In an earlier post, I mentioned that some readers don’t pay too much attention to book covers. I believe that to be the case with Temp Girl by Stephanie Bond. Her cover with cool tag line invites a reader’s interest. Then there is the other side of the coin. I received an alert from Brendan Detzner about the publication of this short story (it wasn’t described as a short story in the alert). I have been entertained by Detzner writings for a long time and, even more important, they spurred my son’s interest in reading. With a title like Hot Chicks Infected With Stomach Parasites, there was no way I was not going to read it and then post some comments. A provocative title like this dares the reader to ignore it. (Yep, I know about the earlier double negative. Dare to break the rules).
Temporary Relationships
Great News! Temp Girl is another daily serial novel by Stephanie Bond. An earlier serial novel, Coma Girl put this author at the top of my TBR file every time I receive an alert of her latest publication. This has got to be interesting to bloggers who try to post meaningful or interesting stuff daily. I liked her comment asking for a bit of tolerance for minor typos because she was going from daily creative production to publication. For the intolerant, she offered an email address where a reader can deposit feelings of discomfort. It looks like we can look forward to a six-part story. Join the fun and let’s see how December awards satisfactory conclusions to characters who have been good. I am sure even characters who have been naughty will find some redemption.
Nicola Is Your Friend … Really?
Wicked Secret by Valerie Keogh really contains a wicked secret. There is the main murder mystery. Who did it? That is not the wicked secret. There is a secondary and much more entertaining secondary murder mystery. Who did it? That is not the wicked secret either. The perpetrators of the two murders hoped their identities were secret, but those identities were not wicked secrets. Nicola, an abrasive almost psychic, a person who had helped the police solve gruesome crimes in the past, had a really wicked secret. My challenge will be to present an idea of what the book is about without revealing the secret. It is an interesting secret and should support reader interest in this novel as well as follow up novels.
FFfAW: Reverse assumptions
After a wasted week dealing with a confrontational commentator, I want to get back into the swing of things with this reblog.
My comments below are addressed to incoming university students.
Note the swings from a hint darkness to its complete opposite “happy … big plans” then to normal routine “daily lives” then to a final line of utter evil. All of this done with few yet meaningful words.
Fun reading and a nice piece of writing.
This week’s photo prompt is provided by Grant-Sud. Thank you Grand-Sud for our photo prompt!
Stood in his usual place, Todd decided to observe what was going on around him. This was something he did daily, and so people had started to ignore the fact he looked like some suicidal teen about to jump.
Jumping was the last thing on his mind. Todd was a very happy individual and he had bigger plans.
They look like ants, scurrying about their daily lives in a busy way.
Todd enjoyed the feeling of power that standing over them gave him. Although, he did often wonder whether boiling water would kill them too.
Less suicidal and more homicidal.
Written for flash fiction for aspiring writers
Two Time Winner
Scissors by Neil Bushnell is a short story I received by subscribing to an author mailing list. Which is another way of saying I read this for free. This is generally a way that Independent authors can get exposure; a reader can find interesting content and perspectives from new writers.
Fight or Flight
Tipping Point by Garry and Roy Robson begins as a story of a boy in trouble. Harry didn’t like to see his friend Epimou bullied. Epimou couldn’t defend himself so Harry waded in to discourage Gary Milton from further bullying. Using the fire extinguisher may have been a bit much. That was the Headmaster’s opinion when he expelled Harry.
When Harry returned home, mom was not happy. It was probably better that Harry went to a pub for awhile. Harry was sixteen. In some countries, he may just have been an expelled student in trouble, but in London, he was a man needing a job. And he got one. His father put him on a strike-breaking crew that would get rid of trash and refuse from posh areas of London. A general strike had been called by the responsible union workers but the rich wanted their streets clean. And they would pay for it. This was bound to lead to fighting. And Harry didn’t have his fire extinguisher.
The Final Cut
Final Thoughts by Jaxon Reed is a very short story with a very abrupt, definite, short ending. We don’t know the narrator’s name but he won’t be around long enough for us to worry about. He is about to be executed. While the ending is definite, he has some choices about the method. Lethal injection looks like the best bet, the least painless. The firing squad is definitely out. He might get poor marksmen. Doc offered him the guillotine. What?? Why would anyone do that?
