Lovers and Loners, a Short Story Collection

Thanks to my publisher and dear friend Mark McNease at MadeMark Publishing, my second collection of short stories, Lovers and Loners, is now available on Kindle. Those with other types of electronic tablets can simply download the Kindle app to their device. The paperback edition will be out in just a few days.

The stories in this new collection feature female protagonists who struggle for footholds in a shifting world. “Parasites” involves a widow who agrees to have dinner with a man she believes is a killer. “Manatee Gardens” explores the relationship between a mother and daughter who discover common ground at a marine sanctuary. In “Chasing Zero” a woman with a mysterious illness loses her hold on the callous man she adores. “Odds and Ends” follows a woman running errands on the last day of her life.

Lovers and Loners is a study of the human predicament: our eagerness and despair, our hidden fears and stubborn hopes, the blunders we make and the ways in which we are salvaged.

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“A Sea Change” in The Other Stories Podcast

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Today I wish to give deep thanks to editor Ilana Masad for featuring “A Sea Change” in The Other Stories podcast. This story is part of my collection SURVIVAL SKILLS, published by Ashland Creek Press.

Photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/daugaard/2687998731/”>DaugaardDK</a&gt; via <a href=”http://foter.com/”>Foter.com</a&gt; / <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>CC BY-NC-SA</a>

A Chat with The Penmen Review

I wish to thank Rebecca LeBoeuf of The Penmen Review for hosting this interview. I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation about the craft of writing and the challenges involved in being a writer.

The Penmen Review is Southern New Hampshire University’s online journal for creative writers, featuring resource articles and spotlight interviews, as well as prose and poetry chosen by the editorial board from submitted work.

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“Savages” in On The Premises

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I am honored and delighted to have won second place in this contest for my story “Savages.”

On The Premises is an online fiction magazine founded in 2006 by Tarl Kudrick and Bethany Granger.

Stories published in On The Premises are winning entries in short story contests launched each December and June. Each contest challenges writers to produce a great story based on a broad premise supplied by the editors. Winning stories are published in each April and October.

I am grateful to editors Tarl and Bethany for this opportunity and distinction.

An Essay for Writers in The Artist Unleashed

My gratitude to editor Jessica Bell for sharing my essay, “Writing, Secretive Dogs and LGBT Literature” in the current issue of The Artist Unleashed, a provocative and inspiring blog for writers and readers. Jessica invites authors to share their creative ideas, and each Wednesday she posts them, providing the featured authors more visibility, while fostering encouragement and motivation. This is a great site on which to contribute your writing, questions and comments.

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“Chasing Zero” at Every Writer’s Resource

A big thank you to the editors of Every Writer’s Resource for sharing my story “Chasing Zero.” This story takes a look at the flavor and fragrance industry and concerns a woman with a mysterious illness who loses her grip on the callous man she adores.

An invaluable tool for any author, Every Writer’s Resource is a site of literary markets, book publishers, literary magazines, poetry, short stories, articles and resources on writing.

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“Odds and Ends” in the Eunoia Review

I wish to thank Ian Chung, editor of Eunoia Review, for reprinting my story “Odds and Ends.” This story is set in the Midwest and concerns a woman running errands, unaware of what’s headed her way. If you enjoy surprises, I think you’ll like this piece.
Each day Ian brings us two pieces of writing in a pleasant user-friendly format. The tagline for Eunioa Review is “Beautiful Thinking,” a description reflected in the journal’s content. I admire this editor for his inexhaustible energy and his commitment to publishing stories and poems that matter.

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“Greyhound” in The Bosque Beast

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My deep thanks to editor Keiko Ohnuma for publishing this excerpt of my story “Greyhound” in the latest edition of The Bosque Beast, a journal dedicated to bringing awareness to the plight of animals. “Greyhound” is included in the story collection SURVIVAL SKILLS, published by Ashland Creek Press. I am proud to have my work recognized by people who care so deeply about animals and the beautiful, fragile world we live in.