Out now from Swoon Romance.
Sixteen-year-old Mya Jones is cursed.
She is, hands down, the most beautiful creature on earth. But beauty can wound, and Mya finds herself reviled and shunned by her peers. If there is even a chance that she could start over, Mya longs to take it, no matter the risks.
So when the strange Mr. Merk offers her a new life away from home, Mya is hesitant but hopeful. Only she didn't count on the mysterious Ross, or her feelings for him.
BEAUTIFUL CURSE is a contemporary retelling of the myth of Psyche and Cupid.
About the Author
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. A graduate of Western Michigan University, she also holds a MS in Library Science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches college
writing composition and yoga. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. Her fiction titles include DAUGHTER OF CHAOS (YA), THE SECRET OF ISOBEL KEY (NA), and the recently released sequel, HER SECRET INHERITANCE. Visit http://www.jenmcconnel.com to learn more.
Connect with Jen
Excerpt
“Please call me Ross. I hope that we’ll be friends.”
I paused, considering. Everything had been so dreamlike, so magical, since coming to the
palace, that I had almost set aside the initial fears that had plagued me when Mr. Merk took me.
Almost, but not quite. “What’s the price of your friendship?” I tried not to sound combative, but
I was leery, on edge.
A sad sigh filled the room. “I ask only that you remain here with me. I will give you all
that you wish for, and ask for very little in return.”
“That’s not an answer.” I tried to reason with the voice in the dark, but it was like
fighting with my shadow: impossible to catch, and yet at the same time, totally familiar. There
was something about the voice that made me feel safe, but my brain refused to let go of my
earlier caution.
“Then here’s an answer. Tonight, the price of my friendship is that you dine with me.”
“Here? But it’s pitch black!”
“Even so, this is how I choose to dine. Will you join me?”
I hesitated, and a warm hand closed around my wrist. I jerked back, but even as my
companion turned me loose, I felt the flood of heat that surged up my arm where he touched me.
“I am hungry,” I admitted, trying to get a grip on my emotions. His hand had felt human ... and
strong.
He didn’t try to touch me again, but instead said, “Step forward three even paces. There
you will find the table.”
I walked cautiously, but I was able to take three steps across the darkness without
obstruction. My fingertips brushed the polished surface of the table.
There was a scraping sound close by, and the voice commanded me again. “The chair is
immediately to your left. Will you please sit?”
I lowered myself into the chair gingerly, groping in the dark, but it was solid beneath me.
I relaxed slightly, even though my nerves were still on edge from the absolute darkness of the
room.
“Why do you eat in the dark?” I asked curiously.
His voice was silky and laced with innuendo. “I find that it heightens the senses. Perhaps
you’ll tell me if you agree after the meal.”
