“Once upon a time, in a land far, far away…” This is the fairytale introduction that most of us heard in countless tales from our childhood. From Disney films to novels, classic stories like Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, and Snow White have been told and retold in every possible manner. But few iterations bother to explore what happens after the traditional endings. Join us as we sit down with author Christine Calella to hear about her new novel Liar’s Kingdom, which picks up at the end of Cinderella and is full of exciting twists and turns!
About Christine Calella
Christine Calella is the author of The Final Curse of Ophelia Cray and Liar’s Kingdom. She lives in New York City, where she spends her spare time singing show tunes in the shower, drinking more chai lattes than is strictly necessary, and either over- or under-watering an unfortunate string of houseplants named after sitcom characters.
Thank you, Christine, let’s get started!
For any readers who may be unfamiliar with it, can you give us an elevator pitch for Liar’s Kingdom?
What happens when the wrong girl happens to fit Prince Charming’s glass slipper — and chooses to roll with the lie to escape her evil stepfamily? Or, in other words…Girlboss, gatekeep, glass slipper.
What first interested you in writing a retelling of your own? Was there a specific theme or moment from the original story of Cinderella that you wanted to expand on?
I always loved Cinderella retellings, and the things that always got me about the core concept were: 1) Why does nobody else in the kingdom wear this same shoe size? 2) Why can’t the prince identify her by her face? And 3) What would have happened if somebody else fit the slipper before the “true” dance partner? It just always struck me as awfully convenient that Cinderella is the most deserving, long-suffering girl in the kingdom, and it all works out for her to get her happy ending this way. But what if…she actually seized an opportunity when it came to her, and she wasn’t the real girl from the ball at all?
Cinderella, the fairytale that inspired Liar’s Kingdom, is an instantly recognizable story. How did you manage to balance elements from the original story with your new twists to keep that sense of familiarity?
It was fairly easy to keep the twists and turns coming for this one because Liar’s Kingdom picks up at the end of the traditional tale, with Ell first putting on the shoe. From there, it’s a wild rollercoaster ride as we embark on new territory with her life in the palace — but also, it still felt concocted from the DNA of that original tale because I was sort of filling in the plot holes one by one and seeing where that naturally led the story.
You recently announced your debut romance novel, The Austen Affair! What can readers expect from this time-traveling romance?
Thank you for asking! It’s a real love letter to Jane. You can expect a bucketload of Austen references — including my favorite line from P&P 2005: “What excellent boiled potatoes…” — all while two feuding co-stars on a Northanger Abbey film adaptation have to navigate accidentally falling back in time to the real Regency. They have to use their research for their roles to blend in with country society and find their way back home — which made my little history major heart happy.
When you’re not writing your own books, you’ve been helping others promote their books as a publicist for Simon & Schuster! How did your career as a publicist lend to your writing career?
I tend to try to keep these careers pretty separate for the purposes of keeping my focus, but it’s definitely a fun perspective to get to see this industry from both sides. Plus, it gives me my favorite mild-mannered alter ego joke: “By day, she works in publishing. By night, she…also works in publishing.”
If your life could be compared to any fairytale, which would it be and why?
I’d say Little Red Riding Hood because I love a long walk, traveling with baked goods, and adding a pop of color to my outfits. And who among us has not wanted to befriend a strange dog once or twice in our lives?
Are there any other fairy tales you’d love to retell one day?
Oh, so many. In my heart, I do believe there’s something interesting at play between Sleeping Beauty and the “evil fairy” who cursed her. I’d love to explore the dynamics of why she didn’t get invited to the party and unspool the story’s tension from there. Also, Rumplestiltskin. What’s going on with all the firstborn kids he’s successfully collected? Is he educating them? Making them apprentices in his art of mischief? I must know! Maybe they’re off living together somewhere — I like to imagine they’re being cared for by an old lady who sublets a giant shoe.
To close out, can you share some of your favorite Cinderella retellings?
For suuuure. Almost too many to count! I think the most formative ones were the Rodgers & Hammerstein Cinderella TV movie that starred Brandy and Whitney Houston, as well as Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. One started the hyperfixation, while the other kept me locked in for life. But nobody should sleep on the impact of Drew Barrymore in Ever After, and of course, my favorite musical of all time is Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, which actually provides the epigraph to Liar’s Kingdom. It was oddly fitting: “It’s fun to deceive / when you know you can leave / but you have to be wary.”
Thank you for giving us a glimpse into your writing inspiration, Christine! Be sure to keep up with all of Christine’s book news on her Instagram and official website, and don’t forget to order Liar’s Kingdom on Bookshop and Amazon.
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Find Christine’s books and more on our Fantasy bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
