Search Results

Fans of fairy tale retellings will rejoice at the publication of Amy Trent’s new novella, Curses, Diamonds, & Toads . Trent reworks the fairy tales in the Kind and Unkind Girls cycle (popularly known as “Diamonds and Toads”), giving readers a new rendition that speaks to the pain of language and the beauty of true love. The novella begins with the protagonist, Astrid Lucia, who is desperately trying to sell her strange wares of toads, lizards, and snakes in order to survive. Cursed by a fairy to vomit the animals every time she speaks, Astrid Lucia has forced herself to be silent in public to avoid being thought a monster. She must communicate with gestures and expressions, and many customers shun her even though her products are valuable in chasing vermin away from homes and gardens. When a clay-covered potter named Bernard begins buying her snakes and lizards to recreate the animals in his pottery, Astrid Lucia is given a new chance at life and love. Astrid’s sister, Violet, is cursed as well, though in keeping with the fairy tale tradition, it is diamonds, gems, and flowers that emerge from her lips whenever she speaks. Although at first glance this access to endless wealth seems a blessing, Violet's greedy mother makes her life just as dismal as her sister’s. Astrid Lucia must face her fears of speaking out in an attempt to save her sister from persecution and find her own happily-ever-after. Trent’s novella is a brilliant reworking of the traditional “Diamonds and Toads” fairy tale. Trent teaches readers to look beneath the surface of blessings and curses. Her settings are rich with solstice markets, fairies, and witches, and the slow-burn romance between Astrid Lucia and Bernard showcases the strength of true devotion and the beauty of practical romance. The characters in the novella are all painfully human, and Astrid Lucia must learn that sharing the truth matters because “marriage is not a union of bits and pieces, but of whole selves.” Amy Trent’s reworking of a lesser-known fairy tale will delight those who enjoy stories about the love people carry for their families, their partners, and themselves. Be sure to check out Trent's full-length fairy tale retellings Smoke, Steele and Ivy  (a “Twelve Dancing Princesses” novel) and Clever, Cursed, & Storied   (which reworks “Kate Crackernuts”). You can find Amy's books here . Kelly Jarvis is the Contributing Writer for The Fairy Tale Magazine. Her work has also been featured in A Moon of One’s Own,   Baseball Bard , Blue Heron Review , Corvid Queen, Eternal Haunted Summer,   Forget Me Not Press, Mermaids Monthly , The Chamber Magazine , The Magic of Us, and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . Her first novella, Selkie Moon , comes out in 2025. You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

Highlands Christmas  is the first in a two part-novella about Melissa MacKenzie’s romantic adventures in Inverness, Scotland. When her cheating husband asks Melissa for a divorce on Thanksgiving evening, she flees America to Scotland where she has recently inherited family property. Her husband’s lawyer, Colin MacGregor, happens to be taking the same flight and train back home to Scotland for the holidays, and a bubbling romance ensues. Colin and his welcoming family help Melissa sample Scottish food and learn the local customs as she redesigns the crumbling interior of the home she has inherited. This short novella is a quick read, and it provides readers with a lovely holiday escape into a beautiful Scottish environment. Melissa’s new home is located on the shores of Loch Ness, bagpipers play in the streets, and men wear the kilts of their clans. Melissa attends the Highland Games, takes part in gingerbread baking competitions, samples Scottish cuisine, and prepares for Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve) celebrations. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of the Scottish countryside and nod to local customs. Readers will be treated to an overview of Scottish folklore and Celtic traditions as they watch the sweet romance between Melissa and Colin unfold. As the book explains, “when a handsome man in a kilt beckons, you follow,” and I had fun following along on Melissa and Colin’s adventures! Like a light-hearted holiday romance movie, this book allows readers an escape from the everyday world. The sequel promises more romance to come! If you enjoy Christmas stories with a touch of happily-ever-after and a strong Scottish flavor, you will enjoy Highlands Christmas: Wishes Come True . You can find it here . Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review , Mermaids Monthly , Eternal Haunted Summer,   Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own,   Baseball Bard , and Corvid Queen.  Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine  and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

December ushers in the season of celebrations, a time to enjoy the memories of the old year even as our thoughts turn toward dreams about the new. It is a time to gather with friends and family, staving off the inevitable chill of winter with parties by the fire. But, while December seems a cheery month to many of us, it must have been a difficult time for Cinderella, the heartbroken child who lost her mother and was held at arm's length from her new step-mother's family. Cold and alone by the kitchen hearth, Cinderella would have been forced to serve the holiday dinner rather than invited to share it, but, since all fairy tale protagonists are survivors, I like to think she took comfort in the little celebrations that the season has to offer, marveling at the patterns of frost left on the windowpane or taking joy in sharing her extra crumbs with the little mice who sheltered from the cold in the walls of her home. Sometimes these little, unexpected celebrations are the ones which capture the true meaning of the season, and in marking them, Cinderella may have found far more happiness than her step-sisters would find in the pile of presents that no doubt graced their Christmas tree. My husband and I try to enjoy the little things throughout the year, but no ritual we have is more enchanting than our annual celebration of the season's first snow. I have always loved the quiet beauty of snow, the way its icy crystals transform the landscape as they flutter down from the skies. When the weather turns frosty, my husband chills a bottle of champagne, and when the first flakes begin to dance, he pops the cork, letting the bubbling liquid spill over the tops of our glasses. We sit together by the window, watching Mother Nature's brilliant show, forgetting our worries and taking comfort in the warmth of each other's love. My favorite part about celebrating the season's first snow is its unpredictability. It may snow in the morning (perfect timing for mimosas), or it may snow on a Tuesday afternoon. To take part in our "First Snow" ritual, we must be willing to drop our plans and be present in the moment, and we must be willing to accept the imperfection of that moment, letting a mundane evening be transformed into a cherished memory as surely as Cinderella's rags are transformed into a beautiful gown. Cinderella's stepmother banned her from attending the kingdom's lavish parties and balls, but that doesn't mean she stopped Cinderella from taking part in the magic that the dark season has to offer. Cinderella may have found joy in the crackling of the fire or the lilt of winter birdsong. She may have marked the sweet taste and crunch of a late-season apple or sighed in contentment as she wrapped her hands around a warm mug of cocoa. Anything can be a celebration if we take the time to add a little magic, and maybe a glass or two of champagne. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review , Mermaids Monthly , Eternal Haunted Summer,   Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own,   Baseball Bard , and Corvid Queen.  Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine  and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

Reclusive, awkward Mr. Norrell seems an unlikely magician. He would much rather be in his library, where he hoards every book of magic he can get his hands on. But then again, he is the only person calling himself a magician who is able to actually perform magic, rather than merely study the stuff. Until Jonathan Strange appears, that is. Strange is a wealthy, rather idle young gentleman in need of a profession, only taking up the practice to impress his future wife. But he has a talent for it, and together, this odd couple seems destined to bring back English magic. After all, they are the two magicians the prophecy speaks of. Aren’t they? In J onathan Strange and Mr. Norrell , author Susanna Clarke creates an early 19th Century England that feels so meticulously researched and lived in, you might think she’s dropped you into a Jane Austen novel, or at times, an account of the Napoleonic wars. From Windsor Castle to the country to London and many places in between, Clarke’s Georgian England is full of historical details that set the story completely and believably into the time period—just with magic. For it is also full of capricious fairies, imaginative lore, and throughout the rocks, trees, and the very rain of England, is the influence of the Raven King, who ruled the North for 300 years before disappearing and forsaking it at last. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell  is a rather epic tale, taking place over many years in the cities, moors, forests, and castles of England, continental Europe, and Faerie. The expansive and fascinating cast of characters includes the long-suffering Stephen Black (the “nameless slave” destined to be a king), the mercurial Man with the Thistledown Hair (a king of Faerie), and Mr. Norrell’s enigmatic servant, John Childermass. The characters, atmosphere, mythology, even the footnotes are all incredibly compelling, but it’s the language that makes Strange and Norrell  one of my favorite books. Clarke’s writing channels the speech and manners of the time period so perfectly that her style is a whimsical (and thoroughly impressive) mixture of Austen and Dickens. If you can’t get enough of the Strange and Norrell  universe (or would like to start with something a little shorter before delving into the novel), try The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories from 2006   or The Wood at Midwinter, which just came out this October . While The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of short stories that could come right out of Strange and Norrell’s  footnotes, The Wood at Midwinter is a single, beautifully-illustrated fairy tale (or saint’s tale might be more accurate) with a simpler style. But both are set in the mysterious, absorbing world of Strange and Norrell , and I highly recommend finding the nearest fairy road and escaping into this world at your earliest opportunity.  Lissa Sloan is the author of Glass and Feathers, a transformational continuation of the traditional Cinderella tale. Her fairy tale poems and short stories have appeared in The Fairy Tale Magazine, Niteblade Magazine, Corvid Queen,   Three Ravens Podcast, and anthologies from World Weaver Press. Visit Lissa online at lissasloan.com , or connect on Facebook, Instagram, @lissa_sloan, or X, @LissaSloan.

In The Secret of the Three Fates , Jess Armstrong reintroduces readers to Ruby Vaughn, the plucky American heiress who solved a string of supernatural murders in The Curse of Penryth Hall . Armstrong’s newest installment in her mystery series finds Ruby visiting Manhurst Castle with her octogenarian employer, Mr. Owens, to appraise and acquire illuminated manuscripts for their bookshop. Ruby soon finds out that Mr. Owens has brought her to the borders of Scotland under false pretenses. He has always had a keen interest in the occult, and when he hears The Three Fates, a trio of mediums who claim they can speak with the dead, will be at Manhurst Castle for a séance, he hopes to get in contact with his son who passed away during the Great War. When one of the fates is found murdered, Ruby must solve the crime to clear her name and the name of Mr. Owens, and she encounters plenty of supernatural and human secrets along the way. Jess Armstrong’s new story also reintroduces readers to Ruan Kivell, the Pellar who helped Ruby solve her first case in Cornwall. Like Mr. Owens, whose wife mysteriously disappeared many years ago, and Ruby, who was the object of a great social scandal, Ruan has secrets, and details from his past are slowly revealed throughout the novel. The romantic tension that ignited in The Curse of Penryth Hall  is elevated to a sizzle in The Secret of the Three Fates  as Ruan and Ruby navigate a world filled with danger. Armstrong’s main characters are the backbone of her writing; Ruby, Ruan, and Mr. Owens are interesting and compassionate people who possess both gifts and flaws. Although readers will be titillated by the twists and turns of the mystery at the heart of the novel, it is the characters who will stay with them long after the mysteries have been solved. I loved both The Curse of Penryth Hall  and The Secret of the Three Fates , and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series which will no doubt delve even more deeply into the relationships between Ruby, Ruan, and Mr. Owens. Each novel in the Ruby Vaughn mystery series also explores the folkloric beliefs and superstitions of remote locations like Cornwall and Scotland, and the Gothic settings will sweep readers away on a journey through early 20th century Britain. Jess Armstrong’s writing is perfect for those who love historical fiction, murder mystery, and a touch of occult magic. You can find it here . Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review , Mermaids Monthly , Eternal Haunted Summer,   Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own,   Baseball Bard , and Corvid Queen.  Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine  and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

As the dark days of winter set in, what I love most is the quiet. The bustle and parties and pressure—not so much. But walking out in the cold, watching the seasons change, and then being warm and cozy, making soups and stews, baking traditional holiday treats, curling up by the fire to watch a movie or read a book with a cat on my lap, those are the things I love. What means the most to me about those quiet times that fall around the of the longest night of the year is the chance to reflect on the old year that’s past and imagine the new one to come. I think Cinderella would do the same. Though hers is a story told in cultures the world over, I think that whatever way her family marked the shortest day of the year, she would be taking stock of things as well. I imagine her sitting in her kitchen, once her stepsisters, stepmother, and father have gone out to a party, leaving her behind as usual. She’s finished the night’s task of baking some traditional treats from a recipe her mother taught her, wiped the table, and swept the hearth. And now, with the candles out, she sits by the light of the dying fire and thinks of the year that’s past (maybe bidding it good riddance, but maybe thinking of some pleasures she enjoyed in spite of…well, everything), and maybe, as she imagines the year to come, she makes a wish. For we know that Cinderella is a girl who believes in wishes. And what better time than this liminal time between one year and the next, between past and future, to make a wish? So to mark this in-between time with all of its possibilities, I’d like to share a recipe from the English side of my family: Christmas Pudding. It was given to me by a cousin of my grandfather’s, and part of the instructions include a wish. After mixing and steaming, the puddings sit for 4 weeks, which is why we’re posting this recipe with plenty of time for it to do just that before the holidays. Alice’s Christmas Pudding ½ lb. stale bread crumbs ½ lb flour ½ lb raisins ½ lb golden raisins ½ lb currants ½ lb mixed peel 1 c. Crisco 1 1/8 c. dark brown sugar 1 large grated carrot ¼- ½  t. nutmeg ½ c. grape juice 1 lemon and 1 orange (both grated rind and juice) 4-5 eggs Mix all ingredients together. Wish while stirring Grease the pudding bowl or bowls. (These need to be able to withstand boiling water. I’ve always used pyrex or metal. It’s also good if they have a lip of some kind for tying the string around it.) Then add the pudding mixture to the bowls, leaving ½ inch of space at the top. Then add a sheet of waxed paper, doubled over on top of the bowl and secure it by tying string around the outside of the bowl. Prepare a piece of cloth for each bowl. It needs to be big enough to put the bowl upside down on top of it and tie the cloth over the bottom, making a little bundle. * Steam the puddings. Put a steamer basket (or small trivet) on the bottom of saucepan big enough to hold your pudding (one saucepan per pudding). Add the pudding. The opening of the bowl will face down, and the ties of the cloth will be at the top. Fill the pan ¾ with water. Bring to the boil, turn to low and steam 12-16 hours with the lid on. The first time I made this recipe, I understood why Charles Dickens described the smell of Christmas Pudding this way in A Christmas Carol : “Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing-day! That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and a pastrycook's next door to each other, with a laundress's next door to that! That was the pudding! ” Cool your puddings and store in a cool dry place for 4 weeks. (I always used the fridge. You can also freeze and bring them to room temperature before the big day.) Before serving, steam them again as before for 4 hours. As for toppings, lots of people do things like brandy butter, and they also may put rum in the pudding. But I use Bird’s Custard mix from World Market. In my opinion, this sweet and creamy version of Crème Anglaise makes everything better. And if you’ve never had Christmas Pudding before, I will warn you, it is an acquired taste. But if you like things like dark fruitcake or mincemeat, give this recipe a try. And while you’re stirring together the dried fruit and sugar and spice, don’t forget to make a wish for the coming year. I’m sure Cinderella would!  * Here’s  a good instructional blog post from Bigger Bolder Baking about steaming your pudding, if you’d like to know more. Lissa Sloan is the author of Glass and Feathers, a transformational continuation of the traditional Cinderella tale. Her fairy tale poems and short stories have appeared in The Fairy Tale Magazine, Niteblade Magazine, Corvid Queen,   Three Ravens Podcast, and anthologies from World Weaver Press. Visit Lissa online at lissasloan.com , or connect on Facebook, Instagram, @lissa_sloan, or Twitter, @LissaSloan.  Image credits: John Everett Millais and Arthur Rackham

Felicia Grossman’s latest spicy romance novel is a gender-bent take on the Snow White fairy tale. Wake Me Most Wickedly , which follows Grossman’s Marry Me by Midnight , tells the story of Hannah Moses, an outcast pawnshop owner who must live with the criminal actions of her parents, and Soloman Weiss, a man pursuing a respectable marriage to gain the money and influence he needs to pay back the older brother who raised him. When sparks fly between the two, they must learn to navigate their different worlds and find a way to be together. Grossman’s novel empowers the female character. Hannah is older than Soloman, and she has a life beyond searching for a husband. She enjoys her dangerous work procuring the items and information her customers need, and she cares for her younger sister, saving money so that her sibling can make a respectable match. The budding romance between Hannah and Soloman is filled with fairy tale references to apples and mirrors, but it is set in the neighborhoods of London in 1833. The characters in the novel are Jewish, and Grossman seeks to explore the legal and social antisemitism reflected in 19th century British culture. Her author’s note at the end of the book cites Charles Dickens’ Fagin from Oliver Twist  as an example of the fears Londoners held toward Jewish immigrants. If you enjoy spicy romance with a fairy tale twist, give Wake Me Most Wickedly  a try. It is an escapist romance that will teach readers about the harmful stereotypes that have plagued Jewish communities, and it will give romance fans a happily ever after. I loved it and I can’t wait for more installments in Felicia Grossman’s Once Upon the East End  series! You can find it here. Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review , Mermaids Monthly , Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard , and Corvid Queen.  Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine  and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

Note: As I’ve done before, I’m recycling part of an old recipe column from a little weekly newspaper where I wrote for many years. This salad really is tasty and easy. In fact, if you don’t want to fool with the dressing, just mix some sugar to taste in a bottle of prepared dressing and pour it over the beans. Also, I do think that a simple recipe like this would have appealed to Cinderella, although hers would probably have been perfectly fresh from the garden! (KW) Way back in the late '80's and into the mid '90's, some form of "Three Bean Salad" showed up at virtually every carry-in. An old-faithful, it wasn't very fancy and bringing it certainly didn't announce its maker as a cooking sophisticate. Indeed, I remember that it often elicited snickers even as people filled their plates with it and gobbled it down. Eventually, good old cold bean salad somehow became too uncool to serve outside of the occasional Sunday supper. Yet, In a twist I did not see coming, it seems that in addition to just about every cookbook published before 1990, the Internet is awash in "Three Bean Salad" recipes--only nowadays, the number and variety of beans is bigger than ever. Through much sleuthing and based on my own tastes, I came up with "Fantastic Bean Salad,” about a decade ago. So follow my lead, and feel free to play with it to accommodate your family's tastes.    This recipe easily makes about 10 generous servings. The garbanzo beans were particularly good in this dish, so use them if you have them. There are five regular-sized cans of beans in the salad, but I think you could sneak a sixth can in here and keep the dressing amount the same without drying out the mixture. You will note that I use no salt. That's because many canned beans have plenty of sodium, as does white wine vinegar. Last, but not least, it is very popular at holiday gatherings year around. Fantastic Bean Salad Drain and rinse the following: 1 can black beans 1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas) 1 can yellow or wax beans 1 can green beans 1 can dark red kidney beans   Mix the beans up very thoroughly. Let them continue draining in colander and, meanwhile, mix (whisk) the following together:       1 cup white vinegar (or cider vinegar) 1 cup sugar Lots of freshly ground pepper A couple of pinches of Cajun-style seasoning (optional)   Let the dressing blend on its own for a few minutes, and, next, dice up the following and add it to the beans, mixing thoroughly: 1 bell pepper 1 small to medium sized onion 3 to 5 stalks of celery, depending on your tastes The celery, onion and bell pepper are very important to the success of this recipe. The crunch really transforms the taste of the salad. Anyway, now mix everything together on a large bowl and chill at least eight hours, but more is better. Stir from time to time to keep things mixed.  This is very pretty, and in a lovely container will stand out at any meal. Hope you find it fantastic!

Are you the sort of reader who loves a surprise book? How about a curated collection of delightful, themed trinkets to go with that book? And maybe some coffee, tea or cocoa? I am definitely that sort of reader. What if I told you that there is an amazing Etsy store that offers the absolute best Blind Date With a Book boxes I’ve ever encountered? It’s Inglenook Book Shop , and I’m absolutely in love. I first encountered the store on BookTok, where it frequently posts, and where Blind Date With a Book boxes are absolutely everywhere. But Inglenook stood out. Its boxes are stuffed with delightful little items like jewelry, bookmarks, bows, feathers, art, decor, and, of course, well-chosen books from a variety of genres. And then there are the tiaras. Oh, the tiaras! Depending on the theme of the box, the tiaras are dark or light or magical looking, but wow, are they enchanting! Here’s the lovely and extremely talented author Shveta Thakrar* modeling the tiara she received as the winner of the Inglenook Dark Academia box we gave away at our October Fairy Godparents Club Celebration. Here she is: Not only are the offerings at Inglenook fantastic, the people who run it are terrific. They very generously worked with me on the Dark Academia box giveaway, and I’m so appreciative. (Thank you, Elizabeth!) Inglenook Book Shop offers a variety of boxes, and their inventory is constantly changing, so no items are guaranteed, but judging by the quality of the boxes I’ve seen, you’ll do well no matter when and what you buy from them. It’s not just about tiaras, fantastic as they are. Currently, there is a Dark Academia box, a Light Academia Box, and a Fairy Tale box (be still my heart). All three not only come with glorious objects to love, they have TWO books in them! There are some other intriguing items on offer as well (like vintage aesthetic boxes!), so hurry over to Inglenook Book Shop for your holiday shopping today. *If you’ve never read Shveta’s work, then go find it! She is the author of the mesmerizing book Star Daughter , which I’m currently loving. Plus, she has a new book coming in March, called Divining the Leaves —can’t wait! Learn all about Shveta and her writing here . You won’t be sorry.

Junia is hungry—for peace, for choice, for escape. But since the death of her uncle, she must go without and satisfy the hunger of others. She cooks and bakes to feed the customers of the family tavern. And then, of course, she must also serve her brutish cousin, who is hungry for her. Things get worse as time goes on and the enemy army approaches, laying siege to her home. Trapped in an abusive marriage and struggling to raise two children she can’t bring herself to love, all Junia wants is freedom. But there is no escape from the city, and the food is running out. In  Before the Forest,  author Kell Woods explores the horrifying conditions and desperation the townspeople suffered during the 1648 siege of Breisach. While this short story stands alone, it is a prequel to  After the Forest,  giving the witch from Hansel and Gretel an origin story. Like Woods’s debut novel, this story examines the consequences of trauma through a fairy tale lens. The tale reimagined here is one of the grimmest from the Brothers Grimm: The Juniper Tree. The setting of a besieged city in which the innocent townsfolk suffer the privations of a war is a fitting one with which to explore The Juniper Tree’s themes of murder and cannibalism, and Woods marries history and fiction in shocking detail. When assault and domestic abuse are added in, Junia is all too believable as a woman pushed to the breaking point.   Her story   is a gut-wrenching read, the kind that had me whispering,  no, no,  in horror as I hung on every word. As a stark warning of the results of man’s inhumanity to man (and woman),  Before the Forest  is powerfully grim. Lissa Sloan is the author of  Glass and Feathers,  a transformational continuation of the traditional Cinderella tale. Her fairy tale poems and short stories have appeared in  The Fairy Tale Magazine, Niteblade Magazine, Corvid Queen,   Three Ravens Podcast,  and anthologies from World Weaver Press. Visit Lissa online at  lissasloan.com , or connect on Facebook, Instagram, @lissa_sloan, or Twitter, @LissaSloan.

Cinderella has always seemed like an autumn fairy tale to me. Perrault's variant features the most autumnal of fruits, a pumpkin, turned into a magical coach, and I have always imagined the mice and lizards who become Cinderella's carriage drivers and footmen skittering around in the fallen leaves of Cinderella's garden while they wait for the Fairy Godmother's wand to work its magic. Even the leaves of early autumn seem to echo the fairy tale's theme of transformation, bedecking themselves in glorious shades of red, orange, and yellow as they waltz through the celestial ballroom of the skies. My husband agrees that Cinderella is an autumn fairy tale, but he doesn't view the story or the season through my fairy-tinted glasses. He thinks autumn is a season of toil. The brilliantly colored leaves which decorate the branches will wither and fall, piling over the lawn no matter how fastidiously he rakes them away. And, although he understands that autumn is a time of transformation, he sees the months turning bleak, ushering in the cold winter with piles of snow that will need to be shoveled. The dark half of the year turns my husband into a Cinderfella, endlessly completing tasks assigned by an evil Step-Mother-Nature, and far too tired to attend the King's ball. It can be stressful to keep up with the outdoor chores of autumn and impending winter, but, maybe instead of trying to separate the dying leaves from the still-living lawn, we need to relax a bit, and enjoy the season's untidy beauty. In The Brothers' Grimm version of Cinderella, it is a tree that answers the girl's wishes, throwing gold and silver down on her so she has a dress and shoes to wear to the dance. I like to watch the falling leaves of late autumn and think of them as gifts from the trees, gold and silver that decorates our lawn with cluttered elegance. While my neighbors may strive for the perfection of a perfectly manicured lawn, I revel in the messy piles of leaves that my oak and maple trees throw down, and I always find myself a little bit sad when my husband finally cleans them away. Cinderella's transformation into a beautiful woman who captures the heart of the prince is often considered the high point of her fairy tale, but perhaps just as important is the moment the prince recognizes Cinderella even though she is clothed in her rags. There is great beauty in the fallen leaves and barren sticks of late autumn if we are willing to see it, and, if we are lucky, maybe Mother Nature will send us a Fairy Godmother to help us clean everything up in the spring. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review , Mermaids Monthly , Eternal Haunted Summer,   Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own,   Baseball Bard , and Corvid Queen.  Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine  and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/

Grimm Curiosities  by Sharon Lynn Fisher is a folklore-filled romantic mystery that is impossible to put down! Set in 1851 York, the most haunted city in England, the novel introduces readers to Lizzie Grimm, the daughter of a mother who can communicate with spirits and a deceased father who once owned and operated the now struggling curiosities shop. When Lizzie’s mother falls into a trance after an encounter with a ghost, Lizzie must manage the household and the family’s flailing business to make ends meet. Grimm Curiosities  takes place at Christmastime, and it is during an atmospheric snowfall that Lizzie encounters two men with an occult interest in what her shop has to offer. The first man, Antony Carlisle, the son of a Baron, has lost his own mother to illness and seen his little sister suffer from the same strange affliction that affects Lizzie’s mother. The second man, Ambrose Stoke, a collector of antiquities, hopes to purchase a series of old books from the shop, but the books have a sentimental value to Lizzie because they contain stories and folklore she once shared with her father. When Antony and Lizzie also discover that the books are connected to the perplexing afflictions of their loved ones, they work together to uncover the mystery all while navigating the strict social environment that would keep the son of a baron and the daughter of a shopkeeper from moving in the same circles. Sharon Lynn Fisher has written a heartwarming, romantic story populated with engaging characters navigating a rich, winter atmosphere, but her book offers so much more than a typical read! Fisher’s novel is permeated with folklore, making specters, spirits, ghosts, and portals to other worlds a palpable part of a real-world mystery. The treasured collection of books Lizzie inherits from her father includes titles like The Krampus , The Wild Hunt , The Werewolf , and Ireland’s Merrow , and each volume blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, between the world we recognize and the worlds we dream about. The Victorian propriety of a charity Christmas Ball mingles with haunted artifacts and ancient legends as Lizzie, Antony, and Ambrose discover long lost secrets and uncover hidden family connections. Grimm Curiosities  can be enjoyed all year long, but it is sure to become a staple to be revisited each Yuletide. If you enjoy Victorian romance with well-researched folklore and a touch of mystery, then this book is for you! I loved it! You can find the book here and you can sign up for my reader list here for a chance to win a FREE, signed copy of the book and have my exclusive interview with the author delivered to your inbox on December 1st! Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review. Kelly Jarvis works as the Assistant Editor for The Fairy Tale Magazine where she writes stories, poems, essays, book reviews, and interviews. Her poetry has also been featured or is forthcoming in Blue Heron Review , Mermaids Monthly , Eternal Haunted Summer, Forget Me Not Press, The Magic of Us, A Moon of One’s Own, Baseball Bard , and Corvid Queen.  Her short fiction has appeared in The Chamber Magazine  and the World Weaver Press Anthology Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers . You can connect with her on Facebook (Kelly Jarvis, Author) or Instagram (@kellyjarviswriter) or find her at https://kellyjarviswriter.com/