Everything Else

Kisses and Deaths in Fairy Tales

I have written two novel-length fairy tales and have rough copies of future stories. When I get the inspiration for a new story set in the world of Kingdom, I now ask myself two questions: Who will kiss? And who will die?

Great fairy tales, in my opinion, are about loss and love. They resonate with the human condition. Now, by “kiss,” I don’t necessarily mean two characters are required to touch lips. Kiss here means a strong affection for one another, and if a kiss happens, it may occur off-page. This may signify a deep friendship instead of romantic love, or the saving of a parent. Death is similar. The main character must suffer a devastating loss in some way. For example, abandonment by parents is a death experience.

The death and kiss story beats are why Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk are so resonant. Most fairy tales contain one of these two elements. Cinderella loses both her mother (the death) and gains her prince (the kiss).  Snow White similarly loses her mother (death), becomes friends with dwarfs (symbolic kiss), and meets her prince (literal kiss). Sleeping Beauty is fascinating as the main character falls asleep (death) and is awakened by a kiss (in Grimm’s version). Rapunzel is sold off by her parents (death) and cries in her prince’s eyes to restore his eyesight (kiss).

Now, you could say this applies to every story and you wouldn’t be wrong, but it’s hard to apply it to novels. Where is the kiss in Moby Dick? And while there exists a literal death in Great Expectations, it’s not a death experience. The pinnacle of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, has a kiss (the Fellowship, Frodo and Sam’s friendship) and a death (certain characters in the Fellowship, including the final scene in Return of the King).

Fairy tales are the most basic of stories so the kiss and death are usually obvious. As a writer of fairy tale novels that want to honor the genre rather than deconstruct it, I aspire to include a kiss and a death in my stories. However, I also challenged myself to structure any future story around a literal kiss and a literal death. So while many characters may kiss or die in the novel, there must be one that stands out—the one the book revolves around.

As I come up with the genesis of my idea for another novel, I ask myself these two questions. In order for the idea to take flight, does it require a significant death or a significant kiss? If not, I discard the idea. You might say: “Are you crazy? What if it’s a good idea?” My thought is it just isn’t for me if it doesn’t capture these two elements.

Everything Else

Review of The Shadow Queen

Cover of The Shadow Queen

C. J. Redwine’s The Shadow Queen is an action-packed retelling of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs envisioned as a high fantasy. This Snow White is Lorelai Diederich, the true heir to the throne, but on the run from her evil stepmother, Queen Irina. Lorelai is not the meek maiden who must beg for a huntsman’s mercy. Imagine a Snow White who had Robin Hood as a father and Princess Leia as a mother. Lorelai’s tough, smart, strong, and filled with surprises. Other changes from the original story include a huntsman who has a large stake in Lorelai’s fate, a dying kingdom, and a younger brother, Leo.

I decided to read The Shadow Queen simply because I spent most of the year of 2020 reading Snow White retellings. This was about the sixth Snow White retelling I read, and (quite frankly) I wasn’t looking forward to it. I’m not a fan of changing Snow White’s character so much that she isn’t Snow White anymore. But I had heard good reviews of the book and wanted to find a new version of a familiar story.

I wasn’t disappointed! I enjoyed reading this book and read it in a quarter of the time I had allocated for it. Chapter after chapter flew by, and the narrative gripped me and never slowed down. Redwine is a talented artist who knows how to bring alive a high fantasy. The Shadow Queen would be a spectacular novel even without the Snow White references.

Four or five really creative moments in the story stand out including how the evil queen uses apples. No actual dwarfs in this story, but there are seven of somethings (I won’t give away what). The huntsman, his legacy and his reason for seeking out the fair maiden was expertly intertwined into the novel. All the familiar beats from the fairy tale are here but so much more. This story read to me like Marissa Meyer’s delightful Winter novel (one of the better modern novel adaptations of Snow White) in its tone and scale.

For most retellings, the hook is the source material. Want to read a retelling of Snow White and watch how clever the author weaves in the original with the new take on it? This is often fun, but in The Shadow Queen, this trick works against the novel. Lorelai is a fully-imagined character—interesting, creative, and full of spit and vinegar. She’s a heroine the reader can truly root for. But the one thing she is not is the traditional Snow White. This is the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs with Wonder Woman standing in for Snow White.

Despite this minor quibble, I highly recommend The Shadow Queen. I immediately bought the next book in the series which speaks to how much I enjoyed it. Wonderfully written with a fascinating world, Lorelai’s journey from fugitive to heroine is a story worth retelling and reading.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YMUOCUI

Everything Else

Tell A Fairy Tale Day 2021

Welcome, friend. If you’re reading this on Feb. 26, you’ve arrived at Tell A Fairy Tale Day Central. I have a lot of goodies for you today.

I’ve chosen Snow White as a theme this year, so a lot of posts will be about her. You probably followed one of my posts to get here so scroll down to the link that interests you.

Snow White Retellings Comparison

Interview with H. L. Burke / Review of Ashen

A New Fairytale story with Snow White &. Cinderella: The Weakest Links

Planet is not a Trope blog (with new image of Planet the Pixie)!

Do all Fairy Tales need to include a Kiss and Death? Blog

Snow White Retelling Reviews: The Shadow Queen , A Dream of Ebony and White , Shadows on Snow .

Link to Snow White variants: https://writinginmargins.weebly.com/the-snowwhite-project.html

Cover Reveal of Deliver Us

Purchase my novels on Amazon: Kingdom Come or On Earth, As It Is or support an indie publisher and purchase it (cheaper) on Lulu.com: Kingdom Come on Lulu or On Earth As It Is on Lulu. My first book of short stories is Kingdom’s Advent.

Everything Else

Review of Blind Date with a Supervillain

Cover

H. L. Burke’s Blind Date with a Supervillain is a short spin-off series from her Superhero Rehabilitation Series. In this world, superheroes and supervillains face off around the world. Most superheroes are aligned with the Department of Super Enabled (DOSA) which regulates their actions. 

Surge (or Shawn Park) is a college student with a superhero dad who works for DOSA. He aspires to work for DOSA after he graduates. He’s also falling for the local coffee house’s barista, Nikki. The future is bright. Too bad Nikki is supervillain Apparition and she’s on a mission to bring down Surge. 

For her part, Apparition is under orders from her father to befriend Surge. Yet as she gets closer to him, Apparition is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain her nefarious ways.

This series is entitled Supervillain Romance Project which should give the reader an idea of where the novel is headed. Two famous superhero stories come to mind given its plot: the Batman Returns movie and the Renegade Series by Marissa Meyer. Does Blind Date tread over all-too-familiar ground? Fortunately, the answer is no. Burke succeeds in taking a refreshingly new approach.

Apparition’s character is different from other characters in a way that puts a different spin on the plot. In fact, though the novel is short, the subject matter is decidedly YA or Adult. True, both heroes are adults and have super powers. Where they differ is their background stories, which makes Apparition the standout character here. While some of the book is from Surge’s point-of-view, the majority of the narrative is from Apparition’s to the novel’s benefit.

Blind Date with a Supervillain is written in a graphics novel style, clipping along at a good pace. While this lends to the fun, it occasionally shortchanges some of the deeper themes the author is exploring. A longer and more introspective book might have better served this novel.

In Reformed, the first book of the Superhero Rehabilitation series, Burke created conflicted and nuanced characters. She continues her world-building here. Blind Date feels a bit on the lighter side, but the novel certainly doesn’t disappoint on either the action or romantic scale.

In Blind Date with a Supervillain, you’ll find serious contemporary topics, light-hearted moments, and a great character with Apparition. I’m interested to see if Burke incorporates these characters in other books, or if she produces a second in this series.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NHZPH7H

Everything Else

Review of The Guest List

Mysterious, isolated island? Check. List of victims…er, guests? Check. Atmospheric setting? Check. Victim? Uh…victim? Hello?

Cover of The Guest List

The Guest List is a mystery without a victim through most of its story, and therein lies the genius. Lucy Foley has concocted a story where the reader has to make it through most of the novel to figure out who-gets-it before they can guess who-did-it. The gimmick is double the fun—as long as you don’t peek at the ending—of trying to determine who murders who.

I won’t spoil how this is achieved other than to say it works. If readers don’t mind the author playing with chronology, they should enjoy making their way through the narrative.

The basic premise of the plot has been done hundreds of times but is always good for a thrill. A number of guests are invited to an island, in this case, for a wedding. Most of the guests are unimportant, but a handful are central to the out-of-sequence plot. Surrounded by a cast of supporting characters, the main suspects (or victims) go about their business, alluding to future events and past secrets.

The island and weather are described in exciting detail—one of the strengths of the book. Like great mystery novels, the veil between the living and dead is as thin as plastic wrap. The setting is an island rumored to have ghosts, complete with an eerie castle, an echoing cave, and a hungry bog. And while this could have been handled superficially, the author squeezed a modern scene into each, juxtaposing past and present in an enjoyable manner.

As you’d expect, the wedding centers on the bride and groom, but also on a number of other important roles. In addition to the mystery, the author pokes fun at the concept of an extravagant wedding, and in some cases, marriage. Weddings are supposed to be romantic events with a party who supports the bride and groom. This wedding couldn’t be further from that ideal. On the outside, the affair appears to be a fairytale wedding, but underneath lie corpses from the past, their hands clutching to be released from their coffins.

Though The Guest List is an entertaining read, it may leave some wanting more. Top of the list is the amount of coincidences that occur in the novel. At one point, I wondered if one of the characters was so bad that he started a war among his other misdeeds. The novel stretches the realm of disbelief nearly to a breaking point. That said, in its favor, The Guest List plays more than fair with the main mystery—the one that ultimately counts.

The second is an interesting commentary on modern society. It’s hard to care about anyone at the beginning, but as it progresses, some characters are more victimized than others. By the end, though, some receive their comeuppance and some don’t. Because of who gets away and who doesn’t, it’s difficult to like anyone at the end of the novel.

Despite these issues, The Guest List still has a lot to offer. It’s a top-notch thriller, a decent mystery, and fast-paced read. Lucy Foley is a master of settings and motivations. Hopefully, she will use similar techniques in a future novel.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WG8L7WC

Everything Else

Review of Monster

Cover of Monster

Karen Diem’s fourth superhero novel, Monster, starts out with an international incident of city-sized proportions. When our three favorite heroes: Arca, Muse, and Wingspan show up to take care of business, they are immediately upstaged. Much like the opening segment to an Indiana Jones adventure, this episode serves to introduce the uninitiated to characters and the Arca world. Throw in some fast and furious action and you have a great opening.

Monster progresses in a different direction when main character Zita (aka Arca) continues her hunt for a madman threatening her family. When law enforcement proves to be useless, Zita takes matters into her own hands and goes out looking for the psychopath herself. Her search, in which her friend Muse takes an active role, leads her to a one-of-a-kind nightclub with some interesting people.

I’ve read the first three novels in this series and enjoyed them quite a bit. The stories have become progressively more fantastic, but Monster is a bit more restrained in scope and scale. This story introduces us to a new corner of Zita’s world through a character named Dmitri. This narrative is an interesting diversion from the usual capes-and-tights sequence a reader might expect from the Arca world.

Monster engages the reader with several fight scenes, sticking to the author’s successful formula of the first three novels. This novel is unique in defining a different class of preternatural people than superheroes. A winter setting also sets this narrative apart, providing a different perspective on setting. Another group of “caped crusaders,” actually more like mercenaries-for-hire, take a prominent part in this offering. These mercenaries are always welcome in these novels. While the plot meanders a bit, the key objective to hunt down and bring the psychopath to justice remains Zita’s driving motivation. As always, the book reads like an entertaining action-adventure graphic novel or movie.

This novel is heavy on the plot and less on character development. While Zita struggles with her proclivity toward one character in particular, the growth she experiences doesn’t seem like a major step forward for her. I certainly understood the underlying theme and wished more pages were added to document her struggle with her emotions. Contrast this with her relationship with one other mysterious character who has been in the series since book one. This interaction inched forward a bit more, and it opened up possibilities of where it could go next. More of this thread would be welcome.

Superhero fans and action-adventure readers both will enjoy Monster. The novel wraps up a plotline running since the first book that should satisfy long-time fans. Overall, fun and enjoyable, pick up Monster for a breezy, bitingly good time.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QB9RH6H

Everything Else

Thriller Thursday

My story, Beware Said the Man of Straw, has been published in an online magazine called Havok on Thriller Thursday. 

And I couldn’t be more pleased.

See https://gohavok.com/ (only available on Thursday, January 14, 2021).

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixaby

It’s been a longtime dream of mine to publish a short horror story (and beyond calling it a horror story, I won’t say anything more). I’ve been an avid reader of the genre for years and admire the greats in horror fiction, past and present.

My publication made me think about this little corner of storytelling. When you picture fiction, picture a Victorian street straight out of a Christmas Carol. There’s a brightly lit store called Romance which is four stories tall. One story lit in enticing red, but we won’t speak too much about that one. And across the way is Adventure, built not of stone but of wood with a thatch roof. Why, there’s Mystery down the lane, looking all dark and gloomy yet the entire purpose of the store is to guide you to its spectacular exit. And there’s Fantasy shaped like a castle and Science Fiction shaped like a rocket ship next to each other. Nearby is Contemporary, well-lighted and all sleek and modern looking.

But down a small alley is a black-painted door with a blood-red lettered sign on top. “Horror” it proclaims! The alleyway has shadows where none should be, and you swear you saw someone peeking at you from a window above the store. Yes, it takes nerve to enter. But that’s the rub, so many do.

Why do people like horror novels? I’m purposely focusing here on books, not movies or any other media. A horror movie, play, even television episode is something that exists in time. You choose to experience it knowing precisely when it will be over. Books are an altogether different beast. You choose and must actively read to experience a horror novel. Reading is an active experience. Reading a horror novel invites the feeling of suspense and dread. You are not only the participant but, because novels aren’t visual, also the perpetrator. Subconsciously, you’re asking your imagination to scare you, with a lot of help from the author, sure, but you are more invested. Your mind is the movie screen.

So why do people do this? Why do people seek out zombies, murder, psychopaths, and haunted houses? Obviously, some don’t. They hate horror novels, and it’s fairly easy to see why. For the rest of us, what is the compulsion to read something that’s scary? I think it has to do with curiosity and thrill-seeking.

Thrillseekers first. Some people love a challenge. They want to be scared but come out of it the other side. Usually, these people enjoy horror novels. My neighborhood is boring, but what if a vampire lived next door? The office is the same every day but wouldn’t be cool if my cubemate was a psychopath? And what if we’re working late on a project together? And I step away to get something, check my phone and receive a note that my companion is a psychopath? I return to my cube, but my cube mate is gone. On my desk is a letter. “I know you know.” Rather livens up the old workplace, doesn’t it? Thrillseekers are roller coaster riders. They enjoy the rush.

The curious aren’t often talked about. Let’s face it—horror novels are about death, pure and simple. That’s the end game with nearly all horror novels. Sure, some have soul-destruction and other metaphysical tortures but mostly they’re about death. The curious ask “What’s after death?” And where are they going to find that answer? In a romance, in a contemporary, in a western? Usually not. No, why are there ghosts? What happened to zombies and could it happen to me? What if you were immune to most forms of death, like a werewolf, but at a cost of being savage? Be careful here, a novel could be about a werewolf but not involve death at all, and have no suspense. That’s a fantasy. Horror novels trade their wares in blood money.

There are as many reasons to love horror novels as there are readers. More than thrill-seeking and curiosity, certainly, but I think these two motivate a lot of people. Horror novels say “Come with me and I will thrill you and show you a glimpse of the life hereafter.” Who wouldn’t want flip page after page for that?

Everything Else

Let’s Create Some Havok!

On January 14, an online ezine known as Havok published my short story Beware Said the Man of Straw. A countless number of adjectives can’t express my feelings right now. I’m honored, grateful, excited, thrilled, just to name a few. Havok’s website is: https://gohavok.com/

Havok is an online flash fiction site that publishes genre short stories. A few of the authors I follow have contributed some delightful stories to it. As I read the stories on Havok’s site and the corresponding novels Havok publishes, I started to understand the site’s purpose for writers and readers. It’s to convey entertainment in a short package as well as fill a gap desperately needed in this age.

I collect stories from pulp magazines like Weird Tales which saw their heyday in the 1920s through 1940s. I’m willing to bet most people who submit to Havok have enshrined Weird Tales in their mind. While Havok isn’t Weird Tales—it’s fiction is too short and their guidelines too direct—it serves a similar purpose as those magazines of yesteryear.

Weird Tales and similar magazines gave birth to a number of memorable stories and introduced the world to great writers the likes of Ray Bradbury, August Dereleth, and Robert E. Howard. The writers and editors of Havok provide a similar function, something desperately needed in this world—providing entertaining fiction sans trappings and drek of modern fiction. When Weird Tales was at its apex, people delighted reading wildly imaginative stories without limits. By limits, I mean feedback like: “this is too liberal or conservative,” “this isn’t sexy or violent enough,” or “this doesn’t fit what the current audience is looking for.” As a world of readers, we’ve forgotten that reading is meant to be enjoyed not consumed!

My younger self would be proud of my story. After college, I wanted to be a horror writer. It was my favorite genre, and I thought I knew what it took to spin tension-filled yarn. I subscribed to many small-publication magazines like Cemetery Dance and read and reread them. I mimicked styles, infused creativity, and tried to think like Rod Serling and Richard Matheson. Alas, rejection letter after rejection letter poured in. One in particular broke my heart, and I gave up trying to publish. I wrote privately for my family and friends for years, dreaming of publication but admonishing myself. Publishing was a goal out of my reach.

Image by
Willgard Krause

Recently, I decided to self-publish novels, bringing me immense personal satisfaction. Older, maybe even wiser, I have tried my hand in the market again. Again, rejection letters have poured in, but this time I understand the difference between art and product. Am I good enough to be published? Havok thinks so. They will never know how monumental their decision to publish my little yarn was to me. And so, rejection will still be a part of my life, and I hope it will always be because it makes me a better writer. No resting on laurels here!

And so my little lexicon is an homage to the stories I wrote in my early days. I’ve come a long way since then and hope to publish more to share my art. But for now, I’m very proud to provide a little piece of dark imaginings with you.

Note: If it’s not January 14, 2021, please read the current Havok story they have available for free at https://gohavok.com/. My story will only be available to everyone on January 14.

Everything Else

Review of Beggar Magic

A creative magic system, a well-defined caste organization, an intriguing mystery, and a deep friendship set the stage for Beggar Magic, a fantasy novel by H. L. Burke. When Leilani, a Commoner (low caste) meets Zebedy, a Highmost (high caste), it seems they make an unlikely pair. However, the two quickly become close despite their differences. Zebedy has multiple choices for her future, is well-educated, and has direct access to the Strains, an audio essence that makes up their society’s magic system. And then there’s Leilani. She is limited in her future options, is resourceful but not as well-informed, and only hears the Strains enough to perform minor spells known as beggar magic.

The novel unfolds around a mystery involving the Strains, but the real power of this novel is in its ideas. Burke refuses to precisely define the nature of the magic within Gelia City, normally something a fantasy author shouldn’t do, but it works here to the novel’s benefit. The Strains aren’t exactly “elemental magic” nor are they gods or dead ancestors. Their ambiguity is fascinating and the Strains are a character in their own right.

The other surprising element of Beggar Magic is the caste system. While some of the book deals with discrimination, Burke plays against making this a one-note morality lesson. Some of the Highmost are selfless and the Commoners are rogues—as Leilani finds out one night. Instead, her main and secondary characters are both noble and ignoble at the same time.

H. L. Burke possesses that rare ability to entice readers to say they’re only going to read a few chapters, but instead they end up glued to the book late into the night. While the central tension of Beggar Magic is introduced later in the novel, the world-building is so unique that the earlier pages flip rapidly. Her sparkling characters are another reason to stay up past bedtime. Commoner Leilani fulfills all that’s required from the gallery of downtrodden-but-irrepressible heroines, and Zebedy constantly defies expectations. It’s easy to see why Leilani likes her.

While the novel is highly enjoyable, a few bits at the end follow convention a little too closely. A surprise connection between two of the characters gives Beggar Magic a happier ending, but perhaps ties things up a little too neatly. Other than that small detail, this novel works on so many levels, not the least of which is emotional. Overflowing with feeling, Burke takes the reader on an up-and-down journey to rival any rollercoaster.

It’s too bad that traditional publishers overlook unique concepts when searching for new novels, but fortunately independent publishing fills that gap. Beggar Magic presents a creative concept that is difficult to market but a marvel to read. It’s worth reading well into the night.

Amazon Review: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NYSOVLO

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Review of The Girl in the Clockwork Tower

Lou Wilham’s The Girl in the Clockwork Tower is a steampunk, fairytale retelling of a trapped, tender-hearted Rapunzel. The world is split between humans and the preternatural beings called “the enhanced” with humans acting in the role of oppressors of any other creatures.

Persinette, the girl in the clockwork tower, works for the evil organization MOTHER and her handler Gothel. Persinette’s special abilities include having visions of the enhanced and being able to pinpoint their locations. When she relays this information, MOTHER moves in and sends them to the camps, similar to Nazi concentration camps. At the start of the novel, Persinette, or Persi, struggles with her conscience for her years of betraying her own people. She contemplates resisting or subverting MOTHER, but knows she’ll eventually be caught and sent to the camps.

Meanwhile, riding high above the population, Manu Kelii, a pirate captain who is part of the faction who oppose MOTHER known as the Uprising, sets off on his next mission in his airship. He is to make contact with Persi and have her feed him information to help save the enhanced. Captain Manu is a flamboyant flirt and one of the more humorous characters in the novel.

This novel is far more than a simple retelling. The world is richly populated with a diverse number of enhanced, each with their own special powers. The setup, especially the conflict between humans and non-humans, recall Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles with steampunk replacing space opera. An enjoyable interpretation, Wilham builds a lot on the short Rapunzel story and creates a lavender-haired main character who is both loveable and admirable—a great heroine. Manu is more than just a foil for Persi, and he finds his world changed by her meek resolve. Wilham uses clever devices to give these two many scenes together even when they are physically separated.

As the novel progresses, Persi’s situation becomes more and more dire, and Manu is forced to make a hard decision. The author keeps the tension high to the action-packed climax. Rarely in multiple POV novels do both characters come off as strong-willed but they do here. And while not every thread is wrapped up in a bow, the main narrative concludes with a satisfying result.

Steampunk elements appear through the novel, but this genre doesn’t really drive this novel. While technically it is a steampunk book, if you’re hoping for the usual mechanical companions or fantastic inventions associated with the genre, you might feel slighted. The focus here is on the fantasy elements. But these errors are small details when compared to the solid plot, engaging characters, and creative situations.

Wilhem promises more novels in this series and here’s to hoping she continues. More than a few threads started in Clockwork Tower could be explored. This richly-rendered first offering deserves a full-on series.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FM24ZQG