Princess Private Eye Release Day!
Plus, I talk about the unlikely story that got me an invitation to create a new Disney Princess
What’s the best present you can get for a writer on her birthday? Her own book!
Princess Private Eye hits shelves everywhere today (and tomorrow is my birthday). Huzzah! This book is like The Princess Diaries meets Nancy Drew and it’s perfect for the 8-12 year old readers in your life!
Who is this new Disney Princess?
Genevieve Sun is just an ordinary foster kid in NYC—okay, an ordinary kid who happens to be an awesome hacker—when she finds out she’s actually the long-lost princess of a country called Raldonia! But when the secret agents whisk her away to her new kingdom, she finds out there’s a curse that’s supposedly tied to her arrival… When things start to go very, very wrong, Gen will need to get the bottom of the mystery and catch the real criminals who are sullying her name, before the Queen decides to cancel Gen’s coronation and send her packing back to New York.
The Strange Turn of Events That Got Me an Invitation to Create a New Disney Princess
Back when I was still only writing YA (young adult) books, I had a brand new idea for a YA novel. My agent sent some sample chapters and the outline for that book to a bunch of publishers. (I had published four YA novels already, so I had reached the fortunate part of a writing career where I didn’t have to write an entire manuscript before my agent could pitch my work.)
Unfortunately, no editors wanted my story. What?? B-b-but it was so good!
However, Disney said that they loved my voice, and they thought I’d be perfect for a brand new princess series they were beginning to envision. Would I be interested?
To be honest, at first I wasn’t so sure. I had never thought about writing for younger audiences. I wasn’t sure I’d know how to do it.
But my daughter was a middle grade reader at that time, so I decided to do some research by reading a bunch of books on her shelves.
And they were delightful!
So I said yes, and I began working with Brittany Rubiano at Disney Books on what would ultimately become Princess Private Eye. I grew up in Southern California loving Disneyland, and it has been such an honor to be a part of the invention of a new Disney princess! I can’t wait for you to meet Princess Genevieve Sun—and I’m already working on Book 2 in the series!
Book Recs for Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Want more AAPI books for your young readers? I highly recommend:
Winston Chu vs. the Whimsies by Stacey Lee — Endorsed by Best-selling author Rick Riordan, Stacey Lee's modern reimagining of a classic Chinese folktale―replete with magic, boba, and lots of trash talking.
Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura — A thrilling fantasy series about a twelve year old girl who sets out to save her Shinto goddess mother—and the world—by facing down demons intent on bringing chaos.
Thank you for celebrating yet another release day with me! 2023 is a banner year for me with three novels coming out, and I am so happy to get to do it with all of you!
~evelyn