Sunday, January 11, 2015

"Beautiful Curse" by Jen McConnel

EXCERPT
Beautiful Curse
by Jen McConnel


Beautiful Curse is currently on tour with Enchanted Book Promotions. The tour stops here today for an excerpt. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.


Description
Sixteen-year-old Mya Jones is cursed.
She is, hands down, the most beautiful creature on earth. But beauty can wound, and Mya finds herself reviled and shunned by her peers. If there is even a chance that she could start over, Mya longs to take it, no matter the risks.
So when the strange Mr. Merk offers her a new life away from home, Mya is hesitant but hopeful. Only she didn't count on the mysterious Ross, or her feelings for him.
Beautiful Curse is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid.


Excerpt
“Elaina!” I stood on my toes and waved, trying not to care that the people near me whipped their heads around to stare. I smiled at my best friend. Let them stare; we were upperclassmen now.
Elaina elbowed her way through the crowd, grinning, but her smile faded by the time she got to me. I gave her a quick hug, but she pulled back, studying me closely. “What did you do to your face?”
I reached for my cheek. “Is there something on it?” Hurriedly, I turned to open my locker and check the mirror again, but Elaina put her hand on my arm.
“Stop fooling around. Seriously, what did you do?”
I ran my tongue over my teeth, hoping I didn’t have any food stuck in them. “What do you mean?”
She squinted at me. “Mya, you look like a frickin' super model. What gives?”
I blushed. I’d been excited when I woke up and realized how good I looked, but something in Elaina’s tone made me uncomfortable. I forced a laugh. “I know, right? It’s so weird. It’s like magic or something.”
Elaina raised her eyebrow. “Did you have work done or something?”
“What? No!” I looked around and lowered my voice. “You know I’d never do anything like that.”
“Makeup, then. What brand are you using?”
I shook my head. “Seriously, I didn’t do anything. It’s like my face finally decided to behave.” I smoothed my long blond hair out of habit, and Elaina’s eyes followed my fingers.
“And your hair. You look way too good for the first day of school!” Her words were light, but her smile looked a little strained. “If you don’t want to share your secret with me, that’s fine.” She turned abruptly, but I hurried after her, hurt.
“There is no secret! I’m just having a really, really good hair day, I guess.”
Before she could reply, the warning bell rang, and I glanced at my schedule, my stomach suddenly tight with anxiety.
“I’ve got Farkner for homeroom, and then Calc.”
Elaina nodded. “I’ll see you at lunch.” Her tone was distant, and I bit my lip, trying to figure out what was going on.
She slipped into the crowd before I could say anything else, and I stared after her for a moment before I turned and began pushing my way through the students to the math room.
Someone bumped me from behind, and my books went sailing to the floor. So much for this being a good day.


Praise for the Book
"Beautiful Curse is the perfect balance of mysterious and romantic. You'll swoon over this imaginative retelling of Cupid and Psyche." ~ Robin Constantine, author of The Promise of Amazing
"A fun and fresh twist on a well-loved story! The Cupid and Psyche romance is my favorite myth and McConnel's whimsical take did not disappoint. An absolute delight, I loved every moment of this love story and instantly wanted more." ~ Rachel Harris, author of The Fine Art of Pretending
"Beautiful Curse is the phenomenal and completely captivating modern day retelling of the Greek myth of Psyche and Cupid. [...] This is by far one of the best retellings I've ever read. Fans of the genre will definitely want to get their hands on this one! I very highly recommend it to fans of fantasy, mythology, and retellings - as well as readers who enjoy YA fiction, paranormal stories, and those looking for something different to read and want an exceptional book to experience." ~ Stephanie Ward


About the Author

Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.  When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. Her fiction titles include Daughter of Chaos (YA), The Secret of Isobel Key (NA), and the recently released sequel, Her Secret Inheritance.



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