Tag: short stories

New book release: ‘Hold On To Your Lady Or Hold On To Your Coat’ by Terrance Tamon

‘Hold On To Your Lady Or Hold On To Your Coat’ is the new book by Terrance Tamon. Photo: Google

Terrance Tamon was born in Spartanburg SC the oldest of three boys and raised in a single-parent household with his mother. He has four daughters and one son, but the oldest passed away in 2018. Writing is something he loves to do and most of the time he does it to take his mind away from the world. In his first adult book, “Hold On to Your Lady or Hold On to Your Coat,” a chance encounter with a woman catches Robert off guard and leaves him confused and unsure of himself. It is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and Lulu. (Terrance Tamon, 2023)

“Hold On to Your Lady or Hold On to Your Coat” – Robert had been through it all when it came to relationships. At 30 years old, he knew all too well the heartache of breakups and the pain of a broken heart. It had left him feeling regretful and unable to trust. As a result, he had developed a cold heart and was no longer interested in pursuing any romantic relationships.

On one particular day, Robert was getting ready to leave his apartment when his friend and partner, Damian, urged him to come out and enjoy life. Damian was the type of friend everyone wished they had – caring, supportive, and always pushing his friends to be the best version of themselves, but when it came to women, Robert was not interested in listening to Damian. His experiences with relationships had left him with a deep sense of cynicism, and he saw no reason to put himself through the pain and heartbreak again. He grabbed his coat and prepared to leave, a physical reminder to himself that life was cold and that he needed to protect himself from the inevitable disappointments that come with relationships.

Despite his reservations, fate had other plans for Robert. After a chance encounter with a woman, he did not know if he should hold on to her or keep holding on to his coat. She had a way of making him feel alive again, like he was capable of experiencing happiness once more but at the same time, he was scared. He did not know if he was ready to open up and let someone in again.

Robert’s experiences are all too familiar to many of us. The pain of a broken heart can be so deep and profound that it can leave us feeling cynical and unwilling to open ourselves up to love again. Sometimes, life has a way of surprising us. Even when we are not looking for love, it can find us in unexpected ways.

Perhaps the lesson that Robert learned is that, no matter how much we try to protect ourselves, life will always find a way to surprise us. It is up to us to decide whether we are willing to take the risk and open ourselves up to the possibility of love, or continue to hold on to our coats, protecting ourselves from the unknown.

In the end, Robert’s story is a reminder that even when we think we have everything figured out, life can still surprise us. It is up to us to be open to those surprises and to take a chance on love, even when it seems scary or uncertain because in the end, the rewards of love are always worth the risk.

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New book release: ‘Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales’ by Gabriella Balcom

Gabriella Balcom is the author of fantasy, horror/thriller, romance, sci-fi, and other stories. Her new book ‘Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales’ will be out November 22, 2022. Photo: Gabriella Balcom

Gabriella Balcom lives in Texas with her family, works full-time in the mental health field, and has loved reading and writing her entire life. She writes fantasy, horror, sci-fi, romance, literary fiction, children’s stories, and more, and loves great stories, forests, mountains, and back roads. Gabriella has had 350 works accepted for publication, and won the right to have a novel published by Clarendon House Publications when one of her short stories was voted best in the anthology in which it appeared. Her book, “On the Wings of Ideas,” came out afterward. She was nominated for the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award, and won second place in JayZoMon/Dark Myth Company’s 2020 Open Contract Challenge, a competition in which around one hundred authors competed for cash prizes and publishing contracts. Gabriella’s novelette, Worth Waiting For, was then released. She self-published a novelette, Free’s Tale: No Home at Christmas-time, and Black Hare Press published her sci-fi novella, The Return, in 2021. Five other novellas pend publication. “Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales” is her new collection of short stories. (Gabriella Balcom, 2022)

“Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales” – Dive into these macabre horror stories, but be careful not to close your eyes. Evil lurks unseen. Supernatural beings keep watch and monsters lie in wait. Some plot vengeance, while others crave human flesh.

*Crystal idolizes rock stars and longs to be one. What would she be willing to do to make her dream come true? Lie, cheat, or steal? Would she go as far as to kill?

*Elaiyne envies Sonora’s golden skin, blonde hair, and slender body, and goes to extremes to try and be like the other girl. But Elaiyne is not the only one wanting to be someone else.

*A naga becomes karma personified when she confronts a parent.

*Bettie struggles to breathe after Rodney blows cigarette smoke in her face. He could not care less — and does worse. But The Watchers see everything, and they have something special in mind.

*Wahasi stalks through the swamp in cocodrie — crocodile — form, infuriated at her lack of food. However, she has a plan involving the sorcerer, Kula, and the townspeople better watch out.

*A true brat, Brad tries to hurt his sister and defies his parents, but he is not the only bully around.

*Abner is delighted to visit Aokigahara Forest, which is rumored to be haunted, but Sharyn is not.

*When a Siamese cat nears the home of a Chihuahua, the dog makes his displeasure known through piercing yaps. However, something startles him.

*Shane dares Angeline to spend the night in The Devil’s Hand, and if she succeeds, she will get to borrow his fancy Dodge Charger. The site is rumored to be haunted or cursed, but she knows that is hooey.

*Tricia is prideful about her looks, loves bullying, and makes a younger girl feel worthless. But she has a surprise visitor — Ria, also known as Justice.

*Life post-COVID has been anything but happy. Deaths skyrocketed. Nuclear bombs hit. Food dwindled. Cole, Vera, and Marianne survived, but they have little left to eat. Rovers are out and about, and must be avoided at all costs.

*Dean likes pushing people around. When he damages his grandfather, Charlie’s, Venus Fly Traps, Charlie is not the only one who is upset.

Gabriella Balcom’s book includes the above stories and more. Some of her works have been described as masterpieces in the horror genre. They will alternately horrify you, touch your heart, make you shiver, and have you on the edge of your seat.

Reader comments about some of her creations include:
“… this is a thrilling ride …”
“Best plot twist …”
“… great job putting unique twists … highly recommended …”
“Wow, just freaking wow!”
“I was deeply disturbed … loved every minute …! Bravo!”
“Heartbreaking and devastating.”
“Holy shit … that was so creepy. I loved it!”
“I want more, more, more, more, dang it!”
“I got chills reading this story.”
“Exciting and horrific.”

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Novella of the week: Proxima Bound by Davi Mai

Proxima Bound by Davi Mai. Photo: Amazon

Davi Mai is a short story writer focusing on fantasy, science fiction, and transgressive fiction. Proxima Bound is Davi Mai’s latest YA science-fiction novella. (Davi Mai, 2022)

Proxima Bound –  Humanity’s last hope rests with the colonists aboard the generational starship Attenborough bound for Proxima Centauri a thousand years away. Catastrophe strikes when a reactor meltdown cuts off those in the ship’s front from the rear. Two factions must now struggle to survive. With four hundred years still to travel, we join a plucky teenager, “Thief.” She has found a way through the ventilation system, around the radioactive core of the ship, and into the front sections. Thief brings back vital components that might help the rear-dwellers connect the ship’s computer. For the first time in hundreds of years, there is hope.

But people are disappearing without a trace, and the makeshift hospital is overflowing with cases of a new virus. It is up to Thief to embark on her toughest mission yet. To crawl through the bowels of the ship, the furthest she has ever been, and find some answers, before there is no-one left alive. What she finds at the front of the ship, however, is terrifying.

Proxima Bound is also available as an audiobook.

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Short story: Diary of a White Woman ‘Susan Strange’ by Albert Allen III

Diary of a White Woman ‘Susan Strange’ is available on Kindle through Amazon. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Albert Allen III is a biologist, author, and artist from Oceanside, California. He studied at Loma Linda University and currently lives in Rancho Mirage, California. His short story Diary of a White Woman “Susan Strange” is available on Amazon in Kindle format for $5.99. (Albert Allen III, 2022)

Diary of a White Woman “Susan Strange” is a short story about a white woman named Susan who has reached the edge of dealing with the madness of society. Susan spews on the insanity of Men, War, Religion, Family, Death, and the true meaning of it all. “If you have the letter M on both palms, you likely live outside the matrix, and produce a high Vibrational frequency. Higher intelligence, Heightened senses, and most of the M People have experienced UFO sightings and visits from beings named the “Watchers,” that travel through dimensional portals. The M People are the healers of Earth and direct lineage to Mary, the Mother of Christ, the Son of GOD.”

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Book review: ‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams’ by Stephen King

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‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams’ is Stephen King’s newest collection of short stories.

Stephen King is the bestselling author of more than fifty books and is known the world over as the master of horror. He received the 2014 National Medal of the Arts and the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. His body of work includes everything from short stories to full size novels that can be more than 1,000 pages long. Most recently he has written The Bill Hodges Trilogy: ‘Mr Mercedes,’ ‘Finders Keepers’ and ‘End of Watch,’ ‘Doctor Sleep’ and the collection of short stories ‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.’

This collection of stories have the universal themes of mortality, the afterlife, guilt and the questions of what would people do if they could see the future or go back and correct mistakes that they have made. Long time King readers, who he describes as ‘Constant Readers’ know that he starts each book with an introduction that describes what they are about to read. In these introductions he addresses the ‘Constant Reader’ and the tone is familiar, as if they have known each other for years.

“Everything you see is handcrafted, and while I love each and every item, I’m happy to sell them, because I made them especially for you. Feel free to examine them, but please be careful. The best of them have teeth.”

In this particular collection he also starts each story with comments on when, why and how each story was written, or in some cases rewritten. There is a total of twenty stories including Mile 81, Premium Harmony, Batman and Robin Have an Altercation, The Dune, Bad Little Kid, A Death, The Bone Church, Morality, Afterlife, Ur, Herman Wouk Is Still Alive, Under the Weather, Blockade Billy, Mister Yummy, Tommy, The Little Green God of Agony, That Bus Is Another World, Obits, Drunken Fireworks and Summer Thunder. As with any other collection of works, some appeal to readers while others may miss the mark completely. Standouts include Mile 81, which is similar to ‘Christine,’ Afterlife where the main character repeatedly relives his life and death with no chance to change anything and Ur where a Kindle is a portal to a parallel world. There is even a narrative poem in the mix ‘The Bone Church’ which proves that even Mr King has written poetry. Overall ‘The Bazaar of Bad Dreams’ will appeal to his faithful readers even though some stories are weaker than the others. It makes a perfect addition to any Stephen King library.