Janette Rallison's Blog, page 2

Godmothered vs My Fair Godmother

I admit I put off watching the movie Godmothered, because I knew after I watched it I was going to feel sick. And who wants to ruin a perfectly good night? But my husband finally insisted we watch it.

Anyway, I thought I would list the similarities I noticed between Disney’s movie and my series. It’s been years since I read the last two books, so I may be missing some things. (And I know Disney read My Fair Godmother because it was pitched to them more than once.)

The premise of my series involves Chrysanthemum (Chrissy) Everstar, a young blonde, slightly ditzy, slightly incompetent fairy godmother wannabe who’s been going to school to learn to be a fairy godmother and whose biggest goal is to become a real fairy godmother.

Ditto for Godmothered.  (But Chrissy has more sass than Eleanor.)

Chrissy goes to modern-day “damsels in distress“ who don’t believe in fairy godmothers and question their sanity when they meet her.

Ditto for Godmothered.

The role of magic is discussed: Do people still believe and need it?

Ditto.

My Fair Godmother has a dark-haired, handsome man named Prince Hugh.

Godmothered has a dark-haired, handsome man named Hugh Prince.

My Fairly Dangerous Godmother has a teen girl character who has an amazing voice but is so nervous when she sings in front of people that she projectile vomits. She gains confidence during the novel and sings her big number perfectly at the end of the novel.

Godmothered has a teen girl character who has an amazing voice but is so nervous when she sings in front of people that she projectile vomits. She gains confidence during the movie and sings her big number perfectly at the end of the movie.

In My Fair Godmother, the main character’s sister’s name is Jane

In Godmothered, the main character’s daughter’s name is Jane.

In my Unfair Godmother, since Chrissy hasn’t become a real fairy godmother yet, she’s been forced to take a part-time job as a tooth fairy, something that is beneath her.

In Godmothered, when the fairies discuss not being able to become fairy godmothers, they worry that they’ll end up having to become tooth fairies instead.

In My Fair Godmother, Chrissy whips up a ball gown for the character when the character doesn’t want it. It’s sort of a running joke in the series.

In Godmothered, Eleanor whips up a ball gown for a character when she doesn’t want it.

In My Fair Godmother, most of Chrissy’s magical help just makes matters worse.

In Godmothered, most of Eleanor’s magical help just makes matters worse.

In my series, it’s clear that Chrissy is helping out her charges because of self-interest–to help her become a real fairy godmother, and her charges call her out for it.

In Godmothered, it’s clear that Eleanor is helping out her charges because of self-interest–to help her become a real fairy godmother, and her charge calls her out for it.

In My Fair Godmother, Chrissy can’t find a pumpkin and so turns a squash into a carriage.

In Godmothered, Eleanor doesn’t have a pumpkin and so turns a watermelon into a carriage.

My Fair Godmother has a main character (Chrissy’s assistant, Clover) whose last name is BloomsBottle.

In Godmothered, Eleanor’s last name is BloomingBottom.

In My Unfair Godmother, Chrissy’s assistant is checking to make sure the heroine is presentable in her gown and says, “Your hair is fashionably done. Check. Wearing a stunning gown. I guess so, if that’s the sort of thing you like.”

in Godmothered after Eleanor creates a ball gown for Jane, she says, “Perfect outfit, check.”

In my series, Chrissy’s headmistress was not happy with her assignments.

Ditto for Godmothered.

In My Fairly Dangerous Godmother, one of the main characters is from Hamilton, Ohio.

In Godmothered, Jane goes to Hamilton High.

So coincidence? I think that’s statistically unlikely.
To tell you the truth, I don’t know if these similarities were the writers’ way of nodding to my series’ fans or whether the similarities crept into the screenplay subconsciously because the writers had read my series.

Whatever the case, the result is that studios who may have been interested in my series may now not be interested because my stories will now look like they’re copying Godmothered.

Godmothered differed in a lot of ways from my series. Instead of time traveling to medieval times to relive fairytales, the writers took a page (or more) from Enchanted and revisited a lot of things from that movie: an innocent young woman comes to the cynical big city, doesn’t even know what money is or how relationships work, and the protagonist takes her in out of pity. Woodland creatures help with housework.

I’ll also admit that there were some cute things in the movie. I laughed at the raccoon and the blonde reporter. I didn’t find the end all that satisfying, though, because it seemed to be more of a statement than an ending.

We read and watch stories because we want a happily ever after. If we wanted to be reminded that endings don’t always turn out the way we want, we’d watch the news instead.

Here’s the hard thing for me, though. I’d always planned on writing a fourth Godmother book. It’s partially plotted already. But there’s just something that feels really violating about having your ideas taken this way without any sort of consideration or acknowledgment. (I’m already wondering if someone is going to come out with a TV series about modern teenagers who fight dragons.)

If I tried to write the fourth book now, instead of enjoying spending time with my character and the fairy world I created, I’ll be dealing with those feelings of violation.

So… that book is going to be on hold for a while. Maybe for good.

Cowboy Romance update

Just wanted to let you all know that my book The Cowboy and the Girl Next Door will be available for preorder in a few weeks. (Due out May 1st) And no, that picture isn’t the cover. My author friends and I are currently involved in an epic quest that may involve making our attractive acquaintances pose for pictures next to horses.

Seriously, the world of cowboy photos is bleak.

100.00 Amazon card giveaway and awesome books on sale

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Hey intrepid readers, I remain, much like a battle-worn tributary of the Hunger Games, still surviving 2020. I hope you are as well.

Lots of authors have put their suspense ebooks on sale and you have a chance to win some of those as well a 100$ Amazon gift card.

As I understand, these are all mild in the horror department. Blood is allowed, guts isn’t. (The flesh-eating scarabs in my story got a pass. Technically, that’s not gore…)

This lovely link takes you to the page that explains it all https://www.revellopress.com/spooky-giveaway/

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And be sure to buy  Son of War, Daughter of Chaos  because it is one of my favorite books and it’s only .99 for the next five days.  The link for that is here: Son of War, Daughter of Chaos for .99

After you buy any book on the list, Forward the confirmation receipt of your order (or screenshot) to revellopress@gmail.com by October 20th. And you’ll have the according amount of shots at the 100.00 Amazon card.

May the odds ever be in your favor!

Surviving 2020

Everyone is a little shaken up this year

I just realized that it’s been a long time since my last blog–and seeing that this is 2020 and I’m in the oldish demographic, some of you (Do people actually read blogs anymore?) may wonder if I’m still alive and writing.

Yes, yes I am.

I’m done with the first draft of the cowboy romance (and waiting for my writers’ group to finish theirs. You’ll love them all!) And I’m 200 pages into a medieval fantasy. So I’m back to researching vague things about the Middle Ages like how they danced. (No one is quite sure. Thanks, history scholars…)

And doing some other stuff that I can’t discuss because…contracts. So it just seems like I haven’t been working because nothing new has come out, but I really am.

I just don’t have anything to show for it except my messy desk.

One day I’ll have time to clean it off…

 

Hot cowboy series–Why you shouldn’t (or maybe should) make decisions at 1:00 a.m.

My writer’s group had finished and a few of us lingered on way past the time we should have gone home. (Just like every month.) This month we were bemoaning the fact that our various books with complicated plots were so hard to write and yet got us no respect from agents/editors/readers.

“We should all just write a series of hot cowboys,” I said. “Readers love hot cowboys.” (Something readers and I have in common.)

“We could have a family of brothers and all write one brother’s story,” someone suggested.

And Melinda–I remember it was her–said, “Okay. Let’s do it.” Then she started planning a trip to Bisbee for the next month so we could all get a start on our stories.

And I was like: Wait, I was just complaining. I didn’t mean to start a new series. 

But of course, I didn’t say that, because I was the one who suggested it in the first place. And besides, it sounded fun.

I knew writing a book where the main characters were ranchers would take research, but all books do, so I wasn’t that concerned because I was going to have my friends there to help me research. We would learn together.

When we got to Bisbee, Melinda announced that her brother worked at a bank and only did the ranch’s books on the weekends–thus getting out of researching things like how to deliver a calf and figuring out when you plant alfalfa. Ruth declared that her brother was a vet. Thus abandoning the other brothers right out of the shoot.

By the way, my brother, Landon, has not forgiven Ethan for abandoning the ranch and only forgives Dillon, Melinda’s brother, because he comes home on weekends and thus can have dialog with my characters for part of the time.

Jaxon, Torsha’s brother, we all agree is the most fun character. Think wise-cracking-playful-scoundrel. I’m not sure why he ends up with all the good lines in everyone’s novels, but he does. We all love Jaxon. My book is the first in the series and I’m a little afraid readers are going to like Jaxon better than Landon.

But anyway, that is why I’m researching subjects like whether you’re supposed to leave bulls in with your herd for year-round breeding (they call it servicing, just in case you want to throw around some rancher lingo) or whether it is better to breed for only a three-month window so you have all your calves in the spring. I spent an entire evening reading the pros and cons about that.

I know about sale barns, feedlots, the benefits of AI, obscure breeds of cattle that are more desert resistant–Criollo. (But none of the ranchers seem to carry them. Don’t ask me why.) the problems with newer model tractors (You can’t fix them yourself because of the computer software and it’s ridiculously expensive to have your tractor towed to a dealer) grazing rates, water pumps, the process of fixing a fence, how much one of those circular bales of hay weighs (800 lbs) and two different ways to castrate bull calves.

And I’ve still only scratched the surface.

I’ve got a lot of details to fill in still. That said, the book is coming along great. I’m almost done with the first draft.

 

A bucket list for my posterity

We all have bucket lists with a lot of dream items.  For example, going to Egypt is on my bucket list. And those sorts of goals are good, but as I was thinking about the subject, I realized that if I was making a list for my posterity, it would have different sorts of goals. So then I made a list for the grandlings and all the other spawn. Here it is. Hopefully you’ve already done a lot of these.

Save a life (by donating blood, or donating money to a humanitarian group, or some other way)

Have a family

Love an animal, even though you know you will lose it

Have you’re heart broken and love again anyway

Be discouraged but continue to do what needs to be done

Develop at least one talent

Create something that wasn’t on the earth until you got here

Help someone–do something for them that they can’t do for themselves

Stand up for something

Go to an art gallery

Listen to a seashell

Wear sequins at least once

Listen to an Italian sing about love

Write a poem

Sing in public

Build a snowman

See the autumn leaves and collect one

Have a white Christmas

Go caroling

Swim in the ocean

Keep a journal—write at least 100 entries

Make a Valentine

Be in a play

Learn a dance

Give a talk in church

Sew something/tie a quilt

Visit the country of your ancestors

Ride a rollercoaster

Go to a formal dance

Ask someone on a date

Watch The Nutcracker

Visit Williamsburg

Visit the Grand Canyon

Visit the Redwood Forest

Visit Arizona and see the Saguaro cactus

Go Skiing

Go sledding

Listen to Pachelbel’s Canon in D

Memorize a hymn

Wish on a star

Ride a horse

Run on the beach

Contemplate whether modern art is really art

Throw a coin in a wishing well

Blow on a dandy lion

Make a dandy lion chain

Make a birthday cake

Watch the good musicals and sing along with their songs

Watch It’s a Wonderful Life

Read all of my books because hey, Grandma/Great Grandma/Great Great Grandma wrote those

What’s coming next

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is there life after Slayers? Well, my kids are still buying me dragon things for Christmas, so maybe not. (And I still need to tweak some typos/little things in several of the books, so it still doesn’t feel like I’m done.) But I’ve had grandkids here since mid-December so I’m not getting a lot done. (I’m using my storytelling skills playing LOL dolls with my granddaughter, though.)

But I do have 100 pages done on a cowboy romance. So there’s that to look forward to. Just saying.

Oh yeah, and my son has a book coming out on March 17th and I’ve been helping him with that. The book is adorable, and it will sell way more copies than mine. No really, these are happy tears I’m crying.

 

The paperback versions are available–even though Amazon isn’t showing the paperback links.

I don’t know why the paperback links aren’t showing up. I guess I’ll have to get on the phone with Amazon. Sigh. But if you follow these links, you can buy them.

 

Slayers: Into the Firestorm, the Dirk version. Buy for 10.99

Slayers: Into the Firestorm, the Jesse version, But for 10.99

The Dirk version is out! Can I get a Hallelujah

Click here to buy Slayers: Into the Firestorm, the Dirk version for 3.99 (Or read on Kindle unlimited)

***Both ebooks now have both versions in them, so you don’t have to buy both if you want to read both endings. If you already bought the Jesse version, you should be able to upload the new version–but don’t ask me how because I’m bad with tech.***

This means that the series I’ve been working on for over ten years is finally done. When I started the first book, I had four kids living at home. Now I’m months away from being an empty nester and I have four grandkids.

If you’re new to Janette Rallison/CJ Hill books, the reason I wrote two versions for the end of this series is that
1) Despite that saying that you can’t make everybody happy, I still try.
2) I told my then-teenage daughter I would write a Dirk version for her because she’s been Team Dirk since the first book.
3) I’m bad at decisions and I never really decided who Tori should end up with anyway. You should see me try to pick out paint colors. It isn’t pretty.

And as always, please please leave a review. Since the Dirk version is brand new, it doesn’t have any reviews.

If you are on Team Jesse, you can find that version here.
Again, both ebooks have both versions.

A word about the Dirk version

Now that I’m back from the Kanab Writer’s conference and galavanting around the Utah mountains (I got to see dinosaur tracks–so that was cool.) I’m working on the Dirk version again. But I want to warn people that it isn’t all that different from the Jesse version as far as the storyline.

Originally the storylines veered off quite a bit. In one version, Overdrake died, in the other, he didn’t. In one version Dirk ended up living with Bianca, in the other he didn’t  The Jesse version had an epilogue and originally the Dirk version didn’t. But after I wrote both versions I liked some elements/scenes better than the counterparts, so I changed both versions so they had the scenes I liked best.

And that’s how they ended up with almost the same plotline. Tori and Jesse just feel differently about things as they transpire in the versions. (In the Dirk version, I took out a lot of Jesse’s inner thought about wanting to get back together with Tori because that would just make it sadder when she chooses Dirk.) I’m telling you this because I don’t want anyone to buy both versions and then be disappointed that it isn’t a different story.

I’m afraid if I just put up one ebook with both stories without telling people which version is first, people won’t understand that they need to choose which version they want to read. So what I will do (Amazon willing) is put both ebooks up for sale, and the Dirk version will have that story first and the Jesse one second. I’ll add the Dirk version to the back of the Jesse version and will tell you which version it is in the title. If you already bought the Jesse version, I think there’s a way to update your file.

As far as the paper books, I’ll have to sell separate versions of those because otherwise, it would be 700 pages and the price would be too high and the binding would probably fall apart. No one wants that.

Anyway, Dirk fans, hang in there.