Roberta Writes – WordCrafter Book Blog Tour: Refracted Reflections, Twisted Tales of Duality & Deceptions #anthology #readingcommunity #WordCrafterPress

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Digital giveaway

For a chance to win a free digital copy of Refracted Reflections, just leave a comment to show you were here. Follow the tour and comment at each stop for more chances to win. Three copies will be given away in a random drawing.

Welcome Valerie B. Williams

Today, I am delighted to welcome author, Valerie B. Williams, for my stop on the WordCrafter Book Blog Tour for Refracted Reflections, Twisted Tales of Duality & Deceptions. Valerie is a contributor to Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deceptions, an anthology published by WordCrafter Press in which I also have a short story.

Extract from The Tinker’s Gift by Valerie B. Williams

“The Tinker’s Gift” is a Civil-War era tale of death and hope

I love period pieces, where news and communications are slow or unavailable. I’m also fascinated by itinerant salesmen, and the way they cobble together a living by offering a variety of goods and services. The last ingredient in the story is a camp mirror, a typical personal item carried by many soldiers. The small, pocket-sized mirrors were wood-framed, with a folding or sliding cover to protect the glass, and usually used when shaving.

Once I had the ingredients of the story, I thought about how to blend them into a dark tale. Living in Virginia, it was easy to base the story in the state. Many mansions were converted to Confederate hospitals during the Civil War, so now I had the setting. I chose one of the wounded soldiers, Corporal Clarence Hutchinson, as the protagonist. But who to set him against and why? Enter the tinker, Bartley Penfold, offering metalwork and sermons, trusted by all but our hero. Hutchinson is a keen observer and something about the tinker feels off, but he can’t put his finger on it.

When Penfold offers a soldier a glimpse in his camp mirror, the soldier is surprised and excited to see his loved ones reflected in the glass. Other soldiers beg for a glimpse, but Penfold only offers it to a select few. Theses feats of magic are followed by an unexplained string of deaths, causing a panic among the wounded soldiers and leading to a confrontation with Hutchinson.

You will have to read the story to find what happens! I had great fun writing it and hope the readers will enjoy reading it.

About Refracted Reflections, Twisted Tales of Duality & Deceptions

Blurb

One reveals truths, while the other bends light into varying shapes of deception.

Does a small camp mirror reveal hope… or death?

Is the warrior in the mirror a monster… or a protector?

Does a glimpse in the mirror reveal a young woman’s true self… or what someone else has shaped her into?

Does the mysterious portal to the future reflect what could be… or what must be left behind?

Are the dancers reflected in the water’s depth things of beauty… or evil?

This unique and imaginative collection of nine mind tantalizing fantasy and science fiction stories will appeal to readers who enjoy thought provoking tales with hidden meanings resting deep below the surface. These stories will keep you pondering long into the night.

If you liked Gilded Glass or Once Upon an Ever After, you’ll love Refracted Reflections.

Purchase Refracted Reflections, Twisted Tales of Duality & Deceptions

Books2Read UBL purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/3kPyxn

Amazon US

About Valerie B. Williams

Valerie B. Williams came late to writing but is making up for lost time. She has honed her craft through HWA’s mentorship program (mentored by Tim Waggoner in 2017), attending the Borderlands Press Writers Bootcamp (2018 and 2019), and attending the Fright Club online horror writers workshop (2018 and 2021). She continues to write and submit new stories, as well as completing and seeking publication for a supernatural thriller novel.

Several of Valerie’s short horror stories have appeared in anthologies, including “Amazing Patsy” in American Gothic Short Stories (Flame Tree Press, 2019). Her most recent publication was the short story, “Oyster Hunt,” in the January 2022 edition of Dark Recesses Press magazine. She lives near Charlottesville, Virginia, with her very patient husband and two equally patient Golden Retrievers.

Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

46 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – WordCrafter Book Blog Tour: Refracted Reflections, Twisted Tales of Duality & Deceptions #anthology #readingcommunity #WordCrafterPress”

  5. This sounds like such an intriguing story (I love stories set during the American Civil War). The whole collection sounds fabulous and right up my reading alley. Congrats Valerie and Robbie on your inclusion in this anthology.I’m earmarking it for my TBR.

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  13. Thanks to everyone for your kind responses to the origins of my story. And thanks to Roberta for hosting my blog post, and contributing her fabulous story to the anthology as well.

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  21. Valerie, this sounds like a great story to read, especially since you combine history with the mirror theme. I know the type of mirror you’re talking about. We had a Civil War Museum in Indianapolis, where I used to live and grew up. I love examining the items people had found and donated to the museum. You have a wonderful imagination and I look forward to reading your story. Also thanks to Robbie for hosting Valerie on the tour.

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