A Filling of Fables and Firelight ~ Release Day and Review

A Filling of Fables and Firelight 

Enchanting Confections

By Sarah Beran 

Rana Schehera has very strong opinions about the new Sultan and they are not favorable. When she is given the opportunity to be the seamstress for the upcoming "Queen Contest" she can't say no.

But Kamaran is nothing like Rana suspected. In fact, he has moments where he is very ordinary. And he feels that no matter what he does he will forever be viewed as a failure. He knows what he lacks and feels that he is a disappointment to his late father. 

Kamaran mistakes Rana for one of the "queen" contestants and Rana regrets that she did not enter the contest when given the chance. But at the time she didn't realize just who the Sultan was. The repartee between the two is fun as they influence each other to be better. Rana isn't impressed by titles and Kamaran is not impressed by "wannabe queens' who throw themselves at him--sounds like a perfect match.

This was a sweet, yet sensitive story that has all the potential for love or heartbreak. The question is what will be the outcome? I loved this story especially the animal antics--I mean who wouldn't want a pet Fennec fox or a tiger? Highly recommend. 

I was provided a complimentary copy with no expectations. All thoughts I expressed are my own.

Available for purchase at https://books2read.com/fillingff

A slice of bridal competition
A dusting of mistaken identity
And a whisk of love that might be nothing more than a fable.

Rana Schehera is fully content with her simple life. Newly employed as a seamstress under one of the most sought-after tailors in El Huram, she’s paid enough for her beautiful creations to both provide for her aging grandmother and keep a steady supply of her favorite sweets. That simple life is threatened, however, when the new Sultan decides to select his bride the traditional way—through competition—and Rana is one of the lucky seamstresses chosen to attend the competitors. Still, it should all be fairly straightforward…until the Sultan mistakes her for one of the princesses he’s meant to be courting and inexplicably keeps coming back.

Kamaran knew the throne was inevitable, but he wasn’t prepared for it to be his so soon. Now, reeling from loss and weighed down by the crown he never wanted and the responsibilities he never cared for, his council of viziers has added insult to injury by arranging for him to select a bride. His plan is simple: Go through the motions, eliminate a prospect each week, and hope that by the end, the last one standing will be at least tolerable. What he didn’t plan for was the pragmatic princess with an obsession for needlework and stories that capture his imagination.

With each evening that passes, Rana begins to see that Kamaran is more than the fickle, irresponsible Sultan he pretends to be, and she wants to be the one to fill the empty spaces in his heart. But as the end of the competition draws near, it becomes all too clear that the story she’s weaving may never have a happy ending.

A Filling of Fables and Firelight, a retelling of 1,001 Nights, is a standalone novella, complete with tropes such as Mistaken Identity, Commoner x Royalty, and Forbidden Love. It is part of The Enchanting Confections series, a collection of clean and cozy stories guaranteed to delight your sweet tooth.

Falling for the Trickster ~ Review

Falling for the Trickster

To Win a Dark Heart #1

By Lucy Tempest

Falling for the Trickster is a Rumpelstiltskin/Goose Girl mashup that focuses on the maid who tried to usurp her princess. In this retelling, the princess is awful, and no one can blame Ottoline for wanting a better life, considering Princess Gertrude's abuse. 

When she is offered the chance to switch places and get the life Gertrude is assured of, Ottoline takes it. It will only cost her an unknown favor to Roderick. What could it truly cost if he can switch things up so easily?

Yeah, it's never a good choice to make a bargain without knowing the costs. But nothing is as Ottoline, Gertrude, and Roderick expected because the king of Orcage demands that the "princess" turn objects to gold. Her upcoming marriage to the prince is not enough to dispel the debts owed to Orcage. 

Does anyone else see the problem? 

With the assistance of Roderick again, for the price of a kiss, everything will be great. Not so, the king is not so easily satisfied, and Roderick's gold-turning abilities are limited. Everyone needs a reset, but nope, not happening. What follows is a sweet yet dangerous attempt to stop the king and get what both Ottoline and Roderick truly want.

I loved how various aspects of the Goose Girl and Rumpelstiltskin played out. There is a lovely interweaving that allows both tales to be fully present while offering something new and fresh. The villains get their day, and in this retelling, you will be rooting for them to succeed. 

I was provided a complimentary copy with no expectations. All thoughts expressed are my own.

About the Book:

Rumpelstiltskin meets The Goose Girl.

An opportunistic maid.

A manipulative faerie.

A gilded deal that binds them both.

Ottoline has had enough. After years of enduring Princess Gertrude’s cruelty, the maid’s patience snaps during their voyage to the foreign kingdom of Orcage, where the princess is to marry the crown prince to settle a royal debt. There, she crosses paths with a silver-haired, silver-tongued man with a penchant for deals and deception.

Cunning and ambitious, fae nobleman Lord Roderick von Ravenstock offers Ottoline the opportunity of a lifetime: to switch places with her tormentor and claim the life of a princess.

With a snap of his fingers, she is set to live the life she had dreamed of at the glimmering court of Orcage...until its superstitious king demands she fulfill her kingdom's debt by turning everything into gold.

Trapped by her own masquerade, Ottoline turns to Roderick again, and he offers to save her, in exchange for a kiss.

One kiss. One favor. One step closer to ruin.

As the king’s demands escalate, so do Roderick’s bargains, each adding another layer to his plot against the royal family, and drawing her deeper into a deadly game of magic and court intrigue. But when the king’s greed spirals beyond control, Ottoline has no choice but to escape into Faerie where she falls from one monster’s grasp into the next.

Risking his plans, Roderick saves her and, as she recovers under his watchful gaze, the forced proximity begins to crack their defenses, revealing who they are underneath their roles as the trickster and the fraud. Villains in the lives of others, but heroes of their own stories.

Together, they plot one last con to bring the king to his knees. But nothing ever goes to plan, especially when hearts are on the line.

Falling For the Trickster is the first book in the To Win a Dark Heart series which retells fairytales as old as time, but this time it’s the villain’s turn to get a happy ending.

Guess the Fairy Tale ~ Of Hope and Honor

 Of Hope and Honor is coming March 10, 2026.

The stories in this book are coming to you from 

M. K. Minnick, Meagan Myhren-Bennett (me), and Kelsie Engen.

This book is part of the Fairy Tale Frenzy Collection from 

Beyond the Bookery's Consuo Spes Liber

 Preorder from Amazon at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F9S7NT5B/

I'm offering two clues regarding the two fairy tales I'm retelling.

1) A sister succeeds after her brothers are turned to stone.

2) There are three brothers; only one succeeds, but he nearly falls to his brothers' treachery.

Now a fun fact about these two fairy tales that I'm retelling and combining.

They have the same name.

Yes, these two fairy tales are being retold as one story.

I can't wait for you to read

Water's Gift
and the stories written by my fellow authors.

Any guesses.

Comment below

Once Upon a Pen Book Awards 2025

 

The Once Upon a Pen Fairy Tale Book Awards celebrate the best in fairy tale, myth, legend, and classic literature retellings, published in 2025.

This is a reader’s choice award, where books are nominated and voted on by readers.

Books are eligible for several categories, including Best Book of the Year, and must meet  specific content guidelines to ensure suitability for a wide audience, including teens.

Learn more and vote at https://fairytaleauthors.com/awards

Now if you are inclined to nominate Golden Lotus, I won't object. But there were so many great books published this year, so be sure to nominate your favorites before December 31, 2025!

Whoops! I forgot to end my Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale

 

You have one more day to enjoy the $0.99 Sale on 

Golden Lotus and Arabella's Song!

It's my Giving Tuesday gift to you. 

Save $3.00 off the price of the eBook on Amazon.

Purchase Link for Arabella's Song 

Purchase Link for Golden Lotus

This I Know ~ Review

This I Know: A Collection of Historical Fairytale Retellings

Fairy Tale Frenzy

By Molly Anderson, Scarlett Clarke, and Issabelle Perry                                                                                                                                                               

This I Know is a delightful collection of faith-based fairy tale retellings with a historical setting. I loved how each of the three stories created a unique non-magical tale that featured characters that were facing difficulties in life. But hope was found once they looked to God rather than "things of this world." 

Experience The Ugly Duckling, Beauty and the Beast, and the Snow Queen from a talented team of writers who have claimed these fairy tales and made them their own. If you are looking for sweet, clean reads that reflect your faith and values look no further.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion. All thoughts expressed are my own.

This I Know is releasing on September 2, 2025, and can be ordered at https://amzn.to/45oVx1R along with rest of the books in the collection.

About the Book:

Beyond the Bookery invites you to step into a collection of heartwarming, thrilling, and romantic historical fairy tale retellings.

From a missing childhood friend and a search for the courage to begin a life changing journey in a retelling of The Snow Queen. To a duke’s daughter and her yearning for love while fighting for survival in a war she’s unprepared for in a retelling of The Ugly Duckling. And then to a grieving daughter and her enduring hope for a brighter future in a retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Fall in love with this delightful collection of historical fairy tale retellings in This I Know, coming from Issabelle Perry, Scarlett Clarke, and Molly Anderson on September 2nd, 2025.

Forget-Me-Not ~ Review

Forget-Me-Not: A Snow Queen Retelling

A Garden of Fairy Tales Book

By J.F. Rogers

Forget-Me-Not closely follows the original fairy tale that it is retelling. But, and this is the critical part, it is a more fleshed-out version of the original story. This is an excellent retelling of The Snow Queen, and I love the role the forget-me-nots play in restoring Kata's memories. 

Now, if you are not familiar with the Snow Queen, Kata must brave unknown dangers when her friend Mikkel falls under the Snow Queen's curse. Mikkel's heart is frozen, and his sight is distorted by icy shards of a shattered mirror. Kata's love gives her purpose and the strength to undertake this harrowing journey. 

But nothing is without cost, and Kata's quest to save the boy she loves could very well cost her her life and her freedom. But finding Mikkel is only the first step in bringing him home. She must also break the curse that has turned him against all those he loves.

This is a clean read and a sweet romance suitable for tweens and older readers. There is sweet romance that won't offend even the most sensitive reader's sensibilities. Highly recommended.

About the Book:

Inseparable friends. A cursed mirror. A harrowing journey.

Kata and Mikkel have always been each other’s world. But as Kata’s feelings deepen, Mikkel vanishes—drawn into the grasp of the Snow Queen.

Once, Mikkel risked everything to save Kata. Now, with a shard of a wicked mirror in his heart, he may not even remember her.

To save him, Kata must journey across a frozen world ruled by winter and sorrow. But if the boy she loves is lost to ice and shadow... can love still bring him home?

Spring has sprung with these seven swoony sweet retellings. Each novella finds its happily ever after amidst themes of rebirth, hope, and new life. Each book is fully independent and they can be read in any order.

Forget-Me-Not is a retelling featuring tropes such as friends-to-lovers, magical corruption, and a perilous quest.

The Garden of Fairy Tales Collection

 The Garden of Fairy Tales Collection 

will begin releasing on Friday, April 4, 2025!

Aren't the covers lovely?

Preorders are still available at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DQVXZ5C1

The Seeds are Sprouting ~ A Garden of Fairy Tales

 The Seeds are Sprouting 

The Garden of Fairy Tales

is starting to bloom... 

 

 Click here to preorder the books

Garden of Fairy Tales ~ Meet the Flowers

Enjoy these fun facts about the flowers that title the 

Garden of Fairy Tales series.

 

Street Team Opportunity

Do you want to help spread the word about an upcoming multi-author collection?

Do you love fairy tale retellings? 

 

If you answered yes, you should apply to be part of the 

A Garden of Fairy Tales Street Team.

 

 

 

Your inbox won't overflow with countless tasks, and your email will not be shared with anyone. You also won't be obligated to share every task; we understand how crazy life can become. We're just grateful for your help!

 

The purpose of this street team is to spread the word about the series, beginning with cover reveals and ending with the final book's release. Don't worry---you won't be spammed with numerous emails per week. Tasks will include cover reveals, fairy tale retelling reveals, release day posts, and at least one countdown. 

 

The form link is https://forms.gle/f9uVhbVr9cVDSmdG7 

 

About the Series:

Spring has sprung with these eight swoony, sweet retellings. Each novella finds its happily ever after amidst themes of rebirth, hope, and new life. Each book is fully independent and they can be read in any order.

Release dates run from late March to early May.
Bleeding Heart by Kendra E. Ardnek,
Daylily by Madeline Kersbergen,
Snapdragon by Sarah Beran,
Carnation by Yakira Goldsberry,
Peaflower by Jessica A. Tanner,
Forget-Me-Not by J.F. Rogers,
Golden Lotus by Meagan Myhren-Bennett,
and Lilac by Madisyn Carlin.

Cover Reveal for Cornerstone Series ~ Summer

 Today I'm thrilled to be participating in the cover reveal for the SUMMER Cornerstone series coming from Beyond the Bookery beginning this autumn!

 

16 Christian fantasy fairy tale retellings filled with faith, clean romance, danger, and courage from authors Laurie Lucking, Kirsten Fichter, E. G. Bella, Jewel Windall, Saraina Whitney, Rachel Kovaciny, Abigail Kay Harris, Madisyn Carlin, Lucy Peterson, Anna Augustine, Olivia Godfrey, Kendall Hoxsey, K. R. Mattson, C. K. Heartwing,  Kendra E. Ardnek, Katja H. Labonté.

 

Available to pre-order at Amazon. 

Now for the covers for the Summer Collection...

 

 

 

Cover Reveal for Cornerstone Series ~ Spring

Today I'm thrilled to be participating in the cover reveal for the SPRING Cornerstone series coming from Beyond the Bookery beginning this autumn!

 

16 Christian fantasy fairy tale retellings filled with faith, clean romance, danger, and courage from authors Laurie Lucking, Kirsten Fichter, E. G. Bella, Jewel Windall, Saraina Whitney, Rachel Kovaciny, Abigail Kay Harris, Madisyn Carlin, Lucy Peterson, Anna Augustine, Olivia Godfrey, Kendall Hoxsey, K. R. Mattson, C. K. Heartwing,  Kendra E. Ardnek, Katja H. Labonté.

 

Available to pre-order at Amazon. 

 

Now for the first four covers!

 

 

 

 

Christmas Games ~ Review

Christmas Games

A Kynaston Royal Saga Short Story

By Erudessa Gentian 

In this unique twist on The Snow Queen, we are taken 2000 years into the future. Christmas has come, and the festivities are grand. For Lark and her brothers, it is a very different celebration from what they had a year ago.

When she's invited to take part in an immersive role-playing game, Lark says yes. But when something goes wrong, she and her friends are trapped and at the mercy of the Snow Queen. What happens if they die while trapped? That is one option they want to avoid at all costs.

I've never actually played an immersive role-playing game, but I have read several books in which this is a major part of the game, and it seems something always goes wrong, turning it into a real life-and-death struggle. That being said, I love how the Snow Queen story was woven into this futuristic world. The characters were engaging, and I wanted to learn more about them (BTW, there are other books in the series which I had to get after reading this short story!) This story wasn't long, but it was the perfect read for a subzero, windy day. It was also a good intro to a new-to-me author and series. I highly recommend this book, would make a great last-minute gift for the reader in your life too.

I was provided a complimentary copy of this book with no expectations but that I provide my honest opinion, all thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Description:

A Kynaston Royal Saga Short Story

Beware the harmless Christmas Gift.

When a group of friends decides to play a new immersive role-playing game, exciting fun turns into a glitchy mess.

Larkspur’s real-world superpowers interfere with a simple, in-game mission. Discovering they’re unable to exit gameplay, the team scrambles for answers. When their leader and most experienced player, Conan, is kidnapped by the game’s main Boss, it’s up to Lark, Joshua, and Shamira to save him … and themselves.

Join the beloved Kynaston Royal Saga cast in this short Snow Queen retelling.

Purchase Links: Ebook 

 Signed Paperback 
Add Book on Goodreads  

Get book 1 Kynaston Royal Saga Epoch 1

Author Bio:

Erudessa Gentian is a firm believer that clean entertainment can be powerful. Inspired by her love of cultures and learning, she produces dynamic art to spark imagination and touch souls.

Erudessa writes in multiple genres but specializes in fantasy and science fiction. She posts about lifestyle, travel, and so much more on her blog.

Find her online at: 

Website || Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || YouTube || Newsletter || 

Instagram || Amazon

Through a Shattered Glass ~ Review

Through a Shattered Glass

By Sarah Pennington

Alys hasn't been in Wonderland since Kai died when she made a decision that changed everything. But she is being summoned back to the world of madness, back through the mirror to a dying world. 

But will she save Wonderland, or will she be the instrument of its final destruction? Alys will have to use what she knew of Wonderland if she hopes to live. And she'll have to put her fears behind her if she is to free her dearest friend from the frozen death he has been trapped in for years.

Through a Shattered Glass is an interesting twist on the Snow Queen, which is blended with  Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There for a wholly unique and enjoyable story. This is a story in which hope and fear vie for control of a land lost in chaos. Alys will have to draw on a strength she doesn't know she possesses to save those she holds dear. But can she find the strength she needs before the White Queen destroys her? 

I was provided a complimentary copy of the book with no expectations, but that I provide my honest opinion, all thoughts expressed are my own.                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Book Description: 

Drop the mirror and you break the world in two.

Alys hasn’t set foot in Wonderland in years. Not since the White Queen’s mirror shattered; not since her best friend, Kai Hatter, was killed; not since Alys fled back to her own world with a shard of enchanted mirror in her eye. She’s done her best to set aside the past and move on — until a red-painted rose appears in her room, and the portal opens once more.

Simultaneously desperate for hope and terrified of what she might find — or cause — Alys ventures back through the mirror. But the Wonderland she finds is not the same one she left behind, and though Kai is less dead than she thought, he still might be past saving. To make matters worse, the mirror shard is still in Alys’s eye, and Wonderland is all too susceptible to its corrupting power.

Only Alys can save the land and friend she loves — but if she’s not careful, she might be their doom instead.

A dark portal fantasy remix of The Snow Queen and Lewis Carroll’s Alice duology. 

Purchase on Amazon 

Add Book on Goodreads

Author Bio:

Sarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. When she isn't writing, she enjoys knitting, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list. 

Find her online at: 

Author Site || WordPress Blog || Blogspot Blog || Goodreads || Facebook || Instagram || Twitter || Amazon

Sticker Promo:

Anyone who preordered Through a Shattered Glass or who purchases the paperback on release day can submit a proof of purchase to receive a set of character art stickers featuring art by the lovely Chloe Grace (@chloegraceartist on Instagram). 

One set of stickers per person; proof of purchase must be submitted by end of the day on December 26. 

Link to request stickers 

Shattered Reflection ~ Review

Shattered Reflection

The Shattered Lands #1

By Madisyn Carlin

The land is on the verge of slipping into yet another war, distrust is taking hold, and the crown is threatened by the very people who are entrusted to protect it. Can those who have been broken by the past hope to restore what was lost? Or will the icy evil that is attempting to steal their hearts and souls prevail? 

Layree's brother Loren Alocer has been stolen away by the royal crown guards- a crown that is at the mercy of a cruel and evil hand. Layree is determined to get her brother back no matter what and by any means necessary. And by any means, she will be forced to accept the help of a man she now views as an enemy. But she saw what happened to her brother before he was taken away, and she won't stop until he is freed.

Nordica Icerri is the heir to the crown, but until her aunt and uncle deem her fit to rule, they will act on her behalf. And to be considered fit, she must be purged of any and all emotion. And her uncle is more than happy to help her obtain such coldness of heart. And the methods he is using will surely break her eventually.

Shattered Reflection is an interesting retelling of The Snow Queen. The story is told through the viewpoints of five characters who have different reasons for doing what they are doing, but at their core, caring and wanting to protect others is their motivation. This is excellent reading and a series debut that is not to be missed. The characters and settings are more than a two-dimensional place on the page; there is depth and layers to everything if one is looking.

I was provided a complimentary copy with no expectations -  all thoughts expressed are my own.

Book Description:

Can hope be found for four shattered souls? 

Princess Nordica Icerri’s crown will be purchased with blood—her blood. Now the sole heir to the throne, she is determined to be the queen the Snowlands deserve, but that comes with a price: a numbed heart and soul. Only when she meets kidnapped physician Loren Alocer does Nordica allow herself to hope she can become queen without completely losing herself. But not everyone wants what’s best for the Snowlands, and Nordica’s upcoming rule is compromised at every turn. Can the criminal physician—and his faith—thaw Nordica’s heart, or is she destined to be the heartless queen she is being forced to become? 

War shattered not only Breac Finson’s heart, but his faith as well. Tired of fighting, Breac only wants to be left alone, but his efforts are for naught when a friend calls in a favor. He soon finds himself in an unexpected alliance with Layree Alocer, a woman determined to find her wrongfully-kidnapped brother at all costs. Can a broken soldier help right a wrong—and find his faith again in the process? 

Sides must be chosen and loyalties will be tested as a new war approaches. Can broken lives be mended in time to help save the Snowlands, or is evil already too deeply embedded?

Add Book to Goodreads

Order at Amazon

Author Bio:

Madisyn Carlin is a Christian, homeschool graduate, blogger, voracious book dragon, and author. When not spending time with her family or trekking through the mountains, she weaves tales of redemption, faith, and action. 

Want to connect? https://linktr.ee/madisyncarlin

Broken Mirrors ~ Cover Reveals

 

The Broken Mirrors blog tour participants 

are revealing their covers 

and all 

six books are now available for preorder 

and with December release dates, 

Christmas 

will come a few days early this year!

Snowfield Palace
By Kendra E. Ardnek
An Austen Mashup
Goodreads||Amazon
December 19th

The White Queen's Spell
By Wyn Estelle Owens
A Celtic Genderswap
Goodreads||Amazon
December 20th

Shattered Reflection
By Madisyn Carlin
An Epic Kingdom Adventure
Goodreads||Amazon
December 21st

Of Ice and Roses
By Heather M Elliot
A Tale of Looming War
Goodreads||Amazon
December 22nd

Through a Shattered Glass

By Sarah Pennington
A Return to Wonderland
Goodreads||Amazon
December 23rd

Christmas Games

By Erudessa Gentian
Lit. RPG
Goodreads||Amazon
December 24th