A biracial teen is forced into a betrothal with an enigmatic lord. A Latina teen races to recover her stolen identity and escape a dark fae court. A Black teen with forbidden abilities rescues his lover from a dystopian regime. In Once Upon A Realm, familiar fairy tales are reenvisioned and reborn as six authors from Black and/or Latina backgrounds create novella-length stories that transport readers to fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian worlds. Each story shatters stereotypes and challenges traditional narratives, inviting readers to see themselves reflected in tales of adventure, magic, romance, and strength. Fans of The Lunar Chronicles, A Blade So Black, A Curse So Dark and Lonely, and Cinderella is Dead will fall in love with these fresh, fierce takes on fairy tales. This collection Red in the Woods by K. R. S. McEntire, inspired by Little Red Riding Hood Shadow and Song by Montrez, inspired by Peter Pan Circuits and Nerve by Alicia Ellis, inspired by Hansel and Gretel These Sapphire Walls by Krystina Coles, inspired by Bluebeard A Bloodstained Sun by E. M. Lacey, inspired by Snow White Waking Up by R. L. Medina, inspired by Sleeping Beauty
Authors
R.L. Medina was born in the Amazon, adopted and raised by two upstate New Yorkers. At age six, she vowed to hate reading forever. That hate quickly turned to love (or obsessions) and by age eight she was filling every notebook with story after story. Now a mother herself, she juggles her time between a busy four year old and the stubborn characters that demand her time. When she’s not exploring all the Sci-fi and Fantasy worlds in her head, she enjoys life with her family in Florida.
E. M. Lacey is an author who writes dark urban fantasy, dystopian, and science fiction. She’s a coffee drinkin’, meme postin’, movie watchin’ girl who loves to talk all things books and movies. You might bump into her at local comic cons and other such nerd fests. Whenever she’s not getting her nerd on, she’s writing, reading, binge-watching Netflix, or communing with horror movie fans and other authors online. Ms. Lacey hails from Homestead, Florida but resides in Chicago, Illinois. She is working on her next piece.
Alicia Ellis decided to write books about ten minutes before graduating from law school. She’s now an Atlanta attorney moonlighting as an author, electronics junkie, and secret superhero. With two degrees in computer science and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction, she loves creative problem-solving, especially as it relates to high-tech things. Alicia writes mysteries, sometimes for young adults, sometimes in fantasy or science fiction settings, and sometimes in the real world. Her debut novel, Girl of Flesh and Metal, a young adult sci-fi mystery, was the first self-published book ever to make the American Library Association’s LITA Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. https://writeralicia.com/links Website | Amazon | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
