Cortney Manning's Blog
April 3, 2022
Tales from the Tower
Sometimes Rapunzel is the prisoner, and sometimes she is the one holding the key.
Look at this beautiful cover!!
TALES FROM
THE TOWER, an anthology of Rapunzel retellings from Ye Olde Dragon Books is
releasing on May 1, 2022, and it will include my story, Deserted!
This lovely cover was designed by
My story is a fantasy retelling of Rapunzel.
When a maiden wakes alone in the desert, she must
decide how far she is willing to go to uncover her past,
a past that may be filled more with darkness than with
light.
#talesfromthetower #yeoldedragonbooks
#rapunzel #fairytaleretelling #amwriting
November 23, 2021
Book Cover Reveal
My newest fantasy/sci-fi short story, "Sinking", will be featured in the amazing ocean-themed anthology, The Depths We'll Go To, alongside the poems and short fiction of numerous talented authors. The anthology was compiled by Alex Silvius, and today is it's cover reveal!
The book will release in early December on Amazon, and you can already find it on Goodreads!
Here is the cover and a synopsis of the book:
A girl willing to do anything to reunite with her dead lover, mermaids that attack a town with waterspouts, a sailor who might miss his chance at love, a skeletal whale that hunts ships, and a mysterious captain who rules the dead at the bottom of the ocean.
This oceanic collection spans genres, ranging from poems of love to stories that exhibit a visceral fear of what lurks in the depths.
September 27, 2021
Next Six Frosted Roses Release - The Bear
The Bear
Book Description:
Wunstaponia #2 Once upon a time, way out west... Two sisters live in a forest with their mother, just outside the town of Wunstaponia. That's just how they like it, but one day, an injured stranger stumbles into their chicken pen. He doesn't want to give his name, but they quickly find themselves tangled into his troubles, unraveling a mystery of betrayal and stolen treasure.
Purchace Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0997343B1/
Add Book on Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58551385-the-bear
Find the rest of the Series: ,https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087JNLXKR
Author Bio:
Rachel Roden is a natural storyteller, capable of weaving the most hilarious of fairy tales. She fell in love with the Lone Ranger in her teens, but ended up with a basketball referee instead. A homeschool mom of four, she also teaches with VIP Kids and tutors any other kid who wanders across her path. She might also be the sole human who still uses math after college.
Find her online at: ,Blog || ,Goodreads || ,YouTube || ,Instagram || ,Twitter
September 26, 2021
Secrets of the Mountain - A New Frosted Roses Release + Character Spotlight
Secrets of the Mountain is a new "Snow White and Rose Red" retelling, and here is a spotlight from author Wyn Estelle Owens on one of the main characters, Svanhilda:
Svanhilda was born in the spring when the rowans on the mountain bore white blossoms. Because of this, her parents gave her the name Svanhilda, meaning ‘swan battle’, as a reference to the white blooms of the rowan trees.
Svanhilda’s father, Kiúli, is a seafaring merchant, and her mother, Ingiborg, is the daughter of a dwarven smith of great renown and his human wife. Svanhilda takes more after her mother’s line; the power of the dwarf-folk runs strong in her veins, though she doesn’t look it. But she has a connection to the stones and earth of the mountain, and she has a craftswoman’s eye and instinct when it comes to the threads of power dwarves interweave into their works.
She’s a gentle girl, blessed with maturity and restraint, but is also a clever wit. She loves to work with her hands, whether that be at spinning and weaving, or assisting her mother with jewelry-making. Most dear to her heart, however, are her family—her mother and father, her little sister, Rósfrída, and their mysterious bear friend, Björn.
Book Description:
If there’s one thing Svanhilda has always known, it’s the importance of family. When her little sister Rósfrída was born, Svanhilda promised her mother that she and her sister would stick together. But as the years passed, tragedy after tragedy befell her family, ripping it apart piece by piece, until only Svanhilda remains at home with her ailing mother. And Rósfrída? She has stayed with Svanhilda, as they promised long ago—every time Svanhilda looks at her reflection, she sees her little sister instead, trapped in a prison of mirrors and treasure. Their only hope is that either their seafaring Father or Rósfrída’s strange bear friend might find a way to free her. Tryggvi lost his mother and father a long, long time ago—so long ago that he barely remembers them. When a boy prince named Asbjǫrn finds him wandering in the woods, he takes Tryggvi home and calls him brother, and his parents welcome Tryggvi as their son. Some years later, Asbjǫrn leaves to study for a year… but he never returns, and is thought dead and gone. But Tryggvi is convinced his brother still lives--and not without evidence. So, now that he is finally old enough, Tryggvi sets out to find Asbjǫrn, armed with his cat and an amber pendant which enables him to see the truth of things. And he will find out the truth and bring his big brother home. After all, he promised his baby sister he would, and that’s not a promise he’s willing to break. On the mountain there is a cave, and in the cave there is a mirror, and in that mirror live two friends: a girl and a bear, trapped in secrets, imprisoned by treasures of great worth. But help is coming, and the secret deeds done in darkness will be revealed, and the prisoners will be set free.
Purchase Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0996BQS11/
Add Book on Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58543220-secrets-of-the-mountain
Author Bio:
Wyn Estelle Owens is the penname of a young woman who’s still figuring out what this whole ‘adult’ thing is all about. She lives in a big, old house in Maryland by a Hundred Acre Wood (dubbed Neldoreth) with her parents, three occasionally obnoxious brothers, her dog Jackie, and her personal plot bunny, Joker. She is fond of reading, writing, drawing, speaking in dead or imaginary languages, playing videogames, quoting classic or obscure literature, being randomly dramatic, and generally making things out of yarn. Her dream is to write stories that inspire people to chase after the wonderful world of storytelling. Her favorite all-time authors are Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Christa Kinde, and above all, J.R.R. Tolkien, who first inspired her to pursuing novel writing when she read the Hobbit at the age of seven.
Find her online at: ,Goodreads || ,Facebook || ,Amazon
Secrets of the Mountain - A New Frosted Roses Release
Secrets of the Mountain
Book Description:
If there’s one thing Svanhilda has always known, it’s the importance of family. When her little sister Rósfrída was born, Svanhilda promised her mother that she and her sister would stick together. But as the years passed, tragedy after tragedy befell her family, ripping it apart piece by piece, until only Svanhilda remains at home with her ailing mother. And Rósfrída? She has stayed with Svanhilda, as they promised long ago—every time Svanhilda looks at her reflection, she sees her little sister instead, trapped in a prison of mirrors and treasure. Their only hope is that either their seafaring Father or Rósfrída’s strange bear friend might find a way to free her. Tryggvi lost his mother and father a long, long time ago—so long ago that he barely remembers them. When a boy prince named Asbjǫrn finds him wandering in the woods, he takes Tryggvi home and calls him brother, and his parents welcome Tryggvi as their son. Some years later, Asbjǫrn leaves to study for a year… but he never returns, and is thought dead and gone. But Tryggvi is convinced his brother still lives--and not without evidence. So, now that he is finally old enough, Tryggvi sets out to find Asbjǫrn, armed with his cat and an amber pendant which enables him to see the truth of things. And he will find out the truth and bring his big brother home. After all, he promised his baby sister he would, and that’s not a promise he’s willing to break. On the mountain there is a cave, and in the cave there is a mirror, and in that mirror live two friends: a girl and a bear, trapped in secrets, imprisoned by treasures of great worth. But help is coming, and the secret deeds done in darkness will be revealed, and the prisoners will be set free.
Purchase Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0996BQS11/
Add Book on Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58543220-secrets-of-the-mountain
Author Bio:
Wyn Estelle Owens is the penname of a young woman who’s still figuring out what this whole ‘adult’ thing is all about. She lives in a big, old house in Maryland by a Hundred Acre Wood (dubbed Neldoreth) with her parents, three occasionally obnoxious brothers, her dog Jackie, and her personal plot bunny, Joker. She is fond of reading, writing, drawing, speaking in dead or imaginary languages, playing videogames, quoting classic or obscure literature, being randomly dramatic, and generally making things out of yarn. Her dream is to write stories that inspire people to chase after the wonderful world of storytelling. Her favorite all-time authors are Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Christa Kinde, and above all, J.R.R. Tolkien, who first inspired her to pursuing novel writing when she read the Hobbit at the age of seven.
Find her online at: ,Goodreads || ,Facebook || ,Amazon
September 24, 2021
Next Frosted Roses Release
Rose Petals & Snowflakes
Book Description:
The Austen Fairy Tale #1 After their father's death, and thanks to their older half-brother's wanderlust, two sisters find themselves caught in the politics of mysterious forest. Elinrose finds herself in direct conflict with the wood's Mistress, while Snowmari hides a deadly secret that could mean her death if found out. Can their bonds of sisterhood withstand these trying times? Or will they even make it out alive?
Amazon Purchase Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RW824GQ/
Link to Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55816493-rose-petals-and-snowflakes
Author Bio:
Kendra E. Ardnek is the self-proclaimed Arista of Fairy Tales. She lives in the Piney Woods of East Texas with her dragon babies and massive herd of mini-giraffes, and she is still waiting for one of of her fifty nutcrackers to come to life and marry her. When not writing, you can usually find her sitting in a random box, and she's frequently known to act before she thinks. Find her online at: ,Website || ,Blog || ,Goodreads || ,Facebook || ,Twitter || ,YouTube || ,Newsletter || ,Instagram || ,TikTok || ,Amazon
September 23, 2021
Gilded in Ice Character Spotlight: The Cat
Today is the release of the next Six Frosted Roses fairy tale retelling, Gilded in Ice by Sarah Pennington. Now I have the honor of sharing a character spotlight:
The Cat
Whatever the creature was, it acted like nothing more than a perfectly ordinary cat all that evening. It finally ventured back down halfway through dinner and deigned to lap at the small bowl of broth and meat that Mrs. Dennel put out for it. It ate as neatly and politely as a gentleman at a fancy party and licked its paws carefully afterwards. And when dinner was over and the family retreated to the warmth of the living room, with its radiator and relative lack of cracks in the walls, the cat watched for some time from the door, keeping its distance from everyone—until it padded over to Kona and pushed itself into her lap, shoving aside the sock she’d intended to darn. It meowed plaintively at her and didn’t stop until she set the sock aside and started combing out the tangles from its fur with her fingers.
The cat might have lost his name some time ago, but a cat without a name is still a cat. Rescued from a magically-induced blizzard by Kona Dennel, he became attached to the Dennel family, venturing out during the day and returning at night to sleep by their radiator. A long-furred black-and-copper Stjernesøkeren woodcat, he was clearly well-loved by a family of means at one point — but these days, he ranges across the streets of Innsjøby, making the city his home.
“Isn’t this sort of place a little upscale for a street cat?”
“I wasn’t always a stray. I have a pedigree, remember?” The cat gave an indignant flick of his tail and jumped down the last few steps. “Though this is ritzier than anywhere I’ve ever lived, I’ll give you that.”
In Innsjøby, though, even cats can have secrets. Only a select few members of the Dennel family — Kona, her twin sister Roselle, and their mother — are aware that the cat is under an enchantment of which he cannot speak, even if he can talk. Though he occasionally references a more fortunate past, he keeps his background almost as close a secret as the nature of his enchantment. But if he’s going to find a way to free himself, he’s going to need help — and many of the secrets he’s been keeping will be revealed.
Character art of the cat is by the lovely and talented Hannah Williams. Find more of her art on her ,website , ,Facebook , and ,Instagram !
More info on where to find Gilded in Ice and more of Sarah Pennington's writing:
Gilded in Ice
Purchase Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/Gilded-Ice-Bastian-Dennel-Book-ebook/dp/B098LQ9C15
Add Book on Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58463912-gilded-in-ice
Purchase Book 1: ,https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Show-Sarah-Pennington-ebook/dp/B08B1RV653/
Author Bio:
Sarah Pennington has been writing stories since before she actually knew how to write, and she has no intention of stopping anytime soon. She is perpetually in the middle of writing at least one or two novels, most of which are in the fantasy and fairy tale retelling genres. Sarah's first published work, Blood in the Snow, received a perfect score and Special Unicorn status in Rooglewood Press's Five Poisoned Apples contest. When she isn't writing, she enjoys knitting, photography, and trying to conquer her massive to-be-read list.
Find her online at: ,Author Site || ,Wordpress Blog || ,Blogspot Blog || ,Goodreads || ,Facebook || ,Amazon
Book Description: Bastian has two new missing person cases. One is cold. The other is his own sister.
Since his success solving the Midnight Show disappearances, Bastian Dennel is sitting pretty. And with the new high-profile cold case that just got dropped in his lap, he’s pretty sure things will stay that way for a while. But when he finds out his sister has gone missing without a trace, he’s determined to find her and bring whoever’s responsible to justice — even if his only lead is a stray cat with a knack for vanishing unexpectedly.
Kona Dennel’s plans have already been upended, so when the talking cat she’d befriended asked her for help breaking an enchantment, she didn’t see any reason not to say yes. She didn’t expect to be trapped in a frozen mansion or to be drawn into conflict with a mysterious lady of the fair folk. Even the cat is hiding more secrets than she realized. It’ll take a skilled detective to untangle this web . . . but since Bastian isn’t here, Kona will just have to do it herself.
Secrets abound, and the one creature who knows the truth isn’t talking. Can Bastian and Kona outwit a fae who’s been at this for centuries? Or will thawing out the long-frozen truth drop them in over their heads?
A magical mystery reimagining Snow White and Rose Red and East of the Sun, West of the Moon in the jazz-age world of The Midnight Show.
September 21, 2021
New e-Book Release
It's here! Today is the release of my new e-book, As Long as We Live! (And don't worry. If you prefer a physical copy, I hope to release that sometime next month, too!)
As Long as We Live
Book Description:
Three human sisters live in a Fae realm where every prince is blessed or cursed by a gift of magic, and royal rivalry threatens the future of the land. Ivy Durran, the oldest sister, is a resilient young woman who clings to her sunny resolve even in the darkest situation. When a terrible blizzard strikes the land, she feels responsible for protecting her sisters: adventurous Rose and vivacious Poppy. However, the storm drives an unexpected visitor to their doorstep, one who could bring hope or danger with his arrival. Meanwhile, Pierre, the newly crowned ruler of Concoria, strives to bring order to his frozen land and tranquility to his troubled brothers. Nevertheless, the deep magic of Concoria is not easy to tame. While Pierre would love nothing more than to escape into a simple life close to Ivy, the human lass he met years before, he instead shoulders his burdens and seeks healing for his kingdom and family. Dark magic, frigid storms, and deadly predators must be overcome if Ivy and Pierre have any hope of saving their families and their homeland.
Purchase Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B098LX4ZHV/
Add Book on Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58480113-as-long-as-we-live
Author Bio:
Cortney Manning resides in Florida but has always loved traveling the world. She holds a master’s degree in Victorian Literature from the University of Glasgow and has a not-so-secret love of fantasy as well. Her writing can be found on her ,website, on ,https://gohavok.com/, and in the Rooglewood Press anthology, Five Poisoned Apples. In her free time, Cortney enjoys walking, drawing, and afternoon tea. Find her online at: ,Website || ,Blog || ,Goodreads || ,Facebook || ,Twitter || ,Instagram || ,Amazon
Rose Songsmith Character Spotlight
Today is the release of Runaway Lyrics, the first of the Frosted Roses books, and I have the honor of sharing a character spotlight for the story.
Just look at this gorgeous cover! This is C.O. Bonham's debut novel, and I am very excited to read it!
Here is a character spotlight she created for her character, Rose Songsmith, from Runaway Lyrics:
Rose Songsmith is the daughter of Savannah Songsmith and the twin sister of Snow. There is nothing she loves more than using her musical abilities to perform magic.
She is a Lyric. This means that she can listen to the songs of nature and change them as needed to affect the world around her. She is talented in multiple instruments, including: the guitar, flute, dulcimer and her favorite the Violin.
Personality wise, Rose is a stifled extrovert. She loves meeting people and thrives in crowds, but her isolated upbringing has also taught her the value of quiet moments of reflection. Which is fancy speak for “she can keep herself company if she needs to.”
She thinks her greatest wish is to study magic with the magician’s guild and learn how to best use her powers to do the most good.
Rose’s real greatest wish is to share the magic with her twin sister, Snow.
Every time she tries to share the magic with Snow, she forgets about it as soon as Rose leaves her presence. Rose is growing tired of repeatedly having to explain.
By the start of the book, she has grown used to letting Snow forget. She even plans to run away and learn magic on her own.
But then, a miracle happens. Snow uses magic of her own. Rose waits with trembling hopes.
Will her sister finally keep the memory of magic?
Interested in learning more about C.O. Bonham and her writing? Visit the links below!
Runaway Lyrics Purchase Link: ,https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0995BVZ4D
Add Book on Goodreads: ,https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58518256-runaway-lyrics
Author Bio:
C.O. Bonham is the pen name for a commonly misspelled first name. She loves stories of all kinds, but really likes the ones that are weird, and outside the norm. A certified book geek, when she isn’t writing stories of her own, she is busy reading stories by others. A homeschool graduate with a degree in creative writing, her goal is to create stories that make people think, feel, and have fun.
Visit ,www.cobonham.com to read author interviews, book reviews, and to hear about what she’s working on next.
,Sign up for her newsletter to make sure you never miss an update!
And here's a description of Runaway Lyrics:
What one sister has, she must share with the other . . .
Snow loves music. She has spent her entire life learning, new instruments and memorizing new pieces, only to while away her life in a country manor with only her mother and twin sister as company. If only she could get out on her own and play in front of a real audience.
Rose loves magic. The things she can do with music would amaze her twin sister, but whenever she shows her, Snow quickly forgets as if the event had never happened. If only Rose could get out on her own and work some real magic.
When an airship crashes near their home Snow’s magical abilities awaken. Together the sisters must learn to use their magic, rescue a pair of cursed princes, and discover their own secrets.
Discover the magic of music in this retelling of Snow White and Rose Red.
September 20, 2021
Frosted Roses
Are you ready for some fantastic fairy tale retellings? Over the next week and a half these retellings of "Snow White and Rose Red" will be releasing including the e-book of my own romantic epic fantasy, As Long as We Live!
