Shadows and Reflections

by Christopher Turney

Shadows and Reflections is a collection of short stories and poems written over a five year period. They reflect my interest in ghosts, and things that go bump in the night and of all things Gothic and pagan. I have interpreted folk tales and nursery rhymes for many of these stories. The folktales of “Peter and The Wolf,” and “Little Red Riding Hood,” were the inspiration for two of the stories, “Steppes,” and “The Mother of the Forest.” Some of the other short stories and poems however simply reflect my interest in watching and observing people, and in engaging in conversations, which some, perhaps, may think a little odd. I enjoy oddness, always have. I have never wanted to be ordinary or normal, what ever normal really means.I like stories that make you think, that allow you to imagine what really happened, was it luck, or magic, or coincidence, something I explore in, “Red Ribbon.” I also am intrigued by the idea of sacrifice which I explore in “Shadows,” and about what love is, does it last, how many different kinds of love exist, which are themes explored in, “The Washer Woman,” and in “The Rock,” and “The Kiss.”And finally in the haunting tale of “The Girl in the Blue Dress,” I explore both love and loneliness in a peculiar love story between a mysterious young girl, who may be a vampire, and a Catholic priest, in a story set in Italy during one long, hot, summer. The poems are inspired by pagan spirituality and my long interest in fighting for human rights and animal rights and the rights of minorities, especially sex workers. ENJOY.

182 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 28, 2013