Spotlight & Giveaway: A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Kate Golden to HJ!

Hi Kate Golden and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, A Dawn of Onyx!

 
Hi! Thank you so much for having me!
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

A Dawn of Onyx is a New Adult Enemies to Lovers fantasy romance novel in the vein of A Court of Thorns and Roses, the Plated Prisoner series, orKingdom of the Wicked. It’s spicy, but the first book is focused more on the toe-curling slow burn, while the rest of the trilogy will be filled with entire chapters of spice!

The story follows a young woman who offers herself up to a wicked king to save her family, and finds herself locked in his dark, gothic keep as his castle healer. While imprisoned, she makes an unsuspecting ally in a fellow prisoner, but not everything about the stranger is exactly as it seems…
 

Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:

There’s a line I absolutely love when our heroine, Arwen, refers to the king as King Ravenwood, and he says to her “[that’s] a little formal from someone I’ve made blush as many times as you.” I also love when he tells her she has a mouth like a sailor (when she curses) and she snaps at him not to think about her mouth. He says back to her, “How I wish I could stop.”

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

Let’s see… I wrote this book (the very terrible first draft, at least) on vacation with my now-husband. I’d never written anything before in my life, but I was so frustrated that I didn’t love any of the books I had brought on the trip, I decided to write my own! Another fun fact is that originally the book was called A Kingdom of Shadow and Sunlight.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

I think what first attracts Arwen to Kane is his empathy. The very first conversation they have is him talking her down from a panic attack when she is imprisoned behind bars. Later, he shows real concern for her well-being and how she’s been treated in the castle. I think she’s also a little head over heels for those silver rings and crooked smile, but how can we blame her??

For Kane, I think he falls for Arwen’s spirit, first and foremost. She’s positive even in the darkest of times, she’s funny and warm and selfless even when the world has been cruel to her. I think he sees hope when he looks at her. And, he too, is smitten on a physical level–he likes her chocolate brown hair and olive eyes… He’s kind of a goner the minute he meets her.

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Oh man, I’m blushing always. These two are so into each other, sometimes I feel like i’m intruding. There’s a scene where he’s pleasuring her and asks her if she can take more… that always gets me. I laugh every single time Mari (Arwen’s book-obsessed, high energy best friend) and Griffin (the kind’s grump commander) are in the same room. I cried at the end, but I won’t give that one away!

Readers should read this book….

If they have ever googled “fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, with spice and plot.” If they’ve recently read Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, or Serpents & The Wings of Night and enjoyed them. If they are fans of the following tropes: heroine coming into her power, caretaker scenes, morally grey men, found family, forced proximity, or “Who did this to you?” If they love multiple kingdoms, each with their own unique landscape and culture, lots and lots of tension, genuine female friendship, romantic relationships built on verbal sparring and mutual respect, or swoon-worthy, escapist fantasy.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m currently writing the third and final book in the trilogy as well as putting together my spin-off ideas! The second book comes out on April 9 2024 and the last one fall 2024.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A finished copy of A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden

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Book Info:

Captured by a king of darkness. Forced to find the light within.

Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King.

Arwen knows better than to face the ancient, wicked woods that surround the castle on her own, which means working with a fellow prisoner might be her only path to freedom. Unfortunately, he’s as infuriating as he is cunning—and seems to take twisted pleasure in playing on Arwen’s deepest fears.

But here in Onyx Kingdom, trust is a luxury she can’t afford.

To make it out of enemy territory, she’ll have to navigate back-stabbing royals, dark magic, and dangerous beasts. But untold power lies inside Arwen, dormant and waiting for a spark. If she can harness it, she just might be able to escape with her life—and hopefully, her heart.
Book Links: Amazon | B&N |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Kate Golden is the bestselling author of viral sensation and debut novel A Dawn of Onyx. She lives in Los Angeles where she works in the film industry developing movies with screenwriters and filmmakers. When she isn’t telling stories, Kate is an avid book reader, movie fanatic, and functioning puzzle addict. She and her husband can be found hosting cozy game nights and taking hikes with their sweet pup, Milo. You can find her on Instagram at KateGoldenAuthor and on TikTok at Kate_Golden_Author, where she is known to post both spicy and heartbreaking teasers for her upcoming books.
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