The Golden Flower by StephRose1201
*2018 Watty's Longlist*
Living in royalty can't be so bad, right?
But... what if you're not technically royal?
In late eighteenth century Europe, nestled in eastern France, is a peaceful kingdom called Totresia. A carriage wreck disturbs that peace when found by Totresian King Edouard and his wife, Queen Clémentine. The accident's significance has a ripple-effect on the entire country, and its only survivor? A baby girl, the same age as Edouard's first-born son, Antoine. This baby girl--Marguerite, nicknamed "the flower that braved the storm"--has to learn the intricacies of growing up as a foster-child in a royal household, and what being nobility entails. And how being an outsider to the royal blood-line could compromise all that was promised to her--especially if a member of said royal household dislikes her. Marguerite's proximity with the Crown Prince, Antoine; her frolicking with the Princes, Sébastien and Jules; and her sisterly feelings towards the Princess, Cordelia--all are jeopardized by individuals with foul intentions and blackened hearts, hiding in darkened corridors of the magnificent Torrinni Castle.
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In this first installment of the GOLDEN UNIVERSE, we watch Marguerite's struggles, see her affinities with the royals, and meet all those who surround her--whether they've met her or have yet to.
Author Bio: Stephanie Rose is a Franco/American author living on the US west-coast, though she dreams of NYC or returning to Europe. She's an avid coffee-drinker, an Eiffel Tower collector, a red wine enthusiast, and a pizza-lover. She has an overactive imagination and a tendency to work on too many projects at once, and though she asks her friends to stop her from jotting down new ideas... she never listens.
She writes mainly Paranormal stories centering around ghosts and mysteries of the after-life, Historical-fiction/Fantasy novels set in the late eighteenth-century with French/English inspiration, and Fantasy tales with colorful characters and crazy plot-twists. She's all about cliffhangers and keeping her readers on their toes, and LOVES to read their theories about what will happen next.
When not writing—which is rare, because she never stops—she likes binge-watching TV shows on Netflix, singing/song-writing, reading, boxing, taking walks, hanging out with friends, and snuggling her black cat, Onyx. She also loves to travel & hopes to go to Italy (among other places) in the near future.