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Georgina Warren's Blog: Georgina Warren, page 3
March 13, 2025
New Author Podcast Interview (Heavy Crown Press)
Tune in for the latest news on author Georgina Warren's appearance on the Heavy Crown Press podcast with host, Ashley Rovira.
Welcome to the newsletter of Ashley Rovira, MLIS. I write about books, theatre, film, philosophy, spirituality, and the chaos of the times...in short, anything that stimulates thought, feeling, curiosity, and expanding consciousness.
Join us for a discussion on traditions in fairy tales and improving the archetype 'stepmother' for a modern audience. Click link to hear episode.
https://www.heavycrownpress.com/p/tal...
Georgina Warren, a librarian who works full-time at the Library of Congress, has published a collection of 12 stories under the title Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers. I met her via Zoom on March 11 to talk about it.
About the topics we covered, we discussed why she believes so strongly in the importance of having stories—and animated films, such as those made by Disney, no less—that offer positive portrayals of stepmothers rather than the more traditional view presented by the classic Grimm fairy tales and modern retellings. She did acknowledge some examples in recent decades of a few impressive attempts to offer alternatives to many of the more traditional perspectives and stereotypes. Nevertheless, there really has not been a real attempt to alter the stepmother trope specifically. She argues that the oversight has fostered a potentially dangerous trend that undercuts the success of the modern family. Of course, chief in her argument is her own experience as a stepchild.
Georgina had a powerful, interesting, intelligent, and compassionate stepmother, a person she began to get to know in earnest with after a swap in her parents’ custody arrangement when she was a teenager. Her stepmother never tried to poison her as the Wicked Queen did to Snow White, nor task her with scrubbing floors like Cinderella. On the contrary, her stepmother overcame her natural resistance to change her outlook and completely overhauled the prejudices about broken-home arrangements that had been formed in Georgina’s mind by fairytales and popular culture. Georgina’s family even created a “Stepmother Appreciation Day,” celebrated on the Saturday before Mother’s Day—so much better than just buying an extra Mother’s Day card and treating her stepmother as a sort of second-class mother with an asterisk on the role, because it meant that both Georgina’s mother and stepmother would be appreciated equally (but differently) rather than undercutting one or the other.
The very first story in Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers is a work titled, “Aisimetra and the Manticore’s Eggs.” Aisimetra is a stepmother while the manticore is a biological mother. (They aren’t respectively mother and stepmother to the same offspring. Aisimetra is a human who married a widower with five children. The manticore is a single mother whose unhatched eggs are stolen by thieves. In the plot, Aisimetra and the manticore, who are initially suspicious towards each other due to societal prejudices on both sides, end up working together to save both families. I like that Georgina put this story at the top of the repertoire because it sets the tone nicely for the grander scheme of things—elevating virtues like teamwork and compassion (among women, with and towards other women, no less!) above qualities like jealousy that too often create unnecessary mischief in relationships.
Somehow “Aisimetra and the Manticore’s Eggs” did not come up in our conversation, but Georgina sent me a note the day after the interview to make a point about Aisimetra’s inspiration. She reversed the spelling of Artemisia, a reference to the Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, whose work often featured powerful women from biblical texts. Georgina’s choice of the name, or rather its reversal, for her protagonist was also a subtle nod to the Greek goddess of the hunt. And I have to wonder if there isn’t a more personal reference as well. Georgina’s biological mother is a painter.
Aisimetra, remember, is a stepmother—a reminder that this book is about correcting a historical unfairness about stepmothers, not at the expense of biological motherhood, but rather in compliment to the maternal instincts of every woman. In Georgina’s words, the tale of Aisimetra and the Manticore's Eggs is “one of several stories to uplift the stepmother and offer a glimpse into a relationship that traditional folklore has overlooked—the tempestuous connection between the biological mother and the stepmother, and how their differences can be addressed and resolved.”
Rating: Five stars!
You can listen to my interview with Georgina in the embedded link above or view it in the embedded YouTube video below. The conversation is also available almost anywhere you can listen to podcasts. It is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Audible, Amazon Music, Player FM, Podchaser, and Boomplay.
Welcome to the newsletter of Ashley Rovira, MLIS. I write about books, theatre, film, philosophy, spirituality, and the chaos of the times...in short, anything that stimulates thought, feeling, curiosity, and expanding consciousness.
Join us for a discussion on traditions in fairy tales and improving the archetype 'stepmother' for a modern audience. Click link to hear episode.
https://www.heavycrownpress.com/p/tal...
Georgina Warren, a librarian who works full-time at the Library of Congress, has published a collection of 12 stories under the title Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers. I met her via Zoom on March 11 to talk about it.
About the topics we covered, we discussed why she believes so strongly in the importance of having stories—and animated films, such as those made by Disney, no less—that offer positive portrayals of stepmothers rather than the more traditional view presented by the classic Grimm fairy tales and modern retellings. She did acknowledge some examples in recent decades of a few impressive attempts to offer alternatives to many of the more traditional perspectives and stereotypes. Nevertheless, there really has not been a real attempt to alter the stepmother trope specifically. She argues that the oversight has fostered a potentially dangerous trend that undercuts the success of the modern family. Of course, chief in her argument is her own experience as a stepchild.
Georgina had a powerful, interesting, intelligent, and compassionate stepmother, a person she began to get to know in earnest with after a swap in her parents’ custody arrangement when she was a teenager. Her stepmother never tried to poison her as the Wicked Queen did to Snow White, nor task her with scrubbing floors like Cinderella. On the contrary, her stepmother overcame her natural resistance to change her outlook and completely overhauled the prejudices about broken-home arrangements that had been formed in Georgina’s mind by fairytales and popular culture. Georgina’s family even created a “Stepmother Appreciation Day,” celebrated on the Saturday before Mother’s Day—so much better than just buying an extra Mother’s Day card and treating her stepmother as a sort of second-class mother with an asterisk on the role, because it meant that both Georgina’s mother and stepmother would be appreciated equally (but differently) rather than undercutting one or the other.
The very first story in Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers is a work titled, “Aisimetra and the Manticore’s Eggs.” Aisimetra is a stepmother while the manticore is a biological mother. (They aren’t respectively mother and stepmother to the same offspring. Aisimetra is a human who married a widower with five children. The manticore is a single mother whose unhatched eggs are stolen by thieves. In the plot, Aisimetra and the manticore, who are initially suspicious towards each other due to societal prejudices on both sides, end up working together to save both families. I like that Georgina put this story at the top of the repertoire because it sets the tone nicely for the grander scheme of things—elevating virtues like teamwork and compassion (among women, with and towards other women, no less!) above qualities like jealousy that too often create unnecessary mischief in relationships.
Somehow “Aisimetra and the Manticore’s Eggs” did not come up in our conversation, but Georgina sent me a note the day after the interview to make a point about Aisimetra’s inspiration. She reversed the spelling of Artemisia, a reference to the Baroque artist Artemisia Gentileschi, whose work often featured powerful women from biblical texts. Georgina’s choice of the name, or rather its reversal, for her protagonist was also a subtle nod to the Greek goddess of the hunt. And I have to wonder if there isn’t a more personal reference as well. Georgina’s biological mother is a painter.
Aisimetra, remember, is a stepmother—a reminder that this book is about correcting a historical unfairness about stepmothers, not at the expense of biological motherhood, but rather in compliment to the maternal instincts of every woman. In Georgina’s words, the tale of Aisimetra and the Manticore's Eggs is “one of several stories to uplift the stepmother and offer a glimpse into a relationship that traditional folklore has overlooked—the tempestuous connection between the biological mother and the stepmother, and how their differences can be addressed and resolved.”
Rating: Five stars!
You can listen to my interview with Georgina in the embedded link above or view it in the embedded YouTube video below. The conversation is also available almost anywhere you can listen to podcasts. It is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Audible, Amazon Music, Player FM, Podchaser, and Boomplay.
February 21, 2025
Stepmother book search results online (P&P)
Just for fun, I decided to search book titles with the keyword "stepmothers" on the Politics and Prose website. Here are the top titles I found on the first page of search results:
Stepmothers Anonymous
FairyTale Revenge (Fairytale Stepmothers #2)
J. L. Higgs
Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers
Alzheimer’s, Widowed Stepmothers & Estate Crimes: Cause, Action, and Response in Cases of Fractured Inheritance, Lost Inheritance, and Disinheritance
Daughters and their Mothers and Stepmothers: Young Women Recall their Positive Relationships withtheir Mothers and Stepmothers
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 5
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 1
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 3
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 2
My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked Vol. 5
I'm glad to see Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers as the third result on the list. The rest of the books are a mixture of manga, drama and nonfiction genres. If you have any other ideas about stepmother book trends, share them in the comments below.
Stepmothers Anonymous
FairyTale Revenge (Fairytale Stepmothers #2)
J. L. Higgs
Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers
Alzheimer’s, Widowed Stepmothers & Estate Crimes: Cause, Action, and Response in Cases of Fractured Inheritance, Lost Inheritance, and Disinheritance
Daughters and their Mothers and Stepmothers: Young Women Recall their Positive Relationships withtheir Mothers and Stepmothers
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 5
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 1
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 3
A Stepmother's Marchen Vol. 2
My Stepmother and Stepsisters Aren't Wicked Vol. 5
I'm glad to see Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers as the third result on the list. The rest of the books are a mixture of manga, drama and nonfiction genres. If you have any other ideas about stepmother book trends, share them in the comments below.
February 14, 2025
Rosh's Reviews - New Book Review on Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers
Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers - Georgina Warren - ★★★★
- February 14, 2025
AUTHOR: Georgina Warren
GENRE: Fairy Tale Collection
PUBLICATION DATE: April 12, 2023
RATING: 3.9 stars.
In a Nutshell: A children’s fairy tale collection with each story having a virtuous stepmother in a major or minor role. Love the intent, and enjoyed most of the stories. A great option for little ones, especially those who have stepmothers, so that they can finally see some positive representation of this vilified category of parents.
This short story collection contains twelve fairy tales. Each of the stories is varied in its content. Some have intriguing magical creatures such as ogres and dragons while some others have animals and birds in the main roles. Those with human narrators have either commoners or kings at the helm. Some recite stories of ordinary living while others contain tales of royal adventures. But no matter what, every story has one factor in common: a good stepmother.
The preface contains a heartfelt note by the author about how the wicked stepmother trope from fairy tales created negative perceptions in her mind when it came to accepting her own stepmother. But her stepmother persisted and succeeded in creating a loving bond that lasts till today. This amazing lady became the main motivation for the author to pen this collection and ensure that other children who might also have stepmothers don’t struggle to search for positive ‘stepmother’ representation in fairy tales.
There is another note by the author at the end of the book, which is more detailed about her writing choices. I think this note will work better for adults than for kids, though older middle-graders will certainly have no issues getting the point it makes, as it is much lengthier and more complex than a simple children’s book note usually is.
All this might make you assume that the stepmother is the main protagonist of every story. Not true. Some of the tales do have the stepmother in the central role, either saving her family from danger, or sacrificing something for her kids, or some other ‘virtuous’ task. But a few stories also show her playing a secondary role in the narrative, acting more as the catalyst than as the facilitator.
A couple of the tales even show stepmothers making mistakes and learning from them, which is so essential in keeping this narrative grounded in reality despite its fantastical components. Mothers are already burdened by expectations of perfection; there’s no need to add that pressure onto stepmothers as well, who are already struggling against different (and worse) expectations.
The stories cover a variety of themes such as dangerous friendships, broken promises, risky adventures, and brave sacrifices – all components of memorable fairy tales. Reading this book made me reminisce about all the folktale and fairy tale collections I had devoured in my childhood. This book has a similar kind of vibe, though it takes a good step ahead by ensuring justice for the much-defamed stepmother character.
Unlike most fairy tales, this one doesn’t stick to stepdaughters alone. Many of the stories also show the stepson-stepmother combination, which makes this book suitable to all fairy-tale-loving children. Another fun component is the character names, which are quite unique. I have a strong feeling that the author used etymological roots from many Romance languages to cook up such interesting names. Sometimes, the names hint at a specific physical or behavioural trait of the character, which is fun when you get the inside joke. However, I wasn’t able to decode a few of the names and hence lost out on the subtler nuances.
The length of the stories is quite varying, but most of them range between eight to twenty-five pages. The only exception is the story named ’The Bird of Many Voices’, which is almost novella-length in comparison, with 70+ pages. As this story comes right in the middle of the book, it breaks the reading flow. It’s good that the author divided this story into sections, so kids can still pause in between if they need a break. But I feel that it would have been better to place this story at the end of the book and make it clear in the title or table of contents that it is a novella and hence lengthier than the rest. (The page numbers in the ToC gives a clue, but it is not a clear indicator.)
Remembering that these stories are fairy tales is important. And when I say ‘fairy tales’, I don’t mean the cutesy Disney retellings but the original grim Grimm stories. The stories in this book don’t shy away from darker content or sad events, and many cannot be considered light or fun reads. but the writing never becomes too gruesome. That said, a few of the stories venture into topics suitable for slightly older kids, so perhaps parents could read the book first and decide the age-appropriateness of the tales as per their children’s reading taste and understanding level.
As always, I rated the stories individually. As these are written for children, my ratings are my guesstimates of how children might feel about these tales. Every single one of the stories reached/crossed the three-star mark, which means I didn’t hate any of the entries. These are my top favourites with 4+ stars each:
🥚 Aisimetra and the Manticore’s Eggs: A good start to the proceedings with a brave stepmother who understands the pain of another mother. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🦶🏻 Princess Sanspied: The best part of the story was the representation of the disability of the princess, her frustration with it, and her stepmother’s role in ensuring her future. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐉 The Dragon Mother: Rare to see a dragon in such a loving and sacrificing role. I love dragon stories anyway, so this was an easy one to enjoy, though I did miss fire-breathing scenes. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🍈 The Giantess, the Roc, and the Durians: A true-blue fairy tale with a bit of whimsy and magic woven into a human dilemma. Very entertaining! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🟡 The Gilded Foreman: A good old good vs. evil storyline with a great ending. Loved the woman power rep in this! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
👹 The Ogre’s Wedding or Soursop Stew: A clever protagonist uses their intelligence to outwit ogres. Classic fairy tale stuff, this! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐴 Truffle the Magic Mare: Who doesn’t like magical animals, right? - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, I am very happy with this indie collection. I admire it not just for its intent but also for its content. The stories are entertaining as well as thought-provoking, just as good fairy tales ought to be. This is supposedly the first of a planned three-volume collection, and based on how this went, I’m on board for the remaining two.
Much recommended! This book would make a wonderful gift for any child who has/is going to get a stepmother. Heck, why restrict its reach? Let’s edit that to: It would make a wonderful gift for every child who loves reading fairy tales.
3.9 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you know that an average coming close to 4 stars is wonderful for an anthology.)
My thanks to author Georgina Warren for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
- February 14, 2025
AUTHOR: Georgina Warren
GENRE: Fairy Tale Collection
PUBLICATION DATE: April 12, 2023
RATING: 3.9 stars.
In a Nutshell: A children’s fairy tale collection with each story having a virtuous stepmother in a major or minor role. Love the intent, and enjoyed most of the stories. A great option for little ones, especially those who have stepmothers, so that they can finally see some positive representation of this vilified category of parents.
This short story collection contains twelve fairy tales. Each of the stories is varied in its content. Some have intriguing magical creatures such as ogres and dragons while some others have animals and birds in the main roles. Those with human narrators have either commoners or kings at the helm. Some recite stories of ordinary living while others contain tales of royal adventures. But no matter what, every story has one factor in common: a good stepmother.
The preface contains a heartfelt note by the author about how the wicked stepmother trope from fairy tales created negative perceptions in her mind when it came to accepting her own stepmother. But her stepmother persisted and succeeded in creating a loving bond that lasts till today. This amazing lady became the main motivation for the author to pen this collection and ensure that other children who might also have stepmothers don’t struggle to search for positive ‘stepmother’ representation in fairy tales.
There is another note by the author at the end of the book, which is more detailed about her writing choices. I think this note will work better for adults than for kids, though older middle-graders will certainly have no issues getting the point it makes, as it is much lengthier and more complex than a simple children’s book note usually is.
All this might make you assume that the stepmother is the main protagonist of every story. Not true. Some of the tales do have the stepmother in the central role, either saving her family from danger, or sacrificing something for her kids, or some other ‘virtuous’ task. But a few stories also show her playing a secondary role in the narrative, acting more as the catalyst than as the facilitator.
A couple of the tales even show stepmothers making mistakes and learning from them, which is so essential in keeping this narrative grounded in reality despite its fantastical components. Mothers are already burdened by expectations of perfection; there’s no need to add that pressure onto stepmothers as well, who are already struggling against different (and worse) expectations.
The stories cover a variety of themes such as dangerous friendships, broken promises, risky adventures, and brave sacrifices – all components of memorable fairy tales. Reading this book made me reminisce about all the folktale and fairy tale collections I had devoured in my childhood. This book has a similar kind of vibe, though it takes a good step ahead by ensuring justice for the much-defamed stepmother character.
Unlike most fairy tales, this one doesn’t stick to stepdaughters alone. Many of the stories also show the stepson-stepmother combination, which makes this book suitable to all fairy-tale-loving children. Another fun component is the character names, which are quite unique. I have a strong feeling that the author used etymological roots from many Romance languages to cook up such interesting names. Sometimes, the names hint at a specific physical or behavioural trait of the character, which is fun when you get the inside joke. However, I wasn’t able to decode a few of the names and hence lost out on the subtler nuances.
The length of the stories is quite varying, but most of them range between eight to twenty-five pages. The only exception is the story named ’The Bird of Many Voices’, which is almost novella-length in comparison, with 70+ pages. As this story comes right in the middle of the book, it breaks the reading flow. It’s good that the author divided this story into sections, so kids can still pause in between if they need a break. But I feel that it would have been better to place this story at the end of the book and make it clear in the title or table of contents that it is a novella and hence lengthier than the rest. (The page numbers in the ToC gives a clue, but it is not a clear indicator.)
Remembering that these stories are fairy tales is important. And when I say ‘fairy tales’, I don’t mean the cutesy Disney retellings but the original grim Grimm stories. The stories in this book don’t shy away from darker content or sad events, and many cannot be considered light or fun reads. but the writing never becomes too gruesome. That said, a few of the stories venture into topics suitable for slightly older kids, so perhaps parents could read the book first and decide the age-appropriateness of the tales as per their children’s reading taste and understanding level.
As always, I rated the stories individually. As these are written for children, my ratings are my guesstimates of how children might feel about these tales. Every single one of the stories reached/crossed the three-star mark, which means I didn’t hate any of the entries. These are my top favourites with 4+ stars each:
🥚 Aisimetra and the Manticore’s Eggs: A good start to the proceedings with a brave stepmother who understands the pain of another mother. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🦶🏻 Princess Sanspied: The best part of the story was the representation of the disability of the princess, her frustration with it, and her stepmother’s role in ensuring her future. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐉 The Dragon Mother: Rare to see a dragon in such a loving and sacrificing role. I love dragon stories anyway, so this was an easy one to enjoy, though I did miss fire-breathing scenes. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🍈 The Giantess, the Roc, and the Durians: A true-blue fairy tale with a bit of whimsy and magic woven into a human dilemma. Very entertaining! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🟡 The Gilded Foreman: A good old good vs. evil storyline with a great ending. Loved the woman power rep in this! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
👹 The Ogre’s Wedding or Soursop Stew: A clever protagonist uses their intelligence to outwit ogres. Classic fairy tale stuff, this! - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🐴 Truffle the Magic Mare: Who doesn’t like magical animals, right? - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall, I am very happy with this indie collection. I admire it not just for its intent but also for its content. The stories are entertaining as well as thought-provoking, just as good fairy tales ought to be. This is supposedly the first of a planned three-volume collection, and based on how this went, I’m on board for the remaining two.
Much recommended! This book would make a wonderful gift for any child who has/is going to get a stepmother. Heck, why restrict its reach? Let’s edit that to: It would make a wonderful gift for every child who loves reading fairy tales.
3.9 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each tale. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you know that an average coming close to 4 stars is wonderful for an anthology.)
My thanks to author Georgina Warren for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The digital version of this book is currently available on Kindle Unlimited.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Wishing all my followers a very happy Valentine's Day! May your special day be filled with love, flowers, chocolates and anything you enjoy best with your beloved families and friends.
One valentine memory I would like to share takes place back in February 2006. My family took a vacation in a park in West Virginia. We stayed in a cozy little cabin, and it was our first time learning to go cross-country skiing. My stepmom already had experience, and she guided me and my dad when we first put on our skis. I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed skiing when we got started. The snow was thick, and we had a lovely time exploring the wooded trails and a frozen waterfall. One time we were sitting in our car, and a family of deer came up close to watch us!
Other fun things we did in our cabin include eating crapes for breakfast, playing Jenga and on Valentine's Day that year, I received a heart-shaped valentine made of pink yoghurt covered pretzels!
Future winter trips had us learning about downhill skiing, but we only stayed on the moderate hills, and we always took refresher courses with an instructor. My dad fell down a few times and has since given up skiing.
This trip was one of many special experiences I enjoyed with my dad and stepmom in the first year of us living together as a family.
One valentine memory I would like to share takes place back in February 2006. My family took a vacation in a park in West Virginia. We stayed in a cozy little cabin, and it was our first time learning to go cross-country skiing. My stepmom already had experience, and she guided me and my dad when we first put on our skis. I was surprised to discover how much I enjoyed skiing when we got started. The snow was thick, and we had a lovely time exploring the wooded trails and a frozen waterfall. One time we were sitting in our car, and a family of deer came up close to watch us!
Other fun things we did in our cabin include eating crapes for breakfast, playing Jenga and on Valentine's Day that year, I received a heart-shaped valentine made of pink yoghurt covered pretzels!
Future winter trips had us learning about downhill skiing, but we only stayed on the moderate hills, and we always took refresher courses with an instructor. My dad fell down a few times and has since given up skiing.
This trip was one of many special experiences I enjoyed with my dad and stepmom in the first year of us living together as a family.
February 6, 2025
The Alien Stepmother
In the course of my research, I have discovered some titles of books and movies that feature the stepmother or characters from blended families as aliens. Now I don't mean illegal immigrants (that's another story) I mean aliens from another galaxy.
I have wondered about the prevalence of this theme. It occurs to me that having a story that focuses on a marital union between humans and aliens serves as a metaphor for the cultural and personal differences that blended families experience when they come together. These stories can show how this new couple and their children reconcile their differences and grow in their relationships.
Here I will share some titles of these alien works and invite you to share your thoughts in the comments if you have read these books or watched these movies. Please share titles of any other creative works that fit this theme.
FILMS
My Stepmother is an Alien (1988)
He married a girl from out of town… Way out of town. Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), Kim Basinger (The Nice Guys) and Jon Lovitz (Southland Tales) star in a fish-out-of-water comedy with a sci-fi twist that questions whether a romance between two star-crossed lovers who are literally worlds apart can ever work. When widowed astronomer Steve Mills (Aykroyd) inadvertently causes a gravitational disruption in deep space, a race of hyper-advanced alien lifeforms sends one of their own to investigate, disguised in the alluring human form of Celeste (Basinger). Tasked with seducing the lovelorn Steve in a bid to gain access to his scientific research, Celeste finds herself falling for the man she’s been sent to swindle. But they’ve reckoned without Steve’s young daughter Jessie (Alyson Hannigan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who’s none too thrilled by the prospect of a new mother – especially not one from another planet. Funny and touching in equal measure, My Stepmother is an Alien is an offbeat and at times surprisingly risqué comedy that confirms the adage that what unites us is far greater than what divides us… even if what divides us happens to be an entire galaxy.
Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000)
Meet two girls who are galaxies apart--Megan, an insecure young girl and Ariel, a beautiful, brainy, and perfect girl from the planet Zircalon-6. The girls don't like each other very much and to complicate matters, Ariel's alien father has fallen in love with Megan's earth mother. But the girls do have one thing in common--break up their parent's courtship. Follow the two girls as they get to know and understand each other and realize that they both really do care about their parents' happiness.
BOOKS
BRODY CODY AND THE STEPMOTHER FROM OUTER SPACE
Brody Cody is almost eight years old and definitely, absolutely, positively does NOT want a mother. His mother died when he was a baby but life with his dad is just perfect. Brody is horrified when his father goes away to a publishing conference and returns with a wife, Pandora Smith, who is a children’s author. His life spirals out of control as he is forced to eat healthy food, do his homework and help with some chores. Even worse, he and his friends suspect that his new stepmother might be an alien from outer space.
Oh No! My Stepmom's an Alien!
Tommy is such a curious boy as most boys are, though at times it is a bit too much for a parent; especially when his dad is out of town and it's up to his stepmom to make sure he's not upside down in garbage bins or plotting with his tight nit crew. Yet Kim has no idea that she's his new target but why?
I have wondered about the prevalence of this theme. It occurs to me that having a story that focuses on a marital union between humans and aliens serves as a metaphor for the cultural and personal differences that blended families experience when they come together. These stories can show how this new couple and their children reconcile their differences and grow in their relationships.
Here I will share some titles of these alien works and invite you to share your thoughts in the comments if you have read these books or watched these movies. Please share titles of any other creative works that fit this theme.
FILMS
My Stepmother is an Alien (1988)
He married a girl from out of town… Way out of town. Dan Aykroyd (Ghostbusters), Kim Basinger (The Nice Guys) and Jon Lovitz (Southland Tales) star in a fish-out-of-water comedy with a sci-fi twist that questions whether a romance between two star-crossed lovers who are literally worlds apart can ever work. When widowed astronomer Steve Mills (Aykroyd) inadvertently causes a gravitational disruption in deep space, a race of hyper-advanced alien lifeforms sends one of their own to investigate, disguised in the alluring human form of Celeste (Basinger). Tasked with seducing the lovelorn Steve in a bid to gain access to his scientific research, Celeste finds herself falling for the man she’s been sent to swindle. But they’ve reckoned without Steve’s young daughter Jessie (Alyson Hannigan, Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who’s none too thrilled by the prospect of a new mother – especially not one from another planet. Funny and touching in equal measure, My Stepmother is an Alien is an offbeat and at times surprisingly risqué comedy that confirms the adage that what unites us is far greater than what divides us… even if what divides us happens to be an entire galaxy.
Stepsister from Planet Weird (2000)
Meet two girls who are galaxies apart--Megan, an insecure young girl and Ariel, a beautiful, brainy, and perfect girl from the planet Zircalon-6. The girls don't like each other very much and to complicate matters, Ariel's alien father has fallen in love with Megan's earth mother. But the girls do have one thing in common--break up their parent's courtship. Follow the two girls as they get to know and understand each other and realize that they both really do care about their parents' happiness.
BOOKS
BRODY CODY AND THE STEPMOTHER FROM OUTER SPACE
Brody Cody is almost eight years old and definitely, absolutely, positively does NOT want a mother. His mother died when he was a baby but life with his dad is just perfect. Brody is horrified when his father goes away to a publishing conference and returns with a wife, Pandora Smith, who is a children’s author. His life spirals out of control as he is forced to eat healthy food, do his homework and help with some chores. Even worse, he and his friends suspect that his new stepmother might be an alien from outer space.
Oh No! My Stepmom's an Alien!
Tommy is such a curious boy as most boys are, though at times it is a bit too much for a parent; especially when his dad is out of town and it's up to his stepmom to make sure he's not upside down in garbage bins or plotting with his tight nit crew. Yet Kim has no idea that she's his new target but why?
January 21, 2025
Ways to support Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers
I would like to thank all of the wonderful readers that have read and submitted their reviews, this is made a big difference to my sales!
If you would like to continue supporting the author and Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers, here are some opportunities below:
Sign the petition on Change.org for Disney to give us new movies with good stepmothers! Maybe Disney will choose new stories from my collection if we collect enough votes here.
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-dis...
Buy my book at Politics and Prose and help me renew my consignment contract for the next quarter. Support independent writers in DC!
https://politics-prose.com/book/97982...
If you have purchased a copy recently, please add your reviews to my book pages on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. I'm hoping to confirm a book signing with the local B&N store in my neighborhood this year after their grand re-opening.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tale...
Help me complete my next goal, which is to collect 100 reviews before Christmas 2025.
Thank you for supporting my mission to promote justice for stepmothers in fiction and reality!
If you would like to continue supporting the author and Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers, here are some opportunities below:
Sign the petition on Change.org for Disney to give us new movies with good stepmothers! Maybe Disney will choose new stories from my collection if we collect enough votes here.
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-dis...
Buy my book at Politics and Prose and help me renew my consignment contract for the next quarter. Support independent writers in DC!
https://politics-prose.com/book/97982...
If you have purchased a copy recently, please add your reviews to my book pages on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. I'm hoping to confirm a book signing with the local B&N store in my neighborhood this year after their grand re-opening.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tale...
Help me complete my next goal, which is to collect 100 reviews before Christmas 2025.
Thank you for supporting my mission to promote justice for stepmothers in fiction and reality!
2025 Author announcement: Let's have more good stepmothers in Disney movies!
Welcome to 2025! I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays. Now that we are all rested and well fed, let's get started on this year's reading resolutions!
This year, I have more surprises in store for everyone as I continue writing my second book of virtuous stepmother fairy tales.
This year, Disney has announced that their live-action adaptation of Snow White will be released on March 21. I think we all know what that means, once again audiences will see that quintessential evil queen on the big screen. Now I'm one of many people that enjoyed the original animated version, and I respect the ones that chose to see the film for old time's sake. Let's not forget that this story, among all others gives stepmothers a bad name.
Before this movie leaves the box office, let's turn our attention to Kelsea Laegreid's petition for Disney to create more movies with good stepmothers. Add your signature today and let's tell Disney to choose Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers as their next feature project! Follow the link below to sign.
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-dis...
This year, I have more surprises in store for everyone as I continue writing my second book of virtuous stepmother fairy tales.
This year, Disney has announced that their live-action adaptation of Snow White will be released on March 21. I think we all know what that means, once again audiences will see that quintessential evil queen on the big screen. Now I'm one of many people that enjoyed the original animated version, and I respect the ones that chose to see the film for old time's sake. Let's not forget that this story, among all others gives stepmothers a bad name.
Before this movie leaves the box office, let's turn our attention to Kelsea Laegreid's petition for Disney to create more movies with good stepmothers. Add your signature today and let's tell Disney to choose Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers as their next feature project! Follow the link below to sign.
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-dis...
January 3, 2025
The Terrible Three: Modern Fairy Tale Adaptations in Film
As every child knows, the "wicked stepmother" has been codified in three iconic fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Snow White. Considering the abundance of fairy tale adaptations in films and TV shows, for this post, I will only focus on the live action adaptations that have been released in the past 30 years. During this time, I have observed a trend to modernize these fairy tales. Millennials can look back at these versions of Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella and Snow White and consider the ways that these stories have evolved in our time and what elements have stayed consistent in each version. I will point out that while the titular characters have been developed in different ways, the stepmother is just as vile and malicious in every version of these stories. As for the father, that character is usually dead, absent or cursed so that the audience can see why he cannot protect his children from his new wife's tyranny.
This selection will feature the movie’s title, the year of release and the name of the actress that portrays the “wicked stepmother” of each story. Some of these movies are family movies and some are adult movies. Check each title carefully so that you can pick the right one for personal viewing.
SNOW WHITE
• Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) Sigourney Weaver
• Snow White: The Fairest of Them All (2001) Miranda Richardson
• Sydney White* (2001)
• Mirror Mirror (2012) Julia Roberts
• Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) Charlize Theron
• Disney’s Snow White (2025) Gal Gadot
In the latest adaptions of Snow White, the main character has been changed from a helpless damsel to a diplomat and a warrior woman prepared for battle against a tyrannical queen, much like Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess) and Princess Leia (Star Wars). These changes allow Snow White to have greater agency and a purpose beyond being the victim to be killed by the queen, protected by the dwarves and saved by the prince. The only drawback is that this development follows the age-old fallacy that a woman can only be "empowered" if she is a strong female character in combat. Future writers need to find other ways to empower women in fiction besides making them into battle mavens.
CINDERELLA
• Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997) Bernadette Peters
• Ever After (1998) Anjelica Huston
• A Cinderella Story (2004) Jennifer Coolidge
• Disney’s Cinderella (2015) Cate Blanchett
• A Cinderella Story: If The Shoe Fits (2016) Jennifer Tilly
• A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019) Johannah Newmarch
• Cinderella (2021) Idina Menzel
For the past several years, I noticed that the Cinderella fairy tale is often adapted as a high school romance with the unpopular girl yearning for the handsome jock. The resolution of each version may have the Cinderella character striving to achieve a scholarship or a contract to achieve her entrepreneurial goals of starting her own business, thus keeping her in charge of her own destiny so that she does not need to rely on the prince and his royal status to fix all her problems. Cinderella and the prince also get more opportunities to meet during the story before they dance at the ball so that their relationship can be more developed beyond that "one night" which was usually love at first sight. In every version, the wicked stepmother and stepsisters get the boot when our heroine triumphs. The story is most frequently produced because it speaks to every person's desire to rise above their humble circumstances and achieve glory. It contains a universal message of transformation for young women.
HANSEL AND GRETEL
• Hansel and Gretel (2002) Delta Burke
• Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters* (2013)
• Hansel and Gretel Get Baked* (2013)
• Gretel and Hansel* (2021)
To be honest, I haven't seen many adaptations of Hansel and Gretel for family movies recently. Being trapped alone with a monster is a common motif in many horror movies. Most of the titles listed here emphasize the horror elements and play up the role of the witch as the primary villain. Some versions of the movie omit the stepmother and focus on the siblings in their fight for survival in the witch's house. The main characters must then rely on their wits to overcome the threat. Disney has yet to produce an animated version of this story, but they would need to make extensive changes to the source material. Maybe people feel uncomfortable with sharing a story where two innocent children get abandoned by their biological parents and then get threatened by a cannibal witch. That could also be the reason why the two siblings are frequently portrayed as teens or adults in these versions. Nobody likes to see bad things happen to children. Also, the story introduces the idea that some children cannot rely on their parents for protection and that they might abandon them for selfish reasons. The story does emphasize the power of bonds between siblings. It is important to remember that the original version of the tale portrayed the biological mother as the one who abandons the children, and the role was changed to a wicked stepmother in later versions. Nobody wanted to create stories that criticized the "saintly" mother in fiction.
*Minor disclaimer. These film versions do not include a stepmother.
This selection will feature the movie’s title, the year of release and the name of the actress that portrays the “wicked stepmother” of each story. Some of these movies are family movies and some are adult movies. Check each title carefully so that you can pick the right one for personal viewing.
SNOW WHITE
• Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997) Sigourney Weaver
• Snow White: The Fairest of Them All (2001) Miranda Richardson
• Sydney White* (2001)
• Mirror Mirror (2012) Julia Roberts
• Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) Charlize Theron
• Disney’s Snow White (2025) Gal Gadot
In the latest adaptions of Snow White, the main character has been changed from a helpless damsel to a diplomat and a warrior woman prepared for battle against a tyrannical queen, much like Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess) and Princess Leia (Star Wars). These changes allow Snow White to have greater agency and a purpose beyond being the victim to be killed by the queen, protected by the dwarves and saved by the prince. The only drawback is that this development follows the age-old fallacy that a woman can only be "empowered" if she is a strong female character in combat. Future writers need to find other ways to empower women in fiction besides making them into battle mavens.
CINDERELLA
• Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997) Bernadette Peters
• Ever After (1998) Anjelica Huston
• A Cinderella Story (2004) Jennifer Coolidge
• Disney’s Cinderella (2015) Cate Blanchett
• A Cinderella Story: If The Shoe Fits (2016) Jennifer Tilly
• A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish (2019) Johannah Newmarch
• Cinderella (2021) Idina Menzel
For the past several years, I noticed that the Cinderella fairy tale is often adapted as a high school romance with the unpopular girl yearning for the handsome jock. The resolution of each version may have the Cinderella character striving to achieve a scholarship or a contract to achieve her entrepreneurial goals of starting her own business, thus keeping her in charge of her own destiny so that she does not need to rely on the prince and his royal status to fix all her problems. Cinderella and the prince also get more opportunities to meet during the story before they dance at the ball so that their relationship can be more developed beyond that "one night" which was usually love at first sight. In every version, the wicked stepmother and stepsisters get the boot when our heroine triumphs. The story is most frequently produced because it speaks to every person's desire to rise above their humble circumstances and achieve glory. It contains a universal message of transformation for young women.
HANSEL AND GRETEL
• Hansel and Gretel (2002) Delta Burke
• Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters* (2013)
• Hansel and Gretel Get Baked* (2013)
• Gretel and Hansel* (2021)
To be honest, I haven't seen many adaptations of Hansel and Gretel for family movies recently. Being trapped alone with a monster is a common motif in many horror movies. Most of the titles listed here emphasize the horror elements and play up the role of the witch as the primary villain. Some versions of the movie omit the stepmother and focus on the siblings in their fight for survival in the witch's house. The main characters must then rely on their wits to overcome the threat. Disney has yet to produce an animated version of this story, but they would need to make extensive changes to the source material. Maybe people feel uncomfortable with sharing a story where two innocent children get abandoned by their biological parents and then get threatened by a cannibal witch. That could also be the reason why the two siblings are frequently portrayed as teens or adults in these versions. Nobody likes to see bad things happen to children. Also, the story introduces the idea that some children cannot rely on their parents for protection and that they might abandon them for selfish reasons. The story does emphasize the power of bonds between siblings. It is important to remember that the original version of the tale portrayed the biological mother as the one who abandons the children, and the role was changed to a wicked stepmother in later versions. Nobody wanted to create stories that criticized the "saintly" mother in fiction.
*Minor disclaimer. These film versions do not include a stepmother.
December 31, 2024
Featured Podcast Interviews - (2023-2024)
Now that we are approaching the end of 2024, I invite all of you to look back at the author's recorded interviews on the following podcast channels.
In the Blend - Laura Jenkins (Season 4, Episode 1, August 8, 2023)
https://intheblend.com.au/podcast/geo...
DC Public Library Podcast: Get Lit - Christopher Stevenson (Episode 88, January 16, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Women Winning at Writing - Chelsia McCoy (Season 6, Episode 8, April 2, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
The Stepmom Wisdom Circle - Claudette Chenevert (Season 2, Episode 9, May 16, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Raising His Kids - Lauren and Toni (Episode 76, May 20, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
2024 Stepfamily Summit - Author Panel (Navigating the Complexities of Stepfamily Life: Tools for Conflict Resolution and Harmony)
https://thestepfamilysummit.com/autho...
2024 Ultimate Stepfamily Summit Bonus Workbook (Redefining Stepmoms: Breaking Stereotypes & Embracing Positivity in Stepfamilies)
https://aws.thestepfamilysummit.com/2...
In the Blend - Laura Jenkins (Season 4, Episode 1, August 8, 2023)
https://intheblend.com.au/podcast/geo...
DC Public Library Podcast: Get Lit - Christopher Stevenson (Episode 88, January 16, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Women Winning at Writing - Chelsia McCoy (Season 6, Episode 8, April 2, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
The Stepmom Wisdom Circle - Claudette Chenevert (Season 2, Episode 9, May 16, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Raising His Kids - Lauren and Toni (Episode 76, May 20, 2024)
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
2024 Stepfamily Summit - Author Panel (Navigating the Complexities of Stepfamily Life: Tools for Conflict Resolution and Harmony)
https://thestepfamilysummit.com/autho...
2024 Ultimate Stepfamily Summit Bonus Workbook (Redefining Stepmoms: Breaking Stereotypes & Embracing Positivity in Stepfamilies)
https://aws.thestepfamilysummit.com/2...
December 13, 2024
Recommended Holiday Reading for Stepmoms and Blended Families!
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanza to everyone!
To all my dedicated followers and readers! I’m very happy to see how Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers has been warmly received. Since beginning this journey, I have met so many wonderful new people when marketing on different podcasts and this year‘s local DC Literary Hill Book Fest. I have now achieved a personal milestone, which was to collect over 50 book reviews!
I would like to thank all of the wonderful readers that have read and submitted their reviews, this is made a big difference to my sales!
If you would like to continue supporting the author and Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers, here are some opportunities below:
Sign the petition on Change.org for Disney to give us new movies with good stepmothers! Maybe Disney will choose new stories from my collection if we collect enough votes here.
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-dis...
Buy my book at Politics and Prose and help me renew my consignment contract for the next quarter. Support independent writers in DC!
https://politics-prose.com/book/97982...
If you have purchased a copy recently, please add your reviews to my book pages on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. I'm hoping to confirm a book signing with the local B&N store in my neighborhood next year after their grand re-opening.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tale...
Help me complete my next goal, which is to collect 100 reviews before Christmas 2024.
Thank you for supporting my mission to promote justice for stepmothers in fiction and reality!
To all my dedicated followers and readers! I’m very happy to see how Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers has been warmly received. Since beginning this journey, I have met so many wonderful new people when marketing on different podcasts and this year‘s local DC Literary Hill Book Fest. I have now achieved a personal milestone, which was to collect over 50 book reviews!
I would like to thank all of the wonderful readers that have read and submitted their reviews, this is made a big difference to my sales!
If you would like to continue supporting the author and Tales of Virtuous Stepmothers, here are some opportunities below:
Sign the petition on Change.org for Disney to give us new movies with good stepmothers! Maybe Disney will choose new stories from my collection if we collect enough votes here.
https://www.change.org/p/the-walt-dis...
Buy my book at Politics and Prose and help me renew my consignment contract for the next quarter. Support independent writers in DC!
https://politics-prose.com/book/97982...
If you have purchased a copy recently, please add your reviews to my book pages on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. I'm hoping to confirm a book signing with the local B&N store in my neighborhood next year after their grand re-opening.
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tale...
Help me complete my next goal, which is to collect 100 reviews before Christmas 2024.
Thank you for supporting my mission to promote justice for stepmothers in fiction and reality!
