Today, I want to welcome Landra Graf to my blog. She's talking about her Beyond Fairytales story called A Rose by Any Other Name.
Blurb
Zombies don’t belong in fairy tales….at least not those with a good chance of a
happily ever after…
Jason Prince, Charming's once-upon-a-time star jock, only
attends his Charming high school reunion to find his way into the heart of a
certain wallflower who had no date for the prom.
Shy, geeky, chemical engineer, Emma Fay has been keeping
her love for Jason a secret because she knows Jason and Rose belong together.
But, when Rose Briar pricks her finger, fulfilling a prophecy about death and a
plague, she throws a wrench into the class reunion that not even the best
planning committee can tackle.
Can Jason and Emma stop Zombie Beauty Rose before she
turns their loved ones into her undead court and sends them forth to spread the
infestation to the rest of the world? Or will human flesh become the daily
special at diners everywhere? And will there be enough left of Jason and Emma
for romance to blossom?
Fairytale Twists
Thank you, Vicki, for hosting me on the big release day!
Yes, today my Beyond Fairytale, A Rose By Any Other Name is available to
read. So, I'm going to talk about the
fairytale this story is based on and how I twisted it.
Sleeping Beauty... what a tale. I remember my first
experience with Sleeping Beauty. I was around four years old and received the
Disney movie version on VHS. The songs, the characters, even the fairies. Then
there was a call, an open submission call.
To be honest I wanted to give Sleeping Beauty a full
twist. What if Beauty, Rose Brair, was a beauty before she fell asleep and not
so much when she woke up? Undead Beauty would be a little more difficult to
handle.
The Prince would need to put her down and the romance, I
needed one. Enter a twist on fairies. To be honest there's nothing paranormal
about Emaline Fay, her name is the closest to fairy that she comes. From there solutions started flowing, plot,
setting, and all the trimmings. Even a creepy old woman to predict the horrible
future that will befall Rose and the town she lives in.
My question for readers today - what's your favorite kind
of fairytale twist? Gender swapping, genre swapping, trope change?
Buy Links
Excerpt:
Her eyes darted back toward the examination room. He
couldn’t hear anything that gave the impression things were worse than they’d
been a few moments ago. In fact, the silence in the room made him anxious, and
he started to tap his boot on the linoleum floor. The rising tension around
them or the number of feelings invoked knowing someone he cared about lay
suffering in the other room failed to help as well. He gave a little shiver and
involuntarily gripped Emma’s hand tighter. She tried to pull away, but he
wanted to hold on to her a little longer.
“All right then, let’s break up this mood. I’m going to
read your palm.” He hoped the ploy would cast away her urges to break their
bond.
“Palm reading?” One brown eyebrow lifted, but her frame
and hand relaxed at his touch.
“Yes, I’ve studied with the finest masters fair corn dogs
can buy.”
She giggled.
“I can tell you your future, Miss Emmaline Fay,” he said
with a grin. She gave one back and the effect was breathtaking. She’d always
possessed a beautiful smile, one known for lighting up rooms, and he enjoyed
being the recipient.
“Fine, Master Prince. Tell me my future.”
Jason turned her palm over in his, trailing his fingers
along the lines. Leaning in for a closer look, he picked up on the scent of
vanilla, flowers, and a hint of something he couldn’t identify beyond pure
Emma. The power of the smell made his groin swell again, something he didn’t
need at the moment. One glance downward and she’d see the evidence of how she
affected him.
So he thought about cold showers and his grandmother’s
gnarly hands and focused on the soft palm covered with lines.
“Ah, your life line is extremely long. I also see a man
in your love line. This is a man who has loved you for a long time and watched
you from afar.”
She scoffed. “Sounds kind of creepy. I don’t know if I
want a stalker in my life.”
“Not a stalker, but an admirer. He’s always appreciated
your loyalty.” Jason locked eyes with her green ones. “Your kindness and
bravery, too. And your ability to push ahead. Strength like that is rare.”
She leaned forward, her nose barely touching his. “How
rare?”
“Uh.” His words caught in his throat. To have her so
close, too close...exactly where he’d wanted her since he’d seen her sitting
behind the wheel of her car. “Rare enough that I’ve only known one other person
to possess it. I—”
“The fever is coming down,” Dr. Mason announced, bursting
into the room, face filled with relief.
Jason silently swore as she jumped out of her chair and
moved toward the entry. “Can we go in?”
“No, not yet. I want you both to stay here, though, in
case you come down with the same thing due to proximity. We've taken blood, and
we're doing everything we can, but I don’t know if this is contagious.” The
doctor moved to a cabinet on the far wall and removed two blankets.
“You can camp out in the waiting room.”
“Completely understandable, Doc. I know we won’t leave
until Rose is able to, anyway. We’ll want to be on the
nurse-Rose-back-to-health team.” Jason stood to accept the blankets.
Her momentary excitement deflated, Emma shuffled back to
her chair. “That’s right. I’ll be nursing our girl back to health or whatever
else it takes, so I’m staying until everything is perfectly fine.”
“Good. I’ll see you both in the morning,” Dr. Mason said,
leaving by way of the kitchen door. Jason could only imagine the amount of
coffee the doctor planned on consuming for the night.
Emma curled up in her seat, slipping her feet out of her
brown cowboy boots.
Jason sat down next to her and leaned back in his chair.
“He certainly knows how to offer comfortable beds.”
“And there’s the sarcasm I know so well.” She leaned her
head on his shoulder.
He tried to ignore how right it felt. “Yes, and that’s
why you should just close your eyes and rest. Don’t worry. It’ll all be better
in the morning.”
Author Bio
Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day, and has always been a sucker for
stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written
word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her
family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving
everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.
Author Links
