To discover the story of the twin’s childhood, read the first book in The Four Kingdoms series - The Princess Companion: A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea.
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Acknowledgments
I didn’t expect it, but this book turned out to be one of the hardest I’ve ever written. Beauty and the Beast is a beloved fairy tale—possibly the most beloved—so retelling it comes with a lot of pressure. It’s also unlike many other fairy tales, with the adventure overshadowed by an intense and complex romance. I’ve done my best to make the story my own, bringing it into my Four Kingdoms world, while keeping all the elements that have been beloved by so many generations.
There is so much that is enchanting in the story of Beauty and the Beast—that the worst of circumstances can somehow lead to the best; that we are all worthy of being loved, no matter what we look like or what hurts we have either caused or endured; that self-sacrifice will be rewarded; that love can conquer all. And despite the stress of the writing, I’ve enjoyed seeing Sophie and Dominic living out this tale.
But I couldn’t have done it without the support of those around me and, in particular, my husband, Marc, and my amazing friend Katie, who kept me and my family alive, fed and sane while I wrote, agonized, edited and agonized some more. Thanks for listening to me and taking me seriously, however crazy I became.
A special thanks, too, to Rachel and Greg who read the book chapter by chapter as I wrote it and gave both encouragement and excellent feedback. This book is for you, as much as it is for Elodie.
Also helping me through this book has been my new community of writers, each of whom encouraged me at some point during the process (even if it was just with a funny gif and far more confidence in me than I deserved). Thank you Kitty, Kenley, Shari, Aya, Brittany, Diana and Simone for understanding this crazy journey that is the life of a writer and for welcoming me into your own journeys.
Once again, my editor Mary brought insightful improvements to the story, and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work my books through with her. I am thankful, also, for my other editors—my Dad and Deborah—who are dedicated in their work and incredibly patient with my changing timelines.
The same is true of my cover designer Karri, who designed and brought to life the stunning cover. It seems to embody the brilliant sun dress worn so effectively by Beauty in the Grimm Brothers’ strange version of this tale.
Our life takes so many unexpected twists and turns, and I am so grateful to God for helping me to keep writing through the most recent ones in my own life. I only hope that I will have the opportunity to write through many more.
About the Author
Melanie Cellier grew up on a staple diet of books, books and more books. And although she got older, she never stopped loving children’s and young adult novels.
She always wanted to write one herself, but it took three careers and three different continents before she actually managed it.
She now feels incredibly fortunate to spend her time writing from her home in Adelaide, Australia where she keeps an eye out for koalas in her backyard. Her staple diet hasn’t changed much, although she’s added choc mint Rooibos tea and Chicken Crimpies to the list.
Her young adult Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series are made up of linked stand-alone stories that retell classic fairy tales.
A Tale of Beauty and Beast: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast (Beyond the Four Kingdoms Book 2) Page 26