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.
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.
Version 1.0.0
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. 🙂
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.
Okay, everyone. It’s time to let you know how I’ve been progressing in my writing.
I pitched my Galdur Snow Dog book to a publisher, but sadly, my book and the publisher didn’t mash. So, I’ll keep my eyes open for another publishing opportunity.
In the meantime, something definite is happening. Another story? Yep, and it’s a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood!
I’m going to be featured in an anthology from Beyond the Bookery, and my novella-sized story will be friendly for teens and tweens. I think the following picture gives a cool ambience to my retelling, and I complement it with a list of things to expect. I’ll be adding more to the list as I edit and refine the story further.
Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
Dire Wolf Character
Young Teens
A Crush on a Prince(Who Can Fly!)
Talking Animals
Found Family
The anthology will be released March 2026. Keep following this blog as I share updates on my progress as well as behind-the-scenes glimpses of my tale.
He’s a Chinese artist who’s the innovator behind a series of pictures where he’s the “hidden Mickey Mouse” in each one. He’s actually blended into the background, so you can see his shape only if you look closely. In a way, it’s like I Spy or Where’s Waldo?
Thank you, Rick Mallery, for sharing this on your blog. Now we all can have fun playing this picture game.
Okay, so the above Liu is easy to find, but the following link shows more challenging images.
Did you know there was a canine mascot at the Hoover Dam? It happened while the historic structure was being built.
I came across this story shared by fellow writer Jeff Maxim. The dog was a friendly companion to the construction crew at the dam. His life ended tragically, but he was loved by the construction crew so much, they took time to make a grave for him.
When I was little, I loved the book Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban. To this day, I have fond memories of my dad reading it to me. Another one I liked was In the Forest by Marie Hall Ets. See? Even as a little kid I loved adventures with animals.
The thing with picture books is that even if your children don’t know how to read yet, they can still appreciate the book by looking at the illustrations. I used to have the Big Golden Book version of Peter Pan, and I especially liked the pictures. As if that Disney movie hadn’t fed my obsession with Peter enough. 🙂
Author Lara Lee shares more titles that might add to your child’s TBR list. Or they might bring you memories of the stories you enjoyed. Take it away, Lara.
Happy Independence Day to all you Americans! Just be sure to stay safe around fireworks.
If you also observe Christmas in July, I wrote a book review on an adorable holiday picture book. It’s posted on Jennifer Hallmark’s blog, and if you love sled dogs, it’s the book for you.
And speaking of sled dogs, I’m still on the hunt for a publisher who would be interested in my “Galdur Snow Dog” book. It’s a middle grade fantasy about malamute-like dogs with magical traits, and they can talk to us humans. I’m actually going to pitch it to a publisher soon, so I’d appreciate your prayers that things will go according to God’s plan.
If you’ve been following my blog for a long time, you may remember me posting the benefits of creating a map of your fantasy land. Benefits include helping your reader visually picture your land, thus easing their comprehension as they read. If you haven’t read it, you can click on the following link, where I feature author Krystine Kercher’s map (pictured below).
Are you a sci-fi author? Author Joseph Ficor shows that you can create a map of your planet’s diversity of climates. It’s helpful for both you and your reader, and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Check it out.
K.A. Ramstad 