by Michael Pierce Genre: YA Dystopian Release Date: July 11th 2017 Summary from Goodreads: "Princess Amelia is dead... and one of you will replace her." Seventeen-year-old Victoria Sandalwood has served the Duke and Duchess all her life. Over the years, sheâs learned to make due with what she has and endure her surrogate fatherâs awful punishments. She dreams of escape, but never expected it to come in the form of a message from the Queen of Westeria. Victoria learns that sheâs the Queenâs daughter, the younger sister to Princess Amelia, and itâs time to come home and claim her birthright. When she arrives, she discovers sheâs not the only one who received the royal message. Victoria must compete with six other girls to earn the affection of both the Queen and a princely suitor⦠and to replace the secretly deceased Princess Amelia. If she fails to win the crown, Victoria may just have to fight for her life⦠Royal Replicas is the first book in a YA dystopian series. If you enjoy courtly intrigue, heart-pounding adventure, and sweet romance, then youâll love this captivating story. Perfect for fans of Kiera Cass, Bella Forrest, and Veronica Roth.
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ROYAL REPLICAS Excerpt
âHey there,â the man said as his thoroughbred stopped before me.
I reached over the fence and stroked the magnificent creatureâs muzzle. âHey there, yourself.â
The rider removed his sunglasses and riding helmet. âYou must be Victoria.â
âGood guess,â I said, suddenly recognizing the rider from the hologram message received at the Ramsey estate. âAnd I presume youâre Prince Byron?â
He didnât quite look like the clean-cut Prince Byron from the hologram, but it was definitely him. His dark hair fell in all directions creating the perfect mess. Thick stubble covered his face, his eyebrows bold, and his gray eyes smoldering, making him look at home with the brawny riders of the Outlands, not royalty.
âGuilty,â he said. His gaze on me was intense. âIâm not supposed to be here yet. I arrived early and thought Iâd get in a little riding before cleaning up. It clears my head.â
âI know what you mean.â
âDo you ride?â
I nodded. âI do, but not today.â
âOh, but you must join me. I insist.â
I knew I wouldnât survive if I went out there. âIt wouldnât be proper. Iâm dressed for our official introduction later this afternoon.â I held up my shoes dangling from one hand to reinforce my point.
âI can see that. And a very lovely shade of yellow, I might add.â
âCanary,â I said with a smirk, gaining a bit of confidence.
The intensity of his eyes on me only seemed to strengthen. I found myself leaning into the fence like my body was being pulled forward. His boot in the stirrup was only inches away.
âOkay⦠I do appreciate learning new things. Since I canât convince you to ride with me, what else interests you, Miss Sandalwood?â Prince Byron asked.
âDo you know what ward Iâm from too?â
âThe 24th.â
âDid you memorize the basic information on all of us?â I asked.
âIâve done my homework,â he said with a smile that deepened the dimples in his cheeks, giving him a boyish charm beneath the hard stubble. âWeâll soon see if it was enough.â
âWell isnât this a pleasant surprise,â said a voice from behind me.
The expression on the Princeâs face had made no indication anyone was approaching until that moment; his gaze left me for the first time since the start of our conversation. I turned and saw Constance ten yards away, approaching fast.
âIt seems we have a frontrunner already stealing the Prince away for a little one-on-one time before heâs even scheduled to arrive,â she said, stopping beside me and linking an elbow with mine. âIsnât my sister super cute in yellow? Sheâs like a perfect little doll I could set on a shelf and stare upon for hours.â
âCanary,â Prince Byron said, giving me a knowing grin.
âI beg your pardon?â Constance lay her head on my shoulder, staring longingly up at her possible prize.
âThe shade of yellow is canary,â he clarified.
âAnd I see youâre more than an Adonisâknowledgeable, worldly and wise.â
âNot as much as your sister here.â
Constance lifted her head and gave me a sidelong glance, seemingly deciding how to take the comment. She turned her attention back to him. âI also love to ride. Would you like company out there?â
âI wouldnât want to mess up your dress or your hair or anything else when youâre so perfectly put together,â the Prince said.
âDonât be silly. I have plenty more dresses in my closet and an assistant to fix any errant strand of hair before our official meet-and-greet. I want to take advantage of all the time we have together. It will go by in the blink of an eye. Would you like a riding partner?â
âIâd love one,â he said.
She offered him her hand and he shook it.
âIâll meet you at the stables and help you get set up.â
âIâm so excited!â she squealed.
I forcefully took my arm back from the snake beside me.
âIt was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Victoria Sandalwood. Iâll see you inside later,â Prince Byron said, strapping on his helmet, sliding on his sunglasses, and riding off toward the stables.
âYes, you will,â I said, more to myself than him. I should have pushed through the pain and joined him in the field when I had the chance since it literally hurt to watch him ride away.
Constance grabbed my upper arm and gripped it tightly. âNice try, sweetie. You wonât get him. Why donât you go back to the house and wait with the rest of the runners-up? The Prince is mine.â
About the Author
Michael Pierce is the author of the young adult contemporary fantasy Lorne Family Vault series. He writes fast-paced, character-driven books filled with adventure, mystery, thrills, and a pinch humor and romance to spice things up. The thread that ties all of his books together is the possibility of belief: what you believe becomes your reality.
Michael currently lives in Southern California with his wife, daughter, and two blood-thirsty chiweenies. When heâs not at the computer, he enjoys spending quality time with family, practicing yoga, playing guitar behind closed doors, and listening to as many audiobooks as possible. To get an email whenever Michael releases a new title, sign up for his VIP newsletter at www.michaelpierceauthor.com.
7 Comments
Lisa Brown
7/12/2017 04:27:45 am
Congrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)
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Sara Zielinski
7/12/2017 12:12:34 pm
Thanks for telling me about this book.
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Janet W.
7/12/2017 01:56:48 pm
I love the unique cover! Sounds like an interesting read!
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heather
7/12/2017 03:44:43 pm
This sounds like one that will keep me interested.
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MAI T.
7/13/2017 12:44:44 am
Does writing energize or exhaust you?
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Dale Wilken
7/13/2017 11:57:32 pm
I liked the excerpt.
Reply
Sarah Mayer
8/1/2017 12:50:53 pm
Congrats and best of luck with the release!
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