My latest read was a short story written by Beth Patterson, called An Old Familiar Warning. This retelling vividly brings the tale to life with a feminist twist I’d subtitle as “Red Riding Hood Smashes the Patriarchy.”
I loved how the author subverted this trope with a unique perspective that reminded me a bit of the way ABC’s Once Upon a Time took familiar fairy tales and made them into something new and intriguing. Patterson’s retelling surprised me in the best ways.
The characters were well done, and, being an animal lover, I especially liked that the wolf wasn’t the villain in this story. To avoid spoilers, I won’t say more, but it’s well worth the read. It tugged at my heartstrings and even brought a tear to my eyes, which is saying something for a short story!
Patterson’s short story is featured in the Villains anthology complied by Iron Faerie Publishing, which is based in Australia.
Patterson has written other published stories, including a novel called The Wild Harmonic.
The Wild Harmonic: Birch is on a mission to forge her way into the world of shapeshifters by day while playing her bass guitar on stage at night. Her world is filled with hecklers, drunks, stalkers, incompetent bandmates and fang-toothed double agents. But when she finds herself face-to-face with a powerful enemy, she must summon up all of her newfound werewolf skills in order to save her pack…or die trying. (Read more…)
Check out Beth Patterson’s author page on Amazon and Goodreads.
A personal story…
I’d like to share a personal memory to give you an idea of Beth Patterson’s creative spirit and bright heart.
Many years ago, I walked into a bar in New Orleans and discovered a woman whose music made me want to dance and sing. I loved her performance so much I brought my parents to her next gig, where I bought 3 of her CDs and grinned my way home with a signed copy.
It’s not just that Beth is an amazing musician—she is—but her personality shines through and makes her that much more of a gem. She made me laugh as she cracked jokes between songs and wove humor into the lyrics. She went from wry and sassy to playing superspeed jigs on the Irish bouzouki. Her music is sometimes wistful, often epic, and always heartfelt.
To top it off, she’s one hell of a writer. Check out her bio on her website, which doesn’t just show her musical badassery, but makes you smile at the same time.
Connect with Beth Patterson:
Website: bethpattersonmusic.com
Facebook: bethodist
Twitter: @BethPatterson5
Instagram: bethodist_manifesto
Photo credit of Beth with bouzouki: Marc Pagani
