YA Sci-Fi & Fantasy Addicts is excited to join this blog tour, sneak preview, and giveaway for Cursed Beauty by Stacey O'Neale. Cursed Beauty is a standalone, gender-reversed YA retelling of Sleeping Beauty!
About Cursed Beauty
Release Date: August 30th 2021 Genres: Fairy Tales, Retelling, Young Adult
The day has come for sixteen-year-old Aurora to receive her witch mark. She should be thrilled. But unlike the rest of her coven, a centuries-old family curse has already decided her fate; the cost of her new power is her life.
After the ceremony, her grandmother offers her hope: Aurora can save herself and prevent her coven from dying by awakening a sleeping prince with the power to break her curse. Unfortunately, she must travel through the forbidden Shadowlands to reach him.
The enchanted forest is filled with magical creatures—friends and foes—including the mysterious son of a powerful wolf pack leader. Can she find the prince in time, and if she succeeds, will he choose to help despite having been placed under a sleeping spell?
Perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin, House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig, and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert.
About the Author, Stacey O'Neale
USA Today Bestselling YA Fantasy Author, Stacey O'Neale, lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she's not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, podcasting, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.
Her career in publishing started as a senior publicist for Entangled Publishing. Stacey writes young adult fantasy and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.
Read a Sneak Peek from Cursed Beauty
“You’re a shape-shifter,” I muttered under my breath. “I can’t believe it.”
I startled when his head jerked upward. His eyes were pale green, like the sea glass Elara’s suitors used to bring her as gifts. She loved them best because they reminded her of the baby turtles that liked to swim on the surface of the ocean during a full moon. I’d never seen eyes like his, but I’d never met a shape-shifter either. When he rose to his feet, I twisted around and squeezed my eyes shut.
He was completely naked.
This fact shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. He was a shape-shifter, after all. Still, my cheeks burned. I only gazed at him for a few quick seconds, but that was enough time for me to memorize his broad shoulders, toned torso, and bulky, muscular arms. Something fluttered in my belly.
I needed to refocus.
I pushed those thoughts out of my head and tried to forget about what I saw. There was no time for cute boys. I also couldn’t continue to hide my eyes if I needed to defend myself, so I had to face him. I opened my eyes and let out a long, deep breath. When I finally turned around, I kept my eyes level with his.
His eyes bored into mine. He had a fierce, warrior-like stare that made me want to run in the other direction. There was a faint scar running down the side of his cheek. Maybe a claw mark? Perhaps he got it during a battle with another shifter or another pack. Regardless of the circumstances, this boy was dangerous.
The shifter moved faster than I anticipated, closing the distance between us. I extended my arm, pointing my athame at his throat. “Stay back,” I warned. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Aurora,” Hazel tugged on my arm. “Don’t threaten him. He’s one of the good guys. He saved us, remember?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I tried to whisper low enough that he couldn’t hear us. “I know he saved us, but that doesn’t mean he’s a good guy. We have to be cautious.”
“Do you think he knows that he’s naked?” she whispered with the tiniest bit of giggle in her voice.
“I’m sure he knows, Hazel, but I don’t think he cares.” He hasn’t attempted to shield himself, at least. Nudity didn’t seem to be an issue for him. Shifters were naked each time they transformed back to their human skin. It was unrealistic to imagine they would have a change of clothes. Still, I had to fight the impulse to take another peek.
His arms hung loosely at his sides as he stared at us with his forehead creased. “You should try to talk to him,” Hazel suggested. “If he wanted to attack us, he would’ve done it by now.”
The shifter took one step closer, and I clenched my blade hilt tighter. “That’s close enough,” I warned. “We don’t want any trouble.”
In a gruff tone, the shifter said, “If that were true, you wouldn’t be here.”
This article was written by E.V. Everest.
E.V. Everest is a YA fantasy and sci-fi author, best known for her novel Seven Crowns. Check out more of her work by clicking any of the book covers below.
