Friday, June 27, 2014

Five Glass Slippers Blog Tour: Featuring Clara Diane Thompson!



What a fantastic event this blog tour has been! Each of our lovely ballroom belles has answered a variety of interesting and amusing questions, not to mention given us a glimpse of their dream ball gowns and favorite dance tunes. If you want to be sure to catch all the fun, visit tour hostess Amber Stokes' blog, Seasons of Humility. And don't miss out on this great deal for the Kindle edition of Five Glass Slippers! Just 0.99 until the end of the week!



Today, on the last day of the tour, I am featuring our fifth "Cinderella," Clara Diane Thompson, author of The Moon Master's Ball, a magical retelling of the classic fairy tale that spins new lore all its own! Curious about this mysteriously spooky story of hers, I asked Clara this question: 

"Where and when did the idea for The Moon Master’s Ball begin? Did you wake up one morning with the whole thing clear in your head, or did you have to work with it to make it come together?"

Here is Clara's answer: I had a very vivid dream one night about a traveling circus, and when I woke up, I had fantastic Beauty and the Beast idea where the circus was basically the Beast’s “castle”. Cinderella didn’t even come to mind. Who thinks about Cinderella? Beauty and the Beast is the way to go as far as retellings! (Or so I thought.) I scribbled the idea down in my journal and promptly forgot about it.

Then you announced the Five Glass Slippers contest, and I started brainstorming, not even thinking about the circus idea I had written down only months ago! The Moon Master’s Ball actually started out very, very, different from the way it ended up. When I started writing, the story was about a small town on the edge of an eerie forest where an “evil” prince lives. That idea didn't work out, obviously, but I still loved the title. So, I referred back to my journal and came across the circus idea . . .

That’s when the true plot of Moon Master’s began to unfold itself to me slowly, but surely. Then I put the Cinderella spin on it. Parts of the story I planned as I went, others I planned out before starting the writing process.  I never knew I would love writing a Cinderella story so much.

 So that is how my short story came to be! Winged some of it, and planned most of it. 

Thanks for the question, Anne Elisabeth! 

I am so glad you rediscovered that old idea, Clara. The Moon Master's Ball is a delicious story, like hot cider on a cold day.

Here is a little more about the story itself for those of you curious! 
 

THE MOON MASTER'S BALL

After her terrifying experience there several years ago, the one place young housemaid Tilly longs to avoid is Bromley’s Circus. But when kindly Lord Hollingberry begs her to deliver a message to the mysterious Moon Master hidden away among the circus dwellers, Tilly can’t refuse . . . and finds herself ensnared in a web of enchantment cast by the loathsome Mrs. Carlisle and her beautiful goddaughter.

  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

 Clara Diane Thompson lives in the swamps of Louisiana with her loving family, dashing dog, and a very confused frog that resides in the birdhouse outside her window. Aside from writing she enjoys playing guitar, singing, Broadway plays (particularly The Phantom of the Opera), ballet, tea with friends, and long BBC movies. An enchanted circus may or may not appear occasionally in her back yard.



You can find out more about Clara and her writing on her blog: www.ClaraDianeThompson.blogspot.com.


Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 23rd | Cinderella of the Day: Elisabeth Brown
·         Blooming with Books
·         Books, Cats, and Whimsy
·         Fictionally
·         Historical Heartbeats
·         i blog 4 books
·         J.L. Mbewe
·         Not All By My Lonesome
·         Rina’s Reading
·         The Splendor Falls on Castle Walls + Review
·         To Be A Person + Review


Tuesday, June 24th | Cinderella of the Day: Emma Clifton
·         A Curious Thrill
·         A Writer’s Heart
·         Fictionally
·         Flowers of Quiet Happiness
·         Jaye L. Knight
·         Jenelle Schmidt
·         Not All By My Lonesome
·         Tales of Goldstone Wood
·         The Wonderings of One Person
·         The Writer’s Window + Review

Wednesday, June 25th | Cinderella of the Day: Rachel Heffington
·         A Writer’s Heart
·         Blooming with Books
·         Flowers of Quiet Happiness
·         i blog 4 books
·         Jaye L. Knight
·         Jenelle Schmidt
·         Rina’s Reading
·         Tialla’s Tellings
·         Vonnie’s Reading Corner + Review

Thursday, June 26th | Cinderella of the Day: Stephanie Ricker
·         Books, Cats, and Whimsy + Review
·         Home of the Shabby Elf
·         Rina’s Reading
·         Scribbles of Catholic Sisters
·         The Lore-Mistress
·         The Wonderings of One Person
·         The Writer’s Window
·         Tialla’s Tellings
·         Vonnie’s Reading Corner

Friday, June 27th | Cinderella of the Day: Clara Diane Thompson
·         A Curious Thrill
·         Blooming with Books
·         Fictionally
·         Flowers of Quiet Happiness + Review
·         Jenelle Schmidt
·         Kathryn Elizabeth Jones
·         Tales of Goldstone Wood
·         The Wonderings of One Person
·         Vonnie’s Reading Corner

Saturday, June 28th | Giveaway Winner Announced at Seasons of Humility

*Blog Tour Home: http://seasonsofhumility.blogspot.com/p/five-glass-slippers-blog-tour.html  This is where you can keep up-to-date on the blog tour happenings, view the schedule with links, grab the tour button, etc.

Don't miss out on this great giveaway! One lucky winner will receive all of these fantastic Cinderella-themed prizes, including gifts from three of the five authoresses themselves!


 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

7 comments:

Emily Parcha said...

I can't wait to read this book! It sounds absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!

Amber Holcomb said...

How interesting! Yes, the tale of Beauty & the Beast makes for some great retellings (yay Five Enchanted Roses! ;)). But I love the ideas you wove together to make this a Cinderella retelling. Great job, Clara!

~Amber

Clara said...

Thanks, Amber! It was a fun story to write.

Emily Chapman said...

'The Moon Master's Ball' is tied with 'Broken Glass' for my favorite story in the collection. ^.^ (Although I can't legally pick a favorite yet, as I have one more story left unread.)

Clara said...

Ooh, I'm so glad you liked it, Emily! And I agree, Broken Glass is WONDERFUL!

Anonymous said...

The premises of these short stories sound great! It'll be quite an interesting read.

- Heather

Anonymous said...

I really liked your book! Even though I read it after sunset. It was intriguing. My favourite character was Scatter. He was so funny.
Jemma