If you’ve read my Eden Saga series, you’re no stranger to The City Below—an intricate labyrinth hidden beneath the gritty streets of Chicago. Home to mutants—individuals ostracized for their extraordinary abilities—it’s a setting that begs to be explored.
While I scratched the surface of The City Below in my previous works, the allure of its depths compelled me to delve deeper. That’s why I decided to write a main character who comes from its shadows.
Enter Liam. A human born to mutant parents, raised in the depths of The City Below. He lacks mutant abilities of his own, therefore his parents urge him to venture above ground and attend school like any other “normal” kid.
Though just a child at the start of this story, Liam harbors dreams of bridging the gap between his underground roots and the world above. He longs to find a way to aid his parents and his community.
But on Liam’s first day of school, reality hits hard. He’s not as “normal,” as his parents assumed. He’s no longer dreaming of aiding his community back home in The City Below; he’s merely trying to survive. Forced into exile, he finds solace in the depths of a forest under the care of an eccentric old lady with a soft spot for wolves.
Add in a childhood friends-to-lovers romance with the old lady’s granddaughter, Fabel—a beauty desperate to hide the red patches spreading across her skin that threaten to reveal her secret.
Toss in a group of ruthless men scouring the forest for mutants to eradicate.
And there you have it—a twist on the timeless tale of Little Red Riding Hood set against a dystopian backdrop.
Red in the Woods is one piece of an anthology titled Once Upon a Realm: Remixed Fairy Tales by Diverse Voices. This anthology features fairytale-inspired novellas by six independent authors from diverse backgrounds.
As indie authors, connecting with teen readers can be a challenge! In fact, most readers of independently published YA books are adults who happen to like YA. One of our goals with this anthology is to find ways to reach libraries, bookstores, and schools – places where teens discover books.
That’s where you come in. We are gifting free ebook review copies of Once Upon A Realm. Honest reviews will help legitimize our independently published book to libraries, bookstores, and schools.
You’ll receive a FREE ebook, filled with:
The book will be released May 24. We are hoping to get reviews during release week!
K. R. S. McEntire is Write 