Into the Forest

Everyone needs an escape! Here are six fantastical fairytales -- retellings, reimaginings, remixings -- that will amuse, delight, and entrance. THE THRICE-PLANTED SEED: From antiquity, the infamous lilac fairy has been near alone in her battle against evil. The defeat of the evil fairy Carabosse left Lilac drained, weary, and longing for another strong fae to help her. She enlists those she has helped to help her in turn. ROSE & LILY: When her father fails to come back from an attempt to save Princess Lily from the notorious and mysterious Black Knight, Rose does not hesitate to strap on her father's old armor, ride into the dark forest, face a horrific foe, and rescue the princess herself. LEGENDS AND LIES: It isn't unheard of for princesses to go missing in the Land of Legends and Lies, but the truth of these disappearances is rarely spoken of. Alexander doesn't believe the stories told about dragons and knows more than enough about the royals to know about lies of every kind, but that doesn't stop Princess Clara from believing or trying to prove him wrong. THE PRINCESS AND HER PEA: An old, bitter queen enforces strict requirements for her son, the prince, to be wed. When a princess stumbles in from a storm with her dress torn and no one accompanying her, the queen pushes her harder than any of the previous others. As she encounters the queen's tests and her hidden pea, it becomes a not only question of can she pass, but can she overcome her notions of the prince and his past? UNNAMED: What's in a name? Only the power to keep your life together as Julia is learning. Just as everything in her life was going so right along comes an imp. THE UNEXPECTED PEA: A search for the perfect princess leads one prince to understand the importance of listening to both heart and mind, and makes him realize that there are some things worth giving up the crown for. (72,000-word anthology - fairytales, fantasy, romance)