Spelled
Author: Betsy Schow
Add on Goodreads! (Release Date: June 2, 2015)
Purchase on Barnes & Noble and Amazon!
Synopsis: Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.
Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.
Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.
SNEAK PEEK
Most of the crowd had
dispersed. The final few stragglers looked at me with the alltoo-common look
of fear mixed with trepidation. Pix ’em. They were just servants. It wasn’t like
their opinion mattered.
Only
one remained, watching me with open curiosity. He looked to be in his late
teens or was magically enhanced to appear so. He could have been a hundred for
all I knew. I’d never seen him before in my life. He was handsome enough, for a
commoner, even in his worn leather pants and cracked work boots. A foreigner,
his hair was unruly and dark auburn, which complemented his tanned but
dirt-smudged complexion, though the tall, dark stranger vibe was ruined by his
piercing pale blue eyes.
Well, I’d had enough of
being a sideshow for the day. “If you’re the new gardener, the hedges are
overgrown and in need of a trim.” I pointed in the direction of my father.
“While you’re there, you can help the king with the wisps.”
The young man’s expression
clouded over, but he didn’t move.
I stamped my foot and
pointed more forcefully. “Off with you. Courtyard’s that way. Be sure to clean
those awful boots before coming back in.”
“Someone told me I’d find a
princess of great worth here. One with the strength to be the hero this realm
needs.” He stared at me with those unsettling blue eyes. They were cold, like
ice water—made me shiver from head to toe. Then his gaze seemed to search even
deeper. Finally, he looked through me, like I was nothing.
In
brisk steps, he strode across the marble to the courtyard. But before crossing
the threshold, he turned back to glare at me with his lip curled ever so
slightly. “It seems she was mistaken.”
Just like that, I had been
sifted, weighed, and found wanting.
I felt my own lip curl in
response. How rude! Who the Grimm was this peasant
to judge me? I was wearing a Glenda original. Original! Not some
fairy-godmother knockoff worn by those servant girls turned royal. I was a
crown princess, for the love of fairy, and no one dismissed
me.
Before I could put the boy
in his place—down in the dirt, where he belonged—a clatter came from behind,
making me nearly jump out of my shoes. I checked and was relieved that Sterling
had simply dropped his sword. By the time I looked back, the gardener was gone.
After
stowing his blade, Sterling held up his shield, not in defense of the entrance
but so he could look at his reflection. “Clearly he’s blind and doesn’t know
what he’s talking about.”
I
didn’t ask for Sterling’s opinion, but it made me feel better.
Until he opened his mouth
again.
“Worth, pffft.
I mean, look around at all the jewels. Your palace has everything you
could ever want. Honestly, I don’t know what you’re fussing about. Why would
anyone want to leave?”
Because a cage is still a cage,
no matter how big or glittering the bars are.
And I
would find a way free, no matter the cost.
Advance Praise for Spelled
“A cute adventure with
romance set in a world full of fairy-tale mash-ups. Readers will love Dorthea’s
evolution from spoiled princess to strong, confident heroine… For Oz fans, this
work is a great clean-read alternative to Danielle Paige’s
Dorothy Must Die.” -School Library Journal
“This wickedly
funny, fast-paced adventure has it all: brains,
courage, and heart. (Plus a kickin’ pair of heels.) .” --Jen Calonita,
author of The Secrets of My Hollywood Life and Fairy
Tale Reform School series
“Fairy tale survival rule
#1, do NOT read this book late at night. You will wake up your entire
family with loud laughter. Fairy tale survival rule #2, if you love
the Wizard of Oz, clever fairy tale mash-ups, and enough twists and turns to keep
you guessing what will happen until the very end, you MUST read Spelled.”
--J Scott Savage, award winning author of Farworld, Case
File 13, and the Mysteries of Cove series.
“A hilarious and
snarky reimagining of the world of Oz, along with many other fairy tales
injected throughout, "Spelled" is one fabulous read…Kick
off those silver slippers and tuck in with this wonderful tale!” —Senator
Sipes, Lil Book Bug (Palmdale, CA)
About the Author
Betsy Schow is the author of the memoir Finished Being Fat, and has been featured on The Today Show and in The Wall Street Journal. She
lives in Utah, but travels the country with Color Me Rad 5k, and partners with
nonprofits to teach kids creative thinking and how to reach their goals.
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