Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Do We Ever Outgrow Fairy Tales? ~ Marina Myles CINDERELLA AND THE GHOST

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL
IF YOU’VE SEEN ONE, HAVEN’T YOU SEEN THEM ALL?
by Marina Myles

Ha! I came across this newspaper headline recently and it made me smile. Of course, the subject of the article was fairy tales—and why we never grow tired of them.
The recent flurry of film versions based on fairy tales prove that interest hasn’t died. Consider Relativity Media’s “Mirror, Mirror”, Universal Pictures “Snow White and the Huntsman”, and Disney’s “Frozen”, based on the Snow Queen fairy tale. Plus, there is “Maleficent” with Angelina Jolie—and lest we forget television series such as ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” and NBC’s “Grimm” all with fairy tale themes?
Personally, I cannot wait for the premiere of Disney’s live-action movie “Cinderella”. Starring Lily James and the incomparable Cate Blanchett, it looks lavish, romantic, and wholly spellbinding. What’s more, the film’s March release date compliments the February 17 release of my newest historical romance CINDERELLA AND THE GHOST very nicely! Yippee!
But why don’t we ever grow tired of fairy tales?
Folklorists say fairy tales still fascinate us because they are familiar to audiences. Piggy-backing on that familiarity are retellings. Each time there is a new version of a fairy tale, that retelling differs enough to draw fans in anew. There are literally thousands of variants to any one fairy tale—and I believe it’s the comparisons to the original people find intriguing. Isn’t it fun to wonder if Snow White fell in love with her huntsman and not the prince? Or that maybe Hansel and Gretel grew up to be witch hunters?
Fairy tales are stories with universal appeal. By giving us characters we can empathize with, they expound on important messages such as wisdom, love, hope, and good versus evil. Besides that, it’s in our nature to root for the underdog. We want to cheer for the impoverished peasant who comes across something magical so he/she can live as they’ve always dreamed. If we didn’t have fairy tales, young girls couldn’t envision themselves as belles of the ball and young boys couldn’t pretend to climb the beanstalk and trick the giant.
What’s more, people continue to enjoy fairy tales because they suck us away from everyday life. These stories end with a happily-ever-after—we know that. But isn’t that why we read them? While the Brothers Grimm tales are exactly that: grim, they still end on a positive note. I don’t know about you, but I love to watch the evil witch get her comeuppance. And I never fail to sigh as the prince and the princess walk off into the sunset!
What is your favorite fairy tale?
Cinderella and The Ghost
A Dangerous Attraction
When her demanding stepmother died, Ella Benoit knew just how far their fortunes had fallen, unlike her spoiled stepsisters. So she never expected the bequest from her late father. A chateau in France and the freedom to live her own life, all at once!
The chateau has seen better days, but Ella knows she can put the ruined house to rights. The life-size portrait of its first owner, Jean-Daniel Girard, seems to watch her work with approval, even pleasure. With bright blue eyes, strong features, and an athlete’s body, the viscount is a tempting sight even now, more than three hundred years after his tragic death. But the more she looks at the portrait, the more convinced Ella is that she’s met Jean-Daniel before. In another life, perhaps—or maybe, as the form who haunts the halls at night, invading Ella’s dreams…

Although Marina Myles lives under the sunny skies of Arizona, she would reside in a historic manor house in foggy England if she had her way. Her love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy tale, and grew by leaps and bounds when she discovered Nancy Drew/Agatha Christie mysteries and rich, historical romances.
Dreaming of becoming a published author, she wrote her first 'gothic' story at age eleven. She went on to study creative writing at Southern Methodist University- where she received degrees in Communications and English Literature. During her time in Dallas, she had the unique experience of being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
Now with her loyal Maltese close by, she relishes the hours she gets to escape into worlds filled with tortured heroes, strong heroines, and their fiery-but not easily attained-love affairs. She's busy being a wife (to her Italian-born husband) and a mother (to her two beautiful daughters), but she is never too busy to hear from her amazing readers.
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