Dear Secret Agent:
Princess Sadie might have a face that can enchant a crowd, but a goddess wants her head.
Greeks have stopped worshipping Venus to dote on Sadie, a mere mortal. Putting it mildly, Venus is pissed. So when Sadie receives a prophecy that she’s going to marry a creature even the gods fear, she knows Venus is finally taking her revenge. Lucky for Sadie, Cupid’s been sent to fulfill the prophecy. And he’s fallen for Sadie himself.
Although Sadie never knows her husband’s name and can only see his enchanting blue eyes, he quickly wins her over with promises of unwavering devotion. But when Sadie is deceived and ends up nearly killing her husband -- and in doing so, learns he is Cupid -- she realizes too late all she has thrown away. As Sadie journeys alone through ancient Greece, trying to reclaim an immortal love, she finds the strength to take on Venus and challenges the ancient adage: you cannot escape what is destined.
Complete at 89,000 words, DESTINED is a YA historical romance novel and a retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche. The most significant alteration for the original myth is that the novel changes the role of the main character from a helpless girl to a determined and clever heroine.
I am a member of SCBWI, am an active member in the YALitChat online community, and my undergraduate degree is in classical studies. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
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My forehead rested against the wooden shutters in my room as I searched for the courage to push them open. I knew what was waiting for me outside -- and gods -- I didn’t want to go through this again. But I had no choice.
My admirers were waiting.
If it weren’t for them, Sikyon would still be an overlooked speck on the map. Other than artists and aspiring actors, no one had known our sleepy little town existed. But then I sat for a few portraits over at the academy, and the next thing I knew, rumors spread that I was the prettiest princess in Greece. As people started flocking to Sikyon to catch a glimpse of me, the rumors escalated, until I was actually being compared to Venus.
At the time I’d been flattered, but come on. As pretty as the goddess of beauty? Not likely. And besides, she’d be livid if she thought a mortal was intruding on her title as The Most Beautiful.
So I made a few efforts to dispel the rumors. Like not bothering to apply makeup for my appearances. I even stopped combing my hair and just let the chestnut ringlets fall as they pleased. But it didn’t matter. People wanted to see a princess who rivaled Venus, and that’s exactly what they thought they were getting.
Finally, I told my parents I was going to stop my morning appearances altogether. That declaration earned me an undeserved guilt trip from my mother.
