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I made Grimmer Tales because I've always loved fairytales and twisting ideas.    Of course, fairy tales started out twisted.  They used to be full of wicked stepsisters cutting off their toes to fit into slippers and woodcutters hacking animals apart.  They were great!  But then things got softened and Disney-fied.  At base, still entertaining, but far too nice.  Moral lessons were erased and replaced with "and they all lived happily ever after".  That's something a mental patient would say.  I wanted to say something that a different mental patient would say.   So I went at these stories with the idea of RE-twisting them.

So that's pretty much what this book is.  Modern twists on old fairy tales.  What I think would happen today with fairy tale situations.  There's still plenty of magic, but of course the world has changed quite a bit.  Things we know now open whole new scenarios.  While it might be possible to get over the moon, a naked jumping cow might not be the best one to do it.    Or even as nice as mice and birds might be, if they make you a dress it's not going to be pretty.  Otherwise there would be sweatshops full of them.

This book mixes my two favorite things: imagination and being a jerk.  In the world of imagination creatures can be as adorable as you'd like and anything can happen.  And in the world of being a jerk I want them all to suffer.  But in a good way, because pathos is always funny.   Just look at Pat Sajak. 

It's all in good fun.  I don't mean to say that the shadows will consume us all.  I just think they will.  I hope you like my book!

Grimmer Tales Erik Bergstrom Plume Fairy Tales Happily Never After