Mundie Moms

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The Queen's Choice by Cayla Kluver, Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway


 Hello & Welcome to today's The Queen's Choice blog tour, hosted by Kismet. I'm so thrilled to have author Cayla Kluver on the blog today. Before I share my guest post from Cayla, I'd love to tell you a little bit about the book:
About The Book


Magic was seeping out of me, black and agonizing. I could see it drifting away. The magic that would let me pass the Road to reach home again.
When sixteen-year-old Anya learns that her aunt, Queen of the Faerie Kingdom of Chrior, will soon die, her grief is equaled only by her despair for the future of the kingdom. Her young cousin, Illumina, is unfit to rule, and Anya is determined not to take up the queen's mantle herself.
Convinced that the only solution is to find Prince Zabriel, who long ago disappeared into the human realm of Warckum, and persuade him to take up his rightful crown, Anya journeys into the Warckum Territory to bring him home. But her journey is doomed to be more harrowing than she ever could have imagined….

Find out more about The Queen's Choice


3 Characteristics that all YA Heroines Should Possess

The label “young adult” encompasses a huge market, one comprised of people who are growing physically, emotionally, and professionally. To write for this market is to recognize a responsibility to aid in that growth. That’s not to say all YA books have to be preachy or upbeat (I’d be out of a job), but rather that they should open doors and new avenues of thought. Not to diminish the struggles of their counterparts, young women in particular are fighting an uphill battle in today’s world. This places extra weight on the shoulders of heroines in the YA genre. I’ve drawn up three fail-safes that, in my opinion, all young adult heroines should possess.
  1. Uniqueness. Every reader is different. Every person in the world has traits that make them stand apart, and a character in a book should be no different. In the formative years of life, it’s alienating to read about a heroine who seems like a cardboard cutout.
  2. Insecurity. No one goes through life without insecurities, and a lot of times, those insecurities develop, and either gain or lose strength, in the young adult stage. It’s comforting to pick up a book and meet a kindred spirit within the pages. Sometimes that experience helps readers gain perspective on their own worries, and maybe even let them go.
  3. Honesty. I don’t mean that a character should never tell a lie. I mean that if your heroine is a big fat liar, she should lie often and loudly. If she suffers from depression, we should learn what that means, how it feels, what her real struggles are. If she’s deluded, let us in on her delusions. If she’s successful, let us see the joys and heartaches of fighting her way up the ladder. If she’s brave, readers want to know how she bolsters herself and masters her fear. Let her be a whole person.
Writing is a funny sort of career wherein you can break all the rules and have a runaway bestseller, or follow them to the letter and have a flop. There is no recipe for a perfect novel. That said, I confidently try to keep these ideas in mind when I’m creating my heroines, and if the things I’ve said ring true to you, I invite you to try them out as well!

About The Author

Cayla Kluver is the author of the Legacy Series (Legacy, 2011;  Allegiance, 2012; Sacrifice, 2012). Her new book The Queen's Choice will be published by HarlequinTEEN in winter 2013/ spring 2014.  

Cayla spends her free time singing, reading, dancing, and horseback riding. Her office is filled with twinkling lights. She travels frequently to speak at middle and high schools, libraries, and book conventions. New York City is one of her favorite places on the planet. 
Find her on: Goodreads |  Website | Twitter | Facebook
The Giveaway

Each tour stop is offering up a copy of The Queen's Choice, and one winner will receive a fantastic grand prize package including the following Harlequin Teen titles: 2 copies of The Queen's Choice, a copy of White Hot Kiss and Grim, a signed copy of Heartbeat and a complete set of The Legacy trilogy from Cayla Kluver.
Giveaway is open to US/Canada.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Tour Schedule Monday
March 17th - YA Bibliophile 
Wednesday, March 19th - Mundie Mom's 
Friday, March 21th - Two Chicks on Books 
Monday, March 24th - Melissa's Eclectic Book Shelf 
Wednesday, March 26th - Refracted Light Reviews 
Friday, March 28th - Such A Novel Idea 

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