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.
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.
Links
