Saturday, August 3, 2019

MAIDEN: A FRACTURED FAIRYTALE

 


Hey everyone,

I know it has been a while since I've had a new release, but here I am with a story near and dear to my heart, MAIDEN, BOOK 1 of THE FRACTURED FAIRYTALES SERIES.

BLURB: Katania Avnaughn dreams of a day when she is no longer at the mercy of her manipulative mother and the taunts of her beautiful stepsister, Ella. A chance meeting with a journeying Prince makes Katania reconsider her hopes for the future. But then an unexpected death changes her life forever. Years later, abused and penniless, Katania thinks her life cannot get any worse until she is forced to entertain a cruel suitor. On a rare trip into town, Katania finds herself at the mercy of an attacker and is rescued by the returning Prince of Ortesia, Valentin.

Known to each other from their previous meeting, the attraction between them is renewed and even more powerful than before. But Katania has a suitor and the Prince is all but betrothed to someone else, until a twist of fate has the chance to change everything. When Katania receives an invitation to a royal masquerade ball, she knows that there is more at stake than a simple welcome home for the Prince.

With a new determination to win Valentin’s love and escape her mother once and for all, Katania sets out for the ball. Then, a mysterious maiden championed by the King is put in Valentin’s path, and Katania fears her chance at happiness has once again been thwarted. A glass slipper may be her saving grace.

When the King decrees that the maiden who can fit the slipper will be Valentin’s bride, Katania believes that fate is finally smiling on her. But when she and Ella can both wear the slipper, Katania realizes her journey to love and freedom is just beginning.


Facing a gauntlet of challenges from the King, Ella’s resolve to have Valentin for herself and mounting pressure from her social climbing mother, Katania soon becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of royalty, love and secrets.

MAIDEN has been a story a long time in the making. I actually wrote the first version of the story several years ago. Growing up, Cinderella was far from my favorite Disney Princess. In fact, I thought her story was kind of lame. But one day my muse spoke to me and I thought about what might have happened if the Prince fell for one of the Stepsisters, instead of Cinderella. What if Cinderella was not some damsel in distress, but a jealous, insecure young woman?

From that the story was born, and I was surprised at the crooks and turns the story took as I worked on it each day. The final product is a much darker version of the story, Disney gave us. This is a coming-of-age story filled with danger, social issues, and at its core a love story for the ages. I hope that when people meet my heroine, Katania (Kat) they will take to her and appreciate that she is not the typical fairytale maiden in any sense. Kat is feisty, against social norms and is not afraid to speak her mind. 

Welcome to the World of MAIDEN, set in the fictional kingdom of Ortesia. Below are links to all things MAIDEN.