Happily ever after never looked like this! Tales as old as time come alive in contemporary settings with modern twists in John’s decidedly darker takes on stories we know and love. Set in 21^st Century elementary, middle, and high schools, John’s Modern Fairy Tales collection reimagines the heroines of “Sleeping Beauty”, “Beauty & the Beast”, and “Red Riding Hood” as everyday, American teenagers. With a pinch of magic and a dash of horror these updated classics return fairy tales to their roots as cautionary tales. Try one for free by clicking on the ad above, and check out the rest below.

“Sleeping Beauty: A Modern Fairy Tale”

All Beth’s friends were sad when she fell into a coma two years ago at the age of fourteen. But life moved on, and so did they. Except Carl. He still comes to see her, talking to her and hoping she will wake.

Beth’s mother knows the truth about why she is in that coma. She knows Beth’s father hired a witch to cast a spell on her Pretty Princess until she is old enough to marry, until his hand-picked protégé wakes her with True Love’s First Kiss.

But if whomever her father chooses can break the curse, then so can Carl. He’s loved Beth since sixth grade. Her mother knows. She has a plan. And maybe she’s not as crazy as everyone thinks.

A gripping short story in the tradition of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”!

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Little Red Riding Hoodie: A Modern Fairy Tale

Sixth grade is hard enough. When the school bully is on your case because you got the lead in the play instead of her, when the cutest boy in the whole class might actually like you but never makes a move, and when your dad is an alcoholic and you have to cook, clean, and take care of your little brother, the last thing you need is more trouble.

But Sally Prescott has more trouble than she ever imagined when she starts having strange dreams of demonic dogs, magical keys, and a wolf-headed spirit bent on her destruction. Her best friend knows a secret that may help, but she refuses to tell, claiming Sally made her promise not to.

As Sally’s dreams start bleeding into reality, she realizes she is the only one who can save her family. With a little bit of magic and a lot of determination, she’ll get one chance to change her destiny and theirs. If she succeeds, she’ll solve her problems at home and at school. If she fails, she’ll lose everyone she ever loved.

Turns out sixth grade is tougher than she thought.

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Beauty & the Beast: A Modern Fairy Tale

Rory Bellin dreams of a better life. As a senior at Lawrence High, she yearns to be taken seriously for her accomplishments – editor-in-chief of the school paper, president of three clubs, and on track to graduate with a 4.0 GPA and admission to Yale. But all anyone, even her mother, cares about is LHS regaining its former football glory and winning a state championship.

Caleb Johnson dreams of a better life. He aches to be able to lead Lawrence High to its first football championship in eighteen years and to date the most beautiful girl in school – Rory Bellin. But as the third-string running back, he never plays, he has a face no one could love, and whenever he tries to talk to Rory, his usually glib tongue turns to clay.

But maybe Mr. Nickleby, the new English teacher and newspaper advisor, can help. He has the key to both of their desires. He’s willing to make their dreams come true.

Of course, getting what you wish for has a price. But that doesn’t matter, right? If you want something badly enough, you’ll do anything to get it, no matter what it costs. Even if it’s your soul.

Be careful what you wish for . . . you might just get it!

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The Secret Thief: A Modern Fairy Tale

Billy Johnson has a problem. He can’t keep a secret. He’s lost all his friends. No one trusts him. Everyone hates him, even his sister. But it’s not his fault. He’s haunted by a monster, who feeds on the private information Billy can’t keep hidden. He’s powerless against her and can’t stop feeding her.

Billy knows something about heroism, though. If Perseus and Hercules could fight mythic beasts and defeat them, surely he can. And maybe he can persuade his friends to help if he can get them to believe him.

Can four ten-year-olds really hope to defeat an ancient monster, though? Can they defeat her magic, or will The Secret Thief consume them all?

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Magic & Monsters: A Collection of Short Fantasy Fiction

A man’s wife returns from the dead to take revenge on him for betraying her. A princess makes a disturbing decision when she turns her suitor into a frog and then can’t undo it. A witch fights oppression from a bigoted king. Her grandmother’s heirloom may prove the perfect solution to a distraught wife with a cheating husband. A kung fu warrior faces the vile princess who stole her love. Five short tales of betrayal, revenge, and sorcery fill this collection. Each features magic, but the monster isn’t always who you think. . . .

Fantasy and horror merge in this cross-genre collection in which John explores the monsters walking among us and the magic we use to confront them.

Includes the Origins Award-nominated story, “Xing Qing Pao’s Lament”!

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