Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle - Book Review

Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle is a book made up of three novellas about magic and fairies and life. The three heroines find love, lose love, and learn a great deal. Cinders is a sequel to Cinderella continuing her life with the prince and how she really managed to snag a prince. Thirds is a retelling of Grimm's One Eye, Two Eyes, Three Eyes which embodies the original story and takes it far beyond what I imagined. Scales is a prequel to Sleeping Beauty, and wow does it dig deep to find reasons for the pretty princess to touch a spindle and fall asleep.

Michelle takes Cinderella, and really all of the heroines, down a very unexpected path. The depth and imagination involved in the stories astounded me. They all three grow and change and become something fierce in their own worlds. Yet all three worlds are connected with smaller characters and the concepts of fairies, elves, sprites, humans, and bonding.

I love the not so happy endings of Cinders and Scales; I love the happy ending of Thirds. These stories go beyond the moral of a fairy tale, and yet they encompass and enforce that moral. Michelle breaths new ideas into the originals and brings so much life into them.

I really can not say enough about how beautiful these novellas are. They have stuck in my mind long after I finished them. I'm pretty stingy with my five-star reviews, but this wasn't even a question. Even if you are not a fantasy addict (clears throat), these stories have so much to show you.

I received this book from the author for review.

Original Fairy Tales Challenge

If you would like to post a story in March for my Original Fairy Tales Challenge (reading an original fairy tale and then writing your own version of it or a blog post about it), I will be posting my story on March 8th. So you have just over a week to get it ready. Please join in, I love reading fairy tales!

Original Fairy Tales Challenge 2012

I challenge you. (in 2012)

Let's all read some original fairy tales. (original being the keyword there)

And then (if you're a writer) write your own short story based on those fairy tales.

Or just a blog post if you wish.

I'm planning three fairy tales sprinkled throughout the year. One month to read each in February, June, and October. Then the month after on the 1st, post your story or blog post (March, July, and November).

I have chosen three of my favorites, but how can I say that when I haven't actually read the originals you say? (Exactly why I'm proposing this challenge.)

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle
Cinderella by Charles Perrault
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie 

Blog which fairy tales you'll read and post your link in the widget below. I can't wait to see which ones you guys come up with!

Fairy Tales and Offices

What do you picture when you hear a fairy tale? The beautiful maidens that dance across the pages with grace and flair? Or the princes who ride on white steeds and save the day?

A few months ago I decided to picture-ify three fairy tales for a friend of mine, Hanna from I'll Name My Typewriter After the Moon.

Beauty and the Beast

Snow White

Little Red Riding Hood

We are both crazy for fairy tales and would probably live in them if we could, so we both hung these photos over our desks. Hopefully they will help the inspiration flow.


My desk with the three photos in the magnet board in the corner, next to my inspiration wall.






And Hanna's desk. You can tell she spends a lot of time there pouring herself onto pages. It's a well-lived desk.






So tell me, what do you imagine when you read fairy tales?

February Free Desktop Calendar

Welcome to the short, short month of February. This photo is for wolves and red cloaks and little girls on their way to grandma's house.

Just click on the picture. When it comes up in its own browser window, right click and save the picture somewhere on your computer. Then go to that location, right click on the picture, and set as desktop background. Voila, you have a photo calendar on your computer! And please let me know in the comments if you use it.