Spooky Reads & Eerie-sistible Treats

Hello readers, I'm excited to be back with a spooky reads post, as I love the fall season and the countless books that fit the season's mood. This post is in partnership with Penguin Teen for their 2019 YA Wicked Reads Campaign. Today I will be sharing book recommendations based on your favorite sweet treats. Stayed tuned to find out which book you should read.

If you like Hershey's Dark Special Dark Chocolate... 

If you like the bitter and spine-tingling taste of dark chocolate, you should pick up Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. Hershey's may seem kind of basic and plain to you on the outside, but the flavor of the dark chocolate is complex, twisted and quite unique. It is a perfect metaphor for this book, which takes on a very classic and simple look, however it is filled with dark accents and multi-dimensional characters.

If you like Skittles...

Want to read the rainbow? Not only does Noteworthy feature a handful of LGBTQ+ characters, but just like skittles, this book contains a multitude of flavors. There are moments in this book that will make you keel over and laugh, but then there are moments that will ground you with serious discussions about gender norms and diversity. You can get a taste for everything that Young Adult has to offer in this book. 

If you like Kit Kat...

You guessed it... a book that will break your heart! The Hearts We Sold is by far the most jarring book I've ever read. It sweeps you off your feet but also cracks your little heart into tiny pieces. When the book came out in 2017, it made my list of top reads for the year. This book has so many complex layers you can peel apart, which is personally how I love eating my Kit Kats. 

If you like Sour Patch Kids...

The Power was a recent read for me, one that I had to include on this list because I truly recommend it for this fall spooky season. Like a sour patch, this book has a serious flavor change. The book starts off pretty sour and then starts to slowly but surely become sweeter. I was all over the place while reading this book, sometimes wanting to cheer because my favorite characters prevailed and also the feeling of I-want-to-throw-my-book-across the other side of the room (which I did actually do btw). 

If you like candy corn...

Here lies a book that I personally thought I loved but everyone didn't, just like candy corn. I am a candy corn fiend and am always taken aback when people say they don't enjoy the super sweet and chewy treat. Everless was a book with very mixed reviews, but in short I had so much fun reading it and it definitely gives you a lot to chew on with the fantastic magic system and world building. 

If you LOVEEEEEE Snickers...

Last but not least for my favorite Halloween candy of all time. The Beautiful is recent release from master storyteller Renee Ahdieh. You know what you love best about Snickers: the smooth candy bar that looks super clean but then you take one bite and you get the exciting bite of a peanut, as a string of caramel runs down your chin. Reading The Beautiful is like taking a bite out of a Snickers bar. It's the sensation of surprise and gooey goodness that is sweet but also a little bit tart. Damn, I should really be a food critic. 

5 Reasons to Pick Up Wicked Fox by Kat Cho

Title: Wicked Fox
Author: Kat Cho
Pages: 432 pages
Release Date: June 25th, 2019
Source: ARC from Publisher
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology

A fresh and addictive fantasy-romance set in modern-day Seoul.

Eighteen-year-old Gu Miyoung has a secret--she's a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Because so few believe in the old tales anymore, and with so many evil men no one will miss, the modern city of Seoul is the perfect place to hide and hunt.

But after feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. Against her better judgment, she violates the rules of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead--her gumiho soul--in the process.

Jihoon knows Miyoung is more than just a beautiful girl--he saw her nine tails the night she saved his life. His grandmother used to tell him stories of the gumiho, of their power and the danger they pose to humans. He's drawn to her anyway.

With murderous forces lurking in the background, Miyoung and Jihoon develop a tenuous friendship that blossoms into something more. But when a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead, the consequences are disastrous . . . forcing Miyoung to choose between her immortal life and Jihoon's.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Welcome to my stop on the #WickedFox blog tour! I'm honored to be a part of this tour and to share this awesome book with you guys, which will be hitting shelves on June 25th. I know sometimes choosing new books to read can be difficult, especially when your TBR is towering over. So I'm here to make your life easier, by providing you with 5 simple reasons why you should read Wicked Fox by Kat Cho, laden with GIFs from your favorite Kdramas and Kpop artists! 

1. Korean Culture

With her new book, Kat Cho wanted to incorporate much of her Korean heritage into this fantastical story. She definitely succeeded. The book takes place in modern day Seoul and gives you a glimpse into what it's like to live in the hustling and bustling metropolis. From the familiar Kdrama and Kpop references to the inclusion of classic and cultural Korean dishes, this book is sure to warm the hearts of many Asian readers as well as become a heartwarming introduction to Korean culture to non-Asian readers. I won't spoil the references, but I'll just say that I squealed with recognition every time I came across a reference! 

2. Like watching a Kdrama

What's better than being able to read a Kdrama? This book has all the addictive elements that you love from your favorite Kdramas- a great conflict, hate-to-love romance, cute and steamy scenes that make you root for the two characters and some good old humor. It's also a plus that it's fantasy and there's some Korean mythology weaved into the story. 

3. Dark and Dangerous

The cover may look all fluttery and light-hearted, but this book is actually quite dark. I mean our main protagonist consumes the energy of men to survive, how could it be darker than that? Kat Cho's writing is exceptional, filled with dark humor and even darker characters. Cho creates a creepy atmosphere, where our beloved character's lives could be at stake at any moment. 

4. Fast-paced and Entertaining

This book is a real page turner, and I found myself absorbed in the stories of the characters. Bear with me it is quite a chunker, but the story itself is fast-paced and addicting. I found the constant witty banter between Miyoung and Jihoon to be so addicting because I was always interested in seeing what the other person said next. You'll likely find yourself staying up past your bedtime to finish just one more chapter. 

5. It's got BALL - Bad Ass Leading Ladies

Okay. OKAY. We love a book that is modern feminism with a paranormal fantasy twist. All the women in this book are absolutely FIREE and stole the whole show from the romance. After all, the book starts off with Miyoung saving Jihoon's life! My favorite character in the entire book was actually Jihoon's halmeoni (grandmother). She is a caring and fiercely independent women, who isn't afraid of anything. Be prepared to read about these women kicking ass, both figuratively and literally! 

Kat Cho

Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt.

Website | Instagram | Twitter 

This Book Is Not Yet Rated by Peter Bognanni | Author Interview

Title: This Book Is Not Yet Rated
Author: Peter Bognanni
Pages: 336 pages
Source: Hardcover from publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

The Green Street Cinema has always been a sanctuary for Ethan. Maybe it's because movies help him make sense of real life, or maybe it's because the cinema is the one place he can go to still feel close to his dad, a film professor who died three years ago. Either way, it's a place worth fighting for, especially when developers threaten to tear it down to build a luxury condos.

They say it's structurally unsound and riddled with health code violations. They clearly don't understand that the crumbling columns and even Brando, the giant rat with a taste for sour patch kids, are a part of the fabric of this place that holds together the misfits and the dreamers of the changing neighborhood the cinema house has served for so many years.

Now it's up to the employees of the Green Street Cinema--Sweet Lou the organist with a penchant for not-so-sweet language; Anjo the projectionist, nicknamed the Oracle for her opaque-but-always-true proclamations; Griffin and Lucas who work the concessions, if they work at all; and Ethan, known as "Wendy," the leader of these Lost Boys--to save the place they love.

It's going to take a movie miracle if the Green Street is going to have a happy ending. And when Raina, Ethan's oldest friend (and possible soul mate?), comes back home from Hollywood where she's been starring in B-movies about time-traveling cats, Ethan thinks that miracle just may have been delivered. But life and love aren't always like the movies. And when the employees of the Green Street ask what happens in the end to the Lost Boys, Ethan has to share three words he's not been ready to say.

Out now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I am so excited to be apart of this tour and to present an interview with the brilliant Peter Bognanni. Peter is actually a professor at the college I attend, and I sat in on one of his creative classes when I was a prospective student. it brings me great joy to support the work and creativity of my profs who love what they do and enjoy teaching their craft with students who aspire to do the same. So without further ado, I asked Peter some questions about his writing process and his teachings.

Q: This novel is a lot different than your previous Young Adult novel, Things I'm Seeing Without You. How do you decide the subject matter of your books before you write them?

Usually I realize I have a book idea if there’s an obsession that I just can’t let go of. In the case of Things I’m Seeing Without You, it was the idea of digital grief and mourning someone you only knew on the internet. For this book, it was the idea of finding your first work family. I kept coming back to these ideas and taking notes. Then I took notes on the notes. Before too long, I had the beginnings of a book.

Q: What inspired the story of This Book Is Not Yet Rated? Are there going to be movie references scattered throughout the book?

I grew up watching a lot of movies. My dad was a film buff and we used to go to the movies almost every Saturday when I was growing up. Later I worked at a small movie theater in Minneapolis called the Oak Street Cinema. Then, my first book was made into a movie and I got a chance to see what things were like on that side of things. All of these experiences cohered into book about the movies, family relationships, and a friendship between a theater worker and an actress. Oh, and yes, lots of film references!

Q: So not only are you an established Young Adult author, but you're also a professor of Creative Writing. What experiences have you gained as an author that you feel are valuable to share with your students?

I mostly teach the craft of writing, so branching out from adult to young adult has opened up another avenue for classes. I taught a YA literature course at Macalester for the first time last year, and the student work was amazing. I always start with the art of telling a good story, making a narrative work, creating tension and urgency, making the reader care. From there, I move to the smaller, fancier things like lyricism, psychic distance, and point of view.

Q: What's the most important writing tip you give to your students who are aspiring writers?

When you’re young, you just have to keep working. You wrote something good? Great, get back to work. Something bad? Make more work. It takes a while to find your own truth and the style that makes it unique. And most problems along the way can be solved by just writing your way through them. The rest of the answers are in books. So read lots of those.

Author Info
Peter Bognanni is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop. His debut novel, The House of Tomorrow, won the Los Angeles Times Book prize for first fiction and the ALA Alex Award and has been adapted into a feature film. He teaches creative writing at Macalester College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. 

Wildcard by Marie Lu

Title: Wildcard
Author: Marie Lu

Release Date: September 18th, 2019

Pages: 352 pages 

Source: Hardcover 

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side. Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems--and his protection comes at a price. Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?

Get it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Marie Lu has done it again,

Whenever I begin a new book by Marie Lu, I clear out my day’s schedule and prepare myself for the rush of adrenaline that’s sure to follow, because I already know that it’s going to be out of this world. It’s sort of like getting ready for a special occasion. I started and finished Wildcard in a little over a day and good gracious, even my dreams started happening in Warcross.

The characters in Wildcard are as witty and as clever as they were in Warcross, and the world building was just phenomenal. In this duology, Marie Lu has not only triumphantly constructed an incredibly vibrant game universe--that is easily accessible--but has also reimagined a mystical future. Marie’s descriptions of the Warcross realm are detailed enough that the foundations feel sturdy, yet also loose enough that it allows for the reader to cultivate their own interpretation of the game’s many details.

Going back to the cast, I felt that all of the characters’ arcs grew tremendously throughout this finale. There were so many motives and faces to Marie’s characters, that I was constantly torn between whose side to choose. Ultimately, it took getting through a good chunk of the novel to realize who the true villain was--and what a classic plot twist! We learn so much more about Hideo’s backstory in this sequel, which almost made this story feel more like Hideo’s than Emika’s. I loved (almost) all of the new characters whom we were introduced to and despite the book being of an average novel length, I felt that the character descriptions were sufficient enough to provide a solid understanding of even the newest characters.

This conclusion packed so much emotional torment and adrenaline into 300-some pages that I didn’t regret losing sleep to finish it. As much as it took out of me to read Wildcard, every minute that I spent with this book was totally worth it. I loved Wildcard way more than Warcross, because it was so much more emotional with twists that no one could have predicted. Although I was left satisfied with the ending, I was certainly also left wanting more of the story, more of Emika and Hideo, and more details regarding the technologies.

Every time I read a new Marie Lu book, my expectations are that this new read could not possibly top the last one. And every time, I’m left with a new favorite. Marie Lu’s stories are always filled with incredible amounts of fine details and creative plots. Her characters are dimensional and their personalities are easily relatable. After Wildcard, I simply cannot wait for what Marie Lu has in store for us next.

BLOG TOUR | Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson + My Undead Girl Gang

Title: Undead Girl Gang
Author: Lily Anderson
Pages: 272 pages
Release Date: May 8th, 2018
Source: ARC from Penguin Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mystery

Mila Flores and her best friend Riley have always been inseparable. There's not much excitement in their small town of Cross Creek, so Mila and Riley make their own fun, devoting most of their time to Riley's favorite activity: amateur witchcraft.

So when Riley and two Fairmont Academy mean girls die under suspicious circumstances, Mila refuses to believe everyone's explanation that her BFF was involved in a suicide pact. Instead, armed with a tube of lip gloss and an ancient grimoire, Mila does the unthinkable to uncover the truth: she brings the girls back to life.

Unfortunately, Riley, June, and Dayton have no recollection of their murders, but they do have unfinished business to attend to. Now, with only seven days until the spell wears off and the girls return to their graves, Mila must wrangle the distracted group of undead teens and work fast to discover their murderer...before the killer strikes again.

Preorder now! 

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Lily Anderson's newest novel follows a story of friendship, mystery and... the undead? Yep, that's right. The main character Mila Flores brings her friends back from the dead to uncover the truth behind their murders. This got me thinking: Who would I bring back from the dead if I had a mystery in need of solving? In today's post, you're going to be reading about the three women from history that I would bring back from the dead to be apart of my Undead Girl Gang. I took this opportunity not only to choose women that I thought would be successful to this mission, but I also chose women from history that I admire.

MY UNDEAD GIRL GANG!

Rachel Carson is one of my favorite women in history. I've done extensive research on her and have even written a scholarship essay about her. Carson has always been one of my inspirations for pursuing a field of research and the reason for why I am so dedicated to helping the environment. In her days, the world was relatively unaware of the consequences certain chemicals had on the environment. She exposed the harmful effects of a very popular pesticide back in the early 70s, which led to a ban on the harmful substance. To be honest, I don't know how helpful Rachel Carson would be on my mission to uncover a murder mystery, but I'd sure as hell bring her back from the dead just to have a conversation over a nice cup of coffee. Plus, she's a scientist so she definitely has a scientific way of thinking. 

I'm sure we've all read about Helen Keller when we were in elementary school. She truly is a notable woman in history. Keller has a different perception of our world, as she became deaf and blind when she was young. She became the first deaf-blind person to attain a bachelor's degree and was an influential social activist for political and disability issues. Of course, I'd love to meet her! But besides that point, I'd love to have her apart of my undead girl gang because her optimism and perseverance would most likely contribute a lot to the mission.  

Mildred Benson, better known as Carolyn Keene, was the original author of the Nancy Drew mystery stories. Those were some of the best mystery stories I had ever read when I was a young adolescent girl who craved adventure. Nancy Drew is such an iconic teenage detective, and I'm sure if she was real I'd bring her back to join my girl gang. But the creator of Nancy Drew, Mildred Benson, is the next best thing. I think her extensive background in writing mystery and crime novels could be the greatest contribution to our undead girl gang alliance. 

Author Bio

Lily Anderson is a school librarian and Melvil Dewey fangirl with an ever-growing collection of musical theater tattoos and Harry Potter ephemera. She lives in Northern California. She is also the author of The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You and Now Now, Not Ever. She tweets at @ms_lilyanderson. 

BLOG TOUR | Satellite by Nick Lake + Field Trip Around Earth

Title: Satellite
Author: Nick Lake
Pages: 464 pages
Release Date: October 3rd, 2017
Source: ARC from publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

A teenage boy born in space makes his first trip to Earth.

He’s going to a place he’s never been before: home.

Moon 2 is a space station that orbits approximately 250 miles above Earth. It travels 17,500 miles an hour, making one full orbit every ninety minutes. It’s also the only home that fifteen-year-old Leo and two other teens have ever known.

Born and raised on Moon 2, Leo and the twins, Orion and Libra, are finally old enough and strong enough to endure the dangerous trip to Earth. They’ve been “parented” by teams of astronauts since birth and have run countless drills to ready themselves for every conceivable difficulty they might face on the flight.

But has anything really prepared them for life on terra firma? Because while the planet may be home to billions of people, living there is more treacherous than Leo and his friends could ever have imagined, and their very survival will mean defying impossible odds.

Buy it now!

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Hey everyone! I'm back with another blog tour to celebrate the release of Nick Lake's newest release, Satellite. This book takes follows a main character who takes his first trip to Earth! Usually science fiction books set in space are about characters born in Earth who travel to space, so I find it interesting that the author decided to write about a character born in space. In order to make Leo's trip as productive and awesome as possible, I thought I'd make a little guide to Earth for this week's post!

Field Trip Around Earth: Places To Visit

• NYC, New York 
• I might be a little biased since I live in NYC but non-residents and even some New Yorkers seem to think it's magical. The city is something that people have to experience themselves. You can't rely on a postcard of a photo on Google to give you the same feeling. 

• Paris, France 
• Paris is on my bucket list too! If there's one place in Europe that you're planning on visiting, Paris should be it. It's the capital France and houses some of the world's most famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre museum. 

• The Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia 
• Visiting the GBR is the top activity on my bucket list. Better get a move on it because rising temperatures and the increasing acidity of the ocean threatens this massive coral reef structure and its inhabitants. Wether its scuba diving in some of the most well-known reefs or sunbathing on the white sand, there is a plethora of things to do when you arrive at one of the world's greatest wonders. 

• Antelope Canyon, Arizona 
• I personally believe that the Antelope Canyon beats The Grand Canyon. It's super underrated and most people only know about The Grand Canyon. I'm going to let the picture speak for itself... NATURE IS INCREDIBLE!  

• Dean's Blue Hole, The Bahamas
• I dreamed about going here as a little kid but now that I think about it, it looks kind of scary! I figured I would put this on the list so I could get the chance to live vicariously through you. Dean's Blue Hole is the world's second deepest known salt water blue hole. It's popular for freediving, which is a sport of competitive diving that relies on the swimmers ability to dive down as far as they can on a single breathe. When I was little, I was obsessed with learning how to freedive and often tried to see how long I could hold my breathe in the bathtub. It's a truly fascinating sport that you should try! 

• Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, China 
• Nothing you learned in space will prepare you for this! A transparent glass bridge suspended 260 meters over the ground between two mountain cliffs, how cool! It's so terrifying that some people have to be dragged across the bridge in order to cross it. 

• Highlands, Iceland
• What better way to capture the beauty of the aurora borealis than visiting Iceland's highlands. Seeing the northern lights should be something on everybody's bucket list. Bet you've seen a lot of lights up in space, but nothing like this! 

• Rice Terrace Fields in Mu Cang Chai, Vietnam 
• There's something about repeating patterns in nature that is so appealing to the eye. I know you've been living in space for your entire life, so you're probably wondering how people on Earth grow their own food. On the slopes of the mountains, the people of Mu Cang Chai have created terraced fields that are leveled enough to grow rice. 

• The Great Wall of China, China
• One of China's greatest landmarks is their Great Wall, built and improved from the 14th to the 17th century A.D. Coming down to Earth will allow you to learn not only about the wonderful sights of nature but also about the history of our world. What better place to learn about the history of China than at its most recognizable symbol. Plus, how amazing would it be to walk on a raised fortification structure stretching 5,500 miles? 

Help Leo out! Any other places that you think he should visit on his first trip to Earth that I missed? 

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BLOG TOUR | Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao Q&A + GIVEAWAY!

Title: Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
Author: Julie C. Dao
Release date: October 10th. 2017
Pages: 384 pages
Source: ARC from publisher
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Retellings
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble  

Hello everyone, welcome back to the blog. I know I'm really lagging on these blog posts but trust me, I have some fun stuff coming up in the next few months starting with this blog tour featuring Julie C. Dao's debut novel,  Forest of a Thousand Lanterns. I was lucky enough to have interviewed Julie thanks to Penguin, and I just think her answers are interesting to read.

FOTL was unique in the sense that I had never read a book with an 'evil' or villainous type character. This is not a female heroine story, in fact, we meet a character who has quite malicious and spiteful intentions. Reading about how Xifeng clawed her way to her destiny was a thrilling and intriguing ride, one I hope you all decide to take part in. I'm so honored to kick off this book's release with a Q&A from the one and only Julie C. Dao.

Q&A with Julie C. Dao

What's Next & Inspiration

1. A lot of authors spend time planning what they want to include in their book before they start writing the book. Was there anything you knew you wanted to include in A Forest of A Thousand Lanterns before you even got into actually writing the book?

I knew I wanted it to be a reimagining of Snow White that was completely original and like nothing I had seen before in YA, but still held on to elements of the old fairy tale. So there had to be a magic mirror, an apple, a stepmother/stepdaughter dynamic… even if I twisted these concepts to fit my own purposes! I had to find ways to make the reader still recognize the inspiration behind the story, to ground them in the fairy tale feel, but at the same time make the elements my own so FOTL would feel fresh and new.

2. What’s more important to you when it comes to writing fantasy, the plot or the characters? Is there another attribute of writing you think aspiring fantasy writers should focus on?

Both plot and characters are important, of course, but I think when it comes fantasy, world-building is right up there on the list as well. The world needs to feel real to the reader, even if it has fantastical and magical elements. There need to be laws, rules, and a shared history between the lands of a fantasy world, just as there are in the real world. As a big fantasy reader myself, I love it when I feel like the world of the book is a place I can go.

3. Let’s talk about diversity! Can you recommend some of your favorite fantasy books written by Asian authors/include Asian characters.

I read ASH by Malinda Lo many years ago and loved her compelling F/F version of Cinderella. The prequel, HUNTRESS, is another fantastic read. I picked up SERPENTINE by Cindy Pon at a book festival last year and it was my gateway to everything Cindy has ever written. It’s a gorgeous fantasy rooted in Chinese mythology with a brilliant female friendship at its core. Recently I bought the Dragon King Chronicles trilogy by Ellen Oh, which is set in a fantasy world inspired by Korea and starts off with PROPHECY, and I cannot wait to read it!

4. Congrats on the publication of your debut novel! I know it’s probably too soon to ask, but your readers are dying with anticipation. What are your plans for book two in the Rise of the Empress series? Any mythical creatures you couldn’t put into book one but have saved for the sequel?

Thank you so much! This is so kind! I've always intended for the Rise of the Empress series to be a duology, and for FOTL and Book 2 to be two halves of the same story, with two different women telling it. So you'll see a brand-new main character narrating Book 2. The format is also quite different and you'll get to visit different lands throughout Feng Lu. There is also more magic and mythology, and folktales play a crucial part in the plot. I can't wait to share it with you! 

Giveaway!

Enter for a chance to be one (1) of three (3) winners to receive a hardcover copy of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao. (ARV: $18.99 each).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on October 2, 2017 and 12:00 AM on October 27, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about October 30, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

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Author Info

Julie C. Dao (www.juliecdao.com) is a proud Vietnamese-American who was born in upstate New York. She studied medicine in college, but came to realize blood and needles were her Kryptonite. By day, she worked in science news and research; by night, she wrote books about heroines unafraid to fight for their dreams, which inspired her to follow her passion of becoming a published author. Forest of a Thousand Lanterns is her debut novel. Julie lives in New England. Follow her on Twitter @jules_writes.