What is the title of your latest release?
RINGS OF FATE
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The Princess Bride meets Wheel of Time.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I write fantasy, so medieval-ish Europe-ish is the expected genre landscape. From Nora Roberts I learned you need to meet genre expectations.
Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?
Absolutely. She’s a badass.
What are three words that describe your hero?
Golden. Broken. Brave.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
That I can rewrite a book a thousand times lol.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
Yes I edit as I draft.
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Hot fudge sundaes.
Describe your writing space/office!
A fabulous Wes Anderson style office with beautiful art pieces (I collect portraits of women from the 17th and 18th centuries), custom desks (one marble) absolutely gorgeous office that I have ruined by making it an extension of my closet and now is overwhelmed by clothing racks obscuring the art.
Who is an author you admire?
Stephen King, my favorite author when I was a teenager.
Is there a book that changed your life?
Dune – my husband was the only guy I’d ever met who had read all 6 original Dune novels and was also cute. Also The Lord of the Rings. I read it when I was 13 and my entire career is founded on it.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published). Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I was a computer consultant at a client meeting. I was 28 years old. My agent called in the middle of the meeting and I excused myself to take it, because I knew it was good news. She wouldn’t have called otherwise. She told me S&S offered on my first novel. It was the third happiest day of my life after my wedding and the birth of my child.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
Fantasy
What’s your favorite movie?
Moulin Rouge
What is your favorite season?
Summer – which in LA is all year.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is a season right after Labor Day and before Halloween. I celebrate for a good two months with all my family and friend groups.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Tournament of Champions on Food Network.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Filipino and Chinese.
What do you do when you have free time?
I spend time with my family and friends. I also shop a lot.
What can readers expect from you next?
Sibylline is my YA dark academia book coming out in February!
Curses and Crowns #1
Don’t miss out on the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run in the US and Canada only, a must-have for any book lover.
She’s a barmaid who doesn’t believe in fairy tales. He’s a prince cursed to live one.
Aren Bellamore has no interest in being anyone’s princess. She’s too busy running the Raven’s Beak tavern, fending off unwanted marriage proposals, and dreaming of escape. But when a brush with death and a dangerously handsome stranger upend her life, Aren finds herself bound to a bargain that could change everything.
Prince Dietan has carried the cursed Rings of Fate—ancient weapons of devastating power—since childhood. The magic is killing him, and the enemies are closing in. To make the journey to reverse his curse, he needs a bride to hide his secrets. Aren wants freedom. Pretending to be his fiancée should give them both what they want.
But as their perilous journey pits them against political schemes, monstrous Kilandrar, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the line between make-believe and destiny begins to blur. And the fate of two kingdoms may depend on whether a cynical barmaid and a cursed prince are willing to risk their hearts.
Fantasy Romance [ Entangled: Red Tower Books, On Sale: January 6, 2026, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781649376954 / eISBN: 9781649376961 ]
Melissa De La Cruz has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews. Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!). She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.
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