Read Fairy Tale Review's The Coral Issue for Free: Activities During Coronavirus

Read some new fairy tale and folklore related short stories, poems, and such for free!

Tweeted yesterday by Fairy Tale Review:

"Fairy tales to the rescue. The Coral Issue (2020) has just been made *free* to readers through April 30. Readers, enjoy. Huge gratitude for saying yes when we asked, @WSUPress and @JSTOR."

You can read the entire issue for free for the next six-ish weeks at https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13110/fairtalerevi.16.issue-1.

If you are unfamiliar with Fairy Tale Review:

Fairy Tale Review is an annual literary journal dedicated to publishing new fairy-tale fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The journal seeks to expand the conversation about fairy tales among practitioners, scholars, and general readers. Contents reflect a diverse spectrum of literary artists working with fairy tales in many languages and styles

And each edition is a shout out to the work of Andrew Lang and his wife Leonora Lang and their colored fairy books. Because even if only his name was on the cover, the colored fairy books work was predominantly hers and built on his public persona as a folklorist. So both husband and wife were important to the series' production and success. I just have to add that because I am a big fan of Leonora Lang's contributions to folklore.

Bargain Ebook: Once Upon A Quest: 15 Tales of Adventure (Once Upon Series Book 3)

Once Upon A Quest: 15 Tales of Adventure (Once Upon Series Book 3) is bargain priced in ebook format for $2.99. This is the third volume in the anthology series and features some well-known authors, like Alethea Kontis. It was just released last month.

Book description:

Fifteen brand new fairytale twists from the bestselling and award-winning authors who brought you Once Upon A Curse and Once Upon A Kiss! With inspirations ranging from The Ugly Duckling to Snow White, and everything in between (including trips to Camelot and Oz), these fabulous tales are full of adventure, magic, and a touch of romance.

WEST OF THE MOON by Annie Bellet
When her twin brother sacrifices his freedom to save their starving family, Lina embarks on a quest through a magical forest to save him and restore their fortunes.

A BELL IN THE NIGHT by Evelyn Snow
For Stevie Silver, waking the beautiful boy in the glass box is only the beginning, as her mysterious past catches up with her.

MISTRESS BOOTSI by Anthea Sharp
A girl sets out to seek her fortune - and luckily, she has a clever cat for a companion…

WHITE ROSE by Phaedra Weldon
Jack Frost must find his true love and save her from the Snow Queen’s icy shards before he loses her - and his chance at humanity - forever.

THE GOBLIN AND THE TREASURE by Alethea Kontis
Out-of-work soldier Kira Kobold is handpicked by the High Wizard Zelwynn to go on a quest. Her companions? A growly ogress, a surly dwarf, a dimwitted troll, and an overly optimistic goblin. This wasn’t exactly the quest she was looking for…

THE RUINS OF OZ by Alexia Purdy
The Land of Oz was the last place Thea thought she’d find herself after falling through her mother’s enchanted mirror. If the stories she’s been told are real, why is the Emerald City in ruins?

A TOUCH OF GOLD by Rachel Morgan
When Tilly helps two strangers escape from danger, she becomes part of their quest to keep a powerful magical ability out of the wrong hands ...

MAGIC AND MACHINERY by Jamie Ferguson
Maude works with machinery, not magic. Can she find a way to escape the magician’s grasp and free her beloved brother?

BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN by Nikki Jefford
In a brave new world, three wizards journey through wild shifter territories to find somewhere to begin anew.

BANE AND BALM by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
When the stream providing healing water to Claire’s sick aunt dries up, she must venture into the dreaded Dorcha Forest, where she discovers a stranger willing to risk his freedom in order to help her on her quest.

CAT WHITE by Kay McSpadden
He thought he was following the music, but a white cat led him to realize life held more adventure than he’d guessed.

KING ARTHUR AND THE CHALICE OF LIFE by Julia Crane
Camelot may be at peace, but betrayal and death lurk within the mists surrounding it.

FEAR OF FALLING by Shawntelle Madison
Cast from her griffin’s nest, Ireti is forced into the cruel world of the ground-walkers below. Before she can fly, Ireti must find the strength to walk, and the key to acceptance lies in an undiscovered place—between two worlds.

THE MERROW’S GOLDEN RING by Sara C. Roethle
Ailios was taught to never believe a promise from one of the Faie, but that doesn’t stop her from doing it anyway.

TAKE MY MONSTERS by C. Gockel
In the wilds of the barbarian north, Roman slave Margusa meets a warrior enchanted and enslaved by an Elf Queen. To set him free, Margusa must first confront the monsters within herself...

Bargain Ebook: Once Upon A Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales (Once Upon Series)

Once Upon A Curse: 17 Dark Faerie Tales (Once Upon Series) is bargain priced in ebook format for $.99. This is the first volume in the anthology series and features some well-known authors, like Alethea Kontis and Yasmine Galenorn.

Book description:

#1 Bestseller in Fantasy Anthologies and Dark Fantasy Seventeen magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will entice you to the darker side of faerie tales. More Grimm than Disney, in this collection you’ll find twists on Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, Rumpelstiltskin, The Snow Queen, Cinderella, The Pied Piper, Alice in Wonderland, and Red Riding Hood, plus new tales paying homage to the old traditions.

Shadows cannot exist without light, however, and you’ll find enough happily-ever-afters to lift your spirits in this anthology full of adventure, dark powers, and ultimately the enduring power of true love.

YARROW, STURDY AND BRIGHT by Devon Monk – Sweet music cannot hide a wicked heart…

FAE HORSE by Anthea Sharp – Faerie bargains can grant any desire, but be careful what you wish for.

THE QUEEN OF FROST AND DARKNESS by Christine Pope - Her heart is the only thing colder than a Russian winter….

BONES by Yasmine Galenorn - Sometimes, your most cherished dream can turn out to be a nightmare.

MAGIC AFTER MIDNIGHT by C. Gockel – The Wicked Stepmother is about to meet her match…

DANCE WITH THE DEVIL by Donna Augustine - When the devil makes a deal with a dancer, he gets more than he bargained for.

NO GIFT OF WORDS by Annie Bellet - Never steal from a witch...

THE GRIM BROTHER by Audrey Faye – Not all walks in the wood end well…

BEAST INSIDE BEAUTY by Danielle Monsch - Happily Ever After ain't guaranteed when Once Upon a Time is here.

FAESCORNED by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson - The Morrigan, Celtic goddess of war and strife, must relive a painful memory that reminds her of what she can never have.

DRAWN TO THE BRINK by Tara Maya - Sajiana's job is to hunt down monsters brought alive from paintings. She never expected to meet one so handsome... or to need his help.

THE VARIANCE COURT by Alexia Purdy - Anna, a struggling college student, discovers a mysterious ring that turns her quiet life chaotic when the ring's magic doesn't do what it's told.

THE MORRIGAN by Phaedra Weldon – A young man discovers he has leprechaun blood – and is wanted by dark faerie forces.

ALICE by Julia Crane - A twisted tale of Alice and Wonderland. Facing madness and an ominous prophecy, Alice chooses to follow her heart despite knowing her world is about to change forever.

STILL RED by Sabrina Locke – When the Hunters come, can there be any escape?

THE FINAL STRAW by Jennifer Blackstream - To banish a gold-spinning demon, first you must guess his name...

THE UNICORN HUNTER by Alethea Kontis – Only Snow White knows what really happened in the forest…

Bargain Ebook: Once Upon A Kiss: 17 Romantic Faerie Tales

Once Upon A Kiss: 17 Romantic Faerie Tales is bargain priced in ebook format for $.99. This is the second in the anthology series and features some well-known authors, like Alethea Kontis and Yasmine Galenorn.

Book description:

Seventeen all new, magical stories from NY Times and USA Today bestsellers and award-winning authors that will warm even the coldest hearts. Inspired by old favorites as well as lesser-known tales, find retellings of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Old Rinkrank, King Thrushbeard, The Princess and the Pea, and many more - all with fresh, romantic twists - just in time for Valentine’s Day~

THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis
On the way to her wedding, brave and clever Princess Sabine falls into a Glass Mountain, where she is trapped with a crotchety man she calls “Old Rinkrank.” The two form a unique, unlikely friendship while working to escape.

THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards
When two struggling business owners compete for the contract of a lifetime, it’s all bakers on deck. Mix in a dollop of rivalry, a tablespoon of romance, and a pinch of magic, and you’ve got the recipe for one heck of a bake-off. May the best decorator win!

GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley
A young woman in ancient Greece is tasked with carving a new statue for Aphrodite's temple. But what happens when she falls in love with her art?

RED– Sarra Cannon
Charlotte is searching for a cure to save her sister, but what she finds in the woods is not at all what she expects...

PRINCESS CHARMING – Yasmine Galenorn
Sometimes, the road to Happily Ever After leads a girl right past Prince Charming... into the arms of his sister.

MAD ABOUT YOU – Jennifer Blackstream
Alice doesn't want to marry the Mad Hatter. Will an unexpected trip to Wonderland change her mind?

THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER — Anthea Sharp
A mermaid gives up everything to be with the mortal man she loves – but can there be a happy ending when the Sea Witch intervenes?

ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE – Julia Crane
Juliet enters the afterlife and discovers the truth behind her relationship with Romeo and Paris - and that their greatest challenge is yet to come.

SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Aisling, a young Faelorehn artist, finds herself falling for the son of one of the famed Tuatha De Danann. The only problem is, she’s unaware of his true identity, and her selfish uncle will do anything to keep her from realizing her dreams.

THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW – Mandy M. Roth
Sometimes, a prince isn’t as charming as history would like you to believe. And sometimes, a princess needs an alpha male shifter to find her happily ever after.

RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar
An imp finds herself in a fairytale world without her infernal powers facing an impossible task. Will Sam barter away her firstborn? Will her angelic main-squeeze save her? Or will she come up with a devilish solution of her own?

THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy
Star’s refusal of suitors lined up for her hand has her family in knots, but when the city is bombed and overthrown, she loses everything. After she’s rescued by a handsome stranger named Clyde, she sneaks away to save her parents but finds herself trapped in the new president’s clutches.

RUSH - C. Gockel
Misogyny is a beast.
When the incarnation of Creation gets angry at Rush for innocently stating his opinion, she curses him to find true love in two weeks … or else.

PERCHANCE TO DREAM – Phaedra Weldon
Her first love has been placed under a spell. But will her kiss wake him… or kill him?

THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki Jefford
Isabel Ivers’s stepfather will do anything to secure his place as Far North’s new ruler, even if it means marrying her off to the depraved prince of the lowlands.

CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle Madison
Despite fighting in countless battles to bring peace to warring kingdoms, Pynnelope, a warrior maiden made of wood, knows no fear. Becoming human is all she desires until she discovers she can have so much more.

A SMALL MAGIC - Devon Monk
A cursed princess, a talking pea, and a wish that changes everything.

Bargain Ebook: Tales of Wonder by Jane Yolen for $1.99

Tales of Wonder by Jane Yolen is on sale TODAY ONLY for $1.99 in ebook format. This is a collection of several short stories, many inspired by traditional folklore and fairy tales. And really, being by Jane Yolen is enough incentive to buy the book...

Book description:

A breathtaking collection of literary fairy stories from an award-winning fantasist

Author Jane Yolen speaks to the ancient magic within us all in this anthology of 30 grown-up fairy stories—lovely, lyrical, poignant, sometimes frightening tales of transformations and transfigurations, magical destinies and dangerous quests, strange visions, reawakenings, and just desserts. A past winner of the Nebula Award, World Fantasy Award, and numerous other honors, Yolen takes her rightful place alongside the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, combining innovative literary style with fables that reimagine the myths of old and some of her legendary predecessors’ most cherished characters: Cinderella, simple Jack, Guinevere, Icarus, and the Frog Prince.

Step into Yolen’s wondrous realm of magic and dreams, where a curious young woman’s desire to read the future leads her to the weaver of tomorrow; a farm boy with the voice of an angel seeks out Lady Death to sing for the life of his mother; and a sow, a cow, and a mare set out together to see the world. These timeless stories tell of an eager girl’s entrance into the Hall of Grief and a sunless prince who fears the vengeance of a jealous star. A tree-bound young dryad longs to dance in the spring, and a grumpy old potter pours his heart and soul into his greatest work. Yolen’s stories are unforgettable tales of the heart and the spirit; they are truly tales of wonder.

Bargain Ebook: The Witch: And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson for $1.99

The Witch: And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson is on sale in ebook edition for $1.99.

Book description:

A National Book Award finalist and bestselling author, Jean Thompson’s new collection of “bewitching improvisations on fairy tales” are “spellbinding” (Booklist, starred review).

Jean Thompson—author of the National Book Award finalist Who Do You Love and the New York Times bestseller The Year We Left Home—is a writer at the height of her powers. Capturing the magic and horror in everyday life, Thompson revisits beloved fables that represent our deepest, most primeval fears and satisfy our longings for good to triumph over evil (preferably in the most gruesome way possible). From the wolf in “Little Red Riding Hood” to the beauty asleep in her castle, The Witch and Other Tales Retold triumphantly brings the fairy tale into the modern age.

New Book: Giants and Ogres (Fairy Tale Villains Reimagined) edited by Madeline Smoot

Giants and Ogres (Fairy Tale Villains Reimagined) edited by Madeline Smoot is officially released today.

Book description:

Clever and daring, the artful reimaginings in this delightful collection of ten new tales offer readers another look at the fairy tale villains they thought they knew. Whether they are helping instead of hurting or appearing in unexpected forms, you will never quite look at giants or ogres the same way again. Includes stories by Jessica Lee Anderson, Melanie Cole, K.L. Critchley, J.G. Formato, John Linwood Grant, Justine Cogan Gunn, Laura Keating, Laura Ring, Hope Erica Schultz, and Lisa Timpf.

Here is an image of the Table of Contents so you can see what is inside:

Bargain Ebook: Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip for $1.99 TODAY ONLY

Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip is $1.99 today only in ebook format as a Kindle Daily Deal. This is a collection of McKillip's short stories, gathered from previously published sources. While McKillip usually lets folklore and fairy tales influence her work, some of the stories are specifically fairy tale and folklore driven, like "Twelve Dancing Princesses" and "Undine."

One Amazon review by Arthur W. Jordin provides an excellent summary of the table of contents:

"Introduction" (2012) by Charles de Lint describes his experiences with the author.

- "Wonders of the Invisible World" (Full Spectrum, 1995) takes a researcher to meet and record fanatics.

- "Out of the Woods" (Flights, 2004) follows a woman who becomes aware of faery.

- "The Kelpie" (The Fair Folk, 2005) draws a talented -- but self-centered -- artist into one final imposition.

- "Hunter's Moon" (Green Man Tales, 2002) exposes the Chase family to a surprise.

- "Oak Hill" (The Essential Borderlands, 1998) teaches a girl that her mother is right.

- "The Fortune Teller" (The Coyote Road, 2007) convinces a thief to change her ways.

- "Jack O'Lantern" (Firebirds Rising, 2006) presents questions on the nature of fox fire.

- "Knight of the Well" (Book of Wizards, 2012) brings a knight to Luminum for the dedication of a foundation.

- "Naming Day" (Wizards, 2007) takes a young magician out chasing an imp on her special day.

- "Byndley" (Firebirds, 2003) returns a wizard to the boundaries of Faery with a task.

- "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (Wolf at the Door, 2000) solves a problem for the king.

- "Undine" (Faery Reel, 2004) inserts a water sprite into an ecological conflict.

- "Xmas Cruise" (Christmas Forever, 1993) involves two couples in an ecology themed cruise to Antarctic waters.

- "A Gift To Be Simple" (Not of Woman Born, 1999) divulges the innovative way a Shaker community recovers their energy.

- "The Old Woman and the Storm" (Imaginary Lands, 1990) traces the thoughts of a man taking a walk.

- "The Doorkeeper of Khaat" (Full Spectrum, 1990) concerns a man looking for a means to relieve his father's pain.

- "What Inspires Me" (2004) is the Guest of Honor Speech at WinCon 28. It spends most of the time answering another question.

New Book: A Wild Swan: And Other Tales by Michael Cunningham

A Wild Swan: And Other Tales by Michael Cunningham was released in November 2015 but just now entered my radar. It is chock full of short, dark retellings of classic fairy tales from Rapunzel to Rumpelstiltskin. Of course, the title story is drawn from The Wild Swans, Hans Christian Andersen's version of The Six Swans.

Book description:

Fairy tales for our times from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Hours

A poisoned apple and a monkey's paw with the power to change fate; a girl whose extraordinarily long hair causes catastrophe; a man with one human arm and one swan's wing; and a house deep in the forest, constructed of gumdrops and gingerbread, vanilla frosting and boiled sugar. In A Wild Swan and Other Tales, the people and the talismans of lands far, far away―the mythic figures of our childhoods and the source of so much of our wonder―are transformed by Michael Cunningham into stories of sublime revelation.

Here are the moments that our fairy tales forgot or deliberately concealed: the years after a spell is broken, the rapturous instant of a miracle unexpectedly realized, or the fate of a prince only half cured of a curse. The Beast stands ahead of you in line at the convenience store, buying smokes and a Slim Jim, his devouring smile aimed at the cashier. A malformed little man with a knack for minor acts of wizardry goes to disastrous lengths to procure a child. A loutish and lazy Jack prefers living in his mother's basement to getting a job, until the day he trades a cow for a handful of magic beans.

Reimagined by one of the most gifted storytellers of his generation, and exquisitely illustrated by Yuko Shimizu, rarely have our bedtime stories been this dark, this perverse, or this true.

Frog Kiss by Kevin J. Anderson

Frog Kiss by Kevin J. Anderson is a short story with a twist on the Frog Prince. It is 99 cents for the 15 page short story.

Book description:

A humorous shourt fantasy tale. An evil wizard has turned the entire royal family into frogs and set them loose in the marshes, and only a kiss can restore them to their natural forms . . . but there are so many frogs, and so much swamp, who is willing to kiss them all?

Biography

Kevin J. Anderson has written more than 125 books, including 52 national or international bestsellers. He has over 23 million books in print worldwide in thirty languages. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award, Bram Stoker Award, Shamus Award, and Silver Falchion Award, and has won the SFX Readers' Choice Award, Golden Duck Award, Scribe Award, and New York Times Notable Book; in 2012 at San Diego Comic Con he received the Faust Grand Master Award for Lifetime Achievement.

He has written numerous bestselling and critically acclaimed novels in the Dune universe with Brian Herbert, as well as Star Wars and X-Files novels. In his original work, he is best known for his Saga of Seven Suns series, the Terra Incognita trilogy, the Dan Shamble, Zombie PI series, and Clockwork Angels: The Novel with Neil Peart. Find out more about Kevin J. Anderson at wordfire.com.

Bargain Ebook: Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip for $1.99 TODAY ONLY

Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip is $1.99 today only in ebook format as a Kindle Daily Deal. This is a collection of McKillip's short stories, gathered from previously published sources. While McKillip usually lets folklore and fairy tales influence her work, some of the stories are specifically fairy tale and folklore driven, like "Twelve Dancing Princesses" and "Undine."

This was on sale previously last May, but is usually in the $10 range.

One Amazon review by Arthur W. Jordin provides an excellent summary of the table of contents:

"Introduction" (2012) by Charles de Lint describes his experiences with the author.

- "Wonders of the Invisible World" (Full Spectrum, 1995) takes a researcher to meet and record fanatics.

- "Out of the Woods" (Flights, 2004) follows a woman who becomes aware of faery.

- "The Kelpie" (The Fair Folk, 2005) draws a talented -- but self-centered -- artist into one final imposition.

- "Hunter's Moon" (Green Man Tales, 2002) exposes the Chase family to a surprise.

- "Oak Hill" (The Essential Borderlands, 1998) teaches a girl that her mother is right.

- "The Fortune Teller" (The Coyote Road, 2007) convinces a thief to change her ways.

- "Jack O'Lantern" (Firebirds Rising, 2006) presents questions on the nature of fox fire.

- "Knight of the Well" (Book of Wizards, 2012) brings a knight to Luminum for the dedication of a foundation.

- "Naming Day" (Wizards, 2007) takes a young magician out chasing an imp on her special day.

- "Byndley" (Firebirds, 2003) returns a wizard to the boundaries of Faery with a task.

- "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (Wolf at the Door, 2000) solves a problem for the king.

- "Undine" (Faery Reel, 2004) inserts a water sprite into an ecological conflict.

- "Xmas Cruise" (Christmas Forever, 1993) involves two couples in an ecology themed cruise to Antarctic waters.

- "A Gift To Be Simple" (Not of Woman Born, 1999) divulges the innovative way a Shaker community recovers their energy.

- "The Old Woman and the Storm" (Imaginary Lands, 1990) traces the thoughts of a man taking a walk.

- "The Doorkeeper of Khaat" (Full Spectrum, 1990) concerns a man looking for a means to relieve his father's pain.

- "What Inspires Me" (2004) is the Guest of Honor Speech at WinCon 28. It spends most of the time answering another question.

New Book: The Witch: And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson

The Witch: And Other Tales Re-Told by Jean Thompson is released this week.

Book description:

Great fairy tales are not always stories designed for children. The lurking wolf in “Little Red Riding Hood,” the gingerbread house that lures Hansel and Gretel, the beauty asleep in her castle—these fables represent some of our deepest, most primeval fears and satisfy our longing for good to win out over evil (preferably in the most gruesome way possible). In this captivating new collection, critically acclaimed author Jean Thompson takes the classic fairy tale and brings it into the modern age with stories that capture the magic and horror in everyday life. The downtrodden prevail, appearances deceive, and humility and virtue triumph in The Witch, as lost children try to find their way home, adults cursed by past unspeakable acts are fated to experience their own horror in the present, and true love—or is it enchantment?—conquers all. The Witch and Other Tales Re-Told is a haunting and deeply entertaining collection, showcasing the inimitable Thompson at the height of her storytelling prowess.

Table of Contents--I don't know which fairy tales are represented in which story, but some are easier to guess than others:

The Witch

Inamorata

Candy

Faith

Three

The Curse

Your Secret's Safe with Me

Prince

Reviews:

“In this spooky, enthralling, and morally complex collection, National Book Award finalist Thompson…shows evil, wonder, and majesty…Thompson skillfully infuses our banal world of technology, reality TV, and pop psychology with genuine horror….as eerie as anything you’ll find in the Brothers Grimm.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[S]hrewdly unnerving and bewitching improvisations on fairy tales… clever, caring, funny, and wrenching… Thompson’s wizardly command is spellbinding, and her keen and unexpected revelations are, by turn and twist, grim and ebullient.”—Booklist (starred)

New Release: Fearie Tales edited by Stephen Jones

(US / UK covers with links)

Fearie Tales edited by Stephen Jones and edited by Alan Lee (of Tolkien/Peter Jackson films fame) is released in North America this week, a year after its UK release. This one is definitely aimed at the Halloween crowd but it has some great names in the horror genre inside, so if that is your taste, this is your book. Then there is Alan Lee's illustrative work which is always worth the price of admission, too.

I posted about the book back in January so if this seems familiar to regular SurLaLune readers, it is.

I couldn't get a good list of the table of contents to cut and paste, but the Amazon UK edition has a "Look Inside" so you can see all of the titles within.

Book description from the publisher:

In the grand tradition of the Brothers Jacob and Wilhelm, some of the today's finest fantasy and horror writers have created their own brand-new fairy tales--but with a decidedly darker twist.

Fearie Tales is a fantastical mix of spellbinding retelling of classic stories such as Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, and Rumpelstiltskin, along with unsettling tales inspired by other children's classics, all interspersed with the original tales of their inspiration.

These modern masterpieces of the macabre by Neil Gaiman, Garth Nix, Ramsey Campbell, Joanne Harris, Markus Heitz, John Ajvide Lindquist, Angela Slatter, Michael Marshall Smith, and many others, and are illustrated by Oscar-winning artist Alan Lee.

About the Editor:

Stephen Jones is the multiple-award-winning editor and author of more than 100 books in the horror and fantasy genres, including Best New Horror series, Dark Terrors, The Mammoth Book of Vampires, The Mammoth Book of Zombies, The Mammoth Book of Dracula, The Mammoth Book of Frankenstein, The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women, The Vampire Stories of R. Chetwynd-Hayes, and The Conan Chronicles. Jones is a former television director/producer and movie publicist and consultant (including the first three Hellraiser movies), he has edited the reprint anthology Best New Horror for more than 20 years. In 2014 he received Horror Writers Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.

New Book: How a Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales: and Other Stories by Kate Bernheimer

How a Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales: and Other Stories by Kate Bernheimer is officially released in August, but it is already shipping from booksellers and available in eformat, too. Some of the stories have been previously published. There is a great review at Heavy Feather.

One might call Bernheimer a bit of a fairy tale activist. In her essay “Fairy Tale is Form, Form is Fairy Tale,”featured in The Writer’s Notebook: Craft Essays From Tin House, she notes their “critical underappreciation”—both with respect to the role they play in our literary tradition and the insights they might offer contemporary fiction writers—owing in part to their long standing affiliation with women and children. But to ignore fairy tales, according to Bernheimer, is to ignore an artistic treasure trove. “Fairy tales are the skeletons of story,” she writes. “Reading them often provides and uneasy sensation—a gnawing familiarity—that comforting yet supernatural awareness of living inside a story.” Their governing form, which usually emphasizes elements of abstraction, flat characters, and intuitive logic, flies in the face of Conventional Fiction Workshop Wisdom. And yet, by forgoing the usual character-driven, show-don’t-tell modus operandi, fairy tales can tap into narratives that feel both familiar and wildly innovative. That dissonance is partly what makes How A Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales so seductive. As readers, one of the reasons we’re able to inhabit Bernheimer’s stories is because, as fairy tales, they’re not already crowded by other souls. Or perhaps, as Bernheimer suggests in her essay, because the fairy tale tradition is already embedded inside us.

Kate also recently had a piece published on NPR, Surviving An Adult World In Fairy Tales, And Real Life:

These aren't escapist fantasies; they're stories of kids facing unimaginable terror.

As Tatar writes, in fairy tales children must find radical ways to "survive a world ruled by adults." This is our grim reality. And it's the grim reality of these children at the border as well. Of course, not all endings are unhappy. Remember Hansel and Gretel? They manage to shove that witch in the oven, and they emerge from the forest ... alive.

But back to Kate's book, which I haven't acquired yet, but wanted to announce here since I saw it was shipping.

Book description:

Elegant and brutal, the stories in Kate Bernheimer's latest collection occupy a heightened landscape, where the familiar cedes to the grotesque and nonsense just as often devolves into terror. These are fairy tales out of time, renewing classic stories we think we know, like one of Bernheimer's girls, whose hands of steel turn to flowers, leaving her beautiful but alone.

Kate Bernheimer is the author of the short story collection Horse, Flower, Bird and the editor of My Mother She Killed Me, My Father He Ate Me: Forty New Fairy Tales and the journal Fairy Tale Review.

Table of Contents:

The Old Dinosaur

Pink Horse Tale

Tale of Disappearance

The Librarian's Ta1e

Professor Helen C. Andersen

Oh Jolly Playmate!

How a Mother Weaned Her Girl from Fairy Tales

Babes in the Woods

The Girl with the Talking Shadow

Recent New Release: Grim (Harlequin Teen) edited by Christine Johnson

Somehow I missed this one but learned about it yesterday when I had the opportunity to request a review copy. It missed all of my fairy tale related book release searching. Keywords didn't work so well for this one!

Grim (Harlequin Teen) edited by Christine Johnson was released in February. I'll write more when I learn more but I thought I would share this today as my general announcement of a book release. There was even a blog tour promotion. Fairy tale related blog tours should consider inviting blogs like SurLaLune, Once Upon a Blog and Tales of Faerie into the mix. We have a very targeted audience, n'est-ce pas? An audience that would buy this book pretty naturally but may not follow these authors.

Book description:

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today.

About the Authors

A native of Michigan, Christine Johnson has lived in every corner of the state’s lower peninsula. She holds multiple degrees from the University of Michigan but prefers small-town life. After a decade as a librarian, she plunged into writing novels and never looked back. She and her husband now split their time between Michigan and the Florida Keys. You can read more about Christine at http://christineelizabethjohnson.com.

Born in Sacramento, CA, Julie Kagawa moved to Hawaii at the age of nine. There she learned many things; how to bodyboard, that teachers scream when you put centipedes in their desks, and that writing stories in math class is a great way to kill time. Her teachers were glad to see her graduate.

Julie now lives is Louisville, KY with her husband and furkids. She is the international and NYT bestselling author of The Iron Fey series. Visit her at juliekagawa.com.

Table of Contents:

Short Stories

The Key by Rachel Hawkins
Figment by Jeri-Smith Ready
The Twelfth Girl by Malinda Lo
The Raven Princess by Jon Skovron
Thinner Than Water by Saundra Mitchell
Before The Rose Bloomed: A Retelling of the Snow Queen by Ellen Hopkins
Beast / Beast by Tessa Gratton
The Brothers Piggett by Julia Kagawa
UnTethered by Sonia Gensler
Better by Shaun David Hutchinson
Light It Up by Kimberly Derting
Sharper Than A Serpent’s Tongue by Christine Johnson
A Real Boy by Claudia Gray
Skin Trade by Myra McEntire
Beauty and the Chad by Sarah Rees Brennan
The Pink: A Grimm Story by Amanda Hocking
Sell it Out by Jackson Pearce

Bargain Ebook: Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip is $1.99 Today Only

Wonders of the Invisible World by Patricia A. McKillip is $1.99 today only in ebook format as a Kindle Daily Deal. This is a collection of McKillip's short stories, gathered from previously published sources. While McKillip usually lets folklore and fairy tales influence her work, some of the stories are specifically fairy tale and folklore driven, like "Twelve Dancing Princesses" and "Undine."

One Amazon review by Arthur W. Jordin provides an excellent summary of the table of contents:

"Introduction" (2012) by Charles de Lint describes his experiences with the author.

- "Wonders of the Invisible World" (Full Spectrum, 1995) takes a researcher to meet and record fanatics.

- "Out of the Woods" (Flights, 2004) follows a woman who becomes aware of faery.

- "The Kelpie" (The Fair Folk, 2005) draws a talented -- but self-centered -- artist into one final imposition.

- "Hunter's Moon" (Green Man Tales, 2002) exposes the Chase family to a surprise.

- "Oak Hill" (The Essential Borderlands, 1998) teaches a girl that her mother is right.

- "The Fortune Teller" (The Coyote Road, 2007) convinces a thief to change her ways.

- "Jack O'Lantern" (Firebirds Rising, 2006) presents questions on the nature of fox fire.

- "Knight of the Well" (Book of Wizards, 2012) brings a knight to Luminum for the dedication of a foundation.

- "Naming Day" (Wizards, 2007) takes a young magician out chasing an imp on her special day.

- "Byndley" (Firebirds, 2003) returns a wizard to the boundaries of Faery with a task.

- "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" (Wolf at the Door, 2000) solves a problem for the king.

- "Undine" (Faery Reel, 2004) inserts a water sprite into an ecological conflict.

- "Xmas Cruise" (Christmas Forever, 1993) involves two couples in an ecology themed cruise to Antarctic waters.

- "A Gift To Be Simple" (Not of Woman Born, 1999) divulges the innovative way a Shaker community recovers their energy.

- "The Old Woman and the Storm" (Imaginary Lands, 1990) traces the thoughts of a man taking a walk.

- "The Doorkeeper of Khaat" (Full Spectrum, 1990) concerns a man looking for a means to relieve his father's pain.

- "What Inspires Me" (2004) is the Guest of Honor Speech at WinCon 28. It spends most of the time answering another question.

New Book: Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome

Fearie Tales: Stories of the Grimm and Gruesome by Stephen Jones (Editor), Alan Lee (Illustrator) was released this past October in the UK but won't be released in the US--see Fearie Tales (US Edition)--until September 2014. This may be of particular interest to fans of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films since their designer Alan Lee illustrates this book.

And, of course, for those of you always seeking darker fairy tales--those of you who prefer Grimm to Once Upon a Time, for example. I've included the usual book description below as well as some illustrations. Authors include Neil Gaiman, Tanith Lee, Joanne Harris and Garth Nix for their fans, too.

Book description:

Two hundred years ago two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, collected together a large selection of folk and fairy tales and published them as Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Household Tales). So successful was the first collection of 88 stories that they kept adding more to subsequent editions. Since then, the tales of the Brothers Grimm have been translated into upwards of a hundred different languages and are known and loved throughout the world.

Now award-winning editor Stephen Jones has tasked some of the brightest and best horror writers in Britain, America and Europe with reinterpreting some of the traditional Hausmärchen, putting a decidedly darker spin on the classic stories.

Stephen Jones is the multiple-award-winning editor and author of more than 100 books in the horror and fantasy genres. A former television director/producer and movie publicist and consultant (including the first three Hellraiser movies), he has edited the reprint anthology Best New Horror for more than 20 years. He lives in Wembley, Middlesex, and travels widely.

Alan Lee was born in London, where he studied graphic art and design. Over the years he has established himself as one of England's preeminent book artists, creating illustrations for, among other works: The Mabinogion, Castles, Merlin Dreams, Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Illiad and the anniversary edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was also the conceptual designer working on the Lord of the Rings films, responsible for creating the 'look' of Middle Earth. He currently lives on Dartmoor.