Some Unfinished Paintings & the Woodcutter's Wife and the Wolf King

Here are a couple paintings I did months ago.
I want to write a children's book "The Woodcutter's Wife and the Wolf-King". I got depressed about finding the right illustrator, as pictures really make or break a children's book. And I haven't got any money or credibility etc. So I decided I'll just have to learn how to paint.
So the first scene, I could see in my head, of the woodcutter after a long day's work, coming into a clearing where he finds the girl and the wolves.

Something about it didn't look right. I had tried to have her on a rock, and it didn't really work. I tried again, with a plain old clearing.

 I think this worked better. Right now, I'm really at the color-scheme, composition stage. The actual trees and wolves and people leave much to be desired.

My weakest point is the faces. First I need to learn how to make them look human. And then to actually show emotions and expressions on them.
I don't know where to start.
Sigh.

Here are are a couple things I've been working on naptimes and snatched in 10 minute segments of the kids happily playing...

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 I was trying to go for a kinda tree-root-looking thing with the blood. Like the fruit of the new Tree...or something.

 Then this is what I worked on in the last few days.

 I think Mary looks a little too cartoonish. I liked how the angel turned out, at least.