The novel centers around Owen, a nonfictional boy from our world, and Bethany, a half-fictional girl. James Riley launched his second series with the release of the novel Story Thieves on January 20, 2015. Once Upon the End was included on the MSTA Reading Circle List. Half Upon a Time was included on the 2014–2015 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Middle School Master List, was a Mark Twain Award Final Nominee, and was listed as a NCTE/CLA Notable Children's Book in the English Language Arts.

The two other books in the trilogy, Twice Upon a Time (published April 24, 2012) and Once Upon the End (published May 7, 2013), expand upon May and Jack's adventures as they seek to thwart the main antagonist, known as the Wicked Queen. This is Riley's first story centered around the idea that the fictional and nonfictional worlds are connected, a common theme in his first eight novels. The novel incorporates plot points from various Brothers Grimm fairy tales, including Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White. It is a fantasy novel centered around a boy named Jack, the fictional son of the main character from the children's story Jack and the Beanstalk, and a girl named May who is from our nonfictional world. James Riley's first published novel, Half Upon a Time, was released on September 7, 2010. In 2014, he moved from Los Angeles, California, to Virginia. Before becoming a writer, he considered a career as an attorney, worked as a travel editor, and worked at Disney. He majored in English at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. James Riley was born in Connecticut on May 9, 1977.

All thirteen of his novels have been published by Aladdin, an imprint owned by Simon & Schuster. His other works include the Half Upon a Time trilogy and the Revenge of Magic series. James Michael Riley (born May 9, 1977) is an American novelist, most famous for the fantasy series Story Thieves.

James riley books in order