Today is part two of two where we are talking to P.S. Nail about her novels. After today you will have heard about writing as a kid, being inspired by life, publishing your first book as a birthday gift to yourself, writing incredibly fast, following other authors for tips and tricks, using social media to find beta readers, setting smaller goals to feel proud of yourself and keep going and support your fellow indie creators.

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P.S. Nail's Website - P.S. Nail's Facebook Page - P.S. Nail's Instagram - P.S. Nail's Twitter - P.S. Nail's TikTok

Dreaming of becoming an author since she was a young girl, P.S. Nail finally took the plunge and decided to self-publish her debut paranormal romance, Violet Flames.

She enjoys playing guitar, video games, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She currently lives in the United States with her husband, three sons, and pets.

She will continue writing until death, dismissal, or dishonor.

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Today is part two of Two, where we are talking to P.

S.

Nail about her novels.

After today, you will have heard about writing as a kid, being inspired by life, publishing your first book as a birthday gift to yourself, writing incredibly fast, following other authors for tips and tricks, using social media to find beta readers, setting smaller goals to feel proud of yourself and keep going, and support your fellow indie creators.

Raised by Venom, or has been brewing between two opposing groups for over 300 years.

Venum vampire eradicating.

National organization of malice and sav e supernaturals against venom.

Elitists Sage, a human trained as a vampire hunter and born into the Venom Society, made a mistake on her first night in the field when she chose the wrong vampire to kill.

She now has a mark on her back from his vengeful, blood sucking brother.

Being terrorized by a vampire is stressful enough, but when secrets about her society are revealed, she struggles with her own moral code.

What is Venom actually doing with its victims?

Luca, a vampire and a member of Save, watched his brothers die at the hands of Sage.

He is strategically planning to mess up her world before getting his revenge.

But what fun would that be without terrifying her first?

The hunter will be the hunted, a sage, and those around her become his prey.

It's easy to make enemies when you have opposing views, and when these two collide, you don't want to be in the way.

Blood will spill and hearts will break in a fight for survival.

The thrill of fighting him was addicting.

He was addicting.

His eyes darkened as he looked at me from under his long lashes.

His hands tightened on my throat and I swallowed hard from the pressure, the nervousness now getting to me.

He moved in close, his nose touching mine.

His fangs were only a breath away, along with his lips.

Sage my breaths were ragged as I.

Tried hard to shift my focus, to.

Break the intense eye contact.

But I couldn't.

Her beautiful brown irises were giving me life.

The c*** of a small crossbow made.

Me flinch, the fear of death being the only thing that could take my attention from her.

Luca so what is the biggest piece.

Of advice that you would give to either someone starting out or someone needing help in their authoring?

Follow a lot of indie authors that there's someone there that will go out of their way to make sure they teach people like Golden Angel and a few others, and they post a lot of videos about where to start or what to do and websites that are great and helpful.

And then there's also discords.

There's a lot of discords going around right now of different author groups that are helping each other.

And they have different sections in there that you can get help with your blurb and different websites.

It's a neat community because we do all help the crap out of each other.

I've helped people, and so many people have helped me.

And it's just that would be my biggest thing, is make sure you're paying attention to what's going on.

Listen to authors when they're telling you because they got experiences.

But not everyone is always right.

Remember that.

Not everyone is always right.

Some people do give bad information.

Well, it's like reviews for anything.

I told you this today looking at microphones.

It's like if you look at the reviews and it has like and this is my general rule of thumb for doing a royalty share if it has, you know, over four stars, go look at what the bad reviews are.

If all the recent ones are bad, that tells you they just changed something.

And it's awful if the reviews are quite clearly people, like on a book that just wasn't their cup of tea.

Maybe it is yours.

But yeah, if it's got, like, one star I came across one the other day that had, like it was a two star book, and it had a bunch of reviews on it.

And I'm like, yeah, that's something's wrong with that book if it's sitting low like that.

Yeah, it's understandable.

But if you see one a book that has more than four stars, but there's a few one star if you read them sometimes that's a shopping list.

It's like, this was too much smut for me or anything.

Thanks for letting me know.

I already talked about Sierra Simone.

I saw.

Is it demetra?

The lady with the short gray hair on Book Talk?

She talks book wrecks all the time.

Yes.

So she'll talk about she was talking about this series, and I'm like, oh, cool, I'll buy it.

Not realizing that would be, like, the spiciest series I've ever read in my life.

So I started with the Priest series, and then after I read that, I got the American whatever the next one is, american Princess or American whatever.

And I was just like, maybe we should read a review or something first.

I'm like reading it.

We're on our way to Missouri to visit my in laws and I'm like reading it in the car and I'm like, whoo, this is one of those car, thankfully.

I was reading it in book form and not in audiobook form where my eight year old could hear it, but goodness.

So other things, I mean reviews for like editor services and stuff, I imagine some authors just have, and this is people in general have a bad experience or just didn't mesh with the editor or cover designer or whatever.

So, yeah, that's the same as reviews.

A lot of people are recommending in one or two or say in steer clear, maybe ask Why?

Yeah, right.

Make it a little bit easier on us sometimes.

So you are part of a big discord.

Is that how you got your beta readers and stuff?

Or how did you get the people who read your book?

Initially?

No, I wasn't actually in that discord for the first, I don't know, five or six months, I think, that I was an author.

I didn't get in that discord until later on.

I actually just made a TikTok post and put in the comments saying, well, I want to be in the video and you want to be a Vader reader, just comment here.

And they started commenting and I messaged people and I was like, I'm going to send you a book.

So pretty much that's all that happened.

It was pretty easy for me.

So did you use Book Funnel for that or did you use Google Docs or how did you do your beta rate?

I do Google Docs now because I have a set team that I use the same people over and over, shout out to my team.

I love my team, my beta and our teams are amazing.

I use the same team over and over so I trust them enough that I give them all on Google Doc and we can leave comments and talk or whatever.

But originally I didn't really know what I was doing and someone had mentioned a Beta Reader website, so I used Beta Reader IO, which is a website and it's great place actually, because they can't copy and paste so they get the whole book, but they can't copy it at all.

So you can't end up on a site later on for free, but they can also leave comments and heart and do anything on each chapter.

They can leave notes at the bottom of each chapter.

It's a pretty cool thing to have, actually.

But I had a couple of girls that were having issues using it, so I ended up just going to Google Docs now that I have such a my team is a little bit smaller and more compact.

I just had random people then, so I've had girls with me though since day one, literally since pilot planes.

Yeah, I think Google Docs now, you can definitely copy and paste out of a Google Doc, but I know you can limit like, I had mine originally set up where anyone with the link could have access to it.

But I know you can also set it to where only people who I've invited that are actively logged into their Google account can view it.

Yes, that's how I have it.

I just go invite my team when it's ready and you can see them and they're going to town, and they're like, what?

Actually, one of the authors I narrate for, I actually edit for as well.

These are like novella length books, so shorter, but that's how we do it.

She throws the entire thing in a Google Doc, and then, unlike a normal editor, where you get the paper of edits at the end of things, you should make, I just edit it and then I comment what I changed.

So if I change words around, I'll say, I changed it from this, or I added this or I removed that.

So she can see the changes, but the changes are already made for her.

Yeah, that way we can get through it, get to the actual making of the audiobook much faster than if she had to, then go in and find all those places and add them in.

Yeah, I get that.

I know most editors don't work that way, but that's the easiest way for me during all the narrating and other things going on, right?

All the endeavors.

Yeah, I'm like all the things.

So we need the thing that works the fastest but gets the job done.

Yeah.

So we need a magic wand.

Yes.

So have you had we talked about the free sites that we don't want to be on?

Have you had any instances where your stuff got leaked or your team has been pretty yeah, I did, actually.

My stuff ended up on pirate sites already.

Pretty much the day Venom Released raised by Venom Released was October 13, and it was pretty much already on a pirate site.

And I sent out 110 art copies.

And some of those people I didn't know.

Like, I do my thing, that team.

So I did end up on a pirate.

And I don't know if it's from that or if someone got it some other way, but I'm assuming that's the way because that's the quickest one and the other ones didn't go up until months after their releases.

So I pretty much trust my team.

But the Arc people, I'm like, I'm going to narrow it down to a little bit more tighter for that too, this time around.

Now, I've seen a couple of people talk about they used book funnel, and book funnel could tell if it came from there.

They could tell it's watermarked, and you can watermark it with different things, too, and watermarks their email address.

So I need to actually go do that research.

So you don't know yet how it got there?

No, I don't know because I've been so busy with everything.

I just I sit on the season and stuff my lawyer did and, you know, and I just kind of went from there, and I just kept going.

I have so much stuff going.

I work full time and I write full time.

I don't even know how I sleep sometimes.

I work full time and narrate full time and attempt to write on the side.

Yeah.

I'm like, yeah, maybe they have a lot of hats.

But then I'm like, prior to September of 21, I sat on my couch reading and watching Netflix a lot.

So that's the only time we cut out was that time.

Well, I read less books.

Not that I don't pick the books I auditioned for, but at the point I'm hired, now it's a job.

It's not reading for fun anymore.

I have to keep track of what characters are in what chapters and characteristics of the characters.

So it's like, this is a job I'm not just straight reading through at that point.

Yeah, that has to be a lot of work.

I'm good on anything like that.

I can barely keep up with the characters.

I put them in there, so I don't know how you guys do it.

I've had a couple in fact, I was just editing for that author and a character's name changed six books or seven books into the series.

Suddenly it was a different name.

And I'm like, it was close.

It changed from Lisa to Liza.

But I'm like, her name was definitely Lisa at the beginning.

I'm like, So that's all the edits for that was I changed this because you changed her name.

Basically, most of them she just goes through and approves and occasionally there'll be, like, something I'll change.

She's like, no, I liked it the other way.

I'm like, okay, change it back.

Yeah.

So you had a book come out around October.

When is the next one coming out?

I have not set a date yet.

I set them so close together.

So I had violet flames and then my poetry book, which was January February.

And then I took a little break.

Emerald's Guys didn't come out until July 13.

And then Denim came out three months later.

So I published three months apart and neither one of them was written.

I didn't start Emerald's Guys until it was close to being due.

Which is crazy because that's 121,000 words on that one.

But that one takes three and a.

Half weeks or a little longer.

I think it took me about five weeks to write Emerald Guys.

I know I'm psychotic.

If I could just sit and write, I could do that.

But I can't just sit and write.

Well, I go to work and I come home and I come home and I get on my laptop and then I write until I go to bed, and then I do it all over again.

And on the weekends, I write almost nonstop.

Any day I'm off, I write non stop.

I'm lucky that my husband does what he does.

He's does a lot of dishes and cleaning for me, because I'm like, I work two jobs, buddy like, you need to do.

Even though he works full time, too.

But he picks up the slack.

And my kids are older.

They're 16, almost 18 and 21.

So they're self sufficient.

Like, go buy a burger.

I don't know what to tell you.

I'm not cooking anymore.

Which I do a couple of times a week, but very rarely.

I used to cook every day, and I'm like, Bro, I got time for this.

Get out of here.

My family is so picky with what they eat that we basically have an eight year old and then a husband.

But it's fend for yourself because husband won't eat vegetables at all.

Child is very picky with what she eats.

So I'm like, at the point she was, I think, six and heating up her own chicken nuggets and stuff.

And I'm like, yeah, then I can eat whatever I want to eat, and they will eat whatever they want to eat, and I don't have to mess with it.

Yeah.

We used to do a fin for yourself night, which was, like, certain nights of the week, but now it's like, it's fit for yourself every single day.

You are all grown adults.

Get your own food.

My 21 year old is the worst.

He goes out to eat almost every day.

He's like I'm like, where were you?

He's like, I just went and picked up Texas Roadhouse.

And I'm like, you wouldn't get a steak on, like, a Wednesday night.

You waste your money.

Leasing has his own job, though.

Yeah.

You're like, as long as your bills are paid.

Yes.

He pays his bills and then spends the rest on food.

Hey, that is a choice that will probably have to change at some point.

Yeah.

Once he finally moves out, which he'll be like, Well, I'm out of conditioner, and I'm like, Go buy something.

He's like, I can't believe it running out.

And I'm like, move out.

Everything he says.

I'm like, move out.

Move us.

Easiness to remember to buy a conditioner when you move out.

When it runs out, how do you get more?

Well, you got two options.

You could steal it or go buy it.

Yeah.

I'm like, oh, I love them, but I'm like, I need my freedom at this point.

My daughter's, when I turn 18, I'm going to move to Missouri and live with Grandma and Grandpa.

I'm like, okay, we'll see if they're even living there in ten more years.

Right?

Please call me some time.

That's what I'd be saying.

Yeah.

So they make their plans as we did when we were kids, too.

You make these grand plans I was going to be a forensic something when I was a kid and that definitely did not happen.

Yeah, I was going to be a veterinarian.

Well, you kind of got there.

Yeah, I was a vet tech for a few years, but yeah, I definitely did become a veterinarian.

But that's okay, I like where I'm at.

So you said that you kind of downplay your novel sum.

Do you have a five year or ten year plan or you just taking it a day at a time?

I'm flying by the seat of my pants and my pants are mode.

Wherever I'm at, I'm at and I'm always shooting for what's next.

And I set smaller goals because I know if I hit them and I shoot past them, I'm going to be more proud of myself and I'll keep going.

I know if I set goals and I'm struggling to get there, I know me and I know that I'll quit or I'll get frustrated at the least.

So I just set tiny goals and I meet them pretty frequently, so I just keep going.

What happens?

What do your goals look like?

So for today, this month, this year.

Let'S go with today.

Do you have like a typical daily goal that you try to hit?

It just depends on the day of the week.

They're all very but yeah, my goal was today.

I have 1000 words to write today.

I have this interview with you.

I had Saturday sips this morning on Live with my TikTok, with my author friends April and Kate.

And then I do have another little thing this evening that I have to do, but my goals for the day.

Off, like your schedule basically.

Well, yeah, their goals, though, if I don't hit them, I kicked myself in the flood.

But yeah, that was my goal.

If I don't back out of any of this, then I did good for the day.

So a couple of years ago, about a year after I'd had my daughter, I had prediabetes when I had my daughter, so I had to eat very regimented meals to keep my blood sugar even, and also she was always sitting on my stomach, so I couldn't eat a lot at a time.

So I had lost a bunch of weight while I was pregnant because I was eating these teeny tiny meals all the time.

And then in the first year of her life, I pretty much gained it all back eating ice cream like every single day.

So in about 2015 I'm like, we're going to lose weight and it'll be great.

And I went weight, like all the calories and macros and working out like every day, it was way too much.

So this year I'm like, okay, we gained I started running in like 2017 and then my knees did not like that.

So I just slowly basically gained weight from there to last year.

So this year I'm like, we're going to.

The goals are not calorie oriented or macro oriented.

It is eat healthier and work out more than the nothing that was happening prior.

And then those are, like, the health related goals.

And then reading it's, like, at least a chapter a day in a book that I choose, probably off my shelf, possibly on my Kindle, but not one related to Narrating at all.

And then at least ten minutes a day on my own book.

And it's like, just try to balance.

Towards the end of last year, it was a lot of like, oh, I don't feel like editing all the audio I did today.

We'll just push it off and push it off and push it off till the weekend, where I spend the entire weekend just sitting on the couch editing audio all day.

Yeah, no one likes never having any free time ever.

No one likes that.

It's like, I picked this, but then if I spend too much time on TikTok, then I'm not getting what needs to be done done in the amount of time.

So this week it's like, Get it done.

And then weekends are like, I got to get these episodes ready.

So I have Monday's episode.

I got to get ready still.

I was able to listen to about half of that interview before we got on here, so I got, like, the other half to finish tonight, and then I got to do the fairytales for it.

It's like, little goals, but then I told my husband I'm like, once the fairy tales are done and I have a first 15 to get done because weekends are the best time to do those.

I'm like, we can play video games or we can do my kid is sick, so we can't go anywhere.

Right now we're stuck at home.

But I'm like, we could play video games or we could watch a movie or whatever after I finish this.

Yes.

Which is not an all day thing.

I'll be done listening.

I have about 45 minutes of interview to listen through, and then I am done for the rest of today.

Although I would like to finish reading.

I'm to the good part of the book.

I'm currently prepping to Narrate, and I'm like, I just got to know what happens.

Even though I'm having to type what characters talk and what chapters, I just need to know what happens.

Yeah, right.

What's going on?

I can't stop.

Yeah.

I feel like we're very similar personality.

Types, and my husband will constantly point out, you did this to yourself, you know?

Yeah, right.

I'm like, well, you know what?

I wasn't making any money sitting on the couch reading, so at least my royalty checks are growing.

Yeah, that's nice.

I'm like, it is what it is.

But I was making $0 sitting on the couch, and then Narrating kind of helped inspire me to get back into my writing.

So I'm not going to like Dog on the narrating.

Yeah, that is what it is.

My biggest goal of the year is I want to publish at least three novels.

Even though I have I don't want to say this a lot on my to be written list, I have 52 book summaries okay.

All ready to go with already characters and developmental ideas.

Okay.

Have you grounded yourself from writing more summaries?

Yes, actually, I was supposed to be capped at 50, but my PA is not allowing me to do anymore.

So someone else grounded you?

Yeah, she grounded me.

So I'm allowed to add no more to that list now.

So I'm capped at 52.

And I know that's going to be probably the next 20 years or more.

But my goal this year is to release at least three books.

So that's my goal.

That's what I want to hit, and I hope I overshoot that.

So are you continuing well, poem book, I guess you could add another poem book, but are you continuing the series that you've got going or is that one finished?

I have two series out right now.

The primary God series, violet Flames and Raised by Venom is book one and two.

Book three is Silver Storms is going to be coming out this year.

Okay.

And then the Argentian vampire series has Raised by Venom is book one.

Book two is scorned by Venom.

That is what I'm currently writing and hopefully will be published soon because I get messages and daily, like, when's this book coming out?

And I'm like, hurrying, guys, do you want it or not?

Because I can send you out garbage.

Right?

And then I'm hoping to get book three out, which the title is Unnamed.

I know the name, but it's unreleased.

I don't want to so Unnamed, book three is hopefully coming out this year.

My book is tentatively named.

It's like he makes a joke about like, what is this, some romance novel?

And then spouts off some random name.

So I'm like, tentatively, that's the name.

But I know because it's a fantasy.

And I'm like the name that it has currently is two romance, namie and Long.

Yeah, it's a very long name.

So I'm like, I'm going to have to figure out something else.

But then I'm kind of like I like it being like a one liner thing.

He spouts off in there.

Maybe we'll keep it, I don't know, be like those fantasy books, I don't typically see beyond, like, a Court of Thorns and Roses, which is a relatively long name.

Most of them are like one, two, three word book names.

Yeah.

Violet flames and emerald skies are my fantasy Venom is a paranormal romance, but yeah, and they all mean something.

But unless you read the books, you really don't know what Vile Flames means or Emerald Skies means.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

If people ask me, I would tell them, but no one really asked.

They just read the book if they want to know.

You're like it's in the book.

Unless you're getting into romance, where the book is literally like the person's name or something.

Like, oh, that's the main character.

Yeah.

Right.

Well, I have another series coming out, which I totally forgot about.

It's called I'm hers.

And that was kind of that title means everything.

I'm hers.

It's simple.

Yeah.

There's nothing wrong with simple, really long.

As long as it's not like a tongue twister.

I think you're okay.

Yeah.

And people can remember it.

That's why I feel like Mine is a people wouldn't remember it, and you kind of want them to be able to remember your book name, so they go buy it a blink of blank.

And blank is like a blank slate for people to just put words in.

And I'm like.

Yeah, right now.

So the tentative name right now is how the boss fell in love with the experiment.

So he's very like I like it the line.

He's like, what is this, a f****** romance novel?

How the boss fell in love with the experiment.

And then I'm like I like it.

Kind of what genre?

It would be, like, Sci-Fi fantasy.

That makes more sense because I immediately went to Sci-Fi in my head.

Yeah.

So Sci-Fi, I mean, loosely fantasy because it's like superheroes, which are a subgenre of fantasy, but it's set in current world in the future.

It's like a mix of things.

So I'm like, I don't know.

It'll be multigenre, as your book should be if you want people to find it when they're looking at other things.

Yeah, for sure.

So you write your book, you have your beta readers read it at this point.

Have you flip flopped the editing and the beta reading parts?

Yeah.

Right now, as I'm writing, I have three alpha readers who are in there and they read my book as I'm writing it.

Let me know if I have any thoughtfuls or how the stories go in and yell at me that they need more things like that.

And then it goes to my editor and then my beta and then my arc, and then publish.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think I just revoked access for everybody on my book so that I could write slower and then I could bring people back in.

But I need to find new alphas that critique and celebrate.

Yeah.

I need both.

You did this well.

Hey, this part stinks.

I need that more than I was getting.

Yeah.

So mine all three are different.

My PA VV is the one who critiques the random things.

It's so funny, though.

She catches she's like, that arm doesn't go in that direction if they're doing it that way.

And I'm like, okay, thank you.

I narrated a book like that.

I'm like, do you realize how uncomfortable that would be in that position?

Yeah.

So she's good with.

The most random things or no, she set the knife on the table, but she picked it up from over here.

And I'm like, D*** you.

Those are the things, like, I catch.

And then I'm like, It's not my book.

It's not my book.

Just read the words on the d*** page.

Yeah.

So I have her, and that's very important job for her.

And then my Aunt Vicky is also my alpha reader, and she's my cheerleader.

She's the one that goes in and goes, oh, my God, this is amazing.

I need more.

Keep going, keep going.

Oh, you told us we're wrong.

That's all she and then I have Peach, and she's my third one.

And she is obese.

She is obese.

That should be her real name.

Because she goes in and she's like she fixes my sentences.

And she's like, use this word.

This word is a little too weak.

You might want to try this one.

You use this word.

You've done this word nine times in this chapter.

Use a different word, for Christ's sake.

And I'm like, okay, you're starting every.

Paragraph with I pick a different word.

I can call them that off.

I love them all because they're completely all different people, and they give me different stuff when I need it.

So it's pretty great.

So mine right now, the only critique, if I had an actual person that was actually critiquing not just telling me I want more, it would be why is there only dialogue where's all the descriptions of anything the story is moving forward, but there's very little inner dialogue so far.

It is mostly just external them talking dialogue with, like, no inner turmoil of anything going on.

I'm like, clearly we need to do a couple of rounds of edits to get that in there.

But first, let's finish the book in the way that I've been writing it, which this year started with a let's start at the beginning and read back through so we remember where we've been and then get to where we need to go.

Yeah, right.

Get back on that path.

Yeah.

It's not fun to come back after long breaks, but it has to happen.

Yes, exactly.

So you are working on, hopefully three books.

What are your advice for anyone having trouble or anything like that that you've got?

Actually, I was talking to an author friend who was having trouble getting she was stuck.

And I was like, you need to go back and do a whole read through because she was just reading the last chapter and trying to get to that next chapter because she writes straight through too.

And I was like, Go back and start from the beginning.

Pull yourself back into the book.

And she did that, and she was like, oh, my gosh, that actually worked.

And I was like, yeah, that's the only thing.

Sometimes I can even if you're on chapter 28, sometimes you have to go all the way to the beginning and just start over.

Just read.

You don't have to edit.

Just read to pull yourself back into that mode.

And that's one thing that helps me, and it helps her to surprisingly so that's what I do anytime I get stuck.

I'm like, I need to go read everything again because I can't get back into this world because sometimes other characters will just start in the absence.

I'm like, stop talking about your turn.

Typically, what I do is just the last chapter before I start again, unless it's been too long, and then I got to start over and remember what happened so far because I don't remember any of this yet.

Yeah, the last chapter works most of the time.

If it's been recently, if I was just working on it yesterday, and I'm jumping back in.

Sometimes I can do just, like, the last couple of paragraphs of the chapter.

But then if it's been too long a year, you're stuck.

You got to go back.

Yeah, because I see it like a movie in my head while I'm reading it.

And so I got to be back in the movie to figure out, like, all right, this is the next scene that needs to happen.

Exactly.

Sometimes someone just turns that TV off, and you're like, where did my movie go?

And that's my problem.

But also, reading other people's books helps, too.

It helps get you excited for things.

And I got to that point where I'm like, I'm just going to go read a couple of books to bring myself back into my imagination.

So I just try to read something out of my genre so I don't, like, accidentally steal ideas or something.

Like something we all read and write constantly.

Like things get stuck in your brain, and you're like, was that my idea, or did I read that somewhere?

So I try to read outside of my written genre.

When I do that.

I try to read my friends, like Romcoms or women's fiction or whatever.

Yeah.

So mine will be like superhero, but it's like adults.

So me and my husband are both writing in the same grown up superheroes, which there's not there's a couple that have kind of, like, comic booky looking covers to them, but we're both more of like it's more fantasy Sci-Fi, but they happen to be superheroes kind of.

You can't even technically that's copyrighted, but you get the point.

They have superpowers.

My husband is getting so frustrated with copyright laws and stuff with superheroes.

I'm like mine.

They don't have code names, so I don't have to worry about any of that, where he's, like, having to rethink all of his code names because Marvel and DC own all the copyrights on them or trademarks.

I don't know.

I told him to look at things before he started using them, and he did not.

So it's like, do you want me to say I told you so or just move on because you know you should have done it the first time, right?

The downsides to legal.

And I'm like and they will sue because they have fun doing that.

Yeah, for sure.

All right, well, we have books coming out.

We have advice given so far.

Do you have any final parting words before we wrap this up?

No, not really.

I mean, just support your andy authors and support your audiobook narrators that are all doing this on their own.

All these small businesses is basically what we all are.

We're busting our b*** trying to share stuff for ourselves and others.

Most of us are very good about sharing everyone's stuff.

And it's like, please support more into this instead of the big business.

Because they got marketing.

We do this crap ourselves.

They have enough money.

Yeah.

Well, thank you so much for spending time with me.

I hope you feel totally better soon.

And good luck with the multiple jobs.

I feel your pain very much.

Thank you.

I appreciate you.

Thanks for having me on.

Have a good day.

You too.

Bye.

Bye.

Psnel.

Also liked Beauty and the Beast.

Beauty and the Beast is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle Suzanne Barbode Valenueva and published in 1740 in La June American et les Conte the Young American and Marine Tales Her lengthy version was abridged rewritten and published by French novelist Jeanmarie le Prince de Beaumont in 1756 in magisten this advance children's collection to produce the version most commonly retold.

Later, Andrew Lang retold the story in Blue Fairy Book, a part of the fairy book series in 1889.

The fairy tale was influenced by ancient Greek stories such as Cupid and Psyche from the Golden A** written by Lucius Apalius Marensus in the second century Ad.

And the Pig King, an Italian fairy tale published by Giovanni Francesco Strapola in the Fastidious Knights of Strapola around 1550.

Variants of the tale are known across Europe.

In France, for example, zamir and Azure is an operatic version of the story written by Marmontelle and composed by Great Tree in 1000 971, which had enormous success into the 19th century.

Zamir and Azor is based on the second version of the tale.

Amor Poroomor love for Love by Pierre Claude Nevell de la Chase is a 1742 play based on de Villanueva's version.

According to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, the story originated about 4000 years ago.

Today we'll be reading Beauty and the Beast from Andrew Lang's Blue Fairy book.

Don't forget we're reading Lemonade Arthur, the story of King Arthur and of his noble Knights of the Round Table on our patreon.

You can find the link in the show notes.

Beauty and the Beast once upon a time, in a very far off country, there lived a merchant who had been so fortunate in all his undertakings that he was enormously rich.

As he had, however, six sons and six daughters, he found that his money was not too much to let them all have everything they fancied, as they were accustomed to do.

But one day a most unexpected misfortune befelled them.

Their house caught fire and was speedily burnt to the ground with all the splendid furniture, the books, pictures, gold, silver and precious goods it contained.

And this was only the beginning of their troubles.

Their father, who had until this moment prospered in all ways, suddenly lost every ship he had upon the sea, either by dint of pirates, shipwreck or fire.

Then he heard that his clerks in distant countries, whom he trusted entirely, had proved unfaithful, and at last, from great wealth, he fell into the direst poverty.

All that he had left was a little house in a desolate place, at least a hundred leagues from the town in which he had lived.

And this he was forced to retreat with his children, who were in despair at the idea of leading such a different life.

Indeed, my daughters at first hoped that their friends, who had been so numerous while they were rich, would insist on their staying in their houses.

Now they no longer possessed one.

But they soon found that they were left alone, and that their former friends even attributed their misfortunes to their own extravagance, and showed no intention of offering them any help.

So nothing was left for them but to take their departure to the cottage.

Which stood in the midst of a.

Dark forest and seemed to be the most dismal place upon the face of the earth.

As they were too poor to have any servants, the girls had to work hard like peasants, and the sons, for their part, cultivated the fields to earn their living.

Roughly clothed and living in the simplest way, the girls regretted unceasingly the luxuries and amusements of their former life.

Only the youngest tried to be brave and cheerful.

She had been as sad as anyone when misfortune overtook her father.

But soon, recovering her natural gaiety, she set to work to make the best of things, to amuse her father and brothers as well as she could, and to try to persuade her sisters to join her in dancing and singing.

But they would do nothing of the sort, and because she was not as doleful as themselves, they declared that this miserable life was all she was fit for.

But she was really far prettier and cleverer than they were.

Indeed, she was so lovely that she was always called beauty.

After two years, when they were all beginning to get used to their new life, something happened to disturb their tranquillity.

Their father received the news that one of his ships, which he had believed to be lost, had come safely into port with a rich cargo.

All the sons and daughters at once thought that their poverty was at an end and wanted to set out directly for the town.

But their father, who was more prudent, begged them to wait a little.

And though it was harvest time and he could ill be spared determined to go himself first to make inquiries only the youngest daughter had any doubt but that they would soon again be as rich as they were before or at least rich enough to live comfortably in some town where they would find amusement and gay companions once more.

So they all loaded their father with commissions for jewels and dresses which it would have taken a fortune to buy.

Only beauty, feeling sure that it was of no use, did not ask for anything.

Her father, noticing her silence, said, and what shall I bring for you, beauty?

The only thing I wish for is to see you come home safely, she answered.

But this only vexed her sisters, who fancied she was blaming them for having asked for such costly things.

Her father, however, was pleased, but as he thought that at her age she certainly ought to like pretty presents, he told her to choose something.

Well, dear Father, she said, as you insist upon it, I beg that you will bring me a rose.

I've not seen one since we came here, and I love them so much.

So the merchant set out and reached the town as quickly as possible, but only to find that his former companions, believing him to be dead, had divided between them the goods which the ship had brought.

And after six months of trouble and expense, he found himself as pores when he started having been able to recover only just enough to pay the cost of his journey.

To make matters worse, he was obliged to leave the town in the most terrible weather, so that by the time he was within a few leaks of his home, he was almost exhausted with cold and fatigue.

Though he knew it would take some hours to get through the forest, he was so anxious to be at his journey's end that he resolved to go on.

But night overtook him, and the deep snow and bitter frost made it impossible for his horse to carry him any further.

Not a house was to be seen.

The only shelter he could get was the hollow trunk of a great tree, and there he crouched all the night, which seemed to him the longest he had ever known.

In spite of his weariness, the howling of the wolves kept him awake, and even when at last the day broke, he was not much better off, for the falling snow had covered up every path, and he did not know which way to turn.

At length he made out some sort of track, and though at the beginning it was so rough and slippery that he fell down more than once, it presently became easier and led him into an avenue of trees which ended in a splendid castle.

It seemed to the merchant very strange that no snow had fallen in the avenue, which was entirely composed of orange trees covered with flowers and fruit.

When he reached the first court of the castle he saw before him a flight of agate steps and went up them and passed through several splendidly furnished rooms.

The pleasant warmth of the air revived him, and he felt very hungry.

But there seemed to be nobody in all this vast and splendid palace whom he could ask to give him something to eat.

Deep silence reigned everywhere, and at last, tired of roaming through empty rooms and galleries, he stopped in a room smaller than the rest, where a clear fire was burning and a couch was drawn up closely to it.

Thinking that this must be prepared for someone who was expected, he sat down to wait till he should come and very soon fell into a sweet sleep.

When his extreme hunger awakened him.

After several hours, he was still alone.

But a little table, upon which was a good dinner, had been drawn up close to him.

And as he had eaten nothing for 24 hours, he lost no time in beginning his meal, hoping that he might soon have an opportunity of thanking his considerate entertainer, whoever it might be.

But no one appeared, and even after another long sleep from which he awoke completely refreshed, there was no sign of anybody, though a fresh meal of dainty, cakes and fruit was prepared upon the little table at his elbow.

Being naturally timid, the silence began to terrify him and he resolved to search once more through all the rooms.

But it was of no use.

Not even a servant was to be seen.

There was no sign of life in the palace.

He began to wonder what he should do and to amuse himself by pretending that all the treasures he saw were his own and considering how he would divide them among his children.

Then he went down into the garden, and though it was winter everywhere else, here the sun shone and the birds sang and the flowers bloomed and the air was soft and sweet.

The merchant in Ecstasies, with all he saw and heard, said to himself all this must be meant for me.

I will go this minute and bring my children to share all these delights in spite of being so cold and weary.

When he reached the castle, he had taken his horse to the stable and fed it.

Now he thought he would saddle it for his homeward journey and he turned down the path which led to the stable.

This path had a hedge of roses on each side of it and the merchant thought he had never seen or smelt such exquisite flowers.

They reminded him of his promise to beauty.

And he stopped and had just gathered one to take to her when he was startled by a strange noise behind him.

Turning round, he saw a frightful beast which seemed to be very angry and said in a terrible voice, who told.

You that you might gather my roses?

Was it not enough that I allowed you to be in my palace and was kind to you?

This is the way you show your.

Gratitude, by stealing my flowers.

But your insolence shall not go unpunished.

The merchant, terrified by these furious words, dropped the fatal rose, and throwing himself on his knees, cried, pardon me, noble sir.

I am truly grateful to you for your hospitality, which was so magnificent that I could not imagine that you would.

Be offended by my taking such a.

Little thing as a rose.

But the beast's anger was not lessened by this speech.

You are very ready with excuses and flattery, he cried, but that will not save you from the death you deserve.

Alas, thought the merchant, if my daughter.

Could only know what danger her rose has brought me into.

And in despair, he began to tell the beast all his misfortunes and the reason of his journey, not forgetting to mention Beauty's request.

A king's ransom would hardly have procured all that my other daughters asked, he said, but I thought that I might at least take Beauty her rose.

I beg you to forgive me, for you see, I meant no harm.

The beast considered for a moment, and then he said in a less furious.

Tone, I will forgive you on one condition, that is that you will give me one of your daughters.

Ah.

Cried the merchant.

If I were cruel enough to buy.

My own life at the expense of one of my children's, what excuse could I invent to bring her here?

No excuse would be necessary, answered the beast.

If she comes at all, she must come willingly.

On no other condition will I have her see if any one of them is courageous enough and loves you well.

Enough to come and save your life.

You seem to be an honest man, so I will trust you to go home.

I give you a month to see if either of your daughters will come.

Back with you and stay here to.

Let you go free.

If neither of them is willing, you must come alone, after bidding them goodbye forever.

Then you will belong to me.

And do not imagine that you can.

Hide from me, for if you fail to keep your word, I will come and fetch you.

Added the beast.

Grimly, the merchant accepted this proposal, though he did not really think any of his daughters could be persuaded to come.

He promised to return at the time appointed, and then, anxious to escape from the presence of the beast, he asked permission to set off at once.

But the beast answered that he could not go until the next day.

Then you will find a horse ready.

For you, he said.

Now go and eat your supper and await my orders.

A poor merchant, more dead than alive, went back to his room where the most delicious supper was already served on the little table which was drawn up before a blazing fire.

But he was too terrified to eat and only tasted a few of the dishes for fear the beast should be angry if he did not obey his orders.

When he had finished, he heard a great noise in the next room, which he knew meant that the beast was coming.

As he could do nothing to escape his visit, the only thing that remained was to seem as little afraid as possible.

So when the beast appeared and asked roughly if he had slept well, the merchant answered humbly that he had, thanks to his host's kindness.

Then the beast warned him to remember their agreement and to prepare his daughter exactly for what she had to expect.

Do not get up tomorrow, he added, until you see the sun and hear a golden bell ring.

Then you will find your breakfast waiting for you here, and the horse you are to ride will be ready in the courtyard.

He will also bring you back again when you come with your daughter a month hence.

Farewell.

Take a rose to Beauty and remember your promise.

The merchant was only too glad when the beast went away, and though he could not sleep for sadness, he laid down until the sun rose.

Then, after a hasty breakfast, he went to gather Beauty's rose and mounted his horse, which carried him off so swiftly that in an instant he had lost sight of the palace and he was still wrapped in gloomy thoughts when it stopped before the door of the cottage.

His sons and daughters, who had been very uneasy at his long absence, rushed to meet him, eager to know the result of his journey, which, seeing him mounted upon a splendid horse and wrapped in a rich mantle they supposed to be favorable.

He hid the truth from them at first only sang sadly to Beauty as he gave her the rose.

Here is what you asked me to bring you.

You little know what it has cost.

But this excited their curiosity so greatly that presently he told them his adventures from beginning to end, and then they were all very unhappy.

The girls lamented loudly over their lost hopes and the sons declared that their father should not return to this terrible castle and began to make plans for killing the beast if it should come to fetch him.

But he reminded them that he had promised to go back.

Then the girls were very angry with Beauty and said it was all her fault and that if she had asked for something sensible, this never would have happened, and complained bitterly that they should have to suffer for her folly.

Poor Beauty, much distrust, said to them I have indeed caused this misfortune, but I assure you I did it innocently.

Who could have guessed that to ask for a rose in the middle of summer would cause so much misery.

But I did the mischief.

It is only just that I should suffer for it.

I will therefore go back with my father to keep his promise.

At first nobody would hear of this arrangement, and her father and brothers who loved her dearly, declared that nothing should make them let her go.

But Beauty was firm as the time drew near.

She divided all her little possessions between her sisters and said goodbye to everything she loved.

And when the fatal day came, she encouraged and cheered her father as they mounted together the horse which had brought him back.

It seemed to fly rather than gallop, but so smoothly that Beauty was not frightened.

Indeed, she would have enjoyed the journey if she had not feared what might happen to her at the end of it.

Her father still tried to persuade her to go back, but in vain.

While they were talking, the night fell, and then, to their great surprise, wonderful colored lights began to shine in all directions and splendid fireworks blazed out before them.

All the forest was illuminated by them and even felt pleasantly warm, though it had been bitterly cold before.

This lasted until they reached the Avenue of Orange Trees, where were statues holding flaming torches, and when they got nearer to the palace, they saw that it was illuminated from the roof to the ground, and music sounded softly from the courtyard.

The beast must be very hungry, said Beauty, trying to laugh, if he makes all this rejoicing on the arrival of his prey.

But in spite of her anxiety, she could not help admiring all the wonderful things she saw.

The horse stopped at the foot of the flight of steps leading to the terrace, and when they had dismounted, her father led her to the little room he had been in before, where they found a splendid fire burning and the table daintily spread with a delicious supper.

The merchant knew that this was meant for them, and Beauty, who was rather less frightened now that she had passed through so many rooms and seen nothing of the beast, was quite willing to begin, for her long ride had made her very hungry.

But they had hardly finished their meal when the noise of the beast's footsteps was heard approaching, and Beauty clung to her father in terror, which became all the greater when she saw how frightened he was.

When the beast really appeared, though she trembled at the side of him, she made a great effort to hide her terror and saluted him respectfully.

This evidently pleased the beast.

After looking at her, he said in a tone that might have struck terror into the boldest heart, though he did not seem to be angry.

Good evening, old man.

Good evening, Beauty.

The merchant was too terrified to reply, but Beauty answered sweetly.

Good evening, beast.

Have you come willingly?

Asked the beast.

Will you be content to stay here when your father goes away.

Beauty answered bravely that she was quite prepared to stay.

I am pleased with you, said the beast.

As you have come of your own accord, you may stay.

As for you, old man, he added.

Turning to the merchant, at sunrise tomorrow.

You will take your departure.

When the bell rings, get up quickly and eat your breakfast, and you will find the same horse waiting to take you home.

But remember that you must never expect to see my palace again.

Then, turning to Beauty, he said, take.

Your father into the next room and help him to choose everything you think your brothers and sisters would like to have.

You will find two traveling trunks there.

Fill them as full as you can.

It is only just that you should send them something very precious as a remembrance of yourself.

Then he went away after saying, Goodbye, Beauty.

Goodbye, old man.

No.

Beauty was beginning to think with great dismay of her father's departure.

She was afraid to disobey the beast's orders, and they went into the next room, which had shelves and cupboards all around it.

They were greatly surprised at the riches it contained.

There were splendid dresses fit for a queen, with all the ornaments that were to be worn with them.

And when Beauty opened the cupboards, she was quite dazzled by the gorgeous drools that lay in heaps upon every shelf.

After choosing a vast quantity which she divided between her sisters for she had made a heap of the wonderful dresses for each of them.

She opened the last chest, which was full of gold.

I think, Father, she said, that as the gold will be more useful to you, we'd better take out the other things again and fill the trunks with it.

So they did this.

But the more they put in, the more room there seemed to be.

And at last they put back all the jewels and dresses they had taken out.

And Beauty even added as many more of the jewels as she could carry at once.

And then the trunks were not too full, but they were so heavy that an elephant could not have carried them.

The beast was mocking us.

Cried the merchant.

He must have pretended to give us all these things, knowing that I could not carry them away.

Let us wait and see, answered Beauty.

I cannot believe that he meant to deceive us.

All we can do is fasten them up and leave them ready.

So they did this and returned to the little room, where, to their astonishment, they found breakfast ready.

The merchant ate his with a good appetite, as the beast's generosity made him believe that he might perhaps venture to come back soon and see Beauty.

But she felt sure that her father was leaving her forever.

So she was very sad when the bell rang sharply for the second time and warned them that the time had.

Come for them to part.

They went down into the courtyard where two horses were waiting, one loaded with the two trunks, the other for him to ride.

They were pawing the ground in their impatience to start, and the merchant was forced to bid Beauty a hasty farewell.

And as soon as he was mounted, he went off at such a pace that she lost sight of him in an instant.

Then Beauty began to cry and wandered sadly back to her own room.

But she soon found that she was very sleepy, and as she had nothing better to do, she laid down and instantly fell asleep.

And then she dreamed that she was walking by a brook bordered with trees and lamenting her sad fate when a young prince, handsomer than anyone she had ever seen, and with a voice that went straight to her heart, came and.

Said to her beauty, you are not so unfortunate as you suppose.

Here you will be rewarded for all you have suffered elsewhere.

Your every wish shall be gratified.

Only try to find me out, no matter how I may be disguised as I love you dearly, and in making.

Me happy you will find your own happiness.

Be as true hearted as you are beautiful, and we shall have nothing left to wish for.

What can I do, prince, to make you happy?

Said Beauty.

Only be grateful, he answered, and do not trust too much to your eyes.

And above all, do not desert me.

Until you have saved me for my cruel misery.

After this, she thought she found herself in a room with a stately and beautiful lady, who said to her dear Beauty, try not to regret all you have left behind you, for you are destined to a better fate.

Only do not let yourself be deceived by appearances.

Beauty found her dream so interesting that she was in no hurry to awake.

But presently the clock roused her by calling her name softly twelve times.

And then she got up and found her dressing table set out with everything she could possibly want.

And when her toilet was finished, she found dinner was waiting in the room next to hers.

But dinner does not take very long when you're all by yourself.

And very soon she sat down cozily in the corner of a sofa and began to think about the charming prince she had seen in her dream.

He said I could make him happy, said Beauty to herself.

It seems then that this horrible beast keeps him a prisoner.

How can I set him free?

I wonder why they both told me not to trust appearances.

I don't understand it.

But after all, it was only a dream, so why should I trouble myself about it?

I better go and find something to do to amuse myself.

So she got up and began to explore some of the many rooms of the palace.

The first she entered was lined with mirrors, and Beauty saw herself reflected on every side and thought she had never seen such a charming room.

Then a bracelet which was hanging from a chandelier caught her eye, and on taking it down she was greatly surprised to find that it held a portrait of her unknown admirer, just as she had seen him in her dream.

With great delight, she slipped the bracelet on her arm and went on into a gallery of pictures, where she soon found a portrait of the same handsome prince, as large as life, and so well painted that as she studied it, he seemed to smile kindly at her, tearing herself away from the portrait.

At last she passed through into a room which contained every musical instrument under the sun, and here she amused herself for a long while in trying some of them and singing until she was tired.

The next room was a library, and she saw everything she had ever wanted to read as well as everything she had read, and it seemed to her that a whole lifetime would not be enough to even read the names of the books there were so many.

By this time it was growing dusk, and wax candles and diamond and ruby candlesticks were beginning to light themselves in every room.

Beauty found her supper served just at the time she preferred to have it, but she did not see anyone or hear a sound, and though her father had warned her that she would be alone, she began to find it rather dull.

But presently she heard the Beast coming and wondered tremblingly if he meant to eat her up.

Now, however, as he did not seem at all ferocious and only said gruffly, good evening, Beauty, she answered cheerfully, and managed to conceal her terror.

Then the Beast asked her how she had been amusing herself, and she told him all the rooms she had seen.

Then he asked if she thought she could be happy in his palace, and Beauty answered that everything was so beautiful that she would be very hard to please if she could not be happy.

And after about an hour's talk, beauty began to think that the Beast was not nearly so terrible as she had supposed at first.

Then he got up to leave her and said in his gruff voice, do.

You love me, Beauty?

Will you marry me?

Oh.

What shall I say?

Cried Beauty, for she was afraid to make the Beast angry by refusing.

Say yes or no without fear, he replied.

Oh, no, Beast, said Beauty hastily, since you will not.

Good night, Beauty, he said, and she.

Answered, Good night, Beast, very glad to find that her refusal had not provoked him.

And after he was gone, she was very soon in bed and asleep and dreaming of her unknown prince, she thought he came and said to her, ah.

Beauty, why are you so unkind to me?

I fear I am fated to be unhappy for many a long day still.

And then her dreams changed.

But the Charming Prince figured in them all.

And when morning came, her first thought was to look at the portrait and see if it was really like him.

And she found that it certainly was.

This morning she decided to amuse herself in the garden, for the sun shone and all the fountains were playing.

But she was astonished to find that every place was familiar to her.

And presently she came to the brook where the myrtle trees were growing, where she had first met the prince in her dream.

And that made her think more than ever that he must be kept a prisoner by the beast.

When she was tired, she went back to the palace and found a new room full of materials for every kind of work.

Ribbons to make into bows and silks to work into flowers.

Then there was an aviary full of rare birds which were so tame that they flew to Beauty as soon as they saw her and perched upon her shoulders and her head pretty little creatures, she said.

How I wish that your cage was nearer to my room.

Then I might often hear you sing.

So sang, she opened a door and found, to her delight, that it led into her own room, though she had thought it was quite the other side of the palace.

There were more birds in a room further on, parrots and cockatoos that could talk, and they greeted Beauty by name.

Indeed, she found them so entertaining that she took one or two back to her room and they talked to her while she was at supper, after which the beast paid her his usual visit and asked her the same questions as before.

And then, with a gruff good night, he took his departure, and Beauty went to bed to dream of her mysterious prince.

The days passed swiftly in different amusements, and after a while Beauty found out another strange thing in the palace which often pleased her when she was tired of being alone.

There was one room which she had not noticed particularly.

It was empty, except that under each of the windows stood a very comfortable chair.

And the first time she had looked out of the window, it had seemed to her that a black curtain prevented her from seeing anything outside.

But the second time she went into the room happened to be tired.

She sat down in one of the chairs when instantly the curtain was rolled aside and the most amusing pantomime was acted before her.

There were dances and colored lights and music and pretty dresses.

And it was also gay that Beauty was in ecstasies.

After that, she tried the other seven windows in turn, and there was some new and surprising entertainment to be seen from each of them, so that Beauty could never feel lonely anymore.

Every evening after supper, the beast came to see her, and always before saying goodnight, asked her in his terrible voice.

Beauty, will you marry me?

And it seemed to Beauty now she understood him better, that when she said, no, Beast, he went away quite sad.

But her happy dreams of the handsome young prince soon made her forget the poor Beast, and the only thing that had all disturbed her was to be constantly told to distrust appearances and to let her heart guide her and not her eyes and many other equally perplexing things, which, consider as she would, she could not understand.

So everything went on for a long time, until at last, happy as she was, beauty began to long for the sight of her father and her brothers and sisters.

And one night, seeing her look very sad, the Beast asked her what was the matter.

Beauty had quite ceased to be afraid of him.

Now she knew that he was really gentle, in spite of his ferocious looks and his dreadful voice.

So she answered that she was longing to see her home once more.

Upon hearing this, the Beast seemed sadly distressed and cried miserably.

Ah, Beauty, have you the heart to desert an unhappy beast like this?

What more do you want?

To make you happy.

Is it because you hate me that you want to escape?

No, dear.

Beast answered beauty softly.

I do not hate you, and I should be very sorry never to see you anymore.

But I longed to see my father again.

Only let me go for two months, and I promised to come back to you and stay for the rest of my life.

The Beast who had been sighing dolefully while she spoke now replied, I cannot.

Refuse you anything you ask, even though it should cost me my life.

Take the four boxes you will find in the room next to your own and fill them with everything you wish to take with you.

But remember your promise and come back when the two months are over, or you may have caused to repent it.

For if you do not come in good time, you will find your faithful Beast dead.

You will not need any chariot to bring you back, only say goodbye to all your brothers and sisters the night before you come away.

And when you've gone to bed, turn this ring round upon your finger and say firmly, I wish to go back to my palace and see my Beast again.

Good night, beauty.

Fear nothing.

Sleep peacefully, and before long you shall see your father once more.

As soon as Beauty was alone, she hastened to fill the boxes with all the rare and precious things she saw about her, and only when she was tired of heaping things into them did they seem to be full when she went to bed, but could hardly sleep for joy.

And when at last she did begin to dream of her beloved prince, she was grieved to see him stretched upon a grassy bank, sad and weary and hardly like himself.

What is the matter?

She cried.

He looked at her reproachfully and said.

How can you ask me, cruel one?

Are you not leaving me to my death perhaps?

Ah, don't be so sorrowful, cried Beauty.

I'm only going to assure my father that I am safe and happy.

I've promised the beast faithfully that I will come back, and he would die of grief if I did not keep my word.

What would that matter to you?

Said the prince?

Surely you would not care.

Indeed, I should be ungrateful if I did not care for such a kind beast, cried Beauty indignantly.

I would die to save him from pain.

I assure you.

It is not his fault that he is so ugly.

Just in a strange SOUNDwalker, someone was speaking not very far away, and opening her eyes, she found herself in a room she had never seen before, which was certainly not nearly so splendid as though she was used to in the Beast's Palace.

Where could she be?

She got up and dressed hastily, and then saw the boxes she had packed the night before were all in the room.

While she was wondering by what magic the beast had transported them and herself to the strange place, she suddenly heard her father's voice and rushed out and greeted him joyfully.

Her brothers and sisters were all astonished at her appearance, as they had never expected to see her again, and there was no end to the questions they asked her.

She had all so much to hear about what had happened to them while she was away and of her father's journey home.

But when they heard that she had only come to be with them for a short time and then must go back to the Beast's Palace forever, they lamented loudly.

Then Beauty asked her father what he thought could be the meaning of her strange dreams, and why the prince constantly begged her not to trust appearances.

After much consideration, he answered, you tell me yourself that the beast, frightful as he is, loves you dearly and deserves your love and gratitude for his gentleness and kindness.

I think the prince must mean you to understand that you ought to reward him by doing as he wishes you to, in spite of his ugliness.

Beauty could not help seeing that this seemed very probable.

Still, when she thought of her dear prince, who was so handsome, she did not feel at all inclined to marry the beast.

At any rate, for two months she need not decide, but could enjoy herself with her sisters.

But though they were rich now and lived in town again and had plenty of acquaintances, beauty found that nothing amused her very much, and she often thought of the palace where she was so happy, especially as at home.

She never once dreamed of her dear prince, and she felt quite sad without him, and her sister seemed to have got quite used to being without her, and even found her rather in the way.

So she would not have been sorry when the two months were over but for her father and brothers who begged her to stay, and seemed so grieved at the thought of her departure that she had not the courage to say goodbye to them every day when she got up.

She meant to say it at night, and when night came she put it off again, until at last she had a dismal dream which helped her to make up her mind.

She thought she was wandering in a lonely path in the palace gardens when she heard groans which seemed to come from some bushes, hiding the entrance of a cave and running quickly to see what could be the matter.

She found the beast stretched out upon.

His side, apparently dying.

He reproached her faintly with being the cause of his distress, and at the same moment a stately lady appeared and said very gravely, ah, Beauty, you are only just in time to save his life.

See what happens when people do not keep their promises?

If you had delayed one day more, you would have found him dead.

Beauty was so terrified by this dream that the next morning she announced her intention of going back at once.

And that very night, she said goodbye to her father and all her brothers and sisters.

And as soon as she was in bed, she turned her ring round upon her finger and said firmly, I wish to go back to my palace and see my beast again, as she had been told to do.

And she fell asleep instantly and only woke up to hear the clock saying, beauty.

Beauty.

Twelve times in its musical voice, which told her at once that she was really in the palace once more.

Everything was just as before, and her birds were so glad to see her.

But Beauty thought she had never known such a long day, for she was so anxious to see the beast again that she felt as if supper time would never come.

But when it did come and no beast appeared, she was really frightened.

So after listening and waiting for a long time, she ran down into the garden to search for him.

Up and down the paths and avenues ran poor Beauty, calling him in vain, for no one answered, and not a trace of him could she find.

Until at last, quite tired, she stopped for a minute's rest and saw that she was standing opposite the shady path she had seen in her dream.

She rushed down it, and sure enough, there was the cave, and in it lay the beast, asleep, as Beauty thought, quite glad to have found him.

She ran up and stroked his head, but to her horror he did not move or open his eyes.

Oh, he is dead, and it is all my fault, said Beauty, crying bitterly.

But then, looking at him again, she fancied he still breathed and hastily fetching some water from the nearest fountain.

She sprinkled it over his face, and to her great delight he began to revive.

Oh, Beast, how you frightened me.

She cried.

I never knew how much I loved you until just now, when I feared I was too late to save your life.

Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?

Said the beast faintly.

Ah, Beauty, you only came just in time.

I was dying because I thought you had forgotten your promise.

But go back now and rest.

I shall see you again by and by.

Beauty, who had hath expected that he would be angry with her, was reassured by his gentle voice and went back to the palace, where supper was awaiting her.

And afterward the beast came in as usual and talked about the time she had spent with her father, asking if she had enjoyed herself and if they had all been very glad to see her.

Beauty answered politely and quite enjoyed telling him all that had happened to her.

And when at last the time came for him to go, and he asked, as he had so often asked before.

Beauty, will you marry me?

She answered softly, yes, dear Beast.

As she spoke, a blaze of light sprang up before the windows of the palace.

Fireworks crackled and guns banged, and across the avenue of orange trees, in letters all made of fireflies, was written long lived the prince and his Bride.

Turning to ask the beast what it could all mean, beauty found that he had disappeared, and in his place stood her long loved prince.

At the same moment, the wheels of a chariot were heard upon the terrace, and two ladies entered the room.

One of them Beauty recognized as a stately lady she had seen in her dreams.

The other was also so grand and queenly that Beauty hardly knew which to greet first.

But the one she already knew said to her companion, well, Queen, this is Beauty who has had the courage to rescue your son from the terrible enchantment.

They love one another, and only your consent to their marriage is wanting to make them perfectly happy.

I consent with all my heart.

Cried the queen.

How can I ever thank you enough, charming girl, for having restored my dear son to his natural form?

And then she tenderly embraced Beauty and the prince, who had meanwhile been greeting the fairy and receiving her congratulations.

Now, said the fairy to Beauty, I suppose you would like me to send for all your brothers and sisters to dance at your wedding.

And so she did, and the marriage was celebrated the very next day with the utmost splendor, and Beauty and the prince lived happily ever after.

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