Sharon Lynn Fisher, the author of Salt & Broom  and Grimm Curiosities , returns readers to the lush, romantic 19th century in her latest book Tea & Alchemy . When Mina Penrose, a lonely young woman who spends her days working in a tearoom called The Magpie in 1854 Cornwall, discovers a dead body on the heath, she becomes embroiled in a mystery concerning Harker Tregarrick, the elusive aristocrat living alone on a centuries-old estate. Together, the unlikely pair must use thei

In this stand-alone sequel to Amy Quick Parish’s novella Highlands Christmas : Wishes Come True , readers are returned to Scotland to revisit Melissa, a recent divorcee who has inherited a home overseas and fallen in love with the Scottish lawyer who handled the dissolution of her marriage. In this installment, Melissa’s friend Caitlin comes to visit for Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year, and the women plan a getaway to the Isle of Skye. When a snow storm interrupts their plans

For many years, I wrote about home keeping and gardening for a small weekly paper, and I enjoyed it. So I decided to bring some of that experience to The Fairy Tale Magazine through Cinderella’s Hearth. It’s been great fun doing it, but I’ve always prided myself on knowing when to move on. I stick like super glue to relationships with people, but I need a lot of creative stimulation, and I’m ready for a new challenge. But first, shoutouts to Kelly Jarvis and Lissa Sloan fo

Are you ready for some yuletide magic? Let Amy Trent’s novella The Princess and the Shoemaker  warm you up this holiday season. Trent returns to the fairy tale kingdom of her Enchantment Retold  series to share the story of Cornelius, a veteran soldier who has returned from war to work in his parents’ struggling shoe shop though his heart is filled with poetry. When he falls asleep before he can finish his last pair of shoes, he awakens to find a lovingly crafted pair of leat

“Without a doubt it is a great advantage to have intelligence, courage, good breeding, and common sense,” Charles Perrault says in his moral to Cinderella , but “even these may fail to bring you success, without the blessing of a godfather or a godmother.” In Perrault’s estimation, it is the fairy godmother who brings the magic to Cinderella’s tale, transforming lizards into footmen and turning a pumpkin from the garden into “a fine coach, gilded all over with gold.” Pumpkins

In the Author’s Preface to The Tapestry Unravels , Lynden Wade invites readers into her world of magic, legend, and fairy tales written for adults, and each of the twelve stories that follow unfurl with enchantment, reweaving old narratives into new. The first three stories, A Patchwork of Puddles , The Web and the Wildwood , and The Emperor’s Mistake  all engage with sewing imagery, setting the tone for the way Wade’s collection stitches together well-loved tales with creati

Winter is a time to curl up with a warm cup of hot chocolate and read until the sun returns again. The Fairy Tale Magazine has prepared a list of books sure to brighten the darkness of your winter days, so curl up with a blanket and enjoy! The Bear and the Nightingale ,  by Katherine Arden (Book One of the Winternight Trilogy), takes place in the Russian wilderness where Vasilisa and her siblings tell stories by the fire. This beautifully written novel explores the conflict

An Interview with Kristen Baum DeBeasi Many of us have long been fascinated by creatures of other realms. And while we may collect them, read stories about them, or even watch movies in which non-human creatures are the main characters, there are some folks who spend time bringing them into our lives and enriching us all in the process. As part of our celebration of The Troll Issue here at Fairy Tale Magazine, we have interviewed a couple who do exactly that. As they say it,

Note: This was originally published in 2021 in a small newspaper I used to write for. It was a post-Thanksgiving column, but I think it’s potentially perfect for this year’s feast. Not everyone likes turkey, and when there’s lots of houses to visit on the big day, this is perfect for a breakfast celebration. Here’s the article in its original glory. Thanksgiving has come and gone, and it’s Black Friday. I won’t set foot out of the house on Black Friday. People are too nuts! Y