As a fan of fairy tales and myth, I’m always on the lookout for new takes on old narratives. Last year, specialty publisher Air & Nothingness Press captured my attention with a lovely book filled with fairy tale mash-ups that had been retold in a variety of genres. I was hooked.
I backed the Kickstarter for the first anthology Upon a Once Time and delighted in the variety of stories and genres. In fact, I loved it so much that I included it in my top reads of 2020. (You can read my review at Vernacular Books.)
And then I heard whispers about a second volume in the works, and I knew I had to take a stab at my own fairy tale mash-up.
I’ve been thinking about retelling the murder ballad “The Twa Sisters,” so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to twist this particular tale in a different direction. My retelling incorporated “The Water Nixie” along with a few nods to some of my favorite folklore. I thoroughly enjoyed writing it.
Luckily, publisher and editor Todd Sanders liked it as well. I’m proud to announce that “Twice in the Telling” has joined the line-up of what is proving to be yet another successful anthology.
The support for these beautiful books continues to be strong. In fact, the Kickstarter for Upon a Twice Time funded in the first day! Six days into the fundraiser, and this second volume has reached its stretch goals. Isn’t that marvelous?
The support of small publishers is more important now than ever, and I can’t wait to see what happens as new stretch goals are added. Have you reserved your copy yet?
Carina Bissett 