Off the Bookshelf: TALES OF EVER AFTER, Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology

This anthology from the Fellowship of Fantasy is ... WOW.
Major fun.

Retellings and new angles of known and not-so-well-known faerie tales.

Let their "Dear Readers" letter tell you what to expect (and let me strongly urge you to indulge):

"Have you ever wondered what happened after Cinderella's ball? Or why exactly all those princesses are so darn sleepy? Or if kissing frogs is really a good idea? Never fear! We have the answers to those questions and more. Enjoy sixteen original stories from awesome authors across multiple genres from Steampunk to Science Fantasy to Epic Adventure to Snarky Satire.

"There are many perilous journeys ahead of you, but no graphic content. All the stories here fall below a PG-13 rating.

"The Fellowship of Fantasy is an online group of writers dedicated to presenting the best in clean fantasy stories of any stripe. Some tackle epic quests to save the world, while others prefer more urban settings. Whether you enjoy contemporary tales, romantic retellings, or something else entirely, you're sure to find stories that speak to you."

www.fellowshipoffantasy.com

Indulge!

Off the Bookshelf: ENCHANTED, by Demelza Carlton

Beauty and the Beast Retold: And it's kind of Beauty's fault ....

This Beauty had me hooked from the moment I met her. Smart, tough, aching for adventure, full of common sense -- and humble enough to admit when she messes up big-time. She's gonna fix the mess she made, even if it kills her...

The king sends for Beauty's mother, to make a curse for an enemy. Problem: Mama is dead, and the king is the kind of guy who won't let that be an acceptable excuse. So our heroine goes to the palace in her mother's place. She creates a curse for an enemy of the king ... but doesn't know who exactly she is cursing. When she meets up with the cursed hero years later, the story is enchanting and engrossing and picks up all the plot points of the traditional story, but in new and clever ways.

Loved it. Looking forward to reading more in this series of faerie tales retold.

Off the Bookshelf: LOOK ALIVE TWENTY-FIVE, by Janet Evanovich

Guilty pleasure time!

And let me once again extol the joys of having online access to the library. I was able to place an order to reserve this newest Stephanie Plum adventure (mis-adventure, romp) months (and months and months) in advance, and then I got a notification on release day to come get it.

Things seem to be getting a little more serious for Stephanie, with people vanishing, presumed either dead or snatched by aliens. At least, that's Lula's theory. Stephanie and Lula end up managing an odd little deli in a bad part of town. A bail bonds customer skips town and the deli becomes the property of her cousin Vinnie's bail bonds business.

Rumors abound and the hot sauce and other condiments fly when Lula gets into the sandwich-making groove. She refuses to give customers what they order, insisting they'll like her version better. Ahhh .... NO. As usual, the situation progresses from strange to bizarre, and Stephanie gets in messy trouble. She ends up with 24-hour Rangeman surveillance until the disappearances of the managers at the deli are solved. Because Stephanie is the new manager. Just how does a grunge rock star and a proposal for a cannibal deli TV show tie into all this weirdness? Read it and find out.

Oh, and a milk-snorting-out-your-nose warning: Don't eat and drink while reading. Your sinuses will thank you.

Off the Bookshelf: A GATHERING TEMPEST, by Catherine Jones Payne

This short story is a great way to get quickly immersed in the undersea world created by Catherine Jones Payne.

No pun intended.

Alexander is a kid from the wrong side of the tracks -- or in this case, the canal, in the undersea city of Thessalonika. His father is a drug addict and there's never any money for things like food or school supplies. Alexander is smart and could make something of himself, if the stratified society of his world would just give him a chance.

His best friend in school is Jade, heroine of one of Catherine's full-length books. Jade is upper class and her father is an important man. The social unrest that divides the undersea world directly impacts Jade and Alexander, their friendship, and his plans to make a better life for himself. He has to make some painful choices. Will they work out?

That's all I'm gonna tell you. Get the story, read it, and give in to the temptation to buy one of the full-length books and return under the sea. This ain't your granny's Little Mermaid by a long shot (well, at least not the Disney version... Thank goodness!)

Off the Bookshelf: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, by Dianne Wynne Jones

When several people in a row  from different sources all talk about the same book and recommend reading it, and even refer to it as a favorite or a source of inspiration -- well, duh! -- it's time to get hold of that book and read it.

Of course, finding the time to read is a lot harder than remembering to buy the book in the first place! I finally sat down to read ... and ended up devouring. What a fun romp!!

I'm a fan of fantasy books where people have a good idea of the "rules" of magic that populate faerie tales, such as the youngest child has the adventures and ends up marrying the prince or princess, and the oldest child messes up the worst or has a totally boring life.

Sophie is well aware that as the oldest, she won't have a happy ending. She's convinced she isn't beautiful, she doesn't have any magical talents, and she won't fall in love. So she lets herself become overlooked and timid, until a witch walks into her hat shop, upset over something Sophie did. Sophie has no explanation, and no chance to defend herself. When the witch turns her into a shriveled old crone, she decides to get out of there. Before she knows it, she's on an adventure.

The moving castle of the title is just that. Howl the wizard has a reputation that makes him dangerous to young girls, so Sophie figures she's safe when she's caught out in the middle nowhere and the only shelter is -- you guessed it -- Howl's castle, trundling by. She finagles her way inside, and soon she's cleaning up the place, organizing it, and driving Howl and his apprentice crazy. As Sophie tries to fix things, somehow she makes a bigger mess. Or does she? Howl turns out to be entirely different from what she expected -- and when the witch is dealt with, Sophie ends up as a surprise for Howl, too.

There are more Howl's stories. Looking forward to finding them and devouring them, too!

Off the Bookshelf: THE ROYAL WEDDING COLLECTION, by Rachel Hauck

If you're a Hallmark movie fan (especially the royal wedding movies) then you've probably seen the movie adaptation of Rachel Hauck's book, ONCE UPON A PRINCE. That's the impetus for getting at least the 1st book in this trilogy. Along with the fact that Rachel is an amazing teacher and worship leader -- heard her at this year's ACFW conference -- and she's the featured guest at this year's Faith and Fellowship Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio, December 1. (and an OSU football fan!)

CLICK HERE for info, and come see her (and me, too!!)

On to the review:

I bought all three books because hey, it's ebooks so no worry about shelf space, and 2nd hey, a lot cheaper to buy all 3 together and besides, I was really, really in the mood for some romance.

ONCE UPON A PRINCE -- Nathaniel (prince of Brighton) and Susanna
PRINCESS EVER AFTER -- Reggie (great-granddaughter of the long lost princess of Hessenberg, ally of Brighton) and Tanner
HOW TO CATCH A PRINCE -- Stephen (Nathaniel's brother) and Corina

Can I just say ... *sigh* What fun! Satisfying, funny, clever, and anything that smelled faintly of cliche was dealt with cleverly so it just plain worked.

Nathaniel is on diplomatic business for his father, the king, and taking a bit of a vacation when he meets Susanna. He has fun hiding his identity and being an ordinary guy, and when duty calls, he's honest with her -- it's against Brighton law for them to try to have a future. She understands that. She's not in the market for another broken heart. But of course they get thrown together, and they try to obey God and do what's right, and there's the whole political/diplomatic mess with Hessenberg distracting Nathaniel.

Reggie is happy restoring vintage cars, and has fond memories of the princess game she and her great-grandmother used to play. Until Tanner shows up on her doorstep after a long search through letters and immigration records, to tell her, guess what? You're our princess, we need you to get involved in a big political change 100 years in the making. Reggie's a smart girl who knows better than to get involved in foreign politics. And besides, she'd have to wear dresses and deal with scheming politicians and social upheaval. Who'd want that? Then there's Tanner's painful, shameful secrets and strained family relationships.

Stephen has some BIG secrets in his past, tied to the war in Afghanistan, and a lot of guilt. He considers himself completely unworthy of his position -- and doubly so when it comes to Corina, who loves him, who he loves, and who happens to be the twin sister of one of his soldier buddies who died protecting him. She wants the truth about what happened to her brother, and he's got this tendency to keep trying to throw himself on his own sword, metaphorically speaking.

Do I need to say that love conquers all -- as long as there's a lot of prayer, a lot of tears and soul-searching, and a hefty dollop of divine, spiritual interference?

*sigh* Just lovely. And I devoured all 3 books in 6 days. Ummm, more please?

Off the Bookshelf: TEAROOM FOR TWO, Susan Page Davis

Book 1 of the Tearoom Mysteries published by Guideposts.

One of the fun parts of going to a writing conference is learning about the projects of other writers, or publishers. At the ACFW conference this past September in Nashville, I was lucky enough to meet up with a Guideposts editor and she gave me this book.

Fun! I'm handing this one to my mother, and I'm sure this is one of those series we're both going to be racing each other to read the next installment. Guideposts' books are part of a club, but I think -- don't quote me on this -- individual books, especially older series, can be bought individually. I sure hope so!

Jan and Elaine are cousins, widows, who decide to combine their resources and their love of tea and open a tearoom in Maine, where they were children together. In the course of picking up bits and pieces for their tearoom, such as decorations and mismatched teapots and tea cups, they stumble into a mystery that turns downright thrilling, and even dangerous at times.

Don't worry -- this isn't Cabot Cove, where anyone and everyone runs the risk of being either the murderer or murdered.

The first mystery deals with an ugly old teapot the cousins pick up for practically nothing at a flea market. Their first clue that something is up is when the dealer tries to buy it back. Then other people get downright rude, invasive, and dishonest, trying to get their hands on it. As the mystery deepens and the stakes rise, Jan and Elaine prove they're smart and tough, even when it could be dangerous to refuse to back down, or do the right thing.

The perfect way to spend a chilly, wet fall afternoon. I was almost glad to have a miserable cold and an excuse to just sit and read for a couple hours straight. Brew a pot of your favorite tea and dive in.