What if Cinderella was the wicked one, and manipulated her kind, loving stepmother and stepsisters?Is being a handsome, charming prince really as effortless and trouble-free as it seems?Would you be alarmed if you realized that the beautiful red shoes you're admiring change their appearance to appeal to whoever is looking at them?And speaking of shoes, how did Cinderella manage to dance in glass slippers without them breaking and slicing her feet to shreds?Innocence and Deceit, the second volume in the Ever After Fairy Tales anthology series, contains fourteen fairy tales retold, reimagined, and reinvented.Enter the magical, unpredictable, wonderful world of fairy tales CLAWS AT HAND - Brigid CollinsAfter the fairy king grants him the feline body he's always longed for, Tobi upholds his end of the bargain by serving as messenger between the fairy court and the powerful wizard Baba Yaga. But there's one thing that could make Tobi lose his hard-earned cathood...THE FENNIGSAN'S CHALLENGE - Stefon MearsLloxup is robbed and left for dead, and then comes across the Fennigsan, the legendary Dark Lady of the Woods. If he passes her challenge, her power could change his life. But failure means death.INSIDE A FAIRY TALE - Jamie FergusonValentina overhears a strange conversation between another couple. Filled with foreboding, Valentina follows them, and finds herself inside a modern-day fairy tale.THE LIZARD HORSES - Leah CutterIn modern-day Hungary, Jelek loves reading old myths and legends, like the stories of Hungarian wizards, how they only drink milk and always carry around weighty spell books. But what if some myths are true? THE RED STILETTOS - Sharon Kae ReamerCaitlin is backstage at a music competition when one of the performers collapses. The unfortunate woman wears a beautiful pair of red stilettos Caitlin realizes she herself desires so strongly there must be something supernaturally bad about them.TRUE LOVE - Todd Fahnestock and Giles CarwynSome people blame poor Prince Charming for throwing Cinderella into the dungeon, having little Snow White beheaded, and ordering Sleeping Beauty to be burned at the stake. But there is another side of the story...BEAUTY OR BUTTERFACE? - Deb LoganWhen Philip doesn't find a bride fast enough to suit his father, the king writes Philip's marriage into a treaty with the neighboring kingdom. Philip just has to choose between the other king's twin daughters. What could be easier?CHANCE OF BUNNIES AND OCCASIONAL TOAD - Annie ReedA visit to one of her favorite childhood places gives Cecily one last chance to find the magic she lost growing up-not only for herself, but for her aunt, a free spirit who taught Cecily the value of imagination.IF THE SHOE FITS - Dayle A. DermatisIs Prince Charming really interested in Cinderella...or was it her shoes that captured his attention?CITY OF NOWHERE IN THE WORLD - Diana BenedictKorshan falls and cuts her knee on a hidden rock and seeks the shaman to ask for salve for her knee, and Korshan sets off, not realizing what magical adventures await her.DOCTOR RUDOLFO MEETS HIS MATCH - DeAnna KnipplingConnor and his brother are on their way to get ice cream when they come across a strange antique shop...so strange they find themselves inside of it after turning to walk away. LIKE WIND OVER WATER - Karen L. AbrahamsonRomy left her mermaid form to search for her beloved. Five years later, on a ship heading up the Canadian coast, she finally finds him-and learns his secret.AFTER THE BALL - Pam McCutcheonCinderella's stepmother gets the chance to tell her side of the story and explain what really happened.THE CHARMING WAY - Kristine GraysonMellie blames fairy tales for ruining her life, and wants to keep this from happening to other people by forcing booksellers to stop selling fairy tales. Then she runs into a handsome, book-loving man...who also happens to be Prince Charming.
