{{Short description|American comics writer (1970-)}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=August 2022}} {{BLP primary sources|date=April 2023}} {{notability|Biography|date=October 2023}} }} '''Serena Valentino''' (born 1970) is an American comic book writer, author, and storyteller. She created the comic book series ''Gloomcookie'' and ''Nightmares & Fairy Tales''. She also authored the ''Villain'' novels published by Disney Press, which have earned Valentino critical acclaim for her style of storytelling.
==Career== Serina Valentino has published ten ''Villains'' novels. The first, ''The Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen'', was based on the Evil Queen from ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' and released on August 18, 2009.<ref name="CA">{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Serena |date=August 18, 2009 |title=Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen (Villains) |publisher=Disney Book Group |isbn= 978-1423106296 |author-link=Serena Valentino}}</ref> The second novel, ''The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince'', based on the character of Beast from ''Beauty and the Beast'', was released on July 22, 2014.<ref name="CB">{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Serena |date=July 22, 2014 |title=The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince (Villains) |publisher=Disney Press |isbn=978-1423159124 |author-link=Serena Valentino}}</ref> This was followed by ''Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch'', which is based on Ursula the Sea Witch, the villainess from ''The Little Mermaid''. This third book in the series was released on July 26, 2016.<ref name="CE">{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Serena |date=July 26, 2016 |title=oor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch (Villains) |publisher=Disney Press |isbn=978-1484724057 |author-link=Serena Valentino}}</ref>
The fourth novel, ''Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy'', written from the point of view of Maleficent from ''Sleeping Beauty'', was released on October 3, 2017.<ref name="CD">{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Serena |date=October 3, 2017 |title=Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy (Villains) |publisher=Disney Press |isbn=978-1368009010 |author-link=Serena Valentino}}</ref>
The fifth novel, ''Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch,'' based on Mother Gothel, the villainess from ''Tangled'', was released on August 7, 2018.<ref name="CF">{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Serena |date=August 7, 2018 |title=Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch (Villains) |publisher=Disney Press |isbn=978-1368009027 |author-link=Serena Valentino}}</ref> The release date for the sixth book, ''The Odd Sisters: A Villains Novel'', was July 2, 2019.<ref name="CG">{{cite book |last=Valentino |first=Serena |date=July 2, 2019 |title=The Odd Sisters: A Villains Novel |publisher=Disney-Hyperion |isbn=978-1368013185 |author-link=Serena Valentino}}</ref> Valentino released her seventh novel, ''Evil Thing'', on July 7, 2020, and is told in the first person from the viewpoint of Cruella De Vil.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0866CD24B/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1|title=Evil Thing|date=7 July 2020|publisher=Disney Hyperion}}</ref> Valentino released the eighth novel, ''Cold Hearted,'' detailing the backstory of Lady Tremaine, on June 29, 2021. The ninth novel, released on July 19, 2022, featured the first male villain of the series, Captain Hook. Announced via Facebook, Valentino has been contracted with Disney Press to write three more volumes of the Villains series after the ninth volume, bringing the total number to twelve.
In 2019, it was reported that her ''Villains'' series was being adapted into the television series ''Book Of Enchantment.'' With showrunner Michael Seitzman developing it, Disney had writers working on the script for 13 weeks, before cancelling the series in late August 2019 before the debut of Disney+. Disney maintained the TV rights to the franchise.<ref name="AA">{{cite news|last=Hughes |first=William |date=August 27, 2019 |title=Disney+ somehow cancels its first show before the service has even launched |url=https://www.avclub.com/disney-somehow-cancels-its-first-show-before-the-servi-1837523511 |work=The A.V. Club |access-date=August 28, 2019 }}</ref> The cancellation was over concerns it was "too dark" for the new streaming service, and a fear that children under age would view it.<ref name="AB">{{cite news|last=Chitwood |first=Adam |date=August 23, 2019 |title=Disney+ Cancels 'Book of Enchantment' Villains Series over Concerns It Was "Too Dark |url=https://collider.com/disney-plus-cancels-book-of-enchantment-disney-villains-series/ |access-date=August 28, 2019 }}</ref><ref name="AC">{{cite news|last=Andreeva |first=Nellie |date=August 22, 2019 |title='Book Of Enchantment' Disney+ TV Series Project About Disney Villains Not Going Forward |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/book-of-enchantment-disney-tv-series-disney-villains-not-going-forward-dead-1202701776/ |work=Deadline |access-date=August 28, 2019 }}</ref><ref name="DD">{{cite news|last=Thorne |first=Will |date=August 24, 2019 |title='Book of Enchantment' Series Based on Iconic Disney Villains Shelved at Disney Plus |url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/disney-villains-series-disney-plus-1203311413/ |work=Variety |access-date=August 28, 2019 }}</ref>
==Publishing history== ===''GloomCookie'' series (Comic books)=== * ''GloomCookie'' (January 26, 2001) * ''GloomCookie, Volume 2'' (July 3, 2002) * ''Broken Curses'' (April 1, 2004) * ''The Carnival Wars'' (November 1, 2005) * ''The Final Curtain'' (April 3, 2007)
; Companion comic book * ''A Monster's Christmas'' (January 1, 2002)
===''Nightmares & Fairy Tales'' series (Comic books)=== * ''Once Upon a Time'' (April 14, 2004) * ''Beautiful Beasts'' (July 6, 2005) * ''1140 Rue Royale'' (April 18, 2007) * ''Dancing With the Ghosts of Whales'' (July 29, 2008)
===''Disney Villains'' series (Novels)=== * ''Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen'' (August 18, 2009) * ''The Beast Within: A Tale of Beauty's Prince'' (July 22, 2014) * ''Poor Unfortunate Soul: A Tale of the Sea Witch'' (July 26, 2016) * ''Mistress of All Evil: A Tale of the Dark Fairy'' (October 3, 2017) * ''Mother Knows Best: A Tale of the Old Witch'' (August 7, 2018) * ''The Odd Sisters: A Tale of the Three Witches'' (July 2, 2019) * ''Evil Thing: A Tale of That De Vil Woman'' (July 7, 2020) * ''Cold Hearted: A Tale of the Wicked Stepmother'' (July 6, 2021) * ''Never Never: A Tale of Captain Hook'' (July 19, 2022) * ''Fire & Fate: A Tale of the Lord of Darkness'' (July 18, 2023) * ''Kill the Beast: A Tale of Everyone's Favorite Guy'' (July 30, 2024) * ''Heartbroken: A Tale of the Angry Queen'' (July 29, 2025)
===Stand-alone novels=== * ''How to Be a Werewolf: The Claws-On Guide for the Modern Lycanthrope'' (February 8, 2011) * ''Raising the Horseman'' (September 6, 2022)
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{official website|www.serenavalentino.com}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20080527055749/http://www.comixology.com/podcasts/47/Nightmares-and-Fairy-Tales-with-Serena-Valentino Interview at comiXology] with Serena Valentino, 2008 *[https://thedisneyblog.com/2018/12/01/revamping-disneys-villains-an-interview-with-serena-valentino/ Interview by Jess Salafia, ''The Disney Blog''] with Serena Valentino, 2018
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentino, Serena}} Category:American comics writers Category:American women comics writers Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:American writers of Italian descent