"Well, well, well." I felt the entirety of my body stiffen. "Pray tell," the masculine voice murmured as his chin rested down onto my shoulder, "what has made them send such a fine lady such as yourself?"
A Beauty and the Beast Retelling in which Be...
'Tis what felt right. I must admit, however, that in the first draft, both characters live to wed, bicker, kiss, and raise children—and I am not particularly fond of that version of events. It did not feel 'true' to the characters and I could not bring myself to like (and thus refine) that ending. Given Ismae and Raoul's personalities, the course of the story, the nature of the curse, and how Raoul has only been evading an unfavorable fate for so long, it is not logical that Raoul would live unless a mighty force intervenes. Furthermore, I don't really think of him as 'dead' but rather 'freed' of his curse.
Can you post an alternate ending with them together? / Is there a sequel with a happy ending for Ismae?
I have entertained that thought of doing so [or even posting the old draft] but decided otherwise if only because I prefer that task fall to imagination and imagination alone. If I were to go the length of writing an alternate, happy ending, I feel that it will not come across as believable. There will be so many weak points and holes that I will not be able to address. I apologize, as I know that many of you wished to see Ismae and Raoul together but I cannot write a sound alt. ending without rewriting other chapters.
Bittersweet is as best as I can do—where Raoul is freed from his curse and finally allowed to rest and Ismae is able to live in the castle, raise their son, and very likely turn the castle into a safe place for orphaned children.
What happened to the smut scenes? I really wanted to read a smut scene by you.
Well, err—Ahem. I am hardly a prude but...Next question!
[I intended this manuscript to remain PG-13 which calls for a closed-door, implied scene. Future works will be less discreet.]
What is your favorite book?
I cannot limit my answer to a single book! Right now, the series pulling my heartstrings most fiercely would be "Storm and Silence" by Rob Thier—on Wattpad ;)—and "Scarlet" by A.C. Gaughen. But having said that, there are so, so, so many books that I adore! ("An Enchantment of Ravens" "Six of Crows" are two all-time favorites.)
Will you write more fairytale retellings? If so, which tale next?
At the moment, no, I am not planning to write another retelling. But who knows, maybe I'll flirt with the thought.
Is your name actually Jenna Bloom?
First name yes (spelled differently), last name no.
How old are you?
Tsk tsk. 'Tis a secret as old as time.
Esteemed reader, do you wish to guess how many years I have lived?
What do you do besides writing and reading?
Besides reading and writing, I am tasked with the duties of being a student. :(
I love making digital art, shooting rifles, doing martial arts, and hiking the many beautiful trails where I live. Otherwise, you can find me at work, taming cute little germ packets referred to as children.
Yes, I am constantly nursing a cold of sorts. (But it is worth every sneeze and rasp!)
Why do you never respond to comments?
Ah, this is something I constantly fail to accomplish! While I do eventually (once I've ridden the waves of time and sore throats) get around to responding to comments that require it, it tends to be rather late—for which I apologize.
Who made your cover?
I made it via Photoshop CS6.
Fun fact: I made the cover before I came up with the plot or even considered writing a BATB retelling.
What are you writing next?
As of right now, nothing. I am only outlining/planning/researching concepts of potential projects that I have no inclination to choose between. All I can guarantee is that it will likely fall under the Romance/Fantasy/Action/Historical Fiction genres simply because it is what I tend to enjoy both reading and writing. If you're interested in my future projects, you can follow me to receive notifications should I make an announcement/post.
And that's about it! Thank you <3
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