Fairy Tale Lovers, Grab STALKS OF GOLD Today for Only 99 cents ahead of tomorrow's release BEASTS OF BEAUTY -- and check out today's review!

Are you always on the hunt for a good deal? I know I am! As you know, retellings are my fave, and I'm always drawn to a book immediately if it retells pretty much anything!

When I found out that Celeste Baxendell was releasing a gender-bent Beauty and the Beast retelling entitled BEASTS OF BEAUTY tomorrow, I got instant grabby hands. Then I found out there were two other books set in the world and, well, of course I wanted to read them all!

The first book, STALKS OF GOLD, is a mash-up of both Rumplestiltskin and  Rapunzel, and you wouldn't think that would work, but it does. So well. And even better? You can try it out now at a steal for only 99 cents through tomorrow, October 19th! (I meant to tell you about it last week, sorry....I haven't had enough free time to put this together.... ^^;;;; ) It's also free with Kindle Unlimited if you are a subscriber.

Mash-ups don't always do a great job or aren't always necessary to tell the tale, but I couldn't see this version working without the twists that come through both tales. Our heroine Aurelia goes through a lot of hardships to come out on the other side. She makes the mistake of opening the door to a strange man named Ruskin one evening, who knows of her father's past and a mysterious witch named Gothel. He promises to keep them safe, but the next day, Aurelia is turned over to their iron-fisted king, who has heard rumors that she can spin straw into gold, and her father is executed when she balks at the task. Even her childhood best friend (And perhaps something more?) Sandor, the bastard brother of the king, can't save her. So she instead turns to the mysterious Ruskin to spin gold and save her at the ultimate cost, believing him to be her savior and only friend, and never realizing the way he is about to ruin her life....

This is one where if you tell too many plot points, it falls into spoiler territory, but needless to say, the beats hit right and the pacing was steady and will keep readers intrigued until the very end. It was a lot of fun to see elements from both tales and the way they worked together and went beyond the tale. The novel is also told in alternating perspectives, so you get more romance when you read Sandor's POV, because he has no doubts of his feelings for Aurelia and will do anything for her. Aurelia, on the other hand, feels betrayed that she found out his secret before he could tell her, and Ruskin manipulates her feelings about him so that she no longer feels she can trust him and it takes a while for her to open up and for the two of them to re-connect. Some readers may not enjoy the pacing because Aurelia can be hot-headed, while others will love the slower burn and savor their connection.

Check out some teasers below and snag your copy before the price goes up on Wednesday! The second book, MIRRORS OF ICE, a mash-up of The Snow Queen and Snow White is also available now, and the gender-bent retelling of Beauty and the Beast launches tomorrow!

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C O N T E N T R A T I N G S

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) for details

Romance: G ( Kissing )

Language: G ( Bastard )
Violence: G ( Character deaths, but nothing graphic. The hardest death is when the main character's father is killed at the beginning, but there are others as well that you hear about.   )

Other:  --

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C O V E R   D E S I G N:

The border immediately catches my eye and draws me in! I love a pretty border, and the framing is perfect. I love seeing the girl at the forefront and the beautiful tower in the background. And all those gold tones? It's so perfect for hinting about both tales! The framework also helps the entire series of stand-alones look cohesive together. It's a great design!

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O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title: STALKS OF GOLD

Author: Celeste Baxendell

Release Date: Jan. 28, 2021

Publisher: Celeste Baxendell

SUMMARY:

Magic isn’t a solution; it’s a trap.

If Aurelia comes across magic, she’s supposed to run in the other direction. Life is no longer so simple. If the tower door opens, and she doesn’t have any gold, her life will be forfeit.

No one is going to help her, not even her closest friend. No one, except for the mysterious stranger who appeared on her doorstep and in her tower room. If she takes the deal, she might live, but what will she sacrifice in order to do it?

Sandor’s worlds collided when Aurelia was brought before King Eadric. Is he truly so desperate to get out of debt, he’s willing to believe such nonsense as a girl who can spin straw into gold? She’s Sandor’s closest friend. If Aurelia were a witch, he would know it. It’s impossible, or so he thought.

Nothing makes sense anymore, but Sandor’s determined to figure it out and save Aurelia from the king. The more he learns, the more he wonders, is the king the real threat, or is there something more dangerous lurking in the shadows?