Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis
(Reign of Secrets #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: August 25th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Jennifer Anne Davis’ best-selling True Reign series captivated readers from the very first page. Now, get ready to become entangled in the follow-up series, Reign of Secrets. In this new series, follow Allyssa, the daughter of the beloved Emperor Darmik and Empress Rema— and find out what happens after happily ever after.
Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.
Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals. War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.
Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.
1. How did you get your start in writing?
I actually wrote a humorous essay and submitted it to a contest. My essay won and was published in an anthology. Ever since then, I’ve been writing nonstop. Only now, I write YA fantasy.
2. Favorite color?
Steel blue.
3. Favorite movie?
That’s a hard one! There are so many good movies out there. One of my favorites is Pretty in Pink. But I also love The Avengers movies, Pride and Prejudice, and First Knight.
4. If you could spend a month with any of your favorite book boyfriends, which one would it be and why?
Well, I’m not sure my husband would be okay with that! But if I had to choose, it would be Prince Brigan from Fire.
5. If you could collaborate with any well-known author, who would it be and why?
Hands down Sara J. Maas because her stories are amazing, and I would love to work with her crazy talent.
6. Favorite flavor of ice cream?
Mint n Chip.
7. How do you come up with names for your characters?
I completely made them up. I would pick different letters from the alphabet to start the names with so they wouldn’t be too similar. Then for the boys, I wanted them to end in a “k” in order to create a feeling for the kingdom and its culture. I tried to come up with names that are phonetic and easy to pronounce yet unusual.
8. Where do you do most of your writing?
I like to write in different places—my living room, family room, or kitchen. Once a week I meet a friend at Panera’s and we write there. However, I do almost all of my editing and rewrites in my office.
9. How long does a typical writing project take you, from idea conception to publication?
It depends. Typically it takes me 1-2 months to organize the idea in my mind (see the characters clearly, set the stage for the action, and come up with the problems my characters will face). Then it takes me 2 months to write the first draft (aka the word vomit draft). Then it takes me on average 4 months to rewrite the manuscript. Then another 2 months to polish the manuscript. So at this point, it’s been 10 months. Then it goes to my publisher for editing. This can easily take another 2-4 months. After that, it takes another 6-8 months to actually see the book in print. So when one of my books is released, typically I wrote it almost two years prior—which is crazy to me!
10. What piece of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
My number one piece of advice is to read. Read everything in the genre you write—and read the same book several times. That way you can learn the mechanics of writing—plotting, dialogue, pacing, etc.
Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she married her best friend and high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three young children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.
