September is for Red Hoods and Good Books

Did you know that Fairy Tale Central is celebrating a month of Little Red Riding Hood? I won't give all the delicious details away here, since I think you need to head over there and check out all the fun posts yourself. Besides book reviews on RRH retellings, there's also fairytale commentary, author interviews, and more!

However, I will say that my second book review for the site just went live today, so here's the link for that. Cloaked is a shorter, sweet work by Rachel Kovaciny -- and set in the wild west! I've very much enjoyed both of Rachel's books that I've read so far, both of them from her Once Upon a Western fairytale retelling series. (The other was a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, titled Dancing and Doughnuts.) She did a great job incorporating all the original fairytale elements, and all without magic. Two thumbs up!

And, as part of the FTC Red Riding Hood festivities for this month, I've also published a book review for Girl in the Red Hood by Brittany Fichter on my review blog, KiriBeth. You can check that out here.

Girl in the Red Hood was the very first novel of Brittany's that I've read, and I really enjoyed that one. I'll be honest, I was a bit skeptical going into it, only because I don't know how to approach this fairytale author who shares my last name. When I began publishing my fairytale works, I kept my maiden name of "Fichter" as my pen name, thinking it'd be a unique name that no one else would have. I mean, seriously. How many Fichters do you know? Can you even say the name properly? Probably not (no offense; it's German). Lo and behold, there's another Fichter out there publishing books -- and not only that, she's doing fairytale retellings, too! How uncanny is that? I've taken to calling her "the other Fichter" but I suppose she deserves to be "the first Fichter" since she was publishing books before I was.

Brittany incorporates magic in her books, so that definitely set us apart, but I quickly found out that we both love a lot of the same things in our books: genuine relationships, clean reads, sweet fairytale elements. I was very impressed. And I'm very much looking forward to reading more of her works. I've especially had my eye on her Nutcracker retelling, Clara's Soldier, for a long time now.

Man, all this talk of Red Riding Hood books makes me in the mood to write one. My Little Writer will have my head if I try to do anything now, but I can't help that a slightly gender-swapped retelling with a lumberjack as the lead has been badgering my brain most of this month.

What can I say? September is for red hoods.

What's your favorite Little Red Riding Hood retelling? Have you read either of the books I've reviewed in the links above? Let me know in the comments!

God bless!

Thirst Cover Reveal

Jill Williamson is soon to be releasing her next book! I've read several of her fantasy books over the years (namely the Kinsman Chronicles and the Blood of Kings Trilogy) and really enjoyed them. I've not read any of her contemporary/dystopian works, even though I think I may have one of them somewhere in my Kindle archives. Maybe getting into this cover reveal will inspire me to dig that out, eh?

In my experience, Jill has proven to be a masterful storyteller, a whiz with complex plotlines, and an author who isn't afraid to handle difficult topics. That sometimes makes her stories slightly less family-friendly than most people would want, but I've been impressed with how she handles those topics.

But let's get down to this cover reveal, shall we?

Book Summary: 

The end of the world is only the beginning. A waterborne disease has contaminated the world’s fresh water, decimating the human race. Seventeen-year-old Eli McShane and his friends flee the chaos and violence in Phoenix and journey north toward the rumored location of a safe water source. They add several to their number, including the mysterious Hannah, who is being hunted by a dangerous man. Desperation brings our the worst in many of the travelers, infecting even those closest to Eli. When division comes, will he be able to hold his group together or will each fall victim to their own thirst for survival?

Join some old friends from Glenrock and Jack's Peak in this thrilling first book of the Thirst Duology. Best-selling author Jill Williamson has brought back the breathtaking suspense of the The Safe Lands series in this chilling prequel that will leave readers panting for the next installment.

~*~

Thirst is the first book of a post-apocalyptic adventure that Jill will be independently publishing in November. As an indie publisher myself, I'm excited to see this book release take on the world; as a reader, I'm not generally drawn toward this sort of genre, but I'm excited to get out of my comfort zone and try something new by a familiar author.

You ready to see the cover for Thirst?

~*~

You can preorder the book on Jill's site here. If you're interested in learning more about this series or any of her other books, you can find Jill and her fabulous writings at any of the following links (purchase links to Amazon not included, because you know how to find those):

• Jill on Facebook
• Jill on Instagram
• Jill on Twitter

God bless!

Let's Talk Diamond... Again

4:30pm on the tenth of September, in the year of our Lord 2019...

Not that this moment will go down in history, but it was definitely a big moment for me. Because I finally finished the first draft of Diamond!

I feel like this book was tougher emotionally for me to write than either of the first two. The Rose and the Balloon was mainly fun and, while incorporating some danger and intrigue, didn't have a lot of heart-wrenching scenes for me. Spindle Dreams was definitely darker, with harder themes, but it, too, didn't make me feel like I was gasping for breath when I wrote the end.

Diamond, however... this story has taken me on an emotional roller coaster ride from day one. For anyone who's read SD's epilogue, they know I had some serious issues to cover with this story. Rapunzel, in many ways, has a lot of darker themes about it that other fairytales don't have. Writing "The End" this afternoon was like stepping off a roller coaster of emotions. It's going to take me a while to recover.

For now, though, my plan is to let the story sit and simmer for a while there in the rough drafts folder, and then I'm going to pull it out and begin the tough process of editing.

Some stats, though, before I leave?

My initial goal was to complete this story with the Rooglewood contest limits -- 20,000 words. Not that I was writing this story for a contest, since they are no more (*all the sniffs and tears*), but since that was my goal with the other books, I figured I should stick to it.

The final sentence of the book made it out to be exactly 23,000 words. Not 23,001 or 22,999. EXACTLY 23,000. Don't ask me how I did that.

Overall, I think this story was the fastest to write. RatB I finished in one summer for the Rooglewood contest (and never entered it), and SD took some months with some years' hiatus stuck in the middle. I don't remember exactly when I started Diamond, but it was sometime early this year. Some of the questions that had been floating in the back of my head from finishing up writing SD finally came with answers. It was then that I actually wrote the epilogue for SD and began penning up the first chapter for Diamond. I hit a few snags with the writing process, trying to figure things out. Once I really began writing, though, it came quickly.

Quickly, but rough emotionally. There's so much of me right now that wants to expand Diamond's story to explore everything I can't in 20,000 words. But I'll restrain myself. And stick to my plan. And maybe re-visit her in a short story.

Ha. Take that, Little Writer.

Anyway, I'm still alive. Diamond is rough but finished. And I'm ready for a nap.

How's your day going?

God bless!

Diamond: Info and Snippets

I am happy to report that we're plugging right along on Diamond! I've been excited about this book for a while, and I know there are plenty of mad readers out there who want this book after reading the epilogue to Spindle Dreams. Have no fear! It's coming!

Eventually.

I'm not 100% sure about my publishing timeline, as much depends on how giving birth to and surviving the newborn months with baby #2 goes. Also, how much trouble the formatting and cover give me. *le blech* But I would love to have Diamond available by next summer, next spring if we can swing it. I just can't make any promises yet. I was ambitious enough to promise Spindle Dreams last fall, and we all see how THAT turned out.

But since we just hit 14K yesterday, and it looks like I'll be keeping this book under a cozy 25K (I hope I didn't just jinx myself with that), I thought I'd hop onto dear old blogger and share some of the story with you all!

This cover is mere inspiration, not the final cover, as I don't hold the copyright for the background photo (please notice the watermark/name in the corner). 

Diamond is book three in my Once Upon a Twist Tales. These are interconnected fairytales retold backwards and upside-down with just a bit of steampunk thrown in for fun. They were intended to be standalone novellas, but Spindle Dreams kinda connected itself to Diamond, so they're not completely standalone anymore.

When considering the fairytale Rapunzel, the first thing I decided that must be backwards was the tower situation. Rapunzel wasn't going to be the one hiding in a tower. Oh, she'd be the usual confined and hidden from the world, but not in the tower. And from there, the story kinda catapulted on its own into what I've now got saved in my rough drafts.

The second most important thing to consider was her hair. I'll admit, I struggled with this for a really long time, and this was mainly what kept me from working on the book for a number of months. I just couldn't figure out why she had long hair. I didn't want to backwards that too much and give her short hair, because that felt like a bad, cop-out Rapunzel. If we're talking Rapunzel, she MUST have long hair and, likewise, have a reason for that long hair. That's the #1 issue with Rapunzel retellings. THE HAIR. And I'll be honest with you, folks. The hair ain't easy. I won't spoil what I settled on for Diamond, but I'm hoping readers will appreciate the hair and the reason.

One sentence summary of Diamond:

This time, Rapunzel isn't the one stuck in the tower, but his secrets may cost her her life. 

Snippet time! Enjoy!

Mother had said many strange things over the years, but when she came home with the news that she’d been framed for murder, that was new for Diamond.

~*~

Erland bowed. “I thank you again, and state to you a good night.” 

As he left the study, a grimace took over his face. The Rohesian language was not easy to master, and doubtless that had been the cause of the countries’ lasting tensions over the last few decades. Not anymore. The rolled parchments he now clutched in his hands were the key to solving all the international difficulties – or causing a hundred more. 

~*~

“Another bowl of pudding, my good man?” 

Seth rubbed his stomach and gave a rueful smile. After the thick cheese sandwiches, roasted vegetables, and first bowl of pudding, he doubted he could fit anything more. “No, I thank you. My stomach eats more than I can hold. Your wife is a wonderful cook.” 

The innkeeper beamed. “Of course, she is. You tell those fellows back in Trothen you never had a better cheese sandwich, you hear? It’s a shame you were the only man here tonight sensible enough to ask for them.” 

Seth saluted him and stumbled off the bench. “It will be the honor of mine. I will tell them of all.” The cheese sandwich definitely held its own proudly in the world of cuisine. 

~*~

At first, Diamond couldn’t make out what it was – Maybe a bear? – but as she moved closer, the hump began to look more and more like a human being. 

It wasn’t until she was almost standing next to it that she realized it was a human. Other than Mother, she’d never seen another human before in her life. With a tremble, she now looked upon her first stranger. It was definitely human, but the shoulders and chest were broader than hers or Mother’s. The head looked pretty normal, except for an extra pair of eyes that seemed to be made of glass sitting on the very top, looking out from black hair that was cut short at the neck. Instead of a skirt, the figure wore trousers that clung tightly to the legs, and a thick tunic that almost touched the knees. Little, dark hairs decorated the chin, and Diamond drew a deep breath. 

This isn’t a woman. 

A man. 

~*~

“Rapunzel,” he called once the trapdoor had opened and her head was in view, “I want to demonstrate to you something.” 

Old fascinations took on new enjoyment when you could show them off to people who’d never seen them before. He made a few colorful smoke bombs and watched her face. 

At the first one, she stepped back. “What kind of magic is that?” 

“Not magic,” he said, the response slipping easily from his mouth. “It’s alchemy.” 

She came closer. “What?” 

“I use different elements and transform them into something else. For example…” He showed her the two tubes he was using. “These two liquids, when combined, evaporate into a smoke.” The cloud he made nearly blocked her from view. 

~*~

God bless!

August 2019 Book Haul

Better late than never, they always say! And considering it's only September 2nd, I'd say I'm really not that late in posting last month's book haul.

It's not a huge haul this month; one reason for that being I was trying to write more in August rather than shop a lot. Thus, the first draft of Diamond (Book #3 of the Once Upon a Twist Tales) is (hopefully) already halfway done, and I only have five new books to share with you.

The Yellow House Mystery (The Boxcar Children #3) // Gertrude Chandler Warner -- Be honest here, folks. Who didn't grow up with the Boxcar Children?? I can't even tell you how many times I've read these books; but maybe not all the newer-ish ones. My favorites were the first original mysteries and then the later ones named after food. The Pizza Mystery was definitely a family favorite!

Spring's Gentle Promise (Seasons of the Heart #4) and When Breaks the Dawn (Canadian West #3) // Janette Oke -- I'll be perfectly frank with you. I never expected myself to be picking up Janette Oke books. NEVER. However, lately they've struck a chord of curiosity in me and I'm interested in actually reading some of these. I wouldn't consider myself a Heartie (or whatever it is they're calling themselves these days) since I don't watch the Hallmark show, but I'm ready to see what the hype is about.

The Sign of Four (Sherlock Holmes) // Sir Arthur Conan Doyle -- Gorgeous hardback copy of Sherlock Holmes for $1? Yes, thank you very much!

Veiled Rose (Tales of Goldstone Wood #2) // Anne Elisabeth Stengl -- Would you believe this is the first ever copy of any Anne Elisabeth Stengl book that I have? *le gasp* After following her writing journeys and Rooglewood contests for so long, it's amazing I've not gotten my hands on her books until now.

~*~

I also added a proof copy of my latest release, Spindle Dreams, but as I wrote that myself, I don't know that I can truly say it qualifies for a book haul post. The Rose and the Balloon isn't a new book, but I do like the way this photo turned out with my two shinies!

Have you read any of these books? What books did you add to your shelves in August? Any new releases you're looking forward to adding to your shelves in September? Leave me a comment below!

God bless!