GREETINGS, BOOKWORMS! I’m Aisha Kandisha, Head Librarian at Kandisha Press. Join me in the dusty stacks of the library I will never leave again as I chat with some of my favorite Women in Horror. Today we feature author Valerie B. Williams! Valerie’s story “Home To Roost” is featured in PRETEND YOU DON’T SEE HER: THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (Kandisha Press 2025 Women of Horror Anthology.)
VALERIE B. WILLIAMS – Valerie B. Williams’ short fiction has been published by Flame Tree Press, Grendel Press, and Crystal Lake Publishing, among others. Her most recent published story, “Daddy’s Girl,” appeared in Bite: A Vampiric Anthology, from Graveside Press in December 2024. Her debut novel, a story of supernatural suspense titled “The Vanishing Twin,” was released by Crossroad Press in October 2024.
Valerie spins twisty tales from her home in central Virginia, which she shares with her very patient husband and equally patient Golden Retriever. When not writing, she can be found reading and drinking either tea or wine, depending on the time of day. Links: https://linktr.ee/valeriebwilliams
The first thing I have to say is that Aello is such a fabulous character that had me laughing out loud with pure joy in parts. And the name Aello is fantastic. How did you come up with the idea for such a diabolical bird?
Thanks! I really enjoyed creating her. I can trace her beginnings to an unfinished story starring a magical parakeet (named Robbie Burns) owned by an old Scottish lady and inherited by her granddaughter. For this story, I changed the parakeet to an African Grey parrot to make its long life and its skill at mimicking human speech more believable. Nancy still inherits the bird from her grandmother, it is still magical, and it is even more powerful than in the original story. The new story also demanded that I change the bird’s gender to complete the family alliance of strong females. Her grandmother’s Greek heritage means that the name Aello, taken from Greek mythology, is not that unusual. A quick Google search will reveal exactly which mythical creature the parrot is named after, but I recommend waiting until after reading the story to look it up.
Your main character, Nancy, is no ordinary woman, but she is definitely “invisible.” How can the everyday invisible woman relate to her life and what she goes through?
This story is set in 1976. Women, especially those in administrative or support positions, were commonly overlooked, belittled, and taken for granted. Women were told to defer to men, don’t rock the boat, work hard and you will be rewarded—either with a promotion or with marriage. I heard one man say that his last secretary left when she got her “Mrs.” degree. There’s more than a little of myself in the character of Nancy.
Things are a bit better today, particularly for young women who haven’t been conditioned to defer. However, it’s still true that women have to work twice as hard to get half the credit. The scene where Nancy is furious at her boss and her reaction is to burst into tears is very relatable. In the United States and many Western cultures, women have been conditioned to internalize negative feelings like anger. Confrontation is hard, but sometimes necessary to be both seen and heard.
What does your creative process look like when you’re writing? Do you have any special rituals or routines?
For short stories, a prompt will get my creative juices flowing, and a deadline will make sure I finish the story. I brainstorm a list of possibilities in response to the prompt and narrow it down to three or less that may work. If I still can’t decide, I write a paragraph or two for each one. Whichever feels the most natural is the one I go with. Sometimes I get inspiration from daily life, scribble some notes, and go back later to see if there is a story hiding in the notes.
With one published novel (The Vanishing Twin, released Oct. 2024) to my name, I’m still figuring out a process (or if there is a process) for writing novels. It feels different every time.
I don’t have any writing routines or rituals. Afternoon sessions work best for me. I need at least an hour straight to be productive if I’m creating. Smaller chunks of time work for editing.
What else are you working on? Any projects you’re especially excited about?
The project I’m most excited about is the release of my first collection. The interior and cover are done and I’m aiming at publication in mid-October. The name of the collection is Penfold’s Menu of Magic and Malice. It features sixteen stories, four of which are previously unpublished.
I’m also shopping a paranormal mystery novel called A True Likeness. The story takes place in pre-WWI Richmond, Virginia, and involves a woman working as a photographer. She receives messages from the dead, which leads to her pursuit of a vengeful ghost bent on harming her family and friends. I’m sending the manuscript to small presses and hoping that historical ghost stories still sell.
My longer WIP is a novella about the witch hunts in 15th century Germany, and I continue to be on the lookout for interesting short story sub calls.
KANDISHA PRESS 
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