How’s my Little Red Riding Hood retelling going? It’s still in the works, and I’ve had some input from critique group partners along the way. But I will myself to get my story submitted in January.
In the meantime, let me share with you a couple of books my Beyond the Bookery teammates have written.
Do you love girl detectives? Then check out Emma Donovan’s book The Vanishing Body. It’s on pre-order now, but it will be available December 2.
Blurb from Amazon:
The village gossips have had plenty to share lately with the local prodigal son returning home to a less than welcome reception and his elder brother caught in the snares of a conniving stranger. That was before the body was discovered – and then vanished.
Nurse Elizabeth Carruthers never lacks curiosity about her patients, and this occasion is no exception. With her wits at the ready, she sets out to investigate the prime suspects: none other than the village’s leading family. But then, who else could it be? As she investigates, she is drawn ever deeper into scandal, intrigue, and murder, all in the best English tradition.
The more he investigates, the deeper he’s drawn into a web of illusions, secrets, and madness. If he can’t sort the truth from the lies soon, more than one life might be lost.
Do you have an obsession with chickens? Beyond the Bookery offers a poultry-themed fairy tale retelling. It’s The Chicken Pox: A Feathery Retelling of Hansel and Gretel by Jordan Elise Durbin.
Blurb from Amazon:
Once, chickens were monotone.
Then, came the pox.
A washed-up bar maid-hen, a twisted and wicked step-chicken, and a mischievous pair of chicks swirl through a medieval world of chickenry in this charming retelling of ‘Hansel and Gretel’. Blanche is a middle-aged tavern owner running out of hope that Prince Charming might walk through her door. When a wealthy guest is stricken with a mysterious illness, Blanche’s livelihood is destroyed. But she wasn’t hatched yesterday and seizes an opportunity for the domestic life she’s always dreamed of. Unfortunately, it comes with a pair of chicks that are far more demanding than Blanche had ever dreamed.
Henrietta and Grittel are determined to brighten Blanche’s dull world. But when they follow their step-chicken to a tasty cabin deep in the woods, the chicks discover secrets darker than any they could imagine.
Admirers of folk-lore, poultry, and fairy tales will adore this hilarious twist on the classic children’s story.
On that note, have fun reading!
K.A. Ramstad 