Once Upon a Midnight Clear

A 2025 PRISM Award FinalistA pair of enchanted glass slippers. A dark and dangerous queen. And the fate of a kingdom hangs in the balance.Ella Rose lives a life of drudgery as a servant in her own home, catering to the whims of her stepmother and stepsisters. All she wants is a life to call her own, but with no way out, she's trapped. Even when the royal ball is announced, she is forbidden to attend.Left alone on the night of the ball, a mysterious package arrives addressed to her. Inside, a pair of beautiful glass slippers. When she puts them on, she's transformed and whisked off to the ball by none other than her fairy godmother—but with a warning. Remove the slippers before the last stroke of midnight to break the spell and all will be as it was before.Lost in the magic of the evening while dancing with a handsome stranger, she is heedless of her fair godmother's warning. With the last strike of midnight, she is transported to the Christmas realm of Rovenheim.Her arrival has garnered the attention of a dangerous queen determined to have the slippers for herself. She'll stop at nothing to get them by issuing an ultimatum—bring her the slippers or she'll destroy the enchanted realm and the Spirit of Christmas itself.With time running out, Ella embarks on a perilous journey through the mystical realm on a quest to save it. She must embrace her destiny and discover the power of love and magic. But will it be enough to overcome the darkness that threatens to consume them all?