Frogs and Toads by Stacy Lynn Carroll

Today Stacy Lynn Carroll stops by on her blog tour for her new release, Frogs and Toads, which is the long awaited and much anticipated sequel to The Princess Sisters. In honor of the new release she's offering the first book in the series free from Nov 1-3. You can get your free copy here.

Blurb: Belle and her cousins have conquered their fears. Now as they navigate their way through the dating world, they start to see a "happily ever after" on the horizon. But when an unexpected school assignment forces them to examine their past, the Princess sisters realize they have a lot of questions about the fathers they've never met. Secrets are revealed, long lost family members are discovered, and now the girls must decide who belongs in their future and who should be kept in the past.

My Thoughts: Frogs and Toads brings the Princess cousins back in a sometimes heart wrenching, oft times uplifting way as they search for their fathers amidst their normal high school drama and trying to win—or retain, the hearts of their certain "princes". There’s plenty of romance, heartbreak, laughter, and friendship. There were times I was a little taken aback by some of the attitudes of their various fathers, but let’s face it: life isn’t always pretty and perfect. That being said, even though this seems like a fairytale for young girls, it’s meant for a more mature teen audience. A great read for fans of modern day fairytale retellings.

Stacy was also kind enough to answer some questions about the book, and a few about her.

It’s been a while since the first book in the series, The Princess Sisters, was published. Is there a specific

reason you waited to release the sequel?

Yes, there is a three year gap between the books. I would love to say that the biggest reason for this gap is I wanted the sequel to be everything my readers deserve.  I wanted Frogs & Toads to be the best it possibly could be. Although that did play a large role, the bigger reason is life. When The Princess Sisters released, I was pregnant with my second child. In the last three years, I have had two more babies, one of which has had some medical concerns and required a lot of time and attention. My family has also moved since then, and my husband has struggled with work. My attention kept getting pulled away from my writing. I really appreciate the love and support from my friends as I’ve struggled these last three years to get the sequel done! But it’s here! The Princess sisters are back, and they’re better than ever!

The first book introduced us to the characters, all cousins who share the last name of Princess. Can you give us a brief, one or two sentence bio of each of the five girls?

Cinderella is the glue that keeps her cousins together.  She is sweet and kind, and sometimes shy.  She wears her heart on her sleeve and is guided by her emotions, which can get her into trouble. She is the cousin the other cousins go to when they need a friend.

Belle is stubborn and likes to think she is the leader of the group. She is spunky, extroverted, and will work hard to get things done. She’s happiest when she is the center of attention.

Snow White is the youngest, shortest, and heaviest of the group. She is the only person who can’t see how beautiful and great she really is. She is extremely shy and does not have the greatest self-image, but she is loyal to the very end.

Ariel loves a good time! If she were given a title at school, it would be “class clown”. She deals with difficult situations through her sarcasm and wit. She is also obsessed with pop culture and cannot see anything without comparing it to a movie, actor, or song.

Aurora has some of Belle’s spunk, but it is geared mostly toward the opposite sex.  She is boy crazy! She can be kind of clueless too, letting her natural blonde color shine through.

The Princess Sisters was about the cousins’ journey into high school, and Frogs and Toads gives us a glimpse into some of their parental and love woes that go along with being in high school. Can we assume there’s a third book coming, and if so, what will it be about?

Yes! The third and final book is called: Forever After. The third book will focus a lot on Snow White’s story, revealing secrets about her hidden past. It will also be a journey for the other cousins as they all try and figure out what the future holds for them. The cousins will each need to figure out the transition from high school, to learning how to be adults on their own.

How has your life changed in the time since publishing the first book and this one?

Well, other than the big changes mentioned in question one, my life has five more people in it now. Each of the cousins has become a part of me. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about them and feel them pushing me to finish their story.

Just for fun, here are some quick-answer, “favorite” questions:

Favorite song: "Keep Your Head Up" by Andy Grammar

Favorite recent book: The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

Favorite movie: I’m going to go with recent, since I have too many favorites to count. But I loved Austenland. (Yes, awesome movie.)

Favorite TV show: Parenthood

Favorite snack: Chocolate covered almonds

Favorite drink: Coke (no diet-Yuck!) (Tell us how you really feel! lol)

Favorite character from this book: Cinderella

Favorite scene from this book (a brief overview): When Scott rescues Cinderella and realizes just how much he cares about her. (That's a good one!)

Pick up your free copy of The Princess Sisters and your copy of Frogs and Toads today!