I am so excited to share that @mangoandmarigoldpress is launching its eighteenth book and first middle grade novel EVER! Rea and the Blood of the Nectar is written by debut #ownvoices author Payal Doshi. This novel tells the story of Rea Chettri, a 12-year-old girl living a simple, if boring, life on the tea plantations of Darjeeling, India. Without warning, Rea’s life gets turned on its head when her twin brother goes missing. Determined to save him, Rea embarks on a secret, thrilling adventure into the enchanted world of Astranthia. There, Rea will make new friends, grapple with dark truths, learn the meaning of family and friendship, and discover her true self. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar is the first book in the series The Chronicles of Astranthia.
With this launch, @mangoandmarigoldpress is also continuing our #1001DiverseBooks program to help us not only bridge the diversity gap but also the accessibility gap in children’s literature. With each new book launch, Mango and Marigold Press is committed to also raise the funds to donate 1001 books to literacy and advocacy nonprofits that are working across the country to help those in need.
We need your help to make our vision a reality. Will you be a part of the change to end the diversity gap AND accessibility gap? When you pre-order your copy of Rea and the Blood of the Nectar, you can also sponsor a copy for our nonprofit partner for only $10! The pre-order link is: Rea and the Blood of the Nectar.
For all pre-orders placed between September 15th through September 22nd, 2020 you will have an exclusive chapter to read as a sneak peek into Rea’s adventure as well as receive limited edition character buttons, a bookmark, sticker, and a signed bookplate from the author!
Expected Ship Date: May 2021
About the Author: Payal Doshi
Payal Doshi has a Masters in Creative Writing (Fiction) from The New School, New York. Having lived in the UK and US, she noticed a lack of Indian protagonists in global children’s fiction and one day wrote the opening paragraph to what would become her first children’s novel. She was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband and two-year-old daughter. When she isn’t writing or spending time with her family, you can find her nose deep in a book with a cup of coffee or daydreaming of fantasy realms to send her characters off into. She loves the smell of old, yellowed books. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar, the first book in The Chronicles of Astranthia series is her debut middle grade novel.
- IG: @payaldoshiauthor
- Twitter: @payaldwrites
Illustrator: Bev Johnson
- IG: @beverlylove
- Twitter: @beverlylove
Brief Information About Mango & Marigold Press
Mango & Marigold Press is an award-winning independent publishing house that shares the sweet and savory stories of the South Asian experience. Sharing every day and extraordinary stories of the South Asian experience, the company has produced fifteen books across four different product categories with features on The Today Show, The New York Times, The Washington Post, US Weekly, People Magazine and so much more. We just launched our first young adult book, untold: defining moments of the uprooted, in partnership with Brown Girl Magazine. Rea and the Blood of the Nectar is the company’s eighteenth book and first upper middle grade novel.
The #1001DiverseBooks is an initiative created by Mango and Marigold Press in 2019 to commit 1001 copies of new, diverse, children’s books to underserved populations and communities. Community members can sponsor a copy of a book for $10 to be donated to our #1001DiverseBooks initiative.
Thank you so much for celebrating my cover reveal!
It was my pleasure. The book is beautiful!