I’m excited to welcome author Melissa de la Cruz to the blog today to share a little about her newest book, Rings of Fate, which is a cozy adult fantasy romance between a surly barmaid and a cursed prince! Read more about the book and Melissa below the interview.

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1. Describe Rings of Fate in 5 words or less.

What if hobbits were hot?

2. What was the inspiration behind Rings of Fate?

I wanted to write a sexy Lord of the Rings book with a romance at the center. As I mentioned in the earlier answer, I pitched it as “What if hobbits were hot?” And also “What if the rings were a person?” And I’d always wanted to write about a long-suffering barmaid and a prince with a secret.

3. Tell us about the main characters in this book. What might readers like to know about them before diving in?

Aren is a hard worker and very tired, and very sarcastic. Dietan is very charming, but very broken. Both of them don’t think they deserve love and then they find each other.

4. Is there a particular scene or element in Rings of Fate that you’re excited for readers to experience?

My favorite is the tent scene! That to me is funny, romantic and sexy all at once and I wanted to make sure I got all those feelings right.

5. Describe your story development and writing process. Do you plot and plan everything out or do things come together as you write? How do you keep track of all the little details about your world and characters?

I write a synopsis then an outline then a very detailed chapter outline. Then I write 100 pages of the draft and then see if the outline still holds. Then just keep rewriting till it goes.

6. Romantasy as a genre is really blossoming and becoming more and more popular every year. What sets Rings of Fate apart from other books in the genre?

I think it’s a little more of a funny and sweet read, more like a sexy fairytale that makes it a little different.

7. You’ve had a long and amazing career as an author, with so much variety in the books you’ve written and the projects you’ve been a part of (and still are). Of everything you’ve done, where do you feel most at home?

I love writing anything fantasy – urban fantasy, fantasy, romantasy. Middle grade fantasy is also fun.

8. Speaking of your career, what would you love to do that you haven’t done yet?

I would love to write an airport thriller and a memoir.

9. What’s been your favorite experience with a fan of your work?

A few fans have tattooed quotes from my books on their skin, that’s really special.

10. Tell us about an early reading experience of yours when you really fell in love with books.

I loved a Child’s Treasury of Fairytales, one of my favorite books as a kid.

11. I just have to address the fact that you were involved in the creation of some of my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies! Can you share a little about how that came about and what it was like working with (and writing for) Hallmark?

Rachel Boston, who was on Witches of East End, asked me to write a Hallmark movie for her and so we made Christmas in Angel Falls. The producer of that movie and I got along really well, so we did three more. It was great working with Hallmark!

12. As a fellow art history major, I’d love to know some of your favorite artworks! And if you have a favorite artistic movement and/or artist, I’d love to know those as well!

I love Jeff Koons. I love how cynical he is, how much he makes fun of art, and this cynicism also creates amazing art. I respect that and I love it.

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Rings of Fate by Melissa de la Cruz
Published by Entangled: Red Tower Books on January 6, 2026
Genres: New Adult — Fantasy, Romance
Tropes: Forbidden Love/Off Limits, Overcoming Odds
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She’s a barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s a prince cursed to live one.

Aren Bellamore has no interest in being anyone’s princess. She’s too busy running the Raven’s Beak tavern, fending off unwanted marriage proposals, and dreaming of escape. But when a brush with death and a dangerously handsome stranger upend her life, Aren finds herself bound to a bargain that could change everything.

Prince Dietan has carried the cursed Rings of Fate ancient weapons of devastating power since childhood. The magic is killing him, and the enemies are closing in. To make the journey to reverse his curse, he needs a bride to hide his secrets. Aren wants freedom. Pretending to be his fiancée should give them both what they want.

But as their perilous journey pits them against political schemes, monstrous Kilandrar, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the line between make-believe and destiny begins to blur. And the fate of two kingdoms may depend on whether a cynical barmaid and a cursed prince are willing to risk their hearts.

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About Melissa de la Cruz

Melissa de la Cruz is the #1 New York Times, #1 Publisher’s Weekly and #1 IndieBound bestselling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for readers of all ages. Many of her more than fifty books have also topped USA Today, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times bestseller lists and been published in over twenty countries. A former fashion and beauty editor, Melissa has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, the San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and Fox News. Melissa de la Cruz grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. At Columbia University, she majored in art history and English. She lives in West Hollywood with her husband and daughter.

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I’m so excited to have the opportunity to interview Annie Sullivan, author of Tiger Queen! I love Touch of Gold, and can’t wait to read Annie’s latest.

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Interview with Annie Sullivan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

1. Your bio says that you teach at the Indiana Writers Center. How does this job impact your writing career?

I taught a couple classes there and love teaching there. I love giving back to writers—especially local writers—who are trying to break into publishing. I know how hard it is to break into this business, so any tips I can give them can go a long way to helping them achieve that goal.

I have a real day job at Wiley Publishing. I work in their marketing department. I love my team their. However, it can be hard to fit in writing time around my real work. But, I’ve mastered writing late into the night and then getting up for work the next day. Who knew all it took to become published was never sleeping again [I’m joking of course ;) ].

2. What have you learned since your debut novel, A Touch of Gold?

I’ve learned to trust my own writing more. I know when something isn’t working. I don’t have to wait for someone else to tell me that. I’ve also learned how amazing it is to have other friends in this business who you can go to when you need a listening ear or word of advice. It’s such a great community.

3. What are some books you think everyone (teen or not) should read?

Ahh!!! How do I choose? I’m just going to give you a long list of books that I love and that have impact:

1.) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
2.) Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
3.) Caraval by Stephanie Garber
4.) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
5.) Cinder by Marissa Meyer
6.) The Giver by Lois Lowry
7.) Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

4. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing/working?

I’m a runner, so I enjoy running and working out. That also helps me work through story ideas. I also love traveling! I’m always off on a new adventure, which is probably why I’ve visited every continent! Outside of that, you can find me reading and watching TV!

5. What’s next for you?

The sequel to A Touch of Gold—called A CURSE OF GOLD—comes out in October 2020. It’s going to be filled with even more adventure, Greek mythology, and heart-pounding action!!! I cannot wait for readers to see what’s next for Princess Kora…and they might just meet some new characters along the way—one of which has been one of my favorite ones to write EVER!

ABOUT THE BOOK

1. What about “The Lady, Or the Tiger?” by Frank R. Stockton inspired you to retell it? What does the original mean to you?

I read Stockton’s tale in grade school, and it has a cliffhanger ending. That one time reading it really set my mind ablaze. How did the story end? What choice did the princess make? I just knew that I had to give the story the ending that it always should have had…at least the ending it should have had in my opinion anyway!

2. How does an author successfully retell a story and add something new, while remaining true to its inspiration?

I think you’ve hit it right on the head in your question. You keep the vast majority of the story like the bones of a body. Then, you have to build the flesh and blood around it so that it comes to life in a new way. You always have to give it something new so that readers have a reason to read the story because you don’t want it to be too similar to the original. I think in my version, I’m hoping having the Princess have to fight in the arena against suitors to win her throne is enough of a twist to the original to get readers interested!

3. Tell us about Princess Kateri. What kind of heroine is she?

Princess Kateri was practically born with a sword in her hand, and she is ready to enter the arena to win her right to rule—which she has to do because of an old law. She’s talented yet stubborn. She doesn’t think she needs anyone’s help…until her last opponent in the arena is announced as the one man she’s never been able to beat in a fight. Then, she has to scramble to figure out how she’s going to win her throne! She’s a character that I love and that I can’t wait for the world to meet!

4. What do you hope readers take away from Tiger Queen?

Empowerment. I want readers to see Princess Kateri facing her biggest fears with sword in hand, and I hope they take away that they too have the strength to face whatever it is life throws at them. I want them to enter the fantasy worlds I create and come out of them believing a little more in themselves and their place in the world. I want them to find the tiger within.

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Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan
Published by BLINK on September 10, 2019
Genres: Young Adult Fiction  —  Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
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From Annie Sullivan, author of A Touch of Gold, comes Tiger Queen, a sweeping YA fantasy adventure that tells the story of a fierce desert princess battling to save her kingdom. Fans of Rebel of the Sands and Meagan Spooner will devour this retelling of Frank Stockton’s famous short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”

In the mythical desert kingdom of Achra, an ancient law forces sixteen-year-old Princess Kateri to fight in the arena to prove her right to rule. For Kateri, winning also means fulfilling a promise to her late mother that she would protect her people, who are struggling through windstorms and drought. The situation is worsened by the gang of Desert Boys that frequently raids the city wells, forcing the king to ration what little water is left. The punishment for stealing water is a choice between two doors: behind one lies freedom, and behind the other is a tiger.

But when Kateri’s final opponent is announced, she knows she cannot win. In desperation, she turns to the desert and the one person she never thought she’d side with. What Kateri discovers twists her world—and her heart—upside down. Her future is now behind two doors—only she’s not sure which holds the key to keeping her kingdom and which releases the tiger.

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About Annie Sullivan

Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva).

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Interview with Jessica Brody

Can you briefly describe Sky Without Stars and the main characters?

Sky Without Stars is a sci-fi reimagining of Victor Hugo’s epic, Les Miserables…set on a distant planet! Basically it’s “Les Mis in space!” Here’s the short description:

Five-hundred years after the Last Days, an extravagant, elite class reigns supreme on the French-inspired planet of Laterre, but when a shocking murder shakes the foundations of the planet, the fates of three unlikely heroes from very different backgrounds (a thief, an officer, and a guardian) will intertwine as the planet spirals toward revolution.

Dun, dun, DUN! 😊

Who would you say is your favorite character from the story and why?

As much as I probably should say Chatine (inspired by Eponine from Les Mis), because I wrote the first draft of most of her chapters, I think my favorite character is a 13-year-old boy named Roche (inspired by the spunky street urchin, Gavroche in Les Mis). He’s a “Fret rat” (meaning he grew up in the Frets or “slums” of Laterre) and an “oublie” (Laterrian term for orphan. In French it literally means forgotten.) But he’s so charismatic and has this great upbeat outlook on life, despite his circumstances. He’s also quite the negotiator. I perked up every time he entered the scene I was writing!

How did you come up with the idea for the story? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

Back in 2014, I sat in on a retellings class taught by authors Christina Farley and Vivi Barnes. They handed us each a worksheet. On one side they told us to write down any and every classic story we’ve ever loved. Among many, I wrote “Les Misérables”. Then on the other side, they told us to write down a list of interesting settings. Among many, I wrote, “space.” (See picture below.) I literally drew a line between the two and a shiver ran through me. Les Mis, set in space? It felt like too big of an undertaking to do alone so years later when my best friend Joanne Rendell told, randomly, that Les Mis was one of her favorite classics, I knew she was the one I had to write it with! And SKY WITHOUT STARS was born!

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Ooh! Luckily I have countless songs from the Les Mis soundtrack to choose from! Although “On My Own” very much embodies our character Chatine’s journey in this story, when it comes to the book a whole, I’d have to say “One Day More.” This is the song that marks the middle of the musical, right before the intermission, and it’s an ensemble piece where all the characters sing about all the different things they’re waiting for and what tomorrow might bring for them. There’s a sense of imminent danger in the song, but there’s also romance and greed and vengeance and despair, and most of all hope. To me, this the epitome of Les Mis: Danger, romance, greed, vengeance, despair, and hope.

I just hope that we’ve successfully captured it all in SKY WITHOUT STARS!

What’s the best and the worst thing about writing a book with someone else? What are the challenges you guys found while writing Sky Without Stars?

The best is definitely being able to brainstorm with someone else. Jo and I joke that it’s like being paid to play dolls. Except the dolls are characters in the story and the “doll house” is a distant planet in a yet-to-be-discovered solar system. We get super into it, acting out scenes, and doing voices, and conjuring up all sorts of dramatic situations for our characters. I’ve never had so much writing a book in my life. (And I’ve written more than 15 novels before this!)

The challenge for us has mostly been scheduling and distance. We live 3,000 miles apart on different ends of the country. So we’re not able to get together in person as often as we’d like. We rely on modern-day tech like Skype for video chats and Slack for messaging. But we always joke that it would be so great if we lived next door to each other and could hang out and play dolls…er, I mean, write every day together!

Since it is still cold outside, what hot drink do you think would go perfectly with your book?

I would say a nice café au lait (or café crème as they say in Paris!) or chocolat chaud (hot chocolate) to go with the French theme!

Can you recommend any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish Sky Without Stars?

Yes! Definitely check out LAST OF HER NAME by Jessica Khoury, which is another sci-fi retelling set in space…this one a retelling of the legend of Anastasia, the lost Romanoff heir! Khoury’s world-building and plotting is so magnificent. I could NOT put this book down!

What’s next for you?

Joanne and I are about to dive into the revisions of book 2 in the trilogy, BETWEEN BURNING WORLDS. The first draft of that book caused us a LOT of agony and stress (as sequels often do) but in the end, I’m happy with where it is now and can’t wait for everyone to find out what happens next on planet Laterre. And yes, as the title suggests, it’s pretty explosive!

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Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
Published by Simon Pulse on March 26, 2019
Genres: Young Adult Fiction — Science Fiction, Retelling
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A thief. An officer. A guardian.

Three strangers, one shared destiny . . .

When the Last Days came, the planet of Laterre promised hope. A new life for a wealthy French family and their descendants. But five hundred years later, it’s now a place where an extravagant elite class reigns supreme; where the clouds hide the stars and the poor starve in the streets; where a rebel group, long thought dead, is resurfacing.

Whispers of revolution have begun—a revolution that hinges on three unlikely heroes…

Chatine is a street-savvy thief who will do anything to escape the brutal Regime, including spy on Marcellus, the grandson of the most powerful man on the planet.

Marcellus is an officer—and the son of a renowned traitor. In training to take command of the military, Marcellus begins to doubt the government he’s vowed to serve when his father dies and leaves behind a cryptic message that only one person can read: a girl named Alouette.

Alouette is living in an underground refuge, where she guards and protects the last surviving library on the planet. But a shocking murder will bring Alouette to the surface for the first time in twelve years…and plunge Laterre into chaos.

All three have a role to play in a dangerous game of revolution—and together they will shape the future of a planet.

Power, romance, and destiny collide in this sweeping reimagining of Victor Hugo’s masterpiece, Les Misérables.

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About Jessica Brody

Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples, and electrical tape.

After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Since then, Jessica has sold over twelve novels for teens, tweens, and adults including 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, The Karma Club, My Life Undecided, and the three books in the Unremembered trilogy, the first of which is currently in development as a major motion picture by the producers of The Vampire Academy, Zero Dark Thirty, Life of Pi, and Slumdog Millionaire. In 2016, she will release two new contemporary novels, A Week of Mondays (August) and Boys of Summer (April), and in 2017, her debut middle grade novel entitled, Addie Bell’s Shortcut to Growing Up, will hit bookstore shelves.

Jessica also writes books for the Descendants: “School of Secrets” series, based on the hit Disney Channel Original movie, Descendants!

Jessica’s books are published and translated in over twenty foreign countries. She currently splits her time between California and Colorado.

About Joanne Rendell

Joanne Rendell is the author of three novels and holds a PhD in English Literature. She teaches fiction writing to teens and kids, as well as online writing classes at Udemy.com and Lynda.com. Joanne is a board member for the youth Shakespeare company, New Genesis Productions. With her husband and son, she divides her time between New York City and New Paltz, New York.

I love Jessica Brody, and am so excited I got to interview her to celebrate the release of her newest book, The Geography of Lost Things!

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Author Interview with Jessica Brody

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

1. Your bio says you knew you wanted to be a writer from a very young age. What advice would you like to give younger Jessica about life as an author?

Haha. I think I would tell her that inspiration is not a daily occurrence. So many young writers (myself included!) believe that writing is a magical job where you wake up every day feeling inspired and motivated to write. Not. So. Most of my life as a writer is forcing myself to sit down and write even when I’m not inspired. Inspiration is great when it comes but you can’t always rely on it or you’ll never finish anything. I like to say, “Inspiration gets you started. Discipline gets you finished.” So, heed my advice, 7-year-old Jessica! Your writing life isn’t going to be as easy and carefree as it was when you wrote “The Puppy and the Kitty.”

2. You’ve written books in multiple genres, spanning middle grade, young adult, and adult fiction. Which genre(s) is/are the most fun for you to write?

I always say my favorite genre to write is the genre I’m not currently writing. LOL! It’s a classic case of the grass is always greener. When I’m writing a complicated sci-fi epic with futuristic weapons and life or death battles, all I want to do is write a nice, cozy contemporary romance. When I’m writing a nice, cozy, contemporary romance with all sorts of complicated feelings and emotional stakes, all I want to do is write a fun, middle grade comedy where the characters are too young to feel those complicated teen emotions. And round and round it goes! Every story in every genre has its own set of challenges.

3. Which of your books do you see the most of yourself in?

I find a little of myself in all of my novels. I think my characters and I end up sharing a lot of the same fears, insecurities, and shortcomings. For instance, all of my characters, in some way, experience a life lesson of “acceptance.” Accepting things you can’t change, accepting things you have little control over, accepting that sometimes things happen differently than you expected them to. It’s not a coincidence. I’m dealing with that “life lesson” every single day.

4. What’s been your favorite read so far this year?

OOH! The toughest question of them all! I’ll have to go with The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. It’s been on my TBR list for years and I finally got around to it this summer. It’s just magnificent. Beautiful, poetic, charming, uplifting. The kind of book that makes you want to run around hugging strangers. (Just me? Okay, moving on.)

5. What are you up to when you’re not writing?

Mostly, hanging out with my doggies. I have three dogs at home—a golden retriever, a great pyrenees, and a chihuahua—and they are my life. I try to spend as much time with them as I can because I always feel like I’m neglecting them when I’m neck deep in a manuscript.

ABOUT THE BOOK

1. Describe your book in 5 words or less.

Road trip with an ex.

Yikes!

2. What’s your most prized possession?

Each and every one of my books. I’m so proud of all 17 of them! Yes, they’re all different and some gave me more grief than others but I still love them equally. I’ve heard some authors describe their books as their “babies” and it really is true. With every single one you feel like you birthed something into the world.

3. Do you collect any seemingly insignificant objects?

Coffee mugs! I buy one for every book I write and it becomes my “scared totem” for that book. Which is just like me, to have a sacred totem that is completely functional. Because, hey, I need to drink my coffee out of something!

4. What do you hope readers take away from your book?

That not everything is what it seems. People can surprise you. And rarely do you ever know or understand the full story. In short, don’t be so quick to judge. When you let people in, they can surprise the crap out of you.

5. Do you have any fun road trip experiences of your own that you’d like to share?

Fun? Well, this one might be a little more scary, but it ends well. One summer, my mom and I were driving my car home from college on the east coast, and we ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. There was no cell phone reception so we couldn’t call for help. We were completely stranded. Soon, a massive 18-wheeler truck pulled up behind us and a man got out. I could tell my mom was terrified but trying to hold it together for me. The driver asked if we needed help. When we told him we’d run out of gas, he offered to drive us to the nearest gas station to get gas. My mom, being the amazing super woman that she is, said very politely and kindly, “I very much appreciate the offer that but I honestly wouldn’t feel comfortable getting in the car with someone I don’t know.”

The guy could have easily left us stranded. But he didn’t. He smiled and said, “I totally get it. I have sisters and I wouldn’t want them getting into a truck with a strange man either. I’ll go get the gas for you.” He drove off and we were pretty convinced he wasn’t coming back. But then, 30 minutes alter, he pulled up behind us again. This time, he had a gas can full of gas for us. Funny, how I’ve been writing about the “kindness of strangers” for most of my adult life.

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The Geography of Lost Things by Jessica Brody
Published by Simon Pulse on October 2, 2018
Genres: Young Adult — Contemporary, Romance
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In this romantic road trip story perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Morgan Matson, a teen girl discovers the value of ordinary objects while learning to forgive her absent father.

After Ali’s father passes away, he leaves his one and only prized possession—a 1968 Firebird convertible—to his daughter. But Ali doesn’t plan on keeping it. Not when it reminds her too much of all her father’s unfulfilled promises. So when she finds a buyer three hundred miles up the Pacific coast willing to pay enough money for the car to save her childhood home, Ali can’t wait to get going. Except Ali has no idea how to drive a stick shift. But guess who does?

Ali’s ex-boyfriend, Nico. And Nico has other plans.

He persuades Ali that instead of selling the car, they should “trade up” the items they collect on their trip to eventually reach the monetary amount Ali needs. Agreeing with Nico’s crazy plan, Ali sets off on a unique adventure that is unlike anything she ever could have expected.

And it’s through Ali’s travels, through the strangers she meets and the things that they value—and why they value them—that Ali eventually comes to understand her father and how his life may not have been as easy and carefree as she previously thought. Because just like the seemingly insignificant objects Ali collects, not everything is exactly as it appears.

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About Jessica Brody

Jessica Brody knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer. She started self “publishing” her own books when she was seven years old, binding the pages together with cardboard, wallpaper samples, and electrical tape.

After graduating from Smith College in 2001 where she double majored in Economics and French and minored in Japanese, Jessica later went on to work for MGM Studios as a Manager of Acquisitions and Business Development. In May of 2005, Jessica quit her job to follow her dream of becoming a published author.

Since then, Jessica has sold over fifteen novels for teens, tweens, and adults…

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