Tag: short stories

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Books

Publication Day

Today is PUBLICATION DAY for Re-Connections: Thirty-seven stories of connecting, disconnecting and reconnecting.

Here’s the description:

Why are we attracted to certain individuals and repelled by others? Why do we fall out of contact with former friends, or fall out with them altogether? Why do we crave friendship?

The answers to these questions are many and varied, and some of them reveal themselves in the stories of this collection. Not all these connections desire to lead to friendship; some are business-related. Yet, even those connections work better with friendly comments and gestures. What happens to people who struggle with such social norms? Are they destined to remain friendless?

Without realising it, Miriam Drori has been interested in this topic for many years. That’s evident in the fact that these tales were written throughout her writing career. Some of them are completely or partly autobiographical, while others are purely fictional. Which ones are which is a question she declines to answer.

Below is a repost of today’s Substack post.

To celebrate, here is the beginning of each of the stories I’ve described in previous posts. (The titles link to the posts about the stories.)

Gruesome in Golders Green

Sarah doesn’t look like a heroine. You’d probably think of her as a typical middle-aged woman. Actually, you might not think that in summer, but now it’s January and she walks quickly along Rotherwick Road, Golders Green, her head bent against the biting evening wind. She’s glad to be wearing a thick brown winter coat, a woollen scarf and gloves, and fur-lined boots. Her tights don’t protect her quite so well, but her legs are used to that.

A Sticky Interview

“I can fit you in at ten thirty tomorrow. See you then. Goodbye.”

He has ended the meeting, Zoom tells me. He’s noted the appointment and moved on to other matters. He won’t spare me one more thought before that allotted time. I, on the other hand, am still staring at that damn screen.

How to Talk to a Dog

This is no ordinary stick-in-the-mud stuck-in-a-lift story. Because just before a lift door of my thoroughly modern block imprisons me inside, in ambles a dog. At this stage, a good writer would specify a breed for the creature, but really, dogs and I don’t mix, and anyway, my mind is fully occupied elsewhere.

Train Trouble

It’s hard when you arrive in a foreign country and have to plunge into a language you haven’t spoken, or even heard, for many years. You enter it with a splash and emerge dripping, drained and sagging from the effort. This is what I felt in October 1998 when I landed at Orly Airport, near Paris. In addition to needing to cope with nasal voices and half-remembered words, I had to look after my nine-year-old son, Sammy, who spent every spare moment on his Game Boy during this trip, his first to the French capital.

You can read these and thirty-three other stories in Re-Connections, available in ebook and paperback forms from Amazon and as a paperback from various other online stores.

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Books Reviews

The Ring

Hello. “Where have you been?” you might ask.

The answer is that I’ve been posting on Substack every week since 1st January. You’re welcome to subscribe to my free posts there.

Today I’m back on the blog to tell you about a brand new anthology called The Ring. Each of the ten short stories meets up with an ancient ring at some point on its journey from 44 BCE to the present day.

This post is part of the blog tour organised by the lovely Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines.

Blurb

Forged over 2000 years ago, when Rome was still a republic, a simple gold ring was inscribed with the name and symbol of Fortuna, capricious goddess of fate. From the seven hills of Ancient Rome, to the streets of modern day New York, the ring passes from hand to hand, through the centuries, shaping destinies and unveiling secrets.

A Roman patrician gambles his future on its luck. A crusading knight takes it from the finger of a slain foe. A child is gifted it by a soldier in the Thirty Years War and trusts it to keep her father safe. A jeweller takes it to America in the Gilded Age seeking a new life. Each tale is a moment in time, a new wearer, and a twist of fate—sometimes fortune smiles, but all too often the ring brings ill luck.

In these stories, history seems driven by the will of chance. Those who possess the ring seek to shape their own destinies, but it is always Fortuna herself who has the final say.

With contributions from Alistair Forrest, Fiona Forsyth, Jacquie Rogers, Alistair Tosh, Graham Brack, Eleanor Swift-Hook, Mark Turnbull, Maggie Richell-Davies, Robert Bordas and Val Penny this is a spellbinding anthology of interconnected short stories, where luck is never what it seems.

My Review

I don’t have much to add. I enjoyed all ten stories, which are well-written and gripping. I liked the way they’re all bound together by a ring inscribed with the name Fortuna, a ring that seems to bring good or bad luck. I highly recommend this anthology.

I received a free copy of this book for the Reading Between the Lines blog tour in return for a blog post and an honest review.

The Book and its Authors

The Ring
Alistair Forrest
Fiona Forsyth
Jacquie Rogers
Alistair Tosh
Graham Brack
Eleanor Swift-Hook
Mark Turnbull
Maggie Richell-Davies
Robert Bordas
Val Penny

Proceeds for the anthology go to:

The Reading Agency

At The Reading Agency, we believe in the proven power of reading to deliver social and personal change. Yet we know that too many adults and children struggle to develop reading habits. With national data showing a decline in reading engagement, too many people are missing out on the transformative benefits of reading to improve our happiness, our health, and to thrive. This is where our work begins.

For over 20 years, we have partnered with public libraries to run initiatives like the Summer Reading Challenge for children and Reading Ahead for adults. These programmes encourage reading for pleasure, helping to build confidence, develop literacy skills, and foster lifelong reading habits. Research shows that those who participate read more frequently, gain confidence, and feel more positive about books. By expanding access to reading beyond the classroom or workplace, we help people unlock new opportunities and experiences through books.

Our partnership with public libraries is at the heart of our mission. Through our collaboration with them, we increase access to books and literacy support, ensuring that reading is a source of enjoyment, not frustration. As democratic access points to reading and knowledge, our work with libraries not only helps bridge educational gaps for children but also supports adults in developing their literacy skills, boosting employability, and enhancing mental well-being.

This anthology resonates with our mission. Just as the gold ring in these stories is passed down and shared through generations, so too should the joy of reading. The support of all the authors who have contributed to this helps us to reach and connect with even more people across our communities.

From all of us at The Reading Agency – to all of you reading these stories – thank you for being part of this important effort. Together, we can make reading a lifelong habit for all with libraries at the heart.

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Books Reviews

A Right Cozy Christmas Crime Blog Tour

I was a little wary of being part of a tour for Christmas stories, but I needn’t have been. See my review below.

But first, what’s in the book?

Blurb

Step into a world where twinkling lights and holiday cheer are accompanied by Christmas puddings and a dash of intrigue. A Right Cozy Christmas Crime brings together thirteen festive mysteries where annual traditions are intertwined with shadowy secrets. From a historic Scottish Castle hiding a chilling truth, to the bustling streets of Lagos filled with more than just Christmas shoppers, each tale sparkles with holiday warmth while unravelling a deliciously puzzling mystery. It’s time to put your feet up, sip hot cocoa and join our detectives as they ensure justice is served. Perfect for lovers of cozy mysteries with a holiday twist.

This anthology, which has been compiled by Wendy H. Jones, can be bought here.

A Right Cozy Christmas Crime features 13 short stories written by:

Wendy H. Jones
Linda Mather
Sue Cook
Melicity Pope
Marti M. Mcnair
Sheena MacLeod
Pauline Tait
Gulia Fancelli Clifford
Dianne Ascroft
Gillian Duff
Stella Oni
Alex Greyson
Sophy Smythe

My Review

I’ve never reviewed a Christmas book before. I also haven’t read many. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrice Potter come to mind. But still I worried there might be things I didn’t understand.

I needn’t have worried. The stories were mostly about the run-up to Christmas, about getting the crime wrapped up and put away before the festivities were due to begin.

The book contains plenty of variety in various aspects: location, timeline, characters and plot. I enjoyed all the stories, some more than others.

#ARIGHTCOZYCHRISTMASCRIME

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Books Israel

Life Without FB

What does FB stand for?

I can think of several options that I’d better not repeat here. But the event that brought about this post is that I was thrown off Facebook, with no reason given or any route to appeal the decision.

I have been on Facebook since 2009, if not earlier. (I have no way of knowing any more.) All my history, memories, friendships, groups, photos have vanished in one fell swoop. That’s a huge part of my life.

But, you know, it’s not the end of the world. I can think of many things that could have happened to me that are much worse than this. I could have:

  • suffered an accident and been rendered unable to walk or dance
  • suffered a robbery
  • suffered a loss* (That happened six months ago; I certainly wouldn’t want a repeat.)
  • suffered many other events I don’t want to dwell on

The worst thing I can think of at the moment is that I could have been kidnapped by terrorists and held for over five months (so far), suffering hunger, torture, rape and more.

One happier piece of news is that I’m moving from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. I’ll have to change the tagline of this blog. I will post more about this after the move.

* On the subject of loss, I have an essay in this new anthology of poems, stories and essays:

The author Joan Livingston called my contibution a “Great piece of writing!”

The anthology can be purchased from here.

Thanks for reading this blog post. Do come back for more.

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Books That's Not Me

That’s Not Me: Nancy Jardine

Next up on That’s Not Me! is…

…Nancy Jardine, multi-published author of novels set throughout the centuries, from Roman times to the present day, and fellow Ocelot Press member.

That’s Not Me! examines how much of our fiction is autobiographical and why some authors try to insist there’s no link between their fictional characters and themselves.

That’s Not Me!

Well actually, this one was…

I wrote a short story, some years ago, that was definitely about me as a child of around five years old. The incident might have been embellished just a tad since my memory of that time is disgustingly poor, though the gist of the story is definitely authentic. During the 1950s, in my birth city of Glasgow, Scotland, collections of foil milk bottle tops were made which raised funds for a charity for the blind. The story was about how my grampa, by then approaching 85, collected those foil tops for me to take to school. Similarly, on my own blog, there are a couple of short stories which are fictionalised tales about me in my primary classroom. Again, these are heavily embroidered to liven the events. Strangely enough, some of my best friends from that late 1950s era don’t remember the situations at all, or not quite as I remember them. Fickle memory makes for enhanced tales!

This definitely isn’t…

My Celtic Fervour Historical Series is set in a very distant culture of almost two thousand years ago during the Roman Iron Age in Britannia, so you will definitely not find me in any of those characters, or a reflection of any personal experiences I’ve lived through.

However, perhaps this novel does qualify? Just a little bit…

Topaz Eyes, my contemporary mystery/ thriller, is set mainly in fabulous European cities, with a few stops in the United States of America. Although there is nothing of me in any of the characters, there are definitely links to experiences I’ve lived through.

The plot of Topaz Eyes is essentially a treasure-hunt mystery, where third-generation cousins are brought together under mysterious circumstances to solve the disappearance of a collection of valuable emerald jewellery. The emeralds were once Mughal-Emperor owned but were scattered amongst family members around 1910. These ‘cousins’ have never met each other prior to the outset of the story. Some of them prove to be nice to each other though others are decidedly not, and there are those who have deadly intent. Strangely, there’s a cuckoo in the nest because Keira Drummond from Edinburgh is asked to join the hunt even though she’s not a family member.

Is this something that happened in my own family? Absolutely not. This part of the plot is wholly fiction but when I decided to widen the mystery globally, I used my own life experiences when I chose all but one of the locations used in the novel.

Spoiler Alert!!!

I lived in Holland from 1979 to 1981 and during that time I gave birth to two daughters. My children acquired a Dutch Oma and Opa (grandma and grampa) who were no relation to me at all but who became great friends of the family, and who visited us regularly when my husband and I returned to Scotland.

My elder daughter was a languages student who spent her final year of studies at the University of Heidelberg, a fantastic city which I re-visited while she was there. This is where I chose to begin Topaz Eyes.

And…apart from using those life experiences, Topaz Eyes is completely fictional!

p.s. During the writing of the novel, I thoroughly researched emerald jewellery – which I, regretfully, still do not own. Though, when I think about it, I once-upon-a-time owned a beautiful gold ring set with a stunning semi-precious stone. And…I extended my knowledge of a certain branch of art, but to give a spoiler on that research here would be way out of order!

Bio

An ex-primary teacher who published local history non-fiction projects, Nancy Jardine spends her retirement writing historical and contemporary fiction. All historical time periods appeal immensely but so far Roman Britain has been the focus of her published historical fiction. Victorian Scotland is the setting of her current writing-in-progress, an era which allows her to over-indulge in research, which she adores.

Links

Topaz Eyes Blurb

A frantic search for priceless jewels. Greed beyond reason. Shadowy characters, hired gunmen and treacherous villains abound.

A weird invitation to Germany involves Keira Drummond in an international hunt for a collection of extraordinary jewellery, originally owned by a Mughal Emperor. The last known owner was a Dutch family in 1910, but who can Keira rely on, since distrust is rampant among the living relatives that she meets?

Teun Zeger hasn’t met any of his third-cousins before his equally cryptic invitation to Heidelberg, and isn’t sure he’ll ever like them. Keira, is an altogether different matter, and she’s not his relative!

Who is the deadliest cousin, determined enough to hire thugs to tail Keira and Teun when they pair up to unearth the jewellery? And who has the ultimate mystery item that’s even more precious than the Mughal jewels?

Greed, suspicion and murder are balanced by growing family loyalty, trust and love.

Categories
Books That's Not Me

That’s Not Me: Angela Wren

It’s Friday and time for another episode in the That’s Not Me! saga.

This week’s author, Angela Wren, is also an actor. How does that affect her skills when creating characters and making decisions about their behaviour? Let’s have a peep behind the curtain.

That’s Not Me!

As a writer and as an actor, I can say quite definitely that none of the characters I’ve created on stage or on the page are me.  I can be so specific because of the process I go through to create characters.  It doesn’t matter which media I’m using.

I’ve been working on stage since I was child, and I’ve played a myriad of characters from a chicken in a play about Old MacDonald, to a Rat in the Pied Piper right up to Raksha, the wolf mother of Moglie in Jungle Book.  I’ve played many human roles, too, in any number of productions from Roald Dahl’s The Twits (I was Mr Twit – and yes, I do mean Mr) to Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  I played a seven-year old at the age of 42 and an eighty year-old at the age of 25.  So, I’m only too well aware of how important it is to make the characters I play on stage appear real to the audience.  In that situation I need only enough of myself – 10% – to keep me breathing, moving and speaking so that I can convey the scritpwriter’s words in the right way.  Everything else, the costume, the make-up, the gait of the character, the mannerisms and the vocal quality are all the characters.  When I’m waiting for my cue in the wings, I think myself into my character.  That way I can be sure that at my first appearance in front of the audience, I’m my best version of the character I’m playing and, hopefully they will believe me to be the person in the script.

When I’m writing, I can see all my characters in my mind’s eye.  I’m with them for every moment in the story.  In a sense, then I’m both audience and actor.  The great benefit of writing is that I can stop the action at any point and make my characters go back and do something again but in a different way.  When I’m acting in front of a real live audience, that’s not possible!  Working with my characters when I’m writing is so much easier than when I’m on stage.  And there are no lines to learn – I just make them up as I go along!

But I do have to confess a couple of things.  There are times when I’ve overheard a conversation on a bus or a train or in a café and I’ve committed it to memory.  Those few words and phrases are then recycled and given to one of my characters.  Similarly with my newest creactions, Alice Tomlinson and her dad.  There are bits and pieces of conversation that took place between me and my dad that have remained in my mind and, finally, I’m finding opportunities to use a sentence here or a phrase there.  But Alice is nothing like me, either physically or in her inner self.  Just as Peter bears no resemblance to my real dad.  But it is fascinating exploring the dynamics between them as I move through my current story – a full-length murder mystery that is set in central France.

You can meet Alice and her dad, already.  They both appear in The Bookseller’s Secret Octavo, a short story that was published in an anthology called Autumn Paths.  The third book in that series, Spring Paths, is due to be published quite soon and Alice and Peter make it onto the page in that collection, too.  But there will be more about that in the coming weeks on my blog and my website.  In the meantime, I’m going to get back to my desk with my fictional world and its people and get my story finished.

Author Bio

Angela Wren is an actor and director at a small theatre a few miles from where she lives in the county of Yorkshire in the UK.  She worked as a project and business change manager – very pressured and very demanding – but managed to escape, and now she writes books and stories.

Her first published story was in an anthology created by ‘Ireland’s Own’ magazine in 2011.  She also works with eight other northern writers to create the series of Miss Moonshine anthologies.  Most recently, Angela has collaborated with eight Canadian/American writers to create the ‘Paths’ anthologies.

Her full-length novels are all set in France, where she likes to spend as much time as possible each year.

Blurb for Autumn Paths

Nine writers – Seasonal Collective – from both sides of the Atlantic, including best-selling and award-winning authors, have created this miscellany of stories.

These tales of family, mystery, intrigue, adventure, and suspense will take you across continents, through time and space in this world and others.  With a linking theme of autumn, discover new landscapes, encounter new and intriguing characters, uncover secrets and lies, and witness the resolution of old enmities.

Take the first step on this roller-coaster of an emotional journey, and you won’t be disappointed.

Links

Categories
Books Reviews

A Gentle Nudge

I’m delighted to take part in the blog tour for:

A Gentle Nudge by Mason Bushell.

The blog tour is organised by the lovely Lynsey Adams of Reading Between the Lines.

About the Book

Stories to soothe your soul.

In a world drowning in negativity and dark events, we all need a little light and hope. With a little adventure, romance and even music, these short stories will give your hopes and dreams a nudge as they draw a smile.

A Gentle Nudge by Mason Bushell wraps you in calm.

LINKS TO BUY 

About the Author

Author Mason Bushell, is a naturalist, chef and writer from Norfolk in the UK. He loves nothing more than to write among the trees, near his home. He is an avid short story writer and is always working with his characters unless Lucy Dog steals his laptop for a walkies!

My Review

I’m sure many people have occasional days when they feel overwhelmed by events and only want to escape the real world with a book. What sort of book do you read in those circumstances? I’ve found romances to be eminently suitable for the purpose. But having read this book of short stories, I think they are just as good. The advantage of short stories over a novel is that the reader can dig into a story whenever they have a few minutes free, and never lose the thread or forget which character is which.

The stories in this collection are sweet. Some include romance; others involve children and animals. Sometimes disaster strikes, but I hope I’m not giving anything away when I say all the stories have happy endings.

The characters in these tales are kind. They often go beyond all expectations to help people in need of support. When bad characters appear, they always get their just deserts. The stories provide satisfaction.

The real world, as we know, is not always like this. It would probably be correct to say it’s not usually like this. But the world of these stories is one we should aspire to. If the real world were like this, we wouldn’t need these stories. As it is not, we very much do.

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Books Holidays

Teamwork in Dark Venice

No one can work entirely alone. We all have friends, colleagues, partners in crime. Even authors, whose work is notoriously solitary, get advice from other authors and eventually connect with agents, publishers and readers.

That’s the message of my story, Teamwork, in Dark Venice, the new and wonderful anthology of short stories from Darkstroke.

Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay
Original image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The two women in the story are thrown into a situation where their only chance of extricating themselves lies in pooling their abilities.

Image by Ramon Perucho from Pixabay
Photo by David Drori

I have visited Venice three times. It’s a unique and fascinating city. If you haven’t been, I highly recommend going there. And in the meantime, read these dark and delightful stories. Click on the link.

DARK VENICE

Still here? Read some hints of what you can find in the book.

Anna Legat
Veni Vidi Perivi		Hundreds of years from now Venice has sunk to the bottom of the sea but it is still capable of seducing a random traveller with its hypnotic charm. And there is a price to pay for feasting on its beauty.
Anne-Marie Ormsby
Night Call		A young woman searches Venice after dark when her best friend disappears, but the investigation is haunted by disturbing calls from the missing girl’s mobile phone.
Cathie Dunn
The Girl in the Lagoon		In the early 20th century, when fascism is gathering support across northern Italy, the discovery of a young woman’s dead body in a lagoon reveals a sinister plot way beyond Francesco di Luca’s imagination.
Christopher Stanfield
A Rose By Another Name		Reunited with her best friend Cindy Nix, notorious serial killer Apple Rose settles in the beautiful city of Venice. But a specter from the past returns and it won’t be long before they have to reckon with a bloody choice made long ago.
Cory Maddalena
And Venice Slept		While on her honeymoon in Venice, a young newlywed navigates the city’s winding streets and canals. The last thing she expects is to be haunted by an insidious entity known only through folklore as the poverella.
Donna Cuttress
The Tarot Reader		A Tarot card reader reluctantly becomes involved in deception, smuggling and murder.
GJ Scobie
The Inference Machine		While in Venice celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary, Greg leaves Sally to spend an afternoon by herself in the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum, where a mysterious invention reveals secrets about her marriage she had never dared to contemplate.
Jenna Morrison
Devil’s Town		For years, Venice Harbor has been rumored to be cursed, and it is now known as Devil’s Town. An epidemic hit the island and Doctor Harvey Hardy is chosen to treat the natives of Devil’s Town; however, strange things begin to happen as soon as he arrives, which ultimately places his life in jeopardy.
Linda Conn Amstutz
Enough		When you have experienced this kind of love, nothing, not even death, can change it.
Mary Kendall
Paradiso Perduto		Simone stumbles upon a couple violently fighting in a dark Venetian alley one night which triggers haunting and painful memories best left forgotten. Can she reconcile the woman she has become with a younger self who had been brimming with brazen moxie and big dreams?
Miriam Drori
Teamwork		Two women – a British pianist and her Venetian tour guide – are only just getting to know each other when calamity strikes. Neither can extricate them from the situation alone, but together there might be a chance.
Ross Alexander
State of Love and Trust		A restaurant owner with a troubled past plans drastic actions to prevent a troubled future.
Sue Barnard
La Serenissima		A young writer travels round Italy in search of inspiration for his work. On arriving in Venice, what he finds will change his life for ever.

DARK VENICE

Categories
Books The writing process

How Long is a Short Story?

I’ve had two short stories published recently. The first, Train Trouble, is in the Dark Paris anthology from darkstroke. It has 4,459 words.

The second is called A Sticky Interview, and is in the collection called Appointment at 10.30 from Pure Slush. It has just 392 words.

Appointment at 10.30 and Dark Paris

Both are valid as short stories, although the latter would also fit under the flash fiction label.

Train Trouble is long enough to include two main characters, a minor character and some walk-on parts. It also contains several descriptions of places, indoors and out, and a number of scenes.

A Sticky Interview has two characters and two scenes. Descriptions are sparse and concern themselves with nothing more than the particular topic of the story. Yet, its very length led me to experiment. Where else would I write a sentence like:

The blushes lap at his throat, burning his words.

I haven’t written anything quite like that in a longer short story, and certainly not in a novel. Perhaps I should try it, but would I be able to maintain the style in a longer piece?

I won’t know if I don’t try…

Categories
Books

Dark Paris Theme Park

The last day of 2021 sees the publication of eleven dark and compelling stories set in the French capital.

Bravely, we looked down from the top of the roller coaster of stories, searching for themes in six of them, and came up with three:

An Unusual Offer
Hiding
Ignoring a Warning

An Unusual Offer

A Sacrifice Fit For a King by Cathie Dunn
The Marquise de Montespan strikes a deal with the Devil to become King Louis XIV’s maîtresse-en-titre, but it comes at a high price.

The Camera Never Lies by Sue Barnard
The narrator’s coffee arrives with a free glass of cognac and a madeleine, which she accepts even though it’s a bit early in the day for spirits…

Train Trouble by Miriam Drori
The narrator, though wary of returning to France, can’t resist the offer of a free luxury holiday in Paris.

Hiding

Lost and Found by Mary Kendall
A little girl in a red sweater hides in the edges of the Catacombs.

The Rose of Montmartre by Christopher Stanfield
A serial killer, believed to be dead, has been living a quiet life in Paris under a fake name.

Ignoring a Warning

The Corpse in The Grave by Val Penny
A soldier comes to the rescue when a girl falls and warns her to be careful, but she doesn’t heed the warning.

Charities

Two charities will benefit from sales of darkstroke’s upcoming Dark Paris anthology:

  • The Restaurants du Cœur (literally Restaurants of the Heart but meaning Restaurants of Love), is commonly known as the Restos du Cœur. Its main activity is to distribute food packages and hot meals to those in need across France. It does not only target homeless, but also all those with a low or very low income, and helps people to find housing and supports other projects.
  • The Fondation Brigitte Bardot fights against all forms of animal abuse in France and abroad. It participates in projects of reintroduction into the wild and the creation of sanctuaries and rehabilitation centres for wildlife.

Over to You

What do those themes mean to you? Do they remind you of something you experienced or heard about? We’d love to hear your stories.

You can write here in the comments, or on social media wherever you saw the link to this post.

And remember to pre-order Dark Paris now or wait for the paperback.