Book Brouhaha

Yes, it's true that short stories will probably never outsell the novel.  And anyone brave enough to publish one has to face the risk of the dreaded "would have been good if it wasn't so short" review.  But give this genre a little credit!  There are some plus sides.  For one thing, they allow one to explore multiple genres .  Another often overlooked pro to short stories is that they adept quite well to film.  The criticism most often made about movies based on novels is that the movie changed the book.  The eloquent descriptions and beautiful detail that make a book memorable usually have to be cut out or changed in order to translate to a two hour on-screen event.  Interesting sub-plots become an optional luxury. But short stories thrive on the imagination.  The best ones merely create framework so as to let the reader fill in the blanks.  This works especially well when translated to the screen.  The director and script writer...

Summary: If You Go Into The Woods is a collection of two unsettling short stories. The title story is set in Caslav, a small town 60 miles east of Prague, Czech Republic. Jiri Beranek is drawn to a nearby forest, captivated by birds hidden high in the trees. Each time he enters, his desire to see the mysterious creatures is checked by his fear of the dark. When he finally forces himself to go farther, he finds a new reason to be afraid. This story was first published by The Delinquent (UK) then selected by Short Story America for inclusion in their anthology of their best stories of 2010. The bonus story - The Reset Button - is set in Stockholm, Sweden in the depths of winter. Linus Eriksson, a divorced bachelor living alone in his small one-bedroom apartment, is a man with a memory problem: instead of not being able to remember anyone, nobody can remember him. This story is brand new, exclusively available in this e-book. Review: The two short stories in this collection, If You...

Your past short story writing history - I've been writing short stories for over ten years. I've had a number of short stories published in anthologies including three in Level Best Books' Crime Stories By New England Writers (Volumes 2, 4 &5). I've also published short "romatica" stories in e-collections by Ravenous Romance. Date you electronically published your first story : I published my first collection of short stories,  My Last Romance & other passions  in paperback in 2006 and in e-format in 2009. Amount of effort you put into advertising your short stories - medium - I list them on my web site and blog and have them listed on Goodreads and other author sites but that's about all Genre(s) - crime/horror and romantic/love stories The average length your individual short stories tend to be - they vary from 1500 words to 15,000 words. Amazon sales data -  From February thru the present I've had 2 short story collections (8 stor...

Your past short story writing history -  None, except school long ago, of course. Other than some non-fiction articles, I haven't done shorter works. Date you electronically published your first story - I published my first novel in February 2010. The first (and only to date) short story mid-April 2011. Amount of effort you put into advertising your short stories - Pretty much none. You reviewed it when I answered your post on KB, and I mentioned it on my own blog. Genre(s) - The short story is western historical romance. My novels are that and cozy mystery. The average length your individual short stories tend to be - My short story is 6,000 words. Amazon sales data         All data for one short story, 6,000 words.         Partial month of April (first available and first sales April 13): 56         May: 125         June: 117      ...

Your past short story writing history - I began writing short stories as a kid and really worked on it in college. For my grad-school thesis, I wrote a short story collection. Some of those stories are in Evolvement, my chapbook-length story collection. Date you electronically published your first story - Dec. 31, 2010 Amount of effort you put into advertising your short stories - I put in a fair amount of effort for the first few weeks. I didn't spend any money on advertising except for one KB Book of the Day ad that will appear next month. I did other things, like press releases, blogs, tweets, etc. Now, I don't do much and I kind of just let it happen. Genre(s) - literary The average length your individual short stories tend to be - 2,000 words Amazon sales data February=1 standalone (0 sales) and 2 mini-collections (4 sales) March=1 standalone (0 sales) and 2 mini-collections (1 sale) April=1 standalone (0 sales) and 2 mini-collections (2 sales) May=1 standalone th...

Number 6 is my favorite....

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on all the things working against me as a writer.  One thing I definitely have working for  me is my sense of the long term.  Oh, I definitely get frustrated from those no sales days.  But I always have an ever-present sense of the long term.  This is really something that was instilled in me from over twenty years of playing the violin.  It's further amplified by the fact that I now teach the violin.  You think the writing process is slow?  Try learning a musical instrument. I think a lot of independent writers fall into the trap of losing long term focus.  We're constantly chanting "this is a marathon, not a sprint."  But what does that really mean in your mind?  Are you saying that but actually thinking "if I advertise enough, next month with be my big break"? In order to really be effective as a teacher, you really have to be tuned in to the little things.  If you simply compare this...

Summary: A short slice of near-future Americana about a boy, his missing grandfather, and a robotic exoskeleton. Review: This story left me feeling, for the most part, literarily satisfied. Monsef’s writing is good, drawing the reader in and presenting a well crafted short story about life and death and the way our relationships are affected by them. Both the grandfather and the grandson are realistic characters that the reader cares about almost instantly. The plot is well paced and interesting, if somewhat predictable. Presented by a lesser writer, this story could have been overly saccharine. However, Monsef’s skill keeps the heartwarming nature of the piece respectably subtle. The only problem with this story, and to me it’s a big one, is the skeleton. The skeleton plays a pivotal role in the story, almost becoming a character itself. Perhaps it’s just the prejudice of my archaeological background, but I had a hard time...

Summaries: What To Change: Doug Patterson is nearing 30 and feels his life has been one mistake after the other. A mysterious professor sends him a letter, offering him the chance to go back in time to change his life. Will Doug take that chance? If he does, what will he change? A Stop At Stanford: Doug Nyren makes videos. He wants to move to a place where the other artists aren’t snobs and his neighbors won’t try to push him to be a sell-out. He visits the tiny town of Stanford on the planet Gypsum. He meets some interesting people there, but will Stanford be the new home he’s looking for? Review: In “What to Change” and “A Stop at Stanford,” Robert Collins combines science fiction with realism, exploring the banality of everyday life through the lens of time and space travel. In both stories the main character is named Doug, despite the fact they don’t seem to be the same character. Apparently Collins just loves the name Doug. Although it is refreshing t...

Summary: Deep in the wildwood a shining blue meadow appears, the birthplace of forest spirits with varying forms, all determined to destroy the people who live nearby. Deyant and her sister Mrinda are among the few of their folk with the power to walk the hidden paths that lead to the meadows. They alone have the ability to twist the connection between the wildwood and its spawn, killing the creature before it can emerge. But Deyant and Mrinda have grown apart as Mrinda prepares for her wedding to Johnah. Mrinda has embraced her fiance’s faith, a faith that disapproves of the magical work that has been the focus of Deyant’s life. And Mrinda has another secret that she has not shared with her sister, a secret that could put them both in danger as they walk the paths that lead to the meadow where the forest spawn awaits its birth. Will the sisters come together to defeat their ancient enemy? Or will Deyant’s anger and Mrinda’s secret bring disaster upon them both? Find out whe...

Summary: Being dead isn’t a thrill ride, but Patty Sullivan figures she could have done a lot worse for her afterlife. After all, she’s got company with her in Purgatory: Jimmy, AKA the Grim Reaper; Brian, an adorable little dead boy; and Nexie, Jimmy’s feline familiar. And there’s never a dull day in Purgatory, what with the constant travelling and never ending parade of soul extractions. But there’s something missing in Patty’s afterlife—meaning. Patty can’t remember why she died. She can’t really remember anything at all about herself or her existence before Purgatory. And she knows there’s something important buried in her past, something that pertains to her death…but what? And Jimmy, that snarky bastard, won’t tell Patty anything. He says she has all the answers inside her already, and all she has to do to discover them is “open her soul to the truth,” whatever that means. Patty’s not impressed by Jimmy’s psychobabble but she’s determined to learn the truth about...

Dear Book Brouhaha readers, I am going to host my first ever blog giveaway.  I thought of hosting a competition, but that was just way too much effort.  I'm sorry.  I am lazy. So cutting straight to the chase.... I will be giving away Kindle copies of this flash fiction collection right here: The giveaway will last until the next blog posts (24 hours).  So if this is still the latest blog post, ask away!  In order to receive a copy, simply leave a comment on this blog post so I know you somehow came through Book Brouhaha.  Then just shoot me an email and I'll send you a copy.  Simple! No strings attached.  Reviews are always appreciated but only if they're honest.  I want real, soul-wrenching feedback. If this turns out well, hopefully there will be more giveaways to come!

Summary: Now, in Book 3: Death Bleeds Into Life, meet a young woman forced to face a horrible truth in her Gross Anatomy Lab ("Just Meat", 6,600 words), a religious leader forced to pay for his crimes in the Utah desert ("A Matter of Faith, A Matter of Balance", 9,300 words), a boy dying of a brain tumor as he looks for one last thrill in the Nevada desert ("The Madame Penitent", 10,500 words), and a college student looking to unravel the mysteries of the room next door where a girl was rape and murdered two years earlier ("The Transfer", 19,500 words) These are four stories that are sure to keep you thinking long after you've stopped reading.  Review: Published as story in a collection of four, “A Matter of Faith, A Matter or Balance” is a fantasy story that explores the ever popular theme of good versus evil. From the start, the tale is one we have become all too familiar with over the years: a charismatic patriarch defending the polygy...

Read the previous months here . Wow.  July was rough month sales-wise.  This is my first summer season where I've had stories up for sale.  I've talked to some other more established novel writing authors and they said it's usually pretty common for their monthly sales to drop as much as 30% in the summer months. 30% ?!? For someone with measly sales like mine a 30% drop takes me to almost zero!  I guess people are less inclined to read in the summer and more interested in going outside to enjoy the weather.  Barbarians. Anyway... here are my spectacular under 10k short story numbers for July: Amazon (US/UK/DE):          # of works:  13          # of sales:  5 B&N         # of works:  13         # of sales:  3 One interesting thing to note:  3 of my 5 Amazon sales were for my shortest standalone short story.  The Sacrific...

Summary: Lilies is a short story of the dead and the living, in a city at war where it is hard to tell one from the other, and where the men who carry the lilies commit the strangest of murders and kill the already dead. Lilies was chosen for Stephen Jones' Best New Horror anthology and recommended for the British Fantasy Society's Best Short Story. Iain's short fiction has been reprinted in anthologies, won awards, and been the basis for a novel shortlisted for the UK Crime Writers' Association's Debut Dagger award. Review: There were a lot of layers to this story.  "Thick" would be how I would describe it.  It takes awhile to get into (for a short story) but once I worked through the beginning I got very involved in the story line.  It's quite intriguing.   The war could really be any war that has happened here on earth but the occasional detail transports you to a not-quite-earth setting.  The two peoples fighting obviously have ...