Local author, Cynthia Van Auken, has launched her first novel, Adder’s Bite: The Prince, with a book signing at Sewickley, PA’s Penguin Bookshop.  On Saturday, August 28, she attended the bookshop’s annual Beckoning of Booklovers event, where she participated in a meet-and-greet and panel discussion with other local authors.  Her novel is fantasy fiction inspired by a love for fairytales.

Adder’s Bite: The Prince is an epic adventure about finding truth and making choices, set in the fantasy world of Ilarian.  Ashling is too young to understand how a knight’s murder is connected to the rise of Prince Driscoll and the return of dragons.  However, when a cryptic message appears that claims Ashling is one of three prophesied guardians, she sets out on a quest to find the truth about the knight’s murder…and her destiny.

When Ashling meets a goblin king and an elf warrior who both claim to be guardians, she is thrust into a dangerous mission to defeat the tyrant prince.  It’s then that she must decide for herself if she was chosen or chose to be a guardian. 

Adder’s Bite: The Prince began to take form when Van Auken was 13.  She had read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings for the first time and was inspired to write a book with two childhood friends.  However, when she moved away, she realized she wanted to continue writing and started on her debut novel.

“I’ve always loved being able to escape into a different world and forget about real life… at least for the moment.” Van Auken replied when asked about her love for books. “Being a writer is different.  I can take real life and change it into a story and make it magical.”

Cynthia Van Auken was raised in an Air Force family among six bothers and one sister.  She grew up on the move and was homeschooled, graduating in 2007.  Van Auken lives with her husband in Steubenville, OH, where she continues to put her imagination to paper.

Adder’s Bite: The Prince (ISBN 978-1-935605-54-6) is available at Click here, through most online stores and select bookstores. Cynthia Van Auken is available for readings and book signings evenings, Thursdays, and Sundays. Contact Click here.  For more information about Adder’s Bite: The Prince, please visit Click here or contact Reagan Rothe at Click here.