TORRINGTON – Many people have read the old classic fairytale of Snow White. The German classic was first written in the 19th century and published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. Ideally, the tale first number as “Tale 53,” contained many elements readers have come to know and love today, such as the magic mirror, poisoned apple and the characters of the Seven Dwarfs and the Evil Queen. 

Local author Sarah E. Huntington has put a new spin on the old classic in her book Trial of the Queen’s Mirror (Spectrum Woods Chronicles One) which has been available on Amazon for nearly six months. 

“What if the mirror from Snow White was on trial for treason?” Huntington asked. “That’s the main idea of the book. It’s a rewrite of Snow White from the mirror’s point of view.”

The busy mother starting writing down her story ideas in high school, she recalled but she can’t quiet remember why she picked Snow White’s tale to remaster. 

“I’ve always been telling myself stories, but high school is when I started writing them down. I’m frequently off in my own world, anyway and writing was a way of making that more tangible. Most of my early stories didn’t last very long and my first couple novel length stories are so full of holes, they need major renovation which I’m not sure when that will happen,” Huntington said. “When I was in high school, the school had a book sale and I came across Robin McKinley’s Spindle’s End which is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I’ve been fascinated with fairytale rewrites ever since then, and about 15-ish years ago, played with the idea of doing my own. I went through a time when I read and watched lots of fairytale rewrites. Looking back, my initial rough draft of my book was in 2018, so I don’t remember my exact reasoning. But the idea of using the mirror as the main character is because I had never heard of that before. Most of the time the mirror only has a few lines, if anything. So, what does he think? How does he feel about Snow White and what the Queen did?” Huntington explained.

According to Huntington, the 227 pages of Trial of the Queen’s Mirror only took a few years to write but it was an even bigger decision how to publish the work.

“It took a couple years to write Trial of the Queen’s Mirror and then a few more years of trying to find a publisher before deciding to self-publish, but I’ve been working on book two for only five to six months and it’s about ready for me to send to my Beta readers. After they read it, I’ll make some more edits and hopefully be ready to publish a couple months after that. Since I’m still figuring out my process, though, I’m not sure I want to put an actual time on when it will be ready,” Huntington said. 

Currently, the publication is available in hardcover, paperback and e-book according to Huntington. The author also normally carries physical copies to sell when she can. She also noted story ideas come to her quickly when she can make the time.

“As for finding time, as long as I’m not reading something or getting stuck in the time-suck of social media or phone games, my mind is always thinking about stories. I’ve written things on post-it’s to add to stories later. Sometimes, I have several stories in my head at once and the problem is which one do I want to work on the most?” Huntington explained. “Currently I’m telling the other stories to wait while I finish book two. But while the stories are always in my head, I write them down best when I have a few hours of uninterrupted time, so usually it’s after the kids go to bed.”

“I also do most of my writing by hand and then type it into my laptop later. I can’t seem to think as well when I start on the computer, but I have had times when I’ll start typing in my current handwritten section, then just keep typing for another several hundred words because the train of thought decides to continue,” Huntington said. “My husband, Mike, and I have four kids, ages 14 - 7. I’m not currently working, but I have worked in the past. That’s when I’d come home with lots of post-its or other scrap paper to add to my stories later.”

According to Huntington, when is isn’t busy writing her stories sometimes she enjoys drawing the characters. 

“The illustrations aren’t in the book, but I’ve been posting them on Instagram to maybe draw some attention,” Huntington said. “I’m also trying to set up a website/blog where I can post pictures and works in progress and character interviews and things like that.”

Trial of the Queen’s Mirror (Spectrum Woods Chronicles) is rated for a reading age of 10-18 year’s however according to the Amazon book review’s Huntington has received, even adult readers have enjoyed the new spin. 

“I read the ARC and enjoyed this book. It was a fun retelling. My kids enjoyed it also. It has twists and turns and a fun, unexpected point of view from the mirror’s perspective,” a review for the tale read. 

“Who would’ve thought to retell Snow White’s story from the mirror’s perspective? Sarah Huntington, that’s who! This story is an absolute pleasure to read with lots of fun extras to keep you turning pages. You will absolutely enjoy this fun book,” another review stated. 

Within the book, Huntington thanks God for her ability to write and tell stories. She thanks her husband for unwavering support and close friends and family for their assistance but she also left behind a special note for her oldest daughter, Hadassah, simply reading, “Now you no longer need to read it over my should as I’m writing.”

When asked, Huntington explained the support she received from her daughter. 

“She is my first reader, always asking, ‘Have you written any more today?’” Huntington said. “If I put my notebook down for any reason, I would come back to find her reading it. When I typed my story into the laptop, she would sit right beside me and read as I typed. If I had to leave the laptop and it was open, I would come back to find she had typed in all caps, ‘WRITE MORE’ or something like that.”

According to Huntington, more fairytale spins are coming soon. 

“Book two is going to be a rewrite of Goldilocks. Book three is most likely going to be Red Riding Hood and I have ideas for Cinderella,” Huntington said. “The series could easily continue for several more fairy tales.”