Very short stories #24

Nearly the end of November already! This year seems to have gone on forever, and yet Christmas decorations are appearing… I hope you and yours are keeping safe and well.

The Diamond Device

A wee reminder that The Diamond Device is now up in the Kindle store as well as available in print. It’s a light-hearted, fast-paced read that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I really needed an antidote to the rest of the year 😛

Here’s a snippet I shared on Twitter earlier in the month, along with a picture of a couple of my characters.

“It was certainly a shock to hear the kidnapping,” murmured Rich.
“About the kidnapping, you mean.”
“Oh, yes. Do they have any suspects?”

Book reviews

I’ve been doing a bit better with reading and reviewing over the last few weeks. Here are my most recent reviews on Goodreads:

Free-Wrench by Joseph R. Lallo
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon
The Stowaway Debutante by Rebecca Diem
The Soul Eater by Mike Resnick
How to Become a Henchman: The Henchman’s Survival Guide by J. Bennett
Tiny Tales Volume One by G. D. Maher

I have a Kindle Unlimited subscription just now, which is a good opportunity to dip into more books than I might usually. It also means I’m even more likely to bail on books than previously since it doesn’t cost me to pick them up. (As an aside, another advantage of KU vs even “free” purchases is that my Kindle library doesn’t get cluttered with a load of books I only picked up out of curiosity). My personal notes on why I bailed out include:
Not invested in characters
Irritatingly Mary Sue
Argh, too many typos!
Dull, and annoyingly head-hoppy/explain-y

And now for a few of my teeny tiny Twitter tales. This month, I’ve inexpertly rendered all the images myself, which is still proving a lot of fun. Enjoy!

longeur

“What happened to that guy you met online?”
“It started off well. He wanted to exchange Bibliobook handles.”
“Ooh, sounds good! And then what?”
“He told me his. Longueur! Well, I ghosted him immediately.”
“Ha. He probably thought it meant something else.”

detour

“Not another detour!” The mighty-thewed hero scowled. “I still stink from our shortcut through that swamp.”
“Exactly.” Stripping off, the rogue waded into the stream. “All the more reason for this one.”

aurora

I waited impatiently in the dark. Footsteps jogged closer, and Aurora appeared with the light.
“You’re late.” I frowned at her rosy fingers. “Again?”
“Sorry, Selene.” She licked her fangs. “I can never stop at one.”

panacea

“They say time heals all wounds,” said my companion.
“Like a panacea?” I asked doubtfully.
“Yeah.” The other skeleton fingered the hole in his skull. “Not sure I believe them.”

ambrosia

He gazed moodily into his empty bowl. “The ambrosia you get these days is nothing like when I was young. My joints ache and my sight’s going.”
“Sorry to hear that,” murmured his ancient slave, admiring his newly youthful face in the mirror.

That’s all from me this month – see you next month!