The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski {Guest Post & Giveaway}

CONGRATULATIONS BROOKE D. You've Won our GIVEAWAY! 

The Winner's Curse
by Marie Rutkoski

Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected publication: March 4th 2014 by Farrar Straus Giroux

GoodReads † Amazon † B&N

As a general's daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin's eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him'with unexpected consequences. It's not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner's Curse is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Which part(s) of The Winner's Curse did you find was the most fun to write? 

The KISSING.

And the fighting.

Tell us 5 Things about The Winner's Curse readers don't know.

1.     Valorian aristocracy is very new—and mostly trumped up. If the Herrani hadn’t been conquered and their own culture ripped apart at the seams, they would take one look at these “lords” and “ladies” and laugh and laugh. The Valorian emperor is the first of his kind; he didn’t inherit the title from anyone, he named himself emperor after decades of orchestrating the seizure of other territories. Lady Kestrel is a lady only because her father has been awarded lots of land and gold after his military successes.

2.     Kestrel’s father was born into poverty.

3.     Initially, I wanted this book to be a standalone. But I’d been planning on a different ending. When I realized the true ending, I also thought that readers might not like me leaving things in that way…

4.     Although Arin is physically formidable, he’s not at all comfortable in his body. It doesn’t fit the Herrani aesthetic of beauty he grew up with, and every day he is conscious that not only do the Valorians own his body, but they are also responsible for how it looks, from size to muscles to scars. In every way, physically and emotionally, he feels that the person he should have become died on the night of the invasion. Arin is perpetually living with the ghost of an alternate self.

5.     This is the first book I’ve written where I felt like I was truly writing in my voice.

BOOK TRAILER:

You can read the first 5 chapters HERE.

Also, check out my review of THE WINNER'S CURSE

5 STARS!

DAMARIS REVIEW

Want to win a copy of The Winner's Curse, along with some awesome swag? 

Leave a comment on this post, or check out my review, leave a comment, and tell us below. 

Please make sure to leave an e-mail address, or some way for us to contact you. 

Contest Rules:

• US ONLY
• Must be 13 or older to enter
• Good Choice Reading is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged mail.
• Prize is provided by MacMillan
• Winner will be chosen one week from today at random.
• Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or else a new winner will be chosen. 

Extra, Extra, Extra...

• Tweet about this post and leave an additional comment below with your tweet URL.
• Share on Facebook and leave an additional comment below with your status URL. 

Each comment counts as an entry. 

Good luck!