quotes Elisquared likes


"Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done all right for himself."— John Green

12.11.2020

BLOG TOUR - THE COUSINS BY KAREN M. MCMANUS - YA FICTION [REVIEW + GIVEAWAY]




Title: 
The Cousins
Authors(s): Karen M. McManus
Publication Date: December 1, 2020
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook; 336 pgs
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon Kindle Audible -
Barnes & Noble - iBooks - Kobo The Book Depository - Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.









Tour Schedule


Week One
11/16/2020 BookHounds YA Excerpt
11/17/2020 Kait Plus Books Excerpt
11/18/2020 YA Books Central Excerpt
11/19/2020 Moonlight Rendezvous Review
11/20/2020 PopTheButterfly Reads Review

Week Two
11/23/2020 Nerdophiles Review
11/24/2020 Not In Jersey Review
11/25/2020 Cuzinlogic Review
11/26/2020 booksaremagictoo Review
11/27/2020 Jenguerdy Review

Week Three
11/30/2020 midnightbooklover Review
12/1/2020 Lisa Loves Literature Review
12/2/2020 A Dream Within A Dream Review
12/3/2020 Thepagesinbetween Review
12/4/2020 Becky on Books Review

Week Four
12/7/2020 Mallory Books Review
12/8/2020 onemused Review
12/9/2020 fictitious.fox Review
12/10/2020 Momfluenster Review
12/11/2020 Eli to the nth Review


The Summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.

My Review

One of is Lying, Karen McManus's debut novel, is what really turned me on to the mystery/thriller genre.  And each of her subsequent novels just sucked me in further.  The Cousins is no different.  Twisty, engulfing, and oh so full of secrets, the plot drives you along, but the characters ground you in the story.  You follow along with Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah as they spend time on a island filled with so many secrets the place is choking with them.

Karen definitely has a deft hand when writing characters.  While making the final "reveal" in a mystery as surprising as possible is important, it is the characters that you really have to care about.  Who wants to read about these crazy twists happening to characters you hate?  Karen really makes the reader invested in what happens to these three, and then the Story family at large.  What happened to make their grandmother disown all her children? What secrets are being hidden, both from the past and in the present? And can they figure it out to "heal" the family rift, if it's even worth it?

I enjoyed that the setting change up in this book, heading outside of high school.  The focus on family, while present in her other books, is so important to this story.  I enjoy when I get to see the family dynamic of teens, as family was (and is still) so important when I was a teenager.  Parents, siblings, etc. can really effect your life in so many ways.  This is handled beautifully, and in a very real way through texts and phone calls for the most part.

You will definitely have your assumptions and theories as you read, but they will change by the ending (unless you are a super sleuth, which I am not).  I really loved the whole book, and found myself eating it up in one sitting.  That really nails it for me if it was a successful thriller/mystery.

Out in stores now, scroll down to enter to win a finished copy or grab a copy at your local retailer.  You will want to add The Cousins by Karen M. McManus to your collection because it is just so fun!

Final Rating



About the Author

Karen M. McManus is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying, Two Can Keep a Secret, and One of Us Is Next. Her fourth novel, The Cousins, will publish in December 2020. Her work has been translated into more than 40 languages worldwide. Karen lives in Massachusetts and holds a master's degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, which she mostly uses to draft fake news stories for her novels.




Giveaway
3 winners will receive a Finished Copy of THE COUSINS, US Only.

CLICK THE GRAPHIC


10.16.2020

BLOG TOUR - THE LAST RULE OF MAKEUPS BY NINA CRESPO - ADULT FICTION [Excerpt+ Giveaway]

I am thrilled to be hosting an excerpt spot on the THE LAST RULE OF MAKEUPS by Nina Crespo Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway below!

Title:
The Last Rule of Makeups

Authors(s): 
Nina Crespo
Publication Date: October 12, 2020
Edition: Paperback, eBook; 150 pgs
Publisher: Entangled: Brazen
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon Kindle 
Barnes & Noble - iBooks - Kobo 













Tour Schedule


10/12/2020 - Lisa-Queen of Random - Excerpt
10/12/2020 - Books A-Brewin' - Excerpt
10/12/2020 - Two Chicks on Books - Interview
10/13/2020 - Bibliojunkies - Guest Post
10/13/2020 - BookHounds - Interview
10/14/2020 - A Dream Within A Dream  - Excerpt
10/14/2020 - Rajiv's Reviews - Review
10/15/2020 - Twirling Book Princess - Guest Post
10/15/2020 - Becky on Books - Review
10/16/2020 - underneath the covers - Excerpt
10/16/2020 - Eli to the nth - Excerpt
10/16/2020 - Bookswithpaulak - Review


The Summary

Cori Ross is thanking her lucky stars. Sure, her long-time boyfriend just dumped her, but that’s a good thing. In her rush to find Mr. Right, she realizes she almost settled for Mr. Just Okay. And that’s definitely not okay. So, tonight, she’s out with her friends at the Breakup Bash—a private party for women celebrating their break-ups—and she’s actually celebrating. Still, it was too close a call. So she makes a deal with herself—no guys for six months.

Unfortunately, just as she’s leaving the club, she runs into her old boyfriend, Grey Latham—the guy she’d always wanted to be Mr. Right. Great. What a time to swear off guys. Maybe she needs to change the deal—no relationships for six months. There’s no reason why she can’t have a fling, right? Because Grey still holds the title of the best sex she’s ever had.

There’s no way this could go wrong. Grey is on his way to international DJ fame—he’s only in town for a short time, and then he’ll be gone again. No harm in burning up the sheets while it lasts.

Too bad neither expected what happened next...


The Breakup Bash Series


Each book in the series is a STANDALONE, but all revolves around one EPIC party:
THE BREAKUP BASH!


Excerpt

     Grey walked in wearing a rose-colored towel around his waist. A sheen of dampness trailed down between his pecs to his abs. The scent of her lemon body wash wafted from his skin. On him, the feminine fragrance transformed into something wholly masculine and potently sexual.

     He came up beside her, wrapped an arm around her waist, and kissed her temple. “I still don’t understand why you wouldn’t take a shower with me.”

     “Because you’re too distracting.” She grazed her fingertip over his slightly damp chest.

     “And the problem with that is?” He rested his hands on her hip.

     “We both have places to go and people to see. And I need to eat something before I pass out.”

      He glanced at the eggs and bowl on the counter. “Yeah, I could eat a whole plate of scrambled eggs right now. Do you want me to cook?”

     He was offering to cook? When they were together, he was the Microwave King, and breakfast Hot Pockets and Toaster Strudel had ruled his kingdom. Starvation must have messed with her hearing. 

     “You mean like actually crack the eggs open and cook them, in a pan, on the stove?” 

     “Yes, I can scramble eggs and actually cook a few other things.” He lifted her chin to shut her mouth, sealing her lips with his. “Stop looking at me like I just grew another head.”

     “You kinda did. The Grey I knew owned exactly one flimsy pot that he never used.”

      “No, I owned two, but yeah, that was me. But now I’ve got skills. I can even handle toast and coffee to go with it.”

     “Oh my gosh.” She exaggerated her surprise. “You’re practically a certified chef. I must partake of this goodness.”

     “Uh-huh. I can’t believe you doubt my skills.” He tightened the towel.

     Her gaze dropped to where he tucked the ends around his waist. 

     One light tug… The prospect of what would happen if that barrier was taken away was exciting as well as slightly unnerving. She’d never been this needy for a man. She’d only been in a sexual drought for a few months, not years. What was wrong with her? 

     She turned her attention to the counter and took another egg from the carton. “Do you want coffee?”

     “I’d love some.” He went over to the Keurig plugged in on the counter behind her. She was about to ask if he knew how to use it when he turned it on, snagged a white mug from the drying rack, and stuck it on the drip tray. He looked through the K-cup pods in the small wire basket next to the coffee machine. “What kind do you want?”

     “The Green Mountain Breakfast Blend. I think I used the last one yesterday. Can you grab a new box from the pantry?” She pointed to the half-closed door near the corner of the kitchen.

      “Sure. Which shelf?” He flipped on the light switch on the wall and went into the walk-in space.

     “On the back wall. Third one down.” Without him as a distraction, she expertly cracked the egg on the side of the bowl with one hand and dropped the contents into the bowl. “Found it?”

     “No,” he called out. “I don’t see it.”

     “It’s there.”

     “Are you sure it’s on the third shelf?”

     “Positive.”

     “Maybe you should take a look.”

     She rinsed and dried her hands. “You’re not looking hard enough.”

     But he’d certainly been hard enough earlier. The play on words made her smile as she walked to the doorway of the pantry closet. 

     Grey faced away from her, searching through the built-in shelf on the back wall. “What does the package look like?” 

     It’s six foot one with a towel molded to its grabbable butt. Her gaze strayed to his ass and lingered. It was solid with muscle, just like the rest of him. He’d definitely been working out a lot more since she’d last seen him.

     “Cori…” Grey looked over his shoulder at her. “If you keep staring at me like that, there will be consequences.”

     Consequences… “Like what?”

     He turned and faced her. The tenting of his towel became more prominent before her eyes.

     A small smile tipped up his mouth, but his gaze, as it roamed over her, was intense with need. “Like finding out just how sturdy these shelves are.”


About the Author

Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions — the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing.

Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a “borrowing spree” in her older sister’s bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel.

Let Nina’s sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.

Stay connected with Nina on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or through her newsletter.



Giveaway
1 winner will win a $15 Amazon Gift Card, INTERNATIONAL.

CLICK THE GRAPHIC



10.09.2020

BLOG TOUR - ELEANOR, ALICE, AND THE ROOSEVELT GHOSTS BY DIANNE K. SALERNI - MIDDLE GRADE FICTION [Review + Giveaway]



Title: 
Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts
Authors(s): Dianne K. Salerni
Publication Date: September 1, 2020
Edition: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook; 240 pgs
Publisher: Holiday House
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon Kindle Audible -
Barnes & Noble - iBooks - Kobo The Book Depository - Bookshop.org
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.







Tour Schedule

Week One
9/28/2020 - What A Nerd Girl SaysExcerpt
9/28/2020 - Bookhounds YAExcerpt
9/28/2020 - Log Cabin LibraryExcerpt
9/29/2020 - Lifestyle of MeReview
9/29/2020 - Kait Plus BooksExcerpt
9/30/2020 - NerdophilesReview
9/30/2020 - Oh Hey! BooksExcerpt
9/30/2020 - Miss ElizabethReview
10/1/2020 - Satisfaction for Insatiable ReadersInstagram Stop
10/2/2020 - Girl Who Likes To ReadReview
10/2/2020 - onemusedInstagram Stop
10/2/2020 - Pine Enshrined ReviewsReview

Week Two
10/5/2020 - Bri's Book NookReview
10/5/2020 - Twirling Book PrincessReview
10/6/2020 - popthebutterflyReview
10/6/2020 - popthebutterflyInstagram Stop
10/7/2020 - lenissahhreadsReview
10/8/2020 - Do You Dog-ear?Review
10/8/2020 - Do You Dog-ear?Instagram Stop
10/8/2020 - Two Points of InterestReview
10/9/2020 - Nays Pink Bookshelf Review
10/9/2020 - Nays Pink BookshelfInstagram Stop
10/9/2020 - Eli to the nthReview


The Summary

Murderous ghosts and buried family secrets threaten young Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt in this thrilling middle-grade novel that puts a supernatural spin on alternate history.

It's 1898 in New York City and ghosts exist among humans.

When an unusual spirit takes up residence at the Roosevelt house, thirteen-year-old Eleanor and fourteen-year-old Alice are suspicious. The cousins don't get along, but they know something is not right. This ghost is more than a pesky nuisance. The authorities claim he's safe to be around, even as his mischievous behavior grows stranger and more menacing. It's almost like he wants to scare the Roosevelts out of their home - and no one seems to care!

Meanwhile, Eleanor and Alice discover a dangerous ghost in the house where Alice was born and her mother died. Is someone else haunting the family? Introverted Eleanor and unruly Alice develop an unlikely friendship as they explore the family's dark, complicated history. It's up to them to destroy both ghosts and come to terms with their family's losses.

Told from alternating perspectives, thrills and chills abound in Dianne K. Salerni's imaginative novel about a legendary family and the ghosts that haunt their secrets.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"A spooky, fast-paced, and inventive tale. Salerni expertly blends fact and fiction, providing a glimpse of Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt's childhood that is so compelling, you almost wish the ghost parts were true."—Erin Bowman, Edgar Award–nominated author of Contagion and The Girl and the Witch's Garden

"This mix of history and fantasy creates a nifty setting for a middle-grade mystery" —Kirkus Reviews
My Review

Historical fiction isn't always my favorite genre, but what drew me to Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts was the fact that this world has ghosts; ghosts that everyone believes in.  So while the titular Eleanor and Alice are those Roosevelts from American history, they are also two cousins on the hunt to solve a dangerous mystery concerning the ghosts that are haunting their houses.

Definitely not a snooze-fest of historical factoids, Dianne K. Salerni does a great job world-building, twisting actual historical events to fit in a world where ghosts--vengeful, friendly, or unaware--exist.  That was one of the coolest parts of the book.  I don't tend to get into a many historical books.  But if the story has an interesting twist, one that doesn't detract from the history, but adds to it, I am hooked.  Dianne is able to accomplish this with ease through ghosts; I love a good ghost story.  

It is also very approachable for its intended audience.  Some of the historical figures that are present in the book may not be familiar to middle grade readers, but the context is there to easily identify these figures significance.  Dianne doesn't shy away from the fact that this is historical fiction, but leans into it full-tilt.  I think anything less would've made this a less compelling book.

Additionally, Eleanor and Alice are great protagonists.  They start off disliking each other, as they are so different (this actually reflects their adult relationship), but due to the mysterious--and dangerous--ghostly activities invading their houses, they come together to figure out exactly what's going on.  This partnership, that grows into a real friendship, is where their differing strengths complement each other.  Readers, especially kids, will identify with one of the girls, really hooking the reader into the plot as they race alongside Eleanor and Alice.

This book is perfect for October!  Spooky, full of adventure, and a great alternative American history, Eleanor, Alice, and the Roosevelt Ghosts by Dianne K. Salerni will suck you in until the very end!

Final Rating



About the Author

taken at the grave of Sarah Ann Boone in Catawissa, Pennsylvania
Taken at the grave of Sarah Ann Boone
in Catawissa, Pennsylvania
Dianne K. Salerni is a former elementary school teacher living in Chester County, Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters.

Dianne's first novel, We Hear the Dead (Sourcebooks 2010), recounts the true story of Maggie Fox, a teenaged girl credited with the invention of the séance in 1848. A short film based on We Hear the Dead, titled The Spirit Game, premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

Her second novel, The Caged Graves (Clarion/HMH 2013), is inspired by a real historical mystery in the mountains of Pennsylvania and was named a Junior Library Guild Selection, a finalist in the Tome Society IT List, and a Best YA Historical Novel for 2013 by BookPage.

The Eighth Day, a middle grade fantasy about a secret day of the week, is the first in a series by HarperCollins, which also includes The Inquisitor's Mark (Book 2) and The Morrigan's Curse (Book 3). The Eighth Day has been featured on state reading lists in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Maine, Minnesota, and Indiana.

Dianne's sixth novel, Eleanor, Alice, & the Roosevelt Ghosts, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, released from Holiday House on September 1, 2020.



Giveaway
3 winners will receive a Finished Copy of ELEANOR, ALICE, AND THE ROOSEVELT GHOSTS, US Only.

CLICK THE GRAPHIC





BLOG TOUR - BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL BY MARA FITZGERALD - YA FICTION [Spotlight + Giveaway]

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL by Mara Fitzgerald Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

Title: Beyond the Ruby Veil
Authors(s): 
Mara Fitzgerald
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Edition: Hardcover, eBook; 288 pgs
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Buy: Amazon Kindle 
Barnes & Noble - iBooks - Kobo The Book Depository - Bookshop.org - Buy a SIGNED copy
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.






Tour Schedule

Week One
10/5/2020 - YABooksCentral - Interview
10/6/2020 - Book Briefs - Review
10/7/2020 - Nay's Pink Bookshelf - Review
10/8/2020 - Rajiv's Reviews - Review
10/9/2020 - Eli to the nth - Spotlight

Week Two
10/12/2020 - A Dream Within A Dream - Review
10/13/2020 - Do You Dog-ear? - Review
10/14/2020 - oddandbookish - Review
10/15/2020 - The Book Nut : A Book Lovers Guide - Review
10/16/2020 - popthebutterfly - Review


The Summary

A dark, queer YA fantasy that's perfect for fans of the Three Dark Crowns series and Wicked Saints. After Emanuela Ragno kills the one person in Occhia who can create water, she must find a way to save her city from dying of thirst.

Emanuela Ragno always gets what she wants. With her daring mind and socialite schemes, she refuses to be the demure young lady everyone wants her to be. In her most ambitious move yet, she's about to marry Alessandro Morandi, her childhood best friend and the heir to the wealthiest house in Occhia. Emanuela doesn't care that she and her groom are both gay, because she doesn't want a love match. She wants power, and through Ale, she'll have it all.

But Emanuela has a secret that could shatter her plans. In the city of Occhia, the only source of water is the watercrea, a mysterious being who uses magic to make water from blood. When their first bruise-like omen appears on their skin, all Occhians must surrender themselves to the watercrea to be drained of life. Everyone throughout history has given themselves up for the greater good. Everyone except Emanuela. She's kept the tiny omen on her hip out of sight for years.

When the watercrea exposes Emanuela during her wedding ceremony and takes her to be sacrificed, Emanuela fights back...and kills her. Now Occhia has no one to make their water and no idea how to get more. In a race against time, Emanuela and Ale must travel through the mysterious, blood-red veil that surrounds their city to uncover the secrets of the watercrea's magic and find a way to save their people-no matter what it takes. 

"Perfect for fans of Holly Black's The Cruel Prince and Emily A. Duncan's Wicked Saints...a must-purchase for YA collections."—School Library Journal

"A fast-paced debut that reaches spectacularly bloody heights."—Kirkus

"Fitzgerald populates her story with fierce women who rule cities and seek glory."—Booklist

Pre-Order Campaign

HOW TO ENTER:

YOU WILL RECEIVE:

  • One signed bookplate
  • Art prints drawn by Audrey Estok with matte velvet-touch finish
  • At least 1 random sticker of eyeballs

RULES:

Excerpt

ONE

I’VE FINALLY BROKEN HER. TODAY REALLY IS MY SPECIAL DAY.

My nursemaid brought it on herself, of course. If she’d had any sense, she’d have gotten rid of me when I was a helpless infant who couldn’t fight back. Instead, the poor sap tended to me, letting me grow and flourish and outmatch her. That’s why she’s standing in the middle of my bedroom, clutching at her face, realizing that she’s never going to bludgeon me into the shape of a docile young lady and that she’s wasted her life trying.

“It’s hideous, Paola,” I inform her as I tear the silk rose in my hands to pieces. “I’m doing us all a favor.”

“Emanuela Ragno.” She barely breathes my name, like the words are cursed. “This gown has been in your mamma’s family for over a hundred years.”

“Yes, and it looks it,” I say. “Smells it, too. Did you really think I was going to walk down the aisle in some musty pile of lace?”

“Musty pile of lace?” she echoes in disbelief. “Musty pile of—So help me, Emanuela, if there’s one day you should wear a musty pile of lace, it’s your wedding day!”

There’s no time I should ever wear this monstrosity. The black skirts are so heavy I can barely move. The sleeves are enormous and puffy. The train stretches out of my bedroom and into the hall. The first time I laid eyes on the gown, I told my mamma it was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. She sighed and opined about how it’s been passed down on her side, the House of Rosa, for generations—hence the red silk roses tastelessly stuck to every surface. She rhapsodized about my spiritual connection to the women of our family and how wonderful it would be to see me in traditional clothing, for once. Occhian people love tradition. They love doing the exact same things every other person has done since the city began.

I tried the gown on. I didn’t feel a spiritual connection to the women of my family. I felt like a little girl buried in hideous fabric. I also felt itchy, due to the gigantic silk rose smack in the middle of my chest. But I agreed to wear the gown, and my mamma shed a few tears, and we carried on as usual.

Then I bided my time until this very moment. Just as my nursemaid was putting the finishing touches on my outfit, I grabbed the offending rose and ripped it off. Now the fragile silk of my bodice is a ragged mess.

And just down the street, the cathedral bells are ringing. Everyone in the city is already inside, waiting for me, but I’m here, and Paola is in front of me, spiraling into hysterics.

“Your mamma got married in this!” she says. “And her mamma, and her mamma’s mamma—you’re her only daughter, and she’s spent her whole life praying that she would live to see you married, and you just—”

“Calm down, old woman,” I say, tearing another petal off the rose and dropping it onto the very satisfying pile at my feet. “You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Calm down?” she screeches. “We’re—”

“Late to the wedding? Then why are we just standing around?”

“Because there’s a—”

“A massive hole in my bodice?” I say. “This is an improvement. Look how flattering my corset is.”

Paola leaps to block the doorway, fists clenched. “Emanuela, don’t you dare—I suppose you think you can talk me into this, just like you talked me into the gown with the slit. Not this time, young lady. Weddings are sacred, and you are not parading in front of the whole city with your fruits on display like—”

“Oh?” I drop the last of the rose onto the carpet. “How are you going to stop me?”

We stare each other down. Paola’s nostrils are flaring and her dark eyes are burning. On paper, she’s a servant, and I’m the first and only daughter of the House of Ragno. I could be rid of her with a few choice words to my papá. But I have my reasons for keeping her around, and she knows it, and every so often, we have moments like this—moments where I briefly, genuinely wonder which one of us will crack first.

She unclenches her fists. “All right, you little devil. Just tell me what your scheme is.”

Paola is always the one who cracks. Just like everyone else.

I pick up my skirts and cross the room to my wardrobe.

“I should’ve known,” Paola says to my back. “You haven’t given me a moment’s peace in seventeen years, so why start today? Why have mercy on an old woman for once in her miserable life? Do you know, I still remember when they first put you in my arms.…”

This is the hundredth time I’ve heard this story.

“You were so small,” she rambles on. “And so quiet. And for half a second, I thought you were a peaceful angel. But then you looked at me with those black eyes, and I swear, I heard a voice in my head say, Hello. I’m going to ruin you. And you opened your mouth and spewed all over my—”

“I remember it fondly, too,” I say, reaching into the back of the wardrobe. “But enough about how I’m the only good thing that’s ever happened to you—look what I just found. Another black gown just happens to be sitting around in here, begging to be worn. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Of course it’s beautiful. I designed it, and I spent months secretly stitching it to perfection. My creation is made of flowing black silk, with a tasteful rose pattern winding its way up the skirt. It has lace sleeves that look like spiderwebs and a scandalously low neckline, and when I walk down the aisle in it, the people of my city aren’t going to see every other Rosa woman who came before. They’re going to see me.

Outside, the peal of the cathedral bells dies off. I’m officially late. When I turn around, Paola is still across the room. She’s folded her hands over her plain gray apron, and her eyes are searching me in a way I don’t particularly like.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” she says.

“Paola, I have the best fashion sense in the city,” I say. “Everything I wear is a good idea.”

“That’s not what I mean,” she says, quieter.

I know it’s not what she means.

Paola glances at the bedroom door, even though we both know the rest of the house has already emptied out.

“You don’t have to have a ceremony in front of God and—and everyone,” she says. “The marriage will still be real if it’s done in private—if you just asked Alessandro, he would be more than happy to—”

“No,” I say, sharply.

I’m not going to let her talk me out of this now. Not when I spent all of last night talking myself into it.

Paola presses her mouth into a thin line. She knows the discussion is over, but she waits, like she’s hoping otherwise. I hold my ground until she gives in and unfolds her hands. No one can withstand my forbidding stare for long.

“Well, then,” Paola says, all familiar exasperation again. “Let’s find out just how unholy this creation of yours is.”

She wrestles me out of the old and into the new. Even with the unwieldy lace skirts and my excessive layers of underthings, it’s a quick transformation. I know exactly how to shift and wiggle, and she knows my body better than her own. When we’re willing to cooperate, my nursemaid and I are the most efficient team in Occhia.

Paola does up the last button and peers over my shoulder at the two of us in the mirror. She makes a small noise of disbelief. “God help your husband. That boy isn’t ready.”

I tug down my neckline. “He never will be. One final touch.”

“Oh no,” she says.

I open the drawer of my dressing table and fetch a tub of scarlet rouge from the back. Paola turns white as I brush it onto my cheeks.

“You are the daughter of a duke, you know,” she says. “Surely some part of you understands that this wedding is about the joining of two families and not how good you—God and all his saints—”

I’ve moved on to dusting the rouge between my breasts. Paola grabs the brush out of my hands.

“Are you quite done?” she says.

I’m never done.

It’s a short walk to the cathedral. The cobblestone road has been lined with rose petals, but the windows of the black manors are dark and silent. After the ceremony, we’ll parade back this way to my husband’s house, where there’ll be a ten-course meal and an outrageous number of toasts, but right now, the people are waiting in the pews, praying. In Occhia, nothing is more momentous than a wedding. Everyone will be here, dressed in their finest and bearing handcrafted gifts. People I’ve never met are going to cry. The fact that my husband and I both made it to our wedding day is a blessing for us, and our families, and the city.

To that end, I’m supposed to spend this walk solemnly and reflect with gratitude. But I don’t have the time. I pick up my skirts and march, and Paola makes a harassed noise, trotting to catch up. The towering black cathedral is waiting for us at the heart of Occhia. I crane my neck to look up at one of its enormous spires and past that to the veil overhead. And for a moment, I hesitate.

The veil is glowing a deep, rich red, like it does every day when evening is gathering. When I was a child, I asked a lot of questions about the veil. I wanted to know what it’s made of. I wanted to know why it turns red in the day and black at night. I wanted to know what’s inside it. Everybody had the same answer for everything—God. A thousand years ago, God created our little city. Then he created the first Occhians. He pulled their souls out of the veil and dropped them here, and they brought Occhia to life, claiming the manors and starting Houses that have stayed the same for centuries.

When we die, our souls go back to the veil. Everyone tells me that like it’s as matter-of-fact as breathing and eating. No one seems bothered by the knowledge that we’re encased by a mysterious entity that could swallow us up at any moment. They say that the important thing is that we spend the time we’re given dedicated to our family and our traditions.

I… don’t ask questions anymore.

We slip into the cathedral through a side entrance, where Padre Busto is waiting, looking impatient and dour. Padre Busto had the privilege of counseling me in preparation for my marriage. He loved every second of it.

“Good evening, Donna Emanuela.” He dips his head politely, but his eyes linger on my gown. “I’m glad to see you took ample time to reflect on your walk over. My blessings on this most… holy of days. It is sure to be a… beautiful ceremony.”

The judgmental pauses are not lost on me.

“Thank you, Padre,” I say, curtsying. “You’ll be baptizing our first child before you know it. My family is known for our vigorous wombs.”

“For God’s sake, Emanuela,” Paola mutters, then remembers she’s in God’s house and cups her hands in apologetic prayer.

Padre Busto gives me the look of polite hatred he gives me whenever I speak crassly of my womb. I’m supposed talk about it with reverence, but if it wants to be respected, it shouldn’t cramp and revolt the way it did last week.

“When you’re ready, we’ll move to the prayer room,” he says, extending a very reluctant arm.

Paola starts to walk away. But then she doubles back and, faster than a blink, kisses me on the cheek.

“I know it’s time for you to become a lady and leave your old nursemaid behind,” she whispers. “But—”

“Yes, yes, I turned out wonderful in spite of you,” I say. “Don’t embarrass yourself, Paola.”

I talk over her before I can hear the end, because suddenly, I don’t want to hear the end. I pull away and take Padre Busto’s arm. As he leads me off, I tell myself not to look back. At the last second, I do. Paola is disappearing around the corner. Her hands are folded tightly over her apron and her head is bent toward the floor.

She’s nervous.

She has nothing to be nervous about. We have nothing to be nervous about.

The priest wordlessly brings me to the prayer room. I step inside, and he shuts the door at my back, leaving me in a tiny, dim space hazy with perfume. In front of me is a small altar smothered in burning candles. A copy of the Holy Book sits in the middle, its golden-edged pages already open to the appropriate passages. I kneel down in front of it with a creak.

Everything is going to be fine. I’m going to be fine. I’ve been fine for seventeen years, and I’ll be fine today.

I dip my fingers into the tiny glass bowl of sacred water. I’m supposed to take the smallest drop imaginable, but instead, I take several and use them to wet down the few loose hairs curling around my face. Then I turn to the gold screen at my side and attempt to peer through the tiny round holes. Now that I’ve solemnly reflected alone, I’m supposed to solemnly reflect with my husband-to-be. We’re meant to slog through pages and pages of prayers about our undying devotion to each other and our commitment to spawning as many small, pious Occhians as we can. The screen, of course, is to keep us from spawning any small Occhians before the ceremony is done. I rap on it.

“Alessandro, your wife is here,” I call. “Stop picking your nose and show some respect.”

There’s a startled thump on the other side.

“I’m not—” My future husband sputters. “Did you have to say that so loudly? What if the priests are listening?”

“You really should’ve thought of that before you blasphemed all over our meeting,” I say.

“I’m not blaspheming on anything,” he insists, taking my words very personally, as usual. “I was… Well, if you must know, I was praying. Like we’re supposed to.”

“How adorable,” I say. “You were asking God how you can someday be worthy of me, I assume?”

“I… suppose you could think of it that way. I was just—”

“Don’t bother.” I idly flip the tissue-thin pages of the Holy Book. “I’m beyond all human reach. Especially in my new gown. And even if you’ll never thirst for me the way you thirst for Manfredo Campana—”

He sputters again. “I don’t—”

“—I hope you can at least appreciate the fact that you have the most magnificent girl in Occhia on your arm.”

For a moment, there’s nothing on Ale’s side but flustered silence.

“I don’t thirst for Manfredo,” he says finally. “I admire him. You make everything sound so unromantic.”

“Ah, yes, forgive me for daring to presume I know better than you, the master of romantic gestures,” I say. “Every great love story begins with a boy stealing the used handkerchief another boy left on the card table.”

Ale goes deathly quiet. The stealing in question happened two nights ago at a dinner party. He thought I didn’t see him. But we’re best friends. I always see.

“I meant to give it back,” he says feebly. “But Manfredo was talking to all the boys from his calcio club, and they’re so intimidating—”

“Don’t tell me I’m going to step into your bedroom and find it covered in Manfredo’s snotty handkerchiefs,” I say. “My fragile constitution can’t take it.”

“It’s not about the snot, Emanuela—there was a cologne smell on it. I just like the…” His voice is rapidly dwindling. “Never mind.”

Alessandro Morandi and I were betrothed seventeen years ago, when we had just emerged from our respective mothers’ wombs. No one asked us how we felt about the matter, because that’s not what our marriage is about. Our marriage is about the fact that we can make the heirs the House of Morandi needs. That’s why, in accordance with tradition, we put this day off until my first bleeding arrived.

My first bleeding took quite a while. Some of my peers were married at thirteen. Everyone wants as much time as they can get, because after all, the oldest Occhian in history lived to fifty before her first omen appeared. Most people don’t even come close to that.

Ale and I may be arriving to the altar late—late enough that it’s inspired gossip—but we’ve arrived. In just a few minutes, I’ll be a duchess with some actual power, and everyone is going to see what I can do with it. And then they’re going to regret their gossiping.

“Did you actually make a new gown?” Ale says. “Of course you did. Is it decent?”

“That depends on your definition of decent,” I say, taking a moment to admire what little cleavage I have. It’s vastly improved by the rouge.

“Oh no,” he whispers.

“Oh yes,” I say.

He’s quiet for a moment.

“Are you nervous?” he says. “At all?”

I realize I’m smoothing down my silk skirts, over and over. Even though he can’t see me, I jerk my hands back to the altar.

“What could I possibly be nervous about?” I say.

“Everybody in the city staring at us. Everybody. What if I trip, or forget the prayers, or vomit like I did during First Rites, or—never mind.” He sighs. “You don’t get nervous.”

“Are you really nervous about everybody staring at you?” I say. “You need to get used to the jealous looks, Signor Morandi, grand duke of Occhia. They’re not going anywhere.”

He makes an uncomfortable noise. In Ale’s ideal life, he sits in his room all day reading novels about other people’s feelings and drama and convoluted webs of romance. In his actual life, he’s about to become the head of the wealthiest house in Occhia, and he’ll be expected to lead Parliament and talk to a lot of people and make a lot of decisions. That’s why we’re a perfect match. I’m good at making decisions, and he’s good at following me.

From the heart of the cathedral, the organ starts blaring. The priests knock on both of our doors at the same time. Ale groans, and his kneeler squeaks as he stands.

“Ale, wait.” I press my hand against the cold screen between us.

“You’re planning something, aren’t you?” he says in a panic. “I knew it. Please don’t be rude to the priest in front of everyone. Please don’t make jokes during the vows. I can’t, Emanuela. I can’t. Not today—”

“Kneel back down,” I say.

“But the priests are—”

“They can wait.”

He kneels back down. When I lean closer, I can feel his apprehension seeping through the barrier between us.

“All you have to do is stand there,” I say softly. “Don’t think about the other people in the cathedral. They don’t matter. If you get too nervous, just take my hand. Nothing is going to happen to you.” I consider. “And if you do vomit, I’ll take all my clothes off, and then no one will be able to talk about anything but me.”

He sighs. He rests his head on the screen, and little tufts of his dark hair poke through.

“All I have to do is stand there,” he says, mostly to himself. “You’re right. I can do that. I can do that—”

He pulls away.

The next time we’re alone, we’ll be husband and wife. I promised myself I’d tell him the truth before we were husband and wife. And even though I knew exactly how my wedding would play out, it still feels like this part has snuck up on me.

“Ale—” I say.

“What?” he says. He sounds much calmer than he did moments ago. He sounds like he’s almost ready for what’s about to happen. I have that effect on him.

This morning, I woke up so early that the veil was still black. I crept onto my balcony and leaned on the iron railing, shivering in the chilly air, and I looked down the street to the grand House of Morandi. I found Ale’s bedroom window, at the very top. The candle on the sill was dark, of course. Every night, he lights his, and I light mine. He sits in his room reading, and I sit in mine scheming and sewing, and when we go to bed, we blow them out. I realized that after today, we won’t need that little ritual anymore, because we’ll be together. I imagined a life married to some other Occhian boy who would see me as a means to an end, not as his friend, and I was certain I was the luckiest girl in the city.

I have to tell him now. He’ll understand.

I open my mouth. “I—”

Or maybe I don’t. It’s not like anything is going to happen. We have nothing to be nervous about.

“I was going to remind you not to lock your knees when you’re standing at the altar,” I say. “If you’re going to faint, let it be because you’re overwhelmed by my beauty.”

“Don’t lock my knees,” he repeats. “Don’t lock my knees—There’s so much to remember—”

He disappears, and I wait in the heavy, perfumed silence. When Padre Busto opens my door, I flinch.

My papá is waiting for me at the front of the cathedral, poised in front of the enormous double doors that lead to the inner chamber. He’s in his usual crisp black suit, and the crests of our family are pinned to his chest—a small golden rose, for the House of Rosa, and a golden spiderweb, for the House of Ragno. When he sees me, he raises his eyebrows.

“What are you wearing, my little spider?” he says.

“Not the old rag Mamma gave me,” I say. “That’s for certain.”

Everybody says I look just like my mamma, because we have the same shiny dark hair and the same sharp features. But Paola insists the Papá in me overshadows everything else. She claims we have the same look in our eyes. It says, I get what I want, and I don’t care what it takes.

“How clever of you,” my papá says, taking my arm. “Nobody ever remembers the people in these ceremonies. They all look the same.”

Our family has lived in the same manor, passing down the same low-level seat in Parliament, since the city began. But now, we have my papá. When I was a day old, he planted himself in the parlor of the richest house in Occhia and refused to leave until they betrothed their newborn son to his newborn daughter. He spent the next seventeen years preparing me—not to be a spouse, but to be the head of a household and the head of our government. My mamma doesn’t understand me. She wants me to dress like her and have babies like her and spend my life quietly tending to a home. My papá wants me to have more than any other Ragno has ever had.

And I will. I’m going to walk down the aisle in front of everybody—everybody—in the whole city and get the life I deserve. I’m not afraid. I have nothing to hide.

My papá pulls something out of his pocket and holds it out. It’s a golden spiderweb pin that matches the one on his chest.

“You’re a Ragno,” he says. “Make sure they remember that, too.”

In spite of myself, I hesitate. I planned the rose embroidery on my skirts and the spiderweb lace on my sleeves for a reason. I want to tell people who I am in my own way.

But of course I’ll make an exception for my papá. We’re a team. I take the pin.

Just as I finish attaching it to my chest, the doors to the inner chamber of the cathedral swing open. And for a split second, I wonder if this was really a good idea. For a split second, I’m wishing I was still hidden in the prayer room. But it’s too late to change my mind now.

The organ music hits me like a wall of sound. The pews squeal as everybody in Occhia leaps to their feet. As my papá guides me forward, I suddenly appreciate how massive this place is. It’s pew after pew and arch after arch and column after column, and they all converge on the golden altar in the distance, where Ale is nothing but a dark smudge in the candlelight.

I keep my gaze fixed straight ahead as we parade past the masses. I can tell when we reach the pews where the noble families sit, because I nearly choke on the mass of perfumes. The whispering gets louder, too. Everyone is either delighted or horrified by my dress. Either one is fine with me.

My feet have grown sweaty in their silk slippers by the time we pass my family. I don’t look over, but I can hear Paola trying to shush my demon little brothers and my army of tiny cousins. We pass a row of stoic guards, their red coats barely visible at the edges of my vision. And all by herself, in the very first pew, is the only person who didn’t stand for me.

The watercrea.

I’ve seen the watercrea from a distance before. I don’t have to look to know that she has startlingly white skin and sleek dark hair, and she always wears a brilliant red gown. She looks only a little older than me, but she’s looked that way since the city began.

God made Occhia and everyone in it, but there’s one thing even he can’t make—water. The watercrea is the only person with the power to do that. Her magic lets her control blood and turn it into water, and for a thousand years, she’s been using it to keep us alive.

The watercrea takes her blood from our people. Once their first omen appears, they give themselves to her, and she locks them in her tower and slowly, carefully drains their blood into our underground well. In a matter of hours, they’re gone.

I don’t even bother to look at her as I pass by. Today isn’t about her and her tower and her prisoners with omens. It’s about me.

Ale is standing at the center of the altar, fidgeting erratically. His willowy mamma is at his side, watching me approach with a wavering mouth and dread in her eyes. As my papá kisses my cheek and deposits me next to Ale, two delicious, crystalline tears run down her cheeks.

I spend every day with Ale, but I’m always a little bit alarmed by how tall and gangly he’s become in the last couple of years. Ale has his mamma’s pale skin and graceful features. He could be handsome if he tried, but he’s too busy being gawky and utterly embarrassed by his own existence. Right now, his enormous brown eyes are taking in the crowd, and his panic is slowly growing—as if anyone is really staring at him when they have the option to stare at me. I reach over and take his hand, pointedly pulling him closer. His fingers are trembling and clammy, so maybe he won’t notice that mine are, too.

The organ stops, and in the ringing silence, we turn around to face the priest. Somebody in the crowd coughs softly, and it echoes in the cavernous space. A pew creaks. Ale’s mamma sniffles. Then the priest starts to sing, and his opening prayer drowns it all out.


About the Author

Mara Fitzgerald writes YA fantasy about unlikable female characters who ruin everything. She is a biologist by day and spends entirely too much time looking at insects under a microscope. She was born near Disney World and now lives near Graceland, which is almost as good. Beyond the Ruby Veil is her debut novel.









Giveaway
3 winners will receive a Finished Copy of BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL, US Only.

CLICK THE GRAPHIC





Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...