Roberta Writes – Visions WordCrafter book tour: Here, Now, Wherever by Stephanie Kraner #review #booktour #readingcommunity

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WordCrafter Press is proud to present Visions, a fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror anthology.

Blurb

Fantasy, science fiction, paranormal, and horror stories that will keep you awake long into the night.

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

From Kaye Lynne Booth, editor of Once Upon an Ever After: Modern Fairy Tales & Folklore, Refracted Reflections: Twisted Tales of Duality & Deception and Gilded Glass: Twisted Myths & Shattered Fairy Tales.

Available for purchase here: https://books2read.com/u/49Lk28

Here, Now, Wherever – and How on Earth I Got There by Stephanie Kraner

It all started with a cat, as so many things often do—at least in my house. This was supposed to be a story about a black cat named Levine who helped a woman survive in the post-apocalyptic remains of America. Levine was going to be a heroic and perhaps unnaturally wise feline who hunted game, shared it, and absolutely refused to let her chosen human give up and die regardless of how difficult things got. But, because the only thing I’m better at than writing outlines is ignoring them with the utmost disdain, as soon as I started writing, Levine became an accessory to a much different tale.

If you get Cormac McCarthy vibes from the setting, you’re certainly not wrong. That was on my mind as I wrote this, in a “Is this too similar to The Road such that I should stop writing right now?” kind of way. But given climate change and the fact that large portions of the United States are often on fire, I think I can be forgiven the similarity. Besides, Here, Now, Wherever is more like cottagecore with a post-apocalyptic twist. And—spoiler alert—there are no cannibals.

So, although this story includes zero roads whatsoever, does not feature even one single scene involving feasting on human flesh, and is not, in fact, a story about a cat, it is a story about motherhood and grief and the interminable human desire for connection and family. It was an intense story to write, and I hope you can feel that as you read it.

My review of Here, Now, Wherever

This is a dystopian short story about American society post a climate change event that causes horrific fires, air pollution, and destruction of civilization as we know it.

Simone is a survivor, but she has suffered massive emotional trauma. Her method of dealing with her trauma is to dissociate from everyone around her who has suffered similar loss and pain. Life and the human psyche do not work like that, however, and when Simone meets a young boy, cracks start appearing in her defensive armour.

A beautifully written story set in a disturbing future setting that was reminiscent for me of John Wyndham’s famous book, The Day of the Triffids.

About Stephanie Kraner

Stephanie is a short fiction author and coffee junkie living in the Pittsburgh area. Although she mostly writes science fiction and fantasy, from time to time she enjoys dabbling with her secret love—literary fiction. Her work has appeared in Apex Magazine and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Follow her on Twitter @StephKraner.

Book your WordCrafter book blog tour here: https://writingtoberead.com/wordcrafter-quality-writing-author-services/wc-book-blog-tours-2/

Published by robertawrites235681907

I am a writer of young adult fiction and poetry

Published

32 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Visions WordCrafter book tour: Here, Now, Wherever by Stephanie Kraner #review #booktour #readingcommunity”

  3. Reblogged this on Writing to be Read and commented:
    Day 7 of the WordCrafter “Visions” Book Blog Tour finds us over on Roberta Writes with a guest post from contributing author Stephanie Kraner and a review of her story by Robbie Cheadle. Join us to learn more about this exceptional multi-genre anthology and don’t forget to comment for more chances to win one of five free copies of Visions.

    Liked by 3 people

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    2. Thanks Liz! One of my favorite things about finishing a story is that, much like tripping over your own feet, you can try to convince everyone that that was what you meant to do all along–whether or not it’s true!

      Liked by 4 people

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      2. Hi, isn’t that what cats say when they do something odd?
        I had a cat once who enjoyed nothing better than running then sliding down my hallway.
        Once she hit a fan sitting at the end of the hall and knocked it over.
        A friend of mine said she shook herself as if to say, HUMPH! I meant to do that.
        So, fur sure you meant it in the end.
        Cannot wait to read it.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

  9. My apologies for being late to the party today.

    Stephanie, this is a heartfelt post about a story that is quite emotionally charged. The intensity is what drew me to it, making me want to include it in Visions. Thanks for sharing with us here. : )

    Robbie, thank you for hosting and for the delightful review. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

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