Shanna Swendson earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas but decided it was more fun to make up the people she wrote about and became a novelist. She's written a number of fantasy novels for teens and adults, including the Enchanted, Inc. series, the Fairy Tale series, the Lucky Lexie Mysteries, and the Rebel Mechanics series. Her books have been translated into multiple languages around the world. She devotes her spare time to reading, knitting, and music.

Swendson was named to the Spirit of Texas list by the Texas Library Association.

Spindled by Shanna Swendson

Once upon a time, a princess was brought to a strange land for safekeeping, until the day the curse placed on her in infancy expired and she could return to her kingdom.

Lucy Jordan is not that princess.

But thanks to a case of mistaken identity, she's kidnapped by an evil enchantress's men and taken to a magical world, where she finds herself living out a story that seems awfully familiar. Meanwhile, Lucy's friend Dawn suspects the "aunts" who brought her up might have something to do with Lucy's disappearance, and she feels compelled to travel through the magical gateway she finds in the garden shed to find her friend.

Now Lucy's rewriting the storybooks as she goes on the run with a handsome young squire and plots to save Dawn's rightful kingdom from the evil enchantress, while Dawn is drawn closer and closer to her true destiny, entirely unaware of how dangerous a spindle can be for her.

 

REVIEWS

  • "Shanna Swendson is so readable. Her characters are like friends you haven't met yet! Fun stories at just the right pace, leaves you wanting more!"

    – Amazon reviewer

  • "A good and fun adventure that will leave you with a near perpetual smile on your face. Swendson has done it again and done it very well!"

    – Amazon reviewer
  • “Love, love retellings, and since Sleeping Beauty is my fav disney story/fairytale I was really hyped for this one. Luckily it did not disappoint.” – Goodreads review

  • "Really enjoyed this read, perfect for a wide span of ages."

    – Goodreads review
 

BOOK PREVIEW

Excerpt

The sound of hoofbeats on the pavement made her look up. It sounded a lot like what she'd heard the night before, only louder and closer. A trio of men on horseback rode from the town to the back parking lot, toward the forest that started just beyond the football practice field. They were dressed all in black, with armor and helmets and swords at their sides, and they wore black cloaks that swirled around them. It looked like someone was taking the Camelot auditions way too seriously.

She thought the men would just ride by on their way to wherever it was they were going, but before they passed her, the leader came to an abrupt halt, raising his hand to signal the other two to stop. Then they all turned to face her. She felt like the leader had x-ray vision, from the way he studied her. She was sure he could see every detail of her appearance, and probably the state of her internal organs, as well.

"She is the one!" he shouted, and suddenly all three riders were coming right at her. Her instinct was to run, but she was trapped against the fence. The fence was too high for her to jump, so she could only run along it toward the metal shop. There were usually a few tough guys hanging out in there after school, and while they weren't what she'd consider chivalrous, they also weren't opposed to fighting. From what Lucy knew of their reputations, they were very likely armed.

In case they couldn't resist a damsel in distress, she shouted, "Help! Someone! Please!" as she ran desperately toward the shop.

The shop door opened and a shaggy head stuck out. "Whoa, dude!" the guy said when he saw Lucy running toward him, three black knights at her heels.

"Help me! Do something!" Lucy shouted.

"Like what?"

"Like stop the freaky knights from getting me!"

He tilted his head to stare at the riders. "Whoa, so you mean they're really there?"

It looked like she couldn't count on the shop guys taking any initiative, so she made for the shop door, intending to throw herself inside and have the guys weld it shut, if she could make them understand that concept. Unfortunately, the horses were faster than she was, and the riders really knew what they were doing. They caught up and rode alongside her, then the leader bent, grabbed her arm, and pulled her up into the saddle with him. She tried to scream for the shop guys to call the police, but her captor got a hand over her mouth and pinned her against his chest with an arm that felt like a steel beam. The riders wheeled around and galloped into the forest.

They hadn't been riding long when something loomed ahead of them. Lucy hadn't explored this end of town much, but she was fairly certain that a giant, glowing gate wasn't normally there. As they drew closer, Lucy could see that it wasn't a physical gate. It was more like light in the shape of a gate, and what she saw through it didn't at all match what was on either side of the opening. It was still a forest, but it was a different kind of forest, old growth hardwoods instead of the pines that surrounded the town. Wherever they were taking her, she had a strong feeling it wasn't anywhere in Texas.