The Not So Wicked Stepmother

Expecting her new stepmother to be mean, ugly, and horrible, Hessie is surprised and confused to find her not wicked at all.

Olivia & Maria are two young sisters who are coping with the recent divorce of their parents. Later, when their dad begins dating again, the sisters decide to make sure he's dating someone who is right for them too. When dad does meet that someone, Olivia & Maria are happy. Then dad announces his plan to remarry. Now the girls must cope with the experience of having a stepmother. Will she be like the wicked stepmother in the story, Cinderella? As one who has experienced the role of stepmother twice, I can assure you that it is a role one must give careful consideration. You are not only making a commitment to your partner, but also to his children. As a stepmother, I had always searched unsuccessfully for a children's book depicting stepmothers in a positive way. Something to erase the indelible image of the "wicked" stepmother in the story Cinderella. I wanted them to have confirmation that not ALL stepmothers are mean & indifferent. Much to my dismay, I was never able to present them with anything tangible. And so, these frightened children were left to battle the situation with very little reassurance of a positive outcome. Finally, I decided to put teaching on the back burner & do something about this dilemma. I would write a children's book on a subject I knew something about & felt that children, divorced singles with children & stepparents desperately needed. My hope is that those who read "The Not No Wicked Stepmother" will come away with a positive attitude about stepfamilies & some ideas about how to make them successful. Leslie Venable was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1960. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology in 1986 from the University of Alabama & her Master of Arts in teaching from Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts before becoming a writer/publisher of children's books. Using her experience from both teaching & counseling children, she conveys some of the problems they most often face, both at home & at school. Her second book, in progress, is entitled The Friend They Called "Different."

Most little girls grow up dreaming of being a mom, but hardly any of them dream of becoming a stepmom. Nevertheless, approximately one million new stepfamilies are created every year. It’s no secret, being a stepmother can be a living nightmare. But it can also be an enriching and rewarding experience—one that God can use to strengthen you, helping you survive and even thrive in the toughest job you never asked for. Written by two women who are stepmothers themselves—and know the difficulties of helping to raise someone else’s children—this book is filled with down-to-earth insights and advice for stepmothers from stepmothers. It also offers expert guidance from pastors and counselors on such issues as roles, expectations, realistic goals, organization, finances, holidays, vacations, relationships with stepchildren, negotiation, forgiveness, healing the past, building a strong marriage with stepchildren on the scene, dealing with in-laws and ex-spouses, sexual tensions in stepfamilies, health, depression, stress, and much more. While there is no magic formula to guarantee stepmother success, encouragement and practical wisdom are available in this much-needed resource.

Have a twisty time with this fairy tale rhyme!

The story of Cinderella started out to be a folktale and still is in sense. It was a story of a Greek king who received a sandal from out of the sky. Literally an eagle swooped down, stole the sandal from a young maiden, and dropped it in the lap of the king. He sent his men on a quest to find the young woman who the sandal belonged to. The King was so intrigued by the slender shape of the sandal that he wanted to meet the woman and make her his wife. You did not know that version, did you? But then of course, we all know the story of the young woman who lived with her father and had a wonderful life. Her father remarried a wicked woman who had two wicked daughters, and after her father passed away unexpectedly, her stepmother and stepsisters made her life horrific. But then she just happened to find good fortune and marries the prince, and they live happily ever after. What if we totally changed the story once again? There is another particularly important person to the Cinderella story. The Wicked Stepmother! Let us look into a modern-day story, and how this story just might have gone in a different direction.

Once upon a time, there was a lovely young princess who suffered under her cruel stepmother...that is, until a children’s clothing designer is reborn as the evil queen! Now, all Her Majesty Abigail Friedkin wants to do is dote on the adorable Princess Blanche and give her the happy childhood she deserves. The problem is, the previous Abigail garnered a reputation for being extremely jealous and materialistic—and to top it off, her smile is the stuff of children’s nightmares! Will Abigail be able to convince her stepdaughter that she might not be so wicked after all?

The classic tale of Cinderella is told by her stepmother, who was not really so wicked after all.

Adoptive, foster and stepmothers, like biological mothers, find their lives completely changed by motherhood although they are not always granted the rights and privileges accorded to those who give birth. Barbara Waterman explores the common experiences that are shared by all those who enter the motherhood portal. She highlights the importance of wider family, community and professional support for non-biological parents and primary care-givers of both genders, and their children. A stepmother herself and a practicing psychologist, Waterman's writing is illustrated throughout with vignettes of children and parents from a range of backgrounds. She shows the important ways in which a non-biological attachment is both more similar to and more different from a biological attachment than is currently understood. In doing this, Waterman broadens the notion of the `traditional' family, and offers a positive alternative to the myth of the perfect mother. All kinds of step-, adoptive and foster families and those coming into contact with them will find this thoroughly researched and personal book an indispensable guide.