It’s the weekend, and this is exactly how I feel about it:
We Trents are not skiers. We’re not warriors. We are creatures who like their comfort. We reach for the cookies, the blankies, the movies, the games, and the books on the weekend. And thanks to the miracles of modern civilization there is an abundance of choices when it comes to weekend comforts. Sometimes too many. Overwhelm happens easily at our house. “What do I read next?” turns into an unsolvable problem.
Not this weekend! This weekend I’m diving head first into a book binge of fantastic proportions because the Once Upon a Pen Awards have announced their 2024 nominees. Once Upon a Pen is an organization of sweet/wholesome/clean fairy tale authors, and their annual awards recognize excellence in the realm of sweet/wholesome/clean fairy tale retellings. Most importantly the Once Upon a Pen Awards are readers’ choice awards. Readers nominate and vote for books across several categories throughout January and February. You can learn more about the Once Upon a Pen by clicking on the button below and you can vote for any and all the nominated fairy tales by clicking on the link. The first round of voting ends Saturday, February 8, 2025.
There are lots of delightful categories, but the one that I’m most excited to explore is the Best Retelling of an Obscure Tale category. Check it out:
Look closely and you might spy a familiar face on the bottom row, right in the center. Yes, it’s my novella, Curses, Diamonds, & Toads. I am so thrilled to share that its been nominated in another category…
And another one!
This one makes me giddy. That Astrid Lucia and Bernard’s love story got an invite to this party is something else, y’all. I mean look at the company they are in. Oof. I have so many new books to add to my TBR.
If you have nominated or voted for my retelling, I am so, so honored. Thank you! Thank you for taking a chance on an obscure author retelling an obscure fairy tale. There is magic in exploring fairy tales. I know I find joy and solace and strength in these stories in addition to the romance, whimsy, and escape that I crave after a long week. I hope you do too.