Get Your Shorts in a Bunch discussion

This is the place to promote your book, group, blog, website, yourself or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Please check out: The F-word a reading group for anybody who loves to read and identifies as a feminist. We'll be reading a variety of books that may fall into one of the following categories:

1-Written by a feminist and/or a woman
2-Plot looks at how gender, race, class, sexuality, ability/disability, ethnicity, nationality, etc. shape us and our views of the world
3-Spark conversation about social justice and gender equality
4-Have strong female characters

AUTHORS if you feel your work meets one or more of the criteria let The F-word let me know.
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1...

Originally posted by A. R. Von in the Introductions thread.

Hi Dan & everyone! Thank you for the invite!
I'm a lover of short stories. Especially well written ones. Sometimes you're just in the mood for a story minus all of the filler. That's how I wrote and am writing my current Wunder series. All the good stuff packed in to a small amount of pages.
I look forward to what's to come within this group :)

Originally posted by Jack Durish in the Introductions thread.

Hi, everyone. I've been writing short stories for the past two years. I've considered publishing a collection of them, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Until then, you can find my short stories on Readwave.com This website only publishes short stories and I've found several other authors there worth following. Check it out.

Originally posted by Jean Booth in the Introductions thread.

Hi all! I read just about anything that crosses my path, however with my Zombified! Book Release Party going on today, I haven't had much time for reading. Zombified! is the last in a short-story trilogy about the zombie apocalypse. I'd love to have you stop by www.jeanbooth.blogspot.com and say hi, sign up for free giveaways, and pick up your copy of Zombified! :)
Thanks for adding me to this group Dan! :) I look forward to finding more little gems to add to my ever-growing list of books. :)

Mal, thanks for that info! I've got something that fits the criteria perfectly :)

Yve wrote: "Mal, thanks for that info! I've got something that fits the criteria perfectly :)"

Great Yve lemme know!

Introducing KALEIDOSCOPE -A discerning reading group for women of color focusing on literary fiction, nonfiction, classics.
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1...

Please check out the group and enjoy the fun!

My friend and author Russell Bittner is offering a short story on Amazon. Here is the link to his fabulous work:


Offer from July 18-July 20, 2013
http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/8...

I know this is a short stories group, but if you also like very long, and relatively difficult novels, I moderate this group:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5...

Jim wrote: "I know this is a short stories group, but if you also like very long, and relatively difficult novels, I moderate this group:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5..."

Jim - a VERY cool group!! There are so many little gems on here it's difficult to find them all. I joined - def my kind of group. YOU will appreciate OUR next collaboration here on GR. Dan and I will allow for much more visibility for groups, authors etc

Thank for plugging Brain Pain otherwise it would have slipped under my radar!

Mal wrote: "Jim wrote: "I know this is a short stories group, but if you also like very long, and relatively difficult novels, I moderate this group:

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/5..."

Jim..."

Glad you like the group!

My copy of Garcia's stories has shipped and should arrive by Monday at the latest.

I have not published any of my short stories yet, but do have three novels currently available.


Exit Strategy


Hope Flies on Broken Wings


Hope Rises from the Ashes

I've got a longish (5000 plus words) short story up on Amazon that I'm very proud of. Called "Harvest of War." It was originally contracted for an anthology that would take a new look at Orcs, but the antho never materialized so the material was released and I ended up self pubbing it as an experiment. It's gotten a lot of very strong reviews. And is only 99 cents.

http://www.amazon.com/Harvest-of-War-...

Just to share a little good news: My short story "Toad" was selected as the second place winner for July in Michael Brookes' monthly short fiction contest.

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/j...

Two short stories of urban love & lust (and one small murder in the mountains) are now up at

http://amzn.to/12SON3g and http://amzn.to/11dWbsx -- FREE until tonight at 24.00 PST.

Review(s) would be most welcome, but not a must.

Thanks!

Russell

L.F. wrote: "Just to share a little good news: My short story "Toad" was selected as the second place winner for July in Michael Brookes' monthly short fiction contest.

http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/p/ju..."

Excellent news! Congrats!

I have a brand-new anthology of erotic short stories out. It's called The Big Book of Orgasm: 69 Sexy Stories, each story is 1,200 words or less, and I've been posting excerpts at http://thebigbookoforgasms.tumblr.com and on Tuesday and Wednesday October 1-2, I'm offering a 2 for 1 deal on Amazon - get the details at http://thebigbookoforgasms.tumblr.com... (buy it there on those days, and I will send you another book free). You can also follow @BigBookofOrgasm for news and we're having a free reading in San Francisco November 6 at 6:30 at Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street.

Hello everyone,

I wonder if this is the right place to post but here I go.

The author Rayne Hall is looking for reviews for any of her following horror short story collections (preferably Thirty Scary Tales) :

Thirty Scary Tales

13 British Horror Stories

Six Scary Tales Vol 1

Six Scary Tales Vol 2

Six Scary Tales Vol 3

Free copies are available for anyone who would like to read and review any one of the above (or even all). Please let me know if anyone is interested.

Thanks!

Please check out my book The Vigil and Other Stories and the reviews that have started coming in.
The book has fifteen stories, all set in India, with very distinct themes. Sometimes I think not having a single theme was a mistake :( because I'm not able to put a label on the book. But where is the fun in reading a collection of short stories if each of them doesn't surprise with its unexpectedness.
So while I have a strong psychological story in 'The Square', I have humour in 'Mr.Krishnan' and a sweet love story between a husband and wife in 'Delusions', and so on.

The book is available in paperback (published by Leadstart Publishers, India ) and also as an ebook; both on amazon.

Do pick up a copy.

Action, Adventure, Mysteries, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magic, Fun with friends and cousins and a lot more, all at a special holiday price of $0.99.

All books are for middle graders; no violence, horror and no preaching either! Just stories.

Theft at the Fair and Other Stories Hunt For The Horseman The Dinosaur Puzzle and Other Stories King Neptune's Delite The Unicycle and Other Stories The Forbidden Forest Dearie the Deer Another Midsummer Night's Dream Krishta, Daughter of Martev

For those who like very short stories here are 75 of them - all 75 words long ...

75 x 75 = Flash Fraction

Do you have a short story and don't know what to do with it?

Of Words and Water – 2013 has been doing well since publication in July. We’re on course for 1,000 downloads in its first year, and £100s of donations to WaterAid.

If you’ve still got those feel-good, charitable inclinations after all the recent festivities, I'm now accepting submissions for the 2014 anthology. The (very loose) theme is 'many nations, one world', which should be treated as an idea prompt for stories rather than a rigid instruction. Final decision on which stories make it into the anthology is mine, but I do take advice from a small circle of people whose opinions I trust. No min/max word limits and I'd also like to see some poetry submitted.

What is it?
Of Words and Water is an annual anthology of short stories, flash fiction and poetry, non-fiction too if it’s good and thought-provoking, from the members of GR. It is published by Words and Water Group on Smashwords (who distribute to Apple, Baker and Taylor Blio, Baker-Taylor Axis, Barnes & Noble, Diesel, Flipkart, Kobo, Library Direct, Oyster, Page Foundry and Sony ) and on Amazon.
Here is the Smashwords link for the 2013 anthology:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
It’s free so pick up a copy. Judge for yourself the quality of this book, see what can be achieved when like-minded authors work towards a common goal. Our cover designer, James, at humblenations.com also gives his time and skill to the cause, and folk music legend Peggy Seeger gave us a song and original poem for 2013.

What is its purpose?
To raise awareness of the work done by the international charity WaterAid. Here are the UK and USA links:
http://www.wateraid.org/uk
http://www.wateraid.org/us/
They can tell you far better than I can about what they do, how they do it, and just how vital their work is.

We’re also hoping to attract some donations. Here’s the link to our JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/Of-Words-A...

Why was WaterAid chosen as the charity to support?
Can you even imagine living without water, life’s most basic necessity? I have a vivid imagination and I can’t. How would you feel seeing your child die of diarrhoea because you gave them dirty water? How much would you weep when you buried your parents who had just died of cholera or dysentery because there was not even basic sanitation available? How would you face each day when you knew each and every day was going to be a struggle to find enough to drink?

Do we get paid for it?
Only in kudos from your peers, and that nice warm feeling of having done something worthwhile to benefit others ;) All submissions are donated although the author retains copyright of their own entry.

Who makes the decisions, chooses the submissions that get in and which get rejected?
That’ll be me, but I do ask for second opinions for any I’m not sure about. I do my best to put personal genre preference aside but freely admit I need fresh eyes on occasion. I will act as your editor and proof reader: it will be the author’s decision about my editorial suggestions, but I insist on a well-proofed copy being published. If you won’t work with me on that then I will reject your submission.

Take a look at the 2013 anthology and judge for yourself if my approach has worked. So far we have eleven 5* reviews and one 4* on Smashwords.

Who does the compiling, formatting, publishing?
Er… that’ll be me too.

How is it marketed?
That relies on all group members plugging it wherever and whenever they can. I have support from work (the Environment Agency) and through the EA directly with WaterAid.

A big boost came when Neel Kay created a website for us, plus a Facebook and Twitter account:
http://ofwordsandwater.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/OfWordsandWater
https://twitter.com/ofwordsandwater

Renowned folk musician and activist, Peggy Seeger, was brought on board by Kerry Dwyer. The video of The River, the poem Peggy donated to the group, can be seen on the website and on YouTube. This was arranged by another group member, Mark Bell, with his friend and professional film director, Richard Clabaugh.
http://www.crimsonwolfproductions.com/

That eye-catching cover was donated by professional cover designer James of HumbleNations:
http://humblenations.com/

When should I submit my story?
Any time between now and end of May 2014 will be fine, but I may not get to read it/them until December.

How do I submit my story?
Send a DOC or TXT file to:
OWAW2014submissions@gmail.com

Can I submit more than one?
You certainly can. Some of the 2013 authors have more than one entry in the anthology and I don’t see any problem with doing that again.

If I change my mind can I withdraw my story?
Yes you can, but if it is post-publication there’s obviously nothing we can do about the copies that have already been downloaded.

If the above is not for you, here's my own collection, downloadable free from Smashwords:


https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

For the next three months, I will be offering one kindle book every Sunday as a free download. I will confine all my posts to this thread, so as not to hog too much space!

I am not able to gift kindle books to reviewers, as amazon does not provide the GIFT Option from India. By making my books available through Free Download, I hope to get some reviews from goodreaders.

The first book on offer is my personal favorite, Dearie the Deer

This is a short chapter book but it packs in a lot. The story is about Dearie, the most timid of deers and his metamorphosis into a leader of the herd. I hope you will read the book and also post reviews.

Gita wrote: "For the next three months, I will be offering one kindle book every Sunday as a free download. I will confine all my posts to this thread, so as not to hog too much space!

I am not able to gift ki..."

The free download offer for Dearie the Deer met with good response. The reviews too have started trickling in. I am again offering the book as a free download this Sunday.

In addition to Dearie the Deer, the FREE DOWNLOAD this Sunday, 19 th of January, 2014, is
Krishta, Daughter of Martev

Krishta is Sci-fi; and with a word count of about ten thousand words, is an Easy Read Chapter book.
STORY OUTLINE
Krishta, of Ayzeon, has a problem. She is not coping up with Science at school. In a last ditch effort, she accompanies her father, Martev, who is among the greatest scientists in the universe, to Planet Earth. As the sciences are still at a very fundamental stage on Earth, she hopes to understand the basics and build upon them.
Suraj, working in his school chemistry lab, discovers Krishta and along with his sister Sunita, tries to help her as much as possible. Everything is fine except that Ikor, banished from Ayzeon for his violent ways, has tracked down Martev and seeks revenge…..

Krishta is for Middle Grade Readers and has minimum violence; in fact it opposes violence.

I hope you will enjoy reading the book.

My earlier free download, Dearie the Deer was an animal story, Krishta, Daughter of Martev was science fiction.

This Sunday, the 26th of January, 2014, my free ebook download on amazon is a collection of mystery stories. The book, like all my other books, is for middle graders.

Theft at the Fair and Other Stories is a collection of four mysteries.
You may follow the book link for the story outlines.

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

This is the link on amazon.com for Theft at the Fair and Other Stories.

http://www.amazon.com/Theft-Fair-Othe...

Hi everyone,

Thanks for all of these great suggestions and books. My short story collection Holiday in Cambodia is available in print and as an ebook here http://www.blackincbooks.com/books/ho...

You can also listen to a free podcast of one of the stories called 'The expatriate' here: http://laurajeanmckay.com/performance...

And you can read another story, 'Route Four', here: http://laurajeanmckay.com/writing/rou...

Thanks and happy reading and writing!

Laura

Gita wrote: "My earlier free download, Dearie the Deer was an animal story, Krishta, Daughter of Martev was science fiction.

This Sunday, the 26th of January, 2014, my free eboo..."

I am terribly sorry, I do not know what has gone wrong but the free download of 'Theft at the Fair and other stories' has not been effected this Sunday and there is nothing I can do about it now.

I have created a free download for tomorrow, i.e. 27th Jan. 2014. I hope you will download the book. I will also repeat the offer next Sunday.

Link: http://www.amazon.com/Theft-Fair-Othe...

Once again,my apologies.

Hello! I make handmade plushie stuffed animals (made from fleece and are extra cuddly) and they're on Etsy!
Link: http://www.plushkingdom.etsy.com

Take a moment to check out the new website for my series at: http://greenwillowchronicles.com/

My free download for this Sunday, the 2nd of Febraury, 2014, is
Hunt For The Horseman

Genre: Middle Graders, YA, Action and Adventure
Length: 191 Pages

Story Outline
No dead parents; no ghosts, vampires, witches; no violence and bloodshed.
What then?
HUNT FOR THE HORSEMAN has a young girl, Sandy, visiting her extended family, in her ancestral palace, in India. She meets scads of cousins, scores of uncles and aunts, and had great fun in the palace because it has amazing hidey holes built into it by a queen who had a great sense of fun.
Sandy joins in the century old game of trying to find the horseman (a toy) hidden in one of the many secret compartments.
Where is the story? Where are the bad guys?
Believe me, they are very much there. Dangerous mafia men are out to grab the palace. Only a miracle can save the palace. And a miracle takes place....

For a more detailed story line and excerpts, please check the goodreads and amazon links.

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

This is the link on amazon.com for http://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Horseman-G...

I am again offering Theft at the Fair and Other Stories. The amazon link for download is http://www.amazon.com/Theft-Fair-Othe...

Thank you. Please read the books and, if possible, rate and review them too.

My e book on offer as a FREE DOWNLOAD this Sunday, the 9th of February, 2014 is The Dinosaur Puzzle and Other Stories


The book is a mixed bag of short stories for preteens and for anyone who loves a good story.
What does Ananda’s great-grandmother have to do with the missing bones of a dinosaur?
Ayub finds a wounded ‘soldier’ and hides him. What are the consequences?
When Appu finds a baby elephant in trouble and helps him, what does it lead to?
And much more….
Is the black hill really Ghost Town?
How lucky is Raghu’s marble? Lucky enough to track a major archaeological find?

Seven stories of fun and adventure!

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

Link to amazon.com is http://www.amazon.com/The-Dinosaur-Pu...

Happy Reading!

Please download my book, The Magician's Turban, on 16 Feb,2014.
The Magician's Turban is a short chapter book for middle graders. The genre is Fantasy, Magic.
Hassan and Ismail attend a magic show, as part of the entertainment arranged by Bimal Ram for his son's wedding. Three magicians perform. The third magician is Jadugar. His act leaves even the two other magician's baffled.
Naturally. He is a real magician and the purpose of his act is to show that magic is real; it is not merely slieght of hand.
Ismail is not convinced so Jadugar sets about convincing him in the only way possible: he takes him and Hassan into his magical world.

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

Link to amazon.com is http://www.amazon.com/The-Magicians-T...

Thanks for bearing with my weekly posts and also for the downloads. Please post reviews too.

This Sunday, Feb'23,my FREE DOWNLOAD, King Neptune's Delite, is a novel for Middle Graders, Genre: Action & Adventure.

King Neptune's Delite

The story starts in a tiny fishing village in Kerala, India. Maya finds a bottle with a diamond ring, a newspaper cutting, and a blank paper. She, her brother and their two friends put together these clues and guess someone, probably aboard a ship, had sent out a signal for help.

The children, who have lost their fishermen fathers in a cyclone, work for the owner of a Curio shop. They pick the beach for shells, drift wood, sea glass and anything of value the sea brings in.

Maya is the youngest in the group but she is the practical and sensible one. However, the dazzling find, the appearance of muscled, tattooed Swamy, his suspicious manner and above all, the call of adventure makes even Maya reckless. Instead of going to a grownup or the police, the children decide to go to the rescue of the prisoner. Their quest takes them to the harbor town of Cochin, aboard the ship, 'King Neptune's Delite', and into danger with men for whom bloodshed is a game.

Added to the adventure, the book reveals facets of Indian culture, the community living of small villages where no child is left uncared for, and humour, and fun.

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

Link to amazon.com is http://www.amazon.com/King-Neptunes-D...

Please read sample chapters at
https://www.goodreads.com/reader/5162...

Thank you and do take time to rate/ post a review.

The Missing Girl will be available as a FREE DOWNLOAD on the 2nd of March. 2013.

The Missing Girl is a short chapter book, along with a bonus story Adi the Virus.

After a game of hide and seek with her brother and friends, Sneha goes missing.
The presence of a strange car points to kidnap. The police is called in. But Sneha is not kidnapped. She is in the midst of an adventure, an adventure of a different kind.

Bonus Story: Adi The Virus.
Adi is very talkative. Wherever he is made to sit in class, he gets his neighbour into trouble by talking. His teacher calls him Adi the Virus.
But some viruses do good....A fun class room story.

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

Link to amazon.com is http://www.amazon.in/THE-MISSING-GIRL...

March 7 through 9, 2014: .99 deal on the short-story collection 'The Snow Deer and Other Stories' - Kindle version:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0082DIRJI

Another Midsummer Night's Dream is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD on 8th and 9th March, 2014.

Genre: Fantasy / Science Fiction, Middle Graders, Chapter Books

Story Outline: For many centuries, people have been abducted from Earth and taken to Planet Superior for a purpose. Indrashish has the evidence yet he does not want to tell anyone because the inhabitants of Planet Superior do not want to be found, they hold all other planets in contempt, and they are very powerful.
Read the book to find out more and also what William Shakespeare is doing in it!

The free download is available on all amazon stores like amazon.com, amazon.uk, amazon.in, etc. but the download is as per US time; approximately 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time on the date specified.

Link on amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Another-Midsumm...

My short story, One of Us, Old Boy, is available for download at DriveThruFiction in multiple formats. The promo price is a mere fifty cents. Not bad for what I consider to be one of the best stories I've ever written.

Get it here:

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/produ...

And if you want to read an excerpt, please visit the Amazon.com link below:

http://www.amazon.com/One-Old-Boy-Jos...

And don't forget to comment and review. Good, bad, or mediocre, I want to know your thoughts!

The Unicycle and Other Stories is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD on 15th and 16th March, 2014, on all amazon stores as per US time.
Link to amazon.com : http://www.amazon.com/Unicycle-Other-...

Story Outlines

The Clever Princess: Princess Chandralekha is a beautiful and accomplished princess. She is also the innocent reason of a likely war. The three kingdoms surrounding her tiny kingdom have sent marriage proposals. Refusing any or all of them will lead to war and bloodshed. What is to be done? The clever princess finds a solution.

Green Earth: Devi has no home. She and her parents lead a nomadic life. But Devi wants to plant trees. How can she when they never stay long enough in one place?

Project Chinna: Sushant and Hemant have an unusual school project. They must find a child deprived of school and teach him to read, write and do simple sums, all within six months!

The Unicycle: Amir is eight, much younger than his older brothers, Imran and Irfan. He wants to join them in their games but they treat him like a little kid. Amir makes a grand gesture to prove they are wrong and enjoys himself in the process.

The Dream: Sucharita, unhappy after her mother’s death, skips school and spends the day among old tombs. She falls asleep and has a dream; a dream that changes her life.

Mr.Ben’s Treasures: Mr.Ben has been collecting antiques and curios for fifty years. He has also been collecting hearts; everyone loves him and his wonderful stories. When Mr. Ben is forced to sell his house, he is worried about his precious articles, until the children find a way to help.

The Forbidden Forest is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD on amazon, on 23 March, 2014
Link to amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-Forbidden-F...

Daksha the Medicine Girl is PERMANENTLY FREE on smashwords.
Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...

Thank you for your patience in following my weekly posts since January. Thank you for the downloads. There haven't been many ratings / reviews, which was the original purpose of this marathon 'hawking'.

I had wanted reviews but I was also apprehensive because the reviews would be by adults while the books are for children, mainly in the age group 8-12.

Please share the books with children; all books are enabled for lending. The books are almost violence free, are closer to the real world, and are not preachy at all.

Once again, thank you.

It sure is nice to find such a large group of people who also appreciate short fiction.

I'm a writer and publisher of short fiction, and I'd like to see the form make a comeback - that's why I started the Anthology Club last year.

For members who write, check us out at http://anthologyclub.com. It's a collaborative platform for writers to propose, produce, and publish anthologies of short fiction. We are inclusive and supportive, and one of our primary goals is to help launch careers of beginning writers.

For the readers in the crowd, you'll want to check out the Anthology Club's first release, Soul of the Universe. It's a collection of 6 stories from 4 authors (myself included) in a plethora of genres.

If you have any questions about Anthology Club, the book, or writing and publishing short fiction, feel free to send me a message.

The Forbidden Forest is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD on amazon, on 24 March, 2014 and 31 March, 2014 instead of 23 March, 2014. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Link to amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/The-Forbidden-F...

Do you like short stories on the outré side?

THROUGH A BROKEN WINDOW--Ten Dark Tales of the Strange and Deranged is now available.


Through a Broken Window

I am delighted to announce my latest release.
Stories and Scripts: an Anthology


7 stories, 73K words, and countless emotions.

Thought-provoking, dreamy, sad, and hilarious, this collection of works takes you on a diverse and unforgettable literary journey through a variety of topics, themes, and emotions.

"Stories and Scripts: An anthology" is a great way to get all of my latest releases (plus a few bonus stories) at under half the price of buying each work separately! Grab your copy now using these links:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/AmazonStoriesNScripts
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/AmazonUKStoriesNSc...
Nook: http://tinyurl.com/BN-StoriesNScripts

Rachel wrote: "I have a brand-new anthology of erotic short stories out. It's called The Big Book of Orgasm: 69 Sexy Stories, each story is 1,200 words or less, and I've been posting excerpts at http://thebigbook..."

69 stories. how appropriate! :)

Hi Everyone,

I thought you might want to know about my 99-cent sale of "Sex in the Title" -- just in case you needed a good laugh today (or are stocking up on laughs for a future rainy day). In fact, the novel has been objectively certified as one of the funniest things ever written. To see what all of the hype is about, check out this gushing but extremely unbiased review (written by me):
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Or just take a leap of faith and start clicking on these buy links:

Amazon.com: http://tinyurl.com/AmazonSITT
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/AmazonSITTUK
Nook: http://tinyurl.com/BN-SexInTheTitle

You might enjoy this little tale before you go to sleep tonight. It's one of my many FREE short stories on my website at http://robertsnovels.com

Mildred’s Makeover


A fictional short story by Robert M. Roberts

Ivan Borisheski and his young bride, Mildred, immigrated to America from Poland in 1955. After living in the slums of Brooklyn for a few years, they finally scraped up enough savings to move to Wisconsin. They purchased a small hog farm on the outskirts of Sheboygan.

Ivan worked tirelessly over the years and farm life had taken a toll on him. His long, jet black hair became short white stubble, and his hands were cracked and calloused. He rarely left the farm except for needed supplies, which always included a quart of cheap bourbon. Mildred referred to it as “Satan in a bottle.” On the other hand, Mildred had never been to town, and in fact, had never left the house since they moved there. A definite recluse, I guess you would call her.

Ivan came through the door after another hard day of work, and breathed in a whiff of beans and salt pork he had put in the slow cooker that morning. Mildred sat at the kitchen table where she always sat. Ivan dished up the beans, placed a bowl in front of her, and then took his place at the other end of the table and began digging in.

After a few bites, he looked up and told Mildred that Rosey, his prize sow, had gotten her head caught in the fence trying to fetch a stray cob. “She’s a feisty ol’ gal,” he said, as he began to laugh. “Reminds me of you, back in the day.”

Mildred didn’t respond.

“You know, I’ve been thinking,” he paused to take another bite of beans. “I think you need one of those makeovers that all the women are getting now days, and maybe a new dress too.” He shoveled in another spoonful of beans. “Now don’t try to thank me. It’s the least I can do,” he added, and lifted up his hand. He retrieved a newspaper from the kitchen counter and placed it in front of her.

“What ya think? Ain’t she a beauty?” he asked. The paper was opened to the obituary section and displayed the picture of a lovely young female with flowing hair around her shoulders. The young woman had recently died and was buried in Clossen Cemetery, just down the road from the farm.

Mildred said nothing. As a matter of fact, she hadn’t uttered a word for decades. On occasion, a shrill high-pitched voice could be heard throughout the house, but it was just Ivan mimicking her after he’d had too much whiskey, and was in the mood for an argument. Of course, that was what led to her demise years ago, but it had been so long that he didn’t even remember what they had argued about.

Mildred just sat and said nothing, her hollowed eye sockets seemed fixated on Ivan’s every word. His calloused bear-like hands had choked the very life out of her years ago. Now, she just sat at the table, day in and day out. The small amount of remaining flesh on her face and hands had dried like leather across her skeleton.

Ivan assured her that removing the young woman’s face that was buried down the road would be no trouble whatsoever. After all, he had butchered so many hogs in his time that he had the skills of a surgeon.

As he reached across the table to finish off her supper, he whispered, “You’ll look stunning, my dear…absolutely stunning!”

Hi Dan, Hi Group,

First of all, sorry for the incredibly long post. I just kept writing and writing...

Although the bulk of my work is fiction for children, I also write short stories for adults.
I have two websites:

Helen Laycock | Fiction in a Flash
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/fiction-i...

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-lay...

And a blog: https://catchingcottonclouds.wordpres...

I have three short story collections for adults:


Peace and Disquiet

As the blurb says, these are disturbing tales which encompass mortality, mentality, brutality... and reality.

Kindle:
£1.54 $2.56

Paperback:
£4.39 $7.00


Minor Discord
Dare to visit the dark places at the edges of the map, places where you will feel unsettled and from where characters will follow you, whether you want them to, or not.

This collection of stories and flash fiction will take you into the shadows.

Don’t get left behind...

Kindle:£2.27 / $3.48
Paperback:£5.50 / $9.50



Light Bites

Take a pinch of humour, a touch of light-heartedness and a drop of whimsy and you have the perfect recipe to be savoured any time, anywhere. Light Bites - a collection of satisfying and uplifting tales.

Kindle:
£1.08 $1.76

Paperback:
£3.99 $6.30

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here are some of the comments I've received:

'the work of an accomplished writer, one with true knowledge of the craft'

'an outstanding collection of short stories'

'I was left open mouthed at the sinister realism and very brave and powerful writing'

'two of the very best stories of this kind I have ever read'

'I almost felt as if the words themselves were drawing me in and binding me to each and every syllable'

'Helen Laycock writes with a deep understanding of her characters'

'intriguing and is crafted with figurative, poetic language which flows beautifully'

'each one is a masterpiece that could only have been created by the master story teller that she undoubtedly is'

'Great short stories that send you through a host of emotions'

'Each story is unique and well crafted'

'a great collection of short stories that are well written and enjoyable'

'Well worth the price'

'I was held captive until the end'

'she can certainly send shivers up the spine!'

'this author writes in such a way that you can't help but turn the page'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've enjoyed around thirty successes in writing competitions.

Short Story success:
- Shortlisted for Annual Love Story Competition, Writing Magazine, May 2005 with story entitled ''Til Death Do Us Part'.
- Shortlisted for Adult Fairy Story Competition, Writing Magazine, November 2011 with story entitled 'Occupational Therapy'.
- Shortlisted for Fiction Competition, Writers' Forum, Issue #134, 2012 with Story entitled 'Drop-Dead Gorgeous'.
- Shortlisted in the Erewash Creepy Christmas Chiller Competition, December 2012 with story entitled 'The Visitors'.
- 3rd place in "The Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition" yearly anthology, May 2013 -- Charming Residents.
- 3rd place in "The Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition" yearly anthology, June 2013 -- Taking Flight.
- 1st place in "The Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition" yearly anthology, July 2013 -- 'Taking Notes'.
- 1st place in "The Aspiring Writers Short Story Competition" yearly anthology, August 2013 -- 'Minibeast Feast'.
- Shortlisted for Tea and Tale/Milton Rooms Short Story Competition as part of the Ryedale Book Festival, October 2013
- One of five runners up in the Words With Jam Bigger Short Story Competition, 2013 with Drop Dead Gorgeous

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have had several pieces of writing included in the following anthologies:

,
and, along with Dan, (Aspiring Writers 2013 Anthology)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have had several pieces of flash fiction published in ' and 4 (soon to be published).

Here are some links for 100-worders if you'd like to have a look at my style:

COLD HEART http://www.cafelit.co.uk/100WorderCol...

BARE
http://www.cafelit.co.uk/100WorderBar...

DEAD SILENCE
http://www.cafelit.co.uk/Dec52013Dead...

DISHING IT OUT http://www.cafelit.co.uk/100WorderDis...

SEARCHING
http://www.cafelit.co.uk/100WorderSea...

BLUEBELL WOOD
http://www.cafelit.co.uk/100worderBlu...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have had poetry published, too, in Songs of Angels (Thynks) and Silver Lining (Baer Books).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, I still have 6785 characters left, but I don't think anyone would appreciate it if I kept going. Well done if you have made it this far!

Dec 1st was the beginning of a new month and the day my second book was born Check it out

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QH15K4M

To find out more about me the best place to go is

http://www.about.me/rlmorgan