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of geese and cottagecore fairy tales 🌺 (COVER REVEAL SIGNUPS!)

Saraina Whitney

This will explain why geese have been on my mind lately. 🤭

I’m SO EXCITED to announce that I’m a part of the Cornerstone Series, a collection of Christian fantasy fairy tale retellings by 16 different authors! They’re novellas, and will each release individually from October to February. But you know what comes before that?

Yep! COVER REVEALS!

They take place this June, and we would absolutely love your help in sharing the series covers wherever you can! You’ll be sent four graphics to share in June.

help us reveal the covers!


So, what fairy tale am I retelling?

The title of this post kinda gave it away, didn’t it?

I’m doing a twist on 🌺 The Goose Girl 🌺! As a dramatic change from A Valley of Stars and the darker royal fantasy aesthetic…I want to this novella to feel cottagecore. So it will have lighter, more whimsical vibes – and the sweet friends-to-lovers trope I’m adding will definitely aid in that.

(Y’know, as opposed to mortal-enemies-to-lovers.)

As inspiration, I’m reading Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl, and my goodness, it’s beautifully written. So WHIMSICAL.

I’m still fleshing the story out, so I don’t yet have a blurb to give you, but some elements I’m planning to include are:

  • friends-to-lovers
  • bodyguard x princess
  • themes of duty and love tearing you in opposite directions
  • a twist on the mistaken identity trope
  • forbidden love
Images from Pinterest

Prayers would be appreciated, as I have another of those dreaded deadlines for this novella. 😆 Right now, I’m debating the merits of jumping headfirst into the story and seeing where the current takes me…versus outlining it down to the last chapter.

I should probably outline enough to know exactly where I’m going so that I don’t hit a snag and get stuck on that for weeks…totally not speaking from experience. 😛

Despite this touch of trepidation, I am so excited about this story!!! Mainly because I already love the characters so much. *bundles them in hugs* THEY ARE DARLINGS.

And the title is already decided, believe it or not.

Because I’m childish and polls are fun, pick your guess below! Once you vote, you’ll see the right answer. *grin*

VOILA! Was it what you guessed?

If your June will be too crazy to share all four graphics of the Cornerstone series covers…but you’d still like to help reveal mine, I got ya.

Here’s the signup to reveal just my story’s cover!

(Of course, if you’re going all in and signing up for the full series cover reveal…you don’t need to sign up for this solo reveal. 😉)

cover reveal signups for *my story only*

Have you read Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl? What’s your favorite fairy tale retelling? Do you have a favorite classic fairytale MOVIE? (The 2015 Cinderella is exquisite and definitely my favorite, but Tangled is also epic ❤ ) What books do you consider cottagecore?

36 thoughts on “of geese and cottagecore fairy tales 🌺 (COVER REVEAL SIGNUPS!)”

  3. This is so exciting!!!!!!!! I LOVED Shannon Hale’s The Goose Girl!!! You cannot make me choose a favorite fairy tale retelling, but I really enjoy the ones written my Madisyn Carlin and Leialoha Humpherys!l

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    1. Ahh, you loved it too?!!! Isn’t it AMAZING!!? 😍 Haha, I’m not sure I could choose a favorite either 😛 Same, I love Madisyn’s! (I haven’t yet read anything by Leialoha Humpherys, but I’ve heard great things about her stories! 😉 )

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  4. Yes! And I loved it. Mine would have to be…..Wendy Mass’ Twice Upon A Time books for sure! I like Peter Pan. (Have you noticed that his name is *Peter *and he can’t fly when he stops believing (Biblical reference???) The Anne of Green Gables series is cottagecore, I think.

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    1. Ohh, I’ve never heard of that series! I like the spin on the phrase “once upon a time” 😉 (WAIT…I never realized that. 😱 So cool!!) Yess, that’s exactly what I was thinking too! It’s the essence of cottagecore for me! XD

      Thank you for commenting! ❤

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  7. Eek!!! This is so exciting!!! *throws confetti* I LOVE The Goose Girl fairytale! It’s a favorite! I really liked Shannon Hale’s retelling of this story! Anytime I find a retelling of this story I get so excited!!! I love the cottagecore aesthetic! *heart eyes*

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    1. Ack, thank you, Moriyah! <333 That's awesome you love the Goose Girl fairytale – AND the cottagecore aesthetic 😛 🥰 I can't wait to share this story eventually!!!

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  9. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH SARAINA I AM SO SO SO SO EXCITED FOR YOU AND I CANNOT WAIT TO READ YOUR STORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEE *bounces with excitement* I was going to sign up just to reveal your cover but since the form was closed, I just went to sign up for them all. I love that your story is going to be a Goose Girl retelling and the AESTHETIC is gorgeous! *heart eyes* Oh and the 2015 Cinderella is hands down my favorite fairytale movie but I am also a sucker for any and all things cinderella. XD

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    1. AHHHHHHH THANK YOU ISSABELLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🥰 (Oops…I just went to check, and I’d apparently accidentally deleted the form. 😱 I restored it so it’s working now, but…I have no memory of doing that. Weird 🤣 But thank you so much for signing up to reveal all of them!!!! ❤ ) AWW! So happy you're excited!!!! YES GIRL. It's such an delightful fairytale in general!

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    1. Thank you so much for tagging me, Hannah!! 😊 Lol I forgot about the Sunshine Blogger Award…those are always so fun!

      Aww, thank you for your encouragement! <333

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  11. This sounds so lovely! 😍 Lol, I’m a little late to the part, but CONGRATS, SARAINA! I can’t say I’ve heard of that fairytale before, but I’ll gladly help you spread the word on this. We all can tell from the elements that you’ve got a stellar story in the works! I can’t believe I didn’t get the right answer for the poll, though. 😂

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        1. OHH! I relate, girl! 😭 (Though to be more specific, are you talking about including the wedding or actually a story about a marriage? 👀)

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            1. Haha! I totally get it! 😂😂 I will say, I’m *planning* to include a wedding in the story, so A Noble Bride wasn’t too far off 😛

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  12. I can’t wait for a Goose Girl fairytale retelling! I have read multiple Goose Girl retellings and they don’t disappoint! I loved the one by Melanie Cellier (have you read that one?). I also can’t wait to find out what the other books in the Cornerstone Series are going to be about.

    God bless you Saraina!

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    1. Yay!!! I hope you enjoy it!! 🥰 Wait, she wrote a Goose Girl retelling?? Then I totally need to put that on my TBR 😉 Ahh, I bet you’re gonna love the other books!!! I’m so excited to read them myself!!!

      Aww, thank you for your sweet comment!! ❤

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  13. I don’t think I’ve officially congratulated you yet on your story going to be published, so CONGRATS!!!🥳 I’m soooo excited for A Noble Princess; I just know it’s going to be AMAZING!!

    (Also, is it too late to sign up to reveal the cover for your novella? If it is, that’s alright. I just wanted to ask. 🙂 )

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  14. Thanks, Saraina and Emily for tagging me. (When y’all tagged ‘you’)

    Picture 3 on Saraina’s:

    Running. It’s all I do. But someday, things will change. I know that’s true, because, almost a decade ago, I didn’t run.

    When I was little, it was me, Mom, and Dad against the world. Then Dad died. Mom did what she could, I love her.

    But I know we could both do more. The state’s at my ankles to start school. And everyone that hires Mom gets a thief and once they figure that out they call the police.

    So we skip town. Every time I get used to life in a new place my mom says these words, “Lovebug. We aren’t welcome anymore. Someday we will be. But not today.”

    But now, that someday, is today. A week ago my mom got found out by the police, leaving me in foster care. I was scared at first, I thought of the foster parents in the movies I’d watch in hotel rooms. They were mean and scary.

    But I feel different as we drive up to the stucco house on the corner. By the toys littered across the yard and the potted plants in the windows, I know these people are special. When my social worker knocks on the door the woman that answers is special.

    She’s got greying curly hair. And she’s short and slightly chubby like me. She doesn’t look like a model, but to me, she’s the most beautiful woman in the world, because, for once, I have a home. And a family. And I know it’s gonna be good.

    (Gettin’ TAYA vibes right now…)

    Prompt 1: (Just know that your story for this does not have to be scientifically accurate)

    ‘After she gave up on her dreams, she couldn’t go back to sleep…’

    Prompt 2: ‘The letter arrived with a stamp from Cambodia.”You know what you did, and you will pay…” was scrawled on paper that looked like ancient parchment… addressed to Juliette Marzona 1883. It’s 1964 and no one has seen Juliette since the 1880s’

    Prompt 3: Story or poem or flash fiction inspired by the song ‘Gonna be Good’ by TAYA. (I actually don’t like this song even though it’s always stuck in my head, so I’m hoping a story, poem, flash fiction might make me tolerate it more)

    Prompt 4: ‘There’s no way I can like NAME. He’s NAME. The dork who has thrown up on me before. The goofball who my horse has kicked. My best friend. The person who’s been by my side since I was three. The one who has kissed my cheek a thousand times. Who has gone with me to every event since we were old enough to need a ‘date’. Yet, those thoughts can’t convince my heart to do anything.’

    (This is actually a part I wrote for my novel, but go ahead and use it cause I edited everything anyway)

    Prompt 5:

    I found this on Google.

    I tag…

    Raelyn Quinn

    Rue Arrow

    Lorelei Angelino

    Alannah Faith (Let’s run free)

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      1. Huh, that’s so weird that the comments go to this post! I’ll just blame WordPress lol 😅 No worries, you’re good!

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