Towers And Tithes
By: Christina Bauer
Series: Fairy Tales of the Magicorum, #8
Publication date: November 9th 2021
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult
I’m a Tower Tithe with a Rapunzel problem. That’s not as weird as it sounds.
Ever wonder how Rapunzel survives without leaving her home? After all, someone must stock groceries, buy hair products and fix the plumbing. Witches don’t wield toilet brushes, so “Rapunzel care” becomes the job of Tower Tithes like me. Not that we choose this gig. We’re just unlucky elves who get magically chucked into servitude. Since our kind live for ages, being a Tower Tithe can drag on for thousands of years… and I’m eighteen. Yipes.
That said, it wouldn’t be too awful if I had a cool Rapunzel. No such luck.
I serve none other than Lady R, the social media sensation and sadist who lives in Manhattan’s famous Apex Towers. With the help of her manager—a witch named Jocasta—Lady R releases daily gossip videos while assigning me “torture chores.” Many tasks are designed to remind me how Lady R is the gorgeous variety of elf, while I’m beyond plain. I spend a lot of time scheming my escape.
My work pays off when an eccentric billionaire offers to magically set me free. The catch? I must move to Arizona and become his personal assistant. Needless to say, I rush for the door. Turns out, my new employer is none other than Lady R’s ex-boyfriend, Dex, a guy who was blinded in a strange accident and has since become a recluse.
In other words, I ran from my fairy tale life, but it found me again anyway.
At this point, I should head for the hills, yet I simply can’t leave Dex. For the first time, I truly feel comfortable around someone. In all honesty, it’s probably because I have self-esteem issues and Dex can’t see my bland face. Even so, it’s all good until Lady R discovers where I am. And that leads to my Rapunzel problem.
With Lady R back in the picture, can I still find my happily ever after? The truth will emerge soon enough.
Because my name is Grayson Eyre, and this is my story.
Ideal for readers who crave a mash-up between Rapunzel and Jane Eyre.
FAIRY TALES OF THE MAGICORUM
1. Wolves And Roses
2. Moonlight And Midtown
3. Slippers And Thieves
4. Shifters And Glyphs
5. Bandits And Ball Gowns
6. Fire And Cinder
7. Fairies And Frosting
8. Towers and Tithes
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play
Hello my name is Emily and thank you for giving me some of your time.
Was writing your first love?
It was and is. In first grade, the teacher had to set aside time for me to tell my stories or I’d just stand up in class and start talking.
Where do you like to write?
Before the pandemic, I used to write Starbucks. Now I have my favorite writing couch at home!
Is writing everything you thought it would be?
The writing side of things is everything I wanted and more. It feeds my soul. The business side is rough. Treat indie writers with care!
Who is/was your favourite character to write about?
I do love writing an evil villain. The worse the bad guy, the better it feels when they get justice!
How do you form your story ideas?
I love a history. I get a lot of cool stuff from the past.
Do you keep notes during the day? (In case something inspires you or, if you had a lively conversation and thought, “Hey that would be great in a book.”)
Conversations don’t help me so much. I do make a conscious choice to fill my head with a lot of stories that aren’t necessarily hot right now on best seller lists. My readers want something unusual.
Do you write in one sitting or in bursts?
I’ll hit the story hard for 1-3 hours, then back off and do something else for a little while.
What was the last book you read? Did it live up to your expectations?
Just reread the original Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Love how brutal and dark they are!
What are some of your most difficult parts to write?
It’s really hard for me to make the hero and heroine suffer. But it must be done!
Did this book follow your original plan? Or did it turn into something completely different?
The whole idea of mirrors came in late on a draft and ended up changing the villain from an evil stepmother to a character called the Prism Master.
Did your characters ever stop talking to you at any point in your writing?
Once they start talking to me, they rarely stop. It sometimes takes me a while to get them chatting, though!
Was it hard to stay motivated during your writing process? What were some of your go-to strategies to stay on point?
If I miss a preorder date with Amazon, then I get put into what we writers call ‘Amazon jail’ where you can’t do preorders any more. That’s a big motivator!
Do you have a playlist for this book? Or any song that helped you develop a perticital scene?
The one’s that been stuck in my head is “This is The One” by the Stone Roses.
Lastly, what is one key piece of advice you would give to anyone wishing to go down the writing path?
Trust your voice. It matters!
Thank you for your time today :)
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
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Thanks for being on the tour! :)
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