Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!

@claragordon

Member of SFWA & Codex. 📖 "The Golden Stair” - releases October 19th 2026 Published in COLORING OUTSIDE THE LINES, HISTORY THROUGH FICTION, and NECRONOMI-ROMCOM. Reposting ≠ endorsement. She/her. 💫

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Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 4d

Welcome to the world of THE GOLDEN STAIR. 🌻🪄🐦‍🔥🧿

Want to read more fantasy that reminds you of Don Bluth’s Anastasia or Hulu’s The Great, but without the cruelty of the real life Romanovs?

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 6d

THE GOLDEN STAIR may be a novel inspired by Rapunzel, but believe me, there’s a whole lot besides that also going on. Like what, you ask? Check out the alt text description for more… #authorsky #writersky #WIP

🔵Ken serenading Barbie at the campfire ➡️ This Rapunzel‘s Prince is an aspiring bard, and serenades are how he first truly gets her attention.
🔵 Adam Brody at the microphone as a punk rock singer in the movie Jennifer‘s Body ➡️ This is Ash in looks only, don’t worry.
🔵 Black Swan Odile from Swan Lake and Ursula turning into Vanessa in The Little Mermaid ➡️Gisela, daughter of Mother Gothel, employs similar tactics in order to steal Ash for herself.
🔵 Princess Anastasia and Rasputin battling in the 1997 Don Bluth movie, and Johnny Knoxville portraying Rasputin alongside the Tsarina in the new Mel Brooks Hulu TV show ➡️ If I say any more, I’ll spoil one of my favorite scenes in the book….

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 9d

Meet Gisela Malinowska, a.k.a. the witch’s daughter, trying to steal the prince away from Rapunzel. 🪄Glinda as an evil menace 🌱Her mother Galina is head midwife and lady in waiting to the queen ❓Only the witches know who Gisela’s birth father is, they prefer to keep it secret #SumLuv (3/3)

Meme mood board for Gisela the witch in novel the Golden Stair. In the center is a Q&A from popstar Sabrina Carpenter. Someone asks her how do you manage to stay so positive? She responds with a selfie captioned delusion Tumblr post by normal horoscope says listen I only do unethical magic if it’s really funny user Terrence Mann says things I want from a relationship: musical theater duets user darling Walker says I want to achieve she’s adorable and I will protect her at all costs, but also I am slightly frightened by her power user bore of the North 100 says pray for me nothing‘s wrong. I just want more power.

Photo of actress Reneé Rapp as Regina George, the fancast for this character

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 9d

Meet Ash Rybalka, a.k.a. Rapunzel’s future prince. 🎶Aspiring bard 🐦‍🔥 Had a magical soulmate bond pull him toward a beautiful blonde in a tower — but then past the witch and towards Raizel 👀 Lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship (twice) #SumLuv (2/3)

Mood board for Ash Rybalka From novel the Golden Stair. in the center is a screenshot of Adam Brody as Seth Cohen a fan cast for this character. His quote says I think closures is overrated. I’m more of a fan of open-ended unrequited love one meme is a screenshot of sheet music directions which read gradually becomes a disaster. One onion headline says how I stopped comparing myself to my siblings and becoming the most successful one Tumblr post by user musical sense says sure I’m a little stupid but that’s like 80% of my charm Twitter post by user worm kingdom says short kings do not step outside right now. I just saw a hawk flying around.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 9d

Meet Princess Raissa (Raizel), a.k.a. Rapunzel. 🪬The witches have straight blonde hair, HER bushy dark hair is v heavy 🎶Alto in a world of sopranos (luckily her bf is a bard) 🌻Loves plant science & grafting flowers onto tower & climbing yard trees since she can’t leave tower grounds #SumLuv (1/3)

A meme mood board for Princess Raissa, the version of Rapunzel in upcoming self published book, The Golden Stair. In the center is a photo with Emmy Rossum as Christine, the cast for her character. The Tumblr post by user glow cowboy says I want to be a sweet and friendly girl, but there’s all this anxiety and the horrors. One meme says woman tragically succumb to natural hair color in onion headline. The other is a Britney Spears missed quote that says my lower back is killing me. One meme laments Princess Mia in the Princess diaries, having to straighten her natural curly hair to be deemed pretty. Another meme by Tumblr user mischievous acrobat pleads for a Disney princess who is an alto.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 11d

If you're like me and still annoyed that Emmy Rossum never got to play live-action Belle... ...Then at least she'll have a similar look to Rapunzel in my new YA retelling, THE GOLDEN STAIR. This Rapunzel's a natural brunette whose thick curly hair turns blonde in direct sun/moonlight.

Screenshot from TikTok video by username Socialites, with a photo of American actress Emmy Rossum in a slideshow of her photos. The caption says "Imagine being offered a role as a Disney princess but having to decline because you chose shameless." The original video has "stupid song" by Olivia Rodrigo as its background music.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 12d

🔔The secret is out (of the tower). 🔔 My Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy with sweet romance, “The Golden Stair,” will be officially releasing on October 19, 2026.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· 15d

In honor of #SPAAW 2026, I’m happy to announce that my debut novel “The Golden Stair” is now currently in development to be self-published! More updates to follow in the coming months.

Flyer for Self Published Authors Appreciation Week 2026

Moodboard of settings and characters for The Golden Stair. It is a young adult fantasy with sweet romance, inspired by the Rapunzel fairytale. It’s based on Eastern European and Ashkenazi Jewish folklore, and the leading lady has a chronic pain disability as well.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Jan 31

THE GOLDEN STAIR (🌿RevPit ‘25 Shortlist🌿) has tropes like: 👑Princess in STEM x Aspiring Bard 🐦‍🔥Prophecies & soulmate magic, sent by firebird 🌙Guitar serenades to your gf living in a tower 🪞Villainess transforming into the heroine to trick the prince into loving her instead #QuestPit #JV #YA #DIS #RF

A young Emmy Rossum fancast as Princess Raissa.

A young Adam Brody fancast as Ash the bard and future prince.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Jan 31

☀️TANGLED x AR VISHNY’S NIGHT OWLS☀️ Ash follows a magical lure to a forest tower where a beautiful golden haired girl lives. Then he realizes his blonde lover’s an evil witch-the soulmate bond really pulled him to the lost princess with 75-ft-long bushy brown hair. #QuestPit #Q #JV #YA #DIS #RF

ALT: Tower stock photo by Антон Злобин on Pexels. Sunflowers stock photo by Yaseminmsl on Pexels. Buda Castle stock photo by Ivan Dražić on Pexels. Cropped stock photo of a young Emmy Rossum by S Pakhrin on Wikimedia Commons. Cropped stock photo of a pale woman with hair turning between blonde and dark brown, by Mhajr Invincible on Pexels.Cropped stock photo of a young Adam Brody by GabboT on Wikimedia Commons. Stock photo of Italian guitar c. 1801 by Maccari-Pugliese Duo, found on EarlyRomanticGuitar.com. Storybook illustration of Ivan Tsarevich and the Firebird, by Boris Vasilyevich Zvorykin, in the public domain on Wikimedia Commons. Stock photo of a scientific illustration of “The fruit and flower of a pomegranate”, by Cornelis Markée c. 1763, in the public domain on Wikimedia Commons.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Oct 30

TANGLED x AR VISHNY’S NIGHT OWLS Ash follows a magical lure to a forest tower where a beautiful golden haired girl lives. Until he realizes his blonde lover’s an evil witch, and the soulmate bond really pulled him to the lost princess with 75-ft-long bushy brown hair. #GhostPit #JV #YA #DIS #F #R

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Oct 10

My new pitch for THE GOLDEN STAIR, now w/ fancasts 🐦‍🔥 Ash follows a magical lure to a forest tower where a beautiful golden-haired girl lives. Until he realizes his blonde lover is an evil witch, and the soulmate bond really pulled him to the lost princess with 75-ft-long bushy brown hair.

Sabrina Carpenter in her manchild music video, here standing in as the fancast for the witch Gisela

Cropped photo from a nylon magazine photo shoot of a young actor Adam Brody, here standing in for the character of Ash

Movie still of actress Emmy Rossum playing Christine daae, here standing in for the character of Princess Raizel

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Oct 8

🌿Opening of THE GOLDEN STAIR:🌿 “What no one seems to understand about a princess whose hair is long enough to fall from window to base of a stone tower of soaring height, is that hair is very hard to maintain. A shining example of this concept is Princess Raizel of Cherta…” #DVPit #JV #YA #DIS #F #R

What’s Inside….The Golden Stair. Princess Bride vibes. Eastern Europe inspired secondary fantasy world. Chronic pain disability & Ashkenazi Jewish rep. Girl in STEM x Folk Singer Boy. Leading Lady’s an alto for once (Villain Soprano Witch is not pleased that she’s not the ingénue here). MMC who’s not much for smouldering but does love to sing (and serenade his GF beneath her tower at night).

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Oct 5

#DVParty ~ Gisela: “Ash! How could you dump me to be with the princess instead? After I took you in and hired you to do all the non-magical chores around my tower, and to take my side in all roommate arguments between me and her?“ Ash:

Screenshot of the often memed Ned Fulmer apology statement where he says “I lost focus and had a consensual workplace relationship.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Oct 3

This Rapunzel tale stars Princess Raizel (a.k.a. Raissa). Though her looks & ability are more like a Gothel (just ask her blonde witches). She loves singing, but Asher is the only one who won’t tease her for singing in a lower alto range (usually unheard of for singing fairytale princesses) #DVParty

My fancast for this character, a young Emmy Rossum as Christine Daae

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Jun 6

THE GOLDEN STAIR (70k) is a cozy Rapunzel #FTA for fans of: 👀Subverting fantasy tropes of who can be the heroine 🎶Fairytale musicals supporting Alto Leading Lady Rights (the blonde witch villain is WICKED’s Glinda as a menace) 🩵Seth Cohen coded LI 💫Shortlisted in RevPit 2025💫 #JoyPit #YA #DIS #JV

Text reading “PITCH CARD. Princess Raizel has resigned herself to a life of staying trapped in her tower by an evil witch. Until she befriends Asher, the witch’s cute new hired help. To escape the witch’s grasp she must learn to trust Asher - and herself - before it’s too late.” Black text on a beige background, with clip art of swords, a rose, a firebird, sunflowers, and a hamsa.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Jun 6

TANGLED x NIGHT OWLS Most think Raizel’s a witch with her bushy dark hair & chronically painful twisted back. But in THE GOLDEN STAIR (70k words), Rapunzel truly is this princess escaping her tower with help from her blonde witch’s hired hand, Asher. #FTA #YA #JV #DIS #JoyPit

Elaborate orange background. Text reads: An agent’s guide to THE GOLDEN STAIR by Ariel Finkle.

Reach out! DMs are open [at] arielfin.bsky.social . Excerpt from the novel reads: "Why would you ever want to be in a place where you feel like no one cares what you have to say?" I could ask that about why you stay in the witch's tower, he thought. "Well, because it seems like that's what it's like in every place that I go. So I'm sure that being a jester in a palace, even your family's palace, would be the same. It's nothing personal," he assured her. "But..." The princess nudged out her chin. "I don't think that you should have to be making a fool out of yourself all of the time just to have crowds of people pay attention to you." He brushed the dust off the outer leaves of one lettuce head. "Yeah, well, maybe you've never met the least successful child of fishmongers," he joked. Raissa didn't laugh. "I would still notice you," she murmured, eyes shining. Ash froze, suddenly grateful that he wasn't too prone to blushing, otherwise he would turn as red as the nearby patch of beets.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Apr 30

The Golden Stair spoilers with no context #CampRevPit #MoodboardTwist #CRPLunaMoths

Screenshot from a video by TikTok user Rebekah Jasmine. Over a scene from Tangled, the caption says “WHY does he cut her hair so short 💀 💀 💀 “

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Apr 22

In this Rapunzel story, Ash (who’s not as smooth as Chris Pine btw) takes Gisela’s job offer to help the young witch maintain the tower to spend more time with his then gf. But his 1st time in the tower he realizes the magical soulmate pull he thought was towards her, was really towards the princess

Nicholas (played by Chris Pine) calls out “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, with hair so fine. Come out your window, climb down the vine.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Apr 19

🌿RevPit 2025 Shortlist🌿 ☀️For Your Consideration: Rapunzel retelling THE GOLDEN STAIR☀️ “What no one seems to realize about a princess whose hair is long enough to fall from window to base of a stone tower of soaring height, is that hair is very hard to maintain.” #YA #F #R #FT #PosterPit #PosterPitQ

A set of feminine jewelry boxes and embroidered hairbrushes lying on a beige bed sheet, meant to look like the fantasy world equivalent of 1810s style. It’s a fake movie poster for “THE GOLDEN STAIR, coming soon from creator Ariel Finkle.” Its comp titles are “Tangled x Spinning Silver.” Some tropes within include “Princess Bride Vibes, Chronic Pain Disability & Ashkenazi Jewish Rep,” and “Eastern Europe inspired secondary world setting.” Logline reads, “Despite the heroic prophecy about her, everyone thinks Princess Raizel’s a witch due to her bushy dark hair and twisted back. But in this Rapunzel retelling, the heroine truly is this unassuming girl who escapes her tower with the help of her blonde witch’s new hired hand, Asher.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Apr 19

Let Down Your Hair. 💫 Presenting Poster No. 2 for my upcoming Rapunzel retelling, THE GOLDEN STAIR. #YA #F #R #FT #PosterPit #PosterPitQ

Horizontal shot of a lonely turreted stone tower sprouting up in the middle of a vast summer forest. It’s a fake movie poster for “THE GOLDEN STAIR, coming soon from creator Ariel Finkle.” Its comp titles are “Tangled x Spinning Silver.” Some tropes within include “Princess Bride Vibes, Chronic Pain Disability & Ashkenazi Jewish Rep,” and “Eastern Europe inspired secondary world setting.” Logline reads, “Despite the heroic prophecy about her, everyone thinks Princess Raizel’s a witch due to her bushy dark hair and twisted back. But in this Rapunzel retelling, the heroine truly is this unassuming girl who escapes her tower with the help of her blonde witch’s new hired hand, Asher.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Apr 19

Presenting my first poster for my upcoming Rapunzel retelling, THE GOLDEN STAIR. 🌻🪻🌹🪄🗡️ 🎶 🐦‍🔥 🪬 🧿 #YA #F #R #FT #PosterPit #PosterPitQ

Fake movie poster for “THE GOLDEN STAIR, coming soon from creator Ariel Finkle.” A pale girl stands with her back to the viewer, near a pink and white flowering tree with some blossoms in her half braided loose hair. It is tough to tell whether her hair is fully blonde or brunette. Its comp titles are “Tangled x Spinning Silver.” Some tropes within include “Princess Bride Vibes, Chronic Pain Disability & Ashkenazi Jewish Rep,” and “Eastern Europe inspired secondary world setting.” Logline reads, “Despite the heroic prophecy about her, everyone thinks Princess Raizel’s a witch due to her bushy dark hair and twisted back. But in this Rapunzel retelling, the heroine truly is this unassuming girl who escapes her tower with the help of her blonde witch’s new hired hand, Asher.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Apr 2

🌹🌻Raissa(l.)-This Rapunzel’s bushy dark hair doesn’t help her chronic pain 🎶🪬Asher(center)-He’s got a dream to be a bard. His princess duets his serenades as an alto. 🐦‍🔥🪄Gisela(r.)-Villainous soprano witch displeased she’s not this story’s ingenue.

RAISSA ALT TEXT:
Satire headline of “News in brief…Woman tragically succumbs to natural hair color” ; A Britney Spears lyric edited to say “My lower back is killing me” ; An edit of Emmy Rossum as Christine Daae, done by user SoftStrawberryCreamCake. It has a screenshot of a Tumblr post by GlowCowboy. “I want to be a sweet and friendly girl but there’s all this anxiety. and the horrors” ; A black and white comic by Cassandra Calin, showing her (a woman with thick curly dark hair) glaring at Princess Mia’s hair straightening makeover scene in “The Princess Diaries.” ; Tumblr post screenshot. The top comment by username mischievous-acrobats is “You know what I want the next Disney Princess to be? An Alto.” The following comment by DCPDreamsComeTrue is “I feel this in my soul. And also in my strained vocal cords.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Mar 26

No house pets where I live, but I do have Mordecai and Rigby here 💙🩶

A stuffed animal raccoon and a Squishmallow stuffed animal blue jay.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Mar 21

Reposting this cute moment between my lead romantic pair, Princess Raissa & Asher the bard 💛💛 #revpit

Excerpt from the novel reads: "Why would you ever want to be in a place where you feel like no one cares what you have to say?" I could ask that about why you stay in the witch's tower, he thought. "Well, because it seems like that's what it's like in every place that I go. So I'm sure that being a jester in a palace, even your family's palace, would be the same. It's nothing personal," he assured her. "But..." The princess nudged out her chin. "I don't think that you should have to be making a fool out of yourself all of the time just to have crowds of people pay attention to you." He brushed the dust off the outer leaves of one lettuce head. "Yeah, well, maybe you've never met the least successful child of fishmongers," he joked. Raissa didn't laugh. "I would still notice you," she murmured, eyes shining. Ash froze, suddenly grateful that he wasn't too prone to blushing, otherwise he would turn as red as the nearby patch of beets.”

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Mar 20

Reposting my moodboard for THE GOLDEN STAIR, my #revpit Rapunzel story 🌹 🐦‍🔥 🎶 🪄

For this 3 by 3 collage, tower stock photo by Антон Злобин on Pexels. Sunflowers stock photo by Yaseminmsl on Pexels. Buda Castle stock photo by Ivan Dražić on Pexels. Cropped stock photo of a young Emmy Rossum by S Pakhrin on Wikimedia Commons. Cropped stock photo of a pale woman with hair turning between blonde and dark brown, by Mhajr Invincible on Pexels.Cropped stock photo of a young Adam Brody by GabboT on Wikimedia Commons. Stock photo of Italian guitar c. 1801 by Maccari-Pugliese Duo, found on EarlyRomanticGuitar.com. Storybook illustration of Ivan Tsarevich and the Firebird, by Boris Vasilyevich Zvorykin, in the public domain on Wikimedia Commons. Stock photo of a scientific illustration of “The fruit and flower of a pomegranate”, by Cornelis Markée c. 1763, in the public domain on Wikimedia Commons.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Mar 17

G.C. LEVINE x WICKED THE GOLDEN STAIR is a 50k YA romantasy retelling Rapunzel in E. European folklore. MMC’s got a dream to be a bard. His princess duets his serenades as an alto. The villainous soprano witch is displeased that she’s not the story’s ingenue. 🌹 🐦‍🔥 🌻 🪬 🗡️ #PopUpPitA #PopUpPit #LuckyPit

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Mar 17

Introducing my agent’s guide to THE GOLDEN STAIR, a YA romantasy retelling of Rapunzel that I just started querying. This standalone novel's around 50,000 words long. 🏰🎵👑🧿🌻 #PopUpPitA #popuppit #luckypit

An agent's guide to The Golden Stair by Ariel Finkle

Let down your hair. TANGLED x SPINNING SILVER. Despite the heroic prophecy about her, everyone thinks Princess Raizel’s a witch due to her bushy dark hair and twisted back. But in this Rapunzel retelling, the heroine truly is this unassuming girl who escapes her tower with the help of her blonde witch’s new hired hand, Asher.

Clara Gordon || The Golden Stair coming soon!@claragordon· Mar 17

TANGLED x SPINNING SILVER Most think Raizel’s a witch with her bushy dark hair & twisted back. But in this YA romantasy Rapunzel retelling (50k), the heroic princess *is* this Jewish girl with scoliosis escaping her tower with her blonde witch’s new hired hand, Asher. #PopUpPitA #popuppit #luckypit