Seraphina Reads: Blog tour + Guest post: Spindle by Shonna Slayton

Spindle by Shonna Slayton

Publication Date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: Entangled Teen

In a world where fairies lurk and curses linger, love can bleed like the prick of a finger…

Briar Rose knows her life will never be a fairy tale. She’s raising her siblings on her own, her wages at the spinning mill have been cut, and the boy she thought she had a future with has eyes for someone else. Most days it feels like her best friend, Henry Prince, is the only one in her corner…though with his endless flirty jokes, how can she ever take him seriously?

When a mysterious peddler offers her a “magic” spindle that could make her more money, sneaking it into the mill seems worth the risk. But then one by one, her fellow spinner girls come down with the mysterious sleeping sickness…and Briar’s not immune.

If Briar wants to save the girls—and herself—she’ll have to start believing in fairy tales…and in the power of a prince’s kiss.

About the author

SHONNA SLAYTON writes historical fairy tales for Entangled TEEN. Cinderella's Dress and Cinderella's Shoes, set in the 1940s are out now. Spindle, a Sleeping Beauty inspired tale set in the late 1800s, will be out October 2016.

She finds inspiration in reading vintage diaries written by teens, who despite using different slang, sound a lot like teenagers today. When not writing, Shonna enjoys amaretto lattes and spending time with her husband and children in Arizona.

The best way to keep in touch is by signing up for her monthly newsletter. She sends out behind-the-scenes info you can't read anywhere else. Sign up is on the sidebar of her website Shonna Slayton.

Author Website: http://shonnaslayton.com/

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Newsletter: http://shonnaslayton.com/new-release-mailing-list/

Excerpt

She never asked Henry to walk her to the cottage. But that was the way with a Prince, as everyone said. They acted out of habit, and once a habit was established, it stayed that way. His new habit appeared to be trying to keep her mind off of Wheeler.

“They’re ridiculous,” he said scornfully as the couple in front of them touched hands for a few moments before separating again.

Briar’s heart cracked a little more. She remained silent, but fingered the fancy comb holding up her hair. The comb that Wheeler had given her for Christmas. And now they’re going to our pond. Is there no other place he can take her?

“You can hold my hand if it would make you feel better,” Henry said. He held out his calloused, grease-laden fingers for her to grab. His hand had grown since the last time he’d offered it to her.

She sighed. Henry. He was there when her family moved into the valley and would likely still be there when they moved out. She was told there’d never been a time when Sunrise Valley didn’t have a Henry Prince in it. From son back to father to grandfather and beyond, and none of them had ever gone anywhere. They were known as a reclusive family, hardly leaving their farm. Except for Henry. He was different.

Briar’s family had only been in the valley since Pansy was born. They were supposed to be traveling through, but then Da got a job at the new factory and they stayed. Mam worked, too, but developed the coughing sickness from all the cotton in her lungs. She died when the twin boys were born, and then when Da died of consumption, the Jenny children were stuck there, like weeds that nobody wanted.

Briar didn’t intend for them to stay any longer in Sunrise Valley than they had to. She would find a way out for her sister and brothers. Back to the Old Country like Mam wanted for them. Back to where they would fit in. And Henry Prince was not that way.

He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

Unguarded, she laughed. This particular Henry Prince was also known for being an audacious flirt.

Guest Post

Dream cast for the book and why did you choose those actors?

Since I’m more of a book person than a movie person, I thought I’d tackle this challenge by filling my dream cast with literary characters. These are characters that I think share certain traits with my characters so that they would be able to act the role well.

Briar (main character; in charge of caring for her siblings): Katniss from the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins—Briar is by no means a warrior-type character, but Katniss could fill this main character’s role because she knows how to survive despite hardship, and she also had to take responsibility for her family. She would be able to relate to Briar and deliver a convincing performance. The director would just have to hide her bow and arrows. (This is NOT a shoot ‘em up kind of book.)

Henry (boy next door; loves Briar): Tom Sawyer from Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. I think he would do a good job as a boy next door. I hope. Tom Sawyer is unpredictable, but, as it turns, out, so is Henry.

Wheeler (ex-sweetheart; somewhat clueless kind of guy): Moody Spurgeon from Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

Mim (Briar’s roommate; plans to marry rich): Nellie from Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. She appreciates the finer things in life, so as long as she could maintain a smile, she’d play Mim nicely.

Ethel (Briar’s roommate; serious about everything): Hermione from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling—she would study the role and be able to handle the nuances of Ethel’s character.

Pansy (Briar’s younger sister): Sara Crewe from The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. She has the right temperament for Pansy’s sweet spirit.

Benny (Briar’s younger brother; a twin; rambunctious): Alexander from Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

Jack (Benny’s twin; equally rambunctious): Fudge from Tales of a Forth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.