There are stories that arrive fully-formed in my mind, and there are other stories that end up different from its first conception. My story, “How (Not) to Rescue a Princess” started off as a story about a prince playing a chess game with a dragon, with the winner choosing their next shared meal. Over the years, it’s morphed through many iterations into this final version, which is immeasurably better than how it started.
Still, even in the final version, I wasn’t sure where this story would fit in the current literary scene. There weren’t any frenetic battle sequences or dramatic conflict. It was, at its core, a meeting of two like souls, between a prince who’s not particularly good at being a prince and a princess who most definitely does not need rescuing. And then I read the call for submissions for “A Quiet Afternoon 2” from Grace & Victory Publications. They were looking for lo-fi stories, comfy cosy low-stakes stories. When I saw that they had mentioned Studio Ghibli as an inspiration, I knew “How (Not) to Rescue a Princess” might find a home with them. I’m so glad that they agreed with my sentiment.
I imagine “A Quiet Afternoon 2” to be read curled up in a warm book nook piled high with cushions, perhaps a hanging plant overhead, a mug of tea nearby. If you’d like a short escape from all the stress of everyday life, “A Quiet Afternoon 2” is available for pre-order (coming in July 2021), full of lovely stories. The sales of this book will also be supporting the Yarrow Intergenerational Society for Justice, a group supporting youth and low-income immigrant seniors in Vancouver, Canada. And the cover is gorgeous. Enjoy!