching us drive away. As I brought my attention back to the road, I turned the corner and my view of her disappeared.
“Some new girl. She heard about my experience with pyromania and wanted my autograph.”
“Nice! Did you give it to her?”
“Fuck off, Cam.”
“Nice again! Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
I glanced at him, his brown eyes sparkling. “I kiss your mother with this mouth.”
He groaned. “You do know that ‘your mama’ jokes aren’t funny when she’s your mom too, right?”
“Whatever.”
“So, was Leslie waiting outside for you after Physics again?”
“Is she ever not?” I asked, pulling Penny onto the freeway.
“Wow. She needs to give up already. But I have to hand it to her: she’s got a lot of nerve. And stamina. Nerve for thinking you’ll ever forgive her, and stamina for the relentless apologizing. I couldn’t apologize for that long, that’s for sure.”
“When have you ever apologized anyway, Cam?”
“Pssh, when have I ever needed to?”
Twenty minutes later, we parked in the lot behind the Harbor House Café in Dana Point. My stomach growled just thinking about it. Cheese fries and a chocolate shake: the lunch of champions.
Cam clapped his hands one time, his thoughts clearly mimicking my own, then climbed out of the car. He pulled off his water polo jacket, revealing a shirt that was about two sizes too small and stretched around his arms, showing all of his muscle definition.
“Your shirt. Are you serious?”
He flexed his bicep and winked at me, his brown eyes sparkling. “The ladies love it.”
I shook my head at his ridiculousness.
Cam ran a hand over his cropped brown hair, then matched his pace to mine and draped his arm across my shoulders. Clearly still stuck on Leslie, he asked, “Did she say anything different this time? Anything to change your mind about her?”
“What, like the past few months were all a big mistake, and I’ve only been dreaming that she slept with my best friend slash boyfriend? Nah. She didn’t say anything like that. I’m pretty sure this all actually happened to me.”
“Yeah, well, their loss, Holl.” He squeezed my shoulder.
“Yeah, their loss.”
Cam had said those words so many times, and I was pretty sure he believed it was their loss. I wasn’t so convinced anymore though.
~~~
About Author Jessa Russo:
Jessa Russo believes in fairytales, ghosts, and Jake Ryan. She insists mimosas were created for Sundays, and that’s not up for discussion. She’s obsessed with the great city of New Orleans—where she’s collected too many beads to count, eventually married her sweetheart, and visited graveyards they don’t include on maps.
She’s loud, painfully honest, and passionate about living life to the fullest, because she’s seen how abruptly it can be taken away.
What began as a desire for reading and writing young adult paranormal has bled into stories of all kinds. From fantasy to pre-dystopian to erotic contemporary, Jessa’s stories always include romance, though she’s given up on pigeonholing her work into a category or genre box.
Jessa was born and raised in Southern California, and remains there to this day with her husband (a classic car fanatic), their daughter (a Tim Burton superfan), and a Great Dane who thinks he’s the same size as his Chihuahua sister.
ENTWINED, the final installment of Russo’s Ever Trilogy, will be released later this year, as well as an erotic romance written under the pseudonym Parker Jameson, so please stay tuned!
If you’d like to connect with Jessa online, please visit the following pages:
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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My Teaser for today is from Fathomless
by Jackson Pearce
My Tease from page 74
Am I dreaming?
The world seems wrong and mixed up and different from the one that I know to be real, so it could be a dream. Yet…I don’t dream this vividly. I inhale; the bite of salty air fills my lungs.
That felt real. I look down — my hands are strange, the wrong color, like I’ve been picking blueberries and haven’t washed them. I stare at them for a moment, turn them over, and inspect my palms. Everything feels real, but something isn’t right….
And then I realize I’m naked. Naked, kneeling in the ocean.
Synopsis
Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant — until Celia meets Lo.
Lo doesn’t know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea — a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid — all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she’s becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she’s tempted to embrace her dark immortality.
When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude’s affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there’s only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.
