Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour: Rachel Heffington/Review/Giveaway

Today is my turn to contribute in this exciting Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour hosted by Amber Stokes of Seasons of Humility. 

Check out the Tour Schedule to visit all of the other awesome blogs making this event super fun!

Today's "Cinderella" is Rachel Heffington.  Welcome to Vonnie's Reading Corner, Rachel!

If you found out that you were the daughter of Prince Charles of England, what would you do?

First, I would check my birthdate and check his birthdate and feel he'd been busy long past his prime. Then I'd begin to realize this development makes me a sister-in-law of the Duchess of Cambridge and that would make me excessively happy. Then I'd realize I could probably ask to spend an afternoon in London with Tom Hiddleston and I'd catch a flight immediately to go visit my rakish papa and ask for a tour of my homeland and a fashion designer of my own.



About “The Windy Side of Care” by Rachel Heffington

Alisandra is determined to have her rights. She knows that she is the king’s secretly dispossessed daughter, the true heir to the throne. Prince Auguste is an imposter, and if she plays her cards right, Alis will prove it to the world! That is, if charming Auguste doesn’t succeed in winning her heart before she gets her chance . . .

About Rachel Heffington

Rachel Heffington is a Christian, a novelist, and a people-lover. Outside of the realm of words, Rachel enjoys the Arts, traveling, mucking about in the kitchen, listening for accents, and making people laugh. She dwells in rural Virginia with her boisterous family and her black cat, Cricket.

In February 2014, Rachel released her debut novel, Fly Away Home, and is excited to collaborate on Five Glass Slippers with her fellow authoresses. She hopes to release her second full-length novel and first mystery (Anon, Sir, Anon) in autumn 2014. For more on Rachel, her current projects, and writing in general, visit her on her blog: www.inkpenauthoress.blogspot.com.

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

ONE BELOVED STORY,  FIVE EXCITING WRITERS
A COLLECTION TO CHERISH

What happens when Cinderella is so painfully shy that she cannot bear the idea of attending the royal ball? Or when the slipper fits . . . but on the wrong girl? What happens when Cinderella is determined to oust an imposter prince from her rightful throne? Or when she is a cendrillon miner working from a space station orbiting a cthonian planet? What happens when Cinderella, a humble housemaid, is sent with a message for a prisoner trapped in a frightening fairy circus?

Here is Cinderella as you have never met her before, wearing glass slippers and off on unforgettable adventures!

Available now in paperback and Kindle formats!

My Thoughts: Oh my goodness! What absolute fun this collection was! I love reading fairy tale retellings and this book was filled with some of the best kind. Here we have five "Cinderella" stories with their own personalities making each one similar yet very different from each other.

 "What Eyes Can See" by Elisabeth Brown: This first novella had a wonderful twist. The stepmother and stepsisters were actually nice! Arella (Cinderella) was the awkward one who wanted to be left alone but was actually encouraged by her step-family to be more outgoing. The oldest stepsister, Drusilla, became the protagonist and she was an admirable character. I found myself rooting for her. The ending was quite cute!

"Broken Glass" by Emma Clifton: Out of all of the stories, this one was my absolute favorite! There were various characters in this one and I enjoyed each one of them: Rosalind, Marius, Henry, Darcy, the King, the Fairy Godmother, and Cinderella. This story had humor and action. It had me chuckling and had me at the edge of my seat. It was a mixture of magic and steampunk.  I especially love the "Epilogue" for it gave a surprising twist that had me wanting more. I really hope that Emma will continue with the twist for I would love to see how everything would turn out for the villain Darcy.

"The Windy Side of Care" by Rachel Heffington: I was not sure what to expect at first when I started reading this one. Cinderella, Alis, was a dethroned princess fighting for her rights. I thought the idea of a political schemer was going to lose my interest but in fact I found myself captivated with Alis' character. She was strong and witty. I loved how she stood up to what she thought was right even when her life was on the line. What I also enjoyed was how the fairy godmother was actually a godfather. He was fun!

"A Cinder's Tale" by Stephanie Ricker: This one was completely different since it didn't follow the routes that the other stories did, and it was also science fiction. I'm not a big fan of science fiction so I started reading this thinking that I would not like it. However, I was proven wrong. I was quite taken at it's difference. Elsa was a cinder, one of the most dangerous jobs in the galaxy. It was interesting to read her character and read how the other characters were connected to the original story as well as the Disney movie. Though this one did not concentrate on the romance aspect of the Cinderella story, it had a wonderful ending that left me satisfied.

"The Moon Master's Ball" by Clara Diane Thompson: This was another unique read. It was thrilling, mysterious, and spooky: words that very well describe the world of the circus. I found myself empathizing with Tilly's character and I was completely drawn by the Moon Master. There was a sense of secrecy throughout the story, which made me wonder what was real or not. I liked how Tilly's character went from being the scared and cowardly girl into a more confident and brave young lady. It was also very interesting to see how the slippers had a purpose in the story. Everything tied up at the end nicely.

As a whole, this was a very delightful collection of "Cinderella" stories. Though they all shared many similar elements to stay true to the original fairy tale, it was wonderful to see how each author was able to create her own story. Five Glass Slippers is a wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fairy tales. I rate it:

The Five Glass Slippers collection will be on sale for only $.99 in Kindle format for the duration of the blog tour (June 23-28)!

Here’s your chance to be Cinderella of the ball! One lucky winner will receive a paperback copy of Five Glass Slippers, several Cinderella-themed items (including a bookmark crafted by Belle on a Budget, a journal, and a DVD copy of the Disney movie), as well as special gifts handpicked by a few of the collection’s authors (a glass slipper cookie cutter with recipe, freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, and an Apple Tree Inn cup and saucer). This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

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