Show Notes:
Today is part two of two where we are talking to Roxy Eloise about her debut novel The Guidal: Discovering Puracordis. After today you will have learned how her teacher influenced her writing career, the unique way she came up with her story, and her journey to getting traditionally published.
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Roxy’s Website – @Roxyeloise_ on Twitter – @Roxyeloiseofficial on Instagram
Roxy Eloise is a successful participant of Pitch Wars held quarterly on Twitter. During this event, she created a pitch that stood out from the hundreds of thousands, landing herself a traditional publishing contract. Her debut novel, The Guidal: Discovering Puracordis, is the first in a trilogy. Coming April 2022, this exciting new novel was inspired by a dream. Roxy writes the stories she really wants to read. If she finds it boring to write, she’ll find it boring to read, so she’ll always make sure her novels are binge worthy! Her favourite place to write is in bed with country music and a hot drink. On the weekends, you’ll find her out walking her dog, filming videos for YouTube, or spending time with her family.
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Transcript:
Speaker A: Welcome to Freya’s Fairy Tales, where we believe fairy tales are both stories we enjoyed as children and something that we can achieve ourselves.
Speaker A: Each week we will talk to authors about their favorite fairy tales when they were kids and their adventures to holding their very own fairy tale in their hands.
Speaker A: At the end of each episode, we will finish off with the fairy tale or short story read as close to the original author’s version as possible.
Speaker A: I am your host, Freya Victoria.
Speaker A: I’m an audiobook narrator that loves reading fairy tales novels and bringing stories to life through narration.
Speaker A: I’m also fascinated by talking to authors and learning about their why and how for creating their stories.
Speaker A: We have included all of the links for today’s author and our show in the show notes.
Speaker A: Today is part two of two where we are talking to Roxy Eloise about her debut novel, The Discovering Pure Cortis.
Speaker A: After today, you will have learned how her teacher influenced her writing career, the unique way she came up with her story, and her journey to getting traditionally published.
Speaker A: In a future where the mention of magic is banned, one paranoid man rules the entire country, adopting children to become his private bodyguards.
Speaker A: They are raised together in a strict Institute where 16 yearold Aurora struggles to follow the rules, finding her selfdisciplined often, she doesn’t particularly like her endless life of servitude.
Speaker A: Soon she will have to take part in the Institute’s annual unity ceremony, where she could end up engaged to a complete stranger.
Speaker A: Aurora’s fears of being different are realized when she discovers something about herself, something which will make most fear her and her adoptive father will want her killed for friends, bullies and a touch of something magical.
Speaker A: Aurora’s first year in the grown ups quarter is far from ordinary.
Speaker B: Now you’re in a little bit of a unique well, I guess both of us together are in a unique thing as I narrated your audiobook, so your publisher actually picked me.
Speaker B: But what was it like hearing because I sent you the first piece that they had me auditioned with, which is typically like two to five pages of a book.
Speaker B: But what was it like hearing that for the first time, just getting to hear someone do your book?
Speaker C: At first it was really nerve wracking because I didn’t know how this narrator was going to interpret my characters.
Speaker C: So it’s really scary.
Speaker C: And I was just listening and I was thinking, oh, my God, I just want to hear Nanny Kimby.
Speaker C: I just want to hear Nancy.
Speaker C: And as soon as you interpret Nanny Kimberly, I thought the interpretation better than I could have done.
Speaker C: It like, this is perfect.
Speaker C: And then so after hearing that you had Nanny Kimmy spot on, I relaxed after that.
Speaker C: And listening to the audio back for the first time was literally like, I did not write the book.
Speaker C: I was getting the same emotions that I would have got from listening to another audiobook that I didn’t write.
Speaker C: And that was really rare because even when you’re writing it, you do get emotions, of course, as you’re writing.
Speaker C: But it’s not the same sudden, gut wrenching emotions when you’re reading a book.
Speaker C: And I was getting them listening to the audiobook back for the first time.
Speaker C: So that’s like a gift to me because I kind of experienced what a reader would be feeling as to my book.
Speaker B: Well, I have to say, before I start, we do the audition and we’re only given like two to five pages.
Speaker B: So you don’t know you’re like, man, I really hope the rest of this book is edited well, but we don’t even know when as a narrator, you don’t know when you’re auditioning, who is the one hiring you.
Speaker B: You just know you’re auditioning for The Guidal discovering Pure Cordis by Roxy Louise.
Speaker B: You don’t know if it’s you doing the hiring or if it’s a publisher or if you’re getting scammed and someone else claimed the book and is hiring you.
Speaker B: So all you’re given is you’re given the main Amazon description of the book before you would buy it, and then you’re given this little tiny sample of the book to do so on our end.
Speaker B: It’s a little bit nerve racking.
Speaker B: I really hope the rest of the book is written this well.
Speaker B: But then once they picked me and I have no idea how many other narrators auditioned for your book.
Speaker B: But once they picked me and they send me the manuscript, it was like, I’m like page Turner.
Speaker B: I couldn’t put the book down.
Speaker B: I had to put the book down to do other narrating.
Speaker B: But I just wanted to keep reading and keep reading.
Speaker B: And then the way your book ends on such a cliffhanger is like, but what happens next?
Speaker B: You want the next book and you want the next book now because it just ends so perfectly to get someone to want that next book that’s coming out.
Speaker B: So I’m very glad that you ended up liking the narration.
Speaker B: I’ve had, like, one author that didn’t like how I ended up interpreting their character, which is going to happen.
Speaker B: But I’m very, very glad that the majority of mine are like you where it’s like, oh, my gosh, you did this like, you interpreted the characters perfectly, and most of that is due to good writing.
Speaker B: You wrote your characters so well that I knew this character needs to sound like this, and this character needs to sound like this.
Speaker B: You did very good job.
Speaker B: And I’m hoping that on April 2, the world and I don’t know, the audiobook might release slightly before that.
Speaker B: It hasn’t released yet, but that one’s kind of I don’t know if your publisher may have asked, can we hold off until the second?
Speaker B: I don’t know.
Speaker C: Yeah, I’m not sure.
Speaker C: But if it does release earlier, there’s not a problem to get an early access version.
Speaker B: Right.
Speaker B: So on your website, people can actually get signed copies and you have a special kit thing that they can get with promotional stuff in there too.
Speaker B: Right.
Speaker B: How is it?
Speaker C: Yes.
Speaker B: Designing all of that.
Speaker C: Oh, my God, it was very.
Speaker C: But, you know, when I was writing the book, I already had in my mind that I was going to make these experience book boxes, so I already knew what it was going to include as I was writing it, I had it in mind and I knew I was going to create them.
Speaker C: But then when it actually came to creating them, it was overwhelming and I knew I had so much to now source and it takes so long for people to get back to you with quotes and you want to make sure you’re getting a good price.
Speaker C: So you have to email and contact quite a few different companies to get all the make sure not overpaying.
Speaker C: And I was really heavily stressed, the most stressed I’ve ever felt in my life.
Speaker C: I think, when nothing seemed to be going quite right and I felt the deadline for the first time, I felt the deadline of my book launch and I was really stressed.
Speaker C: But as things started coming together, I was getting the quotes, I was making the orders, they were coming to my door, and it was the best feeling.
Speaker C: Opening the products that I created in my book, I’m seeing things like real and they’re in my hands and what I basically designed was now in my hat.
Speaker C: The stress started to fade and it started to be really enjoyable.
Speaker C: And today I’m actually making the experience book boxes because my launches in a few days.
Speaker C: So I’m going to send them out a bit early for people, so they might get them a bit earlier than everyone else.
Speaker C: But I want to make sure they don’t miss the deadline.
Speaker C: So, yeah, on my website you can get signed copies book and I would just be sending them out.
Speaker C: It’s me that’s handling that now.
Speaker B: We also have affiliate links for Amazon for them, because I know the shipping to get from you to over here is a little bit high.
Speaker B: I know we’ll also have links for the book and the audiobook to be able to be where you can get it over here.
Speaker B: But I mean, obviously I’ll link your website as well for anyone that wants to get assigned copy of the book or the book.
Speaker C: Yeah, of course.
Speaker C: It’s just a shame that the international postage is a killer, really bad and I can’t do nothing about that.
Speaker B: Right.
Speaker C: So people from the UK, they can get reasonable postage and if they spend over £90 on my website, they’ll get free postage and I’ll be taking the boxes and the books to events with me as well.
Speaker C: So people will get them that way.
Speaker C: But as for internationally, if I ever come to your country I will obviously advertise that I am coming.
Speaker C: So some people I will bring the boxes and books with me as well so people can get it with that.
Speaker B: Yeah, I’m like looking at it and I’m like maybe I’ll just wait until all three books are out because if we’re sending all three books, that’s.
Speaker C: A good way of doing it.
Speaker C: But hopefully I can be in.
Speaker C: Maybe because my publishers are American.
Speaker C: That was kind of intentional because obviously once a dream come true would be to be able to do UK and be successful in America as well.
Speaker C: So I like that my publishers are from America and so I will it is in my future plan if it’s hopefully that’s not too unrealistic.
Speaker C: But I do want a tour in America as well.
Speaker B: I mean, you can always come here and set stuff up.
Speaker C: It will probably happen, that’s for sure.
Speaker C: I don’t know when, but definitely in the future.
Speaker B: So do you have some kind of a time frame for when you’re hoping all three books will be out?
Speaker C: Okay.
Speaker C: So I don’t know why I thought this.
Speaker C: I thought that because my first book is April 2022, my second book would be April 2023 and my third book would be.
Speaker B: Right.
Speaker C: But an Arc reader, an early access reader who was found through my publishers.
Speaker C: He told me that my publishers have said they will be out late this year.
Speaker B: Oh, gosh.
Speaker C: That came as a shock to me.
Speaker B: They don’t even have it yet.
Speaker C: I’m still doing it accurately answer that question because what I assumed I don’t think my publishers have the same idea.
Speaker C: I think out by the end of the year.
Speaker B: I think obviously, it depends.
Speaker B: I’ve heard of all the time of narrators being told like, oh, you’re going to do this book.
Speaker B: And then it keeps getting pushed back and pushed back and pushed back.
Speaker B: So I imagine that eventually I’m pretty much and I let them know this too.
Speaker B: When I submitted the audiobook, I said I know fully well because they had asked me to do another book for them.
Speaker B: I said my schedule is full until this day, but I know full well that I need to make room in my schedule whenever your book is ready for book two, if they so choose to keep me on for the rest.
Speaker B: So you are working on your editing book two.
Speaker B: Are you still working on book three, or did you just kind of get out the quarter of it that you had in your brain and then you stopped?
Speaker C: Yeah, that’s what happened.
Speaker C: It’s only because of the pressure of book two needing to be complete.
Speaker C: Otherwise I would still be doing book three.
Speaker C: I really would because I’m still really eager to get it down on paper.
Speaker C: But book two needs my attention more.
Speaker C: So it’s editing for a while.
Speaker B: No, we’ve kind of talked about in dealing with the audiobook feeling a little bit like imposter syndrome, both of us feeling that way a little bit.
Speaker B: What benchmark do you think you would need to hit to feel like, oh my gosh, I’ve made it.
Speaker C: Now I’m not sure if that feeling ever goes.
Speaker C: I’m not sure because in the moment I’m feeling that way.
Speaker C: It’s hard to predict if it will ever go, and I’ll stop feeling like that.
Speaker C: But I guess yeah.
Speaker C: No, it’s really hard to say because you just want your book to do well.
Speaker C: And if you ever got onto, like a best seller’s list, then, oh, my God, that would be enough confirmation for me to know that it’s good.
Speaker C: I guess sales is the answer to that.
Speaker C: Reviews and ratings maybe is the answer.
Speaker C: And if I submit it to awards and it may be wins awards, that could possibly help as well.
Speaker B: That would be really cool.
Speaker B: I think as a writer, that would be like the best thing ever to have some kind of an award for your book.
Speaker C: Yeah.
Speaker B: Obviously, since you’re a new writer, you aren’t doing this full time yet and you don’t have to share at all what you do.
Speaker B: But I assume you have some kind of a job you’re doing on the side here to help support the writing.
Speaker C: Yes, of course.
Speaker C: I work full time and I’m also a YouTuber, so you can actually see a day in my life at work as a full time.
Speaker C: I’m a personal system, like a PA.
Speaker C: So working in an office and being an author, I’ve done a YouTube video on it so people can actually see what a day looks like in my life.
Speaker C: I’ve got a really nice, relaxed workplace, and I can wear what I like.
Speaker C: And I have an office dog, so I have my dog with me, and it’s so chilled that it’s a really good environment for me to be an author.
Speaker C: And I would sit because my job, it doesn’t consume my mind too much.
Speaker C: I have a lot of thinking space.
Speaker C: I have a notepad next to me, and as I’m doing my work, my brain is with my characters, and it’s just literally just checking in with them and thinking of it does.
Speaker C: Because if I don’t think of my characters for a while, I kind of feel more distant from them.
Speaker C: So I have to check in with my characters all, every single day, every day.
Speaker C: So I will be sitting there, and that’s kind of when my brain is just floating around my world and the Institute of my characters, my ideas just come, oh, my God.
Speaker C: Yeah, that’s going to be in my book.
Speaker C: I’m going to do that.
Speaker C: And I’ll jot it down, ready to write later.
Speaker C: And in the evenings is when I tend to write.
Speaker C: I’m not the 05:00 a.m.
Speaker C: Writers club.
Speaker C: I can’t write that early in the morning.
Speaker B: I could, but it’s not going to be good.
Speaker C: Exactly.
Speaker C: I’m way too tired.
Speaker C: My brain needs to wake up first.
Speaker C: So my writing time is in the evenings.
Speaker C: Writing is the fun part, and the marketing is when the real work starts.
Speaker C: That’s hard work.
Speaker C: Marketing is work, and it takes a lot of time.
Speaker C: And it wasn’t unexpected, but it did shock me a little bit how much I spend working now.
Speaker C: I can say that in quotations because it’s not my full time job, but my mind is always actively working on how to improve myself.
Speaker C: Like, the website sourcing all my stuff in my boxes.
Speaker C: Obviously, finding bookstores that you can do sign in your social media is huge, right?
Speaker C: So I’m on Instagram, I’m on Twitter, I’m a YouTuber.
Speaker C: I’ve just started a TikTok.
Speaker C: So I actually love that.
Speaker C: I’m kind of busy all the time now, and that’s new for me.
Speaker C: Before I started writing, I had a lot of free time, and I think when I have a lot of free time, my mental health isn’t that great.
Speaker C: It never used to be anyway, but that’s like, old me now.
Speaker C: I’m a completely different person.
Speaker C: And being busy, I think, is really good for my mental health.
Speaker C: And I like that I’m kind of active all the time now, right?
Speaker B: The same for me, narrating.
Speaker B: So I just started narrating in September.
Speaker B: So I haven’t been like, I’ve been reading books aloud and making the voices since I was a kid.
Speaker B: But as far as actually narrating, I would always look for I really want a job because I would just sit on the couch reading books or watching Netflix or whatever.
Speaker B: Just sit on the couch because my work, like yours, is very laid back.
Speaker B: But unlike yours, I don’t have to sit at a desk all day.
Speaker B: Most of mine is waiting for phone calls to come in.
Speaker B: I’m the office manager, so it’s kind of like if someone has a problem, they call in, but they don’t always have a problem.
Speaker B: So a lot of my day was spent doing nothing, and so I would constantly look for I did some odd typing jobs, but I would mostly read books and watch Netflix.
Speaker B: And I’m like, what?
Speaker B: I want something where I can get paid to read books.
Speaker B: Like, I’m having a good time.
Speaker B: I want to just like, how do you get paid?
Speaker B: And so I thought along the lines of getting paid to review books or something along those lines.
Speaker B: And it was actually a Tik Tok video that I saw about how to become a narrator.
Speaker B: And that was in September.
Speaker B: And a couple of weeks later, I was already narrating.
Speaker C: Wow.
Speaker B: And this was way more fun than just reviewing.
Speaker C: Yeah.
Speaker C: So it’s new for you since September 2021.
Speaker B: Yes, September 2021.
Speaker B: And actually, at the beginning, I only got nonfiction books, so I did a lot of, like, narrating nonfiction books, which it’s way more hard to make a nonfiction not sound boring, like, just drool.
Speaker B: I’m just going to read it like monotone and do nothing.
Speaker B: It’s a little more difficult for those.
Speaker B: But I actually didn’t get my first fiction book until January of this year.
Speaker B: So I got my first fiction because in September, I’m like, I’m auditioning for everything.
Speaker B: I want to do fiction, but I’m willing to do nonfiction if it pays.
Speaker B: Like, I don’t care.
Speaker B: I’m learning everything.
Speaker B: So I’m willing to take less money because I know the quality is not going to be great, at least at the beginning.
Speaker C: Yeah, in the beginning.
Speaker B: And so I auditioned for everything, and then I didn’t get a single fiction book.
Speaker B: And so I stopped auditioning for fiction.
Speaker B: I’m like, you know what?
Speaker B: I’m not getting them.
Speaker B: Clearly.
Speaker B: I’m just not made to narrate fiction books, but I had, like, a full schedule of nonfiction.
Speaker B: And then the week before Christmas, I had, like, four nonfiction that I had to finish that week.
Speaker B: And so shorter, much shorter books.
Speaker B: But then I came back, like, we went on vacation, and then I got coveted.
Speaker B: And so in January, almost the entire month of January, I couldn’t audition for anything because my voice was not good.
Speaker B: And then I’m like, you know what?
Speaker B: We’re going to start.
Speaker B: So this is like, end of January, I’m like, we’re going to start auditioning for fiction and just see what happens.
Speaker B: I mean, if I normally do five a day, like, auditions in general, I’ll do, like, two fiction and the rest nonfiction.
Speaker B: So we’ll just do a few just for fun or whatever.
Speaker B: And then it was like, Domino, yours was one of the first.
Speaker B: Not the first one, but I got, like, one fiction book, and then it was like fiction after fiction, after fiction after fiction.
Speaker B: I just kept getting them.
Speaker B: So it’s a little bit different, but kind of.
Speaker B: I mean, it’s good that I didn’t start with fiction because I learned while I was doing nonfiction, I would read through Facebook groups for narrators about how to track the characters and keep track of character voices and more the process of doing a fiction and how it differs from doing a nonfiction.
Speaker B: And so I learned how to better do the books.
Speaker B: And so, like, for your book, for example, while I was narrating your book, and I think I sent you a video of this, actually, I think I put it on TikTok, but I have a file that has the name of each character, and then the first line that that character says so that I could go back.
Speaker B: And if I was doing Brendan’s voice, I could go back and be like, what did he sound like again?
Speaker B: And listen to it.
Speaker B: So I kept them consistent.
Speaker C: I did wonder how you managed to I thought it was all in your head.
Speaker C: And then to see it broken down, I thought, that makes so much sense.
Speaker C: But you learn as you go.
Speaker C: You don’t realize how people do it until you start researching.
Speaker B: And then you get good at what you do for you because you had a few words that you created for the book.
Speaker B: And so I kept track of.
Speaker B: Now I have another book where I haven’t in August, and I think July, I narrate his book, but he created his own language.
Speaker B: So for him, I have a giant file with all these words.
Speaker B: And him saying the word to keep yours was much easier because there weren’t that many words.
Speaker C: Now I’m going to tell you that I also have my own language.
Speaker C: So in book two.
Speaker B: Just know, I’m going to make you send me an MP3 of how to say words.
Speaker C: Okay.
Speaker C: Yeah.
Speaker C: It’s called pure Cordal.
Speaker C: I have my own language as well.
Speaker C: So there will be a few pure cordial words in second and third book.
Speaker B: Obviously, pretty much for book one, it was like the title of your head, not head, but your superior characters.
Speaker B: You had like, this is how I want that said, yeah, it’s so important that and then you gave me a couple of names that are names here are similar to names here, but spelled slightly differently.
Speaker B: But you said them differently.
Speaker B: So I tried to say them the way that you said.
Speaker C: That’s actually what I like to do with my character’s names.
Speaker C: I like to take common names and just change the pronunciation just slightly.
Speaker C: So Megan is actually Megan in the book.
Speaker C: It is the name Megan, but it’s pronounced Megan.
Speaker B: I don’t remember how I narrated that you said Megan.
Speaker B: Megan, because I think it’s spelled like M-A-E in the book.
Speaker C: Yes.
Speaker C: So you would call her because it’s like Beth and May and you would say Beth and May, so that’s Megan.
Speaker C: And then Brendan is an actual boy’s name, and I changed it to be Brendan.
Speaker C: So that’s what I like to do with my characters names.
Speaker C: I like to give them common names that people would recognize and just change the pronunciation slightly.
Speaker B: Now it is funny while narrating, though, because there are words like pure Cortis.
Speaker B: I’m like, I think that’s a made up word.
Speaker B: But I’m going to Google how to pronounce this word anyways to see what happened.
Speaker B: And there was one thing, the implant that they have to keep track of, basically their lives.
Speaker B: I did Google that to see if that was the thing.
Speaker B: And I’m like, I don’t know.
Speaker B: And then you said, actually, I want it pronounced Pico plant instead of Pico plant.
Speaker C: Yes.
Speaker C: There are a few pronunciations that I knew that I wanted, which was Pico plant and seal.
Speaker C: I think they were the only two that I was really like.
Speaker C: If they sounded any different, it would.
Speaker C: Yes, that was another one.
Speaker C: If that had been pronounced any differently, I would have been like, every time I heard it, I would have been like, oh, but it’s not that.
Speaker B: Well, I think as I was reading through, I was saying, calm, Mayan, because, like, the Mayan civilization.
Speaker C: Mayan.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker B: Maybe you guys say that differently than we do.
Speaker C: No, Mayan.
Speaker C: Mayan calendar.
Speaker C: So it’s, like, spelled the same but pronounced slightly different.
Speaker C: I think it’s spelled the same.
Speaker B: We say khaki.
Speaker B: You guys say Khaki.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker B: So that one I think was like, I think this might be a pronunciation difference.
Speaker C: Yeah, that’s fine.
Speaker C: Anything that slightly deviates?
Speaker C: Slightly, I would just say that’s just an American pronunciation, but the British pronunciation is this way.
Speaker C: So it didn’t matter if there were any.
Speaker C: That was slightly different to how I pronounced it.
Speaker B: Now, you had said you actually wanted an American narrator even though you didn’t get picked at all.
Speaker B: Did you talk to your publishers about what kind of accent you wanted for the book, or why did you want an American narrator?
Speaker C: Why right now, do you know what the publishers reaching out for narrator comes as a surprise to me because I didn’t think that would become a thing until the book had made sales, so I wasn’t really expecting that.
Speaker C: So that comes as a really nice surprise that they had found a narrator.
Speaker C: And the same kind of thing with why I was kind of drawn to an American publisher.
Speaker C: I don’t know why I was drawn to it, but for an American narrator, I think the majority of audiobooks that I’ve listened to, it’s an American narrator.
Speaker C: So if I had heard of British narrator, it would have just sounded weird to me because I’ve never listened to a British audio book.
Speaker C: And it’s the same thing with American movies and British movies.
Speaker C: British movies.
Speaker C: I can tell they’re British and I don’t like them.
Speaker C: There’s something about British movies that makes me feel like it’s not a real movie.
Speaker C: It sounds so silly, but an American movie, I can tell it’s American and it’s like Hollywood and it’s real.
Speaker C: It’s a proper movie and it’s not low budget.
Speaker C: And I was worried that a British narrator would have that same effect on me where I would listen to a British narrator and think, oh, it just sounds like it’s low budget or it just doesn’t sound like it’s real.
Speaker C: It’s just something about it that sounds off to me.
Speaker C: Yeah, that’s why I wanted an American radar.
Speaker B: Well, that is one of the other things we can filter when we’re looking for auditions.
Speaker B: You can filter by like, well, mine automatically filters female because I am a female.
Speaker B: And some will say we don’t care if it’s a male or a female, but it filters like, it has to say female.
Speaker B: It can’t be like, we only want a male narrator and then we can filter by how much you get paid.
Speaker B: We can’t filter by what kind of an accident.
Speaker B: And so I won’t audition for it.
Speaker B: Now, I did audition for one that asked for a British accent because the cover was just beautiful and the story blurb on that particular book was just I’m like, oh, my gosh, I would love to do this book, but I’m definitely not British.
Speaker B: And so I sent a note like, thanks for the audition.
Speaker B: But I know I’m not going to get this.
Speaker B: I stick, too, because I have as far as American accents go, I’m from Texas, but I don’t have a Texas accent.
Speaker B: And so I stick to in fact, my sister told me she’s like, if you did a book with your country Texas accent, people from here would know, like, that’s not a true accent for the area.
Speaker B: So I stick to very much like, general American accent audition.
Speaker C: Yes, it sounds general.
Speaker C: I mean, I’m not American.
Speaker C: I can’t really tell different accents in different areas.
Speaker C: Like I said, in the UK, I could definitely tell where people are from based on their accents.
Speaker C: But in America, I’m not sure.
Speaker C: I think I could probably tell New York and Texas, obviously, but I’m not sure.
Speaker B: The big accidents would be like Boston and then New York and Texas and then, like, Louisiana is somewhat Texas, but they have a little bit of a different again, I wouldn’t be able to tell a whole lot of difference between your area where you can knowing your area.
Speaker C: Yeah, it’d be the same.
Speaker B: So you like American accents for whatever reason?
Speaker C: Yeah, just for me it would be because it makes it like a real book for some reason.
Speaker B: I don’t remember.
Speaker B: Yours would have either had to have had a we want a general American accent or we don’t care what the accent is on it because I wouldn’t have auditioned for it.
Speaker C: I guess they might have said they don’t care because I am British and they are American.
Speaker C: So I’ve got a feeling they probably would have said whatever, it doesn’t matter.
Speaker B: I don’t even know them.
Speaker C: I wanted, right, well.
Speaker B: Based on your name, when I got the deal, the first thing that I do to make sure it’s not a scam is I reach out to the author because even if it’s a publisher that hired me, the author’s going to know, like, oh yeah, that person has they’re okay to do this with or whatever.
Speaker B: I reached out to you and they’re like.
Speaker A: Oh, yeah, she’s in the UK.
Speaker B: So it will take a while to get a response from her immediately.
Speaker B: And it works out well, especially on these, like, fantasy Dystopian books where there are words that got created as opposed to like, a romance where words aren’t usually going to be created on those.
Speaker B: But it is helpful to have communication with the author to make sure I’m saying it the way you want it.
Speaker B: Or we had a couple of instances where you came back and you said, oh my gosh, that is totally not how I wanted that to be sound.
Speaker B: And so I would redo the line to whatever he wanted it to be.
Speaker B: So that’s something that the publisher isn’t going to know.
Speaker B: So it’s helpful to have you listen through and make sure that I want to make sure that you’re happy with it.
Speaker C: Too, to work so closely with you.
Speaker C: I think that was a good part.
Speaker C: I can’t imagine it going very well without having such a close communication with you.
Speaker C: So I’m really pleased I was involved throughout the whole process.
Speaker B: Well, we’re done with it.
Speaker B: I mean, we finished the audiobook like two weeks ago and we still talk back and forth.
Speaker C: Yeah, no, that’s true.
Speaker UNK: Yeah.
Speaker C: That’s the magic of the Internet and social media and stuff.
Speaker B: Yeah.
Speaker C: Now I’m pleased that we did have like good communication throughout the whole thing.
Speaker C: I think it’s important.
Speaker B: So your book comes out.
Speaker B: We’ll be out by the time this airs.
Speaker B: Are you doing something to celebrate the book launch the day that it launches.
Speaker C: So I really struggled on getting a venue for the actual date for the 2 April.
Speaker C: I struggled to get a place to be where I can just celebrate with the public.
Speaker C: So I’m actually celebrating with my family next week and we’re going out for something to eat and there’s a lot of us there and stuff, so we’re going to celebrate that way.
Speaker C: And I think I’m going to be vlogging it as well.
Speaker C: So it will be on my YouTube and I’m going to be at the Hearts Book Festival.
Speaker C: It’s a local book festival to me on the 7th and 8 May.
Speaker C: And that is where I’m going to really celebrate the book launch with the public.
Speaker C: And that’s the first time I’m going to be at an event with my book.
Speaker C: So that’s going to be like a little bit late.
Speaker C: But obviously, ideally, I would have loved it to be on the 2 April, but I couldn’t find the venue.
Speaker C: So, yeah, on the 7th and 8 May, that’s when I’m going to actually really celebrate with the public.
Speaker C: But yes, I’m looking forward to next week now because it’s really nice that I’m actually going to be with all my family and celebrating with them where originally in my head I was going to be in a bookstore, which is work, basically, isn’t it?
Speaker C: Of course it’s going to be like a good day, but it is work.
Speaker C: But now I’m with my friends and my family and I’m celebrating with them.
Speaker A: That sounds cool.
Speaker B: Well, I think we are about done for.
Speaker B: We have a to Z your entire life and how you got into writing and back into writing.
Speaker B: Your book launches on the second.
Speaker B: This should be premiering on the fourth.
Speaker B: So the book will have been out for a few days.
Speaker B: Well, good luck.
Speaker B: And we will look forward to book two.
Speaker B: And whenever that one decides to launch.
Speaker C: Yeah, end of the year, maybe, I will say.
Speaker C: But yeah, maybe the end of the year.
Speaker C: You’re going to be busy.
Speaker C: Can you hear the dogs barking?
Speaker C: Pick up everything.
Speaker C: Thank you very much.
Speaker C: Bye.
Speaker A: Roxy’s favorite fairy tale when she got a little older was Beauty and the Beast.
Speaker A: Beauty and the Beast.
Speaker A: French Labelle at Labet is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle Suzanne Barbo de Villanueva and published in 1740 in La June American et les Contes Marines, the Young American and Marine Tales.
Speaker A: Her lengthy version was abridged rewritten and published by Jeanmarie La Prince de Beaumont in 1756 and Majisend Descents Children’s Collection to produce the version most commonly retold and later by Andrew Lang in The Blue Fairy Book of his Fairy Book series in 1889.
Speaker A: The fairy tale was influenced by ancient Greek stories such as Cupid and Psyche from The Golden A** and The Pig King, an Italian fairy tale published around 1550.
Speaker A: According to researchers at universities in Durham and Lisbon, the story originated about 40 years ago.
Speaker A: Today we’ll be reading the Jeanmarie Le Prince de Beaumont version as the original is super long, but you can also hear the original story on our Patreon as this is a longer story, we will release a little more each week.
Speaker A: Beauty and the Beast Once upon a time, in a faroff country, there lived a merchant who had been so fortunate in all his undertakings that he was enormously rich, as he had six sons and six daughters, however, who were accustomed to having everything they fancied.
Speaker A: He did not find he had a Penny too much, but misfortune befell them.
Speaker A: One day their house caught fire and speedily burned to the ground with all the splendid furniture, books, pictures, gold, silver and precious goods it contained, the father suddenly lost every ship he had upon the sea, either by dint of Pirates, shipwreck or fire.
Speaker A: Then he heard that his clerks and distant countries, whom he had trusted entirely, had proved unfaithful, and at last, from great wealth he fell into the direst poverty.
Speaker A: All that he had left was a little house in a desolate place at least 100 leagues from the town, and to this he was forced to retreat.
Speaker A: His children were in despair at the idea of leading such a different life.
Speaker A: The daughters at first hoped their friends, who had been so numerous while they were rich, would insist on their staying in their houses, but they soon found they were left alone.
Speaker A: Their former friends even attributed their misfortunes to their own extravagance and showed no intention of offering them any help.
Speaker A: 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 on the face of the Earth.
Speaker A: As they were too poor to have any servants, the girls had to work hard, and the sons, for their part, cultivated the fields to earn their living.
Speaker A: Roughly clothed and living in the simplest way.
Speaker A: The girls regretted unceasingly the luxuries and amusements of their former life.
Speaker A: Only their youngest daughter tried to be brave and cheerful.
Speaker A: She had been as sad as anyone when misfortune first 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 persuade her sisters to join her in dancing and singing.
Speaker A: But they would do nothing of the sort, and because she was not as doleful as themselves, they declared this miserable life was all she was fit for, but she was really far prettier and cleverer than they were.
Speaker A: Indeed, she was so lovely she was always called Beauty.
Speaker A: After two years, when they were all beginning to get used to their new life, their father received news that one of his ships, which he had believed lost, had come safely into Port with a rich cargo.
Speaker A: All the sons and daughters at once thought that their poverty was at an end and wanted to set out directly for the town.
Speaker A: But their father, who was more prudent, begged them to wait a little, and though it was harvest time and he could still be spared, determined to go himself to make inquiries.
Speaker A: Only their youngest daughter had any doubt but that they would soon again be as rich as they were before.
Speaker A: They all loaded their father with commissions for jewels and dresses, which it would have taken a fortune to buy.
Speaker A: 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?
Speaker A: The only thing I wish for is to see you come home safely, she answered.
Speaker A: But this reply vexed her sisters, who fancied she was blaming them for having asked for such costly things.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Well, dear father, she said, as you insist upon it, I beg that you will bring me a rose.
Speaker A: I have not seen one since we came here, and I love them so much.
Speaker A: The merchant reached town as quickly as possible, only to find that his former companions, believing him to be dead, had divided his cargo between them.
Speaker A: After six months of trouble and expense, he found himself as poor as when he started on his journey.
Speaker A: To make matters worse, he was obliged to return in the most terrible weather.
Speaker A: By the time he was within a few leagues of his home, he was almost exhausted with cold and fatigue, though he knew it would take some hours to get through the forest.
Speaker A: 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 to be seen.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: The howling of the Wolves kept him awake, and when at last day broke, the falling snow had covered up every path, and he did not know which way to turn.
Speaker A: At length he made out some sort of path, but it was so rough and slippery that he fell down more than once.
Speaker A: Presently it led him into an Avenue of trees which ended in a splendid Castle.
Speaker A: It seemed to the merchant very strange that no snow had fallen in the Avenue of Orange trees covered with flowers and fruit.
Speaker A: When he reached the first court of the Castle, he saw before him a flight of agate steps.
Speaker A: He went up there and passed through several splendidly furnished rooms.
Speaker A: The pleasant warmth of the air revived him, and he felt very hungry.
Speaker A: But there seemed to be nobody in all this vast and splendid palace.
Speaker A: 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 cosally before it.
Speaker A: Thinking 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.
Speaker A: When his extreme hunger awakened him.
Speaker A: After several hours he was still alone, but a little table with a good dinner on it had been drawn up close to him.
Speaker A: He lost no time in beginning his meal, hoping he might soon thank his considerate host, whoever it might be.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Because he was naturally timid, the silence began to terrify him, and he resolved to search once more through all the rooms.
Speaker A: But it was of no use.
Speaker A: There was no sign of life in the palace.
Speaker A: He wondered what he should do to amuse himself.
Speaker A: He began pretending that all the treasures he saw were his own, and considering how he would divide them among his children.
Speaker A: Then he went down into the garden, and though it was winter everywhere else, here the sun shone, the birds sang, the flowers bloomed, and the air was soft and sweet.
Speaker A: The merchant, in ecstasies with all he saw and heard, said to himself, all this must be meant for me.
Speaker A: I will go this minute and bring my children to share all these delights, in spite of being so cold and weary.
Speaker A: When he reached the Castle, he had taken his horse to the stable and fed it.
Speaker A: Now he thought he would saddle it for his homeward journey, and he turned down the path which led to the stable.
Speaker A: This path had a hedge of roses on each side of it, and the merchant thought he had never seen such exquisite flowers.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Turning round, he saw a frightful beast, which seemed to be very angry, and said in a terrible voice, who told you you might gather my roses?
Speaker A: Was it not enough that I sheltered you in my palace and was kind to you?
Speaker A: This is the way you show your gratitude by stealing my flowers, but your insolence shall not go unpunished.
Speaker A: 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 for your hospitality, which was so magnificent.
Speaker A: I could not imagine you would be offended by my taking such a little thing as a rose.
Speaker A: But the Beast’s anger was not lessened by his speech.
Speaker A: You are very ready with excuses and flattery, he cried.
Speaker A: But thou will not save you from the death you deserve.
Speaker A: Alas, thought the merchant, if my daughter Beauty could only know into what danger her rose has brought me.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: A King’s ransom would hardly have procured all that my other daughters asked for, he said.
Speaker A: But I thought I might at least take Beauty.
Speaker A: Her rose, I beg you to forgive me, for you see I meant no harm, the beast said in a less furious tone.
Speaker A: I will forgive you on one condition, that you will give me one of your daughters, cried the merchant.
Speaker A: 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?
Speaker A: None, answered the beast.
Speaker A: If she comes at all, she must come willingly.
Speaker A: On no other condition will I have her see if any one of them is courageous enough and loves you enough to come and save your life.
Speaker A: You seem to be an honest man, so I will trust you to go home.
Speaker A: I give you a month to see if any of your daughters will come back with you and stay here to let you go free.
Speaker A: If none of them is willing, you must come alone after bidding them goodbye forever, for then you will belong to me.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: The merchant accepted this proposal, though he did not really think that any of his daughters would be persuaded to come.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Then you will find a horse ready for you, he said.
Speaker A: Now go and eat your supper and await my orders.
Speaker A: The poor merchant, more dead than alive, went back to his room, where the most delicious supper was already served on the little table drawn up before a blazing fire.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: The only thing that remained was to seem as little afraid as possible.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Then the beast warned him to remember their agreement and to prepare his daughter exactly for what she had to expect.
Speaker A: Do not get up tomorrow, he added, until you see the sun and hear a Golden Bell ring.
Speaker A: Then you will find your breakfast waiting for you, and the horse you are to ride will be ready in the courtyard.
Speaker A: You will also bring you back again when you come with your daughter a month hence.
Speaker A: Farewell.
Speaker A: Take a rose to Beauty, and remember your promise.
Speaker A: The merchant lay down until the sun rose.
Speaker A: Then, after 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.
Speaker A: He was still wrapped in gloomy thoughts when the horse stopped before the door of his cottage.
Speaker A: His sons and daughters, who had been 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.
Speaker A: But he hid the truth from them at first, only saying sadly to Beauty as he gave her the rose.
Speaker A: Here is what you asked me to bring you, little you know what it has cost.
Speaker A: But this excited their curiosity so greatly that presently he told them his adventures from beginning to end.
Speaker A: And then they were all very unhappy.
Speaker A: The girls lamented loudly over their lost hopes, and the sons declared their father should not return to the terrible Castle, and began to make plans for killing the beast if it should come to fetch him.
Speaker A: But he reminded them he had promised to go back.
Speaker A: Then the girls were very angry with Beauty and said it was all her fault.
Speaker A: If she had asked for something sensible, this would never have happened.
Speaker A: Poor Beauty, much distrust, said to them, I have indeed caused this misfortune.
Speaker A: But who could have guessed that to ask for a rose in the middle of summer would cause so much misery?
Speaker A: But as I did the mischief, it is only just that I should suffer for it.
Speaker A: I will therefore go back with my father to keep his promise.
Speaker A: At first nobody would hear of it.
Speaker A: Her father and brothers, who loved her dearly, declared nothing should make them let her go.
Speaker A: But Beauty was firm.
Speaker A: As the time drew near, she divided her little possessions between her sisters and said goodbye to everything she loved.
Speaker A: When the fatal day came, she encouraged and cheered her father as they mounted together the horse which had brought him back.
Speaker A: It seemed to fly rather than gallop, but so smoothly that Beauty was not frightened.
Speaker A: Indeed, she would have enjoyed the journey if she had not feared what might happen at the end of it.
Speaker A: Her father still tried to persuade her to go back, but in vain.
Speaker A: While they were talking, the night fell.
Speaker A: Then, to their great surprise, wonderful colored lights began to shine in all directions, and splendid fireworks blazed out before them.
Speaker A: All the forest was illuminated.
Speaker A: They even felt pleasantly warm, though it had been bitterly cold before.
Speaker A: They reached the Avenue of Orange trees and saw that the palace was brilliantly lighted from roof to ground, and the music sounded softly from the courtyard.
Speaker A: The beast must be very hungry, said Beauty, trying to laugh, if he makes all this rejoicing over the arrival of his prey.
Speaker A: But in spite of her anxiety, she admired all the wonderful things she saw.
Speaker A: When they had dismounted, her father led her to the little room he had been in before.
Speaker A: Here they found a splendid fire burning, and the table daintily spread with a delicious supper.
Speaker A: The merchant knew that this was meant for them, and Beauty, who was 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.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: But when the beast really appeared, though she trembled at the sight of him, she made a great effort to hide her horror and saluted him respectfully.
Speaker A: This evidently pleased the beast.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Good evening, Beauty.
Speaker A: The merchant was too terrified to reply, but Beauty answered sweetly, Good evening, Beast.
Speaker A: Have you come willingly?
Speaker A: Asked the beast.
Speaker A: Will you be content to stay here when your father goes away?
Speaker A: Beauty answered bravely that she was quite prepared to stay.
Speaker A: I am pleased with you, said the beast.
Speaker A: As you’ve come of your own accord, you may remain.
Speaker A: As for you, old man, he added, turning to the merchant.
Speaker A: At sunrise tomorrow, take your departure.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Then, turning to Beauty, he said, Take your father into the next room and help him choose gifts for your brothers and sisters.
Speaker A: You will find two traveling trunks there.
Speaker A: Fill them as full as you can.
Speaker A: It is only just that you should send him something very precious as a remembrance.
Speaker A: Then he went away after saying, Goodbye, Beauty.
Speaker A: Goodbye, old man.
Speaker A: Beauty was beginning to think with great dismay of her father’s departure, but she was afraid to disobey the Beast’s orders.
Speaker A: They went into the next room, which had shelves and cupboards all around it.
Speaker A: They were greatly surprised at the riches it contained.
Speaker A: There were splendid dresses fit for a Queen, with all the ornaments to be worn with them.
Speaker A: And when Beauty opened the cupboards, she was dazzled by the gorgeous jewels lying in heaps upon every shelf.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: She opened the last chest, which was full of gold.
Speaker A: I think, Father, she said, that as the gold will be more useful to you, we had better take out the other things again and fill the trunks with it.
Speaker A: So they did this.
Speaker A: But the more they put in, the more room there seemed to be.
Speaker A: And at last they put back all the jewels and dresses they had taken out.
Speaker A: And Beauty even added as many more of the jewels as she could carry at once.
Speaker A: Even then the trunks were not too full, but they were so heavy an elephant could not have carried them.
Speaker A: The beast was mocking us, cried the merchant.
Speaker A: He pretended to give us all these things, knowing that I could not carry them away.
Speaker A: Let us wait and see, answered Beauty.
Speaker A: I cannot believe he meant to deceive us.
Speaker A: All we can do is to fasten them up and have them ready.
Speaker A: So they did this and return to the little room, where, to their astonishment, they found breakfast ready.
Speaker A: The merchant ate his with a good appetite, as the Beast’s generosity made him believe he might perhaps venture to come back soon and see Beauty.
Speaker A: But she felt sure her father was leaving her forever.
Speaker A: So she was very sad when the Bell rang sharply for the second time and warned them that the time was come for them to part.
Speaker A: They went down into the courtyard where two horses were waiting, one loaded with the two trunks, the other for him to ride.
Speaker A: They were pawing the ground in their impatience to start, and the merchant bade Beauty a hasty farewell.
Speaker A: As soon as he was mounted, he went off at such a pace she lost sight of him in an instant.
Speaker A: Then Beauty began to cry and wandered sadly back to her own room.
Speaker A: But she soon found she was very sleepy, and as she had nothing better to do.
Speaker A: She laid down and instantly fell asleep.
Speaker A: And then she dreamed she was walking by a Brook bordered with trees and lamenting her sad faith.
Speaker A: 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, oh, Beauty, you are not so unfortunate as you suppose.
Speaker A: Here you will be rewarded for all you have suffered elsewhere.
Speaker A: Your every wish shall be gratified.
Speaker A: Only try to find me out, no matter how I may be disguised, for I love you dearly, and in making me happy you will find your own happiness.
Speaker A: Be as true hearted as you are beautiful, and we shall have nothing left to wish for.
Speaker A: What can I do, Prince, to make you happy, said Beauty.
Speaker A: Only be grateful, he answered, and do not trust too much to your eyes.
Speaker A: Above all, do not desert me until you have saved me from my cruel misery.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: You are destined for a better faith.
Speaker A: Only do not let yourself be deceived by appearances.
Speaker A: Beauty found her dream so interesting that she was in no hurry to awake.
Speaker A: But presently the clock roused her by calling her name softly twelve times.
Speaker A: Then she rose and found her dressing table set out with everything she could possibly want.
Speaker A: And when her toilet was finished, she found dinner waiting in the room next to hers.
Speaker A: But dinner does not take very long when one is alone, 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.
Speaker A: He said I could make him happy, said Beauty to herself.
Speaker A: It seems, then, that this horrible beast keeps him a prisoner.
Speaker A: How can I set him free?
Speaker B: I wonder why?
Speaker A: They both told me not to trust appearances.
Speaker A: But after all, it was only a dream, so why should I trouble myself about it?
Speaker A: I’d better find something to do to amuse myself.
Speaker A: So she began to explore some of the many rooms of the palace.
Speaker A: The first she entered was lined with mirrors.
Speaker A: Beauty saw herself reflected on every side and thought she had never seen such a charming room.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: 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 wellpainted that as she studied it he seemed to smile kindly at her, tearing herself away from the portrait at last she passed into a room which contained every musical instrument under the sun, and here she amused herself for a long while in trying them and singing until she was tired.
Speaker A: The next room was a library, and she saw everything she had ever wanted to read, as well as everything she had read.
Speaker A: By this time it was growing dusk, and wax candles in diamond and Ruby candlesticks lit themselves in every room.
Speaker A: Beauty found her supper served just at the time.
Speaker A: She preferred to have it, but she did not see anyone or hear a sound.
Speaker A: Though her father had warned her she would be alone, she began to find it rather dull.
Speaker A: Presently she heard the Beast coming and wondered, tremblingly if he meant to eat her.
Speaker A: Now, however, he did not seem at all ferocious, and only said gruffly, Good evening, Beauty, she answered cheerfully and managed to conceal her terror.
Speaker A: The Beast asked how she had been amusing herself, and she told him all the rooms she had seen.
Speaker A: Then he asked if she thought she could be happy in his palace, and Beauty answered that everything was so beautiful she would be very hard to please if she could not be happy.
Speaker A: After about an hour’s talk, Beauty began to think the Beast was not nearly so terrible as she had supposed at first.
Speaker A: Then he rose to leave her and said in his gruff voice, do you love me, Beauty?
Speaker A: Will you marry me?
Speaker A: Oh, what shall I say?
Speaker A: Cried Beauty, for she was afraid to make the Beast angry by refusing say yes or no.
Speaker A: Without fear, he replied, oh, no, Beast, Beauty said hastily, since you will not.
Speaker A: Good night, Beauty, he said, and she answered, Good night, Beast.
Speaker A: Very glad to find her refusal had not provoked him.
Speaker A: After he was gone, she was very soon in bed and dreaming of her unknown Prince.
Speaker A: She thought he came and said, oh, Beauty, why are you so unkind to me?
Speaker A: I fear I am faded to be unhappy for many a long day.
Speaker A: Still.
Speaker A: Then her dreams changed, but the charming Prince figured in them all.
Speaker A: When morning came, her first thought was to look at the portrait and see if it was really like him, and she found it certainly was.
Speaker A: She decided to amuse herself in the garden, for the sun shone and all the fountains were playing.
Speaker A: She was astonished to find that every place was familiar to her, and presently she came to the very Brook in the Myrtle trees where she had first met the Prince in her dream.
Speaker A: That made her think more than ever he must be kept a prisoner by the Beast.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: There was an aviary full of rare birds, which were so tame they flew to Beauty as soon as they saw her and perched upon her shoulders and her head.
Speaker A: Pretty little creatures, she said, How I wish your cage was nearer my room, that I might often hear you sing.
Speaker A: So saying, she opened a door and found to her delight that it led into her own room, though she had thought it was on the other side of the palace.
Speaker A: There were more birds in a room further on, parrots and cockatoos that could talk, and they greeted Beauty by name.
Speaker A: Indeed, she found them so entertaining that she took one or two back to her room and they talked to her.
Speaker A: While she was at supper the Beast paid her his usual visit and asked the same questions as before.
Speaker A: And then with a gruff good night, he took his departure and Beauty went to bed to dream of her mysterious Prince.
Speaker A: The days passed swiftly in different amusements, and after a while Beauty found another strange thing in the palace which often pleased her when she was tired of being alone.
Speaker A: There was one room which she had not noticed particularly.
Speaker A: It was empty, except that under each of the windows stood a very comfortable chair.
Speaker A: The first time she had looked out of the window it seemed a black curtain prevented her from seeing anything outside.
Speaker A: But the second time she went into the room, having to be tired, she sat down in one of the chairs when instantly the curtain was rolled aside and a most amusing pantomime was acted before her.
Speaker A: There were dances and colored lights, music and pretty dresses, and it was also gay that Beauty was an ecstasy.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: So Beauty never could feel lonely anymore.
Speaker A: 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?
Speaker A: And it seemed to Beauty now she understood him better that when she said no Beast, he went away quite sad.
Speaker A: Her happy dreams of the handsome young Prince soon made her forget the poor Beast, and the only thing that disturbed her was being told to distrust appearances, to let her heart guide her and not her eyes.
Speaker A: Consider as she would, she could not understand.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: One night, seeing her look very sad, the Beast asked her what was the matter.
Speaker A: Beauty had quite ceased to be afraid of him.
Speaker A: Now she knew he was really gentle, in spite of his ferocious looks and his dreadful voice.
Speaker A: So she answered that she wished to see her home once more.
Speaker A: Upon hearing this, the Beast seemed sadly distressed and cried miserably, oh Beauty, have you the desire to desert an unhappy beast like this.
Speaker A: What more do you want to make you happy?
Speaker A: Is it because you hate me that you want to escape?
Speaker A: No, dear Beast, answered Beauty softly, I do not hate you, and I should be very sorry never to see you anymore.
Speaker A: But I longed to see my father again.
Speaker A: Only let me go for two months, and I promise to come back to you and stay for the rest of my life.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: But remember your promise and come back when the two months are over, or you may have cause to repent it.
Speaker A: For if you do not come in good time, you will find your faithful Beast dead.
Speaker A: You will not need any chariot to bring you back.
Speaker A: Only say goodbye to all your brothers and sisters the night before you come away, and when you have 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.
Speaker A: Good night, Beauty.
Speaker A: Fear nothing.
Speaker A: Sleep peacefully, and before long you shall see your father once more.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: When she went to bed, but could hardly sleep for joy.
Speaker A: When at last she began to dream of her beloved Prince, she was grieved to see him stretched upon a grassy bank, sad and weary and hardly like himself.
Speaker A: What is the matter?
Speaker A: She cried, but he looked at her reproachfully and said, how can you ask me, cruel one?
Speaker A: Are you not leaving me to my death?
Speaker A: Perhaps.
Speaker A: Don’t be so sorrowful, cried Beauty.
Speaker A: I am only going to assure my father that I am safe and happy.
Speaker A: I have promised the Beast faithfully I will come back, and he would die of grief if I did not keep my word.
Speaker A: What would that matter to you?
Speaker A: Asked the Prince.
Speaker A: Surely you would not care.
Speaker A: Indeed, I should be ungrateful if I did not care for such a kind beast, cried Beauty indignantly.
Speaker A: I would die to save him from pain.
Speaker A: I assure you, it is not his fault he is so ugly.
Speaker A: Just then a strange sound woke her.
Speaker A: 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 as splendid as though she had seen in the Beast’s Palace.
Speaker A: Where could she be?
Speaker A: She rose and dressed hastily, and then saw that the boxes she had packed the night before were all in the room.
Speaker A: Suddenly she heard her father’s voice and rushed out to greet him joyfully.
Speaker A: Her brothers and sisters were astonished at her appearance, for they had never expected to see her again.
Speaker A: There was no end to the questions they asked her.
Speaker A: She had also much to hear about what had happened to them while she was away and of her father’s journey home.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: Then Beauty asked her father what he thought her strange dreams meant, and why the Prince constantly begged her not to trust appearances.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: I think the Prince must mean you to understand you ought to reward him by doing as he wishes.
Speaker A: In spite of his ugliness.
Speaker A: Beauty could not help seeing that this seemed probable.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: For two months she did not decide but could enjoy herself with her sisters.
Speaker A: But though they were rich now and lived in a town again and had plenty of acquaintances, Beauty found that nothing amused her very much.
Speaker A: She often thought of the palace where she was so happy, especially as at home.
Speaker A: She never once dreamed of her dear Prince, and she felt quite sad without him then.
Speaker A: Her sisters seemed 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 fathers 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.
Speaker A: When she rose, 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.
Speaker A: She thought she was wandering in a lonely path in the palace gardens when she heard groans that seemed to come from some bushes hiding the entrance of a cave.
Speaker A: Running quickly to see what could be the matter, she found the Beast stretched out upon his side, apparently dying.
Speaker A: He reproached her faintly with being the cause of his distress, and at the same moment a stately lady appeared and said very gravely, A Beauty, see what happens when people do not keep their promises.
Speaker A: If you had delayed one day more, you would have found him dead.
Speaker A: Beauty was so terrified by this dream that the next morning she announced her intention of going back at once.
Speaker A: That very evening she said goodbye to her father and 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.
Speaker A: Then she fell asleep instantly and only woke up to hear the clock saying, Beauty, Beauty, twelve times in its musical voice, which told her she was really in the palace once more.
Speaker A: Everything was just as before, and her birds were so glad to see her.
Speaker A: But Beauty thought she had never known such a long day.
Speaker A: She was so anxious to see the Beast again that she felt as if supper time would never come.
Speaker A: But when it came, no beast appeared.
Speaker A: After listening and waiting for a long time, she ran down into the garden to search for him.
Speaker A: Up and down the paths and avenues ran poor Beauty calling him.
Speaker A: No one answered, and not a trace of him could she find.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: She rushed down it, and sure enough, there was the cave, and in it lay the Beast asleep.
Speaker A: So, 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.
Speaker A: Oh, he is dead and it is all my fault, cried Beauty, crying bitterly.
Speaker A: But then, looking at him again, she fancied he still breathed hastily fetching some water from the nearest fountain.
Speaker A: She sprinkled it over his face, and her great delight, he began to revive.
Speaker A: Oh, Beast, how you frightened me, she cried.
Speaker A: I never knew how much I loved you until just now, when I feared I was too late to save your life.
Speaker A: Can you really love such an ugly creature as I am?
Speaker A: Asked the Beast faintly.
Speaker A: Ah, Beauty, you came only just in time.
Speaker A: I was dying because I thought you had forgotten your promise.
Speaker A: But go back now and rest.
Speaker A: I shall see you again by and by.
Speaker A: Beauty, who had half expected he would be angry with her, was reassured by his gentle voice and went back to the palace, where supper was awaiting her.
Speaker A: 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 glad to see her.
Speaker A: Beauty quite enjoyed telling him all that had happened to her.
Speaker A: When at last the time came for him to go, he asked, as he had so often asked before, Beauty, will you marry me?
Speaker A: She answered softly.
Speaker A: Yes, dear Beast.
Speaker A: As she spoke, a blaze of light sprang up before the windows of the palace.
Speaker A: Fireworks crackled and guns banged, and across the Avenue of Orange trees in letters all made of fireflies, was written, Long live the Prince and his bride.
Speaker A: Turning to ask the Beast what it could all mean, Beauty found he had disappeared and in his place stood her longloved Prince.
Speaker A: At the same moment, the wheels of a chariot were heard upon the terrace and two ladies entered the room.
Speaker A: One of them, Beauty, recognized as the stately lady she had seen in her dreams.
Speaker A: The other was so queenly that beauty hardly knew which to greet first.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: They love each other and only your consent to their marriage is wanting to make them perfectly happy.
Speaker A: I consent with all my heart, cried the Queen.
Speaker A: How can I ever thank you enough, charming girl, for having restored my dear son to its natural form?
Speaker A: And then she tenderly embraced beauty and the Prince who had Meanwhile been greeting the fairy and receiving her Congratulations.
Speaker A: 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.
Speaker A: And so she did.
Speaker A: And the marriage was celebrated the very next day with the utmost splendor and beauty and the Prince lived happily ever after.
Speaker A: Thank you for joining Freya’s fairy tales.
Speaker A: Be sure to come back next week to hear about Jason’s journey to holding his own fairy tale in his hands and to hear one of the stories that influenced his favorite movie as a child.
Speaker C: You.
