Author Interview with Ashley Poston & Giveaway Once Upon a Con Series
I am delighted to share with you all a flash style interview with Ashley Poston and a GIVEAWAY of the entire Once Upon a Con series to celebrate the paperback release of Bookish and the Beast which is available now and it includes an all new Starfield story! If you have been following along…Team BookCrushin are huge fans of Ashley’s works and Geekerella was the first book that Christy & I did some joint blogging together, back before she came to join me here at BookCrushin. It is hard to imagine this blog without her and I am so grateful to the book community for helping us become the best friends and co-bloggers we are now!
Bookish and the Beast (Once Upon A Con)
by Ashley PostonPublished by: Quirk Books
on June 1, 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Retellings, Young Adult
Pages: 304
Audible
Goodreads
Now in Paperback with a bonus Starfield story!
In the third book in Ashley Poston's Once Upon a Con series, Beauty and the Beast is retold in the beloved Starfield universe.
Rosie Thorne is feeling stuck—on her college application essays, in her small town, and on that mysterious General Sond cosplayer she met at ExcelsiCon. Most of all, she’s stuck in her grief over her mother’s death. Her only solace was her late mother’s library of rare Starfield novels, but even that disappeared when they sold it to pay off hospital bills.
On the other hand, Vance Reigns has been Hollywood royalty for as long as he can remember—with all the privilege and scrutiny that entails. When a tabloid scandal catches up to him, he's forced to hide out somewhere the paparazzi would never expect to find him: Small Town USA. At least there’s a library in the house. Too bad he doesn’t read.
When Rosie and Vance’s paths collide and a rare book is accidentally destroyed, Rosie finds herself working to repay the debt. And while most Starfield superfans would jump at the chance to work in close proximity to the Vance Reigns, Rosie has discovered something about Vance: he’s a jerk, and she can’t stand him. The feeling is mutual.
But as Vance and Rosie begrudgingly get to know each other, their careful masks come off—and they may just find that there’s more risk in shutting each other out than in opening their hearts.
Author Interview with Ashley Poston
Thank you so much Ashley, we are huge fans, and we are excited to share this little flash interview with our readers!
- If there was an option for another Once Upon a Con book (metaphorically) which character would you want to write about?
That’s a hard one! But if I were to return to the world of Once Upon a Con, I think I would focus on a new character in a retelling of Snow White. For anyone who’s been to a con, there’s just something magical about 8 people cramped in a hotel room together, sleep in bathtubs, four to a bed, ha! - Current celebrity/fandom crush?
Oof, that’s a hard one! But I’m still living for Ben Barnes as The Darkling. 2011 Tumblr came back strong! - Favorite take out? (or Pizza or tacos?)
Tacos absolutely! Pizza’s agreeable, but there’s nothing like terrible Taco Bell takeout with friends. - Favorite coffee shop drink order?
Caramel Macchiato with Soy! - What comic have you been devouring lately?
I’ve been reading a lot of manga lately, and my favorite of 2021 so far is absolutely Sweat and Soap by Kintetsu Yamada! Definitely for the 16+ crowd, though. Some of those scenes are spicy! - Favorite Star Wars character?
C3PO! - Best Pokémon you’ve caught?
Best or one that I’m most proud of? Because I’m most proud of my pastel Ponyta, Twilight Sparkle. - Which do you prefer writing, a standalone or series?
I like both equally! There’s challenges to both. I like series because revisiting characters who have already bowed out is fun, but standalones come in this nice little package with a bow on top, and that’s very cathartic, too. - Fanfic you have been reading?
I’m currently reading The Debt of Time for the first time. If you know, you know! - The best con experience you’ve had now as a pro on writing the ‘con experience?
Best con experience? That’s a hard one. There are so many good things about cons, about fandom meets and being a part of a community, that I don’t think I can narrow it down to one. Though, I will say that London MCM might be my favorite because authors were actually allowed in the green room there. I cannot overstate how nice that was! - How has the transition from writing adult (yes, we’ve read them!), to YA, back to adult been treating you?
I love trying new things! (My publisher shelves my very first books as YA now, since they were published when NA was a thing, and the MCs are still teenagers.) The Dead Romantics is going to be my first foray into actual Adult Rom-Com, and I couldn’t be more excited!! - You’ve written in a lot of genres, adult contemporary, YA contemporary, Sci-fi, and fantasy…which genre do you wish you could tackle next?
I’m not sure! I think it depends on what kind of story I want to tackle next. Maybe a middle grade? Another adult? Sky’s the limit! - Can I (or all of us, I know I am not alone) get a sequel to Among the Beasts and Briars, please? A morsel of hope maybe?
There will sadly not be a sequel, but there miiiiight be a companion novel, much like how Once Upon a Con works! - What are you reading when not on deadline?
I love reading fanfic, obviously, but my guilt pleasure right now is manhwa. They have a lot of “Oh no, I died and got reincarnated in my favorite book! But I’m reincarnated as the villain–help! ” and I am a SUCKER for that very specific trope. - Favorite series you are binging when you have time?
I just finished binging Ted Lasso! It was such a shot of joy. - Best song that got you through the pandemic?
Gene Kelly by Felix Hagan & the Family!
About Ashley Poston
Ashley Poston loves dread pirates, moving castles, and starry night skies.
Ashley graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BA in English. She has worked at Kodansha USA and Bloomsbury Publishing as a social media coordinator and marketing designer respectively. Currently, she offers her work to freelance clients and writes full-time. Her books have appeared on the Indie Next List multiple times, and have been featured in Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Entertainment Weekly, Hypable, Buzzfeed, and in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Her critically-acclaimed sci-fi duology, Heart of Iron, was named on 2019’s Rainbow List.
When not writing, she plays Dungeons and Dragons and reads fanfic. She lives in South Carolina with her bossy cat, and they are firm believers that we’re all a bunch of weirdos looking at other weirdos, asking for their username.
Giveaway
There will be two chances to win, by entering in the rafflecopter below, and/or following the prompts on the Instagram post. You will win all 3 paperbacks in the Once Upon a Con series by Ashley Poston, courtesy of Quirk Books, USA/PR only, and entries end on 6/10/21 at 12am EST.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ahh!!! I read this series a couple months ago and LOVED it!!!! I really want to read the extra story at the end of Bookish and the Beast! happy reading!
Thanks for stopping by & entering Kait!
I haven’t been to a convention, but I’d love to attend Y’ALL Fest.
I’m not a big fan of crowds but I do enjoy our small book fests here, or I did when they had them. B & N usually sponsered.
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