Book Review & Giveaway! ~ Five Glass Slipper (Five Cinderella Stories!)

It’s a tour stop!

Rooglewood Press hosted a Cinderella themed writing contest last year where five stories picked and published into a collection titled, Five Glass Slipper. I’m happy to not only post a review of this lovely piece, but to host a one-question interview of one of the authors. Come with me now, please!

About the Collection

ONE BELOVED STORY, FIVE EXCITING WRITERS

A COLLECTION TO CHERISH

What happens when Cinderella is so painfully shy that she cannot bear the idea of attending the royal ball? Or when the slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl? What happens when Cinderella is determined to oust an imposter prince from her rightful throne? Or when she is a cendrillon miner working from a space station orbiting a cthonian planet? What happens when Cinderella, a humble housemaid, is sent with a message for a prisoner trapped in a frightening fairy circus?

Here is Cinderella as you have never met her before, wearing glass slippers and off on unforgettable adventures!

“What Eyes Can See” by Elisabeth Brown

Painfully shy Arella begs her stepmother to let her stay home from the prince’s ball. But kindly Duchess Germaine is determined that her beautiful stepdaughter should be presented at court along with her own two daughters. So, dressed in a gorgeous gown and a pair of heirloom slippers, Arella catches the eye of the crown prince . . . and finds her life suddenly far more complicated than she ever desired.
 
“Broken Glass” by Emma Clifton

The slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl! Rosalind never once danced with Prince Marius at the ball, for she is in love with his brother Henry. If only Rosalind and Marius would stop bickering long enough to invent a scheme, perhaps the three of them can find the real mystery lady. But they must work quickly, for dark deeds are afoot, and the kingdom is poised on the brink of disaster.

“The Windy Side of Care” by Rachel Heffington

Alisandra is determined to have her rights. She knows that she is the king’s secretly dispossessed daughter, the true heir to the throne. Prince Auguste is an imposter, and if she plays her cards right, Alis will prove it to the world! That is, if charming Auguste doesn’t succeed in winning her heart before she gets her chance . . .

“A Cinder’s Tale” by Stephanie Ricker

It’s a dangerous life, yet Elsa wouldn’t trade this opportunity to work at Tremaine Station, mining cendrillon from the seething surface of planet Aschen. Nevertheless, when a famous deep space explorer and his handsome son dock their starcraft at the space station, Elsa finds herself dreaming of far galaxies beyond Aschen’s blistering heat. There is no time for dreaming, however, when danger threatens the space station, and Elsa and her fellow miners are tested to the limits of their courage.

“The Moon Master’s Ball” by Clara Diane Thompson

After her terrifying experience there several years ago, the one place young housemaid Tilly longs to avoid is Bromley’s Circus. But when kindly Lord Hollingberry begs her to deliver a message to the mysterious Moon Master hidden away among the circus dwellers, Tilly can’t refuse . . . and finds herself ensnared in a web of enchantment cast by the loathsome Mrs. Carlisle and her beautiful goddaughter.

My Rating

4 out of 5 (stars)

My Review

The first thing I noted about each story was that none followed the typical Cinderella tale. Each story was distinct and different. I dare say that, perhaps, these “differences” are what made them standout, and are therefore the reasons they were picked over others in the Five Glass Slipper Contest. As long as most or all of these plot elements were clearly present—a Cinderella, “a prince”, the pair of glass slippers (or something else that clearly took its place), a fairy being, a stepmother, and two sisters—it was up to the author to decide what to do with them. The characters were interchangeable and could take any form, and the resultant story could be as different from the original Cinderella, as night and day.

My favorite was What Eyes Can See, and I’m glad I got to interview the author to learn what inspired her piece which clearly showed that true love should have nothing to do with looks and material things.

Broken Glass was as humorous as it was thrilling, and I loved that the end set the premise for Beauty and the Beast (at least I think it did!).

The Windy Side of Care was a fast-paced story with a strong and determined heroine who met her match in a mischievous and humorous hero, so that there was never a dull moment for the reader.

A Cinder’s Tale showed the rise of a crew from a poorly respected position to one that was everyone’s dream, because of the strength of friendship. Makes you wonder if the Cinderella was simply only the heroine or the entire crew—definitely something to think about!

The Moon Master’s Ball was as suspenseful as it was magical. It portrayed a heroine that not only triumphed over her worst fear, but saved a hero and restored happiness to those who matter to her.

Overall, the writing was very good and distinct. I can see why these five stories made it to the finals. These ladies are clearly authors we should look out for.

*Although I offer this review to the public, it is my opinion and simply that. A thank you to Rooglewood Press and freelance publicist, Amber Stokes, for a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Now, lets find out what inspired Betsy to write What Eyes Can See!

Me: Helloooo Elisabeth! It’s great to have you here! What inspired the unique theme of your story?

Elisabeth: Hullo Miranda! Thanks for having me! My inspiration…hum, that’s rather hard. Dirty dishes? (I actually did come up with the basics of my plot while washing dishes. Maybe it was the repetitive action of scrubbing, maybe it was the cloying smell of the grapefruit dish soap…who knows.) On a more serious note, I think that I wove a lot of my own dreams into the theme of What Eyes Can See.  I get a little disenchanted with the whole “love at first sight” supposition—harrumph—and I wanted to make a love story that I could actually believe in. Okay, okay. It’s still a little far-fetched. But hey, that’s what dreams are for.

Me: I agree with you! Dreams are the substance of our writing a lot of times. Well done, Elisabeth, and thank you for stopping by!

Available Now!

The Five Glass Slipper is available in paperback and kindle. The collection will be on sale in kindle format for only $.99 for the duration of the blog tour, June 23rd-28th!

“Cinderella of the Ball” Giveaway!

Here’s your chance to be Cinderella of the ball! One lucky winner will receive a paperback copy of Five Glass Slippers, several Cinderella-themed items (including a bookmark crafted by Belle on a Budget, a journal, and a DVD copy of the Disney movie), as well as special gifts handpicked by a few of the collection’s authors (a glass slipper cookie cutter with recipe, freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, and an Apple Tree Inn cup and saucer). This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Simply join via a Rafflecopter giveaway form.

You can also find this post on facebook.

About the Authors

Elisabeth Brown

Elisabeth Brown has always loved words. The third of seven children, she enjoyed being homeschooled through her senior year of high school, and is now studying piano performance at Appalachian Bible College. When she’s ignoring the fact that she should probably be practicing more or doing Greek homework, you’ll find her sewing, baking, reading, singing along to basically any musical ever created, hiking through the woods, or laughing at incredibly silly puns.

What Eyes Can See is her first published story, but she also rambles at www.metaphoricalcello.wordpress.com.

Emma Clifton

Emma Clifton has been thinking up stories since before she knew how to type them out. Reading books such as the Chronicles of Narnia, The Door Within Trilogy, and Redwall inspired her to take her writing more seriously. Though her rigorous homeschool education keeps her busy, she also enjoys sewing, reading, and spending time with her family in beautiful Northern Virginia.

Emma blogs at www.peppermintandprose.wordpress.com.

Rachel Heffington

Rachel Heffington is a Christian, a novelist, and a people-lover. Outside of the realm of words, Rachel enjoys the Arts, traveling, mucking about in the kitchen, listening for accents, and making people laugh. She dwells in rural Virginia with her boisterous family and her black cat, Cricket.

In February 2014, Rachel released her debut novel, Fly Away Home, and is excited to collaborate on Five Glass Slippers with her fellow authoresses. She hopes to release her second full-length novel and first mystery (Anon, Sir, Anon) in autumn 2014. For more on Rachel, her current projects, and writing in general, visit her on her blog: www.inkpenauthoress.blogspot.com.

Stephanie Ricker

Stephanie Ricker is a writer, editor, and tree-climber. She adores the cold and the snow but lives in North Carolina anyway, where she enjoys archery, hiking, canoeing, and exploring with friends.

Stephanie’s fiction has been published in Bull-Spec, a magazine of speculative fiction, and in four consecutive editions of The Lyricist, Campbell University’s annual literary magazine. She was the editor of the 2009 edition of The Lyricist, which won first place in the American Scholastic Press Association Contest. Stephanie’s non-fiction has been published in an assortment of medical magazines and newsletters, and her senior thesis on Tolkien was published in the 2009 issue of Explorations: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity for the State of North Carolina.

You can find out more about Stephanie and her writing on her blog: www.QuoththeGirl.wordpress.com.

Clara Diane Thompson

Clara Diane Thompson lives in the swamps of Louisiana with her loving family, dashing dog, and a very confused frog that resides in the birdhouse outside her window. Aside from writing she enjoys playing guitar, singing, Broadway plays (particularly The Phantom of the Opera), ballet, tea with friends, and long BBC movies. An enchanted circus may or may not appear occasionally in her back yard.

You can find out more about Clara and her writing on her blog: www.claradianethompson.blogspot.com.

 To read the Savvy Saturday Weekly paper, go here.