Fairy Tale Poem by Chrissa Sandlin

For Years They Sieved the Stars
by Chrissa Sandlin


For years they sieved the stars
But Winken wakes and Blinken stares
And there is no rocking for Nod

Pulse-sped tidal rivers rise
On a lava flume of lamplight
Around their raft tonight

They founder in inky shoals
Keel carving trails in glittered grit
Beneath each sleepy sailor

Weary are the restless nets
Knotted for smoother seas and casts
Into those clear silver dreams

About Chrissa: A part-time writer and mom to an Eskie/Papillon mix and a retriever mix, Chrissa mainly writes speculative poems about the inner lives of napping dogs. She is hopelessly outclassed in the ability to evoke the beauty of warm squares of carpet but does sometimes manage to enjoy the dust drifting in front of the monitor while the fur at her feet snores. She blogs at Moon Pools and Mermaids (http://openwindowopenbook.blogspot.com) and welcomes reader’s comments.

My New Favorite Fairy Tale

The Day Boy and the Night Girl was written by George MacDonald in 1879. It’s a haunting and beautiful tale about an evil witch who steals a baby boy, keeping him from darkness, and a baby girl, keeping her in a tomb-like room away from all light. Circumstances and curiosity eventually bring them into each other’s world. Not only is it a sincere fairy tale with romance, tragedy and magic, but also I fell in love with the words and the way it was written. Okay, that’s all I’m sharing because if you haven’t read this story and you’re a fairy tale fan, you gotta read it!

In the title I said that this was my NEW favorite. What was my original favorite? Cinderella. But truthfully, I can’t really compare the two. I can’t tell you the last time I actually sat down and read a classic version of Cinderella. I just know it by heart, feel like I’ve known the story forever. So let’s just say, I love this new-found fairy tale in a different way.


If you’ve read this one before or do get a chance to read it, I’m curious to know what you think.

You can read it free online here: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/macdonald/daynight/files/daynight.html

Amazon has the short story in print (52 page)
http://www.amazon.com/Day-Night-Girl-Dodo-Press/dp/1409931056

And there’s the Kindle edition: The Complete Fairy Tales by MacDonald, which includes The Day Boy and the Night Girl. http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Fairy-Tales-ebook/dp/B0030MTPTM/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_12

George MacDonald (1824-1905) was born in Scotland. He moved to London, where he finished his theological seminary in 1851. He had 11 children. With fifty-one volumes, he was a prominent writer of the Victorian period. His fairy tales often challenged the strict gender roles found in traditional Victorian puritan code (Zipes.)


References:

Zipes, Jack. Victorian Fairy Tales: The Revolt of the Fairies and Elves. NewYork and London: methuem, Inc. 1987, print.

Poem: Fairy by Katie Sartor

Fairy
by Katie Sartor

Prancing
Dancing
Free as can be
Tiny
Delicate
Beautiful
She flits and floats
Weaves and bobs
Constant grin on her face
Long, wavy hair flows behind her
Glittery gossamer wings shimmer in the light
Sly, mischievous, blissful
Not a care in the world

About Katie Sartor: I live in Cleveland, TN... for now. I write all kinds of things, from songs and poems to what I call "musings and rants." I've even written a medieval style ballad or two. However, my favorite and most prominent type of writing that I do would be stories. I write all kinds of stories: long and short, funny and serious, realistic and fantastical. If you would like to contact me about my writing, or anything else really, you can email me at asarto00@leeu.edu or find me at www.facebook.com/donutz007.

Fairy Tale Poem: Carterhaugh’s Rose by Gypsy Thornton

Carterhaugh’s Rose
by Gypsy Thornton

In the shadowed ruins of Carterhaugh
Love’s flower blooms in a bed of wild grass
Sighing air whispers, full of fairy dust promises
Heady scent infusing, sweet with apple dreams
Whispered breath quivers on rose pricked skin
Tender leaves shuddering at a single touch
Across twilight’s threshold shadows intertwine
A thorn-woven tartan over green mantle laid down
Blushed petals opening under new moon
Growing night stretches across eager sky
Reverent caress curves round seed-laden hip
Dew-tears kiss trembles upon outstretched limb
The hold tightens, bold. Hot breath whispers: “Mine!”
Dusky bloom deepens to womb-red tint
Firm to the last the stem releases its treasure
A gasp, then the cry: “Lady! Pluck no more!”

Gypsy Thornton is a human/zombie hybrid & urban fantasy/fairy tale writer-mama who wishes she had tastier brains to snack on while writing. She moderates #UFchat on Twitter every Saturday at 3pm PST. She's also known as the Fairy Tale News Hound - sniffing out all forms of fairy tale news and events (feel free to throw her a bone if you're so inclined). Contact her at fairytalenews AT gmail DOT com or join her on Twitter (@inkgypsy) to chat writing, urban fantasy, modern mythic or gritty, old fairy tales.

Copyright(c) Gypsy Thornton

House of Grey by Collin Earl -- Review

This month’s story was an interesting departure for me in that I listened to House of Grey, a podio book written by Collin Earl and read by Christopher Snelgrove. From what I could tell, Mr. Earl did a great job of using the podcast format, his blog, and related forums to make his novel interactive, including running a contest for those who had followed the novel to write their preferred ending for a chance to win a recording of that ending by the team behind the original podio book. This a manga following Monson Grey as he encounters destiny, friends, and relationships in an exclusive and strange high school.

While the story of Monson Grey and his friends has plenty of action and interest sprinkled throughout, I did at times become confused or distracted by the amount of repetition and a wordy style (such as describing one scene as “high-school-type drama” when we are in a high school and witnessing the drama). Mr. Snelgrove’s narration was clear and he did a good job voicing the various characters. I found myself being drawn to the stories behind other characters over that of Monson himself, particularly as his story started out with him as a blank slate, unable to remember much of his previous history. This means that he is at times reduced to merely describing his surroundings as he drifts through them while his companions were engaging with the characters around them. This shifts in later episodes as the story begins coalesce around Monson.

I believe the book would have benefited from a consideration of the structural effects of the podcast medium. Specifically, I would recommend that in the future episode length be regulated and perhaps limited to 30 minutes or less. This particular podcast was, taken in total, longer than the first seasons of most television shows and for this reason, considerably more time-intensive than anticipated. Editing for length might also help with tightening some scenes and eliminating some of the wordiness mentioned earlier.

I'm glad that Mr. Earl brought his novel to my attention and am impressed by the polish that he brought to this free podio book. If you are looking for a way to squeeze more stories into your day, you should consider the podcast format and check out House of Grey.

All the best,
Chrissa :)

Wick'd Potion Winners

I want to thank everyone who entered the contest and left nice comments on the blog and on Twitter. And a big thanks to JFay/Studio3b for the awesome potions!
I used the Custom Random Number Generator to pick the winners and they are:





*BLUEBERRY SPELL POTION NECKLACE*: Mindy (@RainbowEyes41)

CHERRY FAIRY potion sample: @Paperbackdolls
FAIRY CHIFFON potion sample: AngelwolfStorm (@Angelwolfphoto)
SPICE BERRY FUSION potion sample: Susan (@katanilla)
BLUEBERRY SPELL potion sample: Jennifer Mathis (@Meandicorner)


If you are one of the winners, please email JFay (studio3b (@) comcast.net) with the name you used to enter plus your real name and mailing address. (Addresses will not be used for any other purpose.)

Fairy Tale & Dark Fantasy Wick’d Potions by Jfay (with Giveaway!)

I’m exicited to announce Supernatural Fairy Tales signature Wick’d Potion, Blueberry Spell, by Studio 3B.

Blueberry Spell Potion is a delish blend of sweet blueberries and warm vanilla, with just a hint of blackberries and amber. It smells really yummy, and the bottles and necklaces are fun: they have blue and white beads and a magic wand charm. The scent was inspired by Blueberry Eyes, my Hansel and Gretal revisited tale.

Blueberry Spell is one of the potions from the Fairy Tale/Dark Fantasy line of mystical and magical perfumes by Candle Artisan JFay. Other scents in this collection include: Fairy Chiffon, Spice Berry Fusion, and Cherry Fairy. They’re all available in potion bottles and potion necklaces.

The CHERRY FAIRY Potion ROCKS!! It is an in-your-face irresistible blend of both red and black cherries enhanced by a "secret" enchanted fruit.

FAIRY CHIFFON is a magical treat with the soft and delicious aroma of lemon chiffon, a beautiful blend of lemon and vanilla.

And SPICE BERRY FUSION is a magical blend of blueberry, mulberry, black cherry, and clove. It was inspired by Author William Maltese's YA book FLICKER ~ Book of Answers.

The Giveaway! One Blueberry Spell Potion Necklace (like the one on the left) and one small sample of each of the four fairy tale/dark fantasy potions mentioned above (a total of 5 prizes) will be given away courtesy of JFay and SFT.

To enter, leave a comment by Sept 13, 2010 to this post, and I will randomly draw names from the comments and announce winners on September 14, 2010. Open to Continental U.S. addresses only please.


*Bonus* Hit the Retweet button at the top of this post and let me know your Twitter address, and I’ll enter your name into the drawing twice. I’ll probably follow you, too (Er on Twitter - not in real life :)

Make sure to stop by Studio 3B and check out all of JFay’s Wick’d Potions - She has an awesome Gothic and Vampire line, too.

Poetry: After the Party by William C. Burns, Jr

After the Party
William C. Burns, Jr

she stands in a silent room
stands silent in a silent place
she stands alone

only seconds ago
she was awash in the noise and sound of him
awash in the everyday ocean of him
adrift in the tsunami of the way he makes her feel

i stand beside her
just another piece of an unbroken silence

she says
"He could never be mine . . .
I mean he is . . . he is not available.
Why do his eyes speak to me?"

she casts about the room
like a guest at a wedding after the feast
like she is looking for a napkin

she says
"He doesn't love me
I mean . . . how could he?
What's there to love in me?"

i turn to look out into the coming sunset
and though i am a whisper of a whisper i say
"The worst kind of love
is not the love never returned
(though that love is hurricane enough).
No, the worst love is the love never spoken.
The love aborted before it can even struggle for a breath.
The love like an angel being blown backward
by the winds from the abyss of despair."

from behind me she says
"I never had a chance . . ."

i say

nothing

Bill was born circa the early fifties on the trailing edge of the beautiful generation (remember the Hippies?) and raised in and around the rolling hills and glens of the eastern part of the planet.
Bill holds lots of degrees (mostly Celsius, some Fahrenheit some Kelvin) in areas such as electrical engineering, biomedical engineering and education. He keeps the hounds of starvation at bay by teaching electrical engineering and electrical technology courses for various colleges. He has written eleven plays that have made the stage and been published in over 100 hardcopy magazines, as well as a metric bunch of web page zines. Bill lives with his bride of 33 years and their three children.

Find more of William's work on the following pages:

http://www.dancooper.tv/fashionfinds_1999/november/pages/parnassus.htm

http://www.terrain.org/poetry/15/burns.htm

http://www.spiralsea.com/aug2001/spiralsea_fiction_afterjtmcgyre_burns.html

http://www.astropoetica.com/Summer04/space.html

http://www.rationalmagic.com/Archive/Incident.html

© William C. Burns Jr.

Supernatural Fairy Tales is Back!

Hi Friends!

I hope everyone had a fantastic summer. We have a lot of catching up to do and a lot of fun things planned for this month!

This Month will feature fairy tale poems by William C. Burns, Jr., Gypsy Thornton, Chrissa Sandlin, and Katie Sartor. Also, a first for us, Chrissa is going to review a podcast novel, The House of Grey, by Collin Earl . And I have a special gallery highlighting Supernatural Fairy Tales’ new signature potion, Blueberry Spell, by Studio 3B .

Catching up with a previous guest, fairy tale film maker, Lisa Stock: her film, Titania Prequel, premiered Aug 15th and will be showing in NYC Sept 12th and in Boston at the StrowlerCon Oct. 8-10. And I wanted to give a big thank you to FictionDaily for featuring my Beauty and the Beast inspired short story, The Kingdom of Pillars, in their genre section on Aug 6th.

I am very excited about, my new project – which will also be an addition to this blog starting in October – Silverweed: a supernatural fairy tale. If you want a sneak peek of what I’m talking about, visit my website here: Check out Silverweed for more information.

It is good to be back! So how was everyone’s summer?

Love and Laughter!

Dorlana