Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel (Tyme #1)

"Think you know Rapunzel's story? Think again, because the tower was only the beginning..." -- Jennifer Nielsen, New York Times bestselling author of The False Prince

In all of Tyme, from the Redlands to the Grey, no one is as lucky as Rapunzel. She lives in a magic tower that obeys her every wish; she reads wonderful books starring herself as the heroine; her hair is the longest, most glorious thing in the world. And she knows this because Witch tells her so -- her beloved Witch, who protects her from evil princes, the dangerous ground under the tower, even unhappy thoughts. Rapunzel can't imagine any other life.Then a thief named Jack climbs into her room to steal one of her enchanted roses. He's the first person Rapunzel's ever met who isn't completely charmed by her (well, the first person she's met at all, really), and he is infuriating -- especially when he hints that Witch isn't telling her the whole truth. Driven by anger at Jack and her own nameless fears, Rapunzel descends to the ground for the first time, and finds a world filled with more peril than Witch promised...and more beauty, wonder, and adventure than she could have dreamed.

Praise for Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel:* "The novel does not miss a beat in creating Tyme, a beautifully described world with a seamless fusion of magical and nonmagical beings, scenery and objects.... The characters are refreshingly three-dimensional, helping readers empathize with Rapunzel as she wrestles with universal feelings of love and betrayal.... Readers will be eager for more episodes of the intrepid team of Rapunzel and Jack." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Morrison has a deft hand with both world-building and pacing, carefully constructing the geography and various politics of the fairy-tale world of Tyme in between chase scenes, bridge collapses, narrow escapes, and bargains with all sorts of devious beings. Rapunzel and Jack have an easy, witty banter going as they quest, adding a much appreciated dollop of humor to their tale." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred review"Those expecting a Disneyesque Rapunzel in Morrison’s debut, first in the Tyme series, will be pleasantly surprised by the novel’s emotional depth and inventiveness.... A full-bodied world worth revisiting." -- Publishers Weekly"Think you know Rapunzel's story? Think again, because the tower was only the beginning... With a lovable heroine who finds her courage, a somewhat reluctant guide, and an adventure worth following, Grounded is one of my favorite reads this year!" -- Jennifer Nielsen, New York Times bestselling author of The False Prince"What makes Grounded so much fun is its ability to combine biting satire with the innocence of fairy tales. It's a sprightly, imaginative romp that keeps unraveling tales as quickly as it spins them, with a spunky heroine and charismatic thief guiding our way." -- Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good and Evil"The last time I read a book this funny, this smart, and this charming, it was written by J.K. Rowling. Grounded reveals a wonderful new world begging to be explored, full of the kind of magical detail that turns casual readers into lifelong fans. The Tyme fandom begins here!" -- Melissa Anelli, author of the New York Times bestseller Harry, A History and webmistress of the Leaky Cauldron

Megan Morrison is a middle-school drama teacher and a writer. She cofounded the Harry Potter fanfiction site the Sugar Quill, and has been developing the world of Tyme since 2003. She lives near Seattle, Washington, with her family. Please visit her website at www.meganmorrison.net and her blog at makingtyme.blogspot.com, and follow her on Twitter at @megtyme.

From GROUNDED: A TALE OF RAPUNZEL"If you want the fairy's cure," Jack taunted, "you better come and get it yourself." He slipped down into the darkness. Moments later, his weight vanished from Rapunzel's braid, and she lifted her head, her heart thumping. "LIAR!" she screamed. Witch had warned her. Ground people were liars. Rapunzel should have guessed what Jack would do. Yet she had failed, and now the fairies would get their cure, and the powerful fairy would wake up again. And Witch would die. Panic seized Rapunzel. She clutched the railing and swung one leg over it, and then the other, until she was barely perched, by the toes of her slippers, on a tiny ledge of stone. She looked down and choked. The tower had never seemed so high. She could not think about what she was about to do. She couldn't think or she would stop, and she couldn't stop. Witch's life depended on her. She released the railing with one hand and grabbed the rope that Jack had left behind.

You know the tower, the hair, and the witch.
But in the land of Tyme, that's just the start of the story....

Rapunzel has never visited a fairy court, or won a jacks tournament, or slept under the stars. She hasn't outwitted a Stalking beast, or made a friend, or adopted a very opinionated frog. She knows only her enchanted tower, which obeys her every command, and her wonderful Witch, who guards her against evil princes far below. Beautiful, beloved, and innocent, Rapunzel can't imagine a happier life.

But when a thief named Jack climbs into her tower, that happy life breaks open forever. Because Rapunzel learns then that Witch is in terrible danger -- and to keep her safe, she must leave her tower and journey with Jack on a quest far across Tyme. There she finds a world filled with even more peril than Witch promised... and even more magic, wonder, and excitement than she ever dreamed.

Much more than just a retelling of the story of Rapunzel, Grounded is a marvelous adventure, a moving family drama, and a captivating introduction to the world of Tyme -- with many tales to come.