Jessa Russo’s Top Five Fairytales

Don't worry, Jessa. I'm not mad that you CHEATED and only gave me five fairytales, and then you gave me all the Disney movies you love. Hmph.

Ha! Fooled you. I actually love this list. As a mother of two young girls, I'm well-versed in the Disney versions of everything. Growing up, I was addicted to Mickey Mouse (Just ask my mom. I had Mickey everything!) so you have a kindred spirit in me. Anyway, let's get on with it, shall we?

I asked Jessa about her top fairytale picks because her newest novel, DIVIDE, is a Beauty and the Beast retelling! So if you love fairytale retellings, you HAVE to purchase this book, now.

Okay, now let's hear what Jessa has to say! (P.S. I looooove Princess and the Frog. It's one of my favorites.)

Hmmmmm… are we talking creepy originals, or Disney remakes?

I’m going with Disney because I’m a Disney girl through and through. Which is kind of hard to avoid when you grow up with a dad who works at The Walt Disney Studios. Yes, there’s your little sneak peek into my past . . . Disney pretty much exploded all over my childhood, to the point where I can remember my mom commenting about wishing she had an object of clothing that didn’t have mouse ears on it. But, flash forward to eighteen years after my dad’s death, and I’d give anything for him to walk in the door with a Mickey Mouse t-shirt or the latest VHS.

But I’m off topic. That’s surprising.

(No, it’s not.)

Anyway, my top five (yes, Steph, I’m cutting the list in half—don’t hate me!) favorite *Disney* “fairytales” are as follows…

Note: Not only am I taking liberties with the number I include in this list, I’m taking liberties on what truly constitutes a fairytale. Sorry, Steph! I had to! Don’t be mad!

1.) The Little Mermaid
This is hands down my favorite cartoon/fairytale/Disney movie ever. I’ll never forget singing along to the cassette tape at the top of my lungs as a kid. Years later, sharing this magic with my daughter was so incredibly amazing.

2.) Aladdin
I can tell you exactly who I was with, and which guy I had a crush on when I saw this in the theater. Hint: It was the guy my friend was kissing. Sigh. Poor young Jessa.

3.) Frozen
Okay, is this one really even a fairytale? What really constitutes a “fairytale?” I’m not completely sure, so that’s a guest post for another day, huh? But seriously, this movie is amazing. Even for those of us who are convinced the soundtrack will be playing in Hell for all eternity. Oh okay, who am I kidding? I sing these songs more than my kiddo does. Either way, the fact that there’s a movie with true love not being based on snagging the guy, but focused instead on family and the bond of sisterhood, well, good job, Mickey.

Bonus tidbit: Frozen is playing in my living room as we speak.

4.) Beauty and the Beast
Did you really think B&tB wouldn’t make the list? Hello? DIVIDE is a retelling! Silly gooses! I’m not ashamed to admit I know every word to every song.

(Truth be told, that can be said for all of the above listed titles, so . . . no judging. I’ve even belted out a few numbers from these soundtracks (*cough* Part of Your World *cough*) in karaoke before. That’s right. I’m that chick.)

5.) Mulan
I love love love the theme of this movie, not to mention the fantastic cast of characters and the soundtrack. I swear it’s these soundtracks that suck me in the most.

Bonus Movie: The Princess and the Frog
Fact of the matter is, this could have been about a lonely afghan that found love with a spaghetti noodle on Christmas morning, and I would have loved it. The setting is New Orleans. I was married in New Orleans. = Instant obsession.

Buy Now!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JPJ6A0Q/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00JPJ6A0Q&linkCode=as2&tag=spajonas-20
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/divide-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/divide-jessa-russo/1119251443?ean=9781495408991
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21457923-divide

About the Author

Jessa Russo believes in fairytales, ghosts, and Jake Ryan. She insists mimosas were created for Sundays, and that’s not up for discussion. She’s obsessed with the great city of New Orleans—where she’s collected too many beads to count, eventually married her sweetheart, and visited graveyards they don’t include on maps.

She’s loud, painfully honest, and passionate about living life to the fullest, because she’s seen how abruptly it can be taken away.

What began as a desire for reading and writing young adult paranormal has bled into stories of all kinds. From fantasy to pre-dystopian to erotic contemporary, Jessa’s stories always include romance, though she’s given up on pigeonholing her work into a category or genre box.

Jessa was born and raised in Southern California, and remains there to this day with her husband (a classic car fanatic), their daughter (a Tim Burton superfan), and a Great Dane who thinks he’s the same size as his Chihuahua sister.

ENTWINED, the final installment of Russo’s Ever Trilogy, will be released late 2014, as well as an erotic romance written under a pseudonym. Stay tuned!

Website: http://www.jessarusso.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessaRusso
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJessaRusso