What happened after Cinderella married her prince? How did the evil sorceress in Sleeping Beauty turn evil in the first place? Discover these stories and a world filled with magic, forbidden love, elves, sprites, dragons, and the most powerful creatures of all— the fairies —in Bonded, a collection of three fairy tale inspired novellas.
CINDERS: A Cinderella sequel. Money can’t buy love, but magic isn’t a sure bet either. Cinderella, now officially a princess, finds royal life is not what she once dreamed. When a mysterious elf from her past stirs up long-suppressed passion, Cinderella begins to wonder if there really is love beneath the spell that captured her husband’s heart. But undoing magic can be harder than casting the initial spell, and the results are even less predictable.
THIRDS: A retelling of the Grimm’s fairy tale, One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes. Issina is surrounded by magic, yet none of it belongs to her. Despised and abused by her mother and sisters, she finds comfort when she meets the beautiful elves living in the nearby woods. The elves want to help her discover her own magic, but it’s not the kind of power she hoped for, and she learns there is more to magic than getting what you want.
SCALES: A Sleeping Beauty prequel. The sun never sets in the realm of the fairies. When the young fairy Serina looks into her sister’s eyes, she sees darkness for the first time. After her mother is murdered, Serina defies fairy law to follow her sister to the human realm. There she discovers the strength of a bond, the weight of a promise, and the darkness in her own heart.
When I think about fairy tales, I think about happy endings with true love conquering all. Bonded takes what you've always thought about fairy tales and gives it a major shakeup. There isn't always a happy ending, and evil is not always conquered. Such a unique twist that really takes you places you never considered.
I was able to read Cinders back in 2010 when Michelle originally self-published it. The story was so different from any Cinderella story I'd ever read. It definitely goes against the happily-ever-after idea ingrained in my brain, but it was captivating. Michelle has a way with words, and I didn't want to put it down. I was very excited for Michelle when she announced that Rhemalda Publishing would be publishing it along with two other fairy tale inspired novellas.
The Grimm's fairy tale One-Eye, Two-Eyes, Three-Eyes isn't one I'm familiar with, but I really like what Michelle did with it. Thirds took me on an emotional roller coaster ride. The way Issina's family treats her is heartbreaking. The mystery involved about her past and her power was intriguing, and the romance was sweet. Thirds has a happy ending (yay!), and left me thinking about the importance of familial relationships.
The first thing I noticed about Scales was its sweet dedication. Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney cartoons, but I will admit that I've never thought about why the evil fairy was evil. Serina's story brought about a lot of emotions. I was left torn between wanting more and just sad because there is nothing left of the Serina we came to know. Even though the hope for Serina was gone, she at least set some things in motion that redeemed her (at least in my mind). A very touching story!
Bonded was released on November 1st, and is available to purchase in paperback, hardcover, and as a Kindle edition.
Launch Party:
The official Bonded Launch Party will be held at 7:00 p.m. on November 7, 2012, at The King's English Bookshop in Salt Lake City, Utah (1511 South 1500 East). If you are in the area, don't miss this opportunity to meet Michelle and buy a copy of Bonded.
About the Author:
Giveaway:
Michelle has a great giveaway open through November 9, 2012. Just enter using the Rafflecopter form:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You can also enter to win a copy of Bonded on Goodreads, open through December 1, 2012.
Thank you! :)
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