Guest Post with Beth Fantaskey, Author of Jekel Loves Hyde

JEKEL LOVES HYDE BY BETH FANTASKEY

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (May 3, 2010)

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, this good girl is tempted to peek inside, because the contents just might be key to winning a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. As things heat up in the lab though, Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and will compel her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

I'd like to welcome Beth Fantaskey, author of the popular novel (and one of my favorite books) Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. Her latest book, Jekel Loves Hyde recently released this month.

Beth graciously cooked up this insightful and entertaining guest post for us today, and I want to thank her for taking the time to stop by.

*Be sure to check back tomorrow for your chance to win a signed copy of Jekel Loves Hyde too!

Whenever I see my mother-in-law, she gives me a stack of her old Woman’s World magazines, because she knows they’re my secret addiction. I love clipping out the recipes (which I never really make), reading the “mini mystery,” and most of all, taking the weekly “personality quiz.”

Every week, there’s a question like, “What does your favorite candy say about you?”

And if you pick, say, M&Ms, it supposedly means you’re serious and career-driven. But if you pick sour gummies, it means you’re humorous and lack ambition.

(I made those results up – although they did once use candy preference to predict personality.)

Anyway, the funny thing is, in all my years of taking those quizzes, I have never fit neatly into one category. Somehow, I always end up learning something along the lines of, “I am a serious, funny, career-oriented slacker” – who probably eats too much candy.

It’s like, at age 44, I still can’t quite figure out who I am – even when the sour gummies I do love are trying hard to tell me.

That quest to figure out who, exactly, we are is at the heart of my new book, Jekel Loves Hyde. Jill Jekel has always seen herself as an incredibly shy, powerless girl who tries desperately to be “good,” even when fate treats her so horribly that she rages inside. And Tristen Hyde fears that he might harbor an actual monster, deep down in his soul.

Over the course of the story, Jill and Tristen try to figure out what their “true” natures are. Are they “good” people? “Bad” people? Maybe “good” people who secretly long to be “bad?” (Or vice versa?)

Given what I’ve told you about my own ambiguities, I’m sure I’m not spoiling anything by noting that Jill and Tristen don’t necessarily get the concrete answers they expect.

It’s a dark story – darker than the inside of an M&M – but with a sweet romance, too. I guess my own dualities can’t help making their way onto the pages.

Regardless, whether you’re drawn more to intensity or tenderness, I hope you like it!

Check out Beth Fantaskey's Official Website & Blog.

Want more? Check out the interview Beth did with me regarding Jessica & Lucius from Jessica's Guide!

Purchase Jekel Loves Hyde at Amazon.com.

Tantalizing Tuesday is a weekly feature showcasing exciting novels and the inspiring authors behind them.