🎙️ Ramona Gore

Read Ramona’s story, On the way to forever, on Foofaraw now!

Why a centipede?

I had considered other animals for Annika to turn into, like a bear or a wolf. Something more in line with a typical fairy tale story. But I thought the visual of her turning into a centipede would be more interesting and it would allow her to retain some of her humanity.

Do you think Annika and Lotte’s love will stand the test of time?

I'd like to think Annika and Lotte's love will last, even if it's not always easy. As I mentioned in the story, there’s the class difference to think about and how their relationship will conflict with any royal duties Annika has, like marrying a prince. People will also have a hard time accepting their relationship, but it’s hard to argue with true love’s kiss. I’m sure if the two of them put in the work, they’ll make it, since love is all about choosing someone over and over again.

Had Lotte not come around when she did, how long do you think Annika would’ve stayed curled up in that spot?

I think Annika would have stayed curled up in that spot until she turned back to normal. She’s used to staying out of people’s way whenever the curse takes over, not wanting to make people uncomfortable with her appearance. And I’m sure she could do without the looks of revulsion people give her too.

Do you believe the prince to be a coward? Or do you think his actions were understandable given the circumstances?

When I was writing the prince, I didn’t think of him as a coward—just someone embarrassed by his failure. At the time, he was more concerned with the fact that he failed to do the one thing that’s expected of a prince than that Annika was going to transform. Afterall, what did that say about him? That he was unable to break a curse through true love’s kiss as many princes before him have done. So he ran because of himself, not Annika.

Why do you think the witch cursed Annika in the first place?

I never thought too deeply about why Annika was cursed since the story was always meant to be a subversion of the true love’s kiss trope. The ‘before’ didn’t matter too much to me. But it was probably to get back at the king and queen for something, like in Sleeping Beauty.

What book are you reading right now?

I’m currently reading Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn, which is the second book in the Legendborn Cycle series. I really enjoyed the first one because it was rooted in the history of the American South while remaining a fantasy novel. I’m a big fan of books that explore cultural identity. So I’m excited to see how Bloodmarked builds upon the first book.

Thanks to Ramona for chatting with us about centipedes and love!