Today is my stop on the WordCrafters book blog tour for “Visions” anthology. I have a review of the book to share with you, as well as details of a giveaway. But, before I get to those things, I have a guest post for you from one of the contributing authors: Patty Fletcher. So, take it away, Patty.
When Kaye wrote and asked me to write a guest post explaining my inspiration for ‘The Portal Brings Christmas Love’ at first, I had no clue what to say.
The reasons are a bit tangled as is a lot of my life from the time period during which this story idea first came to me.
In 2016 as the elections in the US were getting under way, there was a lot of unrest not only in the political arena but in my personal life as well.
I was just beginning the journey from the darkness which had covered my life for the previous four years into the light and finding no way to gain closure for some of the damage I’d caused found myself on early Christmas Eve morning alone and feeling quite sad.
While clearing up the dishes and cleaning the kitchen from the night before, I began to wonder what would happen if the people of our country rose up and stated, ‘No More.’ I also wondered what it would feel like if I could wish up the one I longed to be with for the holidays and the next thing I knew, I was at my desk, pounding out a story.
For years, it languished in a folder, then along came Kaye and the call for submissions for the Visions Anthology contest and I thought, why not?
I had to do a lot of touch up work and then send it off to my editor. After that I held my breath and sent it to Kaye.
Some weeks later, to my delighted surprise, I learned that my story had been accepted and so, at least my wish to be included in the company of great talent was granted.
I hope others will enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Thanks to Kay and WordCrafter for giving me this incredible opportunity to share my work with the world.
Here below is a taste of what you can expect when you read ‘The Portal Brings Christmas Love’.
Excerpt
The Portal Brings Christmas Love
By Patty L. Fletcher
I awoke just after midnight on that early Christmas morn. Though I knew I should be happy, there was a horrible emptiness inside me. My longing for Derrick had become all consuming. All I wanted for Christmas was to hold him. He’d been mine and King’s trainer and we’d shared some happy times, but when I’d come back to Korponious, my life had somehow turned itself inside out. Due to my fiancĂ©’s abuse, my mental illness had spun horribly out of control. For a time, I’d been terribly lost to the darkness. It was a prolonged period of spiraling behavior, during which I’d destroyed mine and Derrick’s friendship and had damn near killed myself.
Derrick and I had met a few years later at a Blended Lives Federation convention, and while working out our differences, had gotten dangerously entangled in an interplanetary government overthrow attempt when I’d been kidnapped, tortured, and almost killed.
Derrick had risked his life and freedom to save me, and had worked tirelessly once we were reunited to help King and me to rehabilitate only to be separated by war breaking out. I was in Korponious settling my affairs, while readying to move to Casimian.
Now, because of current travel bans, I could not immigrate. I was, in a word, miserable.
Patty L. Fletcher lives in Kingsport Tennessee where she works full time as a Writer with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disAbled from the non-disAbled. She is Also a Social Media Marketing Assistant.
To learn more visit: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8431191.Patricia_L_Fletcher
Book blurb
An author’s visions are revealed through their stories. Many authors have strange and unusual stories, indeed. Within these pages, you will find the stories of eighteen different authors, each unique and thought provoking. These are the fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.
What happens when:
An inexplicable monster plagues a town for generations, taking people… and souvenirs?
A post-apocalyptic band of travelers finds their salvation in an archaic machine?
The prey turns out to be the predator for a band of human traffickers?
Someone chooses to be happy in a world where emotions are regulated and controlled?
A village girl is chosen to be the spider queen?
Grab your copy today and find out. Let authors such as W.T. Paterson, Joseph Carabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Michaele Jordan, Stephanie Kraner, and others, including the author of the winning story in the WordCrafter 2022 Short Fiction Contest, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, tantalize your thoughts and share their visions.
Purchase link:
https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28
My review:
Visions by Kaye Lynne Booth, and others.My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It's always difficult to review an anthology like this, where different authors - each with their own writing style - come together to share their perspective on a given theme, and you can guarantee there will be some stories that appeal to you more than others purely for the fact the writing style of some authors will be more to your liking than that of others. This collection is a perfect example of that. Every story was a fantastical and creative tale, but some of them captivated me and captured my attention more than others. All in all though, this was a well-crafted collection of stories, where different worlds and different forms of magic are explored in fascinating and fantastical ways.
View all my reviews
Giveaway
Five digital copies of the book will be given away in a random drawing at the end of the tour. Each stop visited earns an entry. Simply let us know you were there by leaving a comment.
Tour schedule:
Monday – October 17 – Guest Post – Billie Holladay Skelley & Winning Story Interview with Roberta Eaton Cheadle – Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/10/17/welcome-to-the-wordcrafter-visions-book-blog-tour/
Tuesday – October 18 – Guest Post – Michaele Jordan – Patty’s World:
https://pattysworlds.com/repost-of-day-2-of-the-wordcrafter-visions-anthology-book-blog-tour/
Wednesday – October 19 – Guest Post – D.L. Mullan – The Showers of Blessings: https://theshowersofblessings.com/2022/10/18/visions-a-wordcrafter-anthology-blog-tour/
Thursday – October 20 – Guest Post – C.R. Johanssen – Robbie’s Inspiration: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2022/10/20/robbies-inspiration-visions-wordcrafter-blog-tour-featuring-her-beholder-by-c-r-johansson/
Friday – October 21 – Guest Post – Patty L. Fletcher & Review – Zigler News: https://ziglernews.blogspot.com/2022/10/wordcrafters-book-blogtour-for-visions.html
Saturday – October 22 – Guest Post – Jeff Bowles – Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/?p=25382
And interview w/ Kaye Lynne Booth on SaraWesleyMcBride.com: https://www.sarawesleymcbride.com/
Sunday – October 23 – Guest Post – Stephanie Kraner – Roberta Writes: https://roberta-writes.com/2022/10/23/roberta-writes-visions-wordcrafter-book-tour-here-now-wherever-by-stephanie-kraner/
Monday – October 24 – Guest Post – Joseph Carrabis – Writing to be Read: https://writingtoberead.com/2022/10/24/day-8-of-the-wordcrafter-visions-book-blog-tour/
And Review – Undawnted: http://www.undawnted.com/2022/10/wordcrafter-blog-tour-joseph-carrabiss.html
