The Runaway King (25 page)
Authors: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Tags: #Romance, #Fantasy, #Young Adult, #Adventure, #Childrens
The process of bringing a book from concept all the way into readers’ hands is a journey that requires the time and talents of many dedicated people, from publicity, marketing, and art direction to conferences, sales, and beyond. I cannot acknowledge everyone by name here, but I hope they will know that I am grateful for their efforts and their enthusiasm.
Specifically, I must begin with expressing my love and gratitude to my husband, who has never failed in his support of both me and my career. I am grateful to my children as well, who without complaint have encouraged me to pursue my writing dreams. Many thanks to my wonderful agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, whose sharp eye and thoughtful analysis of this story made all the difference in the most crucial moments. I must also express appreciation to David Levithan for his brilliant input on this series, and for his continual support of my writing.
I saved one name for last, that of my editor, Lisa Sandell. Thanks to her patience, guidance, and keen intelligence, this book has come a long way from its early drafts. If there is any praise given to this series, then she is a vital and significant partner in these pages and fully deserves to share in the honors. Beyond that, she has become a valuable part of my life, and I’m honored to call her my friend.
Jennifer A. Nielsen is the author of
The False Prince
, the first book in The Ascendance Trilogy. She collects old books, loves good theater, and thinks that a quiet afternoon in the mountains is a nearly perfect moment.
A major influence for Sage’s story came from the music of Eddie Vedder and one of his greatest songs, “Guaranteed.” From his line “I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me,” Sage was born. Sage’s personality is his own, but Jennifer did borrow two of his traits from a couple of students she once taught in a high school debate class. One of them was popular, brilliant, and relentlessly mischievous. He could steal the watch off a person’s wrist without their knowing and would return it to them later, usually to their embarrassment. The other student had a broad spectrum of impressive talents, not the least of which was his ability to roll a coin over his knuckles. If he had wanted to, he’d have made a fine pickpocket. As it was, he went on to become a lawyer. Go figure.
Jennifer lives in northern Utah with her husband, their three children, and a perpetually muddy dog.
Copyright © 2013 by Jennifer A. Nielsen
Maps by Kayley LeFaiver
All rights reserved. Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.,
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Nielsen, Jennifer A. The runaway king / Jennifer A. Nielsen. — 1st ed. p. cm. — (The ascendance trilogy ; bk. 2)
Summary: Young King Jaron has taken the throne of Carthya, but after enemies attempt to assassinate him, and a neighboring kingdom threatens invasion, he finds that he has no friends in the palace, not even his bride-to-be, princess Amarinda—and his regents think it would be better for Carthya if he just disappeared again.
ISBN 978-0-545-28415-8 (jacketed hardcover) 1. Kings and rulers—Juvenile fiction. 2. Princesses—Juvenile fiction. 3. Courts and courtiers—Juvenile fiction. 4. Conspiracies—Juvenile fiction. [1. Kings, queens, rulers, etc.—Fiction. 2. Princesses—Fiction. 3. Courts and courtiers—Fiction. 4. Conspiracies—Fiction.] I. Title. II. Series: Nielsen, Jennifer A. Ascendance trilogy ; bk. 2.
PZ7.N5672Run 2013 813.6—dc23 2012035290
First edition, March 2013
Cover art © 2013 by Ken Choi
Cover design by Christopher Stengel
e-ISBN 978-0-545-52951-8
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher. For information regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.
