Blink Summer Reading Tour: Top 10 List + Giveaway

A Touch of Gold
Author: Annie Sullivan
Genre: YA Mythology/Retelling
Release Date: August 14, 2018 
Publisher: BLINK 

SYNOPSIS: 

King Midas once had the ability to turn all he touched into gold. But after his gift—or curse—almost killed his daughter, Midas relinquished The Touch forever. Ten years later, Princess Kora still bears the consequences of her father’s wish: her skin shines golden, rumors follow her everywhere she goes, and she harbors secret powers that are getting harder to hide. 

Kora spends her days locked in the palace, concealed behind gloves and veils, trying to ignore the stares and gossip of courtiers. It isn’t until a charming young duke arrives that Kora realizes there may be someone out there who doesn’t fear her or her curse. But their courtship is disrupted when a thief steals precious items from the kingdom, leaving the treasury depleted and King Midas vulnerable. Thanks to her unique ability to sense gold, Kora is the only one who can track the thief down. As she sails off on her quest, Kora learns that not everything is what it seems—not thieves, not pirates, and not even curses. She quickly discovers that gold—and the power it brings—is more dangerous than she’d ever believed. 

Midas learned his lesson at a price. What will Kora’s journey cost? 

BOOK LINKS: 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36575823-a-touch-of-gold
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KS9xYY 
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-touch-of-gold-annie-sullivan/1127456128
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Touch-of-Gold-Annie-Sullivan/9780310766353
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=A+Touch+of+Gold 

Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About A TOUCH OF GOLD

1. A Touch of Gold, about the cursed daughter of King Midas, was actually inspired by watching the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. After thinking about all the cursed gold in the movie, it got me thinking about other cursed gold…like that of King Midas. 
 
2. It’s actually my ode to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I’ve always been a huge fan of hers, so this book was definitely inspired by her work.
 
3. I hadn’t really planned for Hettie, Kora’s cousin, to come on this fantastical journey with her. But I’m so glad she did! She’s such a firecracker of a character.
 
4. There’s actually a story that one character tells that is based on a story my grandfather told me happened to him. Hint: It involves a goose.
 
5. I really wanted there to be physical and mental remnants leftover from Kora being turned to gold as a child by her father. That’s why Kora has golden skin and is afraid to touch gold.
 
6. In the very first version of this book, Kora had an older maid who accompanied her on this journey. That maid was almost like a stand in mother for her. But I ended up cutting her out for a lot of various reasons.
 
7. Kora is actually a name with Greek origins, and it means ‘maiden,’ which I thought was really fitting for this character.
 
8. It’s really hard for me to talk with people who are currently reading the book and tell me they got to “the twist” because there might be more than one twist, so I don’t want to give anything away until I know which twist they’re talking about!
 
9. Basically, in the beginning of the book, Kora is an outcast in her own castle with all these rumors about her (like if she looks you in the eye you’ll turn to gold.) I wanted to make this as close to bullying as I could get in a fantasy world because it’s something Kora overcomes. I wanted to give readers hope that they could overcome it too in the real world.
 
10. The theme song for the book is totally a song called “Gold” by Britt Nicole. Not only does the message of the song perfectly apply, but so does the happy beat. Go watch the music video and give it a listen! Because you’re worth more than gold ;)

Annie Sullivan is a Young Adult author from Indianapolis, Indiana. Her work has been featured in Curly Red Stories and Punchnels. She loves fairytales, everything Jane Austen, and traveling and exploring new cultures. When she’s not off on her own adventures, she’s teaching classes at the Indiana Writers Center and working as the Copy Specialist at John Wiley and Sons, Inc. publishing company, having also worked there in Editorial and Publicity roles. You can follow her adventures on Twitter and Instagram (@annsulliva). 

Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annsulliva 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annsulliva

(5) BLINK Summer Reading Tour Book Bundles (A Touch of Gold, Meet the Sky, No Place Like Here, Pretty In Punxsutawney, and Swing by Kwame Alexander) (USA)

Starts: 7/22/19

Ends: 8/9/19

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