A computer novice, I shivered in my seat when I read the
message online from Mildred Colvin, one of my critique partners. She and her
son, Jonathan Colvin, suggested we write retold fairy tales and each of us
self-publish our own book.
We all agreed we’d be there for each other if any of us got
stuck during the process. Translated that meant someone would bail me out of my
technical gaffes. I chose Jack and the
Beanstalk because it would lend itself to mystery and suspense, and I’m a
huge fan of the genre.
Mildred, who’s self-published over twenty books, spearheaded
the effort. Vanessa Riley, who’s a talented designer as well as writer,
volunteered to create a cover for each book.
We’re a laid-back group, so no one set rules about which
fairy tales we chose or what direction we took with the retelling. We did want
and need consistency.
First we discussed length and decided on novellas.
Considering several options on how to tie them all together, we chose the location.
June Foster had already started her story in a town called Fairwilde. We all
agreed to put our characters there, but instead of having them in a particular
town and state, we created Fairwilde Kingdom. I think this was important
because it gave us a way to use more than one setting for our stories. Vanessa
suggested the same size for the covers along with a title, sub-title and series
name. We call each of our books A Fairwilde Reflection Novella.
We started writing and critiquing immediately. Working in
our fantasy worlds over the span of a year brought us lots of joy. We hope our
books will do the same for our readers.
I believe all of us
sought additional editing and proofreading before publishing our novellas. Mountain of Love and Danger was critiqued
a second time and edited by Lisa Lickel. My husband and daughter proofread it.
They’re tough.
First out was At the
Edge of a Dark Forest, a retelling of Beauty
and the Beast by Connie Almony; next, Red
and the Wolf, a version of Little Red
Riding Hood by June Foster; third, Mirror
on the Fall, an adaptation of Snow
White by Mildred Colvin and Jonathan Colvin; fourth, Swept Away, a twist on Cinderella
by Vanessa Riley and lastly Mountain of
Love and Danger.
MOUNTAIN OF LOVE AND DANGER
Jack Greenthumb finds romance in Fairwilde Kingdom—a
different day—a different girl. Then a cruel mystery begins. Dad’s beaten, the
family farm destroyed and Jack’s true love, Gwendolyn Bante, kidnapped. Jack’s
undercover operation reveals Gwenie’s a captive atop a mountain accessible only
by helicopter. Reaching her is a dangerous expedition even for a champion rock
climber like Jack. However, a Greenthumb Acres employee plants a miraculous
seed from Heaven for the rescue. Suspense mounts as Jack scales the perilous
cliff to face a brute and a treacherous descent in this retelling of the fairy
tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.
The Five Girls and Jonathan:
Connie Almony: Connie’s trained as a mental health therapist and likes to mix a little fun with the serious stuff of life. She was a 2012 semi-finalist in the Genesis Contest for Women’s Fiction and was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Winter 2012 WOW Flash Fiction Contest. Her newest release, At the Edge of a Dark Forest, is a modern-day re-telling of Beauty and the Beast about a war-vet, amputee struggling with PTSD. Visit Connie at
http://www.infinitecharacters.com and http://www.ConnieAlmony.com.
Mildred Colvin: Mildred’s been
writing sweet inspirational romance since 2001, and is an award-winning author
of over thirty novels in both historical and contemporary themes, as well as
four compilations, and one audio book. Mildred is a member of American
Christian Fiction Writers and is active in two very special critique groups.
She is also active in her church and enjoys special times with her husband,
children, and grandchildren. Her hobbies, when she has time, include quilting,
photography, and gardening. Of course, reading is more than a hobby. It’s a way
of life.
Jonathan Colvin:
Jonathan has recently joined Mildred in brainstorming, plotting,
and editing several of their books, including Mirror on the Fall.
June Foster: An
award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in education
and MA in counseling. In 2013, June's book Give
Us This Day was a finalist in EPIC's eBook awards and in 2014 a finalist in
the National Readers Choice Awards for best first book. Ryan's Father was one of three finalists in the published
contemporary fiction category of the 2014 Oregon Christian Writers Cascade
Writing Contest and Awards. Deliver Us
was a finalist in COTT's 2014 Laurel Awards. June has written four novels for
Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown
Fourth of July. Ryan's Father is available from WhiteFire Publishing. Red and the Wolf, a modern day retelling
of Little Red Riding Hood, is available from Amazon.com. June enjoys writing
stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the
power of God and His Word.
Vanessa Riley: Vanessa holds a doctorate in mechanical
engineering and a masters in industrial engineering and engineering
management from Stanford University. She has been a radio anchorwoman and
church announcer. She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers
Association, Romance Writers of America, and Specialty RWA Chapters:
The Beaumonde, Faith, Hope, & Love Chapter, and the Georgia
Chapter. She juggles mothering a ten-year old, her eighteenth wedding
anniversary, engineering, writing and speaking at women's events. Here first
book, Madeline's Protector, is also a
Regency just like her fairy tale. She’s represented by The Knight
Agency.
Gail Pallotta: Award-winning
author Gail Pallotta’s a wife, Mom, swimmer and bargain shopper who loves God,
beach sunsets and getting together with friends and family. A former regional
writer of the year for American Christian Writers Association, she won Clash of
the Titles in 2010. Her teen book, Stopped
Cold, finished fourth in the 16th Annual Preditors and Editors readers’
poll and was a finalist for the 2013 Grace Awards. She’s published short
stories in “Splickety” magazine and Sweet
Freedom with a Slice of Peach Cobbler. Some of her published articles
appear in anthologies while two are in museums. Visit her web site at
http://www.gailpallotta.com
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