A fun twist on a classic tale...

Cinderella Smith by Stephanie Barden

Meet Josephine-Kathryn Smith, aka Cinderella Smith. She's nothing like the Cinderella from the classic fairy tale. No wicked stepsisters. No wicked stepmother. There's a prince...Charlie Prince, a next door neighbor who likes to tease her. The only thing she has in common with the fairy tale Cinderella is that she's always losing her shoes.

As a new school year starts, her best friend from last year is ignoring her, and she loses the most important shoe of the year...her tap shoe. With the fall dance recital coming up and the starring role of Pumpkin Blossom Fairy up in the air, Cinderella must find that shoe.

Since her former best friend, Rosemary, has moved on to "better" things, Cinderella befriends the new girl, Erin. Now, Erin has a problem that she thinks Cinderella can solve. Erin's about to get two stepsisters when her mother remarries, and Erin is worried that they might be wicked. However, Cinderella has no experience with stepsisters, wicked or otherwise, so Cinderella comes up with a unique and hilarious way to find out.

This is a great new series for fans of Ivy + Bean (Barrows), Clementine (Pennypacker), Just Grace (Harper), and Ramona (Cleary). Each of these series has unique, spunky, fun, intelligent, hilarious girls at their center. Cinderella Smith can join the club. Barden has created a character that is in high demand with my readers. With the unique fairy tale twist (which is a popular genre), she has crafted a story to be read aloud again and again. Each chapter of the book is the featured shoe of the moment. I never had a problem with losing shoes, I just wore them until they fell apart, much to my mum's dismay. She would always buy me new shoes, but I loved the old, holey, comfortable ones.

Stephanie Barden came into my children's department yesterday, which absolutely made my day. I was telling a co-worker about her book not 20 minutes before. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to make it to an event she had at another bookstore. Now, sometime this summer we'll have her for an event at our store! Definitely looking forward to that.

Be on the look out for more shoe-less adventures in Cinderella Smith and the More the Merrier coming out in 2012.

-Ruby

Ages 8+
Publisher: HarperCollins (April 26, 2011)
ISBN: 9780061964237
Available as an eBook.

Author Spotlight: Interview with Inara Scott

Give a warm welcome to Inara Scott, our first author on the blog! We interviewed Inara about her series The Delcroix Academy (Jenny reviewed book one, The Candidates, back in March). Here's what she had to say.

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On your website your advice to writers is to keep writing and trying, no matter the rejections. How long did it take for someone to buy your book—was it a long journey?



Author Inara Scott (www.inarascott.com)

 You know, it’s hard to say. I started writing in 2005 and sold in 2008, three books and over a hundred   rejections later. Some may say that’s short, some may say that’s long! The hardest part of the journey was actually the time after the sale. It took almost 3 years after the sale of The Candidates for it to be released.

Where did the idea for Dancia’s power come from, and why do you think it fits her character so well?

To me, the real significance of Dancia’s power isn’t exactly what it is or how it works (which is very fun, and you’ll find fleshed out further in the second book in the series!), but the fact that it brings with it serious consequences. One of the main themes I try to explore in this series is that life is never black and white; even when Dancia tries to do good, she often ends up causing harm. The need to accept responsibility for our choices, no matter how tangled and complicated they may be, was really the jumping off point for the series. 

Any hints on the kinds of powers we might see develop in current/future characters? (Pretty please?)

Hmmm…let’s see…fire, animals, flight, sound. How about that? J

You say you “fear deep, intellectual books and love romance and fantasies.” As far as we can tell, you’ve managed to include some pretty interesting—and “deep”—questions in Dancia’s ponderings, so how do you distinguish the two?

Oh my, that’s a great question! I think what I’m most scared of is a book with lots of hidden meaning and symbolism that I’m suppose to “get” and don’t. (Perhaps what I really have is a literature insecurity complex – LOL! ) I like to read great stories with engaging characters, and love it when deep questions arise naturally out of those stories. I would like to think that Dancia’s experience raises important questions for readers – but I’m also totally comfortable if they just take away from it a fun story about a girl with superpowers.

What draws you into fantasies the most?

Another great question. I think I like fantasies for the same reason I love romance novels: they take me deep into my imagination and let me live out my dreams.

What did you like to read growing up and why? Anything you couldn’t stand?

I read mostly historical romances and fantasies, with a bit of science fiction mixed in for good measure. I refused (and still refuse) to read scary books (no horror for me!) and have never liked books with sad endings. By the way, this is part of the reason I fear those deep, intellectual books. They usually end badly.

I think I’m just too easily influenced by things I read – scary things REALLY freak me out, and sad things REALLY mess me up. I have a hard time separating real life from literature. I think I would be just as scared by reading a book about a serial killer as I would be by actually being chased by one. J 

Okay, just for fun: please finish the following scene in 250 words or less (unless you get really into it, in which case we won’t complain!).

"She could hear water dripping from the stalactites above as she worked her way deeper into the cavern. Looking over her shoulder, she caught a glimmer of light behind, and her breath quickened..."

…That was it, then. They’d found her.

 Game on.

She pressed ahead as quickly as she could, brushing aside beads of sweat as they formed on her brow. She wondered who they had sent after her. Was it Talon, black eyes cold and furious, trailing behind her? Or worse, was it Ranger? Did he remember what had happened the last time they’d met like this?

Perhaps, considering the consequences, it would be better if he did not…

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A huge thank you to Ms. Scott for putting up with our pesky questions and giving us juicy teasers to keep us going until the next book! Be sure to check out The Candidates if you haven't already; the rest of us will be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, The Watchers, expected to be released August 2, 2011.

Happy Birthday to Jenny!

Today is Jenny's birthday!! Someone on Facebook already had this idea, but I think mine's cuter! This is as close as I could get to getting you one of these...

Cheers to a great night of karaoke and dancing!!

-Ruby