Foreword
Fairy Tales Retold
by Misty Simon

The first fairy tale I clearly remember my mother reading to me was Cinderella. I felt the sprinkle of Fairy Godmother dust, was whisked away in a pumpkin coach, and danced madly with a handsome prince before losing my shoe during my late night escape. And when the moment finally came, the clear glass slipper that fit like a dream, was cool against my toes. After that, I was insatiable. I read every tale I could get my hands on. They opened up a new world to me–one I never wanted to leave. They also started me on the path I travel today.

Ultimately, I love the happily ever after, but I wanted those of us who are voluptuous, curvy, or full-figured to have our own princes lean down and wake us with true love’s first kiss. This anthology gave me the perfect opportunity to spread my fairy wings and give my plump princess her very own walk in the world of make believe.

So, I’d like to welcome you to a world of faeries, princes, kings, and magic. Here you’ll find inventive stories based on such wonderful fairy tales as:

• "The Haughty Princess" - the story of the journey of a spoiled princess who turns into a humble and lovely woman—inside and out—through trials that test who she thinks she is.

• "Seamus and the Sleeping Princess" - an Irish fairy tale where a peasant man rescues a princess from the fairies (but this time it’s the lady who saves the prince).

• "The Princess in Disguise" - the story of a queen-to-be that runs away and disguises herself as a boy to save herself from an unwanted marriage.

• "The Princess and the Pea" - the story of a princess who unknowingly proves her royalty by sleeping on a stack of mattresses, within which a pea is hidden. (This contemporary version of the tale has the prince stuck on the lumpy mattress.)

The ladies and I have taken these fascinating stories and set them on their collective ears. We’ve given them big beautiful heroines who can, and do, find their way through trials and tests with love as the ultimate prize. The knight on a white steed is still there, but our leading ladies can not only rescue themselves, they sometimes end up rescuing the knight as well. Each of our heroines is savvy enough and strong enough to love her man as he is, flaws and all. It’s the man inside, not the title, she falls for.

So, settle back and get comfy because we’ve got a tale or four to tell you.