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Honey Queen
Release Date: 05/31/14
Love is honey sweet, but it comes with a fatal sting . . .
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family’s ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers. She won’t let the same fate that killed her father befall another. She refuses to allow her goddess-created bloodline to continue. But there’s no easy way out, especially after the curse turns her into the Honey Queen—savior to honey bees—intensifying her charms.
To help her fulfill the curse’s demands in the least harmful way, her grandmother takes her to mate with terminally ill Boyd. But Boyd’s gay. And an expert in mythology. Instead of having sex, Melaina learns how she might summon the goddess who created the first ancestor bee-charmer and cursed her bloodline. Melaina's magic—tears to save honey bees from endangerment—could be enough to persuade the goddess to end the curse. But an unexpected discovery soon changes that hope, spinning Melaina into a swarm of love, friendship and death.
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family’s ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers. She won’t let the same fate that killed her father befall another. She refuses to allow her goddess-created bloodline to continue. But there’s no easy way out, especially after the curse turns her into the Honey Queen—savior to honey bees—intensifying her charms.
To help her fulfill the curse’s demands in the least harmful way, her grandmother takes her to mate with terminally ill Boyd. But Boyd’s gay. And an expert in mythology. Instead of having sex, Melaina learns how she might summon the goddess who created the first ancestor bee-charmer and cursed her bloodline. Melaina's magic—tears to save honey bees from endangerment—could be enough to persuade the goddess to end the curse. But an unexpected discovery soon changes that hope, spinning Melaina into a swarm of love, friendship and death.
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Praise:
“HONEY QUEEN will leave you tingling. Mercer
delivers an unforgettable character connected directly to nature with a twist
of mythology that exemplifies the power of love, and with enough courage, the
power to change ones destiny.” Rachel Allen Dillon, award-winning author
and illustrator of Through Endangered Eyes
“In prose so delicious, you can taste it,
Christina Mercer’s HONEY QUEEN captures the genuine angst and
yearning of YA fiction with a powerful honey-sweet twist of Mythic proportions.
Readers will catch the buzz of Melaina’s riveting journey to convince a Goddess
to save her bloodline, the love of her life, and all the bees. A wonderful
reminder of the indelible bond between humanity and nature.” -Jordan E.
Rosenfeld, author of Forged in Grace, Night Oracle and Make
a Scene
INTERVIEW ABOUT HONEY QUEEN
Where did the idea come for this book?
After several years of writing fantasy for teens and also beekeeping, I began to think about a way to merge the two. When first tossing ideas around with my youngest son, he came up with a title for the book and it stuck through the entire process. I had tons of fun writing a YA fiction that encompassed my love of fantasy, mythology, and honey bees.
What genre does your book fall under?
Young Adult Fantasy (mostly). Some have labeled it YA Urban Fantasy (though it’s set in rural Northern California), and others have called it YA Paranormal Romance. I refer to it as YA Fantasy with romantic elements.
How did you choose the name of your protagonist?
MELAINA MARIS contains “Mel” which is Latin for honey (I also use it in the character, Melisse—her first human ancestor and original Honey Queen). Maris means “of the sea”, which fits with her family’s oceanic-goddess ties.
Who pulls your heroine’s heartstrings?
SAM is her childhood friend who she falls in love with and does everything in her power to avoid.
Which actors would you use to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Abigail Breslin with long/wavy lighter hair as MELAINA (protagonist)
Tim Riggins as SAM (love interest)
Thomas Dekker as BOYD (terminally-ill friend)
Ian Somerhalder as TY (dangerously enticing obstacle)
Julie Christie as GRAN (mentor/guardian)
Pinterest Board for Honey Queen Character Look-A-Likes: http://www.pinterest.com/
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Melaina Maris needs wings to fly the gap between loving Sam and her family’s ancient curse that forces carnal love and then kills the male lovers.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Almost exactly one year from start to finish, including running it through my critique group.
What about this book might pique a reader’s interest?
I believe this story is entirely unique, so for readers of YA fiction seeking a fresh look at fantasy/magic/Greek-“ish” mythology with romance spun through, this should appeal to them (especially those also having an interest in honey bees!). Another intriguing element is Melaina’s friendship with terminally-ill (and gay) friend, Boyd, who is both her greatest support and an emotional obstacle. The story weaves together a variety of personal relationships, grief, love, lust, and courage, as well as human-nature interplay, and yet it remains an easy/fast read.
About the Author
Christina Mercer is an award-winning author of fiction for children and young adults. Honored titles include Tween Fantasy ARROW OF THE MIST and its sequel ARMS OF ANU, and YA Fantasy/Romance HONEY QUEEN. Christina enjoys life in the foothills of Northern California with her husband and sons, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honeybees. For more about her and her writing, visit:
Giveaway:
1 $10 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
1 "Honey Bee" swag pack (USA). Swag will be bookmark,
buzz card, beeswax lip balm, honey sticks, honeybee charm.
Blog Tour Organized by:
The cover makes me crave for honey! Hahaha. <3
ReplyDeleteLol!! :)
DeleteLove the cover looks real awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt does sound amazing!!
Delete'Love is honey sweet, but it comes with a fatal sting'
ReplyDeleteOMG I love this!
Lol. Its a great tag line!!!
Delete