Welcome to the Blog + Review Tour for The Dreaming Beauty by Anneka R. Walker, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The Dreaming Beauty
Series: Standalone follow-up to The Masked Baron
Author: Anneka R. Walker
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Release Date: July 11, 2022
Genre: Clean & Wholesome Romance / Historical / Regency / Fairy Tale
Once upon a dream, two cursed people fell in love . . .
Tansy White doesn’t want to end up alone like her three aunts who raised her, but when she is betrayed by her would-be betrothed, she fears she might never change her fate. At her aunts’ suggestion, she seizes the chance to visit Rose Cottage, the country home of her late mother. For years, dreams of the cottage have haunted Tansy, and she is convinced it holds the answer to her hidden past. But after getting caught in a terrible storm, she meets a man who is just as determined as she is to learn all her secrets.
Marcus Taylor, brother to the Duke of Westmorland, is also troubled by vivid dreams. On a sleepless night, as a tempest rages outside his brother’s estate, he makes a discovery far more mysterious than any dream: a young woman, cold as ice, lies unconscious in the library, and he is sure she is the key to solving his problems. When she wakes, what begins as a shared quest for information turns into an unexpected friendship. As they piece together the fragments of their pasts, they discover a tangled web of lies, and their feelings for each other become just as entwined. But is their love as strong as their dreams . . . or their fate?
PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookBub
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anneka Walker is an award-winning author raised by a librarian and an English teacher turned judge. After being fed a steady diet of books, she decided to learn about writing. The result was a bachelor's degree in English and history. When she isn't dreaming up a happy ending for a story, she is busy living her own with her husband and adorable children.
Connect with Anneka by visiting annekawalker.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
Q&A WITH ANNEKA WALKER
What inspired your magical, regency fairy tales?
Ever since I was a young girl, I loved fairy tales. The first book I ever wrote was a Young Adult Princess Fantasy (I never attempted to publish it). At the time, I was just writing for fun and wanted to try a new genre—one my mom would read and love. I combined my love for fairy tales with our shared love of Regency Romance and wrote The Masked Baron. When readers expressed their love for my unique Regency Fairy-tale, I decided to turn it into a series, which is how The Dreaming Beauty was born! I have two more stories planned before the series will be complete.
I loved Tansy and her Aunts, tell me what the inspiration was behind Daisy?
I knew I wanted the youngest aunt, Daisy, to be obsessed with fairies, playing off of some of the superstitions of the time period. But as I began to write her, Daisy’s character became so much more. She stole my heart as her vulnerabilities and struggles came onto the page. Real people, loved ones I knew on the Autistic spectrum, came to my mind, shaping what started as a story device and turning it into a character who needed a voice and her own purpose in my story. Daisy became an unexpected joy in my writing journey!
What other fairy tales would you like to tell in this series?
I am currently writing a Cinderella Regency story, and I’m obsessed with it! My research has been so diverse and exciting, and my characters won’t stop talking to me. It’s going to be a hard one to get right, but it’s already been so rewarding to work on. I have some fun ideas in the works for a Rapunzel story too. I just need a thousand more hours to get everything done!
What was the story that hooked you on reading?
The first book I read in grade school I couldn’t put down was Dealing with Dragons from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I loved the reverse fairy-tale of a princess who volunteered to live with a dragon. I’m pretty sure this says a lot about my own writing too. Soon after this series, Harry Potter came out, and I became a huge life-long fan!
What made you decide to write books?
My mom was the library director so books were always a part of my life. When I was little, my dad published a book, and I was convinced then and there that I wanted to do write a book of my own someday.
Do you have a special place/time/routine when you are writing?
I have an office, but as a mom of teenagers and young kids, I tend to write anywhere I can: the parking lot, at baseball games, in the toy room, and even the kitchen. I actually worked on this interview in the waiting room of the orthodontist!
What do you do for fun outside of reading/writing?
These days my fun often comes in the form of cheering my kids on at sporting events and school assemblies, but I also enjoy crafting, baking, and outdoor fun.
What author would you love to meet that you haven’t met?
I would love to meet either JK Rowling or Gerald Lund. But if we could resurrect some dead authors, my list would be endless!
How do you want to be remembered?
I want to be remembered as someone who cared about making others happy. It’s something I think about often while I write my stories.
What advice would you give to someone that wants to be a writer?
Like any job, writing takes hard work. Learn all that you can about writing and publishing. I highly recommend writing conferences and genre appropriate classes!
Tell me something fun about you.
I am the ninth child out of twelve kids, and ironically my husband has the exact same number of siblings! We have a lot of personalities in our crazy, big family. My kids currently have 38 aunts and uncles. We have a lot of fun when we get together! And yes, they provide some awesome character inspiration for my stories.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, The Dreaming Beauty, signed book plate, matching bookmark, stickers, and button!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 15, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 22, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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