Tell A Fairy Tale Day!!

Song Stuck on the Brain: The Lady of Shalott by Loreena McKennitt


Today is Tell a Fairy Tale Day! What fun, right? I love fairy tales. I think the earliest book I remember reading - or having read to me - was Cinderella. My favorite book as a child was a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. I remember reading it over and over.

And don't even get me started on the Disney movies. Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorites, Belle and I have a LOT in common. I seriously envy her library! :) Ending up with a super hot prince in the end isn't shabby either of course.

It seems pretty obvious to me that with that type of history it's not surprise that storytelling became my future. Whether it's classic or modern romance, I think think there is always an undertone of fairy tale to be found. But sometimes it's fun to write and read an actual fairy tale, don't you think?


I did. And my once upon a fanciful day of creating a fairy tale, eventually became a part of my modern day romance Dysfunction Junction. In the book it's written by main character Kianna Ravencamp. You've met Curly-Locks in previous posts for National Princess Week. Here's your chance to get a sneak peak at her story. Enjoy!


Cherry-Locks and the Three Men
(A sneak-peek from Dysfunction Junction by April Erwin)

Once upon a time and not long ago, there lived a beautiful (albeit large) young

woman with long flowing locks the color of black cherries. Cherry-locks, as her

friends called her, was friendly and intelligent with a winning smile and a

charming sense of humor. She had many friends, both guys and girls. But what she

did not have was a boyfriend.

One morning Cherry-locks awoke with a yawn and smacked her alarm clock.

As she rolled over to gain another nine minutes of sleep she noticed something

wasn’t quite right. She sat up and looked out her bedroom window. To her

surprise, it was not her quiet neighborhood street she saw, but a quaint little store.

She threw her covers back and stumbled to the window. All her neighbors’ homes

were gone and in their place, a misty haze rolled along the dewy grass. The store

looked like a tiny candy shop.

“Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Cherry-locks. “What in the world is this?” She

quickly donned her clothes and went down for a look. Upon exiting her small

house, Cherry-locks met a sweet little woman in a pink pants suit with poufy

blonde hair. She could have been about seventy, but her flawless make-up made it

hard to tell.

“There you are, honey.” The woman linked arms with Cherry-locks and pulled

her out onto the sidewalk. “I was beginning to think you’d never get up.”

Confused and still a bit sleepy-eyed, Cherry-locks looked at her quizzically.

“Who the heck are you?”

“Why, honey, don’t you recognize a Fairy-Matchmaker when you see one?”

The older woman said with surprise. “I heard you wish for the man of your dreams

on the turkey bone at Thanksgiving. So here I am to help you find him.”

“Thanksgiving?” Cherry-locks’ eyebrows shot to the edge of her cherry

colored hairline. “That was eight months ago. In fact, it was eight months and six

years ago. I’ve wished for the same thing every year.”

“Well, honey, you’ve got to give us time. There’s not many of us Fairy-

Matchmakers left and we have a lot of wishes to fulfill.” She propelled Cherrylocks

toward the store.

“It used to be we only had to answer the flower wishes. But now, with the job

market the way it is and downsizing and all, we’ve also been given the star wishes,

fountain wishes, turkey-bone wishes…” She shook her head dismally. “The list

goes on and on, so we’ve gotten a little behind in the wish fulfillment arena, but

today your name came up, so here I am.”

The Fairy Matchmaker paused in front of the little shop and turned to face

Cherry-locks. “Now I don’t have much time, so I’ll explain quickly what’s on the

agenda. The store in front of you is the Wish Fulfillment Center for Lonely Hearts.

Inside you can choose between three selected bachelors. I’ve personally screened

them to fit your general tastes. The one who’s just right is yours to keep. So, if

you’ll just come along with me, I’ll introduce you.” With that said, she once more

propelled Cherry-locks toward the front door.

continued in Dysfunction Junction by April Erwin

For more fun:

Which Fairy Tale Best Describes Your Life? quiz!

My quiz answer was Puss In Boots:

You are smart and capable of taking great care of yourself. No matter where you find yourself in life, you always have a plan, and just like a cat, can always land on your feet. a word of advice though - try helping others without getting them thrown into a lake. Naked.

If you enjoyed Loreena McKennitt, here's another one of my favorites.

National Princess Week day 3

Song Stuck on the Brain: Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman

 

Welcome back to #NationalPrincessWeek! A week for us to celebrate the little girl (or not so little girl) in all of us that at some point dreamed of being royalty and finding her Prince Charming.
 

My all-time favorite princess story is Cinderella. I watch the Disney movie and I have a lot of Cinderella books too, but when Kianna showed this one to me at the bookstore. I got tingly all over and couldn’t help but touch the pictures! The story is a little different from the movie, but I don’t care. The book is BEAUTIFUL! It even has sparkles in the cover, cool, huh? Cinderella by Ruth Sanderson is so pretty you won’t want to put it down.

“Sweet Cinderella is forced to spend her days waiting on her cruel stepsisters and stepmother, almost forgetting that she, too, was once a fine young lady with handsome clothes and a soft bed to sleep in. But when Cinderella is left at home on the night of the Prince's ball, her fairy godmother turns pumpkin into coach, mice into horses, lizards into footmen, and Cinderella's rags into a beautiful ball gown. At the ball Cinderella secretly captures the heart of the Prince, but it is not until he finds the true owner of the delicate glass slipper that the two can live happily ever after.

Although she is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters, a kind-hearted young woman manages to attend the palace ball with the help of her fairy godmother.”

You know, not every good princess story has to be a fairy tale - or even set on earth for that matter. One of the best princess series to read is the Firebird Trilogy by Kathy Tyers. I’ve read the trilogy more times than I can count and I never grow tired of it. When the new annotated e-book released along with 2 new sequels, I shattered my neighbors eardrums with my squealing!  They’re worth every minute invested if you enjoy SciFi.

 

Firebird

Lady Firebird was born a princess of the royal family of Naetai. Because of her birthplace in the family, however, her life is expendable. Honorable suicide is the highest calling she could hope to attain. When she is chosen to lead an attack on the neighboring planet of VeeRon her death is expected. She is taken prisoner during the battle and is held by the enemy.

With her own people seeking her sacrifice, Firebird must choose between two worlds before she can carve out her new destiny. This is the story of Princess Firebird's personal spiritual battle and the eternal consequences it has not only for herself but for everyone around her and especially the man who loves her.

Fusion Fire

 A NEW LIFE FOR LADY FIREBIRD

Lady Firebird didn’t fully understand her former enemy, the Sentinel Brennen Caldwell. That might take a lifetime. But she knew enough, loved enough, to embrace his mysteries--and his certainty--and to step out on the frightening path of pair bonding.

Exiled from her royal heritage, she had escaped the terrible fate of her birth as an expendable wastling. She fought heroically to save her adopted world from destruction. Bonded to Brennen, though, she finds herself the unexpected bearer of an ancient messianic prophecy.

While her royal family seeks to seal her doom, Firebird and Brennan face two implacable enemies--one from his past...and one from deep in her soul.

A Compelling Story of Honor and Adventure, Chronicling the Life of an Extraordinary Woman and Her Heroic Fight to Save a World in Peril.

Crown of Fire

Lady Firebird Angelo Caldwell has been sentenced to death "in absentia" for treason, sedition, and heresy. The last thing she expects is a summons to return home and be confirmed as an heiress of her royal house. But merciless foes are destroying entire cities of the Federate worlds. These renegades are trying to wipe out the messianic Caldwell bloodline, and they have almost eradicated the royal Angelos. To help trap an assassin, Firebird agrees to wear the heiress’s tiara for one day of perilous pageantry.

Still, Firebird’s deadliest enemy—the one that can destroy or bereave her—isn't that renegade assassin. Neither is it the despotic regent who hopes to seize the Angelos' throne, nor even the threat of dying in a desperate military strike at the renegades’ world.

Unless she can bring her own pride to heel, everything she cherishes will be lost.

Firebird: Trilogy

In a single volume with newly created maps and annotations, here are the first three volumes of the beloved Firebird series.

Wind and Shadow

The desolate world Mikuhr is home to a once-proud people now on the verge of extinction. Conflict explodes when apprentice priest Kiel Caldwell arrives to investigate rumors of new spiritual revelation, but he is kidnapped by a demon possessed telepath who thinks he might be a predicted messiah. And when Kiel's loose-cannon military brother Kinnor arrives to investigate, a local leader with revenge on her mind threatens to bring down ruin on them all.

It's up to returning Mikuhran diplomat Wind Haworth to head off a conflict that could have spiritual, political and military consequences--but no one foresees the consequences of introducing the Mikuhran Wind Haworth to Federate military Sentinel Kinnor Caldwell.

Daystar

Times have changed for the telepathic Sentinels in the realm of the Federate Whorl. Persecution sends these genetically altered people fleeing to their sanctuary world, but a shipboard disaster exposes High Commander Brennen Caldwell to fatal radiation. Medical student Meris Cariole ends up stranded, an unwelcome outsider, at a sanctuary she never meant to invade.

On another world, wrongfully imprisoned Sentinel Jorah Caldwell receives a supernatural visitor. For generations, the Sentinel kindred has anticipated Boh-Dabar, the prophesied Word to Come. The visitor hails Jorah as Boh-Dabar. Can he believe the news?

Meanwhile, a mysterious stranger arrives at the sanctuary world, also claiming to be Boh-Dabar. Brennen and Firebird Caldwell, Meris, and Jorah are caught in a tangle of interstellar incidents that threaten the Sentinel kindred’s very existence.

And no one—anywhere—has anticipated the events that will shake the interstellar Federacy.

In the “Firebird” alternate universe, humankind has gone to the stars. The messianic bloodline has been genetically altered, and instantaneous communication links the settled worlds. Still, God’s character has not changed, nor have his promises failed. Daystar brings the saga to a conclusion that rocks the galaxies.

I want to introduce you to Hope, another friend of Kianna’s. Hope is the inquisitive one whose personality embodies her name. She’s always ready with advice and always ready for a little mischief and adventure. Welcome, Hope, what do you have to share with us today?

Hey, Everyone! Oh my goodness, I found some really fun quizzes! I love personality tests, especially the silly ones that tell you what character from your favorite book you are, or what color you embody. (I’m Yellow by the way)

What color are you?

Since this is #NationalPrincessWeek, I had to share the latest princess quizzes with you. They’re a blast! Click on the picture to open the quiz and be sure to share your results in the comments below so we can all see how you did. J

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re not quite half way through the week and there is still SOOO much more to come! If you haven’t stopped by my Facebook page yet, be sure to check out the spotlight on Modern Day Princesses around the world. Being a princess is more than wearing pretty jewelry, now they have big aspirations. These girls are well educated and have careers of all kinds that benefit their community. Do you have a favorite princess? Tell me about it in the comments below!

 

And don’t forget to Enter to Win!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Available at all fine e-book sellers

Finding true love these days feels impossible to Kianna Ravencamp, only dysfunction surrounds her. Her sister’s married to an abusive husband and marriages she’s admired for years are falling apart. Maybe relationships like her parent’s don’t exist anymore. She dreams of true love and a family, but she’s never even been kissed.

For her birthday, her best friend gives her a journal and dares her to follow her dream of songwriting and vocal lessons quickly follow. Kianna’s finally dared to dream big… if the three men in her life don’t get in her way.

Nick Steele, her new vocal partner is flirtatious and charming. Derek Simpson, the new vocal coach is asking her out for coffee. Even Jason Payne, a childhood friend is acting odd. For the first time in her life, she will have to navigate dating and flirtation. Will her inexperience be her downfall? How will these relationships affect her songwriting career? Letting go and trusting God is the only answer that brings the path to real love and success.

 

Buy your copy today at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords and more. Click the Buy My Book tab for a list of direct links.

 

 

CFBA: Tea for Two by Trish Perry

Song Stuck on the Brain: Sing Sweet Nightengale from Cinderella

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing:
Tea For Two
Harvest House Publishers (April 1, 2011)
by
Trish Perry

MY TAKE:

Tina and Zack's courtship is so much fun. The awkward dance of two people testing the waters, the flirting and the heartfelt connection they find. Trish Perry did a great job with the characters. Incorporating the teenagers into the relationship journey from the beginning was a nice touch.

On a more personal note, it always feels odd to read a book like this and realize I'm the same age as the heroine and yet she and all of the supporting cast have been married and divorced already. Or at least most of them. I appreciated Edie's character being a single, never married woman, but her romance wasn't the focus of the story. I loved the blossoming relationship between Zack and Tina, but it would be nice if the Edie's of this world got more focus. Maybe we'll get her story next. Not every 30 something female has been married once already.

My personal relationship history (OR lack thereof) aside. I thoroughly enjoyed Tea for Two.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Zack Cooper tries his best to raise his children, but he's losing his grip on them in their teen years. They've both had scrapes with the local law.

Tea Shop owner Milly Jewel has the perfect woman in mind to help Zack. Counselor Tina Milano meets weekly at the tea shop with her women's group. Milly encourages Zack and Tina to work together to draw the teens back before they get in even hotter water. Milly never thought things might heat up between Zack and Tina. Or did she?

Tina's connections with the Middleburg police department prove a mixed blessing for Zack and his kids. Both her best friend and old boyfriend are officers on the force.

And when Tina's women's group gets wind of her personal pursuits and clashes, they want to help. The group's meetings at the tea shop take on a slightly different flavor. Tina wonders who, exactly, is counseling whom.

Although heroine Tina Milano and her women's group are mentioned in The Perfect Blend (the first book in this series), Tea for Two is where we meet her and hero Zack Cooper. I knew I would write this book while I wrote the first, so it was fun to plant a passing mention of Zack and Tina while I wrote Steph's story in The Perfect Blend. By the time I was able to write Tina and Zack's story, I was eager to unfold their lives, conflicts, and love. I hope readers will be eager to experience what happens to them!

If you would like to read the first chapter of , go HERE.

Watch the Book Video:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A word from our Author: I started writing short stories—pretty bad ones. And I started taking creative writing courses to round out my degree. So I was in classes full of people just like me—lousy writers. But we were learning!

Then the Lord led me to a local writers' group, Capital Christian Writers, and the contacts and friends I made through CCW enriched my personal life and my writing life more than I can measure. Through CCW and through reading just about every book and magazine ever published by Writer's Digest, I started catching on. Now I'm writing full time and man oh man do I love it.

Before the writing began, I worked for attorneys in Washington, D. C. I worked for the Securities and Exchange Commission. And I was a stockbroker. A horrible stockbroker. How do people do that? Take responsibility for other people's financial futures? Yikes. I'm perfectly happy to take responsibility for the amount of time any one person wants to spend reading my books. If you enjoy the experience, then know that we both enjoyed it together. I love that about books.

In the midst of all that fretting over other people's money and writing about other people's lives, I racked up a few personal experiences myself. Some good, some bad, but all part of God's plan. Now I'm an empty nester living in Northern Virginia. My brilliantly funny son is in college. I have a savvy, gorgeous grown daughter, a charming son-in-law, and an amazing grandson.