Today I’m excited to have my good friend Tara Gallina on the blog answering question about her new release Fated to Die.

I love fairytale retellings, especially ones I’m unfamiliar with. Fated to Die is a wonderful fairytale of ancient curses and a romance that sweeps you off your feet. I couldn’t put the book down. I’m very excited to spotlight this book and talk with Tara. Not to mention she has a giveaway happening right now.

Let’s take a look at Fated to Die.

Immerse yourself in a fairy tale village where the only way out is through death.

Inspired by the Scottish folktale of the Washer Woman with a hint of Beauty and the Beast.
Dark Retelling, young adult romance.

Never in a million years did Preya believe she’d be chosen by the curse on her village. Outcasted for her appearance, Preya has never bothered trying to fit in. Friends, balls, and romance are for eligible maidens, not a pariah who spends her time caring for her family. But this year is different.

Each Summer Solstice the Washer Woman enslaves a maiden of seventeen as her Messenger, a bearer of death to those who are Fated to Die. No maiden has ever survived her enslavement.

If Preya is to be the first, she must submit and follow the rules set by the Keeper. The mysterious boy is tasked with her training and, at all times, cloaked from her sight. His strict, domineering methods clash with his warm voice and gentle touch.

Preya doesn’t know how he’s connected to the curse, if he’s good or bad, human or monster, and why she’s drawn to him. When trusting him becomes her only chance at freedom, Preya discovers secrets about the Keeper and the past that change everything she thought she knew. Saving herself isn’t enough. She needs to break the curse, and she needs his help to do it.

Order the book here!

Q&A with Tara Gallina

1. Fated to Die is your fifth novel, congtrats! How does it feel to have so many under your belt since publishing your first book Risking Forever in March?

It feels good but also like I need a vacation. LOL. In truth, I wish I could get more books out faster.

2. In Fated to Die the curse of the Washer Woman is so intriguing, how did you come up with that concept for the novel?

I was looking for ideas and myths that aren’t as popular. There are so many. The darkness and death surrounding the Washer Woman folktale resonated with me.

3. You have self published all of your books, what recommendations can you give to other authors who wish to go the same route for publishing? 

Research the route you want to take and then go for it!! Don’t let fear hold you back!

The Giveaway!!

Tara is having a giveaway for a $50 Amazon Gift Card!

Enter here

About the Author:

Tara Gallina is the author of the serial romance, The Forever Series. She writes and reads romance in a variety of genres but has a soft spot for retellings.

She believes in fairies, true love, and happily ever after. She favors characters and/or couples who defy the odds and make a way, even when there isn’t one.

She grew up in a small town by the beach but soon after moved to Orlando, Florida with her patient hubs, two older sons, and two fur-babies. With local theme parks like Disney World and Harry Potter, it’s no wonder her life is filled with fantasy and make believe.

Follow here:

Instagram * Twitter * Facebook * Blog

I highly recommend Tara’s series The Forever Series. Such smoldering romance and hot characters!

Today I want to spotlight my good friend author Tara Gallina’s Serial Romance The Forever Series!

Today Tara is having a giveaway on her website for the new release of The Forever Series 4-in-1 book bundle! You can’t beat that for this wonderful books. Here’s the link to my reviews on the books so you can see why this is a fantastic binge worthy series for the summer.

Let’s take a look at The Forever Series!

You are just one click away from the giveaway! Click on the picture below to enter to win this amazing series.

Today I want to spotlight an author I have followed since her first book, Stacey Lee.

Ever since I received an ARC of Under a Painted Sky I was hooked on Stacey’s writing, on the diverse characters and setting. I couldn’t put this book down! See my review on Under a Painted Sky here.

All Samantha wanted was to move back to New York and pursue her music, which was difficult enough being a Chinese girl in Missouri, 1849. Then her fate takes a turn for the worse after a tragic accident leaves her with nothing and she breaks the law in self-defense. With help from Annamae, a runaway slave she met at the scene of her crime, the two flee town for the unknown frontier.
But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls. Disguised as Sammy and Andy, two boys heading for the California gold rush, each search for a link to their past and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. Until they merge paths with a band of cowboys turned allies, and Samantha can’t stop herself from falling for one. But the law is closing in on them and new setbacks come each day, and the girls will quickly learn there are not many places one can hide on the open trail.

Order here

Also, there’s exciting news that the TV rights for Under a Painted Sky have sold! Congrats Stacey!

Stacey’s writing is descriptive and her main characters are Chinese American heroines. It’s wonderful to see a diverse author write diverse characters. The next book I picked up was Outrun the Moon. A suspenseful historic Ya taking place during the historical San Francisco earthquake! I couldn’t put this book down. Check out my review here.

Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty of Chinatown, San Francisco in 1906, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. Now she’s forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

Order here

What the characters Sam and Mercy both have in common is they don’t let prejudice hold them back. They are both strong and independent. Sam, from Under a Painted Sky, was trying to see her father’s dream of living out west in California come to be and didn’t let hate stop her. She cared for everyone, putting their needs first. From a Chinese girl, a slave girl, a Mexican vaquero…each character brought spirit throughout the adventure in Under a Painted Sky. Mercy, from Outrun the Moon, is never ashamed of her appearance but proud of it and her heritage. It was nice to see such a strong character that fought back the oppression against her. When the earthquake hits Mercy takes action to help those around her, even in her time of loss. Both books are highly recommended.

Stacey has a way with characters and words. Her words pull at your heartstrings and bring forth so many emotions. You fall in love with her heroines and instantly connect.  She also does a wonderful job at bringing to life historical eras with passion and vivid detail. You can feel and sense what the heroines are going through. Every step of the way you are connected to that character and rooting for them to succeed.

I can’t wait for Stacey’s next book called The Downstairs Girl, which comes out in August. I’m sure it will just be as fantastic as her other books.

By day, seventeen-year-old Jo Kuan works as a lady’s maid for the cruel daughter of one of the wealthiest men in Atlanta. But by night, Jo moonlights as the pseudonymous author of a newspaper advice column for the genteel Southern lady, “Dear Miss Sweetie.” When her column becomes wildly popular, she uses the power of the pen to address some of society’s ills, but she’s not prepared for the backlash that follows when her column challenges fixed ideas about race and gender. While her opponents clamor to uncover the secret identity of Miss Sweetie, a mysterious letter sets Jo off on a search for her own past and the parents who abandoned her as a baby. But when her efforts put her in the crosshairs of Atlanta’s most notorious criminal, Jo must decide whether she, a girl used to living in the shadows, is ready to step into the light. With prose that is witty, insightful, and at times heartbreaking, Stacey Lee masterfully crafts an extraordinary social drama set in the New South.

Order here

About the Author:

Stacey Lee is a fourth generation Chinese-American whose people came to California during the heydays of the cowboys. She believes she still has a bit of cowboy dust in her soul. A native of southern California, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall.

Follow Stacey here: Facebook * Instagram * Twitter * Blog

Today I am excited to have author Tara Gallina on the blog celebrating the release of her first serial book Risking Forever in the Forever Series!

Want a sexy romance? Look no further than Risking Forever.

My best friend has been obsessed with Sebastian since our freshman year in college. She wants him to herself, which is fine by me. He’s a paycheck, a means to an end goal. He’s temporary. But he’s also tempting—the way he looks at me, the things he says, the way he touches me… If I’m not careful, I might do something I’ll regret. ~Ainsley Belle

THE FOREVER SERIES
At twenty, Ainsley knows it’s time to follow her own dreams and not the future her mother planned for her—a future she never wanted. Losing her job couldn’t have come at a worse time.
Sebastian Gianni isn’t the ideal boss, but he has a position to fill and Ainsley is desperate. The sexy twenty-two year old comes from money, owns a successful business, and graduates from college in three months. He has his life together in a way Ainsley could only dream.
No wonder her best friend is obsessed with dating him. Even his ex-girlfriend is determined to get him back, although threatening him seems like the wrong approach. Ainsley would be a fool to fall for the guy, too.
By no means, should she trust him. He has more secrets than anyone she knows, which makes her wonder if the mafia rumors about him are true. It doesn’t matter that he’s a good listener, and sweet and protective at times. That playful flirty side he shares with her alone means nothing. Right?
When a kiss turns into a secret romance neither can give up, Ainsley learns the truth about Sebastian’s corrupt family and why his ex-girlfriend won’t go away. A future together is near impossible and comes with a risk that could get them both killed—or give them everything they’ve ever wanted.

Order here!

And now to the interview!

Such an easy question. LOL  This sums me up pretty well. I love to read romance novels! I’m a fan of all romance genres. I write in both new adult and young adult.  I also love flowers, fairy gardens, butterflies and butterfly gardens, dresses, shoes, anything that sparkles, and the color pink! My office is pink. I have a pink fur office chair, and a slight obsession with Hello Kitty. She is on all my bookshelves with my books. I have yet to buy a pink car, only blue so far, but I’m not against it.

2. Your book is in the world! How does that feel? 

Accomplished, but also busy and under pressure to get more books ready! This book is a serial novel with 3 volumes total from start to finish. Risking Forever: vol 1, Daring Forever: vol 2, Claiming Forever: vol 3. I also have a free companion novel, which is written in Sebastian’s (the love interests) POV. It’s his version of Risking Forever. You can get it from my website by subscribing. www.taragallina.com

Hmm? This varies depending on appointments and/or other obligations. I have 2 older children and my husband travels a lot for work. I have 2 needy pets too, a little cat and a tiny furry dog. They’re always hungry. I try to write everyday. I am more about words than hours. My goal is 2000 words a day, 5 days a week. It does not always work out that way.

Partly my allergies. I have a bazillion and they cause migraines. It’s very hard to write let alone think with a migraine. The other part would be getting pulled away from writing one book to edit another. If I’m on a writing groove, I lose my flow and have a hard time returning to finish the novel.

A spin-off sequel to The Forever Series (Losing Forever) following 2 new characters. Braylee and Grayson–he is mentioned loosely in Sebastian – Risking Forever. The free read. I don’t know if it will have 2 volumes or 3.  Either way, I release the volumes within a week of each other so readers don’t have to wait. Daring Forever is available for pre-order now and releasing 3/18/19. Claiming Forever is also available now for pre-order and releasing 3/25/19.

I am a fan of thrillers.

Today’s spotlight is a thriller about an assassin which just adds intensity to a good thriller!

Let’s take a look at Kill For Me!

Lethal assassin Victor lands in the middle of a Guatemalan cartel war in the latest nonstop thriller from the international bestselling author of The Final Hour.

KEEP YOUR ENEMIES CLOSE…

Victor is the killer who always delivers…for the right price. And Heloise Salvatierra, patron of Guatemala’s largest cartel, is ready and willing to pay him just that to eliminate the competition: her sister. Heloise has been battling Maria for control of the cartel in an endless and bloody war. Now Victor decides who survives. An easy job if it weren’t for the sudden target on his back.

…AND THEIR ENEMIES CLOSER.

Victor’s not the only one on the hunt. Someone else has Maria in the crosshairs and will do anything to get the kill. In the middle of cartel territory with enemies closing in from all sides, Victor must decide where to put the bullet before one is placed in his head….

Order the book here!

I have yet to read the other books of this series but I am now a fan. You don’t need to read the other books to enjoy this 8th installment of Victor the Assassin series. It was very interesting to get into the mind of a character who is hired to kill people.

To be an assassin you have to be intelligent, manipulative, narcissistic and bold and that is just who Victor is! He is one dangerous man you don’t want to mess with…like John Wick. The story was great and descriptive in detail and the action took the pace to a full level of edge of your seat reading. I highly recommend this book as I will be checking out the rest of the series.

About the author:

Tom Wood is a full-time writer born in Burton-on-Trent, and who now lives in London. After a stint as freelance editor and film-maker, his first novel, The Hunter, was an instant bestseller and introduced readers to a genuine antihero, Victor, an assassin with a purely logical view on life and whose morals are deeply questionable. Tom is passionate about physical sport, being both a huge boxing fan and practising Krav Maga, which has seen him sustain a number of injuries. He has not, however, ever killed anyone.

Find him on: Website, Twitter and GoodReads.

I AM A SUCKER FOR THRILLERS.

I have read many books this year but these 5 books either surprised me, I read them in one sitting or had me at the edge of my seat. Some are murder mysteries, some are psychological thrillers and one is an adventure thriller. Let’s take a look at my 5 favorite Thrillers!

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
• ISBN-10: 1250130921

When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.
You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.
You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.
You will assume you know the anatomy of this tangled love triangle.
Assume nothing.

Twisted and deliciously chilling, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s The Wife Between Us exposes the secret complexities of an enviable marriage – and the dangerous truths we ignore in the name of love.

Read between the lies.

Review: The twists in this book had me going…

Nellie is marrying Richard, the man of her dreams. She won’t have to worry about money and will be well taken care of for life. Vanessa Is Richard’s first wife and has trouble accepting he left her for a younger woman. So what does she do? Stalk Nellie.

This book kept me guessing until the end and what an ending! It was a page turner with many plot twists. From the very first chapter you knew that the authors had plenty in store for the reader. The chapters alternate from Vanessa and Nellie and it was intriguing to see their separate point of views in regards to each other and Richard.  Fast paced with well developed characters this thriller is the perfect read for someone looking to be shocked!

Order here!

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First Edition edition
• ISBN-10: 0062667572

Amber Patterson is fed up. She’s tired of being a nobody: a plain, invisible woman who blends into the background. She deserves more—a life of money and power like the one blond-haired, blue-eyed goddess Daphne Parrish takes for granted.

To everyone in the exclusive town of Bishops Harbor, Connecticut, Daphne—a socialite and philanthropist—and her real-estate mogul husband, Jackson, are a couple straight out of a fairy tale.

Amber’s envy could eat her alive . . . if she didn’t have a plan. Amber uses Daphne’s compassion and caring to insinuate herself into the family’s life—the first step in a meticulous scheme to undermine her. Before long, Amber is Daphne’s closest confidante, traveling to Europe with the Parrishes and their lovely young daughters, and growing closer to Jackson. But a skeleton from her past may undermine everything that Amber has worked towards, and if it is discovered, her well-laid plan may fall to pieces.

With shocking turns and dark secrets that will keep you guessing until the very end, The Last Mrs. Parrish is a fresh, juicy, and utterly addictive thriller from a diabolically imaginative talent.

Review: This book by far has my favorite ending.

Amber is a deceptive woman with a plan to snag a rich man, doesn’t matter if he is married. Daphne has the perfect life with rich husband Jackson and wealth beyond imagination. So what does Amber do? Make friends with Daphne to get to Jackson!

The story is told in first person for Daphne and third for Amber. You really connect with Daphne and feel for her as she struggles with this new intruder in her life. You really loathe Amber and dislike her to the bitter end. The descriptions were vivid showing the luxurious lives of the rich from the outfits the women would wear down to the expensive shoes and jewelry. The pace quickens when secrets are revealed and the twist and turns leave you breathless. The ending is so satisfying I had to read it again.

Order here!

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525557628

It’s winter in the Catskills and Mitchell’s Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing–maybe even romantic–weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge woodburning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.

So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity–and all contact with the outside world–the guests settle in for the long haul.

Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead–it looks like an accident. But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.

Within the snowed-in paradise, something–or someone–is picking off the guests one by one. And there’s nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm.

Review: This book reminded me of clue with vast characters and surprises.

A group of guests are checking into a small boutique hotel isolated in the woods for a weekend of bliss. But one by one they soon start to die and there is nothing they can do because they are trapped inside with each other due to a blizzard. And one of them is the murderer. This is a classic murder tale with various characters from the wealthy, to friends, to lovebirds and little clues to who the killer is.

I loved how the author made the reader feel like you were there in the cold setting of the hotel and you could feel the characters fear as they each began to die off one by one. The author did a wonderful job at navigating all the characters and I never once got confused. Each character had a secret revealed but still adds to the mystery of who the killer is. The ending wrapped up everything nicely with a bit of a surprise.

Order here!

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1538761858

Not all secrets are meant to be found.

If Indiana Jones lived in the X-Files era, he might bear at least a passing resemblance to Nolan Moore — a rogue archaeologist hosting a documentary series derisively dismissed by the “real” experts, but beloved of conspiracy theorists.

Nolan sets out to retrace the steps of an explorer from 1909 who claimed to have discovered a mysterious cavern high up in the ancient rock of the Grand Canyon. And, for once, he may have actually found what he seeks. Then the trip takes a nasty turn, and the cave begins turning against them in mysterious ways.

Nolan’s story becomes one of survival against seemingly impossible odds. The only way out is to answer a series of intriguing questions: What is this strange cave? How has it remained hidden for so long? And what secret does it conceal that made its last visitors attempt to seal it forever?

Review:  Ok this is not a murder or psychological thriller. It is an adventure thriller and it had me at X-files meets Indiana Jones.

Told from the point of view of our protagonist Nolan, we follow him on an expedition to the Grand Canyon for his documentary series, The Anomaly Files, in search of a lost cavern that holds ancient secrets. With a variety of characters to help him on this journey Nolan finds the lost cave but soon they are trapped inside and it becomes clear that they are not alone.

The book starts off slow but the action picks up once they reach the cavern. With little resources they are fighting for their life once stuck inside, and nobody knows where they are!  The author does a wonderful job having historical facts blending with sci-fi elements. It was a compelling read with suspense at every turn of the page. I hope there is another book that follows Nolan and The Anomaly Files because this one was a fun read!

Order here!

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow
• ISBN-10: 0062678418

For readers of Gillian Flynn and Tana French comes one of the decade’s most anticipated debuts, to be published in thirty-six languages around the world and already in development as a major film from Fox: a twisty, powerful Hitchcockian thriller about an agoraphobic woman who believes she witnessed a crime in a neighboring house.

It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . .

Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors.

Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.

What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

Review: This book is in reminisce of the old classic by Alfred Hitchcock- Rear Window.

Anna has agoraphobic, so she doesn’t leave her house and lives through her camera spying on her neighbors. She talks everyday to her husband and daughter, who live elsewhere. The influence of Hitchcock is here but the story takes a turn of it’s own on a path of suspense.

The setting is dark and mostly takes place in Anna’s house. She relies on wine and drugs to stay sane but throughout the book you see her character grow and start to become healthy, even through the turmoil of what she thinks she saw. There are some twist and turns and reveals you didn’t see coming. It is s slow suspenseful story but worth the read.

Order here!

What are your favorite thrillers?

Today we’re spotlighting a new creeptastic book Like Never and Always! After checking out the book enter the giveaway.

LIKE NEVER AND ALWAYS Blog Tour Assets

About the Book:

Title: LIKE NEVER AND ALWAYS

Author: Ann Aguirre

Pub. Date: July 17, 2018

Publisher: Tor Teen

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Pages: 336

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

On a hot summer night, a screech of brakes and shattering glass changes two lives forever.

Liv wakes in the hospital, confused when they call her Morgan. She assumes it’s a case of mistaken identity, yet when the bandages come off, it’s not her face in the mirror anymore. It’s her best friend Morgan’s.

Morgan always seemed to have the perfect life, yet Liv must navigate endlessly disturbing secrets of the criminal and murderous variety—and a romance that feels like a betrayal. Torn between the boy she loved as Liv and the boy she’s grown to love as Morgan, Liv still has to survive Morgan’s last request.

About Ann:

Ann Aguirre is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author with a degree in English Literature; before she began writing full time, she was a clown, a clerk, a voice actress, and a savior of stray kittens, not necessarily in that order. She grew up in a yellow house across from a cornfield, but now she lives in sunny Mexico with her husband, children, and various pets. She likes books, emo music, and action movies. She writes all kinds of genre fiction for adults and teens.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will win a finished copy of LIKE NEVER AND ALWAYS, US Only.

Enter here!

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

7/2/2018- BookHounds YA– Guest Post

7/3/2018- Here’s to Happy Endings– Review

7/4/2018- YA Books Central– Interview

7/5/2018- Literary Meanderings– Interview

7/6/2018- The Desert Bibliophile– Review

Week Two:

7/9/2018- A Dream Within A Dream– Review

7/10/2018- Twinning for Books– Review

7/11/2018- Parajunkee– Excerpt

7/12/2018- Wonder Struck– Review

7/13/2018- Christen Krumm– Interview

Week Three:

7/16/2018- Jena Brown Writes– Excerpt

7/17/2018- Novel Novice– Guest Post

7/18/2018- Hauntedbybooks– Review

7/19/2018- Book Dragon Lair– Review

7/20/2018- Eli to the nth– Review

Week Four:

7/23/2018- Under the Book Cover– Review

7/24/2018- Confessions of a YA Reader– Review

7/25/2018- Moonlight Rendezvous– Review

7/26/2018- Simply Daniel Radcliffe– Review

7/27/2018- Two points of interest– Review

Week Five:

7/30/2018- For the Love of KidLit– Interview

7/31/2018- Smada’s Book Smack– Excerpt

We’re back!

So much has happened this last month, stress, anxiety and a death in family, we had to take a social media break. It was much needed but now we’re back and today spotlighting a fun sequel.

Let’s take a look at City of Bastards!

• Series: Royal Bastards (Book 2)
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (June 5, 2018)
• ISBN-10: 1484767632
• Order here!

Tilla, bastard of House Kent, has it made. Safe from her murderous father in the dazzling capital of Lightspire, she lives a life of luxury under the protection of the Volaris King, alongside her boyfriend, Zell, and best friend, Princess Lyriana.

So why isn’t she happy? Maybe it’s the whispers and stares that follow her wherever she goes, as the daughter of the traitor waging war against Lightspire. Or maybe it’s the memories of her beloved brother, Jax, who lies cold in his grave even as she tries to settle into a life in the city’s prestigious University.

Then Tilla stumbles upon the body of a classmate-a friend. The authorities are quick to rule it a suicide and sweep it under the rug, but when Tilla herself is attacked by a mysterious man with terrifying powers, she’s convinced of a conspiracy. Her friends beg her to stay silent; what she’s suggesting is impossible . . . and treasonous.

But Tilla can’t-won’t-let it go. And the deeper she digs, the more questions she uncovers. How is the West beating the supposedly invincible Lightspire mages in battle? Is it connected to the shadowy cult wreaking havoc in Lightspire? Nothing is as it seems in the glorious capital, and Tilla’s presence might just be the spark that sets the Kingdom aflame.

Doesn’t that sound intriguing? I loved the first book and the second book looks just as fun. If you haven’t read the first book take a look below.

• Series: Royal Bastards (Book 1)
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Disney-Hyperion; Reprint edition (May 8, 2018)
• Order here!

Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children. At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax’s floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father’s side, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits at the Bastards’ Table. But when Tilla and Jax is lead the visiting Princess Lyriana on a late-night escapade with their fellow bastards, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness–a brutal coup. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries. The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart-if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey…

About the author:

• Andrew was born in the Soviet Union, but immigrated to the US when he was four years old. He doesn’t remember much of life there, but has retained a love for weird Russian cartoons and a total indifference to being cold.
• Andrew’s passion has always been storytelling, in all its forms: fiction, cinema, narrative video games, and long, rambling, frequently-exaggerated anecdotes. He spent his childhood devouring books, and his adolescence watching straight-to-DVD horror movies and playing jRPGS.
• Andrew graduated from Vassar College with degrees in English and Russian literature (aka, the two languages he was already fluent in). While there, he was falsely accused of releasing a bear on campus, and once stole a fence and buried it in a swamp.
• Since 2008, Andrew has worked as a videogame writer, producer, and designer. His focus has been on narrative mobile games, especially episodic ones. Some of these titles include Choices: Stories You Play, Surviving High School, Cause of Death, and High School Story.
• Andrew is both color-blind and tone-deaf, which probably means he has some latent superpowers he just hasn’t discovered.
• He is represented by the amazing Sara Crowe of Pippin Properties.
• Andrew lives in San Jose, California, with his wife, son, and two cats.
• The best videogame of all time is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. This is not a fun fact about Andrew, but an objective truth of the world.

Follow: Twitter * Instagram