J.M. Stengl's Blog

So guess what I got in my inbox yesterday? That's right . . . the finalized cover design for The Lady and the Wish! (I may have squealed. My cats aren't telling, but . . . yeah. I may have squealed.)This was perfect timing since I also JUST finished drafting this novel. I'm due to turn it in to my editor tomorrow morning, so I'm doing some last-minute reading and tweaking. But otherwise . . . whew! What a relief it is to have this story almost done. It's been killer to write, but I'm pretty excited by how it's turned out.But you're wanting to see the cover, aren't you? All right, all right . . . here you go!Isn't she beautiful? I love this look for my proud and petulant Lady Gillian. All that curly red-gold hair! That blue dress really brings out her eyes, doesn't it? And don't miss that mischievous little fairy gleaming just out of Gillian's sight . . . an important part of the story! Gillian was the Mean Girl in my first novel, Ellie and the Prince, and this new story takes her on quite an adventure as she begins to realize just how self-centered she is and possibly starts to grow up a little bit . . . (or a lotta bit!)All of my covers are designed by Bulbous Squirrel Design Studio. You can check out some of her other fantasy and fairy tale coversHERE. And don't forget to add The Lady and the Wish to your Goodreads shelf!

And for my last spotlight feature, I give you the fifth book in the Andari Chronicles . . . Brenna Seagrave doesn’t want to be a countess. She prefers her life of danger and disguise as a spy for the kingdom of Andar, but the Andari court isn’t quite ready for a countess who engages in espionage. Feeling trapped, Brenna accepts an invitation to a mysterious estate, where she hopes to connect with the mother she’s never had a chance to know. But nothing is quite as Brenna expects. Her mother is obsessively critical, the neighbor is a ridiculous flirt and the handsome butler is undoubtedly up to something. Also, someone seems to be plotting her demise. Brenna can’t go home until she finds out who wants to kill her, but her only allies are a bumbling nobleman and an old acquaintance who isn’t exactly a team player.This is Brenna's story, and she makes an awesome heroine! Daughter of Lies is somewhat shorter than earlier books in the series, but it packs plenty of action, intrigue, and romance into those pages.The villain is truly horrid, and although I loved glimpses of characters from earlier books, I also really liked the new characters, especially the "seven dwarfs." :-) The romantic interest seems just right for Brenna, and I loved his introduction. He reminded me a bit of a favorite Georgette Heyer hero but is definitely his own person. And he is just right for Brenna.I was delighted to hear recently that the author will be writing more books in this series, featuring more characters from earlier books. I will be ready and waiting!!Recommended for retelling fans who enjoy action/adventure, romance, some mystery, and touches of delightful humor in their fairy-tales.

Continuing my Author of the Month feature of Kenley Davidson, let me put the spotlight on this beautiful story . . .Princess Ilani is an outcast, shunned since her seventh birthday for possessing forbidden magic. But when her twelve sisters are trapped by a deception that threatens to tear their father’s empire apart, Ilani must come out of hiding and join forces with a devilishly charming foreigner whose motives remain shrouded by secrecy and mistrust.Lord Kyril Seagrave is on a covert mission into the heart of the Caelani Empire, where he finds himself adrift in a realm of impenetrable mystery and dangerous magic. Armed with nothing but determination and a set of ill-matched companions, Kyril soon realizes there is far more at stake than he could have imagined, and one misstep could prove disastrous not only to Andar, but to the beautiful and indomitable princess he would give his life to protect.Where to begin with this lovely story? Pirouette takes its time to introduce the world, the characters, and the drama, bringing in characters (good and bad) from earlier in the series (which is fun), and introducing a new cast of characters in a previously unseen part of the world. I would advise a new reader to stick with the story and simply enjoy the lovely writing and description--the payoff is coming! Kai is an unusual hero--charming and intelligent yet filled with self-doubt, particularly after spending the first part of the story horribly seasick! Ilani is sweet and tragic, longing to be loved and accepted. The two of them are adorable together. :-) I also loved the side characters and look forward to seeing them again in later books. I thoroughly enjoyed the dramatic climax that tied together numerous storylines and loose ends for a satisfying conclusion. This book, its world, and its characters are complex and beautifully constructed. Read and enjoy!

And here is my next February Feature of Kenley Davidson's beautiful fairy tales. Today I'm focusing on . . .After more than twenty years in hiding, Alexei is returning home. His kingdom is destroyed, his people dead or enslaved, and the magic that once protected them lost to all but memory. His only hope to provide sanctuary for the few who remain is the uncertain word of a traitor, a broken man who claims to know the hiding place of Erath’s greatest treasure. To find it, Alexei will have to return to the place where Erath fell, and brave the shadowed halls of a castle that echoes with the ghosts of his past.Zara is a woman without a future—a treasure hunter, and a thief who hates to steal. Trapped by fate in an abandoned castle, she encounters a destiny she could never have predicted, and uncovers a treasure far greater than she could ever have imagined.What a unique and intriguing story this turned out to be! I love the links between plots and characters from book to book, and this one was possibly even more satisfying than the last. It was obviously inspired by Beauty and the Beast, yet in some ways it seemed more like a set-up for a Beauty and the Beast plot. Rowan is far more beastly and awful than Alexei! This said, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, especially the characters. Rowan is perfectly awful, Zara is a strong heroine, and the cat . . . :-) The Rose and Athven Nar were marvelous plot elements, and the fantasy themes are original and fascinating. Well worth reading!

For my February Author of the Month Feature I am putting the spotlight on Kenley Davidson and her beautiful Andari Chronicles. Starting of course with . . .Trystan was once the pampered daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, but his unexpected death has left her with nothing. Desperate to escape her stepmother’s malicious web of lies, Trystan will do almost anything to gain her freedom—even play a part in a devious plot to disinherit the kingdom’s unpopular heir, Prince Ramsey. But her freedom may cost more than she ever imagined. At the glittering royal masque, two very different princes will compete for the hearts of their people, and Trystan must decide where her loyalties lie—with the man who may be able to save her kingdom, or the man who has stolen her heart.This book, a loose retelling of Cinderella, is a strong beginning to Kenley's series, including elements of the classic tale and weaving them into a story that reads like a novel with plenty of political intrigue. The heroine, Trystan, is not your typical Cinderella character--she has attitude issues, though I can't really blame her, considering her circumstances. She makes some unwise choices but accepts responsibility for her own actions. I particularly enjoyed the hero--he truly made the book, in my opinion. Not your typical godlike, snarky action-hero--this prince has actual character. The dynamic between them is realistic and appealing. I also really enjoyed the side characters, and I love that later books expand on their stories. If you enjoy dramatic fairy-tale retellings set in richly drawn story worlds, you will love this series!

Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to have Suzannah Rowntree featured on my blog today. She is an amazing talent, and I have so enjoyed everything I've read by her. I hope you will enjoy learning more about her and hopefully discover a new favorite author!Hi, Suzannah, and welcome! I'm so pleased to feature you today. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. We'll start out with an easy one: When did you begin writing stories, and how did you first start publishing?Suzannah: Telling stories is something I’ve always been good at, even before I could write (I think my dad took dictation). I started writing my first novel when I was 12, and finished it when I was 16, and promised myself, “Never again!”Reader, I didn’t even last fifteen minutes before starting something else. That was when I realized that this was what I was made for.My debut novel, Pendragon’s Heir, is the one I started writing when I was 17. I worked on it for ten years on and off, constantly rewriting and titivating. Over that same ten years, I also learned a lot more about the publishing industry, and eventually decided that my best bet for making a career off my writing was to self-publish. Pendragon’s Heirreleased in March 2015, just three months shy of its tenth birthday in a fevered week in 2005 when I wrote the entire first draft in just six days (still the most productive week of my writing life). But it wasn’t the very first thing I’d ever published – a few months previously, around Christmas 2014, I’d released The Rakshasa’s Bride, a Beauty and the Beast retelling (in the style of Bollywood! Yes, really). I’ve been busily writing and self-publishing ever since. It’s been four years now, but I still feel like I’m just getting started.Do you find that your life experiences affect your story ideas? If so, can you give us an example?Suzannah: The most obvious example of this happening is from that time I spent a wonderful week exploring the resort town of Wanaka in New Zealand’s South Island, and felt so much like a glamorous Mary Stewart heroine the whole time, that I decided the experience couldn’t be allowed to go to waste. So I wroteDeath Be Not Proud to immortalise it all. Swimming in glacial waters! Watching the sunrise from Mount Iron! Seriously, New Zealand is glorious.Otherwise, usually I’m not writing about places I’ve been and experiences I’ve had. For example, trying to trade my love interest’s soul to the devil in a fantasy version of Renaissance Venice (in The City Beyond the Glass). Although I can tell you that growing up as the eldest of three sisters definitely had an effect on that story...Do you ever base your characters (even partially) on people you know?Suzannah: Ah ha! Should I admit to this? Well, all right: yes – partially. My characters are almost never based on just one person; more often I think of them as a type, as represented by two or three people I know personally.After all, I need plausible deniability, right?Though this doesn’t always work. I was rather surprised when both my sisters told me that Ruby in Death Be Not Proud is definitely me. Oops?Why do you write fantasy in particular?Suzannah: I’ve always been entranced by ideas – philosophy, theology, ideology. In addition, as a Christian, I believe that there’s a supernatural, spiritual dimension to history itself. Fantasy has always lent itself particularly well to discussing matters of faith, philosophy, and spirituality, and that’s why I personally have always gravitated towards it.Also, fantasy just lets you do cool things.Have certain authors inspired your work or given you jump-off ideas for your stories?Suzannah: Oh, yes! The Inklings, especially JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Charles Williams and Roger Lancelyn Green, gave me my love of medieval history and fantasy, and Pendragon’s Heir is deeply influenced by them. Then, most of my fairytale novellas are inspired by books and movies I love – I wanted to challenge myself to write experimental stories in a lot of different genres. So, The Rakshasa’s Bride is my homage toBollywood movies. The Bells of Paradise is strongly influenced by Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market and George MacDonald’s Phantastes, among many other things. Death Be Not Proud was my challenge to myself to write a Mary Stewart romantic suspense story. Ten Thousand Thornscome from my love of Chinese wuxia movies, and is deeply inspired by the classic wuxia novel The Legend of the White-Haired Maiden. The City Beyond the Glass is much more a creature of my own creation, but if I’m going to be honest with you, it has a good helping of Rosamund Hodge’s 90%-dark-chocolate fairytales in there as well.With the Watchers of Outremerseries, Tim Powers is a big influence. Powers is a venerable author of amazingly detailed and well-researched historical fantasy. I haven’t always enjoyed his books, but I’ve always been deeply challenged by the sheer level of historical detail which he blends seamlessly with fantasy elements (I particularly liked Hide Me Among the Graves, which is about the Rossetti siblings fighting vampires!). My aim with Watchers of Outremer is to build similar fantastical stories into a similarly detailed and accurate picture of the medieval crusader states.What is the greatest challenge for you in mixing fantasy with real-world history?Suzannah: Ordinarily I think about how intuitive this process is, actually. I see the inclusion of fantastic elements as simply being a way to discuss the spiritual and ethical realities going on beneath the surface of the history. Sometimes, like in the Watchers of Outremer series, this means reading the historical chronicles and exaggerating things like the visions, prophecies, and sorcery that’s already recorded in the history. And sometimes, like in The City Beyond the Glass, it just means coming up with the Glass Doge as a big fancy metaphor for the evils lurking beneath the glittering facade of Renaissance Venice.So in some ways the process is very easy. But no creative process is without difficulty. One of the challenges I’ve faced, especially with Watchers of Outremer, is knowing that since my stories are based on historical reality, I also want the fantasy elements to be based on real history and mythology. So, I’ve actually been researching Near Eastern religion and mythology, angelology and demonology. Some of the books I’ve read have titles like The Adversary, Unholy Spirits, and The Dictionary of Demons and Deities in the Bible. Next on this list: The Unseen Realm. Learning about all these things and managing to harmonise them all into a mythology that fits my own stories is a bit tricky, given the complex and sometimes contradictory evidence of all the different sources I’m using. I find that fantasy worldbuilding becomes a lot trickier when you’re linking it up with existing mythologies!And there you have it, reader friends! Fascinating answers from a truly fascinating writer. I hope you are all inspired now to go pick up Suzannah's work. Believe me, you won't regret it!And meanwhile, do you want a chance to win one of her fairy tales for yourself? Because I'm offering a giveaway for all my subscribers!If you haven't subscribed to my newsletter yet, be sure to do so, and you'll be given a chance to enter the Author of the Month Giveaway!

Another wonderful retelling by one of the most creative voices in the genre! For my final spotlight feature, I bring you . . .What if it was Beauty who was cursed...not the Beast? Preeti Kamla has the evil eye. Her bad luck has brought tragedy and disgrace upon her once-wealthy family...but when a handsome stranger promises to break her curse, Preeti almost believes him. Until a twist of fate whisks her away from everything she knows, and the gruesome Demon Rajah claims her as his bride.The Rakshasa’s Bride is a novella-length retelling of Beauty and the Beast, inspired by Bollywood musicals!This little book captures both the lush beauty of India and the darkness beneath the lives of everyday people. Yes, it is an allegorical retelling of Beauty and the Beast and closely follows the classic story line, yet it is its own thing as well, with themes that make a reader think. A likeness to Lewis's Til We Have Faces is also clear, yet I didn't mind this fresh take on the timeless theme. Despite knowing where the story must eventually go (which can be reassuring!), I felt impatience and concern with Preeti's fear and indecision and her many questions that seemed unanswerable. The Rakshasa as a character is well drawn, and its symbolism is beautiful. Yes, this novella manages to be beautiful, romantic, tense, and rich in meaning. Another excellent read from an excellent author.I hope you have all enjoyed my Author of the Month reviews! You really should do yourself a favor and try Suzannah's stories for yourself. They are so unique and beautiful, they stand out in the crowd.

Here I am with my second review for Suzannah Rowntree's fabulous series of retellings. Today I'm putting the spotlight on . . .What if the Twelve Dancing Princesses tried to steal your soul? As a daughter of nobility in Renaissance Venice, Gemma Caloprini must marry - or die behind convent walls. But when an unwanted betrothal goads Gemma to defy her father, she risks her most dangerous secret: the Glass Doge, a sinister nobleman living behind the glass of her mirror. Now Gemma faces a brutal dilemma. If the suitors competing for her youngest sister's hand discover her secret, she'll be locked in a convent. If the Inquisitors find out, she'll burn as a witch. And if she can't pay her debt to the Glass Doge, she'll lose her soul forever.Another amazing fairy-tale retelling in a vivid historical setting, filled with memorable characters, high action, and clever inclusion of the original tale's key plot points. The author did whittle the number of sisters down to three, which makes sense, particularly for a novella, and I appreciated not having to keep track of twelve girls! Emma is a flawed oldest sister trapped in a home and society that offers her very little in the way of life choices. She has fallen into a diabolical trap laid within her own home and struggles to find a way out--making many selfish, dishonest, and eventually useless choices along the way.Add in the Glass Doge, a creepy entity offering entertainment to the trapped people of Venice; Maria, a helpless slave; Cosimo, a clever antihero with selfish motives of his own; and two hapless would-be suitors--and you've got a fascinating story of power-struggles, machinations, lies, and one unselfish character . . . But I won't spoil the fun. If you enjoy historical fantasy and a quick yet rich reading experience, be sure to pick up this story!

I'm back! Finally picking up my Author of the Month features again after several months hiatus. I'm excited to share with you my thoughts on Suzannah Rowntree's incredible fairy tale retellings, starting with . . . What if Sleeping Beauty was a martial artist? For a hundred years, Princess Morning Light has meditated in a hidden temple surrounded by ten thousand thorns. Could her long-lost sword skill be the key to stopping the Vastly Martial Emperor? Rebel leader Clouded Sky doesn’t believe in the old legends of Ten Thousand Thorns Temple. But as bounty hunters and imperial guards close in, the martial princess may be Clouded Sky’s last hope. Who can he trust – and who is planning to betray him?If you liked the martial arts and fierce female characters of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, you’ll love this action-packed retelling of Sleeping Beauty!What a delightful story this is! I know little about Chinese fantasy other than having watched Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon long ago, yet this novella totally charmed me. (The names of the martial-arts stances sometimes cracked me up--they were so fun!) The setting is richly drawn, the characters grow and deepen, the martial-arts action scenes are magnificent, and clever plot twists enhanced my enjoyment of this story! A story that entertains as well as challenging a reader to think is well worth the read.Don't miss any of my upcoming reviews for Suzannah Rowntree's incredible retellings!

This is my final spotlight review for my Author of the Month pick, Melanie Cellier. I hope you'll enjoy reading my thoughts on . . .Princess Sophia has helped her twin sister Lily save the duchy of Marin. But now Sophie faces an even greater threat when she sets out to free the cursed kingdom of Palinar from its beastly prince. Alone, and with danger on every side, Sophie must navigate a magical castle and its even more mysterious master to discover the secret to breaking the curse. Except the more time she spends with Prince Dominic, the more she starts to question who exactly she’s supposed to be saving. With time running out for the trapped inhabitants, and the reappearance of an old enemy, Sophie may have to choose between saving the kingdom and following her heart.Another delightful retelling, this one of my favorite fairy tale. I have enjoyed so much reading stories about the twins from the first book in this series. Their twin relationship is fun, especially with their godmother gift. :-)I enjoyed the romance and the way this story ties in with the rest of the series. Lots of exciting action and a sweet romance. If you love fairy-tale retellings and haven't yet discovered Melanie Cellier, you're missing out on a whole lot of fun!This concludes my September reviews for Melanie Cellier's amazing fairy tales. I hope you find yourself completely intrigued to read her stories. Be sure to enter my end of the month giveaway, exclusively for mailing list subscribers!