Eternally Yours

by Patrice Caldwell

Overview

Give in to this irresistible paranormal romance anthology filled with tales of the mortal and the monstrous. In Eternally Yours, fifteen of today’s bestselling writers explore love in its many forms . . .

Contributors include Kalynn Bayron, Kendare Blake, Kat Cho, Melissa de la Cruz, Hafsah Faizal, Sarah Gailey, Chloe Gong, Alexis Henderson, Adib Khorram, Anna-Marie McLemore, Casey McQuiston, Sandhya Menon, Akshaya Raman, Marie Rutkoski, and Julian Winters.

Vampires and merpeople, angels and demons—the stories in this anthology imagine worlds where the only thing more powerful than the supernatural, is love.


A girl in a graveyard goes on an unexpected date, a shipwrecked sailor makes a connection on a forbidden island, a piano melody summons a soul mate. Creatures of folktales and legend, of land and sea, of centuries past and life after life, all wrapped into one spellbinding compendium. Once you sink into its pages, it’ll never let you go.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593206874
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	09/20/2022
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	497,643
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.50(d)
Lexile:	HL730L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Patrice Caldwell is a graduate of Wellesley College and the founder of People ofColor in Publishing—a grassroots organization dedicated to supporting, empowering, and upliftingracially and ethnically marginalized members of the book publishing industry. Born and raised in Texas, Patrice was a children’s book editor before becoming a literary agent. She’s been named toForbes’s “30 Under 30” media list, a Publishers Weekly Star Watch honoree, and featured on Bustle’s inaugural “Lit List” as one of ten women changing the book world. Patrice’s debut novel, Where Shadows Reign—the first in a YA fantasyduology—will be published by Wednesday Books, an imprint of Macmillan. She is also the editor of A Phoenix First Must Burn: Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope.

Visit Patrice online at patricecaldwell.com, Twitter @whimsicallyours, and Instagram @whimsicalaquarian.

Read an Excerpt

Dear Reader,

When I was little girl, I dreamed of monsters. Not nightmares—dreams. I didn’t care for Prince Charmings. I wanted a vampire princess to steal me away in the night, a fallen angel to sweep me up in a grand adventure, a demon to capture my soul.
Yes, I was obsessed with paranormal romance. Anything in the genre, I read it. Didn’t matter if it was “too mature” for me. I consumed these stories. I needed them. I craved them. These stories were my lifeblood. For my twelve-year-old and later teen self, they fulfilled me, and sometimes even healed me, rather than draining me as my struggles with depression often did. There was always the next book in the series, there was always something new by a favorite author. I had to read that next thing—those stories sustained me.
Why did a Black girl from Texas love monsters so much? Maybe because I felt like one. Not athletic or rich or white like most of my classmates. Not straight, no matter how much I pretended to be. At a young age, I already knew I was going to hell for being who I was, for having crushes on my best (girl) friends, so dreaming of monsters? Wanting to become one? Hoping one would save me and take me away? That wasn’t as unbelievable as the idea that I’d ever find my place and my people, and stop hating myself.
(Spoiler alert: I did, but that’s for another story.)
By the time I reached my midtwenties, I hadn’t read paranormal romance regularly in years. I had started to live my life “in the real world.” I had found my people and was finding myself. When I read books, yes, I loved fantastical settings and elements, but I also wanted to see my life reflected. I wanted Black girls and women protagonists and queer found families all while finding yourself and falling in and out of love.
Paranormal romance, though it made me the book publishing professional I’d become, still felt overwhelmingly white, cis, and straight to me. I couldn’t stop questioning if I had seen myself more, in the pages of the books I loved so much, would I have wanted to change the very fabric of who I am? Would I have hidden who I loved for so long?
That isn’t to say there aren’t BIPOC and queer paranormal romance authors—find me online, I’m happy to give you recs—but even as the publishing industry was beginning to diversify in other genres, paranormal romance was labeled “dead.” In other words, those who were in the door were there, but for the rest of us, the door was sealed shut. It felt like no wanted our stories.
So when my publisher asked me for another anthology idea, I said paranormal romance thinking I had nothing to lose. Worst happens, they’d come back and say, Nice try, but we have enough of that. Instead, they said, We’d love to buy that book. I went from thinking it would never be possible to having to come up with an entire contributor list overnight. Thankfully, it was easy—by this time, I had found my people. I knew that there were a lot of authors who felt the same—who LOVED paranormal romance and wanted to give the genre a much-needed resurrection.
These fifteen stories took my love of paranormal romance to new depths. They allowed me to revisit my favorite paranormal romance novels (i.e., the books that got me through 2020) and value them as they are while also getting to take part in fifteen new paranormal worlds. They represent what paranormal romance truly is—a genre in which anyone can find acceptance and true love. Within these pages, you’ll meet vampires and demons and mermen and angels (yes, we’re even bringing fallen angels back). But you’ll also meet asuras and other creatures from folktales, legends, and myths.
Though some of these stories depict struggles or explore grief, they ultimately end in happily ever afters—or happy for nows.
Fifteen stories by fifteen incredibly talented authors who reflect the world around us and embody the reach that paranormal romance can have—how I wish it looked all those years ago with characters teen me could’ve really seen herself in. Fifteen stories in which our monstrousness belongs.
It is my wish that these stories ultimately bring you joy. That you find a story that comforts you, one that makes you feel seen and believe in the power of love.
I so hope you enjoy these tales that have captured my heart and soul.

Eternally Yours,

Patrice Caldwell

Editorial Reviews

★ 09/05/2022

This swoonworthy paranormal romance anthology, edited by Caldwell (A Phoenix First Must Burn), features 15 stories from such authors as Hafsha Faizal, Chloe Gong, and Julian Winters, among others. An introspective examination of vengeance, Kendare Blake’s “Undead Ghoul Meet-Cute” follows Maria, a once-human undead creature seeking revenge on the ghoul who turned her. “In the Eyes of Angels” by Alexis Henderson explores religious myth and leaps of faith, centering Tate, recovering from alcohol dependency, who, after getting fired from her job at a gas station, encounters a fallen angel. While most of the stories deliver well-drawn interpretations of dramatic love amid fantastical happenings, some are humorously couched in the everyday; Akshaya Raman’s “If You Give an Asura a Cookie” chronicles Rupa’s coming to terms with her appointment as a protector of the gods, even though all she wants is to stay curled up in her Ms. Marvel blanket. Meanwhile, Adib Khorram’s “Kiss the Boy” features merperson Dylan, who lounges on a beach in human form while yearning for the boy who saved his life. Each story is delicately infused with the creators’ lived experiences, and the protagonists come together in varying pairings, celebrating love across myriad gender and sexual identities. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Eternally Yours

*"[A] swoonworthy paranormal romance anthology  . . . While most of the stories deliver well-drawn interpretations of dramatic love amid fantastical happenings, some are humorously couched in the everyday . . .  Each story is delicately infused with the creators’ lived experiences, and the protagonists come together in varying pairings, celebrating love across myriad gender and sexual identities."—Publishers Weekly, starred review


"Fantastical romances are as diverse as their protagonists in this collection of 15 stories by YA favorites . . . Featuring mystical beings galore, this volume is filled to the brim with enchanting fantasy backdrops and romances both straight and queer and is perfect for sampling or reading straight through. The tone ranges from soft and sweet to terrifying and thrilling, ensuring there is something for nearly every reader and mood. Additional contributors like Sandhya Menon, Adib Khorram, Melissa de la Cruz, and Anna-Marie McLemore add to the appeal. A delightful addition to the shelf of any romantic.. "—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

11/01/2022

Gr 8 Up—Teens who can't get enough of paranormal romances should look no further. This collection of 15 short stories has demons, ghouls, spells, and romances both straight and queer. Authors include mystical beings caught up in fantasy worlds as well as realistic situations of interactions with humans. Featuring contributors like such as Melissa de la Cruz and Sandhya Menon, the collection allows teens to sample favorite authors and discover new ones; they will not be disappointed if they read the book in its entirety. Nia Porter summons the perfect date in "My Demon Prince Charming" by Sandyha Menon. Her perfect date, however, disappears at dawn—can Nia find him again or is their love lost forever? Some entries are sweet and satisfying while others pack a good thrill. Tally Qiu in "A Thousand More" by Chloe Gong is befriended by a new student from Shanghai who claims to be her soulmate from another life. Even though Tally has no recollection of another life, she finds Nate to be irresistible and isn't sure why. Each author has created an intriguing setting to match a paranormal creation worth reading. Characters throughout are of various descent with a variety of skin tones and sexual preference. VERDICT Recommended; perfect for collections looking to add more paranormal or more romance, or both.—Karen Alexander

School Library Journal

2022-07-27
Fantastical romances are as diverse as their protagonists in this collection of 15 stories by YA favorites.

Maria has finally found Ethan, the ghoul who turned her into an undead creature. When the moment comes to take her revenge, she instead finds herself taking his disembodied head on one last walk around the city in “Undead Ghoul Meet-Cute” by Kendare Blake. Tally Qiu, the protagonist of “A Thousand More” by Chloe Gong, is confronted by Nate Zhou, a new student from Shanghai who claims that they are soul mates, destined to find each other in every reincarnation. Despite her lack of past-life memories, she finds herself growing closer to him as they are partnered for a history project. In Julian Winters’ “Who Will Save Me,” guardian angel Micah struggles to choose between his duty to his 13-year-old charge, Eli, and his love for Eli’s older brother, Zion. Meanwhile, Eli has his own struggles with his identity in the wake of his parents’ negative response to Zion’s coming out. Featuring mystical beings galore, this volume is filled to the brim with enchanting fantasy backdrops and romances both straight and queer and is perfect for sampling or reading straight through. The tone ranges from soft and sweet to terrifying and thrilling, ensuring there is something for nearly every reader and mood. Additional contributors like Sandhya Menon, Adib Khorram, Melissa de la Cruz, and Anna-Marie McLemore add to the appeal.

A delightful addition to the shelf of any romantic. (author biographies) (Paranormal romance anthology. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews