Timeless Tales' Snow Queen Issue is Now LIVE!

From TT's Editor, Tahlia Merrill Kirk:

The long wait is finally over. Your patience has paid off and our new collection of short stories and poems has arrived at last.  

Perhaps the oddest thing about the original Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, is the name. Considering it's called, "The Snow Queen", our titular character has a surprisingly small role amongst the many adventures that occur to Gerda and Kay.  

In our latest issue, our writers ask plenty of questions about the Snow Queen herself. Andersen portrays her as the villain, but is there more to it? Could she be a victim, or even the heroine?  

But these retellings also explore the wide variety of other characters--from the Robber Girl, to the crows, to the strange imp who started the whole story. Some of these pieces are cold and wintery, like you'd expect, but others will take you back to summer vacation.  

Read them all HERE. 

 

 

 

            

A special note about our audio version: It isn't quite ready yet, but will be sent out later this week, so if you are a patron (or become one--hint hint--) you will be receiving the audio files a tiny bit late, but trust us, it's so worth the wait!

Timeless Tales Snow Queen Issue Delayed, But Coming Soon!

Snow Queen by Christian Birmingham

Hi, friends! Tahlia from Timeless Tales Magazine jumping in for a quick update on our Snow Queen issue. 

We were planning on having it released by the end of November, but got slowed down by...well, what can I say--reading so many stories about frost and ice leads to taking lots of breaks for hot cocoa. 

But in all seriousness, it's just been a rough Oct/Nov for this part-time editor. I've been working as hard as I can, but it's time to face the truth: We're looking at early or mid-December. All the stories are selected, but we're still working with our writers to put the final polish on them. Then they're off to our audio narrators and the designer who formats the stories for the page. 

Our fans picked this theme and they will not be disappointed. Believe it or not, Snow Queen isn't one of my favorite fairy tales (Shhhh, don't tell anyone!), but our writers' twists really heighten the color palette of the original. Plus, it's the perfect season for this theme. 

Alright, back to the trenches! Will let you know when we finally launch it. So excited to finally be in the home stretch.

'Warm' regards, ;)

Tahlia Merrill

Editor, Timeless Tales Magazine

Snow Queen by Christian Birmingham

Timeless Tales Magazine Update (The Snow Queen Is Coming!)

Troll Mirror by Kiri Leonard

I wanted to let you know that Timeless Tales Magazine remains our intrepid partner through good times and bad, and we couldn't be more pleased to support this wonderful and unique publication.

Timeless Tales Magazine has continued to have a very active Facebook page HERE and, of course, you will be getting updates on all the Timeless Tales Magazine news here too.

Their Editor, Tahlia Merrill, will continue to wrangle our Once Upon A Blog Book Review Team as needed - at least when she's not up to her ears in worthy submissions for TT's latest issue...

... which is where she is right now!

Submissions for the Snow Queen issue have closed and Timeless Tales have just announced the publishing date of this special fairy tale issue to be November 3rd. (We can't wait!)

In the meantime, you can help decide what the theme for Issue #8 will be!

The options are:

• Norse Mythology
• Arthurian Legends
• Egyptian Mythology
• Tales of the Arabian Nights (aka 1001 Nights)

Talk about tough choices. We want a full issue for each one!

The place to cast your vote is linked below. Just click on the banner:

Annie Leibovitz Inspired by Nordic Sagas, Slavic Folklore & The Snow Queen for Fashion Shoot

Annie Leibovitz is well associated with fairy tale themed shoots, so much so she is the official photographer-on-call for the Disney Theme Park shoots (which are live action interpretations of a scene from the animated movies). While those shoots are often very creative and do bring some surprises, I always find it most interesting when she steps outside the Disney properties and works with folk and fairy tales for fashion (often for Vogue).

Drew Barrymore's Beauty and the Beast shoot wasn't a Disney shoot, and you can see a lot of 'thinking outside the mold' in that one, which is wonderful. Keira Knightly's Wizard of Oz shoot remains striking, as does her Alice fashion photography with super model, Natalia Vodyanova.

This campaign was for a company called Moncler and shot in the stunning Icelandic landscape with two up-and-comers on the model scene, a Mormon brother and sister duo from Utah. For this shoot, touting the stylish warmth of this company's clothing, the Snow Queen makes an appearance. I'm always fascinated by how this character is interpreted when it comes to fashion but I have to say, I expected something a little more land-based (as in using the landscape forms of Iceland) rather than something that reminded me of the White Queen from Narnia (which I like better), still they're nice storytelling photos.

One Spanish website (Totumrevolutum) explains the concept of the shoot by summarizing the fairy tale:

"The Snow Queen" (Snedronningen) is a fantasy novel written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845, which tells of the struggle between good and evil experienced by two children, Kay and Gerda.

And from a report discussing the shoot, via the Daily Mail:

The stunning images show Lucky and Pyper keeping warm in a range of Moncler's signature quilted outerwear, while navigating the rugged landscapes, from colossal ice formations to wind-sculpted rocks. 

Annie Leibovitz directs Lucky in a frozen woodland as he is captured by the Snow Queen

The Moncler campaign was apparently inspired by 'Nordic sagas and traditional Russian and Slavic folklore' - here Lucky encounters the Snow Queen on his travels.

You can see more photos from the shoot HERE, as well as more behind-the-scenes pics too, which I think are completely worth the click-through, just to see the incredible landscape.

Advertising: Lipstick Queen Promotes Frog Lips

Whimsy and advertising today. Fairy tales are often referenced in make-up but usually it's to do with princesses and in recent years, sexy villains. This new lipstick  - released less than a week ago - is slightly different:

A green lipstick that "uses the natural pH in your lips" to produce a unique shade that suits you.

"Things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince!" Poppy King, Lipstick Queen

Get heads turning with Frog Prince, a remarkable emerald green lipstick that transforms into magical rosebud upon contact with the lips. Don't be fooled by the deep green hue of this semi-sheer lipstick - the green reacts with the warmth of your lips turning them an intense, fairy tale rose. No two pairs of lips will look the same as it adapts according to your pH and natural coloring, appearing entirely different yet beautifully flattering on everyone. Vitamin E and Shea Butter keep lips soft, hydrated and deliciously kissable. And just like true love itself, this enchanting shade was made to last. Lips remain their blissful pink all day long from just one lingering, magical Frog Prince kiss.

I'm having flashbacks to the 80's when there were those 'mood lipsticks' that were weird colors (including green) that changed your lips to be some sort of pink color. Trouble is, for me, it always looked like I'd gotten into my mother's lipsticks and used precisely the worst shade possible. Worse? It didn't come off very easily!

Clearly they're having a big campaign push for this particular lipstick and new photos from a sexy photo shoot have been appearing almost every day this week. It started with this one..

And went into this sequence:

Obviously , they're having a lot of fun with it. (But you cannot tell me she looked like a frog before putting this on!)

They also released an 'Ice Queen' lipstick toward the end of last year, which seems popular, though it didn't have a whole photoshoot to go with it. The artwork is nice though.

It’s all about intergalactic gorgeousness with Ice Queen, Lipstick Queen’s shimmering white lipstick flecked with silver and gold. This icy cool shade will tint your lips a sparkling and translucent snowy white, bringing an ethereal beauty to your look, and yet is still transparent enough to allow the natural pink of your lips to shine through. Ice Queen is enhanced with ultra-flattering shimmer particles that catch the light to create an ice cool, sexy look.  You can say goodbye too to dry, chapped lips common during the winter months as Ice Queen is formulated with anti-oxidant Vitamin E and nourishing oils to ensure the lips remain comfortable, soft and super-hydrated!

I have no experience with these and I'm not the sort of person who will pay $25 for a lipstick to start with but if you collect fairy tale novelty, these ones might be "just right" for you.

(Jeepers, I sounds like an ad...)

I have to admit - I do like the look of the box.

You can find Frog Prince HERE and Ice Queen HERE.

Review: "The Rabbit Back Literature Society" by Caitlin Postal

"The Rabbit Back Literature Society"

Review by Caitlin Postal

Editor's Note: This is one of those books I dearly wished I'd had time to review personally, with the use of folklore motifs and fairy tale-like echoes in the characters. Fortunately, partnering with Timeless Tales Magazine means we're able to begin building a "review posse" so Once Upon A Blog can post book reviews far more regularly (and Timeless Tales Magazine's Editor in Chief can get to know some new writers as well). Today, Caitlin gives you a glimpse as to why you might just be intrigued by The Rabbit Back Literature  Society too.

Jacket description: 

Only nine people have ever been chosen by renowned children’s author Laura White to join the Rabbit Back Literature Society, an elite group of writers in the small town of Rabbit Back. Now a tenth member has been selected: a young literature teacher named Ella.  

Soon Ella discovers that the Society is not what it seems. What is its mysterious ritual known as "The Game"? What explains the strange disappearance that occurs at Laura White’s winter party? Why are the words inside books starting to rearrange themselves? Was there once another tenth member, before her? Slowly, as Ella explores the Society and its history, disturbing secrets that had been buried for years start to come to light. . . .

To put it simply, The Rabbit Back Literature Society is not a fairy tale, nor does it claim to be. Instead, author Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen serves up an intriguing mystery woven with elements of folklore, which make the reader just as contemplative as the protagonist, Ella Milana.

The tale begins in the small town of Rabbit Back, best known for its renowned author Laura White and the nine students she hand selects to groom into writers. When Ella becomes the Society’s tenth member, she finds herself drawn into a fantastical conspiracy shared only by the nine other members.

Upon Ella's induction to the Rabbit Back Literature Society, however, Laura White disappears into thin air, like an enigmatic Snow Queen, leaving only flurries of snow behind. Willing search parties cannot find her and they refuse to venture into the forest. It's nearly impossible to discuss the folklore elements of this novel without spoilers, but suffice it to say, things are not what they seem. At first, I saw Laura White as an eccentric benefactor but I couldn't have anticipated the truth.

Many folktales use the wild mysterious forest as a contrast to the safety of town life. But this novel subverts that trope. Jaaskelainen’s woods are certainly mystical, but the town is also inexplicably touched by magic. From the garden gnomes in Ella’s front yard to the wild dogs who patrol, Rabbit Back is not a normal town. What has returned to Martti Winter's garden? Why is Ingrid Katz burning books? How did Laura White disappear? What happened to the Society’s first tenth member?

What the forest takes, it doesn't give back and Ella comes to realize that "Under one reality there's always another. And another one under that." And so the reader is drawn into teasing out the mystery, just like Ella herself.

The Rabbit Back Literature Society’s patented small town charm has a deliciously sinister undertone, thanks to the shadowy presence of the woods. For readers looking to add a touch of the Fae to their cozy mystery collection, this novel is sure to be a hit.

Disclosure: A complimentary copy of the book was provided by Thomas Dunne Books in exchange for an honest review.

Caitlin Postal is a marketing specialist who loves literature, history, and pop culture. When not writing, she can be found sewing costumes and donning medieval armor. You can find her on twitter: https://twitter.com/goingpostale.

School Transformed into Snow Queen Scenes - Kids' Grades Soar in Response

From The Snow Queen illustrated by Vadislav Erko - note all the tools of learning in this illustration

Wow. I wish kids here had the opportunity to learn like this! There's not a whole lot of information about this event, other than a very short piece in a local paper but it's a fantastic example of immersive learning and teaching through the arts and fairy tales to foster excellence in students.

The whole idea of using the setting to immerse student senses and live storytelling is to engender learning of often-challenging subjects for kids. And it works. It really, really works!

Here's the short report:

SCENES from Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen turned St Mary's Church of England Primary in Stansted into a fairy-tale world. 

Pupils felt like they were stepping into a storybook after staff gave the primary a revamp during a (pupil free) day. 

It set the backdrop as children started a two-week project basing all their literacy and artwork on different versions of the much-loved story. 

They were treated to a performance of the play by Quantum Theater, paid for by the school's PTFA. 

"Seeing the school transformed was a wonderful surprise and caused great excitement," said Kate Maginn, English co-ordinator. "All the children produced quality pieces of writing and art, whatever their age."

(Source HERE)

Congratulations to the caring and motivated parents and teachers who worked so hard on their pupil free day, made this happen and brought Quantum Theater into the school to bring the story to life to boot!

Not coincidentally, this type of education is exactly what Quantum Theater is all about. They're specifically set up to amp education via stories, fairy tales and theater. The idea is to help kids learn the basics, like reading, writing and maths, to enjoy the process and to get excited about learning even more. It's such a brilliant program. If I were wealthy I'd make a point of expanding their company so they can reach more kids.Here's more from the "About Us" section of Quantum Theater's website (we need these guys over here please!):

Quantum Theatre for Science was founded in 1988 as a direct response to the lack of educational drama available to schools on the subject of numeracy and science. Over twenty years on, nearly three thousand schools each year see Quantum performances, using them to introduce or re-enforce these topics, making Quantum Britain's foremost science and numeracy-based theatre-in-education company.

Our customers have come to rely on Quantum's characteristic style; educational elements combined with pacey, humorous musical theatre. Our aim is to make the world of science and numeracy accessible and relevant to children's everyday experiences by bringing it "to life."                     If you're wondering "Why Snow Queen?", there's a lot to work with in the story, with everything from each season getting a showcase through to the idea of puzzles, math and logic (not to mention writing on a fish!). I don't know how the play was written for the show to be specifically focused on reading and writing and more but whatever they're doing, it clearly worked. Works. They're still touring around other (lucky) schools. Could Quantum Theater (and the happy teachers and parents at St. Mary's Primary) please come have a chat with my son's school, so the kids here can also learn this way? I'm lucky if I get to do a proper storytelling for our kiddos, let alone transform the school for a unit! Note: photos are from St. Mary's Primary and from the Snow Queen production by Quantum Theater (found on their Twitter account). *We did a little of this in the Children's Theater I worked with but not to the extent of working with the education system directly. We would try to incorporate learning principles ourselves but it's so much more effective if teachers, parents and guests are working together!