OOO October's Outta the Drawer Originals

I interrupt the regularly scheduled FTBC for a special offering. FTBC will return next month.I've been on a alliterative kick lately (for proof see my book website's newest page, Fourth Fridays for Fantasy Foodies) and today is no different. I read a blog post that recommended putting original work out in the world--a frightening prospect for any writer. But the more I thought about it I realized the timing couldn't be better. October holds eerie appeal, with Halloween looming. Nothing's scarier than revealing untested work. Perfect for doing something scary and brave.I encourage other writers to do the same with the title, OOO October Outta the Drawer Originals. Post short stories, flash fiction, and poetry with a spooky/atmospheric bent. Post as often as you can and consider it practice for NaNoWriMo in November. Here's my first offering:Bone WindA girl who loses her mother is adopted by a force of nature. She quickly learns that nature cannot be contained.

MAIAM--Catherine Green, aka Spooky Mrs. Green

For those of you who don't know, I have another website dedicated to writing, but I also love to support and promote other indies! Hope you enjoy!

Triangles of Love, like fins on a mermaid

I just finished watching The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. A moving story to be sure. I have a soft spot for British period pieces during or about WWII, so it was an easy fit.Except that it wasn't because it had my least favorite trope. My qualm is the dreaded love triangle.I didn't warn of spoilers because even if you haven't read the book or watched the movie, the cover of the book gives away that love will be an issue.While I appreciate the plot device--it does ramp up the drama and add bittersweetness to a story--it's overdone. And always done to a woman. I'm not saying it's sexist, but when was the last time the story involved a man and two women (or a man and two men or a man and a man and a woman)? I searched the files in my brain and couldn't think of a single one.Then I remembered The Little Mermaid. One of my least favorite Disney princesses, but the original story had a love triangle, although the object of the triangle was blissfully unaware. Other than that, can you name any?Love is always a difficult prospect for a woman in stories. The Hallmark Channel has made it into big business, especially at the holidays. Young Adult Lit is littered with it. It's compelling until it's not. It's the stuff that soap operas are made of--that and evil twins back from the grave.As I said before, I don't hate love triangles, but there are times they feel manipulative. Hans Christian Andersen had the right idea about them, but that ended in death (or dissolution depending on your point of view).That felt selfless and brave.Most love triangles are petty and usually involve a woman toying with the affections of two people. And that just toys with the audience's emotions and not in a good way.Okay, end of rant.How about you? How do you feel about love triangles? And plot devices that make you go on a rant? 

Unique To This Moment, or Telling Time the Fairy Tale Way

Here's a random fact about me. I really love clever ways of marking the passage of time. Why say, "in a year", when you can say, "when the barren trees are ready for harvest again"?I especially love it when it illustrates a character. Let me explain... Better yet, here are some examples:When a character uses the phrase, "a month of Sundays," I imagine an older, heavyset religious woman--Presbyterian specifically. To be fair, my vision is this specific because it was a phrase often uttered by Mrs. Rachel Lynde on Avonlea (a favorite series of mine when I was a kid and continues to be so).The term, a fortnight casts my mind back to my historical fiction books and I can see a woman in a long gown, sitting in a castle keep, plotting and planning political intrigue. And a British accent because, why not?Often historical fantasy characters have to account for their ages. Young people will refer to how many summers they've seen, while older characters lament how many winters are left to them.All these examples show poetic ways to explain how a person perceives time. And fairy tales has the most well-known phrase of all:Once upon a time...An occurrence that is unique to this moment gives the reader the impression that the story following that phrase has never happened before or since. When I hear those four words, I'm immediately in a fairy tale.Would it surprise you that out of fifty-eight stories, only eleven have the words, Once Upon a Time, in the story? And only two out of the eleven start with once upon a time! Yet, I still know that when I hear those words I'll conjure far away lands and magical tales in my mind.What's your favorite passage of time phrase?On a separate note, I want to thank my readers, who now number over one hundred! Now that's a way to mark time! 

Trudging up literary hill with Jane Austen

I hate exercise. At least I hate the after effects. I'm fine with taking long walks, hiking, and the occasional dance off in my living room. But I really don't like sweating. It's a real handicap when sweat is the proof that exercise is working. After a summer of trying my best to avoid the heat (to little effect), I'm trying to get back into exercising, but for now it's an uphill battle.It's the same with writing. If I ever needed proof that it's a muscle, I've got it now. Marketing has been plaguing me for the past month or so. It's been rather consuming (writing blog posts, creating ads on Goodreads, keeping tabs on sales, fighting with the printer because of a 0.0625 differential on the cover art, etc.) and therefore has blocked out any semblance of a writing regiment. I vowed when school started for my daughter, I would let marketing go on autopilot for at least a week or two and get back to my much-needed rewrites for my novella, The Cemetery Circle (due out mid-October in time for the Halloween season). It's hard to switch gears.But I've been fighting to get back. The hill keeps getting steeper and more daunting. Doubts creep in... Did I lose my skills? Are my ideas viable? Do I remember all my characters' names? Are sentences ending in prepositions really the end of the world?I'm sure you've been there before. Maybe it wasn't writing. Maybe it was exercise or a reading challenge. And the only advice I have is to start small. I have to embrace the little victories in order to work up to the big triumphs. I write in workbooks with writing prompts. I use the back of Jane Austen postcards to write flash fiction and poetry. Once I start trudging up that hill, my legs remember how to find their footing faster. Breathing gets easier and I remember to enjoy the scenery.And when all else fails I pull out my postcard and read dear Jane's (because, in my mind Jane Austen and I are friends) advice:"I am not at all in a humor for writing; I must write on till I am."

FTBC--Jack the Giant Killer

Here’s my earliest memory of Jack the Giant Killer:         Confusing, huh?Mickey didn’t set out to kill a giant in either case, and to be honest I don’t think he did. I vaguely remember a giant trussed up like a turkey or maybe hog tied like a calf (don’t get me started on my childhood confusion about hogs tying up baby cows).Anyway, those two stories became conflated in my head. Mickey handles the giant, gets the princess (Minnie) and I suppose they live happily ever after in a G rated sort of way.Later, I saw the NBC miniseries of Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story starring Matthew Modine (2001). It was more of a re-telling, casting the original Jack, Modine’s something-great-grandfather, as a villain who stole from and killed the giant, Thunderdell, who was kind, if a little too trusting. I really loved this story because it was a true happy ending—Jack repents for his ancestor’s wrong-doing, peace and prosperity return to the kingdom in the clouds, and he and the very capable, independent “princess”, Ondine, live happily ever after.It wasn’t until much later in life did I realize that there was another story. A more gruesome story.The original story of Jack the Giant Killer has Jack killing at least six giants (or seven, depending on how you count two-headed giants). One three-headed giant is robbed by Jack and King Arthur’s son. The giant gives Jack gifts for sparing his castle (and him, presumably) because Jack’s reputation is becoming legendary in the giant community. The last giant he kills was to alleviate boredom and wins himself a duke’s daughter for a bride.As a rule, I try and find something to say about a story that relates to feminism or how it speaks to a modern reader. This story is too confusing to find anything in it. It borrows from so many stories, that were themselves popular, that reading it had me constantly stopping for odd moments of literary déjà vu. I can say the duke’s daughter is clearly an afterthought. There’s some Lady who isn’t given a name either and is under the thrall of Lucifer. Jack beheads him and then the Lady marries King Arthur’s son.Mostly, the Jack in Jack the Giant Killer comes across as some bro-dude who just likes killing giants. And clearly I wasn’t the only one who had a problem with the story and just said, “To heck with it,” and mixed Killer and Beanstalk.  How about you, FF reader? Did this story leave you as confused as me?Come back next month, and we'll discuss The Golden Goose.See you then!

Check out something new!

Hey Fairytale Feminista Readers!Just a quick post about my other site, booksbyilcruz.com. Check out my interview of fellow fantasy indie writer, Suzanne Rogerson. Suzanne is definitely someone to read especially if you're into epic fantasy and adventure.Enjoy! 

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?  

Vacations Hangovers or the Rip Van Winkle Effect

I just spent the last two weeks on vacation. After getting my book published and fixing all the little glitches that kept it all from running smoothly, I probably could have used a whole month of rest. Nevertheless, I’m grateful for the time I did have to unwind and unplug. I was even diligent enough to write a couple of posts in advance and have them publish while I was gone.I spent my vacation days sleeping in, ate when I wanted to (instead of by my walking-talking kid clock that knows exactly when meals should be ready), and generally slowed down. It was wonderful!But coming back is always an adjustment. Waking up is regulated by my regimented dog (who thinks humans sleeping past sunrise is self-indulgent) and I’ve already mentioned my organic food clock, but finding my footing again takes a little more. Getting back to work feels like pedaling a rusty bike—it moves, but it requires so much more effort. In regard to my blog, I had to figure out what fairy tale or folk story could possibly relate to the disorientation of being away and then returning. Lucky for me I was on a road trip and it took me through the Catskill Mountains.Rip Van Winkle was a story written by Washington Irving about a man who goes on a walk and comes across a man in outdated clothes needing help with a barrel of ale. He helps the man up the mountain despite the thunderous noises coming from their destination and discover a group of little men playing a version of bowling. The barrel is opened, Rip can never refuse a free drink, and he falls asleep. When he wakes up, twenty years have passed, and he recognizes no one. In Irving’s story, Rip slept through the American Revolution which leads to some awkward conversations! In the end, his grown daughter takes him in and he spends the rest of his days regaling anyone who’ll listen about his time with the fairies.Two weeks off doesn’t have the same magnitude of twenty years. As far as I know I remained in this realm of existence. Even so, returning to the daily grind feels like coming back from fairy land.

Cinderella, a more genteel Hunger Games

This idea got stuck in my head after a confluence of events. Last week I posted about Diamonds and Toads, aka The Fairy, and drew comparisons to Cinderella. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it was part of the same fairy tale canon (Charles Perrault) and that even the author made changes to the story to make sure The Fairy didn’t resemble Cinderella too closely. At the same time, I was thinking about a blog I recently started following and she posted about reading The Hunger Games. The two ideas rolled around in my brain like billiard balls on a pool table. Then the two smacked together. The Hunger Games (if you haven’t read it) is about a girl who lives in a world that has been ravaged by a war. The people in charge coordinate a gladiator type game to the death made up of children every year and the winner gets essentially a better life. Cinderella is about a girl who lives in a world that has been turned upside down by the arrival of her father’s new wife and mean daughters. Because she’s good, a fairy godmother grants her the wish of going to the ball. She dazzles the prince for two nights and because she beat all the other pretty girls, she gets a better life. Granted if Katniss had been Cinderella, she likely would have run away from home, shot arrows through the overfed guests and brought all the food back to the less fortunate, ala Robin Hood, but I think the idea has merit. Balls designed to pit one woman against another in order to win the heart of a prince they don’t know, for a life they dream about but don’t understand sounds like a more refined (and less deadly) version of the Hunger Games. Call it Hunger Games, 17^th century edition. Just a thought.

FTBC The Fairy

FFT readers, I have a confession to make. I accidentally used this story as a post a few weeks ago entitled, Diamonds or Toads. I wrote, in detail, the plot as well as my feelings about its subject matter, which you can read about here. With that said, I still want to know your thoughts about this story. Reading it was like reading a precursor to Cinderella, which bares out because both were written (or should I say “collected”) by Charles Perrault. In fact, it is believed (but I can’t confirm this) that the good daughter was made into a step-daughter to lessen the similarities to Cinderella (not a very good try).What I liked about the story was how quickly it was all resolved. In Cinderella we have to suffer through two balls, a kingdom-wide search and two mean step-sisters trying to glom onto her man. Diamonds and Toads or The Fairy, as Perrault named it, has a good daughter—who helps a fairy in disguise, is granted wealth, and wins a prince. The bad daughter is too haughty to help the fairy, is immediately struck down with vipers and toads dropping from her mouth and is kicked out of her house. However, I do have some issues with the endings for both girls. For the bad one, I think it would have been more edifying if she learned her lesson and became a better person. As for the good daughter, I know the greatest reward any girl in the 17^th century was expected to want was an excellent match, but I’m calling foul on this one. Precious gems and sweet-smelling flowers fall out of her mouth and a prince wants to marry her? You have to wonder if it’s for the lady or the loot. Remember Rumpelstiltskin? A girl’s life is threatened three nights in a row and her reward is marrying the guy who issued the threats. That said, I do like the story (sans the creepy ending) and think it’s a great one to revise. Any takers? I would love to hear a new ending for this tale. Next month: Jack the Giant Killer

Mystery Blogger Award

 First, I would like to thank The Cozied Reader, for nominating me (and saving me from a blank page this week!) Check out her blog, a great place for readers, writers and everyone in between who like their reviews frank and funny. Thanks again! Here we go:This award was created by Okoto Enigma. The explanation included on her blog is:

The “Mystery Blogger Award” is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging; and they do it with so much love and passion.– Okoto Enigma

 RULES 

1. Put the award logo/image on your blog
2. List the rules.
3. Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog.
4. Mention the creator of the award and provide a link as well
5. Tell your readers 3 things about yourself
6. You have to nominate 10 – 20 people
7. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blog
8. Ask your nominees any 5 questions of your choice; with one weird or funny question (specify)
9. Share a link to your best post(s)

 Three things about me…

1. I'm an indie writer of speculative fiction and just published my first book (YAY!)
2. Despite loving historical fantasy, I’ve come to Game of Thrones very late (as in right now!). Please, no spoilers…😉
3. Besides my family and my writing, travel is my greatest passion. And there’s nothing like a long plane ride and a “stack” of books on my Kindle!

 Questions from The Cozied Reader:

1. Who was the first character you developed a bookish crush on? I can’t remember the first, but the most lasting has been Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. Smart, funny, strong, and not threatened by a strong woman. And the Scottish accent (that I imagined and then got to hear on the Starz series) is just a bonus!
2. Who is your favorite villain? I don’t know that I have one. But I do have a soft spot for charming rogues who mean well but do it all wrong.
3. What’s your dream vacation? A self-guided tour of the British Isles for a month. I can only ever get away for ten days at most.
4. What’s a book you hated that everyone else seemed to love? I have an issue with Gone, Girl by Gillian Flynn because I’m not a fan of stories with character who have no redeemable qualities.
5. What dystopian novel/reality (Ex: 1984, Brave New World, Unwind) do you think the world is getting closer to becoming like? The Hunger Games. All our love of reality TV where people are treated badly, or people are willing to do anything to be famous. That kind of thinking leads to gladiator games.

Nominees:Participation is not required, but it is fun.Friendly fairy tales, Spooky Mrs. Green, Ari Meghlen, Rachel Farrimond, Psychologistmimi, journalistgeocultures.com, Life in the Realm of Fantasy, Worst Selling Author, Ian Gregoire, The World According to Dina, Streets of Salem, Questions for the Nominees:

1. What book can you read again and again?
2. Stand alone? Duology? Trilogy? Series? Which do you prefer?
3. What book made you into a reader?
4. Create the craziest cross genre mash-up and give your story a title.
5. Name a book you would love to see on TV. Cast the leads.

...And here is a link to my best post! An oldie, but a goodie.Thanks for reading my blog :)     

Book Release Day and Mother Goose

DREAMSFriday night’s dream, on Saturday told,Is sure to come true, be it never so old.   -Mother Goose Nursery RhymeMy Friday night dream for some time now has been to be a published author. Today that became a reality. By the end of the day my book, A Smuggler's Path, will be available on digital copy on Nook, Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, Scribd, tolino, and 24symbols! The paperback release date in TBA, but likely sometime in August.I used the Mother Goose quote because a long time ago when I started this adventure nursery rhymes inspired me to write a story about all the characters I remembered. Originally my book was called Mother Goose Mysteries and that evolved into the book currently on all those platforms and patiently (okay, maybe not that patiently) awaiting paperback release.Thanks to all those people who have supported my Friday night dream and to those who have recently signed up for my blog.Check out my author website to learn more about my book, A Smuggler's Path.And a special thanks to those who participated in the Fairy Tale Book Club/A Smuggler's Path contest! Here are the winners:To those of you who prefer a paperback, I apologize in advance that your prize will be late. Thanks again!

Waiting with the Fairies

Most fairy tales have a common event. The wait. It's when everything has already happened, but the ending has yet to arrive. It's that period before the resolution. The shoe fits. The poisoned apple is dislodged. A kiss awakens a long-sleeping princess. The woodcutter splits open the wolf's stomach.But before that, it's the wait. Cinderella has to watch both her step-sisters try on the shoe that is rightfully hers. Snow White has to lay in state until hoping someone will give her the Heimlich. The Sleeping Beauty...sleeps. Little Red Riding Hood is cramped into a stomach with her grandmother.That's how I feel right now. I'm in the waiting room wondering if my story will have a satisfying end. Or beginning. I know this is only the start of my public writing life, even though I've been working on this moment for years. But I'm no shrinking princess or little girl lost. My wait is more pregnant pause than intermission.So, tomorrow, July 24, 2018, A Smuggler's Path goes live digitally and the paperback will be my happily ever after. Or more like cliffhanger before then next installment. If fairy tales teach us anything, it's good things come to those who wait!And speaking of wait, the wait is almost over the free copy of A Smuggler's Path contest. I've also decided to allow any comments from the start of the contest to any post since the Fairy Tale Book Club to be valid as entrance into the contest. So if you comment on this post or any from this month, you're automatically included in the giveaway! Good Luck!

Joys and Sorrows of a Indie Newbie

In a few days, my first book is being released. I am both excited and exhausted. For those of you who have gone through this process, you know what I mean. I'm at that nit-picky stage where a missing punctuation mark feels like a cosmic calamity.Today I discovered that multiple corrections to my cover are still not completed and therefore the release of my paperback will be delayed.At times like these I have to look on the bright side, when what I want to do is "cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war," more or less.

1. The digital versions will still be available on time, July 24th, 2018.
2. I've learned a lot with this process, which will make it that much easier for book two next year and the novella I'm publishing in October.
3. No more rewrites!

I know all the reversals and headaches will be worth it...eventually. For now, I just hope I get through it in one piece and mostly sane!Commiserating is one of the best reasons to blog. Anyone else have newbie publishing stories? 

Diamonds or Toads?

I'm a bit of a news junkie. I get most of my news from newspapers both at home and abroad. But, I will admit that lately I've had to take news breaks because it's become frustrating and ugly.This is not a post about the news. I won't write about politics, nor will I push any agendas. No, what I wanted to write about is how our level of discourse has coarsened. We think attacks are funny or honest. Hateful speech tries to masquerade as free speech. And we're the lesser for it. What's worse, we've become inured to it and therefore can't tell anymore if we're hearing or participating in honest debate or mean-spirited jibes.Wouldn't it be great if there was a simple way to know the difference? Or better yet, a fairy tale way?Charles Perrault was a writer of French fairy tales based on his study of early folk tales. One of my favorite stories was called Les Fées, or The Fairies. Later it was called Diamonds and Toads in the English versions. Simply, the story is about two girls and a mother who favored one over the other. Of course she preferred the nasty daughter and the nice one was treated terribly. The younger one was sent to fetch water and was met by an old beggar woman who asked for a drink. The younger, good daughter was more than happy to help and was rewarded by the beggar (who was a fairy) with the gift of jewels and flowers falling from her mouth when she spoke. The mother sent her favored daughter to do the same, but her ill-tempered responses earned her a curse--to speak and have toads and vipers fall out of her mouth.I won't ruin the ending (mostly because the happily ever after for the good daughter is questionable from a feminist POV), but I think you understand what I'm advocating. Whenever we want to reach for a ugly comment imagine a toad oozing its way out of your mouth or a viper spitting venom at the person you're addressing. And when you instead reach for a kind remark or a engage in an honestly civil debate, jewels and flowers will fall at your feet.In other words, will you choose diamonds or toads?P.S. Remember to take a chance at winning a free copy of A Smuggler's Path. Contest closes July 23, 2018 at 11:59pm ET

Fairy Tale Book Club--The Goose Girl, or how to be a princess without really trying

Welcome to the first posting of the FTBC. And today we'll start with The Goose Girl.Fairy tales are something we keep discovering. I know I am. Sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised when I read a new story. This was not one of those times.The Goose Girl, one of the many stories from the brothers Grimm, is about a much-loved princess who is sent to a far-off land to wed a prince. She’s send with a servant, who decides she doesn’t want to be a servant anymore and refuses to help the princess in any way. By the time they reach the prince’s castle, the princess is a disheveled mess. What’s more, the servant says she’s the princess. She has the real princess sent to be a servant and for good measure makes sure the real princess’ horse has his head lopped off because it can talk and will likely spill the beans.So the real princess becomes a goose girl, helping the goose boy herd geese in the fields. She never says a word even though the goose boy tries to touch her hair, the horse still speaks (it’s head it mounted over an entranceway), and she’s generally miserable. The king finally notices and long story short (I know, too late) everything is fixed ala Gilbert and Sullivan.Forgetting for a moment that the real princess is sent off to meet her new prince with just a servant and a talking horse for company, this story is truly disturbing. The moral of the story is to stay meek and silent and then good things will come to you. The servant, who wanted more for herself is obviously the villain (equicide aside) because she speaks up. I’ll admit there is a time for silence, but this story borders on martyrdom. A chilling thing to teach a girl.But this blog is about finding insight in generally arcane stories for a modern reader. I want to say, if you’re ever in a jam make sure you have a talking horse, but I imagine horses are judgmental and who needs the running commentary on a long ride? No, I think the best thing we can take away from this story is a cautionary tale. If you don’t speak up, you may end up in situations best avoided. We can’t all have kings and horses watching our backs!So what do you think?Remember, comments will automatically enter you in the Smuggler's Path contest.Here are the rules:

1.  The comment has to be about the story, The Goose Girl.
2. Fill out the form. Pick your book format preference.
3.  Each comment will add your name to my hat for a better chance to win a free copy of A Smuggler's Path. Three winner will be chosen.
4. The contest ends July 23, 2018 at midnight ET.

[contact-form][contact-field label="Name" type="name" required="1" /][contact-field label="Email" type="email" required="1" /][contact-field label="Website" type="url" /][contact-field label="Comment" type="textarea" required="1" /][contact-field label="Format" type="radio" options="paperback,mobi,epub" /][/contact-form]Next Month's FTBC reading: The Fairy by Charles Perrault

A Smuggler's Path - Available July 24th!

Exciting news FF readers!After years of writing (and rewriting and rewriting and rewriting…did I mention rewriting?) I finally have a publication date for my first novel, A Smuggler’s Path. It’s available for pre-order through Barnes & Noble Digital, iBooks, Kobo & Kobo Plus, tolino, Scribd and 24symbols right now.https://www.books2read.com/A-Smugglers-PathA Smuggler's Path will be available on Kindle and in paperback through Amazon in addition to the above options as of July 24th. I hope I can count on all my readers for a read and review! Thanks for the support!Praise for A Smuggler's Path:"Cruz packs a lot of plot into her novel. For example, along with Inez’s noble lineage, she has a history with and lingering romantic interest in Zavier Cole, Canto’s prince whose brother and sister-in-law became king and queen. Multiple backstories, including Inez’s late duchess grandmother and The Enchanted Isles’ origin, provide a rich foundation for the present-day narrative. The author likewise employs myriad characters to further complicate the plot and give Inez reason to distrust nearly everyone. Cruz’s no-frills prose doesn’t stint on wit: Inez’s haunt is Froth, a tavernlike establishment that serves milk and optional syrups.An epic, rewarding tale sure to garner fans ready for sequels."--Kirkus Reviews"A delightfully creative adventure, A Smuggler’s Path stands alone in a very crowded fantasy genre, boasting a youthful, energetic spirit and a wonderful new world to explore for readers of fantasy. Cruz has a gift for quickly creating memorable characters, as well as threading fantastical elements and creative magic through seemingly 'normal' moments of narration, making this a comprehensive and immersive reading experience. A Smuggler’s Path is an entertaining read with a uniquely creative cast of characters, and a colorful world that readers will want to visit again." --Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★

Fairy Tale Book Club (FTBC) update

I hope you’re all as excited as I am to start the ball rolling on the FTBC. There is still one more week before I open the forum to comments about The Goose Girl. As an added bonus for our inaugural club “meeting”, anyone who posts a comment will automatically be entered in the random draw to win a free copy of my new book, A Smuggler’s Path. Here’s a description: In Canto, magic is a commodity, outlawed by the elites after losing a devastating war and brokered by smugglers on the hidden market. But some know it’s more—a weapon for change.Inez Garza moves through two worlds. She's a member of the noble class who works as a magical arms dealer—a fact either group would gladly use against her. Neither know her true purpose—funding Birthright, an underground group determined to return magic to all at any cost.But the discovery of a powerful relic from before the Rending threatens her delicate balance.Inez’s inherent magic, which lies dormant in all the Canti, has been awakened. Now the Duchess’s daughter, radical and smuggler must assume another forbidden title—mage, a capital crime. This will bring her to the attention of factions at home—fanatical rebels bent on revolution, a royal family determined to avoid another magical war, her mercenary colleagues at the hidden market willing to sell her abilities to the highest bidder—and in Mythos, victors of the war and architects of the Rending.Evasion has become Inez’s specialty, but even she isn’t skilled enough to hide from everyone—and deny the powers drawing her down a new path.Three lucky winners will be chosen the day before the book is officially released on July 24th, 2018!I'm looking forward to reading everyone's insights for the FTBC! 

Guest Post on Outland Entertainment!

Hey FF readers!In an attempt to generate some buzz about my upcoming novel, A Smuggler's Path, I wrote a guest post for Outland Entertainment about the search for universality entitled, Fairies with Dark Faces. Drop by the website and then feel free to learn more about my book on my other website, booksbyilcruz.com