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    Out of the Woods: Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
    Out of the Woods: Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
    Out of the Woods: Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
    Ebook110 pages1 hour

    Out of the Woods: Goldilocks Meets the Modern World

    By Bernette Sherman

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    About this ebook

    Amarilla Goldlock has always been taught to never leave the enchanted forest. But when her home is destroyed and everyone she loves is killed, she knows she has no choice but to brave the outside world.

     

    With the help of her wolf, fairy godmother, and magic, Amarilla sets out on a quest for revenge. But as she travels, she discovers that there is more to the world than she ever imagined. She must learn to trust herself and tap into the secrets of her magic if she wants to survive.

    In her quest to right the wrongs and to finally live, Amarilla discovers magic, evil, love, and herself.

     

    A magical tale of adventure, self-discovery, and revenge.


    ----------------
    More about Out of the Woods

    The target audience for the book is young adults who enjoy fantasy novels with strong female protagonists.

    The book is set in a world that is both familiar and strange, with elements of both magic and technology.

    The plot is fast-paced and action-packed, with plenty of twists and turns.

    The characters are well-developed and relatable, with Amarilla being a particularly strong and inspiring protagonist.

    The themes of the book include revenge, self-discovery, and the power of magic.

     

    strong female lead
    young adult
    magic
    wizards
    enchantress
    young adult

    fairie

    portals

    fantasy


    You might also enjoy my other works including the novella Crossed: The Karma Crusades and the novel Star Jumpers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMount Hope Media
    Release dateAug 14, 2016
    ISBN9781386257387
    Out of the Woods: Goldilocks Meets the Modern World
    Author

    Bernette Sherman

    Bernette Sherman is a multi-genre writer of speculative fiction including science fiction and fantasy as well as inspiration, poetry, music, and scripts. She lives in the metro Atlanta area with her husband and two children.

    Read more from Bernette Sherman

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      Book preview

      Out of the Woods - Bernette Sherman

      Out of the Woods

      Goldilocks Meets the Modern World 

      Out of the Woods

      Goldilocks Meets the Modern World 

      Bernette Sherman

      Mount Hope Media, LLC

      Austell, GA

      A picture containing design, logo, font, graphic designDescription automatically generated

      Published as Bernette Sherman 2018.

      Copyright © 2017, 2022 Bernette Sherman

      First published in e-Book format. Copyright © 2016 A. Bernette.

      Paperback Version Copyright © 2017 A. Bernette

      All rights reserved by Bernette Sherman. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or recording (with the exception of unpaid personal use), or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author. Reviewers may quote brief passages. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed Attention: Permissions Request, using the web address below.

      All rights reserved

      Published by Mount Hope Media, LLC

      Austell, GA

      Also by Bernette Sherman

      Fiction

      Light of the Dark Moon 

      The Story of Ervin James

      Star Jumpers: An Accidental Quest for Freedom

      Crossed: The Karma Crusades

      Nonfiction

      Heaven is Now: Enough Excuses

      Resist Persist

      Protect and Clear with the Divine

      Connect with Bernette

      www.BernetteSheman.com

      Acknowledgements

      I credit Wattpad’s Once Upon a Time story initiative for the inspiration to create this work of fiction.

      Contents

      Chapter One: Never Leave the Forest

      Chapter Two: The Last

      Chapter Three: Shadows

      Chapter Four: Alone

      Chapter Five: Promises Made

      Chapter Six: Out of the Woods

      Chapter Seven: Magical

      Chapter Eight: What You Wish

      Chapter Nine: The Enchanted Inn

      Chapter Ten: And I Am

      Chapter Eleven: Fear Not

      Chapter Twelve: Glimmer of Hope

      Chapter Thirteen: An Enchanted Curse

      Chapter Fourteen: Battle at the Inn

      Chapter Fifteen: Dear Dad

      Chapter Sixteen: Sorseluna

      Chapter Seventeen: Undone

      Other Works by Bernette Sherman

      About the Author

      Stay Connected

      Chapter One

      Never Leave the Forest

      The family of bears was angrier than I thought they’d be from an innocent mistake. We were once friends; but the distance between us had grown. Leaping from the comfort of Ebar’s bed where I had found long-lost solace, I left blankets in a heap on the floor behind me. I sprinted out of the door that led away from their small upstairs bedroom and down the back steps into the forest.

      The family had startled me out of my unusually peaceful sleep. After so many months of barely resting I had finally taken an escape, a moment’s respite from all the death and sadness around me.

      Growler had been the first to lunge towards me and his son, Ebar, followed suit. Only Matra hadn’t moved. Perhaps she understood something it took me longer to figure out. It had been two weeks since we’d buried our last friend and now only my mother and I were left. She could no longer prepare food, or really take care of me.

      The morning I went for that stroll through the forest I didn’t intend to cause such a raucous. I was out exploring; trying to get away from something I couldn’t escape. I hadn’t eaten breakfast and the porridge was sitting there, spoons ready. Ebar’s bowl had been perfect. I now understand it better, that my body and spirit were tired and I just needed a quiet place to rest.

      They considered it an invasion and I’d upset them. I’d gone in when they were out. That was the moment I knew the balance in the forest had shifted and my kind were no longer in charge. Instead, we were just others living there with everyone else. Growling with a mixture of anger and frustration, they chased me away. I ran back to the safety of my home, my tangled hair in my eyes and tears streaming down my face in fear.

      I’d never felt fear like that before Growler and my old friend Ebar had chased me from their home. It was a sensation I didn’t understand until then. Even with everyone dying, I didn’t fear death. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way, but death was natural after a long-life lived.

      I felt that kind of fear again as my mother’s condition worsened. It was an evening like any other in the forest. The brightness of the stars and the low-hanging full moon cut through the blackness of the night, letting me see her clearly.

      I’d asked her once more, Are we going to the lake tomorrow?

      My mother glanced hesitantly at me before looking away and around the room, but she didn’t speak.

      Are we, mami? Isn’t it time?

      She tried to sit herself up in the bed she’d often been too weak to leave. Oh, we have so much to do tomorrow, Amarilla. There are berries to be gathered for your store. Winter will come before we know it. I must show you again how to collect the nuts and make sure you understand the power of the fire. I must teach you more lessons so you can care for the forest with the fairies. You haven’t learned yet how to work with the bigger animals to heal them. They will need you. You must practice still, to grow stronger in your magic. There is just so much, Amarilla.

      She leaned against her headboard, propped up by two pillows and another on each side of her. She looked so small. She tried to avoid my gaze but I wouldn’t let her. I stood closer and touched her hand. Finally, she struggled to let her fatigued eyes focus on me. Something else was weighing heavy on her. My mother’s thin hands grasped mine desperately.

      Never leave Sorseluna, Amarilla. You must listen to me. No matter what happens you cannot leave the enchanted forest. It is not safe. There is one out there who would try to harm you. And out there, they cannot be trusted. They may look like us but they are not like us. They will hurt you. You must stay here. Do you understand?

      She was pleading with me, using the last of her numbered breaths to get me to make the promise. I was only nine and she was my world. I would have said anything in that moment if it meant making her happy one last time.

      Okay, mami. I will stay. I promise.

      Thank you, Amarilla. Your fairy godmother, Rose, will help you when I no longer can but she cannot take care of you. Once I have taught you all I can, the rest will be up to you. You can survive in these woods. You are smart. You are resourceful. You are a child of the enchanted forest and of mine.

      I looked at my mother. Her pause in that moment felt forced as if there was something more she wanted to say, but chose not to. There wasn’t much time left to leave things unsaid.

      I waited by her side hoping she’d say whatever it was that she’d

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