New Book: My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski

My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski was released earlier this month in paperback and ebook formats. It's a book aimed primarily at middle grade readers and sounds like fun, lighthearted reading.

This one riffs off several fairy tale and fantasy mainstays--such as a talking frog--not one fairy tale in particular, apparently.

Product description from the publisher:

"You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies." Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe. But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature! When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win.

The author was also interviewed over at The Enchanted Inkpot, here's an excerpt:

Where did the inspiration come for Jenny as a character? And what do you expect readers will like about
her?

Jenny first appeared in a scene I wrote several years ago when I was taking a break from a dark YA novel that was sucking the life out of me. In the scene, Jenny came into her room to discover a talking frog on her bed. Instead of being surprised or intrigued by the frog, she was annoyed. Not only that, but she threw the magical frog out the window! I knew I had to find out more about this character.

I think readers will enjoy Jenny’s sense of humor and resourcefulness, but they’ll also be able to relate to her on an emotional level. While Jenny might be braver than the average girl, ultimately she wants to find people who understand her. I think that’s something we can all relate to in some way.