I’m delighted to welcome author Mary Waibel back to my blog today. You may remember Mary’s visit last year, and if you weren’t around then, please do check out her brilliant interview.
Mary is the author of the Princess of Valendria series (Quest of the Hart, Charmed Memories, and Different Kind of Knight). Her stories are a fabulous twist on the old fairy tales, and it’s a great pleasure to welcome Mary back here again!
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What is it that draws us to fairytales?
Is it the darkness of the original tales? These were no bedtime tales told to send children to sleep with dreams of happy places. No, they were warnings, complete with very un-happy endings. I remember when Disney’s The Little Mermaid came out. That winter I was at my grandfather’s, so I was probably about 12, and was watching the movie on TV. But this wasn’t the Disney story. No, this was a cartoon version of the real tale. For those of you who don’t know, the mermaid turned into sea foam and the prince married a human girl.The mermaid gave up her voice and her life and didn’t get the guy. Not a happy-ever-after.
For me, I’m not drawn to the tales for their darkness, although I must admit I do like comparing the original tales to the modern versions we see in cartoons and books nowadays. No, I’m a romantic at heart and really enjoy reading a story that ends in happy-ever-after, even if all the odds seem stacked against it. After all, what are the odds Charming and Cinderella ever would have met each other in real life?
I guess in the end, I’m more of a modern fairytale girl, drawn to them for their promise of what could be. Magic exists, but it doesn’t fix all things. Love is true and lasts forever. The good guy gets the girl, and the underdog wins. I like knowing that “Once upon a time” will end with “And they all lived happily ever after.” How about you? What draws you to fairytales?
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“Happily-ever-after isn’t guaranteed. Sometimes you have to fight for it.”
Through a twist of fate, Princess Gabrielle became First Knight of the King’s Elite Guard, a position always held by the second born male. She’s spent years proving to the Minsters of Faldaera she’s capable of leading the king’s Army.
When mythical creatures plague her kingdom, Rielle is sent to capture Captain Brody, the alleged culprit behind the attacks and the man who broke her heart four years ago.
Brody, Crown Prince of Delphine, is living in self-imposed exile, atoning for the sins of his father. But Fate has different plans for him. Tired, beaten down, and ready to give up on life, he is tossed into the path of the one person he would do anything for―Princess Gabrielle.
With a traitor in her ranks, and a mark on her head, Brody joins forces with Rielle, hoping to keep the woman he loves safe. Happily-ever-after is not guaranteed, and mythical creatures aren’t the only danger the couple face. As battles rage, Rielle has the chance to prove herself a capable leader, but will doing so cost her the love of her life?
BUY LINKS
MuseItUp / Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo / Smashwords / Omnilit / iBooks
Mary lives with her husband, son and two cats. When she isn’t twisting fairytales, she enjoys reading, playing games, watching hockey, and camping. Her Princess of Valendria series (Quest of the Hart, Charmed Memories, Different Kind of Knight) are available from MuseItUp Publishing and other major retailers. Her Faery Marked (book 1 in the Faery Series) will be available from BookFishBooks this summer.
You can find Mary Waibel at: http://marywaibel.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/authormarywaibel
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Thanks so much for coming today, Mary! I’ve been following your Oh What a Knight! book tour and loving it. (Great name for a tour!)
Do you love fairy tales? What’s your favourite ever fairy tale or fairy tale retelling? Any questions or comments at all, please let us know – we’d love to hear from you!
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