Story News - Guardian of Our Beauty

>>For as long as she can remember, clear-eyed Palli has known that the fate of her city depends on her. Cursed by an angry magician, blessed by a mysterious traveler, and assisted by three mighty allies, Palli will fall asleep on her wedding day. But more perils are in play than the ill-speaking of one disgruntled sorcerer. Can Palli’s curse be turned into the salvation of her city?<<

I was so excited to have my story "Guardian of Our Beauty" selected for a new anthology by Rooglewood Press (Five Magic Spindles, a collection of five Sleeping Beauty retellings)! I ended up setting my story in the Ancient Near East--or, at least, in a fairy-tale version of it. Historically minded readers may be able to identify the Sea Peoples and spot the fall of the Hittite Empire occurring in the background. (Although I'm fairly sure that sea-monsters and winged lions didn't have too much to do with the original course of events!)

And I am very, very eager to read the other stories in the collection! We have a Western, a comedy, a science fiction tale... and, of course, the expected touches of romance. I loved the previous two story collections by Rooglewood Press (Five Enchanted Roses, a Beauty and the Beast collection; and Five Glass Slippers, a Cinderella collection), so having a winning entry in the new anthology contest still feels unreal! For more information about the anthology, check out <http://www.rooglewoodpress.com/#!writing-contest/c22i6>. You can also sign up for the Rooglewood Press e-newsletter to see interviews with all of the authors in the new anthology.

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Penprints Flash Fiction Dash: Painted with Light

[I wrote this story based on a prompt for the Penprints Flash Fiction Dash. Yay flash fiction! If you check out the Penprints site in early June, you will be able to see the stories from everyone who participated! The Penprints site is <https://rosalievalentine.wordpress.com/> ] Painted with Light Duomik slipped through the liner’s banquet hall, a poncho wrapped around him, bare feet sure. Despite the blasting warmth of the liner’s heating system, the floor carried a trace of cold. “That’s one of them—the divers,” a teenage girl hissed to her mother, abandoning her plate of fish. “Ask him!” “Excuse me,” the older woman called sharply. Duomik turned back, squinting against fluorescent lights and tourists’ stares. Skinny, pale, he was anything but impressive. “Does it work? The lights? Does it bring them out?” she asked. “It says in the brochure, na ?” Duomik wrinkled his nose. The stinks ...

TL;DR - Highlights from the Magic Mirrors Blog Tour

Looking for portal fantasy? Dystopia and dragons? Sister stories? Rich historical fantasy? Orphans and hangings? You can find them all in the stories of the Magic Mirrors co-release! If you’re like me, you found the extent of our recently-completed Magic Mirrors blog tour a bit daunting. So many interesting posts on so many blogs—how could you possibly keep up? I know there are some posts that I missed… but I haven’t the slightest idea which ones. So I’ve assembled a few highlights from the tour for quick access and easy reading. (To find links for the entire tour, go here .) Free bits of story Blood in the Snow (Sarah Pennington) – first chapter here For Such a Time as This (Heather L. L. FitzGerald) – whole story free if you sign up for her newsletter here Overpowered (Kathryn McConaughy) – first chapter here , first forty pages here The Seven Drawers (Kendra E. Ardnek) – first chapter here I’...

The Seven Drawers - Kendra E. Ardnek (Review)

Stuck in a dead-end job. Trapped in a mirror. Fleeing the huntsman. Confronting a dragon far underground. Infiltrating a tower in the shape of a cyborg. When Gwen receives a cabinet full of mysterious objects shortly after her father’s death, she finds herself travelling to seven alternate worlds and facing a dangerous challenge in each one. With the help of seven versions of her boyfriend, can she foil her evil stepmother, save her heart, and reclaim her kingdoms? This retelling really is Snow White as you’ve never read it before—like the Chronicles of Narnia crossed with Inception . Every realm has a different twist on the Snow White tale, often catching hold of a specific detail from the original story and turning it into its own conflict. It’s a quest story. It’s a romance. And it does very well at being both those things. High Points In all this madness, Gwen manages to seem like a real person. ...

Kathryn McConaughy's Feast of Adventures

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