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About the Book

Title: Once upon a Christmas: Contemporary Retellings of Timeless Tales

Authors: Andrea Boyd, Toni Shiloh, Mikal Dawn, Angela Ruth Strong, Jaycee Weaver

Embrace the magic of the Christmas season with these contemporary twists on timeless tales.

Upon a Dream — A rare sleeping disorder keeps Talia from performing, but when Philip recognizes her gift, he’ll do whatever it takes to see her onstage.

Claim My Heart — Li Na and Colin Wen face off in a Mulan-esque courtroom battle where the real win might be losing their hearts.

A Snow White Christmas — Sheltered heiress Amala White flees her conniving stepmother’s plans and finds refuge with a handsome orchard owner and his seven quirky uncles.

Christmas Ella — Reality TV meets Cinderella story when a location director is swept off her feet by a rising star.

A Splash of Love — Las Vegas glitz meets Land of Enchantment culture in A Splash of Love, a modern twist on the Little Mermaid.

Get your copy here.

My Review

This is a delightful collection of five retold, re-imagined fairy tales, especially for the holiday season. I was familiar with one author, but I am now also on the lookout for the other authors’ works. Here are my quick thoughts on each:

Upon a Dream by Andrea Boyd
This anchor story for the collection sets Sleeping Beauty in a theater with a unique twist for modern-day. I enjoyed the unfolding of this retold fairy tale, with its updates for today’s world.

Claim My Heart by Mikal Dawn
Would you believe I have never watched Mulan? As a result, I had no “original” with which to compare this. This was my least favorite, but it was because of the character’s integrity.

A Snow White by Toni Shiloh
I liked the way Marcus asked God for wisdom even about the relationship. The “seven uncles” was a neat idea, especially the way that the relationships occurred.

Christmas Ella by Angela Ruth Strong
Strong always surprises me with her ingenuity, creativity, and humor in unexpected places. I have never met a story of Strong’s I haven’t loved.

A Splash of Love by Jaycee Weaver
As full of deceit and treachery as the original tale, this one was more painful. You’ll have to read it to see why I say that.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the authors. This in no way affected my opinions, which are solely my own.

My Rating

5 Stars – Hit My Reading Sweet Spot!

About the Authors

Each of Andrea Boyd‘s series represents a different genre but all fall into the category of romance. All offer an element of her own brand of humor. And all are a tribute to God.
Besides writing, she loves spending time with her family, quilting, going to car shows, and driving around in her 1968 Barracuda convertible.
Andrea lives with her husband, Tommy, and at least a couple of cats in York County, SC.
You can visit her website @ http://www.andreaboyd11.com

 

Toni Shiloh is a wife, mom, and Christian fiction writer. Once she understood the powerful saving grace thanks to the love of Christ, she was moved to honor her Savior. She writes to bring Him glory and to learn more about His goodness.

 

Mikal Dawn is an inspirational romance author, wedding enthusiast and proud military wife. By day she works for an international sports ministry, and by night she mutters to imaginary friends, performs sketchy Google searches, and procrastinates (like any good writer!). When she isn’t writing about faith, fun, and forever, she is obsessively scouring Pinterest (with coffee in hand, of course!) for wedding ideas for her characters.

Born and raised just outside of Vancouver, Canada, Mikal has lived throughout the southern and Midwest United States, currently residing in Oklahoma (and hoping it’s their last move!) with her husband, two of her three kids, and one ferocious feline.

Angela Ruth Strong sold her first story to a national magazine while still in high school and went on to study journalism at the University of Oregon. Her debut novel LOVE FINDS YOU IN SUN VALLEY, IDAHO released in 2010 to a four-star review from Romantic Times. Angela loves connecting with fans and mentoring aspiring authors, which led her to start IDAhope Writers. She currently lives in Boise with her husband and three kids.