Chatting with New Blood: Patty L. Fletcher

Posted: September 28, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Books, Chatting with New Blood, Interview, Review | Tags: Blended Lives Chronicles, Chatting with New Blood, Patty L. Fletcher, Sides of the Order, Writing to be Read | 22 Comments

White background with red spirals. Two women sitting in a couch with books, a notebook, and a cup of coffee with dialog balloons that say "Q & A" above them.
Text: Chatting with New Blood with host Kaye Lynne Booth

My guest this month on “Chatting with New Blood” is author Patty L. Fletcher. Her debut novel was Sides of the Order, Book 1 of The Blended Lives Chronicles, which I reviewed back in June of 2024. (You can read my reveiw here.) While I’m writing this, she is busy doing the final edit and proof read on Book 2 of the series, A Battle of Choices. Yep. Patty is in this author thing for the long haul, and she’s got the whole series thing going in full swing. In addition, she is an advocate for those who are visually impaired, like herself and she is active in several organizations which promote inclusion and accessability. Her short fiction has been included in both the Visions and Midnight Roost anthologies from WordCrafter Press, and her poetry was included in Poetry Treasures 3: Passions. She often volunteers as a host for WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, as well, and is always willing to share around WordCrafter and Writing to be Read promotions on her social media channels. She’s here with us today to share some insights into the world of the blind and visually impaired, as well as letting you know about her debut novel.

About Patty Fletcher

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 see, share, and Buy her work visit: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/PattyFletcher

And: https://www.amazon.com/Patty-L.-Fletcher/e/B00Q9I7RWG

As well as: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8431191.Patricia_L_Fletcher

Walk alongside Patty and Chief Seeing Eye® Dog Blue on the Pathway to Freedom at: https://paypal.me/tellittotheworld?locale.x=en_US

Author PAtty L. Fletcher with her friend and guide dog, Blue.

Interview

Kaye: I love that your bio gives details about yourself as a person first. You don’t even mention that you are a published author until near the end. So many author bios, including mine, talk about being an author first and throw in the “oh yeah, and I’m a real person with other interests” almost as an afterthought.

Patty: Hello, Kaye and all.

Thanks for having me today.

When I was considering what to put into my media kit, which is where the bio you reference comes from, I gave some thought to what people ask me when we talk about my work. Most of the time, when an interviewer begins asking questions, they talk about who the author is as a person.

When bloggers blog, they also talk about their personal side and people seem to love it. So, to me it only made sense to start that way.

I learn by watching others, doing what they do, then once I’ve a grasp of it all, I add in my own style.

Monkey see monkey do then add in a little of you, is a great thing to remember when entering the writing world.

Kaye: I think this shows a lot about how we define ourselves. I define myself, first and foremost, as an author because writing infiltrates every part of my life. I love to go sit in the forest, watch the birds, smell the flowers, listen to the river flow, and write poetry about them. People I know and relationships I’ve had find their way into my stories. It all come back to the writing. You, on the other hand, define yourself first and foremost by your blindness, which also effects every other part of your life, so it comes first in your bio. So, let’s talk about that aspect of your life.

Kaye: You’ve lived with blindness all your life. What do you feel is the most common misconception about blindness that people hold?

Patty: People tend to say things such as, “Oh, you’re amazing.” Over the slightest things. I have been told it is amazing that I can feed and care for myself, ridiculous things such as the reason I don’t like watching TV is because I cannot see it. That cannot fly, because we have audio description to tell us what’s happening on the screen and even before that was a thing, we blind folk liked TV as much as the next person.

Nope, the reason I don’t watch TV is because that’s chewing gum for the brain. My brain wants substance. Real meat the brain can sink its teeth into. To me, that’s not coming from a TV show about a deputy with a bullet in his pocket.

It’s a great diversion sure, but I’d rather be diverted by a book.

Kaye: I see television is just another form of story telling, because I also do screenwriting, I suppose. But, my grandmother was blind from diabetes, and she used to sit and listen to the television all the time with the rest of the family. In fact, to entertain me, we would pretend to be the characters in my favorite television programs and make up our own stories. But she also listened to talking books, which were around even when I was a kid. Before the written word, people would sit around a fire and listen to the storyteller relate the stories of tribal histories. I think story is a human quality, no matter how we choose consume it. I think it is wonderful that you choose to consume your story through books, and also that you choose to share your own stories in that way.

Kaye: You’re continually active in trying to raise awareness about your disability and there is a huge pool of readers out there with visual impairments. What are some things authors can do to reach that audience?

Patty: The first thing I think people need to understand is that no two blind people process information the same way. Some read braille. This means when they download an eBook they’re downloading it to a braille display. When you write, don’t use a bunch of fancy fonts. Whether a person is visually challenged, totally blind, or has some other print disAbility you’re losing a huge part of your audience right there.

Some blind people, like me for instance, use a screen reader. A screen reader is a software program such as Windows Narrator, which is built into every Microsoft Windows computer which speaks what’s on the screen. So, if you use photos in your digital work, it’s a great idea to include alt text in your photos. This is especially important for the book cover, which is something designed to grab the attention of the buyer. Odds are, if I run on an ad or a blog post which doesn’t include good descriptive text, not something which says, “A photo of the book cover which says, “The Blended Lives Chronicles” That’s not descriptive. I want to know what the cover looks like.

Be descriptive.

Another thing which sends me away without looking further are unlabeled links. If all I hear is “Llink, Link” every time I scroll through a post or website, I’m not looking at it one, more, second than it takes me to close it out. If I don’t know what that link goes to, it’s not getting clicked.

Another thing, even if you don’t plan to release your work as an audio book, take special care with your grammar. When a blind person uses a screen reader with awareness and ability, they can catch a grammar error a mile away and it can also change the way a scene is perceived. Besides, if we’re lucky, the National Library Services for the Blind and Print Disabled program might pick it up and record it for their vast library. Make it reader friendly. Use a program such as the Microsoft Read Allowed feature to listen to your books before you publish. I promise you’ll be glad you did.

Kaye: You have lived a life of service. It seems like you do a lot. Can you tell us about your work with the ADP Performing Arts Committee, Blind Information Technology Specialists, Guide Dog Users Incorporated, and the American Council for the Blind?

Patty: First, a correction the organization is “The American Council Of The Blind” and it is written exactly that way. These things are important because ACB (American Council Of The Blind means the organization is made up and run by blind people. The Word for implies it’s done for us. Not of and by us. Words and Details are so important to the meaning of things aren’t they?

As stated in my bio, I’m just now finding my way with BITS. They’re a special interest affiliate of The American Council Of The Blind focusing on blindness technology. They’re getting ready to offer a class on Microsoft 365 which I use daily. This will help me, and others learn to use it with our screen reader programs, and I cannot wait to take it. I’m certain there are many features within this program I am not aware of. I am sure this will enhance my productivity.

The ADP (Audio Description Project) committee is something I got into about a year or so ago. The committee I’m on focuses on the importance of getting audio description into live theater and national park tours, museums, and the like.

Easy right?

Humph! People aren’t as receptive as you’d believe.

Guide Dog Users Incorporated (GDUI) is another special affiliate of The American Council Of The Blind. Our mission, to raise awareness of guide dogs and advocacy issues.

Two of the biggest things we’re working on are problems with being denied a ride by a rideshare company such as Uber and troubles with needing to prove our dogs are real service animals before we can fly.

One would think in the 21^ST century this wouldn’t be a problem, but it is. In fact, thanks to a lot of people abusing the system with their birds, bunnies, and snakes we’ve been pushed back decades.

I’m currently running in the GDUI 2024 election. I hope to be elected as a board of director. This will place me in a position where I can do work with a much more narrowed focus toward advocacy and awareness. Having the power of an entire bord alongside you can surely be effective.

Kaye: Your Blended Lives Chronicles series features a blind protagonist, who has learned to overcome other disabilities as well. What has Laya Moonwalker done to adapt to her afflictions? She even has a trusted guide dog, King, who she has a unique connection with, and she serves on governing boards in her world. How much of Laya Moonwalker is you?

Patty: Let me start with the synopsis of the book.

Lady Laya MoonWalker is a well respected author and magazine owner and a high priestess in the magickal community. After a drawn-out battle with the forces of dark magik, she has come into her own. She lives and works on Planet Korponious, where she is the owner and creator of an Interplanetary Magazine called “Blended Lives Chronicles.” Her mission is to blend the lines of race, creed, and disability that separate so many and to elevate the recognition of the training and ability of Service Animals of all kinds to a new level. She has just been accepted into the Blended Lives Federation and now hopes to continue her work in a way like nothing known to her before.

The square ad cover is a deep, candy apple red, with the title, The Blended Lives Chronicles: Sides of the Order at the top in white text with a white crescent moon framing the upper side of the "S" in "Sides of the Order" which is in larger type than "The Blended Lives Chronicles." At the bottom right corner is the author’s name, Patty L. Fletcher, also typed in white. Above the author’s name and below the title of the book is a white skeleton key, sitting on the right hand side of the frame. The title is the focal point.

Laya has created allot of wreckage along the way through her dark journey into the light, and now she wishes to set this to right. She has just received her best break ever. Frank Prince, the CEO of The Blended Lives Learning Center, has invited her to the Celtic New Year Convention and Witches Ball as a reporter to write a story on the progress of The Blended Lives Planetary Federation. She will be their guest speaker at the opening ceremonies.

When Laya arrives at the Celtic Convention, she finds herself face to face with an old and dear friend, Blended Lives Learning Center Instructor and member of the Order of the Night, Derrick Gibbous. As they begin to connect, causing old sparks to reignite, they are tossed into a nasty battle from which not everyone will escape. People are not as they seem, and not everyone supports the side for which they appear to work.

As their love for one another grows, so does the battle. Despite everything, Laya and Derrick are determined to see their work to unite beings of all kinds succeed.

As you can see, Laya walks a lot of paths within her life. Of course, she is a work of fiction, but her battle with mental illness is quite real. That and what she experienced at the hands of her fiancé Jack also came from my own personal experience.

We’re to write what we know so that part is me.

Another thing which comes from my own perspective is the relationship she and King have together. This too comes from my own experience. My guide dog and I are quite bonded, and he needs no human words to let me know what’s what. If people would only pay attention, they would have no problem reading their dog’s thoughts. Maybe it’s a bit dramatized, but it’s also quite real. The trainers mean it when they say, “What you think and feel travels down the leash, and what the dog thinks and feels comes back.”

But for me, it’s more. I can be sitting in the living room not speaking a sound, only thinking to Blue that it’s time to go out or eat and the next thing I know, he’s by my side. Coincidence? No.

Kaye: You have founded and run a couple of different businesses which can be found on your site, Patty’s Worlds: Tell-It-To-The-World Marketing, of which you also host a podcast, and The Writer’s Grapevine Online Magazine. Tell us a little about these two endeavors.

Patty: They are one in the same. Nothing changed about the business I run other than the name and a little restructuring on the pricing.

I’m a content promoter and now I just have people pay a fee for being a sponsoring member of Patty’s Worlds and they receive those services.

Kaye: You also have stories in the Visions and Midnight Roost anthologies, and poetry included in the Poetry Treasures 4 anthology by WordCrafter Press. Can you talk a little about collaborating on an anthology and how that went for you?

Patty: I enjoy collaborating with other writers on such projects. Three things gave me problems when working with a few situations in the production and marketing side.

First, authors need to have a good awareness of what an anthology is and how it gets put together. I once worked with an author who had no idea what was in store when she got the idea. She ended up having to backtrack. There was no contract spelling out who had what right, how royalties would be split, a whole host of things were not dealt with correctly right from the start. Had I not already had some experience with anthologies by that point it could have been a true disaster. Instead, I wrote to her, with some tips and a mock contract and helped her get back on track. The anthology was published, and I made it in.

The second problem I have had when collaborating with authors on anthology projects has been consistency. Again, having all one’s ducks in a row before one begins is absolutely a must.

These things being out of whack for a blind person can make an already daunting job twice as hard. For me at least, I want and need to know exactly what I need to be doing as my part of any project and if those in charge don’t have it together, I’m sunk before I ever begin. That’s more an OCD issue rather than a blindness issue. This makes it extremely hard for someone with a mental health disability.

Finally, I had to deal with working on the marketing end of things with others. Blog tours can be absolutely maddening. I’ve all but stopped participating. I refuse to put a post on my blog without graphic labels (Alt text) in photos, and unlabeled links. I’ve said it at least a jillion time yet when I get into a tour some of the tour stops don’t comply with my wishes and then I’m stuck having to reblog a post somewhere I already know blind readers will not enjoy. So, if you’re out there reading and you’re thinking it might be a great idea to collaborate with me, make sure you’re ready to learn how to jump those hurdles because they’re non-negotiable.

No descriptions or labels, no deal.

Kaye: Please let readers know where they can find you online.

Patty: I’m happy you included me in your interview series. I hope people have a little better understanding of who I am and what I do.

Just in case I left anything out, here’s all my information below. I’ve included links to The American Council Of The Blind, Guide Dog Users Incorporated and BITS.

Please make sure to visit them to gain a better understanding.

Thanks again for reading.

May Harmony find You and Blessid Be.

About Patty L. Fletcher

Updated April 2024.

Patty Fletcher is a single mother with a beautiful daughter, of whom she is enormously proud. She has a great son-in-law and six beautiful grandchildren. From April 2011 through September 2020, she owned and handled a black Labrador from The Seeing Eye® named King Campbell Lee Fletcher A.K.A. Bubba. Sadly, after a long battle with illness on September 24, 2020, King Campbell went to the Rainbow Bridge where all is peace and love. In July 2021, she returned to The Seeing Eye® and was paired with a Black Labrador Golden Retriever cross named Blue.

PATTY’S BLINDNESS…

Patty was born one and a half months premature. Her blindness was caused by her being given too much oxygen in the incubator. She was partially sighted until 1991, at which time she lost her sight due to an infection after cataract surgery and high eye pressure. She used a cane for 31 years before making the change to a guide dog.

WHERE SHE LIVES AND WORKS…

Currently, Patty lives and works in Kingsport, Tenn.

Patty is quite involved with The American Council of the Blind – ACB and its community.

She’s a member of Guide Dog Users Incorporated where she serves on the GDUI Election Candidacy Task Force, and the membership Committee.

She works with the Audio Description Project by serving on the ADP Performing Arts Committee.

She has also recently joined Blind Information Technology Specialists (BITS). Another special affiliate of ACB.

Though she’s not yet found her place there, she is learning things from their informational content.

She’s the creator and owner of Tell-It-To-The-World Marketing (Author, Blogger, Business Assist), The Writer’s Grapevine Online Magazine and the creator and host of the Talk to Tell-It-To-The-World Marketing Podcast, which have recently been reconstructed and can all be found in Patty’s Worlds.

WRITING GOAL…

Patty writes with the goal of bridging the great chasm which separates the disabled from the non-disabled.

Patty is also a published author.

Learn more at the links below.

All full length published works…

Amazon

Smashwords

Anthologies…

Midnight Roost: https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

Visions: https://books2read.com/VisionsAnthology

Poetry Treasures 3: Passions: https://books2read.com/VisionsAnthology

Strange Weather Anthology

https://www.marlsmenagerie.com/

Blog…

Home of Patty’s World

Facebook…

https://www.facebook.com/

Instagram…

https://www.instagram.com/

LinkedIn…

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Goodreads…

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8431191.Patricia_L_Fletcher

Book Review: The Hungry Deep

Posted: September 20, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Gothic, Horror, Review | Tags: Book Reveiw, Ghost Story, Gothic Horror, J.L. Murray, mystery, The Hungry Deep, Writing to be Read | 2 Comments

About The Hungry Deep

Some places are abandoned for a reason.

When newlywed Rachel Corrigan agrees to accompany her husband, Tom, to his family estate before starting their lives together in the city, it is an opportunity to get to know him and to explore the manor where he grew up. But when Rachel arrives she finds Corrigan House strange, the nearby town empty, and her husband’s sudden cold demeanor increasingly frightening. She soon learns that one year ago, Tom’s first wife, Lavinia, took her own life in the twisted forest behind Corrigan House. The servants claim that her spirit resides there still, calling out from the wood, her voice as clear as the day she died.

In a desolate town where everyone harbors a secret, Rachel finds herself a prisoner in a place which is becoming increasingly treacherous. When the village priest is found savagely stabbed and on the edge of death, it becomes clear that the remaining townsfolk – witnesses to Lavinia’s demise – are being hunted down one by one. But Lavinia Corrigan is dead. Isn’t she?

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Deep-Gothic-Folk-Standalones-ebook/dp/B0BHC9FV1T

My Review

I purchased a copy of The Hungry Deep, by J.L. Murray in a Freebooksie deal. All opinions stated here are my own.

The author does a good job of maintaining a level of tension and mystery throughout the steady unfolding of this tale. There is something amiss, but like the protagonist, Rachel Corrigan, you can’t quite put your finger on what it is, until little by little, all the pieces fall into place. The spirit of Tom Corrigan’s first wife, Livinia, haunts the memories of those who knew her. The entire town emptied out after her death and those who are left all bare secrets which may be best left buried. With murder, mayhem, and mystery, this tale promises to be one to keep readers on the edge of their seats, with a satisfying pay-off in the ending.

Mysterious and suspenseful, this gothic horror novel, will hold your attention until the last page. I give The Hungry Deep four quills.

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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.

Wrapping up the WordCrafter “Tales From the Hanging Tree” Book Blog Tour

Posted: September 13, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Horror, Paranormal, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthology, Blog Tour, Books, Fantasy, Science Fiction | 10 Comments

Tour Schedule

Monday Sept. 9 – Writing to be Read – Reading Excerpt by Joseph Carrabis & Guest Sylva Fae

Tuesday Sept. 10 – Roberta Writes – Guest Kaye Lynne Booth

Wednesday Sept. 11 – Carla Reads – Guest C.R. Johansson

Thursday Sept. 12 – Undawnted – Guest Paul Kane

Friday Sept. 13 – Writing to be Read – Reading Excerpt by Dl Mullan & Guest Matt Usher

The Giveaway

Follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop you visit to let us know you were there and earn an entry in the giveaway for a free digital copy of Tales From the Hanging Tree.

About Tales From the Hanging Tree

Tales from the Hanging Tree is a wonderfully dark, themed anthology which revolves around an ephemeral and timeless hanging tree that absorbs the memories of all hanging victims. This WordCrafter Press anthology was created by invitation only and includes stories from authors Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, DL Mullan, C.R. Johansson, Joseph Carrabis, Sylva Fae, and Matt Usher.

Book Trailer

Inspiration for Death for Sale, by Matt Usher

Hanging is harder than it looks. In media, you’re more likely to find your average strangulation hanging. This belies a long history of hanging development. Strangulation is more of an amateur, homespun kind of hanging. Many works in this collection consider this to great effect. Others prefer the cleaner solutions. They both have their appeal.

The history of hanging, dating back to at least Homer, converges in different nations to a common point of development. An odd form of mercy: you see, there’s the short drop, the medium drop, and the long drop of the famed “long drop, short stop”. This is because the merciful version of the art of hanging causes death by cervical fracture long before the patient can enjoy asphyxia. Cleaner that way. No risk of having to watch the hanged make a drama out of the proceedings.

The body’s weight does all the work, leaving the executioner to the simple task of pulling a lever. The English, masters of execution that they were, with a long, long history of hanging innocents, had it down to an exact science. The solution is to make a table that compares the soon to be departed’s height and weight to an array of possible drop distances. This was, of course, to avoid the chances of decapitation with a too-long drop, or a drawn-out death by a too-short one. Jolly humanism at its finest. Wouldn’t want to cause a mess. Unless you happen to fall athwart the long history of botched hangings. But hey, you can’t get it right all the time.

You’ll find plenty to learn about the history and morbid dynamics of hanging in this collection. In my own contribution that takes place in the near future, despite everything I’ve said, I’ve opted for a traditional death by strangulation. It just has that particular frisson. Makes your skin crawl. Others have plumped for the quick and painless style. Why be shy about it when you’re spoiled for choice? So much for the how of hanging; this anthology explores why. Even the Hanging Tree has its reasons.

About Matt Usher

Matt Usher is an agender creature in the big city. Before this, they had no other fiction publications. They write as a critic at Compulsive Reader. They cherish a love of the music of language and a polycule who are the dearest people in their life.

They are the strange sort of being that makes spreadsheets for fun. This is often in service of automatic calculations and data storage for traditional roleplaying games, their most important hobby. Collaborative creativity is one of their most valued things.

They play bass and trumpet, like pro wrestling, and write extremely nerdy poetry. They are immensely neurodivergent and rather queer.

Excerpt from “12 Angry Dead”, by DL Mullan

About DL Mullan

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology. Her lecture, Spacescapes: Where Photography Ends; Imagination Begins, debuted at the Phoenix Astronomy Society, which then led to her Sally Ride Festival lecture invitations. Her presentation, Bridging the Gap between Technology and Women, won her accolades at a community college’s Student Success Conference. She has been a panelist at speculative fiction, science fiction, and other regional conventions. Her digital exhibition pieces have won awards at convention art shows, as well as garnered her Second Premium at the Arizona State Fair. Currently, Ms. Mullan’s artistic renditions are seen on book covers, blog sites, and various merchandise. As an independent publisher, she uses her technical background to innovate the way she perceives the creative arts.

As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also an award-winning poet.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at http://www.undawnted.com. 

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That wraps up this stop and the WordCrafter Tales From the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour. Thank you all for hanging around with us, and thanks to the contributors of the anthology for all their promotional efforts for this tour. Be sure to use the schedule above to go back and visit any stops that you missed, and don’t forget to comment so I know you were there and can enter you in the drawing for the giveaway. I’ll leave this open through the weekend and announce the winners in this month’s “WordCrafter News” on Monday, the 30th, so be watching for that. After all, you might be a winner!

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Day 4 of the WordCrafter “Tales From the Hanging Tree” Book Blog Tour

Posted: September 12, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Tags: "The Hanging Men", Anthology, Dark fiction, Paul Kane, Tales from the Hanging Tree, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 2 Comments

Today we’re all ‘hanging around’ over at Undawnted for Day 4 of the WordCrafter Tales of the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour with a guest post by contributing author Paul Kane about his story, “The Hanging Men”. Join us. (Please leave any comments here on Writing to be Read, as Undawnted is not comment enabled.)

http://www.undawnted.com/2024/09/paul-kanes-hanging-men-from.html

Day 3 of the WordCrafter “Tales From the Hanging Tree” Book Blog Tour

Posted: September 11, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Guest Post, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | Leave a comment

Today we’re hanging around over at Carla Loves to Read for Day 3 of the WordCrafter Tales From the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour with a guest post from C.R. Johansson about her story, “Therion’s Heart”. Won’t you join us?

Tales From The Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy #Guest Post #Giveaway

Welcome to the WordCrafter “Tales From the Hanging Tree” Book Blog Tour

Posted: September 9, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Blog Tour, Books, Dark fiction, Ghost Stories, Guest Post, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: Anthology, C.R. Johansson, DL Mullan, Joseph Carrabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Matt Usher, Paul Kane, Sylva Fae, Tales from the Hanging Tree, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | 7 Comments

Welcome to the opening day of the WordCrafter Tales From the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour. We have a great tour planned, with guest posts and readings from contributing authors, and a great giveaway where you could win a free digital copy of this dark fiction anthology.

Tour Schedule

Monday Sept. 9 – Writing to be Read – Reading Excerpt by Joseph Carrabis & Guest Sylva Fae

Tuesday Sept. 10 – Roberta Writes – Guest Kaye Lynne Booth

Wednesday Sept. 11 – Carla Reads – Guest C.R. Johansson

Thursday Sept. 12 – Undawnted – Guest Paul Kane

Friday Sept. 13 – Writing to be Read – Reading Excerpt by DL Mullan & Guest Matt Usher

The Giveaway

Follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop you visit to let us know you were there and earn an entry in the giveaway for a free digital copy of Tales From the Hanging Tree.

About Tales From the Hanging Tree

Book Cover: Tales From the Hanging Tree
Dark, grayish background with gnarled tree with nooses hanging down abd two people looking at it.
Text: Tales From the Hanging Tree, Imprints of Tragedy. A WordCrafter Anthology, Edited by KAye Lynne Booth

There exists a tree that is timeless, spanning across all dimensions, which absorbs every life as those who are hanged as they die… and it remembers every one. The stories within are a select few of the Tales From the Hanging Tree.

Reading from “Mercy”, by Joseph Carrabis

About Joseph Carrabis

Joseph Carrabis told stories to anyone who would listen starting in childhood, wrote his first stories in grade school, and started getting paid for his writing in 1978. He’s been everything from a long-haul trucker to a Chief Research Scientist and holds patents covering mathematics, anthropology, neuroscience, and linguistics. After patenting a technology which he created in his basement and creating an international company, he retired from corporate life and now he spends his time writing fiction based on his experiences. His work appears regularly in several anthologies and his own published novels. You can learn more about him at https://josephcarrabis.com.

Inspiration for “The Devil’s Mark” by Sylva Fae

I am an author from Lancashire, England, and my maiden name was Jan Southworth – both of these facts are quite relevant to finding inspiration for the story.

Salmesbury Hall, a beautiful stately home in Lancashire, in the north of England, was originally built for the Southworth family, (one of the oldest families in the country) who resided there between 1325 and 1678. The house has a chequered past, which includes religious persecution, betrayal, witchcraft and murder. From being a young child, I was fascinated to read the history of my ancestors, the lords and ladies, saints and witches, but in particular about the women accused of witchcraft.

Jane Southworth was one of three women tried for maleficium, causing harm by witchcraft, in the Lancashire Witch Trials of 1612. The family was split at the Reformation, with one half staying Roman Catholic and the other half, including Jane and her husband, converting to the Protestant Church. There were strong disagreements, and when Jane’s husband was disinherited, her father-in-law spread rumours of her being a witch. Later, Jane and two others, were accused of witchcraft by a child named Grace Sowerbutts. Grace gave evidence at trial of witnessing the women shapeshifting into dogs, meeting with demonic creatures in the woods at night and murdering and eating a child. The accused women beseeched Grace to tell of who had coached her, and when cross-examined, it came out that she had been told what to say by Sir Christopher Southworth, a Jesuit priest. Thankfully, the evidence was thrown out and the women were acquitted, but sadly this was not always the case.

The themes of innocent women being accused of witchcraft, merely because they were deemed different or troublesome, seemed the perfect basis for the Hanging Tree anthology story. My story is purely fictional, but uses research taken from real trials and the ridiculous reasons some of these women were accused of witchcraft. I also like to see justice served, but you’ll have to read the story to find out how this happens in The Devil’s Mark.

About Sylva Fae

Sylva Fae is a married mum of three from Lancashire, England. She grew up in a rambling old farmhouse with an artistic family and an adopted bunch of dysfunctional animals. Her earliest memories are of bedtime stories snuggled up close to Mum to see the pictures. It was a magical time, those last special moments before dozing off to sleep would feed dreams of faraway lands and mystical beings. She spent twenty plus years teaching literacy to adults with learning difficulties and disabilities and now lives in Cheshire, juggling being a mum, writing children’s stories and keeping up with the crazy antics of their naughty rabbits.

Sylva and her family own a small woodland and escape there at every possible opportunity. Adventures in their own enchanted woodland, hunting for fairies and stomping in puddles, originally inspired Sylva to write stories for her girls. Whether it’s sat at the campfire in her own woods, or pottering around the beautiful local countryside, Sylva now finds her story inspiration being out in nature.

Sylva published her first children’s book Rainbow Monsters, in 2017. She has since published seventeen other children’s picture books, three chapter books, five illustrated anthologies, and has several short stories published in other anthologies. Three of her books have won Best in Category for children’s books at the Chanticleer International Book Awards and she’s won ten Reader’s Choice Awards. In addition to writing her own, Sylva has ghost written several books, and is an editor and writer for Connections eMagazine.

Links

Amazon author.to/SylvaFae

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SylvaFae

TikTok @sylvafae54

Instagram @sylvafae

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That wraps up today’s stop on the WordCrafter Tales From the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour. Follow the tour through links in the schedule above and leave a comment for a chance to win a free digital copy of the book. Tomorrow we’ll be over at Roberta Writes, where I will be Robbie Cheadle’s guest. So be sure to join us there, where I’ll share my inspiration for this dark anthology.

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Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

Tales From the Hanging Tree Available for Pre-Order

Posted: September 5, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark Fantasy, Dark fiction, Horror, WordCrafter Press | Tags: C.R. Johansson, Dark fiction, DL Mullan, Joseph Carrabis, Kaye Lynne Booth, Matt Usher, Paul Kane, Sylva Fae, Tales from the Hanging Tree, WordCrafter Press | 1 Comment

Stories by Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, DL Mullan, C.R. Johannson, Joseph Carrabis, Sylva Fae, and Matt Usher.

To release on September 10, 2024. Available for pre-order now: https://books2read.com/Hanging-Tree

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And don’t miss the WordCrafter Tales From the Hanging Tree Book Blog Tour September 9 – 13. Find out more right here, on Writing to be Read.

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This post is sponsored by WordCrafter Press.

Writer’s Corner: Writing Short Fiction

Posted: September 2, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Books, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter, WordCrafter Press, Writer's Corner, Writing | Tags: Anthologies, Kaye Lynne Booth, Short Fiction, Writer's Corner, Writing Tips, Writing to be Read | Leave a comment

Caracature of a woman typing on a keyboard at a very messy desk. Text: Writer's Corner with Kaye Lynne Booth

WordCrafter Press runs an annual short fiction contest and publishes a resulting anthology. It began back in 2019, with a short fiction contest which resulted in the Whispers of the Past paranormal anthology. That anthology ended up with nine stories, by seven different authors for a total of 107 pages. Last year’s (2023) dark fiction anthology, Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories, was a combination of contest entries and submissions by invitation, included twenty-three stories, by twenty different authors for a total of 403 pages. So, the annual anthology has grown in both scope and quality over the years.

To date, WordCrafter Press has a paranormal and a multi-genre (fantasy, science fiction, paranormal,and horror) anthology trilogy, (which is made up of both contest entries and submissions by invitation), and I’m currently building a dark fiction triology, as well.

**Whispers of the Past:** https://books2read.com/WhispersPast

***Once Upon an Ever After:*** https://books2read.com/OnceUponanEverAfter

This year’s dark fiction anthology, Midnight Gardens, will be spectacular as Book 2 of the WordCrafter Midnight Anthology Series, partnering up with last year’s Midnight Roost.

***Midnight Roost:*** https://books2read.com/MidnightRoost

Writing short fiction is different than writing novel length works in many ways. Although short stories still require most of the same story elements as longer tales do, writers of short fiction must deal with them in a condensed format. There is no room for wasted or unnecessary words.

Likenesses with Short and Long Fiction

Like longer fiction, many of the story elements are still required to make a good story. Both formats need:

A good hook to draw the reader into the story: For longer fiction, this can be accomplished in the first few paragraphs, or maybe even the first page, but for short fiction, it must be accomplished quickly, within the first paragraph, or even with the first sentence.
An inciting incident: The inciting incident occurs at the beginning of the story and usually involves the main character making a choice which propells him into the tale and gets things moving. This is usually what makes the reader care about the character and what will happen next, making them keep reading.
Well developed and interesting characters: With short fiction, this can be tricky because you don’t have a lot of time in which to build character. I make my short fiction characters dynamic and colorful to make them stand out from the page and bring them to life for my readers quickly. No matter the length of the work, the author should always know way more about the character than they will ever use in the story. A character which is alive in the author’s mind first and foremost, making it easier to bring them to life for the reader. (I discuss several methods of character development in my “Writer’s Corner” post from September 2023, “Developing Characters with Depth”.)
Meaningful dialog: In short fiction, every word must count, so there is no room for everyday chit-chat. Every piece of dialog must serve a purpose. It is possible to let the reader see every nuance of your characters through the dialog consisting of both outer and inner dialog, as well as subtext, or unspoken body language, which can be used to emphasize or contradict spoken dialog. (I talk more about the use of subtext in my April 2024 “Writer’s Corner” post, “Visceral Character Portrayal”.)
Descriptive details: Use one or more senses to describe the setting and set the scene for readers, allowing them to experience the setting or location through the character’s eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin.
Conflict and tension: Conflict can be either internal or external, or ideally, both, but it must force the character to make a choice and take action. Tension is created by events which involve opposing forces within the character (internal), between the character and opposing characters or forces beyond the character’s control (external). Obstacles are often placed in the way of resolving the conflict, making it even harder and increasing the tension even more.
A satisfying resolution: All conflicts should be resolved at the end of the story in a manner that will satisfy readers and not leave them feeling cheated. This can happen in any number of ways, but the conflicts that we’ve spent the last few pages building up to must be resolved in a manner that is logical and believable for the reader. Things don’t have to be all fixed, but we at least need an inkling that things have changed and are now headed in the right direction.

Differences with Short and Long Fiction

The right point of view and tense for the story: Many longer tales are told in the third person, past tense, which serves them well. Because we want to move through a short story rather quickly, we may need the story to move along at a faster clip. Often, this can be accomplished in short fiction by using a first person, present tense, giving the tale an intensified sense of immediacy, making short fiction better suited to this approach than for longer fiction.
Quick build up to climax or turning point in the story: This is what the reader has been waiting for, the climatic moment that will change everything from this point out. It could be an epiphany where the character realizes what must be done, or maybe he knew it all along and this is the moment when he decides to do it, but it should bring about some sort of resolution. In short fiction, you don’t have the luxury of a slow build, making it necessary to ratchet up the tension quickly and get to this point directly.
Descriptive dialog tags: For longer fiction, I was taught to stick to basic dialog tags, such as “said”, “asked”, “replied”, and maybe, “cried”, and then, use descriptors to illustrate the mood and tone, and raise emotion in and connect with readers. However, I have found that more descriptive dialog tags such as “smirked”, or “bellowed” are quite acceptable and even preferable for setting the scene with a minimal amount of words. I’m also beginning to see the value in leaving out the dialog tags all together where it is clear who the speaker is, to help keep the word count down by cutting out unnecessary words.

My Tips for Writing Short Fiction

Begin close to the end. The beginning of the story illustrates what was and the ending illustrates how things have changed or at least, the direction in which they are now headed. A trick used in screenwriting is to mirror the ending at the beginning, and then go back in time to show how we got to that point. So the first and last scenes act like bookends to your story. By mirroring your first and last paragraphs, this technique can also work well with short fiction, where there is limited space in which to tell your tale.
Each character should get their own paragraph containing dialog and subtext to show how the dialog is being delivered and making it clear to readers who is saying and doing what. When you switch characters, you switch to a new paragraph, (but not to a new point of view).
Include enough setting description to let readers get a visual image in their minds, but only include those details that will add to the story or help progress the plot, moving the story forward.
Choose a single point of view and stick with it. In short fiction, there isn’t enough room to develop multiple characters, so put us into one character’s head and leave us there.
From an editor’s perspective, (one who reads through and edits a lot of short fiction), please format your manuscript in standard manuscript format, with title and author name centered at the top of page, in a legible 12 pt. font, double spaced. And most importantly, follow submission guidelines!

Advantages of Anthologies

So, why do I go to all the trouble of reading through all these submissions, compiling and editing, formatting and publishing all these anthologies?

I’ll tell you. It takes a lot less time to write a short story than it does a novel, so publishing two or more per year allows me to get my name out there on more books each year. And it’s mutually beneficial to all contributors, as they are able to claim the book for their own author pages, so they are getting more books out there, too. It’s a win-win.

Plus, if all the contributors help with promotion, broadcasting to their readers about the book, you get the results of a much wider reach with your marketing, which means we sell more books. WordCrafter antholgies pay out with a royalty split, so the more books we sell, the more we all make. Again, win-win.

If you’d like to get a story into a WordCrafter anthology, watch for the call for submissions for next year’s contest in October, after the release of Midnight Garden on October 8. I’m putting it out early this year, (I usually do it right at the beginning of each year), and may be changing the submission deadline, so even if you have submitted to past contests, be sure to keep an eye out for the call. I will also be announcing the title for next year’ s anthology and cover reveal. (For now, I can tell you that it will be the third volume in the Midnight Anthology Trilogy, so it will be more dark fiction).

About Kaye Lynne Booth

For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and her Time-Travel Adventure novel, The Rock Star & The Outlaw. Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.

Author Kaye Lynne Booth sitting on a rock in an Aspen grove.

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This post is sponsored by The D.I.Y. Author and WordCrafter Press.

Being an author today is more than just writing the book. Authors in this digital age have more opportunities than ever before. Whether you pursue independent or traditional publishing models, or a combination of the two, being an author involves not only writing, but often, the publishing and marketing of the book.

In this writer’s reference guide, multi-genre author and independent publisher, Kaye Lynne Booth shares her knowledge and experiences and the tools, books, references and sites to help you learn the business of being an author.

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Purchase your copy today: https://books2read.com/The-DIY-Author

WordCrafter News: September Release

Posted: August 26, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Blog Tour, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Short Fiction, Stories, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter News, WordCrafter Press | 2 Comments

Tales From the Hanging Tree: Imprints of Tragedy

To be released September 10. Join us for the book blog tour September 9-13 and help us launch this anthology right.

Seven authors bring you eight deliciously dark tales. Featuring the short fiction of Kaye Lynne Booth, Paul Kane, DL Mullan, C.R. Johansson, Joseph Carrabis, Sylva Fae, and Matt Usher.

If trees could talk…

An ephemeral tree with its roots buried in the fabric of time absorbs the memories and emotions of all hanging victims. Within these bindings, you’ll find their tragically dark tales of be bigotry and bias, curses and deception.

Warning: There are no happy endings.

Chatting with New Blood: Sylva Fae

Posted: August 24, 2024 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Chatting with New Blood, Collection, Fairy Tales, Fiction, Flash Fiction, Interview, Review, Short Fiction, Stories | Tags: Book Review, Chatting with New Blood, Interview, No Fairytale, Sylva Fae, Writing to be Read | 7 Comments

Red circular background with two people in foreground chatting on a couch. Dialog balloons that say Q&A above their heads.
Text: Chatting with New Blood with host Kaye Lynne Booth

Today my guest is author Sylva Fea, whose debut book is a short fiction collection, rather than a novel. She got her start writing for children and has published several children’s books. Let me introduce her, and then we’ll go on to the interview, followed by my review of her short story collection, No Fairytale.

About Sylva Fae

Sylva Fae is a married mum of three from Lancashire, England. She grew up in a rambling old farmhouse with an artistic family and an adopted bunch of dysfunctional animals. Her earliest memories are of bedtime stories snuggled up close to Mum to see the pictures. It was a magical time, those last special moments before dozing off to sleep would feed dreams of faraway lands and mystical beings. She spent twenty plus years teaching literacy to adults with learning difficulties and disabilities but now lives in Cheshire, juggling being a mum, writing children’s stories and keeping up with the crazy antics of their naughty rabbits.

Sylva published her first children’s book Rainbow Monsters, in 2017. She has since published seventeen other children’s picture books, two chapter books, four illustrated anthologies, and has several short stories published in other anthologies. Three of her books have won Best in Category for children’s books at the Chanticleer International Book Awards and she’s seven won Reader’s Choice Awards. In addition to writing her own, Sylva has ghost written several books, and is an editor and writer for Mom’s Favorite Reads magazine and Connections eMagazine.

Links

Amazon author.to/SylvaFae

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SylvaFae

TikTok @sylvafae54

Instagram @sylvafae

Story App www.getbedtimestories.com/library/that-pesky-pixie

Interview

Kaye: I just released the first three books in my own children’s series, so I want to ask you to talk about being a children’s author briefly. How did being a children’s author come about for you? How did you handle illustrations? What were the challenges in writing for children?

Sylva: I started making up stories to entertain my children when we went on walks in our woods. Hunting for pixies and faeries hiding in the trees turned a boring walk into a woodland adventure, and it kept my girls amused. Later on, my middle daughter asked if I would write the stories down so she could read them herself, and then she demanded pictures to go with the stories. I obliged, of course, but I never intended to publish anything – these were just to entertain my children, and fun for me to create.

Sometime later, I joined Twitter (X) and my first follower was the amazing author, Lesley Hayes. She asked me to write a short story for her blog. I was daunted by the prospect, but gave it a go. Lesley convinced me to keep writing, she encouraged and supported me and gave me the confidence to publish my first children’s book. I discovered how much I loved writing stories and haven’t stopped since.

Kaye: You started your writing career with children’s books and then, moved on to short fiction for adults. How did that transition happen?

Sylva: Lesley Hayes encouraged me to join a group for indie authors (I now admin it) so I could learn from the more experienced authors. The group was putting together an anthology (You’re Not Alone) in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, an although it wasn’t my genre, I wanted to get involved. I enjoyed the challenge of writing a short story, and submitted more stories to our group’s anthologies. A couple of years later, I joined up with some author friends to run an online magazine, Mom’s Favorite Reads, which ran a monthly flash fiction challenge. This gave me the opportunity to write flash stories – another new challenge to master! I now help author, Melanie P Smith with Connections eMagazine, and contribute 1000-word stories for the picture prompt challenge. The transition from children’s stories to adult shorts was quite easy because the word counts are similar and my brain is programmed to tell a whole story in a few words.

Kaye1; I’m curious. Why did you choose to use a pen name? And how did you choose the name to use?

Sylva: When my children were little, I wanted to safeguard them from the world of social media, and so set up accounts under a pseudonym, Sylva Fae. This meant I could have a public account and keep my real name account for just family and friends. My youngest daughter’s name is Sylva – I love the name – and it means ‘of the woodlands’. Fae is a term to cover all kinds of faerie folk, so Sylva Fae simply means woodland faerie. I like names with meanings, and this fit with how I started out, telling faerie stories to my girls in the woods.

Kaye: You’re just now releasing your first short fiction collection, No Fairytale. Tell us about these stories. Do they have a common theme? What inspirations can you share with us?

Sylva: The stories are very random, both in subject, and in length. They range from 200-word flash fiction stories, to 8k words. There are a few familiar themes that appear; I often use my woods as a setting, and characters are based on people I know. I guess the common theme is me, because every story contains a little of my real-life experiences.

Kaye: You are a wife and mother, and you write, too. Do you have any advice for juggling family and writing life?

Sylva: All of my stories are planned in my head before they ever make it onto paper. I play around with ideas, and think through how the characters would react to different scenarios, while I do mundane tasks, like washing up and vacuuming. A boring chore becomes an opportunity to plan a story. I tend to work out dialogue while walking, so walking to and from school to pick up my girls also becomes a multitasking opportunity. I try to give myself a little time to write each day. Some days I get the chance to work on my laptop for a few hours, but on other days, I grab five minutes here and there, typing on my phone. Writing every day keeps me sane, but family comes first, so multitasking is the only way I can do this.

Kaye: Some of your books have won awards. Can you talk about the award-winning books? Which award do you feel is the most prestigious?

Sylva: My books have won sixteen awards over the years. It’s hard to pick the most prestigious, so I’ll pick my favourite. My very first book, Rainbow Monsters won in the children’s story category in the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Winning this award gave me a huge amount of confidence to become a children’s author.

Kaye: You also write for Connections emagazine. Would you tell my readers a little about that? What type of content do they print? And what type of writing do you do for them?

Sylva: Connections is primarily a magazine for people who love to read books. It features author interviews, new book releases, short stories and poems, but it also contains general interest articles and interviews. As I mentioned before, I write short stories for the magazine, but I also contribute articles, interviews and source general interest content. The magazine is always free to download, so feel free to check it out: https://melaniepsmith.com/emagazine/

Kaye: Do you plan to stick with short fiction? Or do you envision a novel in your future? Do you already have future works planned out?

Sylva: Now my children have grown up, I keep meaning to leave the children’s genre and write for adults, but I still have a ridiculous number of works in progress that I want to finish before I leave picture books for good. I have a YA story ready for publishing, and two adult novels on the go. The new challenge of writing a full-length novel is a little daunting but I keep telling myself, to just take one chapter at a time, and each chapter is just the same as writing a short story. We shall see…

Kaye: Please tell my readers how they can find you online, if they’d like to learn more about you and your books. (Include links here.)

Sylva: You can find me on most social media by searching for Sylva Fae, but I am stuck in my ways, and mainly use Facebook for connecting with readers.

Amazon: author.to/SylvaFae

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SylvaFae

TikTok: @sylvafae54

Instagram: @sylvafae

About No Fairytale

Book Cover: A girl in a Victorian style gown gazes into a misty moonlit forrest with crows around her.
Text: No Fairytale: A Short Story Collection, Sylva Fae

This multi-genre collection of 36 tales is comprised of 18 short stories and 18 flash fiction stories. From crime in a quaint village to woodland horror. Go on a time-travelling mystery, or imagine the horror of encountering a real earworm. Discover magic and mayhem, mystery and adventure, and delight in tales of karma and vengeance. No Fairytale is an eclectic assortment of stories to entertain a wide audience.

My Review

I proofread a copy of No Fairytale, thus discovering both book and author. What follows is my honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.

No Fairytale is a collection of short stories by author Sylva Fae. Tales of magic and mystery with a hint of life lessons mixed in. With more than thirty short and flash fiction stories, this collection is a worthy read. Too many stories to review individually, but I’ll offer up here my favorites.

“The Magic Box of Apples” – A tale about the magic of kindness. This one touched my heart. Granny Apple has a magic box that is always filled with what she needs. But is it really magic? Peter Aspen learns the secret as this short tale unfolds.

“Hollin Hey” – I’m a bird lover, so it is only natural that I would fall in love with this story about an animal sanctuary and a recued crow. The touching ending makes it all worth it.

“No Fairytale” – The book’s namesake story is one of cheating and revenge. No Fairytale indeed! When this girl says it’s over, she means it.

“The Witch in the Woods” – A short ditty about a self-perpetrated deception. But this witch has good reason and good intention.

“Dwelling in the Shadows” – I love this story because of the somber tone and poetic language that could make one believe they have stepped into a fairytale. The story of a secret pact told so eloquently I had to read on to the end.

The collection, as a whole, is delightful; a mixture of short and flash fiction which has a little something for everyone. The characters in these stories are easy to relate to because we’ve all been there. Sylva Fae takes the ordinary and finds the magic in it. I give No Fairytale five quills.