Bandits And Ball Gowns

Author’s Note Dear Readers, I wanted to give you a heads-up about a few changes to the style of this series. As an avid reader myself, I know that sticking with a certain series is a kind of sacred trust. If authors make huge changes mid-stream, it can throw off your enjoyment. Here’s a quick list of what I’ve altered and why. This way, you can make an informed decision if this book is for you. Four Points of View BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS includes chapters written from the point of view of both Alec and Elle, just like what happened in the last book, SLIPPERS AND THIEVES. However, this novel also includes chapters in the voices of two new characters, namely Jacoby and Agatha. It’s a lot of folks to juggle and I’ve tried to group stuff together in order to keep things moving. Hopefully, it works! Three Books This novel is book two in the Cinderella part of my Magicorum series. To give all the storylines enough time, I’ve decided to break it up into three books. First was SLIPPERS AND THIEVES, second is BANDITS AND BALLGOWNS, and the third (and probably final) Cinderella story will be FIRE AND CINDER, which will be released in the spring of 2021. Here’s what happened. As I got into the story of Elle and Agatha, I really felt like their inner journeys needed more focus and closure. As a result, this book is more about internal battles versus big magical fights. One Cliff Normally, I end my books on a happily ever after. This one ends on a cliff and there is some hanging. Sorry, it’s what this story wanted to be. More Than Ten Images On a final note, I love trying new things and wanted to see if there’s a middle place between graphic novels and text-only books, especially for a story like BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS. Growing up, my favorite book was a moth-eaten version of the original GRIMMS’ FAIRY TALES. I loved the dark storytelling in this compilation, but I positively adored the imagery. With BANDITS AND BALL GOWNS, I wanted to expand on the Grimms’ original visual approach by adding in lots of fantasy art. I already describe things a ton, but since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought this might make my world building more immersive for readers like you. As a result, there are more than ten images in this novel. Virtually all of the pictures were created by artists who specialize in 3D computer rendering. If you like this approach, please let me know! It’s a lot of extra work, but I do feel it enhances the experience. Conclusion Well, that’s it from me in terms of a heads-up about the new text-n-graphics extravaganza on the pages ahead. Fingers crossed that you’ll enjoy it! - Christina Bauer, author Bandits and Ball Gowns