Sept. 5- 7, 2025 – Rapunzel, Rapunzel…

I recently asked a YA reader to evaluate my historical romantasy to see if my novel would appeal to that audience. They in return gave me the titles of 3 books that are being marketed in that genre. I decided to “read” the audio version so I could work on my illustrations for my children’s picture book as I did so – good old multitasking! I found that all three plots and protagonists reminded me of the old Rapunzel fairy tale. I’m sure you remember that famous line from the tale by the Brothers Grimm, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair.”  or the modern Disney version called “Tangled”. I was hoping to find key elements of my story that were reflected those books. This is what I discovered.

The key elements of the storyline of all the YA novels I listened to reminded me of Rapunzel:

·       Overly protective or controlling parent or authority figure – often there was gaslighting

·       Young person needing or wanting freedom or autonomy – often acting out or creating elaborate plans to thwart those in control

·       Rescuer comes into story to save the day – the handsome prince or love interest, but could even be the young person themselves

I must confess that I was shocked when I realized how closely these popular, top selling novels reflected the Rapunzel trope – if that’s even a thing. Furthermore, my own manuscript, which I didn’t think followed that storyline at all, actually does: Elizabeth rescues herself by accepting an inheritance that takes her half a world away in order to escape the micro managing of her well-meaning parents. By stepping back and making a 5-degree shift in my perspective of the issue (as my late husband, a psychotherapist often encouraged) I was able to see that my novel actually does follow the current trend. The big difference is that my story is very fast paced, and the plot is more complex. I’ll be interested to see how well my work is received by agents and publishers.

I have also used every free moment to transcribe old recipes and get them all in one place. At the moment they are scattered throughout 5 scribblers and a binder. I need to organize then so we can begin planning for the new YouTube series G-G Cooks.

My final task has been to redo the illustration of the child in the picture book I’ve written. I wasn’t happy with the facial expression. I'm very pleased with this latest, and hopefully, final attempt. I'm also determined to redo the title page illustration. I've been tempted to scrap it entirely and start again from scratch. I've posted it below. What do you think? Leave me your thoughts in the comments section. I'd love to hear your feedback.

Unfortunately, my right shoulder, the one that needs replacing, has finally given out and completely collapsed. I’ve been reduced to hunt and peck typing with my left hand. As a result, I will be posting less often until a solution can be found. Please bear with me…

Best wishes always…

P.S. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog! My intention is to keep followers up to date on my latest writing adventures. My current focus is on fiction genres including children's picture books and YA/NA historical romanticies. I'm also preparing to write an epic fantasy for the young adult audience. As a debut author I face all the challenges of breaking into the traditional publishing market. I need your interest and support to do so! Please consider following me here and on other social media platforms, which you can access on the Home page of my author's web site. I'll be adding more in the weeks to come so please check back from time to time as I add new non-fiction materials to my entries. Thank you so much, in advance, for following my blog. You are potentially helping me enrich the lives of future readers. I just need this break to attract my first agent representation! Your efforts will make all the difference! Thank you once again.