Hello, my name is Gideon Golden, and I’m a character in THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND, a novella of four stories by Joe Cosentino, published by Dreamspinner Press. Let me tell you how I came to be me. As a child, Joe Cosentino loved hearing fairytales, and later reading them himself. Like Joe, the leading characters in the stories were always “different.” His young mind reveled in the palaces, princes and princesses, and important messages in those much loved stories. Joe’s favorite movies were Disney films of his favorite fairytales. However, Joe always wondered why none of them featured openly gay characters. So he wrote his rainbow twist on his favorite stories in THE NAKED PRINCE AND OTHER TALES FROM FAIRYLAND.
In “The Naked Prince,” Cinder is a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters. One afternoon, he offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than Prince Charming. In “The Golden Rule,” when my homophobic parents catch me with nimble Jack, they throw me out of the house. With nowhere else to go, I break into the home of three burly men living on Bear Mountain, where I find true love. In “Whatever Happened To … ?” a reporter with a thing for giants is captivated by a celebrity with a growing appendage who can’t tell fact from fiction. Finally, in “Ice Cold,” Gaelen must melt the heart of his bewitched love, Kiernan, and save him from the clutches of selfish Prince Isidore.
The novella received rave reviews for its humor, drama, sweet romance, clever plot twists and turns, and happily-ever-after endings. They liked me. They really liked me! Joe remembered back to hearing his favorite fairytales. So he, and I, were thrilled when Dreamspinner Press licensed an audiobook version performed by popular audiobook narrator Joel Leslie. Joel is a top notch actor, who is incredibly skilled at bringing to life characters of all ages, genders, and nationalities. You’ll think an acting troupe recorded this book, but each voice belongs to Joel. More importantly, he plays me just right. And I’ll admit that I swooned when I heard the voice of Ben Bear and the Woodsman. I laughed out loud at the voices of Ben’s two brothers, and the voices of my parents. Jack’s voice tickled me to no end. I’m sure you’ll agree that Joel beautifully brings these four enticing, international stories to fairytale life in this captivating audiobook. You’ll laugh, cry, and be totally entranced.
I hope you all listen to my story, and to the other terrific stories in this audiobook too. They will no doubt bring you back to the fun and fantasy of your youth, this time with a rainbow overhead. I also hope Disney wises up and makes the movie. I’m ready for my close-up.
About the Audiobook
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Narrator: Joel Leslie
Length: 3 hours and 20 minutes
Buy the Audio: Audible || iTunes || Amazon
Blurb: Cinder, a poor and beautiful young man who designs clothing, makeup, and hair for his stepmother and stepsisters, offers his clothing and slippers to a naked stranger in the woods who turns out to be none other than Prince Charming. Follow Cinder and Prince Charming in this twist on the classic “Cinderella” tale, as they discover their inner strengths and find their very own happily ever after. Enjoy “The Naked Prince” and three other reimagined Tales from Fairyland, each with a unique spin on stories we all know and love, including “The Golden Rule,” where eighteen-year-old Gideon Golden, after being thrown out of his home in Fairyland by his homophobic parents, breaks into the cottage of three burly men on Bear Mountain, “Whatever Happened To…?,” in which friction ensues between a celebrity with a growing appendage and the reporter who has a thing for giants, and “Ice Cold,” where young Gaelen must save his love Kieran after a handsome but evil prince freezes Kieran’s heart and bewitches him into being the prince’s slave.
About the Author
Bestselling author Joe Cosentino wrote In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star, A Home for the Holidays, The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (Dreamspinner Press), Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise Nicky and Noah mysteries (Lethe Press), Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out (NineStar Press), Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll Jana Lane mysteries (The Wild Rose Press), and The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (Eldridge Plays and Musicals). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, Charles Keating, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Head of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and is happily married. He was voted 1st Place Favorite LGBT Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of 2015 and 2nd Place Favorite LGBT Romance Author of 2015 by the readers of Divine Magazine. He has also won many Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions including for In My Heart/An Infatuation & A Shooting Star. Upcoming releases are Drama Luau (fourth Nicky and Noah mystery) and Cozzi Cove: New Beginnings (fourth Cozzi Cove beach novel, NineStar Press).
The Novel Approach Reviews 
Leave a Reply