In June 2015, back when I blogged at
Whispers on the Wind (known then as
A Sapphire Chamber), I had the honor of serving as a part of Rooglewood Press's cover reveal team for
their Sleeping Beauty contest, Five Magic Spindles.
In March 2016, I joyfully joined tradition and celebrated
Five Magic Spindles's winners and
finalists.
June 2017 marked the cover reveal for Rooglewood Press's final fairytale contest:
Five Poisoned Apples, a collection of Snow White retellings.
Last Saturday marked Rooglewood Press's
writers-reveal. Today marks the official announcement.
2013-2014 ANTHOLOGY: FIVE GLASS SLIPPERS
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!
ELISABETH BROWN: WHAT EYES CAN SEE
EMMA CLIFTON: BROKEN GLASS
RACHEL HEFFINGTON: THE WINDY SIDE OF CARE
STEPHANIE RICKER: A CINDER'S TALE
CLARA DIANE THOMPSON: THE MOON MASTER'S BALL
2014-2015 ANTHOLOGY: FIVE ENCHANTED ROSES
REDISCOVER THE ENCHANTMENT
Summer 2015
A ship bearing the souls of sinful sailors drifts upon a ghostly sea. An abbey looms as the final defense between mortals and ghouls of the underworld. In the stillness of a throne room, statues stand forever frozen in a moment of terror. Monsters and men stalk their prey deep in the jungle’s shadows. A rose blooms in the dead of winter, sheltered in the ruins of an ancient Scottish castle.
And only true love can free the Beast from his prison.
KAYCEE BROWNING: ESPRIT DE LA ROSE
SAVANNAH JEZOWSKI: WITHER
JENELLE SCHMIDT: STONE CURSE
DORIAN TSUKIOKA: ROSARA & THE JUNGLE KING
HAYDEN WAND: THE WULVER'S ROSE
2015-2016 ANTHOLOGY: FIVE MAGIC SPINDLES
Awaken the Magic!
Emma, a good-hearted midwife, rushes to warn a neighbor about the hired gunman headed to his ranch but can't prevent the catastrophe in store for his daughter.
Palli, the prophesied daughter of a king, is fated to rescue her people from the destruction called forth by a vengeful priest.
Roselee, a ghost with a faulty memory, flits through the halls of an insane asylum in search of the mortal boy who can help her save the day.
Arabella, a living spirit trapped in her own comatose body, helplessly watches from the realm of dreams as her usurping cousin plots to destroy her once and for all.
Tanza, a tomb raider on a distant planet, struggles to make a living and doesn’t need a long-lost prince to complicate her difficult life.
One way or another, these beauties have no intention of sleeping away their problems.
RACHEL KOVACINY: THE MAN ON THE BUCKSKIN HORSE
KATHRYN MCCONAUGHY: GUARDIAN OF OUR BEAUTY
GRACE MULLINS: THE GHOST OF BRIARDALE
MICHELLE PENNINGTON: SPINDLE CURSED
ASHLEY STANGL: OUT OF THE TOMB
These collections have brought blessings. Five Glass Slippers and its sister anthologies make for spellbinding reads. Rooglewood Press has led unpublished authors to reach for the stars, and published authors to revel in stardust once again.
These collections have made me a better writer. My submission to
Five Enchanted Roses taught me the value of editing. My submission to
Five Magic Spindles taught me the heart in perseverance. My (unsent) submission to
Five Poisoned Apples taught me to chase stories you love.
These collections have brought friendship. From Facebook parties to
the 2015 September Show-and-Tell to
Rooglewood's writers' group, these contests have joined bloggers together, inviting lasting friendships and tales.
Without further ado, may I present the authors of the final Rooglewood Press anthology -- compiled from 2017 to 2018 --
Five Poisoned Apples...
SKYE HOFFERT: FALLING SNOW
JENELLE HOVDE: RAVEN'S HEIR
CORTNEY MANNING: THE FAIREST ONE
MADDIE MORROW: RED AS BLOOD
RACHAEL WALLEN: SNOWBIRD & THE RED SLIPPERS
ALL THE FEELS. Joy and excitement for the winners, disappointment and hope for those who did not win, happy recognition for the "Special Unicorns" with near-perfect marks...
Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
~ Winston Churchill
Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.
~ Dr. Suess
To the winners: You have incredible, life-changing journeys before you! You get to polish, you get to perfect, YOU GET TO BE PUBLISHED BY A MULTI-AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR. How awesome is that?! The road may be long or tough or trying at times, but it'll be oh-so-worth it. This is just one, tiny step on a wonderful, God-planned path. And I wish you all the best. 💕
To the "Special Unicorns": YOU GUUYYYYSSS. You wrote stories that professionals deemed nearly perfect. THAT'S INCREDIBLE! Not only that, but Anne Elisabeth Stengl made you fantabulous covers! And you get to decide what to do with them. 😉 Congratulations, my friends. I'll be praying for your journey onwards. 💕
To the finalists, honorable mentions, and entrants who did not win: You are not a loser. In my book, YOU WON! You concocted a story, you wrote it, you edited it, YOU SENT IT TO COMPLETE STRANGERS FOR FEEDBACK AND POSSIBLE PUBLICATION. That alone is a phenomenal achievement! There are so many paths ahead of you! Indie/self-publishing, traditional publishing, small presses, agents, editors, cover designers, critique groups... the possibilities are endless. God will lead you where you belong -- that's amazing. This is not the end, my friends... not even close. 💕
Dragons, did you submit a story? What is the next step you plan to take?
❤,
