Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Alexa Donne’s The Bitter End, which is out October 15th 2024.

The trip of a lifetime might be the death of them all.

The students of LA’s elite Warner Prep can’t wait for their Senior Excursion—five days of Instagrammable adventure in one of the world’s most exclusive locations. This is not your average field trip.

Which is why eight students can’t believe their bad luck when they end up on a digital detox in an isolated Colorado ski chalet. Their epic trip is panning out to be an epic bore . . . until their classmates start dropping in a series of disturbing deaths. The message is clear: this trip is no accident.

And when a blizzard strikes, secrets are revealed, betrayals are exposed, and survival is at stake in a race to the bitter end.

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The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Bitter End’ by Alexa Donne appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

From Alexa Donne, YouTuber and author of Brightly Burning, comes a prep school thriller filled with college admission scandals, intrigue, and mean popular girls in the vein of Gossip Girl. Donne, widely known and loved for her YouTube channel and sci-fi romances, tries her hand at a whodunnit in this YA thriller.

At elite prep school, Claflin Academy, the Ivies aren’t just Ivy League colleges, they’re the five-member popular girl clique who will stop at nothing to get into their Ivy League schools, which are designated by queen bee Avery because “friends don’t compete with friends.” Scholarship student and the Ivies designated UPenn applicant, Olivia, knows better than to break the rules, but when she gets into Harvard and queen bee Avery doesn’t, she knows she’s in trouble, especially when another Ivy crosses Avery and turns up dead. Amid scandal, murder, and secrets galore, Olivia is looking for the truth behind the murder, but in doing so, she must confront the terrible things she and her friends did to get into college and decide where she really wants to stand.

As a big-time and somewhat picky fan of mysteries, there are four things I look for in a good murder mystery:

1. The story can surprise me in some way, whether by the killer reveal or another twist;
2. All the puzzle pieces fit together by the end;
3. There is a decent amount of realism in law enforcement and legal matters;
4. The detective or sleuth character uses cool skills and not just luck to uncover the truth. All stories with female detectives who discover killers by being kidnapped need not apply and should maybe have their feminism cards revoked.

The Ivies does hit the majority of this criteria well, but where it doesn’t drags down the other good points into a rather disappointing whodunnit.

The Ivies did surprise me with multiple red herrings, it kept me guessing between three candidates for the murderer and each nugget of intrigue was nicely explained by the end. Not only who was the killer, but the secrets that the victim and all other suspects were hiding, plus even the legal realism was pretty on the nose. Minus a reasonable suspension of disbelief for a teenager amateur sleuth, The Ivies shows realistic legal consequences and police investigation. This realism is stretched only a reasonable amount to create more for our sleuth character, Olivia, to do, which leads to my main complaint about The Ivies: as a main character/sleuth, Olivia falls so flat the whole book starts to fall apart.

Olivia is a tough character to connect with, and at times so inconsistent she’ll make your head spin. She wants to claw her way to the rich and privileged position her friends are in, yet she’s constantly criticising them for their privilege. We never even understand why she wants this. She’ll lecture on the virtue of gender equality in the ordering of Starbucks drinks, but is ignorant enough to ask her Canadian classmate if there are journalism schools in Canada. From the prologue to the final lines, I wasn’t sure what made her tick. She was so back and forth I couldn’t get invested in her.

As an amateur sleuth, Olivia is also pretty bad. Writers of amateur sleuths need to create circumstances where readers accept that the protagonist shouldn’t call the cops or a lawyer. On this, Donne does a pretty decent job, but what makes an amateur sleuth great is a character that has unique skills or knowledge that allows them to see things the cops can’t. Olivia doesn’t have any of this. She is, of course, a student journalist, but she doesn’t just lack cool skills, she is frustratingly terrible at sleuthing. She misses most major clues, finds most of her leads through her sleuthing buddy or dumb luck, and her plans for catching a suspected killer lack the ingenuity I long for in a good amateur sleuth.

Olivia is also constantly having to be rescued, and she still misses the mark until people are confessing their misdeeds to her face. She is presented as a scrappy, highly intelligent character, but the evidence of her actions argues otherwise. Her spinning moral compass is also giving me motion sickness.

The closest The Ivies gets to a savvy, quick-under-fire girl detective is Olivia’s friend Avery. The queen bee herself is an unforgettable love-to-hate character, who I was rooting for even when I wanted to smack her. Also of note in the supporting cast is Olivia’s love interest and fellow teen sleuth, Ethan, the Canadian kid who’s really nice. He’s another student journalist with a desire to crack the case and questionable motivations. Plus, he’s Canadian, and have we mentioned he’s Canadian and therefore nice? His first few scenes will make every Canadian reader roll their eyes and want to send Rick Mercer to Claflin Academy for a reboot of Talking to Americans, but despite this shaky introduction, Ethan turns into a complex and interesting character.

Donne also mentions the COVID-19 pandemic in The Ivies as a past event, despite the fact that the main action takes place in December 2020. Acknowledging a major global event like this is a tough call to make, however on this, I think this was the wrong call. Mentioning that Olivia and her classmates were doing online school for the pandemic as a distant thing from last year when they’re now at the end of 2020 only dated the author’s knowledge and drew attention to all the facts that are now so obviously wrong. No one wears a mask, people are going out to eat, travelling, throwing giant parties, and no one is social distancing. There is no way Donne could have known what December would look like when she wrote this, but these inaccuracies will only make the book look sloppy as it ages and instead the timeline should be ambiguous. Acknowledging world events is great, but when it comes to the pandemic, it’s just smarter to wait until it’s in our rear-view mirror and authors don’t have to take a shot in the dark about what teens’ experiences will look like post-COVID.

Alexa Donne is a talented writer who builds a compelling world at Claflin Academy with an intriguing mystery that is, sadly, told by a frustrating main character. Combined with some execution issues, The Ivies is bingeable but too disorganised to merit a reread.

The Ivies is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of May 25th 2021.

Will you be picking up The Ivies? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Everyone knows the Ivies: the most coveted universities in the United States. Far more important are the Ivies. The Ivies at Claflin Academy, that is. Five girls with the same mission: to get into the Ivy League by any means necessary. I would know. I’m one of them. We disrupt class ranks, club leaderships, and academic competitions…among other things. We improve our own odds by decreasing the fortunes of others. Because hyper-elite competitive college admissions is serious business. And in some cases, it’s deadly.

Alexa Donne delivers a nail-biting and timely thriller about teens who will stop at nothing to get into the college of their dreams. Too bad no one told them murder isn’t an extracurricular.

The post Review: The Ivies by Alexa Donne appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Lovers of retellings have all read their fair share of variations on glass slippers and poisoned apples, but what about classic literature? Tudor history? Mythology? If you’re looking for a great YA retelling with no mention of deadly spindles or beanstalks, give one of these non-fairytale retellings a try.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer
A retelling of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland

This standalone novel by the author of The Lunar Chronicles tells the origin story of the Queen of Hearts. With dozens of clever allusions to characters in the original tale, Meyer’s dark and heartbreaking adaptation will have you rooting for Catherine. This daughter of Wonderland nobility will win your heart with her lemon tarts and dreams of opening a bakery, leaving you both sad and strangely satisfied once she inevitably becomes the maniacal Queen of Hearts.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
A retelling of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare, minus the iambic pentameter and minimalist female characters, plus Shanghai in the 1920s with our two leads the heirs to two rival gangs with a complicated past. We’ve all seen Romeo and Juliet retold with gangs before, but this Juliet will kick all the other Juliets’ butts. Literally. With lots of violence, drama, and an unexplainably contagious madness, Chloe Gong’s Shakespeare retelling is gritty and wonderfully original.

The Dead Queens Club by Hannah Capin
A retelling of Tudor history, specifically Henry VIII

Henry VIII is the captain of the football team, and he’s always got the current “it” girl on his arm, but not all his relationships end well. Just ask his ex, Anna Boleyn. Told from the point of view of the sarcastic high school version of Anne of Cleves, this Tudor retelling is filled with little nuggets of history twisted into high school drama and humour. The Dead Queens Club is part retelling and part thriller with an unforgettable cast, particularly the six “wives”/girlfriends of this king of campus. Capin’s debut retelling is not to be missed.

A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan
A retelling of Greek myth, “King Midas”

What if everything King Midas turned to gold didn’t just change back, but stayed cursed, including his daughter? What if his cursed gold objects were stolen, and Midas’s daughter has to use her strange gold-inspired powers to retrieve them with a team of pirates in an exciting seafaring adventure? Annie Sullivan’s Midas retelling, A Touch of Gold is packed with high adventure and sweet romance. This retelling is followed up by the sequel, A Curse of Gold, and will satisfy any craving for a Disney movie in YA fantasy form.

The Princess and the Fangirl by Ashley Poston
A retelling of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper

This contemporary fandom-centric retelling is the second in a series, sandwiched between two fairy tale retellings of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. However, as each book in Ashley Poston’s Once Upon a Con series follows new characters, you can enjoy The Princess and the Fangirl without reading the first book in the series (though Geekerella may just be the book to get you interested in Cinderella again). Told in dual points of view between Jess (the princess) and Imogen (the fangirl), this rom-com retelling will have you falling in love with its two leads and eagerly planning your next cosplay.

Brightly Burning by Alexa Donne
A retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre in space. Need I say more? If The 100 had a baby with Charlotte Bronte’s classic Gothic novel, it would be Brightly Burning. Stella Ainsley is our space-aged Jane, hired as a governess on a private spaceship. This sci-fi retelling brings the romance as well as the dangers of surviving outer space in a thrilling ride through Donne’s gorgeous post-apocalyptic space world. If you love Brightly Burning, be sure to also check out Donne’s companion novel, The Stars We Steal, described as Persuasion meets The Bachelor!

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 6 YA Retellings That Have Nothing to Do With Fairytales appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Balancing epic and intensely personal stakes, bestselling author Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son is a gritty, fast-paced adventure about two brothers caught up in a magical war generations in the making.

Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures.

Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.

Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be.

Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne
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Engagement season is in the air. Eighteen-year-old Princess Leonie “Leo” Kolburg, heir to a faded European spaceship, only has one thing on her mind: which lucky bachelor can save her family from financial ruin?

But when Leo’s childhood friend and first love Elliot returns as the captain of a successful whiskey ship, everything changes. Elliot was the one that got away, the boy Leo’s family deemed to be unsuitable for marriage. Now, he’s the biggest catch of the season and he seems determined to make Leo’s life miserable. But old habits die hard, and as Leo navigates the glittering balls of the Valg Season, she finds herself falling for her first love in a game of love, lies, and past regrets.

Honor Lost by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre
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Book 3 in The Honors Series. Start with the first book, Honor Among Thieves.

Space renegade Zara Cole may have finally met her match. Lifekiller—a creature that can devour entire planets is spreading terror throughout the universe, and it seems nothing can stand in the monstrous godking’s way.

Reeling from a series of battles, Zara and her wounded band of allies are going to need a strategy before they face Lifekiller again. Zara’s street smarts may not be enough when their enemy could be anywhere, destroying civilizations and picking his teeth with the bones.

And just when it feels like she’s reached a special place in her bond with Bea and Nadim, an ex from Earth with an ax to grind comes after her with nefarious intentions. With human enemies, alien creatures, and mechanical stalkers on her tail, it’s down to the wire for Zara to save the galaxy—and the people she calls home—before the godking consumes them all.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves forbidden pop music work together to save humanity?

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world’s population.

Seventeen-year-old Janelle “Ellie” Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. Deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, humanity’s emotional transgressions are now grounds for execution. All art, books and creative expression are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her.

Born in a lab, M0Rr1S (Morris) was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They’re both breaking the rules for love of art—and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does.

Ellie’s—and humanity’s—fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution—thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while making a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.

The Life Below by Alexandra Monir
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The sequel to The Final Six.

As Naomi lifts off into space and away from a rapidly deteriorating Earth, she watches the world fade away, and along with it Leo, a Final Six contestant she grew close to during training. Leaving Earth behind is hard, but what’s ahead, on Europa, could be worse. The International Space Training Camp continues to hide the truth about what happened to the last group of astronauts who attempted a similar colonization but failed mysteriously. With one shot—at this mission and to Europa—Naomi is determined to find out if there is alien life on Europa before she and her crew get there.

Leo, back on Earth, has been working with renegade scientist Dr. Greta Wagner, who promises to fly him to space where he can essentially latch on to Naomi’s ship. And if Wagner’s hypothesis is right, it isn’t a possibility of coming in contact with extraterrestrial life on Europa—it’s a definite. With Naomi unaware of what awaits, it’s up to Leo to find and warn her and the others.

With all the pieces of their journey finally clicking into place, everything else starts to fall apart. A storm threatens to interfere with Leo’s takeoff, a deadly entity makes itself known to the Final Six, and the questions the ISTC has been avoiding about the previous failed mission get answered in the worst way possible. If the dream was to establish a habitable domain on Europa… the Final Six are about to enter a nightmare.

Twisted Fates by Danielle Rollins
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Book 2 in the Dark Stars Series. Read the first book, Stolen Time.

One past. Two girls. Infinite futures.

As far as anyone in New Seattle knows, Dorothy has disappeared. The stowaway from 1913, the girl that Ash maybe—possibly—could’ve loved: she’s gone. And in her place is bloodthirsty Quinn Fox, silver-haired and vicious. But even though he saw her fall through the anilon their last ill-fated mission through time, Ash can’t stop himself from looking for Dorothy around every dark corner. What he doesn’t know, though, is that the girl he fell in love with is the very same one who is fated to kill him.

As Ash and his friends grow increasingly desperate searching for a way to head off the devastating earthquake threatening to tear down New Seattle for good, Quinn and Roman are working to take down mob boss Mac Murphy, who is attempting to use them to control time travel for his own selfish purposes. When they collide, can they change the course of the future entirely?

Sword in the Stars by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
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In this epic sequel to Once & Future, to save the future, Ari and her Rainbow knights pull off a heist… thousands of years in the past.

Ari Helix may have won her battle against the tyrannical Mercer corporation, but the larger war has just begun. Ari and her cursed wizard Merlin must travel back in time to the unenlightened Middle Ages and steal the King Arthur’s Grail—the very definition of impossible.

It’s imperative that the time travelers not skew the timeline and alter the course of history. Coming face-to-face with the original Arthurian legend could produce a ripple effect that changes everything. Somehow Merlin forgot that the past can be even more dangerous than the future…

Between Burning Worlds by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell
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Les Misérables meets The Lunar Chronicles in the out-of-this-world sequel to Sky Without Stars that’s an “explosion of emotion, intrigue, romance, and revolution” (Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series).

A thief. An officer. A guardian. All from different backgrounds, but sharing one same destiny…

The planet Laterre is in turmoil. A new militant revolutionary group has emerged calling themselves “The Red Scar” and claiming responsibility for a spate of recent bombings. The infamous rebels known as the Vangarde believe that in order to bring about a peaceful revolution, their charismatic leader, Citizen Rousseau must be freed from prison right away. Otherwise the bloodshed will only escalate.

Soon Marcellus, Chatine, and Alouette all find themselves pulled into battle with extreme consequences.

Marcellus is determined to uncover his corrupt grandfather’s plan to seize Laterre—even if that means joining the Vangarde. Aloutte, trying to unearth the truth about her past, becomes a captive of Marcellus’s grandfather, the general. Chatine, who is serving time on Bastille, hopes to escape the brutal and horrifying reality of the prison moon.

But the failed attempt to break Citizen Rousseau out of prison launches Aloutte, Chatine, and Marecellus into the middle of a dangerous war for control of Laterre. And in the midst of it all is the legend of a secret and dangerous weapon that could mean complete and absolute power to any that wields it.

Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth
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The first novel written for an adult audience by the mega-selling author of the Divergent franchise: five twenty-something heroes famous for saving the world when they were teenagers must face even greater demons–and reconsider what it means to be a hero … by destiny or by choice.

A decade ago near Chicago, five teenagers defeated the otherworldly enemy known as the Dark One, whose reign of terror brought widespread destruction and death. The seemingly un-extraordinary teens—Sloane, Matt, Ines, Albie, and Esther—had been brought together by a clandestine government agency because one of them was fated to be the “Chosen One,” prophesized to save the world. With the goal achieved, humankind celebrated the victors and began to mourn their lost loved ones.

Ten years later, though the champions remain celebrities, the world has moved forward and a whole, younger generation doesn’t seem to recall the days of endless fear. But Sloane remembers. It’s impossible for her to forget when the paparazzi haunt her every step just as the Dark One still haunts her dreams. Unlike everyone else, she hasn’t moved on; she’s adrift—no direction, no goals, no purpose. On the eve of the Ten Year Celebration of Peace, a new trauma hits the Chosen: the death of one of their own. And when they gather for the funeral at the enshrined site of their triumph, they discover to their horror that the Dark One’s reign never really ended.

Will you be picking up any of these releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 9 Sci-Fi Books To Get Your Yearly Reading Goal Off the Ground appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be picking any of these up!

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Tricia Levenseller, author of Daughter of the Pirate King, is back with an epic YA tale of ambition and love in The Shadows Between Us…

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Teen boys find love when their parents’ NASA mission uproots their lives in this sweet debut perfect for Adam Silvera fans.

The Queen’s Assassin by Melissa de la Cruz
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

Rebelwing by Andrea Tang
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Set in a wonderfully inventive near-future Washington, D.C., this hilarious, defiant debut sparkles with wit and wisdom, deftly exploring media consumption, personal freedoms, and the weight of one life as Pru, rather reluctantly, takes to the skies.

Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli
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Audrey Lee is going to the Olympics. A year ago, she recovered from a spine surgery. Now, the pressure for perfection is higher than ever. Balancing the tenuous relationship between her teammates with unparalleled expectations, Audrey doesn’t need any more distractions. But with painful revelations, incredible odds, and the very real possibility of falling at every turn, will Audrey’s determination be enough?

The Last Confession of Autumn Casterly by Meredith Tate
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

If I Stay meets One of Us is Lying in this gripping contemporary thriller.

Ink in the Blood by Kim Smejkal
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A lush, dark YA fantasy debut that weaves together tattoo magic, faith, and eccentric theater in a world where lies are currency and ink is a weapon, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake.

What Kind of Girl by Alyssa B. Sheinmel
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Girl in Pieces meets Moxie in this unflinching exploration of all the hurts young women endure.

Foul Is Fair by Hannah Capin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Foul is Fair is a bloody, thrilling revenge fantasy for the girls who have had enough. Golden boys beware: something wicked this way comes.

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
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From the New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi comes the first novel in a brand-new series set at an elite international boarding school, that’s a contemporary spin on Beauty and the Beast.

The Stars We Steal by Alexa Donne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Bachelorette goes to space in this gripping story about a young girl caught in a world of royal intrigue and lost love in her quest to save her family from ruin.

Will you be picking up any of these YA releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post February 2020 YA Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Ahead of its release, Alexa chats to us about the novel, including its inspiration and the challenges she faced, along with what she’s working on next and book recommendations! You can find Alexa on Twitter and YouTube.

Hi Alexa! Could you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a Slytherclaw, and someone who likes to juggle a ton of different projects. I run a popular writing advice channel on YouTube, co-host a podcast Novel Tea Show, run an author mentorship project (Author Mentor Match), mentor teen girls with WriteGirl, and by day work in television marketing. In a past life, I organized Harry Potter conventions. Currently, I write YA sci-fi romance and thrillers, including Brightly Burning (HMH, 2018), The Stars We Steal (HMH, 2020), and the forthcoming The Ivies (Crown, 2021).

If you could describe your new book, The Stars We Steal, in five words, what would they be?

Jane Austen meets The Bachelor

The Stars We Steal publishes on February 4^th! Can you tell us what readers might expect?

It’s a swoony romance against a space backdrop for fans of Jane Austen and The Selection. Featuring faded royalty, over-the-top group dates, and a ton of drama, it will appeal to fans of “the one that got away” last chance romance, with a side of political intrigue.

Where did the inspiration for The Stars We Steal come from?

I set out to write a companion novel to my first book, Brightly Burning, which is a retelling of Jane Eyre set in space. Jane Austen seemed like the natural place to go, and Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel. So The Stars We Steal started out as a Persuasion retelling set in the same universe as my debut. It evolved into a broader homage to Jane Austen novels, mashed up with the courtship tropes of The Bachelor (or The Selection). My cast of characters are a lot of Persuasion, a bit of Emma, a dash of Sense & Sensibility, and a tick of Pride & Prejudice (with apologies to Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey). I mashed up my favorite Austen archetypes with some sci-fi ethical conflicts (natural with generation ships!), and added in a courtship ritual to spice things up.

Do you have a favourite scene, chapter, or line?

I have a soft spot for a sequence in which everyone goes on a space walk–well everyone except for Leo. She’s the odd-woman out, which causes all sorts of Feelings. But then Elliot comes back for her. Then I get to do the space book equivalent of the awkward almost-hand touch that I love in period dramas.

Did you face any challenges while writing? If so, how did you overcome them?

I dealt with classic “second book syndrome,” which is where your first book on contract (after they publish your first) is crazy difficult to write. The Stars We Steal was a particular challenge as adapting Persuasion required more diversions from the source material than I had needed to do with Brightly Burning, and I really wanted to nail the romantic tension arc, so much so I ended up rewriting it twice! I was lucky to have a fantastic editor, my rock of an agent, as well as longtime friends and critique partners who read drafts of the book and let me bounce revision ideas off them. The key for me is to push on a book until it’s done, and to use all my support systems so I’m not alone.

What is your writing process like?

It’s always evolving, but generally I am an unrepentant pantser. Or, better put, a discovery writer. The process for Brightly Burning and The Stars We Steal was pretty free-wheeling, though of course within the framework of two retellings. Those “guide posts” of the pre-established romantic arcs provided just enough to push me though, though in the case of both books I discovered something big that impacted the overall plot/structure when I was about 60% of the way through. Happily, I adore revision so the challenge of incorporating new ideas into a book doesn’t daunt me. As I move forward writing thrillers, I do more plotting ahead of time, though I’m not sure I will ever plot a second act fully in advance. But I like to have an idea of the big set piece and twist in act three before I begin working (plus the build up for act one), so I have a motive/twist to write toward.

You published your debut novel, Brightly Burning, in 2018. What have you learned since then?

Too many things to discuss in one answer! But probably the most important thing for me has been blocking out the noise and focusing in on the pure joy of story. It’s cheesy but so true: if you’re not having a blast writing something, what’s the point? There are so many ups and downs you’ll experience in writing and publishing, so at the end of the day, you might as well enjoy the process. You’ll never regret a book you loved writing.

What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

I’ve taken the plunge into YA thrillers! My next book THE IVIES is Mean Girls meets competitive college admissions, with murder. It’ll be out in 2021, hopefully in time for application season!

And lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?

So many! I’ll limit myself to a few titles you might like if you are interested in my books. DANGEROUS ALLIANCE by Jennieke Cohen is a meta-Jane Austen historical YA romance with a swoony lost love plot. TARNISHED ARE THE STARS by Rosiee Thor is a fun, queer science fantasy romp. Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund Broka’s books (ALWAYS NEVER YOURS, IF I’M BEING HONEST) are rom-coms featuring complex, messy girls and sweet, swoonworthy love interests. And Dana Mele’s PEOPLE LIKE US brings all the back-stabbing boarding school girls and a ticking clock murder mystery.

Will you be picking up The Stars We Steal? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Alexa Donne, Author of ‘The Stars We Steal’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.