#319 The Monster Within with RJ Valldeperas

This week, we're running a takeover in collaboration with RJ Valldeperas. This contest’s winner will not only be awarded $250 — they’ll also receive a special bonus prize: personal feedback from RJ herself! Here's what she has to say about her takeover:

Hi Friends! I’m RJ Valldeperas, the author of Their Will Undone — an Inca-inspired, “Coming of Rage” YA fantasy (coming out next summer with HarperCollins). I’m also a homeschooling mom of five kids and a content creator who’s gone viral on both TikTok and Instagram for videos about my writing journey, my six-figure deal, and more!

I love to read and write fantasy — not because I want to escape, but because I want my beliefs to be challenged by a world where so much more is possible. I want to sympathize with a monster. I want to hate a hero. I want to understand that nothing is ever as it seems. For Their Will Undone, I use the tagline “Coming of Rage” very literally. My protagonist, Nina, is a young girl who’s given impossible choices and then forced to confront the monster within her.

So, for this week’s contest, I want to see stories where the narratives are twisted. I want to see the manifestation of a character’s choices, the heartbreaking moment where we understand a monster’s motives, and maybe even the full-circle moment when a guiding belief they clung to is turned or used against them.

To be clear, it doesn’t all have to be tragic. I think that sometimes, becoming a monster can be delightfully freeing. I can’t wait to be amazed by your brains. Xoxo RJ

Special Update: The Results 🏆

RJ's top pick for her takeover was "Padrick" by K.M. Ross. Here's what she had to say about it: "This was incredible. It would have been so easy for Padrick to turn to his anger and become a monster like his father. In fact, I almost expected it! But to watch him choose light and rest was so touching and refreshing. There was so much characterization packed into the story that I felt invested in even the smallest part (Gemma, the sweet soul!). Thank you for sharing this story with us all!"

Congratulations to contest winner K.M. Ross and the runners-up, Bryan Rogers and Avery Sparks!