ONCE UPON A PRINCESS // Blog Tour, Interview, & Giveaway

HELLO, MY LOVELY DRAGON PRECIOUSES.

Today, we're going to be discussing princesses. And the tale of Sleeping Beauty. And overall, THE EPICNESS OF IT ALL. Today, I'm proud to be sharing about C.S. Johnson's Once Upon a Princess saga!

ABOUT THE BOOKS

"I have better things to do."

"Like what?" Rose asked. "Waste your life on a fool's journey, under a silly girl's orders?"

"I have never considered saving your life to be the same as wasting mine, Rosary." He came and stood in front of her, the ease of his presence replaced by an unusual heat rather than familiar warmth. Rose had never before been bothered by the six inches he stood taller than her, but all of a sudden the shadow of his strength imposed itself on her. 

The cursed beauty of the moonlight revealed the clarity and sharpness of his eyes as she gazed up at him. "What if you did waste your life though? What if?"

"If I have wasted my life, I have wasted it on you. Willingly."

For four years, Princess Aurora of Rhone -- Rose to her friends -- has searched the world for a way to break the curse placed on her by Magdalina, the wicked ruler of the fairies at war with her kingdom. Under the curse, Rose is doomed to die on her eighteenth birthday after pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. And time is running out.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Rose makes the journey home with her friends -- Theo, a priest with a penchant for revenge; Mary, a young and talented fairy; and Ethan and Sophia, siblings with a troubled past -- as pressure from her father, King Stefanos, leaves her with two equally unsatisfying options: abdicate the throne, or get married.

Enjoy this novella series, a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, with new characters, new plot twists, and plenty of action and adventure. Perfect for teen and young adult readers of historical fantasy.

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // Kobo // Google Play // iBooks

INTERVIEW

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Hello, C.S.! Welcome to the blog! I'm so excited to talk with you, today! First off, would you mind introducing yourself? Hobbies, dream vacation, coffee or tea…?

Hi everyone! I'm a non-cliché YA author who writes mostly fairy tales, fantasy, and sci-fi. I like to write and daydream and make up uncomfortable moral quandaries for people, so being a writer really seems to work with me. My dream vacation shifts, but it's always overseas with my family somewhere, whether we end up in a castle looking through history or a lodge heading out to go troll hunting. I drink coffee (not really coffee, but lattes and mocha) and tea (mostly green tea). I have two kiddos and a good husband and we try to either all drive each other crazy or we try not to drive each other crazy. 

What are some of the first things you take into consideration when writing a fairytale retelling?

I like to start with character. More often than not, my stories are more concerned with character than plot, even though they have a good mix of both. I like to think about character motivations. For Beauty's Curse and the subsequent saga, I wanted to do a retelling of Sleeping Beauty that forced the princess to make the choice to prick her finger on the spinning wheel or not. If she did it, why would she do it? And if she didn't, how would that change her?

When reading a book, which element is the most important to you? Worldbuilding? Characters? Writing voice?

I like characters, but voice matters the most when I read. I’ve read a lot of books with characters I didn't really like, but if the voice is good, I can make it through. Worldbuilding matters, too, of course, but I've found that the best worldbuilding happens as I experience the character. 

What would your ideal day of writing look like?

Coffee shop, unlimited funds, and the ability to focus for hours on end! 

Thank you so much for your time, C.S.! Last question, before you go: what message do you want your readers to ultimately take away from Once Upon a Princess?

There are several along the way, but I think it's safe to say I want my readers to know that their choices matter. Their choices matter, and the motivations and reasons behind them matter, and their choices can make all the difference -- for good or bad as much as for good and bad -- in the end. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C. S. Johnson is the author of several young adult novels, including sci-fi and fantasy adventures such as the Starlight Chronicles series, the Once Upon a Princess saga, and the Divine Space Pirates trilogy. With a gift for sarcasm and an apologetic heart, she currently lives in Atlanta with her family. Find out more at csjohnson.me.

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GIVEAWAY

Love reading fairytales? Enter to the world of C.S. Johnson's Once Upon A Princess Saga by entering to win a paperback of Beauty's Curse, the entire saga in ebook format, four specially designed t-shirts of a quote from the series, and two handy mugs for your favorite drink.

Entry-Form

TOUR SCHEDULE

• Monday, September 25
• Book Spotlight – The Twirling Book Princess
• Tuesday, September 26
• Book Spotlight – Michaela Mills
• Wednesday, September 27
• Author Interview – dolphin18cb
• Thursday, September 28
• Book Review – Amanda's Books and More
• Friday, September 29
• Author Interview – Aconite Cafe
• Saturday, September 30
• Book Review – Rachel Poli – I read. I write. I create.
• Author Interview – Official Blog of Shannon A. Hiner
• Monday, October 2
• Author Interview – Liv K. Fisher
• Review – Mom with a Reading Problem
• Tuesday, October 3
• Review – Zernia Blossom's Books
• Wednesday, October 4
• Book Review – A Book A Day
• Review – Zernia Blossom's Books
• Author Interview – So Few Books
• Thursday, October 5 
• Book Review – True YA Book Blogger
• Friday, October 6
• Author Interview – Lands Uncharted
• Book Spotlight – Rachel Lopez
• Facebook party @ 5:30 PM (Pacific time)!
• Saturday, October 7
• Book Review – Rachel Poli – I read. I write. I create.
• Book Review – Official Blog of Shannon A. Hiner
• Monday, October 9
• Wrap-Up Post – Unicorn Quester

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*hugs C.S.* Thanks so much for chatting with me, girl! 😸

Dragons, you can snag book one of the Once Upon a Princess saga, Beauty's Curse, free on kindle!

Have you read any books by C.S. Johnson? What's your favorite fairytale?

❤,

Blog tour images provided
by Laura A. Grace.