The Tiara On The Terrace Excerpt & Giveaway

In which we host an exclusive excerpt and book giveaway of The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher.

Today, we are thrilled to celebrate the release of The Tiara on the Terrace by Kristen Kittscher with an exclusive excerpt from the novel, and a giveaway! The second book in the Young and Yang mystery series, The Tiara on the Terrace follows two of our favorite detectives (and best friends) Sophie Young and Grace Yang as they tackle a brand new case. Thea was a huge fan The Wig in the Window, the first novel in this smart and charming middle grade gumshoe detective series, so naturally we were very excited for book 2!

The Excerpt

Meanwhile, Lily stood stiffly on the terrace clutching her bouquet of flowers so tightly to her chest I wondered if the rose thorns were drawing blood yet. She struggled to keep her smile, but when the camera swept across her face, I saw her glasses were misting up with tears. My lap buzzed with a stream of exclamation-point-filled texts from Grace. As I leaned to catch her eye across the aisle, I saw Lauren Sparrow cheering, her quick claps reminding me of beating birds’ wings.

The sun glinting on the bell of a trumpet blinded me as the heralds sounded out another blast. “Hear ye, hear ye, Faithful!” Harrison Lee cried out the coronation announcement. It sounded so silly, but it was part of the tradition. “All rise to welcome the new reigning Sun Queen of our Anniversary Festival Royal Court.”

Kendra’s gummy dental-office smile could not have been brighter or wider. She’d practically stood up from her chair already.

“Jardine Thomas!” Lee finished.

Kendra’s smile froze and her eyes went wide as Jardine Thomas hopped up from seat and rode the roar of the crowd over to the podium, chin leading the way. “Jar-di!” someone hooted as some of the older Luna Vistans stiffened and shifted in their seats. Even with the camera’s close-up magnifying Jardine’s every feature, her flat-ironed hair and dark brown skin looked perfect. Behind her, Kendra and the losing finalists beamed and clapped so hard their hands must’ve stung.

Lund tossed her balled-up program to the grass as last year’s Sun Queen balanced the royal tiara on Jardine’s head. The band burst into a slowed down version of “We Are Family,” that 1970s song Grandpa Young hummed as a joke at the dinner table sometimes. Silver and gold confetti filled the air, shimmering in the sun as people poured into the center aisle.

As I filed out of my row, Grace pushed her way through the crowd, her gaze dark and urgent. My mouth went dry.

She threw her arm around me and leaned in. “We’re looking at a cover-up,” she whispered. “A royal one. And you know what that calls for, don’t you?”

My stomach lurched as she answered for me.

“That’s right, Soph.” Grace squeezed my shoulder, eyes gleaming. “Undercover royals.”

About the Book:

In this funny, clever novel, perfect for fans of Pseudonymous Bosch and Gordon Korman and a companion to The Wig in the Window, tween sleuths Sophie Young and Grace Yang go undercover at Luna Vista’s Winter Sun Festival to catch a murderer before he—or she—strikes again.

Sophie Young and Grace Yang have been taking it easy ever since they solved the biggest crime Luna Vista had ever seen. But things might get interesting again now that everyone is gearing up for the 125th annual Winter Sun Festival—a town tradition that involves floats, a parade, and a Royal Court made up of local high school girls.

When Festival president Jim Steptoe turns up dead on the first day of parade preparations, the police blame a malfunctioning giant s’more feature on the campfire-themed float. But the two sleuths are convinced the mysterious death wasn’t an accident.

Young and Yang must trade their high tops for high heels and infiltrate the Royal Court to solve the case. But if they fail, they might just be the next victims.

About the Author:

KRISTEN KITTSCHER is a former middle school English teacher and author of tween mystery The Wig in the Window (Harper Children’s, 2013) which garnered a starred review from School Library Journal and was named to ten Best of the Year lists. The 2014 James Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence and a graduate of Brown University, Kristen frequently presents at schools, libraries, and festivals. She lives with her husband in Pasadena, home of the Rose Parade—the inspiration for her most recent novel, The Tiara on the Terrace. Visit kristenkittscher.com or follow her on Facebook and Twitter (@kkittscher).

Giveaway Details:

We have one copy of The Tiara on the Terrace up for grabs! The sweepstakes is open for addresses in the US only, and will run until Sunday, January 17 at 12:01am EST. To enter, use the form below–and good luck!

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