Romance by Another Name--My Top 5 unconventional stories about love

Valentine’s day is days away and I’ve never been one to celebrate it. One year in junior high a friend and I, fed up with the day, threw rocks in a pond and named each rock after a boy. It’s my favorite Valentine’s Day memory.Now I write a blog about fairy tales, which for some is the touchstone of romance. I, on the other hand, prefer something more modern. So in honor of a holiday I don’t celebrate I offer a list of modern fairy tale romances I wish I’d known about in junior high: Outlander series: Despite being set in the past, Jamie’s oddly progressive views about a strong, capable woman is worth wishing for. Plus, the accent… Followed by Frost: A fairy tale retelling of the Snow Queen, it’s a rare redemption story that focuses on loving oneself before loving someone elseThe Rules of Magic: Not an obvious choice, but I appreciate a story that shows that love doesn’t have to last to be deep, meaningful and powerfulThe Woodcutter: The ultimate story about faithfulness versus duty. His love of his wife is all that sustains him and keeps him strong for all the trials ahead even though it isn’t a given that he’ll return. I also love that she isn’t described as a great beauty, just someone precious to himHis Majesty’s Dragon: Not all love stories have to be romantic. Friendship is just as powerful and the love between a man and his dragon, while distinctly an idea of fantasy writers, is no less valid. Those are my top five romances for people who need a little something extra in their love stories. Here’s hoping my paranormal romance, The Cemetery Circle, makes it on to your list of unconventional romances.  Stone Watcher. The term holds no meaning for 30-year-old Cia, who thought a free vacation to Scotland would be the perfect escape from her troubles—not knowing it would commit her to a lifelong promise made centuries before her time.The Cemetery Circle is a paranormal fantasy novella that begs the question—who would volunteer to live next to a graveyard? The answer is—no one.

Feminista's Reads-in-Progress

You've heard it before: if you want to be a writer, be a reader first. Well, that's never been a problem for me! However, with all the unexpected marketing hassles work learning experiences I've been undergoing, it's taking me longer than usual to finish a book. But I have a few on the fire that I think anyone interested in fairy tale retellings: Fearless Girls, Wise Women & Beloved Sisters by Kathleen Ragan  A round-the-world trip through fairy tales that focus on stories outside of the European canon and women who don't need saving. A must for Fairytale Feminista fans!   The Woodcutter by Kate Danley This is a bit of a departure for me in terms of format. I've been playing around with listening to books when taking walks--I don't read and walk as well as I used to--and this one is a perfect start! The narrator, Sarah Coomes, makes the story come to life in a way that reminds me of story time at the library when I was a kid. It combines fantasy, fairy tale retelling, and mystery to brilliant effect. After Alice by Gregory Maguire I've long been a fan of Gregory Maguire. Sometimes I love his stories and other times it's a slog. I haven't decided on this one yet--a new take on the story of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland through the eyes of her friend, Ada--but I really like the absurdist story of Alice.  How about you, FF fans? Are there any Reads-in-Progress (RIPs, unfortunate, I know) that may appeal to fairy tale revisionists?