A Court of Broken Promises & Nightmares YA Dark Fantasy Regency Romance by Michelle Helen Fritz Book Tour with Guest Post and giveaway
Once upon a time, an evil faerie queen traveled through the looking-glass with the cruelest of intentions…to curse a baby.
A Court of Broken Promises & Nightmares
Courts & Curses Book 2
by Michelle Helen Fritz
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy Regency Romance
Once upon a time, an evil
faerie queen traveled through the looking-glass with the cruelest of
intentions…to curse a baby.
When Alora meets her
prince at a masquerade and shares a moonlight dance, her life is
forever changed. As her heart longs for his promised return, she
can't get his amber gaze far from her mind.
The Faerie Prince of the White Kingdom doesn't remember the night he fell in love with his true mate. Debauchery and unrest are twisting the subjects of Wonderland into sinister faeries, and the prince is suffering right alongside his people. With time ticking down to preserve the wonder of his land, he’ll need to battle his greatest foe and regain his lost memories or risk sacrificing everything.
With the help of the Resistance and a tutor with style and sass, Alora is destined to save the two kingdoms, but she’ll need to embrace the darkness in order to fulfill the prophecy. What Wonderland needs most is a savior. But she’s only ever been a simple English girl. No pressure there.
This is book two in a Regency fairytale re-telling mash-up series Courts & Curses with guaranteed happily ever afters and surprising twists to the tales you thought you knew. Adventure through the six Courts of Faerie in this shared universe as they battle the darkness that seeks to destroy their existence. Each book is written as a standalone with interconnecting characters and themes.
Horrifying beasts that used to exist only in nightmares now
freely roamed the dark lands. Those who were once gentle and kind had been
either devoured or forced to become cruel and twisted, re-created into
something sinister, something truly terrifying. A Resistance was formed to
fight against the swelling tide of evil, one which would need a savior, a
leader who could take all of the unrest and debauchery and vanquish the very
heart of evil, making something wonderful from its ashes. One who could take
the darkness and embrace it as they conquered the false queen.
Cheshire was in pursuit of a grimoire chasing a hobgoblin.
The grimoire was spitting black, inky liquid at everything it passed by. It was
a nasty, horrid little creature, as all the grimoires were.
The tabby ran with a delighted look upon his whiskered face.
Alora caught his notice by wavering her hand in the air.
“Nothing to fear, Curious One! We shall soon have this all
settled. There is nothing quite like a good mad dash around the library.” The
feline winked at her, then took off again.
“Mad, you’re all raving mad,” she whispered. “Everything
anyone does is mad!”
“Who are you?” came a raspy voice to the side of the pathway.
Alora cast her gaze in the direction from where the voice had come, noting the
various shapes and heights of the mushrooms standing erect just beside the
pathway.
“I inquired who you are, you daft girl,” seethed the voice
with unguarded irritation.
“Why is everyone so unbearably rude?” Alora had had her
fill with ill-mannered faeries and took angry steps until she halted before the
mushroom where the tiny creature reclined. She staked her hands onto her hips
in umbrage.
Resting atop the largest brown and white mushroom was a tiny
cyan caterpillar puffing out tiny rings of smoke. In one of his many grubby
hands rested the mouthpiece of a hookah. He wasn’t wearing any practical
clothing, yet there were minuscule sky-blue slippers on ten of his miniature
feet.
“Perhaps you're the rude one, you unwelcomed interloper!” the
insect snapped before taking another drag on his instrument.
Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something
about yourself and how you became an author?
I
think I was always writing. I wrote my first Regency Romance when I was an
early teenager. I still remember it and wish that I had held onto it. That was
my first official book and Love At Last was my next. I couldn't imagine writing
another book and not publishing it.
What are you passionate about these days?
Writing
and reading and learning new ways to express the written word. Also, my
daughter’s artistic skills have really soared! She’s surpassed everything that
I ever taught her and that is such an awe inspiring moment when you watch your
little one take flight. I love watching her paint. It’s the coolest thing to
express yourself on a canvas. There’s a piece of beauty in each brushstroke.
And painting beside my daughter is faetastic. I love that we can be so creative
and just have such a marvelous time together.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
Read!
I really do enjoy books. I want to be whisked away and surprised and fall in
love.
What inspired you to write this book?
The
idea of a Wonderland where the heroine chooses Hatter and he falls for her,
deliciously. I wanted one that was gruesome with battles but also with such a
sweet wholesome romance. I think the idea of the Regency era where manners
mattered and mayhem ruled was fascinating. And the young adult genre has my
heart. Fairytales were my first love, what better way to honor that then to
create my own worlds?
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
Alora
is our heroine. When I considered Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Aurora
from Sleeping Beauty, I merged them together and Alora was born. I think it’s
the perfect way to mash-up my heroines, and I enjoy taking the fairytales and
creating these names. The other names were seamless. These characters appeared
on the pages and there was never a doubt as to who they were.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
I
certainly did. So much of the Regency genre is telling, not showing. With the
first book in this series, I didn’t show enough and some readers pointed out
that they would have enjoyed it more if I had shown more things. My editor was
meticulous in pointing out when I needed to show more. I’m a very descriptive
writer, so I loved having things be noted that I could bring to life in a
different way. I think it’s so much more magical than my first book and I
really hope that it presents well to the young adult audience. This book owns
my heart.
How did you come up with the name
of this book?
Well,
the Lunar Court is a wondrous place filled with nightmares as it’s heavily tied
to dreaming and curses. The idea of our hero making a promise that he couldn’t
keep intrigued me. So I knew that nightmares and promises had to be in my title.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would
it be? And what would you do during that day?
That’s
very easy to answer. Cheshire of course would be my choice. He’s so funny and
says things that others might not, he just doesn't have a filter and I love
that most about him. He’s honest and raw and doesn’t apologize for being
himself one bit. I would love to sit down over a tea table and hear the gossipy
tales from all the Courts. Mostly, I dream of the idea of giving him a hug. Can
you imagine how soft his fur would be!?
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like
you have the reigns of the story?
Before
I even began writing this book, Femfaeascent was fuming with formidable rage,
pacing back and forth in my mind. She was quite irate with her son and wanted
to make sure that her vengeance was legend. Once the prologue was written, she
calmed down. But I usually have characters talk to me and Alora was also very
vocal. I had an idea of where we were going and reached chapter three and she
was like, nope. We’re redoing this because this isn’t how this is suppressed to
go. I was so upset because I didn’t want to lose my words but you know what?
She was absolutely right, the book is better because she was so insistent.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
It
would be a mix of Hatter’s and Remius’s scents. Wonder what those are? Read
their story.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of
them come to you as you write? Obviously I had a pretty good handle on the main characters.
Usually when I’m writing things are happening and bam, there’s a new character.
Sometimes it’s surprising and other times it’s a good compromise to making a
scene or a book flow better. Usually I won’t know who they really are until
there is dialogue happening. That’s when any character really comes to life. I
never imagined that Fleur, who was in the first book, would be such a huge part
of the second book. But she showed up in a big way and stole it away.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Always
in silence or as much as I can manage! I want to be in the moment with my
characters and not miss any of what’s taking place on the page. I often will
read lines aloud when it’s dialogue to hear how it sounds, what I could add
more to, or what could be tweaked.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a
time?
Usually
it’s two at a time. One to be working on full-time and one to slip into when I
need a change or to let one rest to come back to it in a few days.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer.
I need to see the words flowing on the screen. I would never accomplish much if
I was concentrating on my handwriting and whether it was legible enough to read
later.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they
want?
Several
very wise persons have said to write for yourself the stories that you want to
read. And that’s exactly what I do. I really hope others enjoy my words, and if
not excuse me while I weep away. Kidding…mostly. Most authors want their books
to resonate with their readers. That’s the ultimate goal.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
It
really varies. My second book was a co-write with the amazing E.A. Shanniak. We
wrote that book in three weeks because it just flowed. It was an amazing
experience. Other times it’s taken longer. I think the longest was a year, but
I wasn’t consistently writing it. Usually if given the proper time, three
months is my time-frame.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I
do! Sometimes the muse just isn’t there. That’s when you need to take a step
back and just do something else that inspires you. Go to a museum. Go for a
walk. If you’re crafty, create something. Paint, listen to music or spend time
with your family. When your mind resets, the muse will begin to whisper in your
ear. It’s magical when suddenly those words start to flow.
Michelle Helen Fritz began her literary career as a personal assistant to Indie authors. She enjoys being immersed in the process of turning an idea into a complete and published book. Michelle loves to write about dashing heroes and the compelling women that tempt them with a bit of intrigue and an abundance of romance, creating swoon-worthy characters and stories for her readers to enjoy. Occasionally, her characters talk to her and change the entire plot. Maryland is where her humble abode resides, housing her four home-schooled children along with her jaunty hero-husband who makes all her dreams come true. Michelle fully believes in happily-ever-afters and wishing upon stars.
Thank you so very much for sharing!
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