Books
Books and Anthologies
Testing the Ties That Bind: A Mini Collection of Short Stories
Five short stories weave around everyday circumstances when sudden disruptions test, pull, strain, shake, and nearly snap the characters’ relationships. Are the ties binding them together fragile or unbreakable?
Silly Hobby
Justina wants to hear good news from her literary agent, but she didn’t expect her confidence to be derailed by hoity-toity neighbor Lola’s offhand comment. A hilarious series of events at her three year-old’s birthday party distracts her from her heart’s longings. If Lola is right, Justine’s stolen moments in pursuit of her dream are for nothing.
Cherry Italian Ices for Summer
Mark and pregnant wife Cerise have pegged all their hopes on this baby, longing to start a family after years of disappointment. Exhausted, they’re looking forward to a day of relaxation at Rockaway Beach, but Mark’s secret tag-along guest upsets Cerise. When Cerise goes into labor prematurely, there’s no way to reach a hospital. She must turn to her nemesis as ally and confidante.
Fragile-19
Carissa is mean to everyone in her life, including her favorite cousin Lyle. She has no intention of changing. The cousins made a pact to never support another man’s war, so when Lyle enlists in the US Army and gets deployed to Afghanistan, Carissa refuses to forgive the betrayal and slips into a depression. She wants Lyle to return home, but when he does, she doesn’t know how to act. In a time of Covid-19, there’s more threat to their relationship than her mean spirit.
Shattered
Hernando wants nothing more than for his girlfriend Divashni to say yes when he proposes, but a misunderstanding of his intentions sends her off in a fury. To win her hand, he must persuade her that things aren’t what they appear to be.
Under the Mulberry Tree at the Center of the Universe
Romantic prose describing the anticipation of a lover’s kiss and embrace. The fantasy is about to be realized until Farmer Henry realizes this pair is trespassing on his property. Will they get to leave their mark?
VSS365 Anthology Vol I
A stunning collection of microfiction from Twitter's writing community members who participate in Mark A. King's brainchild: vss365. Every day for a month, a host posts a new prompt word. Participants write a one-tweet story or poem using the prompt word. In 2019, entries were chosen for inclusion in the anthology. Mine is on page 69.
Explorations of Freedom: A Mini Collection of Short Stories
Prison Break
3-part story about two women convicts living lives confined to memorizing nuanced differences in sound. They share a dream of escape and wake up with the same plan. Executing the plan is the easy part; staying out of prison proves more difficult.
Emily’s Advanced Guide to Marriage
Emily has talked her husband into taking their noisy kids to Chuck E Cheese so she can luxuriate in peace and quiet for her birthday. Once all the noise is stripped away though, Emily finds silence most disquieting. When the signs of aging reflect back in the mirror, she hatches a plan to spice things up in the bedroom, only to learn her husband doesn't like what she thought he did.
Freedom 500
Winner of Gestalt Media’s July 2020 short story contest
Gloria Mooney owns a 500-acre farm for rehabilitating abused animals. She doesn’t know what to make of six year old Shevonne, who’s ordered by the court to participate in animal-assisted therapy. Just as Shevonne starts bonding, trouble shows up.
It was an Accident
Mother to 10 year old Tory, Eliza is pregnant and has a raging temper triggered by Tory watching a Netflix movie for adults. The accident scrapes Eliza, but also leads to an unexpected rescue.
Sleeping Bear
Julio and Maria live in squalor in Miami, but it’s better than the turmoil they escaped in Ecuador. When Julio’s job interview is in jeopardy because his car is compromised, a foreign driver steps in to make sure he arrives on time. But then can Julio do well enough in the interview to turn his and Maria’s life around?