Sweetly (Fairy Tale Retelling)

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

Jackson Pearce graduated from the University of Georgia, where she received a bachelor's degree in English, with a minor in philosophy. She's always been a writer, but she's had other jobs along the way, such as obituaries writer, biker-bar waitress, and receptionist. She once auditioned for the circus but didn't make it. Jackson is the author of Fathomless, Purity, Sweetly, Sisters Red, and As You Wish. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with a spacey dog and a slightly cross-eyed cat. Her website is www.jacksonpearce.com.