The Queen of Hearts kissed the King one last time before the Joker ripped his head from her hands and tossed it alongside the rest of his body. The queen’s personal guards picked up the pieces and clumsily carried the dead king out of sight.
No one spoke. Only the sound of a ticking clock interrupted the stunned silence of the night. Standing next to the pool of blood, the queen let a love-letter the king had written slip through her fingers.
Appearing out of thin air, a Cheshire kitten, affectionately named Chez, who was distinguished by his white and blue stripes, playfully pawed at the letter. Extending his claws, he shredded it while the queen did nothing. When the Joker bent over and reached for the remaining pieces of the letter, the kitten bit him, drawing blood. Chez’s hair stood on end as he guarded the letter.
“If you want to play dirty, may I suggest a play date, Chez?” the Joker asked, inspecting the bite mark. His voice was as innocent as a child, but the look in his beady eyes was that of a psychopath’s. “I have all sorts of modified toys collecting dust in the dungeon.”
“Don’t antagonize the Joker, Chez. He is a bit of a schizoid,” Hearts said, picking up the kitten. She stared at the pieces of the love-letter for so long that her eye twitched. “Burn it so that no one finds out that the king loved a seamstress.”
The Joker picked up the pieces and fisted them. The recipient of the letter showed through his fingers: Dearest Genevine— He held his hand up to his mouth and blew. Pieces of the letter flew into the air and burst into flames. They flickered and fell to the floor in a pile of ash.
“I’m required to scold you for leaving your sharp toys scattered all over, Joker. It’s a pity the king had to pay for your untidiness,” Hearts said, glancing at the guillotine that was drenched in the king’s blood.
“Then I shall only take out my biggest toys when you order me to do so… again,” the Joker said and winked. “Since this is a hush-hush operation, I assume you don’t want me to kill the seamstress? Oh! Or perhaps she could have a misfortunate accident as well?”
“No, that would be far too coincidental,” the queen said, as a matter-of-factly. “Keep her alive. Isn’t it fitting that she must live, knowing her lover is dead? Oh, and see to it that she never leaves Wonderland. Everything considered, she is still the most talented seamstress in the court, and I’ll need someone sew me a black dress to wear at King Edward’s funeral.”
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Visit Sarah J. Pepper’s website to learn more about her unique retelling of the classic Wonderland tale, right here at: http://www.peppersreadingcorner.com/.
Also, check out her special Facebook interview here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
I thought it would be fun to incorporate a few of the original Alice in Wonderland quotes to reference the most significant (to me) Wonderland retellings.
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From Pinterest, please do not copy. Click image to share on Pinterest.
I’ve always been a little afraid of Alice’s story—okay, lame I know, but I blame Disney for my irrational fear of all things Wonderland. I watched the movie when I was a young girl, and being a food lover, I was petrified. Why? Because Alice ate some yummy food and then didn’t stop growing!! How could you hide the fact that you snuck a cupcake from Mom when you are ten feet tall? So eating a wondrous breakfast was out of the question. If a cupcake could make me a giant, then I wasn’t about to try the orange juice.
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From Pinterest, please do not copy. Click image to share on Pinterest.
Johnny Depp’s Alice in Wonderland would probably be my next favorite retelling. Any J.D. fan will love his performance. He gets so into his characters, becoming them through and through. Since Death of the Mad Hatter is focused mainly on the Mad Hatter, I was inspired by Depp and hope that is portrayed in the novel. Maybe I, me, and myself, am a little bit mad to dream up a character who is unapologetically insane.
“Wonderland was an intoxicating, magical world where the most farfetched dreams could come true and the impossible was possible. Conversely, it was a realm where the most daunting nightmares could haunt us until the end of time”—Death of the Mad Hatter. To me, Wonderland is a beautiful haunting place (probably because I have mixed feelings about their food). But to another person, the food might be the best part about the fantasy world. I just love how far the imagination can take you, which is why Alice in Zombieland is my third favorite retelling. The author took us to a completely different Wonderland than what most people imagine. So off with their zombie heads!
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From GoodReads, click to add to your bookshelf.
Visit Sarah J. Pepper’s website to learn more about her unique retelling of the classic Wonderland tale, right here at: http://www.peppersreadingcorner.com/.
Also, check out her special Facebook interview here.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
The Eternal Curse Series Blog Presents an interview with author: Penny Ross.
image provided by author
So tell me, who is Penny Ross?
I’m an author, Aboriginal educator, storyteller, mother to two grown sons, and wife to an amazing man. I’m a weekend/holiday writer as I have a full-time job. I’m also an avid reader and love to travel.
I’m so glad to be finally talking with you. I’m excited to learn about Aboriginal education. I too am a part-time write, but I unfortunately do it full-time while also working. I drive myself crazy. I hope I get to hear about some of your travels later on.
So whacha got for me today?
I’m doing the final edit on my third and latest novel ‘Stolen Spirits.’ It will be published in January 2014. It’s a young adult murder mystery about stolen spirits taken from their loved ones. I’ve dedicated the novel to missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls of Canada and their families since one of the underlying themes in the novel is missing and murdered Aboriginal girls.
Wow, this sounds like a very deep and touching book. I must admit that I was unaware of the problems with missing Aboriginal Canadian women. Meeting you prompted me to do some research. I like and appreciate that you’re using narrative to inform adults and teens of this issue.
So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read of Stolen Spirits?
My main character in ‘Stolen Spirits’ is Diane, a Métis teen who’s murdered in the first chapter. Through the voices of her friends we piece together who Diane was and how her murder impacts those close to her. Readers connect with Diane’s spirit, as she hasn’t crossed over yet. Marti is another major character in the novel. As an international author and amateur crime fighter, Marti is enlisted to assist the police in the investigation. ‘Stolen Spirits’ is a fast-paced novel as it takes place over the span of nine days.
Again, this story sounds very impressive. Face-paced and emotional, I’m sure this book will take off. I already like the sound of Marti.
Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?
I write on my couch most of the time with my laptop. I have background music on since it gets me in the zone. When the weather is nice I sit outside in my gazebo and gaze at my pool while I write. I love listening to the birds while I peck away at the keyboard. I find it restful yet inspirational.
I prefer a lap top for my novels and freehand for my children’s books. For my latest novel, ‘Stolen Spirits’ I sketched out chapter outlines freehand on recipe cards partway through the book. I have so many characters I got confused where some of them were during the murder. LOL.
I’m currently working on a story that combines all the elements I love…fantasy, time travel, adventure, a princess and giant animals. We’ll see where the characters take me.
I like the idea of using recipe cards to outline characters; I may have to try that myself. I love getting tips and ideas from other authors, thus my selfish reason for interviewing ;). I really like what I’m hearing about the next book you’re putting together. You’ll have to come back and tell me all about it.
What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?
I love Maeve Binchy. She was the ultimate storyteller. I wish I had one ounce of her talent. As I become immersed in one of her stories I find myself wanting to know the characters, get into their headspace and see who they are and what makes them tick. Her descriptions and settings make me want to travel to the locale she’s highlighted.
It is bad of me that the only reason I ever hear of this wonderful author is that her book, Circle of Friends, was turned into a movie. I hope not. I like to think that sometimes, film versions of books make people interested in the writing. I know some people just don’t read, but if the movie made me interested, why not someone else?
Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?
Temperance “Bones” Brennan from the TV series Bones. So I guess it would be the real life actress Emily Deschanel I would interview. I adore Temperance’s character and love the Kathy Reich’s novels. OK, now I’ve confused myself. Perhaps it’s Kathy Reich’s I’d interview since Temperance is the heroine of Reich’s crime novel series. I admire them both as they’re strong, smart, independent women. I guess I’d love to interview both of them. That would be totally awesome!
I’m with you on that. I stopped watching, but before I did, I really got into Bones. One day when I decide to take up the tube again, it’ll be waiting for me in my Netflix queue. Both the author and the actress are sure to have some amazing stories to tell. What a great answer!
Who is so you and why?
I’ve been compared to Angelina Jolie, not that I’m as beautiful as her though. I think it’s because we both have pouty lips, love children and support numerous causes. I admire how Angelina uses her wealth to support humanitarian efforts.
That’s pretty cool, to be compared to a pouty lipped humanitarian. You go girl!…Seriously, I like when celebrities try to give back, but sometime they go too far. Maybe being famous is really hard :/ .
What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?
I’m saving my next highly anticipated read for the beach. We’re off on a winter vacation soon since I’m a ‘fun in the sun’ kind of gal. My version of the perfect spot to read is on the beach or beside my pool. I love the sun! In the winter months as snow wraps around my house I curl up on the couch with the fire roaring and immerse myself in a paperback or ebook. During the cold months, which we have many of, I imagine myself reading outdoors, soaking up the sun’s rays again!
I like that, it sounds very cozy. I have trouble reading at the beach. It has to be a very exciting book to keep me alert, otherwise the sun and sea make me sleepy.
What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?
from Goodreads, 1972
I loved all the classics when I was young. Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren, was one of my favorite books. I always longed to be free of rules like Pippi. I loved her adventures and hijinks. I took my boys to see a play about Pippi Longstocking years back at a nearby city. We couldn’t stop laughing. When I confessed I always wanted to be Pippi they weren’t surprised. Go figure?
I too was a fan of Pippi. I thought I had read all the books, but a few eluded me. Then they made TV movies about her and I watch them all…
There is more fun and insights to this interview, visit the Eternal Curse Series Blog for the full experience. For more information about this author, Penny Ross, please visit the links below.
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I’m doing the final edit on my third and latest novel ‘Stolen Spirits.’ It will be published in January 2014. It’s a young adult murder mystery about stolen spirits taken from their loved ones. I’ve dedicated the novel to missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls of Canada and their families since one of the underlying themes in the novel is missing and murdered Aboriginal girls.