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Author Spotlight,  Giveaway,  Hope-filled Fiction

Amy R. Anguish: Spotlight on Rendersella & a Giveaway

July 30, 2025 /

I’m excited for you to meet Amy Anguish and learn about her fairytale-without-magic novel, Rendersella. It looks so good!

She’s giving away a paperback copy to a US winner so be sure to comment below by August 5 for a chance to win!

When you look at classic fairytales, one thing you’re going to find in pretty much every one is the element of magic. Cinderella had her fairy godmother. Snow White had the poisoned apple and the magic kiss. Sleeping Beauty had the spinning wheel and the kiss. Beauty and the Beast had the … well, beast.

But I don’t write stories with magic. So, when my fairytale retelling starting creeping into my head, I knew I needed to figure some things out. Did I want to break out of my brand and do something completely different? Or did I want to write a fairytale without magic?

Well, even though Rendersella may feel magical in a few spots, there isn’t any magic in it. It’s set completely in the real world. How? How can I still keep enough of the elements of the original story and still not have any magic? I’ll tell you (some of it, because I don’t want to give too much away).

Cinderella had woodland creatures—birds and mice—who were her helpers. Ella doesn’t have that. But she does have deer and turkeys who show up at just the right time, when she’s needing inspiration for her drawings.

Ella also doesn’t have a fairy godmother. But, she has a neighbor named Fae, who happens to show up right when Ella needs her. And Fae drives an orange car named the Pumpkin. 😉 That’s pretty close, right?

There isn’t a midnight scurry for Ella, but she does try to flee when she discovers what her stepsister has done. And while she does lose her borrowed shoes, she doesn’t turn back into a regular housedress and bare feet. I had to have a little fun with the shoe scene. 

There aren’t animals turning into coachmen or horses, but she’s surrounded by friends and a church family who love her and help her through everything ahead of her.

So, while Ella has to live with an evil stepsister and stepmother, her story isn’t quite the same as the original. But there’s enough of the original woven through for you to be able to immerse yourself into the world of Cinderella.

There’s even a handsome “prince.” Chaz Prince is the son of the owner of the Prince Art Gallery, where Ella really wants her artwork displayed. Think he can catch Ella and slip that shoe back on?

I’ll leave the rest for you to discover in my story. It’s a lot of fun, and I had a blast writing it, even without magic.

If you had to rewrite a fairytale without magic, what changes might you make? 

Thanks so much for giving us a glimpse inside your new book, Amy. I love what you shared and look forward to reading it!

Visit the #HopefilledFiction blog and leave a comment on @amy_r_anguish’s spotlight post by 8/5 for a chance to win her new novel, #Rendersella! #giveaway

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Join the conversation. Do you enjoy reading fairytale retellings? Does Amy’s take on Cinderella pique your interest? How would you answer Amy’s closing question, “If you had to rewrite a fairytale without magic, what changes might you make?” What questions or comments do you have for Amy?

Be sure to comment below by August 5 for a chance to win a paperback of Rendersella! (US resident only)

Rendersella book cover

Rendersella by Amy R. Anguish

Click the book cover for purchase link

A pumpkin, a shoe, and a step-sister … real life is no fairy tale.

Ella dreams of her artwork on display in the famous Prince Gallery, but working for her stepmother leaves her eking out sporadic minutes to draw or paint. When her stepsister steals her drawing and claims it as her own, Ella fears she’s lost her chance.

Chaz Prince wants more responsibility at his family’s gallery, but first he must prove he can handle it. Chaz talks his dad into a contest to bring in some new artists, sure this will be exactly what the gallery needs. When he stumbles across Ella’s piece, he not only wants the artwork, but wishes to know the artist.

At the gala to celebrate the contest winners, Ella is determined to let them know the artwork is hers, but time is against her. And where did her shoe end up?

Amy R. Anguish grew up a preacher’s kid, and in spite of having lived in seven different states that are all south of the Mason Dixon line, she is not a football fan. Currently, she resides in Tennessee with her husband, daughter, and son, and usually a bossy cat or two.

Amy has an English degree from Freed-Hardeman University that she intends to use to glorify God, and she wants her stories to show that while Christians face real struggles, it can still work out for good.

Connect with Amy: Website / Facebook / Instagram / X / Learn more about her books

Please share Amy’s spotlight on social media to help spread the word about her new release!

If you missed Nancy Naigle’s interview about To Light the Way Forward, FIND IT HERE.

As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is a multi-award-winning author, an active ACFW member, and a six-year ACFW Virginia board member. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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