Oh My Word!

The true Beauty and the Beast tale that's old as time is the amount of remakes and retellings fairy tales get. While we're happy to see stories brought to life as animation, as musicals, and even sometimes as live action, we're also not willing to settle for just any princess in a pretty dress. And that's aside from whatever reason we're finding to clutch our pearls!

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BONUS! Episode with debut author Ashley Schumacher!

Ashley addresses writing "darker issue" YA, her path to publication, the "fun" of writing a synopsis, and more!

Find out more about Ashley Schumacher at https://www.ashwritesbooks.com

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To Kill a Kingdom is sort of a Little Mermaid retelling, although it's also about sirens ripping out men's hearts. So there's that. More interestingly, the core of the story centers around a queen gaslighting her people into believing they're at war, which then causes them to be at war, and her daughter and a prince deciding that if they decide it, then maybe two different sides don't have to hate each other after all...

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BONUS! Episode with horror writer Jessica Freeburg!

Jessica talks about writing horror focused on ghosts and the paranormal, going on haunted walks to find inspiration, plus collaborating on a graphic novel with author Jay Asher. And that's just the highlights!

Find out more about Jessica Freeburg at https://jessicafreeburg.com

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Imagine living the same day over and over again but with the knowledge that, no matter how you live it, it'll still be your last. How would you live it? Write up that idea for YA and you've got Before I Fall (Book & Film), a somewhat substantive, but still pearl clutchy, story about a girl who lives her last day over and over again...until she gets it right.

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SO MANY PEARLS CLUTCHED over Moulin Rouge--the film and the stage musical--and when that's not happening we're scratching our heads trying to figure out what's the big fuss over Christian and Santine anyway?

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BONUS! Episode with debut author Nicole Kilpatrick!

Nicole talks about her upcoming book "Clover," including researching Irish fairy tales and magical creatures, plus finding a fresh approach to writing leprechauns!

Find out more about Nicole Kilpatrick at https://nicolekilpatrick.com

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Overall, we're big fans of the Dear America/Canada series published through Scholastic, not only because it's great middle grade fiction, but also because of the times and places in history they open up for young readers. As most of these books revolve around pioneers and settlers, they usually contain death, sickness, and even violence, but they also teach about brave individuals who took risks, built communities, and found strength and resilience during challenging times. As an added bonus, this particular diary teaches a bit about cod fishing! So much to learn!

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BONUS! Episode with debut author Cassie Gustafson!

Cassie shares about her upcoming book and its journey publication, including the incident that finally allowed her to embrace writing as a career, and talks about her focus on "trauma literature." Listen in to find out all about that and more!

Find out more about Cassie Gustafson at https://www.cassiegustafson.com

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SO MANY PEARLS CLUTCHED over Chemical Hearts, an Amazon Prime adaptation of the YA novel Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland. We're also wondering at the focus on despair and loss and hurt teenagers experience--plus all those moments that seem to be there just to create imagery--instead of focusing on finding light and purpose to help guide through darker times.

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