I’m happy to announce that my new book series for kids has a publication date! The series is called MY ROTTEN STEPBROTHER RUINED… and will be available from Capstone Publishing on August 1, 2017. The books are about a girl named Maddie who loves fairy tales and her obnoxious stepbrother, who loves pointing out the plot holes in her favorite stories. His gripes are actually pretty spot-on… so much so that he breaks the stories, and the two feuding step-siblings have to go into the stories to try to fix them and give the characters back their happily ever after. It’s a fun series for kids around age 6-10 with lots of humor and surprises.
I’ll post when they’re available for pre-order, and I plan to do some events and live readings around the release. There may even be some chart twerking involved. In the meantime, you’ll notice some changes to this site as I focus on promoting my new career as a children’s author!
Here’s a little more info on each book in the series, along with the official cover reveals! The artwork is by an amazing designer named Aleksei Bitskoff.
Book 1: MY ROTTEN STEPBROTHER RUINED CINDERELLA
Holden points out the ridiculousness of a man needing a shoe to track down the woman he supposedly fell in love with. Wouldn’t he remember her face? And don’t a lot of women have the same size foot? What a bad plan!
Soon, he and Maddie are thrust into the story, only to find that the Prince is now engaged to a Wicked Stepsister, and the Fairy Godmother is a little miffed that Cinderella disobeyed the one rule she gave her and stayed out past midnight. Will Maddie and Holden be able to set things right, or will Cinderella remain a miserable housemaid forever?
Book 2: MY ROTTEN STEPBROTHER RUINED BEAUTY & THE BEAST
Holden doesn’t get it: if the Beast gets cursed for being shallow, why is he allowed to break the spell by marrying a total babe? If that’s the case, has he really learned anything? And how do they know Belle’s feelings are real? Maybe she has Stockholm Syndrome, where prisoners fall in love with their captors.
The next thing they know, Holden has become a lawyer in a fairy tale version of France, forced to defend the Beast on kidnapping charges. Maddie is a confused Belle, convinced by her dad to play the field and see if there are better options out there than a short-tempered monster who held her in his castle against her will. Together, they explore where beauty really comes from and figure out if Beauty & Beast were really destined to be together.
Holden thinks Aladdin has it all wrong. He can wish for anything, and all he wants is for a princess to fall in love with him? Lame! If he had three wishes, the first thing he’d wish for is a million more wishes. Then, a hoverboard. Oh, and having no parents would be great, too.
Well, all his wishes come true when he becomes Aladdin, and for the first time, he has no interest in fixing the fairy tale. Life with a genie waiting on you hand and foot is SWEET! How will Maddie convince him to give all this up so Aladdin can marry the princess and they can go home? It won’t be easy, since she finds herself thrust into the story as a camel, and her rotten stepbrother refuses to use one of his wishes to change her back to a human.
Book 4: MY ROTTEN STEPBROTHER RUINED SNOW WHITE
Holden has been messing up fairy tales so often that now Maddie can’t help doing it herself. She’s playing Snow White in the school play, and she can’t help wondering why the princess doesn’t just gorge on some greasy food and give herself acne to get her jealous stepmother off her case. Holden has his own thoughts, like how Snow White should be training the dwarfs in karate so they can kick the Queen’s wicked butt.
Soon, Holden is the Huntsman, Maddie is Snow White, and a major showdown is looming. Plus, the step-siblings are given the chance to break the spell that sends them into all these fairy tales once and for all. Plus, Holden gets to make a decision that could get his annoying stepsister out of his life for good. What will he choose?
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Can’t wait for you to read these books. I’ve had so much fun writing them, and they’re already garnering rave reviews from my own kids. More details soon!
I no longer have little kids but I’d LOVE to read them!!
Thanks! And I promise there are a few grown-up jokes in there that go over the kids’ heads. 🙂
I don’t have kids or grandkids but I do have nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews, which will be my legitimate excuse to buy and read them. They look wonderfully delightful, Jerry.
Thanks! You definitely sound like the cool aunt and great-aunt! 🙂
Love this idea! Please remind us when it’s available 💗
Don’t worry. I will be annoyingly persistent with my reminders when the books are available. 🙂
It is exciting to see how someone whose blog I enjoyed reading so much is on the verge of becoming the next J.K. Rowling! Best of luck with these books, I will make sure to get a copy for my little monsters once they are out. Will there be a kindl version available?
Yay! I know I haven’t blogged in a while. It’s so nice to see my regular commenters again. Welcome back! 🙂
I’m hoping for about 1/1,000th of J.K. Rowling’s success. (Which would still be huge.) I’m sure there will be a Kindle version, but I don’t know the details yet. I’ll pass them along when I have them. Hi!
Thanks, Jerry, I have been absent a while myself, one could say for career reasons as well. I am excited for you and I’m sure the books will be a great success. They look fantastic and the story sounds creative and fun (not to mention extendable). All the best!
congrats Jerry..Your are amazing
Thanks!
There are no young readers at home anymore, but we are going to enjoy them… for sure.
The best for this new step in your development as a writer.
Thanks, Maru! Hope you like them!
This sounds great. I’m loving the stories already. Let us know when there’s out, and congratulations!
You’ve done well!
Thanks! I’ll definitely be posting updates. 🙂
The premises for these stories are incredible! So excited to get my hands on them ❤
Thanks. I’m having so much fun writing them. Can’t wait to share them with everyone. 🙂
I would like to thnkx for the efforts you have put in writing this website. I’m hoping the same high-grade web site post from you in the upcoming as well. Actually your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own blog now. Actually the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a good example of it.
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