Cinderella Boy by Kristina Meister
Riptide Publishing
Cover Art: Shayne Leighton
Sales Links: Riptide Publishing | Amazon
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Kristina Meister here today on tour with her new release, Cinderella Boy. She’s brought an exclusive excerpt and an outstanding giveaway for all to enter. Make sure to leave your email address where you can be reached if chosen along with a comment.
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About Cinderella Boy
Being perfect isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Sixteen-year-old Declan is the perfect son . . . except for one tiny issue. When his sister Delia comes home to find him trying on her clothes, he fears her judgment, but she only fears his fashion choices. One quick makeover later, Declan is transformed into Delia’s mysterious cousin Layla and dragged to the party of the year, hosted by Carter, the most popular boy in school.
When Carter meets Layla, he fumbles to charm her. He adores her sense of humor and her poise. But when she vanishes in the middle of the night, he’s left confused and determined to solve the mystery of who she is.
As their school year begins, their high school embraces a policy of intolerance, and both Declan and Carter know they must stand up. Carter is tired of being a coward and wants to prove he can be a knight in shining armor. Declan is sick of being bullied and wants desperately to be himself. If they team up, it could be a fairy-tale ending, or a very unhappy ever after.
Exclusive Excerpt
“He wants to know if he freaked you out,” Delia said, looking at her phone.
The den was warm despite the air-conditioning. They languished over the huge sectional like a couple of marooned polar bears. Declan watched the blades of the ceiling fan circle, his smooth legs stretched out over her lap. She had lent him one of her tank tops and a pair of denim shorts so that he would feel comfortable during his mental breakdown.
“Gee, I don’t know. Is it customary for your first kiss to make you feel simultaneously amazing and like the shittiest person on earth?”
“So . . . I’ll tell him it’s not him, it’s you?”
Declan covered his face with a pillow. “I can’t go out with him on a date. Number one, it’s wrong. Number two, we don’t have enough prop versatility.”
Dee threw his legs off and slid over so that they were wedged side by side. She had her eBay app open and was scrolling through several listings for his benefit.
“I can have these overnighted,” she whispered in his ear.
“You’re totally instigating.” But the thought stuck, and unconsciously, he began picking through the search. “Wow, they’re really reasonably priced.”
She giggled softly. “I’m so buying them. Call them an early birthday present. It’s the perfect time, because we won’t have to worry about Mom taking the delivery.”
He managed a smile, and then her phone beeped and the message from Carter scrolled across the top of the screen.
“I’m not some horny goof-off. Please don’t Friend-zone me for a thank-you kiss.”
They shared a glance.
“He’s not, you know. He’s extremely focused. He’s in the running for valedictorian. He’s class president. He’s on the swim and track team. And, just in case you were wondering, he’s a really good—”
“No! Do not finish that sentence.”
“We didn’t have sex.”
He gasped. “You dated for two years!”
She shrugged. “Didn’t say we didn’t fool around.”
“Gaaahhh!”
Delia brought up the keyboard. She. Got. The. Message. Calm. The. Eff. Down.
Seconds later, Carter’s reply arrived, laden with exclamation marks and a squinty face. Declan read it and smothered himself with the pillow.
“I ran away because I had second thoughts about dragging him into my life.”
“He says he’s texted your phone like fifty times and he’s sorry if he’s coming off like a stalker, but he got a feeling about you. Ohhh! A feeling. Those are so complicated with him.”
“Gah!”
“There’s really only one way to solve this problem.”
Peeking out, Declan eyed her suspiciously. “What’s that?”
“Carter’s mom only lets him throw these parties because he works his ass off to keep her house in one piece.”
“Okay.”
“Usually, I go over and help. Then the maid service comes in the afternoon.”
“Uh-huh.”
She made a face. “Let me work my magic on you.” She tackled him as he pulled the pillow back over his head, and unmasked him. “Let me dress you casually. We’ll see what he thinks of you in full sunlight, and if he still shows interest, we deal with it. If he thinks better of his new obsession, then there’s no sitch.”
Declan screwed up his face in metaphysical anguish, but he knew he couldn’t say no.
About Kristina Meister
Kristina Meister is an author of fiction that blurs genre. There’s usually some myth, some mayhem, and some monsters. While Kristina’s unique voice and creative swearing give life to dialogue, her obsession with folklore and pop culture make for humor and complexity.
She and her mad-scientist husband live in California with their poodles Khan and Lana, and their daughter Kira Stormageddon, where they hoard Nerf toys, books, and swords—in case of zombie apocalypse.
Connect with Kristina:
To celebrate the release of Cinderella Boy, Kristina is giving away a canvas swag bag (with cover art) that includes a t-shirt, an engraved pen, and a tiara! (Yes, really!) Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on July 7, 2018. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following along, and don’t forget to leave your contact info!
