Books Direct: "Withering Rose" by Kaitlyn Davis

INTERVIEW and GIVEAWAY

Withering Rose
(Once Upon A Curse Book 2)

by Kaitlyn Davis

Withering Rose is the second book in the Once Upon A Curse series by Kaitlyn Davis. Also available: Gathering Frost (read my blog post).

Withering Rose is currently on tour with YA Bound Book Tours . The tour stops here today for an interview with the author and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.

More books by this author: The Shadow Soul (read my blog post), The Spirit Heir (read my blog post), and The Phoenix Born (read my blog post).

Description

A USA Today Recommended Series!

What if Beauty was cursed, and the Beast was the only one who could save her? Don't miss Withering Rose, a dystopian romance from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis that reimagines the classic fairy tale of Beauty & The Beast. This is the second book in Once Upon A Curse, a series of interconnected stand-alone novels all set in the same fantasy universe.

"As the heat finally disappeared, I felt the bloom blossom in the very core of my soul, a rose just like my name - a ticking clock hidden behind a façade of beauty. From that moment on, my life would become a countdown, and all I could do was wait and watch as the petals of time slowly started to fall."

Omorose Bouchene has a secret - magic. There's only one problem. At the age of seven, an earthquake struck, catapulting her into a new world. A land made of skyscrapers and cell phones. Fast cars and fluorescent lights. A land where magic isn't supposed to exist and anyone who wields it is the enemy.

But after ten years of hiding, she's desperate to find a place where she can be free. Because all magic comes with a curse, and her curse is time - every ounce of power she uses strips days off of her life. The clock is winding down, and the only option left is to escape to the realm ruled by a man known only as the Beast. But the king of monsters isn’t what he seems. And the more Omorose opens her heart, the more she comes to realize that the only person she may need to fear is herself.

Excerpt

Click below to read an excerpt.

Praise for the Book

"Kaitlyn Davis knows how to write a good fairytale. This has a good intricate plot. It isn't quite clear how the protagonists will find their happy ever after. The characters are well developed as is the build of their relationship. The heroes of the first book (and hints of the third) are well-incorporated. You could read this book alone without missing anything (but the first book is great too & quite different from this one, so you would be missing out on a good read). I am so happy I read this book." ~ E L-G

"Overall I found this an easy, enjoyable read. [...] If you’re new to this series, this stands alone perfectly well, but there are a few recurring characters to connect the tales together, and the link to the next book definitely has me intrigued. If you liked the last book, you should certainly enjoy this one, or if you’re a fan of retold fairytales that put intriguing twists on old tropes, then give this a try. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the next." ~ Book Gannet

"I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fairy tales! It was a wonderful retelling, and it appears to be leading to more books in the series. Very excited to read them." ~ Lady with a Quill

"I really, really enjoyed this twist that Kaitlyn Davis made on Beauty & the Beast. [...] this book had the perfect balance of similarities with the original story and completely new elements that made it modern and fast-paced." ~ Amazon Customer

"Reading Withering Rose was a blast. Not only is it funny, the romance between Omorose and Cole is just so adorable. This is a book I can describe as unputdownable, The world building is fantastic and the adaptation of Beauty and The Beast is portrayed in a delightful manner. This book is worth your time." ~ Cassie James

Interview with the Author

Kaitlyn Davis joins me today for an interview all about Withering Rose and the world of Once Upon A Curse!

Okay, elevator pitch time! If you had to tell someone about your new book, Withering Rose, in thirty seconds or less, what would you say?

Yikes! This is always so tough! Here goes … Withering Rose is a post-apocalyptic fantasy reimagining of Beauty & The Beast - only this time, beauty is cursed and the beast is the one who needs to save her!

And if you had to describe the book in three words, what would they be?

Romantic, mystical, and … adventurous!

This book is part dystopian, and part inspired by Beauty & The Beast. Can you tell us what this crazy world is like and how you came up with it?

As always, my imagination ran away with me - for this book and for the first book in the series, Gathering Frost! Originally, the idea for Once Upon ACurse began from an idea I got while watching a Disney movie - a fairy tale apocalypse in which different classic characters came alive and took over our world. Somehow, my creativity ran amok - because, you know, that never happens ... ;) The idea shifted into a creation of two parallel worlds, our earth and a fairy tale land, that smashed together in a massive earthquake, leaving a patchwork universe behind.

Gathering Frost was set in New York City - but not the one we know and love! This New York was broken down, filled with decaying skyscrapers and abandoned apartments. But for Withering Rose, I decided to venture into a whole new part of the world of Once Upon A Curse! The novel is set on the lands surrounding a misty snow-capped mountain range rumored to be the realm of the Beast.

So, what idea came first? Did you set out to retell Beauty & The Beast or did you come up with the story first and then rework the fairy tale aspect into it?

I'll be honest, after the first book, Gathering Frost, which retells Sleeping Beauty, I was dying to retell one of my favorite fairy tales - Beauty & The Beast! If you've read Gathering Frost, you know that the end set up Withering Rose and teased a little glimpse of the twisted take on the classic. And using that as a jumping off point, I outlined Withering Rose. While Gathering Frost was a looser interpretation of Sleeping Beauty, Withering Rose definitely ties into the original tale closely. All the characters play a part - our beauty, the famed beast, the loving father, the witch, and even the rose.

This is the second book in the Once Upon A Curse series. What are you planning next?

One of my favorite things about this series is that there is no limit! With most of my series, I follow a central set of characters through a story arc that I pre-plan. So once the first book is out, I already have a general idea of how many books will follow and what will happen in each.

But with Once Upon A Curse, each novel is a standalone story twisting a different fairy tale. And more and more ideas keep coming to me! The world is vast and I love fairy tales, so I think I will just ride this wave of inspiration and see where it takes me. Currently, I'm planning on at least two to three more books! The third will retell Cinderella, and it is teased a bit at the end of Withering Rose. And I have an idea for the fourth that would be based on The Little Mermaid, and after that I might go into some lesser known tales like The Twelve Dancing Princesses. Each tale will tease out the universe of Once Upon A Curse more and more, and by the end I want there to be a sense of closure that all the upheaval and hardships faced by the characters weren't faced in vain!

Do you have a favorite fairy tale princess?

Well, growing up I was obsessed with Belle and Ariel! Belle because she was the uber book nerd like me, and Ariel cause, well, mermaids are just really cool! Withering Rose tells the story of my new version of Belle, and I have a feeling I won't be able to resist writing my own Ariel in the future!

Is there a message in this series that you want readers to grasp?

As cheesy as it might sound, the moral of the series is fairly similar to that of every fairy tale (it just takes a much more convoluted path to get there!) - love wins! It can conquer any obstacle, overcome any hurdle, surprise you, give you a reason to live, give you the heart and strength to keep fighting. In the end, if you have real love, you can handle anything. Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic, but I truly believe that.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Ooh, I love this question even though I hate playing favorites! One of my favorite parts of writing any romance is the build up - the little glances, the lingering touches, the blossoming friendship. But my absolute favorite is when that build up explodes! And that doesn't always happen with the first kiss. Sometimes it’s a just a raw moment, pure understanding, when the characters bare their souls to each other. And Withering Rose has this moment - I think you'll recognize it when you read it!

Thank you for answering all of these questions, Kaitlyn!

Thank you so much for hosting me, Lynda!! :)

About the Author

Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name KayMarie.

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family.