Blog Archives
A Dark Night In Oregon: A Short Story
This short story grips you from the first flash of lightning. It begins in a lonely Oregon diner, rain pounding outside, and ends with the revelation that the frightened waitress, Linda, isn’t who she seems. She’s Jo Jordan, a wanted criminal tangled in a past of violence, betrayal, and survival. The tension builds fast. What starts as a quiet night at a retro café turns into a deadly standoff, where trust collapses and hidden truths crawl into the light. It’s short, sharp, and intense. Every page hums with unease.
Reading this, I felt caught in Jo’s turmoil. She’s dangerous but relatable. The writing doesn’t beg for sympathy, but it gives her enough raw honesty that I couldn’t help but feel torn. I liked how Ana Cortes layered Jo’s history through quick flashes of memory rather than long explanations. It kept the story moving and my nerves tight. The dialogue felt real, too. Short, clipped, sometimes almost choking on itself, just like real fear does. The violence hit hard but wasn’t overdone. The only thing that tripped me up was how fast it all happened.
What stuck with me most was the quiet sadness under the action. This isn’t just a story about crime. It’s about running, from others, from guilt, from yourself. I felt the rain, the loneliness, the weight of being hunted. The author writes with a movie-like rhythm, but she sneaks in emotion between the bullets. It made me think about how far someone might go just to start over, and how the past has a way of finding you, no matter where you hide.
I’d recommend A Dark Night in Oregon to readers who love fast-paced thrillers with a human edge. It’s perfect for anyone who likes stories that twist crime and emotion together. It’s dark but not hopeless. If you want something that makes your pulse race and your chest ache a little too, this one’s worth your time.
Pages: 10 | ASIN : B0FBW4292Y
Things That Defied Categorization
The Meteor Symphony is a colorful mix of short stories, poems, and microfiction, stitched together with music, humor, grief, and hope. What was the inspiration for this collection of writings?
At first, this was going to be the title story developed into a full-length novel. But the story was fully baked as barely a novella. All the while, I’d been writing short stories for a jazz website called Jerry Jazz Musician as well as poetry for who-knew-what (at the time).
I’d amassed lots of material that was a reflection of my experiences and my interior life as well as some fun fiction and other things that defied categorization. It felt right to put this out under one book, encompassing prose and poetry.
How did you go about organizing the writings in the book? Was there a specific flow or structure you were aiming for?
My main goal was to present different moods and perspectives in a random order, much as what life gives us. Things come at us daily without being organized or predictable. In fact, quite the opposite.
What themes were particularly important for you to explore in this book?
Dealing with grief and disappointment; dealing with love that may not be reciprocated; and also the silly, funny moments of being a human.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from The Meteor Symphony?
Not to deny the feelings and moods that come over you. Allow them and when they’re overshadowing living your life, put them in a box. Find a poker game to join (see my poem “Deal ’Em”).
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
“From the first sentence, Burke brought me into the world of her words. She is a gifted writer.” – Donna Kenworthy Levy, author of A Soul Promise
– – – – – – – – – – – – –
Debbie Burke is the author of twelve books (fiction and nonfiction), mostly about jazz and art. She is also a professional photographer, focusing on architecture, industrial design, and the liminal, as well as a professional editor and author coach at Queen Esther Publishing LLC. Burke’s jazz and photography blog at debbieburkecreative.com has garnered international acclaim. Originally from Brooklyn, NY, she now resides in the Tidewater region of Virginia.
Everyone! In the Dream! Is You!
Adam Dove’s Everyone! In the Dream! Is You! is a sharp and intimate collection of interconnected short stories that grapple with identity, masculinity, memory, and the messiness of love. Told in a poetic yet plainly honest style, the book moves between dreamlike surrealism and raw psychological insight. From sculptors binding lovers in clay to children descending into the earth searching for their lost fathers, Dove’s stories weave together fragile characters trying to anchor themselves in shifting emotional terrain. The title story is both a literal and metaphorical encapsulation of the collection; everyone, in every dream, might be a projection of the self.
What struck me most about Dove’s writing is how intimately he writes about emotional discomfort. The dialogue has the cadence of real relationships, awkward, evasive, and occasionally brutal. The prose feels lived-in, worn at the edges like a favorite coat, which makes the moments of beauty hit even harder. There’s an undercurrent of melancholy in every story, but it’s not melodramatic. It’s quiet. It creeps in during a pause between conversations or in the way a character stops mid-sentence. I found myself rereading passages just to sit in the strange sadness of them.
Dove doesn’t shy away from power imbalances, codependency, or emotional manipulation, especially between men and women. At times, I questioned whether the intimacy bordered on claustrophobia. But that discomfort seems intentional. Dove isn’t trying to offer easy takeaways or comforting conclusions; he’s holding up a mirror, and not everything in it is pretty. And that honesty, to me, is what makes the book worth reading.
I’d recommend Everyone! In the Dream! Is You! to readers who appreciate literary fiction that takes emotional risks. It’s perfect for fans of Raymond Carver or Carmen Maria Machado. If you’ve ever loved someone too hard or felt yourself coming undone trying to be who someone else needed, these stories will resonate. They left me feeling unsettled and weirdly grateful. And that, I think, is the mark of something good.
Pages: 208 | ASIN : B0DY69TB2M
Three Encounters of the Romantic Kind
In Three Encounters of a Romantic Kind, TG Gore takes us on a deeply personal journey through the three major romantic relationships of his life. The narrative captures moments of serendipity, heartbreak, and enduring connection, spanning decades. From a youthful love in 1962 to a middle-aged partnership that ends tragically, and finally, an unexpected May-December romance later in life, Gore reflects on love, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit.
What struck me first about this book is the candidness with the recounting of his relationships. The first encounter, with Emily, is bittersweet, young love blooming amid professional aspirations, only to unravel under the weight of time and circumstance. The descriptions of their beachside meeting are vivid, almost cinematic. He captures the giddy optimism of new love, tempered by the knowledge of its eventual collapse. His honesty about their troubled marriage, culminating in divorce, is refreshing and painfully human.
The second encounter, with Elaine, is my favorite part of the book. It’s a testament to second chances and the transformative power of love. The portrayal of Elaine is tender and heartfelt, and their meeting through a personal ad feels almost like fate. He shares moments of profound connection, from their first date’s shared love of music to Elaine’s unyielding support of his career. The emotional weight of this section deepens when Elaine falls ill. The anguish is palpable, and his profession’s inability to save her is a cruel irony that lingers long after the final page of their story.
The third encounter is where the tone of the book shifts dramatically. Gore’s openness about seeking physical connection on a dating website is bold, though at times bordering on indulgent. His romance with Veronica, a much younger woman, challenges societal norms and raises questions about compatibility, power dynamics, and the nature of desire. While the age gap is stark, his affection for Veronica feels genuine. However, the details of their intimacy may feel excessive to some readers, detracting from the emotional core of their relationship. The writing is straightforward and conversational, which makes the book an easy read. It oscillates between heartfelt introspection and overly detailed anecdotes that might not resonate with everyone. I feel the medical jargon sprinkled throughout seems somewhat out of place in what is primarily a romantic memoir.
Three Encounters of a Romantic Kind is a heartfelt exploration of love in its many forms: youthful infatuation, enduring partnership, and passionate reinvention. Gore’s reflections will resonate with readers who have experienced the highs and lows of love. The book is a touching reminder that love, in all its imperfections, is worth pursuing.
Pages: 28
Vivid Visions: Tales Woven from the Threads of Diverse Imaginations: A Short Story Collection
Vivid Visions by Seyed Mosayeb Alam is a vibrant anthology of short stories that dives deep into the complexities of the human experience. From supernatural mysteries to poignant reflections on love and loss, each tale is a mosaic of emotions and ideas. The collection thrives on its ability to unsettle and provoke thought, leaving readers with lingering questions about their own memories, regrets, and fears.
The writing in this book is fantastic, blending vivid imagery with an emotional depth that hits home. For instance, in “The Memory Auction,” Alam crafts a haunting narrative about Elara, whose purchase of a memory sparks a desperate quest for meaning. The scene where Elara holds a memory of a child calling her “Mom” is heartbreakingly evocative and sets the tone for the collection’s exploration of identity and loss. The way Alam interweaves personal grief with speculative elements feels raw and authentic.
The ideas behind the stories often resonate more than the execution. In “Unseen Bruises,” the metaphor of physical marks appearing from emotional wounds is compelling and the story’s twist—revealing the protagonist’s connection to her own imagined tormentor—was intriguing. But I found myself torn between admiration for the story’s ambition and a desire for tighter pacing. Alam seems most at ease when leaning into psychological unease, but occasionally the plots meander, diluting their emotional punch.
One of my favorite stories, “Love’s Last Dance,” is where the collection truly shines. Michael’s tender final moments with his wife, who mistakes him for her first love, is very moving. The emotional complexity is staggering, as he chooses to accept her fading memories rather than shatter her joy. This story encapsulates the theme of selflessness in love and left me teary-eyed, reflecting on the nature of relationships and identity.
Vivid Visions is a book for anyone who enjoys fiction that blends speculative and emotional elements. It’s perfect for fans of Neil Gaiman or Ray Bradbury—authors who similarly explore the strange and beautiful intersections of reality and imagination. The collection as a whole succeeds in painting a rich tapestry of human vulnerability. Alam’s writing is heartfelt, his imagination vivid, and his ability to stir reflection is undeniable.
Pages: 171 | ASIN: B0DRGJHT55
