Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Fairy Tale Giveaway and Author Interview!


I am so excited to be a part of the Fairy Tale giveaway hop and to interview the author whose book I’m giving away:

Welcome to Rina’s Reading, Anne Elisabeth! To date you have three books published and another one coming out in the fall. When did you first decide to become a writer and how long did it take you to become published?


I think I decided to become a writer when I was nine years old. At least, that's when I decided that I would "someday publish," which was a bit premature on my side! I had no idea just how difficult publishing was. My mother is the author of sixteen published novels, (including Carol Award-winning Faithful Traitor), and I grew up watching her write and publish. Thus, professional writing always seemed very possible to me.

I studied English literature for four years at various colleges and universities, and when I left school, I wrote my first novel the following summer. Well, I say my "first," but in reality, it was probably more like my seventh. The difference being that this was the first novel I wrote with the intention of selling. All the others were practice! After a certain number of rewrites, I found my agent, Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Agency within a year. Within a year after that, she sold Heartless to Bethany House Publishers. A year after that (and many more rewrites later!), I held the hard copy of my published novel in my hands. It was quite the whirlwind!


I’m glad you and your agent persevered! What is an ideal writing setting?

Somewhere without windows. I am far too easily distracted! I used to enjoy writing in the sunroom of our house . . . but spent MUCH too much time looking out at our garden or the pretty bamboo forest on the edge of our property. Then I started seeing all the wild cats living in our neighborhood, and suddenly I wasn't writing, but working with lost kitties and finding them homes . . . which is fun, but not literarily productive! So, these days I work in the dining room, my back to all the windows, and I tend to get a lot more accomplished.

Cute black kitten on manuscript - belongs to Anne Elisabeth
To complete the picture, I like to have a nice-sized mug of tea (dainty teacups don't hold enough to fuel my creative inspiration), specifically the mug that was the very first gift my husband bought me back before we were officially dating. It's darling (and yes, I'm a romantic).

To that, add a cat in the lap and a dog at my feet, and I'm ready to go!


Sounds like a cozy spot to work. Your stories are filled to overflowing with fantasy, history, adventure and allegory. What authors, images and experiences inspired you?

SO MANY! It's hard to limit the number of inspiring authors to a reasonable-sized answer! Of course, I adore C.S. Lewis. I also love George MacDonald, Tolkien, and Madeline L'Engle. I thoroughly enjoy the YA fantasies of Robin McKinley, Shannon Hale, and Gail Carson Levine. Recently, I've been reading Shakespeare again, and Victor Hugo, and finding both of them inspiring in VERY different ways! Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones might be my all-time favorites when it comes to curl-up-with-a-cozy-novel writers; and I would love to be Megan Whalen Turner when I grow up!

As for experiences . . . any experience can (and often does) turn into inspiration for my work. Oddly, many of the most inspiring experiences have been the most ordinary in real life.

Wooden bridge over stream in woods
While attending my last year of university, I used to run away from homework and go down to the Nature Walk where there was a secluded wooden bridge over a dirt-brown stream, and there I would sit, sometimes for an hour at a time, pretending I had no responsibilities (and hiding in the bushes if anyone else came by, for I was a very private person). That image found its way into Heartless.

Playing "battle" with my brothers when I was growing up, throwing acorns as missiles, turning sticks into swords, trees into fortresses . . . all of that found its way into Veiled Rose.

Watching God work miracles in my life, then forgetting and doubting all over again when the next struggle comes around . . . this all-too-frequent experience found its way into Moonblood, and formed a huge part of that story.

The exciting trips abroad, the successes, the glamorous occasions almost universally have proved uninspiring when it comes to shaping my fiction. It's the simple, the everyday, the human experiences that provide the magic almost every time.


So many good authors, I love Robin McKinley and Gail Carson Levine’s YA fantasies. Did you plan on writing a series when you started?

That's actually a question with kind of a funny answer. Yes, I did plan a series . . . but no, I did not intend for Heartless to be part of that series! I had been working on ideas for the Tales of Goldstone Wood since I was about fourteen. But most of them I found rather too large and unwieldy for my inexperienced hands to grasp. So I shelved them through college, studied literature, and then came out the other side determined to write something unrelated to that series.

cover of Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
I wrote the first draft of Heartless. And I realized that this stand-alone book was actually the perfect gateway into the much broader series I had in mind. While the other stories were so complicated, Heartless was deceptively simple. While they dealt with enormous themes I didn't quite yet understand, Heartless grapples with very relatable human emotions.

So I redrafted Heartless to fit my series, and everything else I had tried to write back in high school suddenly took on a form and structure it had lacked before.

I often think of Heartless as God's gift to me. The idea for the story sprang up very suddenly, wrote itself very quickly, and found a publisher fast enough to make my head spin! It was all obviously God's timing and God's work . . . and I do believe He has plan for the rest of the series as well.


That’s neat that the ideas from years ago are being brought to life now. I wondered how you could make it all fit together so nicely. 
Starflower, the next book in the series, comes out in the fall and tells a bit about the history of Goldstone Wood. Can you tell us a bit about the next book you’re working on?

cover of Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Well, I am currently working on a near-final read-through of Starflower, making certain it's in good condition before it goes to print. Then I am waiting on my editor's response to Book 5, which picks up where Starflower leaves off. I am actually writing the first draft of Book 6, which continues the story of Prince Lionheart from where he ends up in Moonblood . . . but which will connect back to the storylines of Book 5.

It's complicated to type out here, but it will make sense when you read it! And I'm having tremendous fun with it all. You can expect in Book 6 to see Lionheart, Lady Daylily, cousin Foxbrush, the evil Baron of Middlecrescent, and many more familiar characters from the first three novels. And yes, you might catch a glimpse of Rose Red as well . . .


Oh, I can’t wait to read them all and find out what happens to everyone! Lastly, where can readers find you online?

They can read my author blog, anneelisabethstengl.blogspot.com, and see my various doings from there. I just hosted a Fan Art contest and will soon be displaying the original works of art, all Goldstone Wood related, done by my various talented fans! I'm also currently writing a blog series about famous fairies in fiction, including Tinkerbelle, Ariel, Queen Crosspatch, the Sugarplum Fairy, and many, many more! You'll also find random tidbits about my stories, thoughts on the writing life, rather too much about cats, a smidgen of baking . . . all sorts of random things!

You can also find me on my facebook author page under Anne Elisabeth Stengl. And I love to receive emails from my readers if they have any questions or comments they'd like to send my way!

Thank you for hosting this interview for your lovely blog, Katharina. These were fun questions!

Thank you, Anne Elisabeth for all your in depth answers! I loved learning more about how the series came to be.

And might I add that I love her blog, the current series on fairies and last fall’s series on dragons are quite informative. I also really enjoyed learning more about Goldstone Wood through the A-Z series she did on Veiled Rose earlier this year.


And now for the giveaway! One person will receive ONE BOOK (or ebook) of THEIR CHOICE from the Tales of Goldstone Wood series: Heartless, Veiled Rose, or Moonblood.


Tales of Goldstone Wood series: Heartless, Veiled Rose, Moonblood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl


Read the Goodreads summaries or my review of Veiled Rose to help you decide.

International entries are welcome but depending on shipping costs will be limited to an ebook.

Giveaway ends May 2st at 12:01am. The winner will be notified by email (and mentioned on the blog) and will have a week to respond with the title of their choice. If I don’t hear back from you by then, I’ll pick another winner.

How to enter:
Please use the Rafflecopter form! The mandatory entry is to leave a comment answering this question: Who is your favorite fairy tale or fantasy character? (You can have more than one favorite.) 
There are two optional extra entries: Like the Rina’s Reading Facebook page and be a GFC (Google Friend Connect) follower.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Visit I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and scroll down to hop over to other blogs participating in the Fairy Tale giveaway hop! 

186 comments:

  1. So, I think I clicked the wrong button on the form. Anyway, I'd have to say my favorite character is Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia. Lots of stories have good endings, but I love how you see him keeping things in control throughout. He keeps popping up at just the right time! I think his character adds just the right mix of hope, mystery, and peace to the tales.

    Becky M.

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    1. Hi Becky! Everything looks right regarding your entries. :-) Congrats on being the first commenter! Yes, Aslan is a great character! I love Mr. Beaver's description of him: “Safe? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

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  2. That is a tough question. I would have to say Samwise Gamgee the Brave. I love how he is so loyal and such a wonderful friend. He also has some great insight and a great heart. Thanks so much for the interview! Excited about the books!

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    1. Oh I love Samwise! Your description of his character is spot on. Thanks for stopping by Megan! Glad you enjoyed the interview.

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    2. Thanks Rina! Thanks for the comment on my blog too. That's really weird about GCF, because I get your updates on my blogger. I tried again to subscribe to your blog by GCF and it said I was already signed in to this site under my Google account. My GFC name is Megan Scott and it's under a different picture than the one shown above. I'm not sure what else to do. That was really sweet of you to notify me! Thanks! Megan

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    3. Thanks for pointing out that it's a different picture. Yep, you're a GCF follower and have been for a while. Sorry for any worry I caused! I'm amazed at the response to this giveaway (guess I didn't know what to expect from a blog hop) and it's taken a lot more time that I thought it would to verify people's entries. But you're good to go! :-)

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    4. Thank you so much Rina!! I really appreciate that! I actually didn't see your reply so I'm so thankful you replied on here! I kept checking all the follow-up comments in my e-mail : ) Sorry that my pictures made it confusing too! Thanks again!

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  3. Favorite fairytale is between Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. I grew up with them always on my mind :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and commenting Candace! Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast were also my favorites growing up. And there are so many fun retellings of those stories now. :-)

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  4. Does Chewbacca and C3PO from Star Wars count? They're both GREAT and comical characters!! Also LOVED Valcor from The Neverending Story, can I have one??? Great question, lots of good characters to choose from :)
    Outstanding job on the interview, Rina, well done! Anne Elisabeth, it was wonderful learning more about your books, thanks for sharing :)
    Blessings, Kara

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    1. Of course they count! All of them. :-) Confession, I've never read or seen The Neverending Story; I should remedy that one of these days. Guess I'd better go find out who Valcor is. :-) Thanks for your encouraging words Kara! Glad you enjoyed learning more about Anne Elisabeth's wonderful books.

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  5. My favorite fairy tale or fantasy character is the Goblin King from Labyrinth. This movie was my favorite when I was little, and still is. David Bowie was so hot!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by molly.frenzel! I had to look up that character and movie. Sounds like a fun story.

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  6. Christina K. in the rafflecopter

    My favorite is Cinderella! She begins by being so lonely, then she becomes determined and then happy! And she's got lots of animals helping her:)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Christina and clarifying your name! :-) Cinderella is a great choice, I love that story.

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  7. My favorite is Aladin, I love that he is such a free spirit.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Wolfswan1! Wouldn't it be lovely to have a magic carpet like Aladdin!

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    1. Definitely a great choice. Thanks for stopping by Nenna!

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  9. Darth Vader because the dark side has cookies and who doesn't love cookies, right? =]

    Besides him, I'd have to say Merry & Pippin from LOTR. I love their personalities and how Tolkien made their friendship so fun-loving and endearing.

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    1. Cookies are always good. :-) Yes! Merry and Pippin are so fun, I love the lightheartedness they bring to the story. Thanks for stopping by Immashutterbug!

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  10. Una from Heartless and Lucy from the Narnia books are my favorites. :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Emily! Glad to find another fan of Anne Elisabeth's books. And I love the Narnia series as well and Lucy's enduring faith.
      P.S. Make sure you filled out the rafflecoptor form correctly if you want to enter the giveaway, I can't find your name on the list.

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  11. My favorite is Peter from the movie Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and Makilien from Truth by Molly Evangeline.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Sarah! Peter's a great character. I'm not familiar with Makilien or that book so I shall go look it up. :-)

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  12. Oh! dear, favorites. I have such a hard time with favorites, but I'll do my best.

    I have always been very fond of Charles Wallace from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time; I think I can call him a childhood favorite. And then, since my choices are limited to two, I'll say that Calcifer of Howl's Moving Castle is my other favorite character. (Really, there are so many more who vie for a spot - Howl and Sophie, half the characters from The Chronicles of Narnia, all the characters from The Gammage Cup... Decisions are such difficult things!)

    Thank you for hosting the interview, Rena! Anne Elisabeth, I always love hearing more about the books that inspire you; I think that's one of the most fascinating things to learn about other authors. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Abigail! I have trouble coming up with favorites as well. That's why I said more than favorite is welcomed. :-)
      Hmmm, you mention several books I haven't read. Going to have to go look those up. And yes, just about any character from the Narnia series is a favorite. Glad you enjoyed the interview!

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    2. I just had the horrible realization that I misspelled your name. I do apologize! I hate it when people do that with mine, and here I've done it with yours. Eek!

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    3. No worries. I've used the wrong hand to type a letter many times. It's not a common name, well it's a nickname actually, and my full name is never spelled correctly so I'm kinda used to it. :-)

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  13. My favorite characters are Harry from Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword and Princess Cimorene from Patricia Wrede's Dealing With Dragons (Enchanted Forest series). Who doesn't love a princess who rescues herself?
    Oh and for fairy tale books, Italo Calvino's book of Italian Folktales is fantastic- so many stories I had never encountered before!!!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by kitkabbit! The Blue Sword was a fun book! The cover for Dealing With Dragons looks quite interesting, I think I'll have to read that.

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  14. Cinderella.
    kathyross75@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by mysons! Cinderella is a great character. And thanks for leaving your email address here so I could match the name. :-)

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  15. Bella from the Bauty and best. I like it because she like books :D :D :D

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Lucinda! Belle is a great pick. Wouldn't you love to be able to explore that library?

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  16. One of my favorite fantasy characters is Morwen from the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, she's not a very witchly seeming witch.

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    1. You're the second person to mention the Enchanted Forest series. It must be good. :-) Thanks for stopping by Jessie!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by nat! Little Red Riding Hood isn't one you hear often, but it is a good story!

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  18. I love most fantasy and fairy tales but Peter Pan holds a special place in my heart!

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    1. I love Peter Pan and Neverland! Have you read Peter and the Starcatchers? I enjoyed the retelling/ adaptation/ expanded story in that series. Thanks for stopping by Shauna!

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  19. My favorite is Cinderella, I used to watch that show everyday as a child.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Sarah! Cinderella is a popular favorite. And rightly so, she's a great girl from a great story.

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  20. Thanks for the giveaway! I've always loved Beauty and the Beast!

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    1. You're welcome Steph! And thanks for stopping by. Beauty and the Beast is a great story.

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  21. My favorite fantasy character would have to be Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie.

    -Caitlyn

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Caitlyn! Peter Pan is a great choice! Wouldn't it be wonderful to fly like that?

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  22. There are so many great characters to choose from, but I would have to say that Rapunzel is my favorite character. I will I could grow hair as long as her :)!!!!

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    1. You're the first to mention Rapunzel! It is a fun story and I really enjoyed Tangled too. :-) Thanks for stopping by Bridget!

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  23. Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. I'm enchanted with the idea that love can conquer all!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by LaRonda! So many people have mentioned Beauty and the Beast. I do love that story. And yes, love is powerful - after all out of faith, hope and love the greatest is love.

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  24. I don't think I'm doing this correctly either, but I'd have to say ...Aslan for fantasy, North Wind for fairy tale.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Galadriel! Great choices! I think I should have asked people tell me what name they post comments under! It doesn't always match the name they use to sign in to the Rafflecopter. :P As far as I can tell it hasn't counted you, unless your initials are J.D. I can't figure out whose comment belongs with that name.

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  25. My favourite fairy story (and characters) as a kid was Hansel and Gretel. I reckon that must have been the chocaholic in me coming out!!

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    1. What a great reason to like Hansel and Gretel! :-) Thanks for stopping by Nina!

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  26. My favorite character would have to be Ariel. When I was a little girl I had the Little Mermaid bean bag chair and doll that sang Part of Your World. Now I'm going to listen to that song on YouTube :)

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    1. My sister loved Ariel as well! Fun song, I might go look it up myself. :-) Thanks for stopping by!

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  27. My favorite would have to be Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Thank you for the Giveaway!!!

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    1. You're welcome Kris! I'm excited to be able to share this great series! Belle seems to be a favorite which is no surprise. Thanks for stopping by!

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  28. Hmmm...I would probably say Snow White, just because that brings back all sorts of childhood memories.

    I'd just like to add that because your blog recommendations, I bought the first two of the series and thoroughly enjoyed them, despite that it is a bit different from what I normally read. I've been waiting for the library here to get Moonblood in but they are a bit behind. :-)

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    1. I'm so glad you got the first two and enjoyed them! Maybe you'll win and can get the third one. :-) Thanks for stopping by and following on facebook, I really appreciate it Lindsey!!!
      Not many have mentioned Snow White, but I do like her. Have you seen the 2001 version of the movie? It's fun.

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  29. The Last Unicorn would be my choice (I think it counts, right?)... There are many other wonderful fairy tales that deserve to be mentioned too, but I'll leave them for another occasion... :) Thanks a lot! :)

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    1. Of course it counts! Anything with unicorns is automatically correct when it comes to fairy tales. :-) I haven't read that book, it sounds fun though. Thanks for stopping by Diana!

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  30. My favorite fairy-tale is Cinderella.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Tiff! Cinderella is a great pick. Lots of people agree with you. :-)

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  31. That would be Ariel of Little Mermaid

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    1. My sister loved Ariel when she was little. Thanks for stopping by Kimberly!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by collkosinski! Snow White is a character that seems to have been over looked in the retellings. Hope we see more of her though.

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  33. Cinderella is my favourite. :-D

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    1. Great choice Sonia! Thanks for stopping by!

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  34. Thanks for the giveaway! I loved Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Maybe because she's one of the few brunette fairy tale characters :)

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    1. Love your reasoning! Yeah, not a whole lot of brunette's out there in fairy tale land. Thanks for stopping by Angela!

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  35. I love Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She's brave, beautiful, caring and she doesn't judge a person by his appearance.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Clarissa! Great choice!

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  36. My favourite fantasy character is probably Jame (short for Jamethial) from the Kencyrath series by P.C. Hodgell. This is a widely unappreciated, not really well-known book, so not many people have probably heard of it. Nonetheless, I find her totally awesome!

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    1. Hmm, I'm not familiar with that series either. I'll have to go look it up. :-) Thanks for stopping by rachchan2006!

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  37. Belle from Beauty and the Beast!

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    1. Great choice and popular favorite! Thanks for stopping by Rachel!

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  38. I like Beauty and the Beast the most!:)
    Thank you for the giveaway!

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    1. You're welcome oloore! Thanks for stopping by. Beauty and the Beast is a great choice!

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  39. Cinderella! I love her since I was little. Although I love other fairytales too. :)

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Michelle! Cinderella is such a fun story, we watched that many times when we were little.

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  40. Sleeping Beauty! I love her she's a little different from the others!

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    1. Not very many (if any) have mentioned Sleeping Beauty, but it is a great story. Thanks for stopping by Tobi!

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  41. My favourite is Snow White, she was so beautiful. Thanks for this giveaway :)

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    1. You're welcome Madeleine! Thanks for stopping by! Snow White is a lovely girl and often overlooked I feel.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Reading! Just yesterday someone was quoting from the Disney version. Great story!

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  43. I know it's sad one but I've always loved The Little Match Girl.

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    1. Aw, that is a sad story but it's a neat one too. Not many people know it though I feel. Thanks for reminding me of it Syren!

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  44. Mulan! Go not helpless women! :D

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    1. What a fun story that is! Mulan is a neat character and certainly not helpless. :-) Thanks for stopping by dianne!

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  45. I like Belle from beauty and the beast because she was smart.

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    1. The was a smart girl...she loved books! ;-) Thanks for stopping by Kulsuma!

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  46. Sleeping Beauty has always been my favorite.
    magic5905 at embarqmail dot com

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    1. Sleeping Beauty is a great story. Thanks for stopping by Joy!

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  47. fanthagiro is really great - one of my alltime favourite heriones, because she is absolutely no damsel-in-distress, but a kick-ass woman.

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    1. I'm not familiar with that story but just looked her up on wikipedia. Sounds like a really fun movie (and book? the bit I read was about the movie). Thanks for stopping by Yto!

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  48. I guess the little mermaid would be my fave
    Thanks for the great giveaway!!

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    1. You're welcome! Thanks for stopping by Sarah! Little Mermaid is a fun one. My sister loved Ariel growing up.

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  49. Honestly, it changes every day. Right now I'm big on Cinderella, because I liked ASH and CINDER so much.

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    1. Oh I love so many of the Cinderella retellings as well! Thanks for stopping by Leeanna!

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  50. My favorite fairy tale character would be Gerda from The Snow Queen, but my favorite fantasy character is Roland Deschain.

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    1. Fun favorites! Had to look up who Roland is though. Thanks for stopping by Kayla!

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  51. My favorite is Aurora from Sleeping Beauty. Thanks so much for the giveaway!

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    1. You're welcome Lauren! Thanks for stopping by! Aurora is a fun character.

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  52. I love Fiona from Shrek. She adapts and learns to accept who she is.

    Thanks for offering such a wonderful giveaway!
    Danielle
    http://knowntoread.blogspot.com/

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    1. You're welcome Danielle and thank you! Hope you enjoyed the interview. Fiona is a fun choice.

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  53. My Favorite is the Girl from East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Thanks!

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    1. I had to look up the story and read a synopsis on wikipedia. I like that fairy tale! Thanks so much, Anna, for including a "non-traditional" character!

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  54. It's TOTALLY The Wild Swans. Best Fairytale. I love that one!

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    1. Yes! I love Anderson's tales and this one is definitely a good one. Thanks for stopping by Inky!

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  55. I love Beauty and the Beast and my favorite fairy tale character would actually be the beast.

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    1. I do believe you're the first one to mention the Beast rather than Beauty, but I agree he's a great fairy tale character. Thanks for stopping by Tressa!

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  56. Belle for Beauty and the Beast! i've always loved her beautiful dress LOL

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    1. She does have some great dresses! :D Wouldn't you love to wear that yellow ball gown?! (Minus the ridiculous small waiste.) Thanks for stopping by Lacey!

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    1. I love all the different Cinderella stories out there! Thanks for stopping by Kylie!

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  58. I love love love The Twelve Dancing Princesses!

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    1. Yes! And I think you're the first one to mention that story. A few months ago I read The Midnight Ball and really liked it. Thanks for stopping by RandomlyKait!

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  59. Thanks for hosting the giveaway!
    I really used to like Little Mermaid as a kid. I still use a Little Mermaid bedspread! :D She is gorgeous and so nice.

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    1. You're welcome Sarika! Thanks for stopping by! How fun that you still have the bedspread!

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  60. Belle from Beauty and the Beats! :)

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    1. A popular favorite! :-) Thanks for stopping by Veronica!

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    1. I love Cinderella also. Thanks for stopping by Lioness!

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  62. That's such a hard one...maybe Aragorn or Faramir from LOTR.

    ~Nessima of Arda Nessimava

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    1. Ooo, you're the first to mention those fabulous men! Love your choice. Thanks for stopping by Nessima!
      p.s. Love your blog! And I discovered through it that How to train your dragon has some awesome music. Thanks!

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  63. Little Red Riding Hood and the brothers Gretel and Hansel

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    1. Fun choices! I think you're the first to pick them. Thanks for stopping by Lipe!

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  64. My favorite character would have to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid.
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. You're welcome Amber! Thanks for stopping by! Ariel was one of my sister's favorites when little. :-)

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  65. I love both Cinderella and Fiona

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    1. Two fun choices! Thanks for stopping by Brenda!

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    1. Two fun characters! Thanks for stopping by Maya!

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  67. I like what Megan above had to say about Samwise, and I've always thought he was one of the most amazing characters, too - his loyalty and pure heartedness was beyond reproach!! :)
    Mary DeBorde M.A.D.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Mary! And for taking time to read the comments. Samwise is indeed an amazing character.

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  68. My favorite was Aurora from Sleeping Beauty!!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Filia! Sleeping Beauty is such a fun story, great choice!

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  69. My favorite fairy tale character is "Ariel from The Little Mermaid" :)

    Thanks for the international giveaway!!

    Rafflecopter name - Rosemarie D

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    1. You're welcome sweety/Rosemarie! Thanks for helping to clarify your name - with some folks it's been really difficult. What with ebooks (and my new discovery, the Book Depository) it makes sense to make it international, especially since I know so many people from around the world. Great choices by the way!

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  70. I love most fairy tales, and my favorite would be The Twelve Dancing Princesses. My favorite character though would have to be Rosie in Spindles End. Sleeping Beauty is a good story, but Rosie has so much spunk and zest that she made it amazing. No one does Fairy Tales like Robin McKinley.

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    1. Robin McKinley does a fabulous job with fairy tales! Couldn't agree more! I should reread Spindles End. Thanks for stopping by Devony!

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  71. I like Cinderella because she overcomes great obstacles to have a great love and life!

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  72. Beauty from Beauty and the Beast.
    sqwalker2@hotmail.com

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    1. Great choice! Thanks for stopping by Liese2!

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  73. Pinocchio is my favorite. Dreams do come true.

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    1. Not many people listed that one. Thanks for stopping by Cindy!

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  74. Replies
    1. Definitely worth loving. Thanks for stopping by Katie!

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  75. Thanks for the chance Rina! I'd say Belle from the Bauty and best =)

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    1. You're welcome Carol! Thanks for stopping by! Belle is a great choice!

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  76. My favorite fantasy characters are Harry, Ron, and Hermione from the Harry Potter series. Love those books so much. My favorite fairy tale character is Belle from Beauty and the Beast. She was beautiful and kind. Thanks for the giveaway!

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    1. You're welcome Amy! And thanks for stopping by. All those are great fantasy and fairy tale characters. Belle is a very popular one. I think I'll tally it up later this week to see whether Cinderella or Belle wins out. We'll see how much time I have.

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  77. Replies
    1. A popular choice. Thanks for stopping by Christine!

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  78. Love your reasons for liking Belle. :-) Thanks for stopping by Shelver506! And you're welcome!

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  79. I love Eleanor from "Phoenix and Ashes" by Mercedes Lackey. She's a Cinderella character.

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    1. I'm going to have to read that book! Sounds like a fun one, thanks! And thanks for stopping by Kris!

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  80. Rumpelstilskin, just because he seems like the most mysterious character in fairytales...and I wonder what's with him and babies. =)

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    1. He's a fun one! And congrats on spelling that long name! thanks for stopping by Lilian!

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  81. Pinocchio and Peter Pan! Thank you for this awesome giveaway! :D

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    1. I love Peter Pan! Great choices. You're welcome Giada! Thanks for stopping by.

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  82. belle from beauty and the beast! As a young girl and even now I identify with her personality. She was a princess I could relate to. I've loved books since I was very very young, and seeing a grown woman that shared that love was a great thing for me :)

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    1. Love your reasons! Belle is indeed a princess that can be related to. Her love of books is awesome. Thanks for stopping by Meghan!

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  83. I used to like Cinderella because she had a Godmother and that was pretty awesome ;-)
    Thanks a lot!

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    1. Her godmother is certainly pretty awesome. Thanks for stopping by Babel! And you're welcome.

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  84. Replies
    1. Yes! She's so fun. Thanks for stopping by Red Headed Bookworm!

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  85. Eustace from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. He is funny, unlike most fantasy characters, and yet the humor actually helps us understand his reformation journey.

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Sarah! I love the Narnia books! And Eustace is certainly a great character from the series.

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  86. Replies
    1. Too bad we all have to grow up. Love Peter Pan. Thanks for stopping by Shainers!

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  87. i love alladin from alladin :D because i like how he overcomes his greed and frees the genie instead of asking to be a prince again and to be with jasmine :D

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    1. Great reasons! I also like how the bad guy gets tricked into being a genie and is thus punished. Thanks for stopping by passant!

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  88. Replies
    1. A popular choice and rightly so. Thanks for stopping by BlackWolf!

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  89. I love Princess Moanna from Pan's Labyrinth- one of my favorite fairy tale movies. Thanks for the giveaway! I am participating in the hop as well (#27 ~ Fairday's Blog!) Have a great night : ) ~ Jess
    http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

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    1. I think you're the first to mention Pan's Labyrinth, though there was one that seemed similar. You're welcome! I've enjoyed this blog hop and actually visited your yesterday I believe. :-) Thanks for stopping by Jess!

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  90. Thanks for this giveaway! I enjoyed the first book! :)

    My two favorites were Ariel (she was a mermaid) and Belle (She was a dreamer and writer like me, and had brown hair like me!) growing up! :)

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    1. Yay for finding another fan of Tales of Goldstone Wood! Thanks for stopping by A Backwards Story! You sound like my sister, she loved both Ariel and Belle growing up. :-)

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