Let Me Introduce My Fellow Authors

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.

The Vanishing Body Pre-order on Amazon

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.

The Chicken Pox on Amazon

On that note, have fun reading!

Animal Books for World Animal Month?

Hi, friends.

You’ve probably gotten a clue that I love animals. Well, October is World Animal Month, as well as a plethora of other days dedicated to God’s creatures.

I wrote reviews for Story Warren on the three animal-themed books pictured here:

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In the reviews, I take a look at the treatment of the animal characters and content that parents need to be aware of. I also note the voices Helen Moss and Anna Sewell used when recounting the stories of Balto, Togo, and Black Beauty. Moss and Sewell’s books are targeted for a middle grade audience, and Gayle C. Shirley’s book on famous Montana animals is for grades fifth through twelfth.

Thank you, Story Warren, for allowing me to partner with you in finding the right books for growing kids and teens.

Selections for World Animal Month

Yes, It’s Another Fairy Tale Anthology!

Another anthology from Beyond the Bookery is here! This one is Of Beauty & Bravery, featuring authors Deigan Marie, Dawn E. Dagger, and S.M. Shigemitsu.

Click on the link below to learn more:

Of Beauty & Bravery Amazon Link

A Beauty and the Beast Collection

To all you fairy tale lovers out there…

There’s another fairy tale anthology from Beyond the Bookery’s Fairy Tale Frenzy. It’s a collection of Beauty and the Beast retellings by Tabitha Bouldin, Megan Charlie, and Heather Flynn.

What’s the title? Evermore. Very appropriate, right?

Here are the blurbs from Amazon:

Falling for the Beast by Tabitha Bouldin
Belle never asked to inherit a curse that stripped her of magic. Mordred never expected to be cast from his realm, trapped in a body of gears and wood. Bound by fate and desperate bargains, the two must risk trust—and their hearts—to survive Castle Graymoore’s secrets. But when betrayal and sacrifice collide, will love be enough to shatter the curse before it consumes them both?

Dust Clothes and Dumbbells by Megan Charlie
Bernie has been a maid in a cursed household for nearly 20 years. If the Beast/prince can’t find love soon, everyone on the estate will die.
Nothing is working out as it should and Bernie’s growing feelings threaten to jeopardize everything. How can one maid save a cursed prince?

Beauty in the Shadows by Heather Flynn
A shepherd, who is more than he appears to be, is injured in an accident. In desperation he finds himself at the mysterious Langley Manor, a subject of many rumors in the village of Enulmoor. There he meets a woman who hides herself in shadows, loaded down with guilt of the past. Together they must take on the challenges that bring her face to face with her past, while he must face his destiny.

To order your own Kindle or paperback copy, here’s the link:

Evermore on Amazon

Two Fairy Tale Books Have Been Released!

Have you heard? Two anthologies from Fairy Tale Frenzy have been released. They’re both collections of historical retellings of classic tales. Think The Ugly Duckling, Beauty and the Beast, The Snow Queen, Cinderella, and Snow White.

Below are the links to the books on Amazon. And they’ve added blurbs, too.

This I Know Amazon Link
Worthy Love Amazon Link

A Book Review of The Blue Bird of Happiness

Hi, all.

I have another book review published on Jennifer Hallmark’s blog. It’s on The Blue Bird of Happiness by S.M. Shigemitsu, a retelling of Maurice Maeterlinck’s play “The Blue Bird.” I share the differences and similarities between the play and Shigemitsu’s version.

Fun fact: Shigemitsu is part of the Fairy Tale Frenzy series, just as I am. Only she’s in a different book from me, i.e. Of Beauty and Bravery. It will be released September 23 for Kindle.

The Blue Bird of Happiness Book Review

Of Beauty and Bravery Pre-order

More Fairy Tales Coming!

As you may know already, I’m writing a Little Red Riding Hood retelling that’s fit for middle grade and teens. It’s going to be featured in an anthology that’ll be published by Beyond the Bookery. In fact, the anthology is part of a series of anthologies called Fairy Tale Frenzy.

Speaking of Fairy Tale Frenzy, the first four anthologies will be published soon. Some are fantasy retellings, and others are historical retellings.

If you want to whet your appetite while waiting for my story, check out these books. Here’s the link if you want to preorder them.

Fairy Tale Frenzy Preorders

A Book Theme . . . And a Movie

Hi, everyone.

As I continue sharing with you my Red Riding Hood retelling, I’ll ask a question: What is the theme of my story? Or a theme, anyway?

Let me stall in answering by talking about a movie I’ve just seen.

I watched the movie version of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s Shiloh. I’ve read the book, though I like the movie version better as it has a lot less language. Also, I think it better addresses the importance of keeping a promise and telling the truth. When Shiloh’s abusive owner, Judd, goes back on his word by not giving Marty the dog, Marty tells him, “Shouldn’t your word be enough?” That is huge. Talk about teaching an important lesson without being on-the-nose about it.

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That’s what I strive for when writing my stories: illustrating a virtue without spelling it out. It’s something that readers appreciate, because instead of being preached at, they’re so immersed in the emotions of the story, they can’t help but think and ponder.

Kindness is a theme in Shiloh, and it’s one of the themes in my book, too. My main character, thirteen-year-old Nan, has compassion on an injured dire wolf, just like Marty cares for an injured Shiloh. She wants to be the wolf’s friend (even giving her the name Silvera). Yes, my wolf character is a girl, and Nan and the wolf develop a sisterly friendship.

My story is different from Marty and Shiloh’s, though. Even though the wolf is open to human contact, she can be aggressive when threatened, which can cause her to be more dangerous. However, Nan goes on a camping adventure with the wolf, and her kindness plays a key role in taming the beast.

I know, it sounds a little like Beauty and the Beast, but my story still has elements of Little Red Riding Hood (i.e. befriending a wolf, the dilemma of trusting a stranger, an older woman in a nightgown, a villain disguised as a grandmotherly figure).

Isn’t the above picture gorgeous? I found it on Pexels’ website of downloadable photos. This wolf’s eyes are closed, but if Silvera had her eyes open, they would be part purple and part blue. Why? You’d have to keep reading to find out. 🙂

An Update on Writing, Plus a YA Author

Hi, friends.

Today, I edited two hours’ worth of my Little Red Riding Hood story, and I’m happy with my progress so far. I had editing “sprints,” where I edited for an ex-amount of minutes, took a break, and then edited again. In a way, it’s like a HIIT workout.

My plan is to write the best draft possible; then I’ll share this with others for input. I strive to write this story so that it’s for both middle grade and YA. In other words, I want to be low-key in violence, but I also want to address the teen’s inner desire to fit in. And romance? I’m keeping it at the level of the main character having a crush, which is something both middle-graders and teens can relate to.

In light of young adult stories, check out M Liz Boyle interviewing YA author Christina Shaw. Christina shares her past experience as a high school teacher, as well as what she thinks good, God-glorifying YA should look like. Thanks for sharing, M Liz.

Note: Christina has published the middle grade book she mentioned in the interview. It’s called Flibbertigibbet, and it’s Book One of Big Family Adventures.

Author Christina Shaw Joins Me Today