Welcome! Check out the interview below if you're a fairy tale and retelling geek like me! 😊
The Storyteller's Daughter
YA Fantasy, Fairy Tale, Retelling
ebook, 306 Pages
July 14, 2020 by Parliament House Press
Summary
His shadowed face lit by flames,
Rumpelstiltskin is my name...
For as long as anyone can remember, every child in Westfallen has been born with a Gift, and these Gifts defined them.
Then Cosette is born, Giftless.
An attempt to hide her misfortune brings her before the King, who entraps her to use her Gift as a pawn in his war.
Caught in a lie, Cosette desperately searches for a power strong enough to free her. Intrigued by whispers of an old king and a dark curse, she calls upon Rumpelstiltskin and finds him trapped in a magic deeper than she bargained for. Now, Cosette must fight to reclaim her freedom from the King and break Rumpel’s curse. When time runs out, she’ll lose more than her heart. She’ll lose her life.
Interview
What inspired you to write a story based on the classic fairy tale of Rumpelstiltskin?
I love fairytale retellings. Like, really love them. I breathed Gail Carson Levine, Jessica Day George, and E.D. Baker as a girl. Those will always be some of my favorite books. I wanted to write one that was different from the mainstream Beauty and the Beast or Cinderella. Rumpelstiltskin has a special place in my heart, so it felt like the right place to start. Book two (Woods of Silver and Light) will be Robin Hood told from the view of a girl at court, Book three (The Winter Charlatan) is a Sleeping Beauty retelling with a lot more action and political intrigue involved, and Book Four (Untitled) is Rapunzel.
Would you tell us more about the main characters from THE STORYTELLER'S DAUGHER?
Cosette is the only one in her kingdom who is Giftless. She feels like there must be something wrong with her and is very self-conscious about it. This book follows her journey to loving herself even when others don’t see her worth. She’s quiet, enjoys books and soft slippers, and sees the goodness in the world.
Rumpel is a lost boy searching for redemption from the sins of his past. When he meets Cosette, he’s beaten down and has given up. He thinks he might be the key to his salvation. Rumpel is a bit of a question mark to Cosette, since he’s a man of little words, and it takes her a while to figure him out.
Conrad is the dutiful prince who is willing to do anything to save his kingdom. It doesn’t hurt that he’s handsome and charming, either. Though he will be king one day, he doesn’t consider himself too good to hang out with gardeners and cooks. Though we quickly learn that he’s hiding a secret of his own.
Which character do you most relate to and why?
I relate the most to Cosette. I actually based her off myself. We have the same self-conscious personality, and a shyness that only breaks out when we get to know people.
What advice would Cosette give about navigating her world?
Take it slow, one step at a time, and look before you leap. She’s very cautious like that.
What part or aspect of this story do you love the most?
I love the Gifts. Looking back, I wish I would have up-played those more. Someday I may write a little spin off book filled with small tales of adventures that happen in that kingdom just to use the Gifts more. I love the randomness of them, how some people can jump as high as a horse and others can turn apples into peaches but only on Saturdays.
When you reach for a book to read, what genre do you grab and what are some of your favorites in that genre?
I am all about Young Adult Fantasy. I hardly read anything outside that genre. Some favorites are Three Dark Crowns, Sky in the Deep, House of Salt and Sorrows, The Red Queen, and The Cruel Prince.
What’s one of your hobbies or something we might not know about you?
I love to golf. Any date night we take, my husband and I like to golf together. I also love playing strategy board games with friends. If I could have one night a week for golfing and one night for board games, I’d be very happy.
What are you working on next?
I’m currently editing a novel titled Oathbound about pirates. This one will be queried around the release of The Storyteller’s Daughter. After that I’ll be writing the fourth book in The Storyteller’s Daughter companion series, which will be a retelling of Rapunzel.
About the Author
In June 2018 I signed a publishing contract with Parliament House Press for my debut novel, The Storyteller's Daughter. In October 2018 I signed my second contract. I now have a contract for the first four books in that series, which will be my only fairytale retellings. Beyond that, I have a Pirate Adventure in the making, and series with a vivid world with rich kingdoms and other races, already one book done.
What did you like about the interview? What is your favorite retelling?
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