Kisses, No Hugs Come From The "Chocolate Kiss Murderer..."

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Kisses to Die For

By A. R. Alan

Angelica Collins had a dream and she was on her way to making it all come true. The fact that her dreams were wonderfully exciting had not yet allowed her to calm down and face the reality that it would take lots of money to make them happen! Angel, to her friends, had just bought a large stately old home and a next-door cafe, she would call Angel's Place. She had gotten as far as placing her Christmas tree in front of a large window of her new home and was outside admiring its beauty, when reality came waltzing in...

Reality, thy name is Officer Tom McLean...

Actually, I would have had the same reaction to McLean as Angel did--he was pushy and, worse, immediately began to spotlight problems with her new home that she had not wanted to face--like that there was no heat, no lock on the front door--little things like that. Then he had the audacity to force her to stay at his home that night! She went for only one reason--he had told her that young girls had been murdered in town. They were already calling the killer the Chocolate Kiss Murderer.

By the next day, however, that amazing small town opened their arms to Angel and heat was soon being added to her home, along with other items that she had not known were absent, such as a water heater. She also had a wonderful neighbor, Bessie, who constantly brought goodies and who agreed to bake for her cafe when it opened. Angel was finding out what she needed and it seemed Bessie always knew somebody who could help, or owed her a favor, and immediately there was a person there handling the problem. Bartering and extra time for paying seemed to be standard for her needs. There seemed no way that she could fail.

Tom McLean was as amazed as Angel was in how things were coming together, but that didn't stop him from worrying about her since the killer was still loose. Especially when chocolate kisses were left at her home... And then spread across the doorway of the cafe where she would find them as she opened up...

Perhaps Tom didn't realize how much he had begun to care until one of Angel's former instructors came into the cafe, and even worked as a waiter to fill in when needed. Tom had been hurt in the past and had sworn he would never marry. Angel looked forward to having a family sometime in the future--it was just as much a part of her dream as her home and cafe. But for right now, the cafe was all she was interested in dealing with and she foolishly ignored the kisses as being more than a joke played by one of the many boys and men who now surrounded her...

In fact, solving the mystery is one of the least things that will keep readers involved. Once the community opens up to Angel and she, in turn, welcomes the community, we the readers get to know, say, a small group of boys who were suddenly practicing their band in her basement, after first painting throughout the house in payment. Then there is the young couple that applied for the job of assistant in the kitchen, who wound up moving into the house, with Lilly cleaning at home and Yong at the cafe. They had been hired even before they applied because they had worked for the Mayor and the Mayor had walked into Angel's home rudely and often, raising Angel’s immediately dislike! (To give him a little benefit--it seemed like everybody was walking in and out of the house for a while and probably would have continued if the chocolates hadn't mysteriously appeared.)

 Then there's Jimmy she meets when he’s delivering furniture for his father and from whom she winds up buying all of her meat for the cafe. Roxy had been sent over by "Tommy" to act as waitress. Angel was not only a little jealous of what kind of relationship she might have with Tom, she was somewhat intimidated by the sexy woman. But when she learned that she had regulars from all over town that would follow her to eat at the cafe, Angel decided she had to ignore her personal feelings...

Readers will instantly love Angel and wish all her dreams fulfilled.  I was especially thrilled when they found that all of the home’s beautiful furniture had been stored in the attic! Of course, they weren't happy to have found the body of a woman stuffed into a small closet behind all that furniture... But, at least finding the body explained the ghost to whom Angel had been talking since she'd arrived. Oh, did I forget to mention earlier that this was a ghost story? 

Needless to say I loved this one! Good times, with a little mystery and a ghost to keep me interested and happy...what more could you want?! Highly recommended...

Manuscript Provided
by Author



GABixlerReviews

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Those Who Murder Together Stay Together...

“Never,” Emily said. “We’re going to be 
sisters for life.  Right, Carla?”
Carla nodded. “Special sisters. 
We’ll always be there for each other, 
no matter what happens.”
The three of us linked our pinkies  together, 
and I said, “We’re Pinky Sisters 
now and forever. Amen.”
“Amen,” Emily and Carla repeated. 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dreammaker
182/2441413261/in/photostream/

Fireflies

By A. R. Alan

A. R. Alan has a unique talent of honing in on serious issues facing women and writing about them so sincerely and yet so humorously that you wind up alternatively laughing and crying... Fireflies is such a novel. The underlying activity of the three female characters, while horrendous, seems to serve as a necessary and justifiable activity--an everyday occurrence that happens as friends support each other...

"I watched her place a half dozen split logs in the crook

of her arm, then walk back to the fire and toss them in.

"The sparks look like fireflies," she said wistfully...

I stayed where I was, listening to the burning logs

clunk down on the embers below and holding my nose

against the disgusting aroma of charred wood and

Charlie, who, unaware of what was about to happen to him

had just had his finger and toes nails polished...

I watched as the flames shot into the black night..."

Perhaps it was because Mary's mother had died in their home. Mary "still pictured her asleep on the worn, cigarette-burned sofa with the half-filled glass of gin clutched in her hand and the empty liquor bottle lying on the stained carpet." Mary had not been sorry to lose her mother, because it meant that she had escaped--escaped from the torture and abuse she had received every time her father was out of town on business.

She had stayed with Carla's family for awhile after the fire, but then her father built a new home and came back with his wife and son... Then Mary had both her stepmother and her son to worry about...

But then again, both Emily and Carla had also murdered their husbands... Had it all been planned among the Pinky Sisters?

Meet Carla, who became addicted to sex after secretly watching her parents make love...

And Emily, who lived with the burden that she had begged to eat like the other kids, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for her lunch and leaving the top off the peanut butter. Her brother had eaten most of the jar, but had been allergic to peanuts, something none of the family could possibly have known...

While the bonfire blazed hot, to ensure all traces of Charlie were gone, the three friends, the three sisters, forced to stay awake to keep the fire going, come face to face with their past. Each shares her own story from her perspective. Sometimes a perception was wrong and one friend strikes out to defend herself. 

Sometimes a secret had been kept from the other two and now had exploded into anger and bitterness as understanding and forgiveness was sought... 

Exploring family relationships, intimacy and money issues, especially when the three started to burn money(!), are all issues that undoubtedly will touch each reader differently, but I can almost guarantee that you will be nudged by something that the Pinky Sisters explore during that bonfire.

This somewhat tongue-in-cheek flippant and sardonic farce has much to offer. Learn from it, wonder about it, but most of all enjoy it. Highly recommended.


Manuscript Provided 
By Author

GABixler Reviews 

Spotlight A. R. Alan - Latest Novels Coming in November!

A. R. Alan

Author, Screenwriter, Poet

A. R. Alan is a born storyteller. Reading and writing novels are lifelong passions. Worldwide travel and a career that brought her into contact with interesting personalities and celebrities fanned her already fertile imagination over the years, and validate the vivid, often zany characters that people her novels.

Previously writing under the name of B.B. Carter and currently as A.R. Alan, she has had many poems and short stories published, including in Playgirl Magazine,  and ten novels published. She’s also sold comedic material to Joan Rivers.

Alan is also an avid environmentalist that played a major role in saving a New Jersey/New York mountain range from developers. It will remain open space forever. Screenplays available for: “The House Of Cupcakes, The CB (Chocolate Brown) Social Club, and Do I Flaunt My Fat, Or Jump Off A Bridge?"

Barbara would love to hear from her readers. You can contact her at bbcarter2@aol.com. Please check out her website: aralanbooks.com

From the author...

 "This story is about three seemingly normal women. Women you would see in the supermarket or library, or in a mall, yet all three of them have terrible secrets - secrets so shattering that they haven't shared them with their best friends. Mary was abused by her mother, Carla is a full blown nymphomaniac, and Emily is guilt ridden because her baby brother died because she made her mother buy a simple jar of peanut butter. But the women's pasts don't help them  make better choices as adults. Each marries badly and each winds up killing their husband.  It's terrible, and it's a crime, but the women are so sympathetic and lovable that everyone who has read Fireflies tells me that they root for the three women to get away with their crimes. This novel is a mystery filled with black humor. 

I think I would compare my novel to "Fly Away Home, by Jennifer Weiner because in both novels the story is told by three women. However, I think my novel is more riveting, more sexual, and has a greater mystery to it...(of course!)"Fireflies Two - Vat 9 is the second in the Fireflies series.

Here's a blurb that a sex therapist wrote for Fireflies. I contacted Erica when I needed to research Nymphomania.

As a psychotherapist I have worked with many couples dealing with issues of anger, betrayal, unrequited love, abandonment, abuse, and even sexual compulsions. In A. R. Alan’s novel Fireflies, I found the characters believable, delightful and sometimes scary.  I kept wondering, what led these three seemingly normal women to commit such horrific crimes and solidify their friendships in the process? That intriguing question along with the natural, flowing dialogue kept me reading to discover the answers. I temporarily abandoned my professional journals to finish this compelling story.

Erica Goodstone, Ph.D., LMHC, LPC, LMFT

www.DrEricaWellness.com

Here's another blurb from Carron Strock.

We all have our secrets. But what will drive three women, women many of us can identify with, to commit murder? And what would make us side with them when they do? With sensitivity, compassion, and understanding, and a bit of humor too, A. R. Alan’s novel “Fireflies” brings us into their worlds. The plights of these women will stay with you long after you’ve read it.    

Carren Strock, author of “Married Women Who Love Women” 

and “Married Women Who Love Women, Second Edition.” 

www.erols.com/carrens

Reviews coming tomorrow and next day!

Author Alert: Consider Author Created Versus Professionally Created Trailers...

I  joined a group, Book Marketing on LinkedIn recently and chose to get involved with the topic, "YouTube book trailers seem trendy at the moment. Has anyone tried one? Do they work at all?" Knowing that many of the authors with whom I interact have either shared their trailers or mentioned they would like to have one in my interpersonal discussions or in my Reviewers Roundup group, I thought I would share the post by Charles Weinblatt. Note that you can visit the entire activity by clicking the link at the beginning of this paragraph.

Weinblatt provided links to two separate trailers...one he created (the top one) and one that he had professionally done (bottom). I watched the shorter one first, as his first link, and was pleased to enjoy this 30-second blurb which he says he created in about 2 hours... I also enjoyed the second one since it gave me more info about the book...but of the two, I would say that the shorter one solicited my interest more. Please note that I'm not saying this would be the same for all books--I'm just saying it about this particular book trailer comparison...

If interested, I suggest you go through the whole discussion activity... In the meantime, I'm pleased to share this author-created trailer as an example of what is possible for those who have limited resources for their marketing...

My thanks to Charles Weinblatt for sharing this information...

Sharing this info is purely at my initiation and does not endorse the products used or the named book, which I have not read...nor, in fact, have I previously known Weinblatt, the author... I am also linking related articles which are provided for information only...

However, here's my personal thoughts as a reviewer...I love book trailers! Here are a few issues/thoughts I've had:

• If you're going to use lots of narrative to tell the story as opposed to pictures, PLEASE give the reader the time to read what you've provided!
• Personally, in my opinion, the pictures you use should represent if at all possible, the characters in your book; e.g., if the book has an African-American main character, then the pics should reflect that. I realize that "stock" pictures may not always be available, but I think if you are getting the trailer professionally done, then they should be prepared to supply appropriate character pics. I bring this up because many years ago I read the work of an African-American female author whose books featured a really dynamic female character, who was white in the trailer. She had me preview the trailer as an early reader of her book and that was the first question I had. The response from the creator did not satisfy either of us, although she accepted it at that time.
• Trailers that gain my greatest attention are those that include music that is appropriate to the genre of the book. If it is a thriller--bold, exciting music is called for. If horror or suspense, spooky...you get the idea...
• As a book buyer, I want to learn enough about the book to help me make a choice whether to buy it--30 secs might be too short; but it shouldn't be too long either...More importantly, however, for me, it is whether it is "excitingly done"...and keeps my attention, no matter how long it is! If you don't think your trailer does that...when you get it drafted, try to get some early reviewers to help by gaining comments. In my opinion, somebody who has already ready your book is best; on the other hand, if I hadn't read your book...my thoughts about whether you have enticed me could also be relevant...

Related articles

• book trailers (fremontlibraries.wordpress.com)
• There's A Whole Lot Of Funny (And Famous People) In John Hodgman's New Book Trailer (mediaite.com)
• Book Trailer of the Day (thedailywh.at)
• Launch Trailer - Book Out Today (youarenotsosmart.com)
• Settlers of Catan: The Novel (with exclusive book trailer) (boingboing.net)
• Book Trailers On a Budget (diamondpublicationz.wordpress.com)
• Book Trailers (med523summer11.wordpress.com)
• Sunday Writers' Roundup #8 (musingbymoonlight.com)
• On Troy Parfitt's "Why China Will Never Rule the World" (ilookchina.net)

Walker Takes Series Up A Notch With Great Second Novel!

Image by pixxiestails via Flickr

"She lies at the bottom of the beige Jacuzzi tub, arms at
her sides as though reposing in a funeral bier. Like that
of a mermaid, her long black hair fans around her head,
buoyed by an inch or so of water. This poor soul had
been a dark-skinned cutie in life, on the petite side and,
I'm guessing, in her late thirties or early forties...
"It's clear that someone meant to defile this woman and
her memory, and they've done so with a simple act by
placing a small Confederate flag on her forehead. ..
"In a society awash with symbols, few pack the
visceral punch and conjure such deep-rooted pain for
African-Americans as that ugly icon of the Confederacy."

Hidden In Plain View


A Darryl Billups
  Mystery


By Blair S. Walker







Darryl Billups has been promoted since we met him in Up Jumped The Devil. He had gone to another job but commuting to see Yolanda, who had moved in with Darryl while he was working the NAACP bombing plot investigation, plus missing his home town, brought him back to the negotiation table and he's now working as an editor...at least until a new serial killer is stalking Baltimore...

You know, I always wonder whether an author, when choosing to create a series, purposely decides to build his series so that the books keep getting better and better. Whether planned or not, Blair S. Walker has succeeded in surpassing his opening novel! Already I'm looking forward to the next in the series...

Darryl is surprised when Lt. Gardner calls him to come to the scene of the latest murder. Darryl has not been a street reporter since he became editor, but when his friend and partner in the NAACP investigation calls him, he knows he needs to go himself...

And when the managing editor learns that he's been called in by the police to work with them, he is allowed to step back into his investigating reporter role, especially when Gardner has an attack while they were having coffee, is taken to the hospital, and later dies. Darryl is determined to work the case, even if they won't hold his editor position for him!

While trying to work with Gardner's partner, Donatelli, there just isn't any trust for either of them to permit their routinely sharing information, but when forensics discovers nothing at any of the crime scenes, a grudging relationship begins to develop.

And then another murder takes place in Atlanta and Darryl is allowed to travel there on behalf of the newspaper, taking along with him copies of police reports and his earlier news items for the local newspaper staff and police there. But while there, he is pulled personally into the investigation when the killer learns who he is and decides to kill him!

I was surprised by the identity of the killer as well as the method of the murders--makes for good reading for this whodunit mystery lover! The novel included quite a lot of character activity. I thoroughly enjoyed the side story of Yolanda's twin, LaToya, visiting and Darryl's continuous comparison of the two sisters! A merging relationship between LaToya and Darryl's friend Dawg also provides some light humor, but grows more intense when the killer starts after Darryl, or his family... I was sorry to lose Gardner since I had so enjoyed his interaction in the first novel...but then, we have a new managing editor coming in, who I know already is going to be a prominent character I'll enjoy.

Learning the perspective of African-Americans via fiction has been and continues to be a learning experience for me. I knew from my own friendships through the year that there is usually an undercurrent to the relationships I've had, prior to my getting to know and enjoy the individuals as friends. I admire and respect Darryl Billups as a professional and family man. That he happens to be an African American fictional character non-verbally allows me to better understand and improve my own perceptions and knowledge. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn about cultural differences in such a fun and enjoyable way!

Aside from that, the book was great and can be highly recommended to whodunit mystery fans and those who enjoy getting to know characters in fictional series.

Book Obtained Via
Amazon Vine Program


GABixlerReviews

Latest in Cozy Series Flavored With Chick Lit...Cool Merge!

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

"Didn't you hear about the agent who was shot through the
head and left to die in a penthouse condo just last week?
And another one yesterday, first a head-shot and then a
tumble down a split-level colonial's flight of basement
stairs."...Across this great country of ours more than
twenty agents were killed on the job last year....they're now
carrying guns to protect themselves while working."

Triple Shot


By Sandra Balzo

I hadn't had the chance to read Balzo since the beginning of her Maggy Thorsen Mystery series, so I was pleasantly surprised that her latest, Triple Shot had taken on the maturity of a seasoned, well-grounded series that both feels comfortable to sink into, but had been updated enough to bring readers new enthusiasm and enjoyment. I don't profess to be a reader of Chick Lit, but I could not help but notice the inclusion of  new terms that you might hear on reality television or entertainment programs that spotlight on the dress, activities and life of the rich and famous (or wannabees)...especially when discussions by or about the "Barbie table"--a group of the social elite who came to spend time at Uncommon Grounds after their tennis to gossip and enjoy their free time while Maggy and her staff served them. Of course, once in a while, one of the customers would even share with Maggy:

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/wiki/File:JimmyChooshoes.jpg

"Poor Elaine was an absolute wreck. She lost fifteen pounds and didn't have them to lose. When it first happened, I insisted she stay with me for a while and, after a week or so, I thought she'd turned the corner. Then she went home and the other Choo dropped.
"As in Jimmy Choo, the shoe designer. [Maggy thought] All I could do these days was visit the high-end shoes at Saks Fifth Avenue, like I was touring a museum. Once a salesperson even let me touch one. "The 'other Choo' being?"

Aside from that, however, Balzo continues to bring us fun whodunit mysteries that quickly pull you in and guessing, trying, if you're like me, to solve the puzzle before the author shares it...especially when Maggy Thorsen takes personal interest and decides that she needs to solve the case, even though her "boy-toy" and sheriff, Jack Pavlik  is "officially" on the case!

Maggy and Sarah Kingston are partners in Uncommon Grounds which is located next to a commuter rail line to Milwaukee. The shop had been recently relocated into a building in the older part of Brookhills, Wisconsin, that had been inherited by Sarah. In fact, Sarah had become even more involved with the new shop--to the detriment to her realty office. So much so that her staff had dwindled down to one new agent, who was not yet really able to act on her own and had filed a legal suit against Sarah for the lack of leadership and training she had expected to receive.


But Brigid Ferndale was found murdered not too long after that... Found because a certain strange smell had invaded the coffee shop above!


Her death followed two other agents and the other women had all been involved in showing a listing when they were found. But Brigid had been found in a secret underground room that was located under Uncommon Grounds! Interestingly though, neither Sarah nor Maggy had known the room was there...  But, there was no question that Sarah would be suspected so Maggy really had no choice but to try to help her friend and business partner, right?

The underground room actually had been the location where members of the mob would privately wait for the train. It was historically significant as part of a group of buildings that had been involved in a deadly shootout during which many of the mob, the FBI and a local restaurant owner had been killed. Part of the story was that a million dollars had been onsite and had never been discovered.

So, while a real estate agent mystery is being investigated, there is also a television celebrity who has come to town to shoot live from the area, making the claim that he knows where the money is hidden and will reveal all during his televised documentary which would include a tour of the restaurant where the incident had occurred as well as revealing a secret tunnel to a next-door slaughterhouse where it was rumored that more than cattle met their death and where the money was supposed to have been stashed.

Being asked to cater the activities surrounding this program placed Maggy right where she wanted to be--and where she was most likely to be in danger!

In case you didn't know it, in a cozy mystery, the "civilian" nearly always solves the case...LOL And that's exactly why readers enjoy them. Of course, cozies also many times come in a series and we begin to look forward to reading more about the wonderful characters that we all come to love! Try Sandra Balzo's Maggy Thorsen mystery series if you haven't already! Be prepared and relax with a...Triple Shot of your favorite beverage! Highly recommended!

Book Received Via
Bostick Communications


GABixlerReviews

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YOU Are Invited! Book Launching, Book Sale, Giveaways, Contests!

WoMen's Literary Cafe is proud to host a launch party to celebrate the release of bestselling, award-winning author, Melissa Foster's highly anticipated third novel                

  http://womensliterarycafe.com/ 

TUES, NOV 1 - THURS, NOV 3, 2011

DISCOUNTED to just 99¢ for 3 DAYS ONLY                                                              

                                    

Available on Amazon on November 1st

Tess Johnson has it all: her handsome photographer husband Beau, a thriving business, and a newly discovered pregnancy. When Beau accepts an overseas photography assignment, Tess decides to wait to reveal her secret—only she’s never given the chance. Beau’s helicopter crashes in the desert.

Tess struggles with the news of Beau’s death and tries to put her life back together. Alone and dealing with a pregnancy that only reminds her of what she has lost, Tess is adrift in a world of failed plans and fallen expectations. When a new client appears offering more than just a new project, Tess must confront the circumstances of her life head on.

Meanwhile, two Iraqi women who are fleeing honor killings find Beau barely alive in the middle of the desert, his body ravaged by the crash. Suha, a doctor, and Samira, a widow and mother of three young children, nurse him back to health in a makeshift tent. Beau bonds with the women and children, and together, with the help of an underground organization, they continue their dangerous escape.

What happens next is a test of loyalties, strength, and love.

(Greenforge Books). 
Paperback: 978-0-9847165-1-7

Kindle:  978-0-9847165-0-0 

For three days only, 35 AUTHORS will celebrate Foster's release by offering their books to readers for just 99¢. GIVEAWAYS- CONTESTS - AND MORE! 

Check out Info on Participating Authors Here!

WoMen's Literary Cafe

The WoMen’s Literary Café (welcoming both men and women) is an extension of the The Women’s Nest.  We're an online community that bridges the gap between writers and readers with the sole mission of promoting great literature.  The WoMen’s Literary Café is ‘Where readers and authors unite!’

Bridging the gap between readers and authors, the WoMen's Lit Cafe will offer free promotions to authors, reviewers, bloggers, and editors--bringing readers, authors, and author services together under one umbrella in a free, easily navigable venue.  

Contact Stacy Eaton, Author

http://stacyeatonauthor.blogspot.com/

Or


http://womensliterarycafe.com/


For More Information!

Title Story Ready for Screenwriting For Great Crime Drama Movie!

Image by Niklas via Flickr

"I'm Arthur Petorik, homeless person deluxe,
and any identification I might make of your
suspects will be of no use to you. Someone
like me as a material witness will be as
unreliable as if I had merely phoned in
anonymously, the information that I told you
five times now. For the sake of argument though,
I strongly suspect you have someone in mind
for this crime. I didn't get much of a look at the
guys who killed the officer...

The Petorik Thesis and


Tales of the Global West


By W. Jack Savage




In just 80 pages, Jack Savage, jams more into a short story, The Petorik Thesis, than many do in a lengthy novel! In fact, it is a complex, intricate drama that is weaved together so tightly that it must be closely followed to believe...and one that is worthy of a TV or movie presentation....


What do you do if you are not sure whether a character is good or bad? We all know the potential risks for police and other individuals who deal daily with those involved in crime and political corruption. Do good guys some time get caught up into something unplanned and, perhaps, go astray? Well, for Savage, he provides us with a couple who you may question but who are "not so bad" to root for! And the male lead character is a homeless man by the name of Arthur Petorik.


Only he's not Arthur Petorik...


Petorik had been trespassing on the grounds of an Industrial Center and had witnessed a man being beaten. He had pulled the man into his sheltered area when the men had left the scene, though they had also later returned to get rid of the body. The man was still alive when rescued but later then died. It was discovered he was an undercover cop--a cop had been killed!


"Normally" when a cop is murdered, it results in a major hunt for the killer! With Petorik's description, the hunt was on... Detective Gloria Hernandez began by grilling and investigating Petorik's background as well as his story...and that's when readers get pulled into a tale of corruption that is so compelling and unbelievable that you begin to...believe it!

I think what most attracts me about Savage's work is his creation of characters that are so life-like and, seemingly, like the "man on the street." And yet, they get into such strange conversations or situations!


Take the man who had somewhat of a traumatic experience in grade school--a little girl in his class threw up and the boy was so disgusted by seeing vomit for the first time that he was, thereafter, unable to eat any food that was yellow... Funny how childhood experiences can affect us for the rest of our lives--I think you'll enjoy the first story in the book, "Yellow Food"!

Life experience was also featured in another story, Sally's,  which I particularly enjoyed when a man, who had been in the service, visits a hometown restaurant of his close buddy who had been killed, and winds up sharing the "real story" of his death to not only his father but the entire town!

Scenes where two or three characters talking comprises the entire story is another skill of Jack's that I finding amazing. He creates insightful contemporary fables, with people you seem to know or have heard about. Consider, "Howie and Katherine" with the intriguing line: "Howie, Pull the f..... nails out of your hands and feet long enough to say goodbye at...Apartment 14."

"I miss her more than I thought I would,
you know," he said. "I didn't think I
would. I mean it was just f.......
'Tupperware,' after all. But I guess, after
your experience, maybe it was more
than that. You know it's kind of funny.
I still use the 'Tupperware," It, ah, it
doesn't seem like a big deal any more.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
Tupperware_Ultraplus.JPG

Or...consider "Tupperware" that pulls readers into the world of male-female live-in relationships when the men who become involved with a certain woman decides whether it is possible to live with her and her little...issues...

The last story, "Awards" was personally a revelation to me since I found, perhaps, that I could have been the main character who is an author and finds that getting recognition makes him realize that "life would never be as good for him as in the stories he created." Of course, as a reader, all I had to do was replace "stories he created" with "stories I read..." LOL

My favorite story was "Christmas at Fort Leonard Wood" which tells about a young man who is still in basic training and who innocently asks his sergeant what options he had, since, as an orphan, he had no home to go to... This heartwarming tale shows that the celebration of His love can be found anywhere!

When you can find yourself in a short story, or perhaps see your friends or life situations you have experienced, most with a hidden moral, then, you realize that you have found a rare gift given by that author. I commend W. Jack Savage to you. He keeps getting better and better and his stories more creative and insightful. If you haven't read any of Savage's work and enjoy crime fiction, I suggest you try this book as your first--a highly recommended read!
 

GABixlerReviews