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July 29, 2015

Royal Bond by Megan Maldonado ~ FMR REVIEW, INTERVIEW, & GIVEAWAY


TITLE: Royal Bond (Royal, #1)
AUTHOR: Megan Maldonado
RELEASE DATE: June 8, 2015



ABOUT Royal Bond:

They are forever…

Sydney Field’s life is a rollercoaster on steroids with one constant—Ryan Edwardson.
Best friends since a projectile crayon incident in kindergarten, Sydney and Ryan have stuck it out together through thick and thin, pranks and rants, and anything in between.

One kiss changes everything…

As Sydney does her best to sort through her new found feelings for Ryan and mend what she broke in their friendship, the rollercoaster makes a complete one-eighty, unveiling Ryan’s lifelong secrets.

Thrust into a world chalk full of royalty and kingdoms and wielders, Sydney starts to wonder what’s up or down, right or wrong, reality or fantasy.

In a twist of events, Sydney finds herself enveloped in a world she never knew she belonged to. Friends become enemies, strangers become her survival, and love becomes the ultimate price.


REVIEW BY: ERIN

OMG!!! I loved this book! I loved everything about it! The detail and description was astounding! The backstory that went into this story was incredible. The characters will pull you in and won’t let go. I love all the different relationships in the story and how everyone is connected. The relationship between Ryan and Sydney is beautiful to read. They are so in tune with each other. They have one of those lifelong friendships and they don’t let anything come between them. I love the way Ryan’s family treats Sydney as one of their own. They have a special bond of their own with her. Of course there are a few antagonists in the story that keep the guessing game going. I really wanted to smack Claire upside the head. When Sydney and Ryan take their relationship to a new level, that is when things start getting good. The chemistry between the two is out of this world. They can really set fire to the pages. Relationships get tested and tried. Bonds are broken. There were several times that I wanted to scream at Ryan because I thought he should have made different choices. That he should have fought harder. If he had though that might have been the end of the story, and we can’t have that. The ending threw me for a loop. It came out of nowhere and there were no clues leading in that direction.

The author did an exceptional job with this book and I wish her all the best for her future releases. I know I will be waiting patiently to read them all!

5 STARS

INTERVIEW
by: Erin

1. I absolutely loved this book and am excited to see where the story is going to lead these characters. What was your inspiration for this story?

 When I started Royal Bond, and throughout the process of writing it, my main goal was to show how beautiful true, unconditional love—whether in friendships, romantic relationships or familial bonds—really is. Cheesy, I know. But that’s the truth. So I created Ryan, who in my personal opinion has a heart of gold, and Sydney, who is perfectly imperfect and trying her hardest to let go of her past and be the best Sydney she can be. The rest sort of formed around them as the story developed.

2. Ryan and Sydney have a great friendship that has seen its ups and downs through the years but has stood the test of time. Did you draw off of personal experience for this relationship?

 Sadly, no. And I say sadly because I love the type of friendship/romance they have going on, and would have loved to experience a relationship like theirs.

3. I think the relationship between Sydney and Ryan’s parents is wonderful. But, would this relationship still be ongoing if it weren’t for them knowing how Ryan felt?

 I believe the answer to that is yes. Ryan’s parents have their ups and downs with Sydney throughout Royal Bond, but if you strip down the issues and conflicts, Ryan’s parents fell in love with Sydney when she was a child because of the type of person she is.

4. If you were Sydney, and not the author, would you have acted the same or differently when you learned Ryan’s secret?

✦ I’d like to say I would have acted the same, but then I’d be lying. To be quite honest, Sydney is a lot stronger than I am. Since she’s dealt with so much during her life, she’s grown thick skin and not much can phase her. I probably would have freaked out on Ryan like nobody’s business.

5. I love the medieval theme, but what made you go in that direction for Ryan’s home? 

 Have you ever thought of a place, whether a country, a tourist site or something similar, and kind of conjured up an image of what it might be like in your head? Well, that’s how I created Ryan’s home. I closed my eyes, imagined this beautiful medieval paradise, and instantly knew that had to be Ryan’s Kingdom.

6. I am all for choosing love over duty. What was the determining factor behind Ryan’s decision? Why not try to fight and have his cake and eat it too?

 Ryan and Sydney’s relationship is very complex, which in turn made it difficult to write. But one thing that was easy was his decision to choose love. I knew Ryan would never risk it. He’d never risk her. When you fight, there is always the possibility of losing. He wasn’t willing to lose Sydney.

7. I must say I was shocked by the ending. I certainly saw this becoming a series that might branch off with other characters and their pursuits of their own HEA’s. What was the moment that you decided that the story of Ryan and Sydney couldn’t possibly be over yet?

✦ When I wrote the final line in Royal Bond, I realized there was no way I could leave their story with so many loose ends. Sydney and Ryan have more of a story to tell, and I’m very excited to tell it.

8. Could you give us a little insider info? How many books do you see in this series? Will other characters get their own stories as well? Or will it just be Ryan and Sydney with supporting characters in the background?

 Of course, what would be the fun in not caring and sharing? The actual amount of books in the series, I don’t know yet. I’m hoping that as I write them, the stories will come to me naturally. Though Sydney and Ryan will have one sequel, the book I’m currently working on (Royal Obsession) will tell the story of a supporting character—who happens to be a prince—and his least biggest fan. 

9. If you could pick one author to co-write with, who would it be and why?

 If I had the opportunity/privilege to co-write with someone, I would probably pick Jennifer L Armentrout. Why? Because she’s awesome, and has a rockin’ imagination.

10. Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to new authors just starting out?

 Don’t stop, don’t give up, and don’t take offense. Something I tell myself all the time is: Just because my favorite color is blue, doesn’t mean everyone’s favorite color will be blue. Some people will prefer pink, or black. Does that make my blue or their pink better? No. Everyone has different opinions and different tastes. And it’s up to us to respect and accept that. Take the good with the bad, and become a better person and writer because of it. Grow and learn from it. 

EXCERPT


Tucking myself into a ball, I gave the right side of my bed a disgruntled sneer. Damn Ryan and our sleeping arrangements. I couldn’t for the life of me fall asleep without his chest behind me. How deranged was that? 
Grouchily, I picked up the phone, punching in his number with annoyance. He answered immediately, starting to say something in his confident, rough voice, but I cut him off. “This is all your fault.”
“What have I done to you now, Syd?”
I rolled onto my back, glaring up at the stupid, bare ceiling. “You turned me into a snuggler. I used to hate people sleeping in my bed, rubbing their sweat all over me.”
He laughed. “Aw. Miss my sweat, huh?”
“I loath you,” I said with conviction. His laugh grew belly deep. “The least you can do now is come over and snuggle with me.”
In the background, I heard the rumble of his engine quicken, like he’d stepped on the gas. “That sounds lovely, but no can do. I guess it’s a good thing you can’t sleep without me because I’m a few blocks away from your house, and we’re going out.”
Reaching for the blanket, I tugged it over my head, cocooning myself in the comforting heat. It was freaking freezing outside. No way would I go out that night. “No I’m not. If you can’t come, hire someone.” In my cranky mood, I sounded like an unhinged, sleep-deprived kid. 
“You want me to hire someone to cuddle up to you?” humor laced every word.
“Yes.” I pouted. “Someone big like your height and build. And hurry up.”
 “I could…but I’d have to kill him for touching you.” The amusement drained out of his voice.
I rolled my eyes. “You suck.”
Sleep did not come easy lately. I ended up wandering my own apartment like a lethargic buffoon, cleaning and cooking and studying. Needless to say, my apartment stayed squeaky clean—like crystal-sparkling kind of organized. There was a fridge full of goodies I drove over to George every chance I got, and I was up to date with my homework and exams. Insane. 
But anything was worth escaping the nightmares. If I even tried to fall asleep without Ryan close, I ended up waking up an hour later, drenched in sweat, and trembling from the images of my mother’s yelling and thrashing. 
“Maybe I do.” he volunteered. “I’m here.”
“So?”
“If you don’t come down willingly, I’m going to march myself up those steps and drag you out of the apartment. What’s the verdict?”

If the phone had been Ryan, I would have hurled him at the wall.

MEET Megan Maldonado:

Megan Maldonado lives in Miami. She spends her spare time curled up in bed with every paranormal romance she can get her hands on, watching Marvel movies with her nerdy family, and writing. Megan writes Young Adult Paranormal Romance and New Adult Paranormal Romance.

CONNECT WITH Megan:
WEBSITE • FACEBOOK  TWITTER • GOODREADS

GIVEAWAY:
Enter to win an ebook copy of 
one of the following amazing reads:
Royal Bond by Megan Maldonado,
The Return by Jennifer Armentrout, 
The Offer by Karina Halle,
Crow's Row by Julie Hockley, 
The Consequence of Loving Colton by Rachel Van Dyken




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