Such a fantastic title for a fairy tale that until this weekend, I had never heard of. This almost 200-page story by George Macdonald is one that is perfect for almost all ages (I would say 7 and up), genders, religions, etc. It truly has it all: a beautiful great great great grandmother who is centuries old but looks young and smells of roses and can only be seen by those who are “ready” to see her; a young princess who is both savior and in need of saving and who follows her trust-worthy great grandmother even when it makes no sense to do so; a young boy who is honest, courageous, and selfless; and evil goblins always lurking unseen but continuously working to bring their dark world into ours. It is, in so many ways, the perfect analogy of the unseen spiritual world. A world that I am convinced is as real as the world we see around us. And a world that I have been particularly focused on these last several months as I have been writing my new novel Awakening.
In Awakening, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some new characters and entering into their world. I am told the novel is as good as the others I have written. In truth, I sort of lose all sense of my writing after I have written and re-written so many times and so have to rely on others to tell me the honest truth. Hopefully, they are being honest! You will all be able to decide for yourselves in May or June. In some moments that seems so far away and in other moments, it seems like it is just around the corner.
Before I release Awakening, I will be releasing a children’s picture book for ages 2-7. Extraordinary, in its own lovely way, deals with the same spiritual world. It is no surprise to me that I wrote this little story while I was in the midst of writing Awakening. Extraordinary will be released in just a few weeks, and I truly cannot wait to share it with all of you and to put it in some of my favorite little ones’ Easter baskets. Along with the release of the picture book, I will also be releasing the same book but as a coloring book. This was my 9-year-old’s idea. When he saw the beautiful sketches done by my amazing illustrator, he asked if he could help color in the pictures. I thought other children might enjoy the same opportunity 😊.
I know these current times are uncertain, but I must say I keep thinking about the world of The Light Series, and really, I feel pretty darn good about things. We have power, running water, food, internet, medicine, laws, police, military. I hope you all can feel the same sense of gratitude! And I pray that you are all healthy and safe. If you find yourself with some unexpected downtime, consider reading The Princess and the Goblin.
Stay Healthy,
Jacqueline