Guest Post From Jen Calonita!

Today on the blog I have a guest post from Jen Calonita! Ms. Calonita is the author of multiple Middle Grade books, including her upcoming book, Misfits, which releases October 2nd. Here's her guest post!

Long May They Reign

As I sit here sipping from my commemorative Prince Harry and Meghan Markle coffee mug that my husband brought me from London on a recent trip, I can’t help but be giddy about a wedding that will have already happened by the time this post goes live.

I’ve read all the magazine articles a person can read on Meghan and still, I find myself pining for more. I will be watching the Lifetime movie special about their courtship and will most likely set my alarm for 5 AM EST to watch the wedding live here in the States. I have my commemorative mug, my favorite plastic tiara, and my Harry and Meghan tote bag (yeah, he got me one of those too. Plus, a tea towel! I’m so happy!) all ready for the celebration.

What is it about this wedding that has me and so much of the world excited? Well, I can’t speak for everyone else, but I love the idea of a new era of royals dawning. Not only is Meghan a commoner, and an American to boot, but she’s a divorcée—all things once considered taboo for a royal bride. I’ve watched in wonder as she and Harry have rewritten the code for what it means to be a royal couple. They haven’t shied away from public displays of affection or from choosing charity work that is personally meaningful to them both. Basically, I’m fascinated, partly because they’re setting the groundwork for my own group of royals that readers will meet this October when Royal Academy Rebels’ MISFITS makes its debut.

My protagonist, Devin, is what you’d call a reluctant royal trapped at a school where royal traditions reign. At Royal Academy (a sister school to Fairy Tale Reform School), Devin and her roommates Sasha (Sleeping Beauty’s younger sister) and Raina (a sibling of Snow White’s) learn princesses haven’t changed that much over the years. Princesses are taught how to survive sleeping curses and handle being trapped by villains with grace and humility. They learn how to wait in towers to be rescued and are taught never to attempt to rescue themselves. Devin, wants none of that. Neither do some of her new friends, including world explorer Prince Heathcliff (another sibling of Snow White’s) or Logan, a boy allergic to dragons but a whiz in the kitchen. These young royals are ready to rock the system and I think both Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would approve.

--Jen Calonita, author of the Fairy Tale Reform School series (SWITCHED, is out now) and the upcoming Royal Academy Rebels from Sourcebooks

The royal wedding was fun to watch! And Misfits sounds really good! Thank you to Ms. Calonita for participating in this event! :)

Author bio: Jen Calonita is the author of the Fairy Tale Reform School series and the upcoming companion series, Royal Academy Rebels. The first book, MISFITS, will be out October second. When she isn't hanging out with her family or her two feisty chihuahuas--Captain Jack Sparrow and Ben Kenobi--you'll find her daydreaming about a life spent living in Cinderella's castle in Walt Disney World.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Goodreads