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Showing posts with label flash fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flash fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Monday, August 08, 2022
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 92 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 92 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction: Pixabay Updated 8/5/22 Flash fiction is shorter than the normal range of short stories, which are generally 3,000 words or more. The preci...
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Wednesday, September 08, 2021
Short Story Wednesday Review: Unhappy Endings: A Collection Of Three Flash Fiction Stories by Judy Penz Sheluk
Unhappy Endings: A Collection Of Three
Flash Fiction Stories by Judy Penz Sheluk is exactly
what is advertised. These three stories are not light or happy reading. These
three stories have pain in them that lingers long after the fourteen-page read
is finished. All three tales were previously published by Thema Literary
Journal based in New Orleans.
This short read opens with “Sylvia’s World.” Sylvia
never has seen Paris and lives in a world far away from anything in Paris. But,
a line from a story that references Paris has stuck in her mind. It won’t let
go.
The porch light is off and that is never a good sign
as “Cleopatra Slippers” opens. 10 pm in 1973 is the setting for this 16-year-old
who has a difficult home life situation. It may be thirty years later, but the
memory is just as fresh today.
Brad and the narrator were supposed to be engaged on
the road to marriage. That plan has not kept Brad faithful. He is not totaled as the take begins, but she
is not happy. “Emmaline” is the name of this tale and is also the name of the
child that she is carrying.
These are not happy light stories. These are short tales of pain and difficult situations. As they are flash fiction tales and therefore short in length little more can be said without ruining the read. Like her tale in the Flash And Bang Anthology as well as her collection Live Free or Fri: A collection of three short mysteries author Judy Penz Sheluk packs a lot of detail and nuance in each piece.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016, 2021
Sunday, April 11, 2021
Punk Noir Fiction: The Company Man by Paul D. Brazill
Paul posted this a few days ago and I just found it today. To be fair..... I feel seen. 🤣
Punk Noir Fiction: The Company Man by Paul D. Brazill
Monday, December 21, 2020
Wednesday, December 02, 2020
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Friday, August 21, 2020
Saturday, August 08, 2020
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
Review: Flash Bang Mysteries: Spring 2020 Issue 19
Recently Flash
Bang Mysteries: Spring 2020 Issue 19 was released by the father and
son team of BJ Bourg and Brandon Bourg. The issue contains four interesting short
stories.
Selected as the cover story, “The Fourth Amendment” by
John Bowers has Chief Carpenter appearing in the chambers of Judge Martin as he
wants a warrant. In fact, he needs that warrant. Chief Carpenter has to
convince the judge to see things his way in the pursuit of justice.
Sunday is the one day a week that Pearl and Henry eat out
at local pub and take a walk to the nearby museum at the castle. Henry bought as
annual pass, believing it a wise investment, and made sure Pearl did the same.
Education is important and yet Henry does not know everything in “A Fitting
Sendoff” by Madeleine McDonald.
Taking photographs correctly is always important. It is even
more so when one is taking pictures of the deceased. As Lacy has found over the
years, change the light source, change the angle, and the pictures reveal
evidence. The latest victim clearly has some evidence on her and Lacy is
working hard to document it all in “Shadows” by Jemi Fraser.
The editor’s choice of the issue is “Sweet Spot” by Bruce Harris. Steve
“Stoney” Stevens has a bakery in downtown Denver. An interview on the very
popular news show is going to skyrocket his success if he handles himself just
right.
The four short stories here are all
quick reads and all four are good ones. With a submission cap of 700 words,
each author quickly sets the scene and moves the action along to conclusion. A
lot of stuff is at work in each tale as are a couple of surprises. Flash
Bang Mysteries: Spring 2020 Issue 19 is another quick and fun
read. You can read the current issue as back issues for free online here.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
Monday, October 28, 2019
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2018 Derringer Award Finalists
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: 2018 Derringer Award Finalists: As posted to Shortmystery by Derringer Awards Coordinator Jay Hartman: For Best Flash (Up to 1,000 words) "Cold Turkey" by ...
Thursday, February 01, 2018
Review: Switchblade: Issue 1, Volume 1, Edited by Scotch Rutherford
The first issue of Switchblade is an
intriguing mix of both noir and hard boiled fiction. The anthology is divided into
two parts consisting of flash fiction and short fiction. Per the introduction
written by editor Scotch Rutherford, the tales in this magazine share a common
goal of killing political correctness as violently as possible while also
entertaining the reader. Both goals are easily met in the first issue. Sensitive
readers are warned that there is extensive use of adult language and/or adult
situations. There is nothing cozy happening in these tales.
The flash section opens with an author
who has been a long time favorite of this reviewer, Paul D. Brazill. His tales
always feature characters in the thick of their own mess and Tony Fowler in “Getting
Away With It” fits the bill from the first sentence. Crashing a stolen BMW is
bad enough and then things really go downhill.
Jim J. Wilsky is up next with “Gut
Wrenching.” Wayne Lee Parsons really needs a doctor. A towel and some duct tape
are just not going to get the job done.
Prison taught Bobbie a few things. Max
has questions in “Re-election” by Fred Zackel.
Daylight shinning into a bar is never a
pretty sight and the Rumkey is no
exception in “Primed” by Scotch Rutherford. Johnny owing Max instead is not an upgrade or
is going to make things any better. Not there is any real choice for him or
anyone else.
A kangaroo, a car, and a lot more is
involved in the very short tale, “Urban Legend #223” by Susan Cornford.
After those five flash tales, it is on
to the longer fare in the fiction section. The section opens with “The Stooge”
by Tom Leins. Bradley Loomis is insane and needs to be put down like some sort
of crazed wild animal. You have to do a lot of unsavory things working
undercover and dealing with Loomis is just one of many.
Dave Williams died under the overpass last
night. He was homeless. His family should know what happened in “Rats” by Liam
Sweeny. The real world threw casted Dave out before the same thing happened to
our narrator. He owes it to Dave to share his story.
Henry Eddie Nova has been coming to the
home in Grosse Pointe to give the kid lessons for eight weeks now. He is
supposed to be teaching the kid how to play in “That’s All Right Mama” by Steve
Liskow. If the kid would practice, that would help. Everybody knows Henry Eddie
Nova can play the guitar like nobody’s business. But, the kid is just not
getting it.
The bright red Ferrari makes quite the
statement in “A Taste For Danger” by Lawrence Kelter. So do two wise guys that
step out of the car. Two of the biggest dirt bags Bensonhurst had ever produced
are coming down the pier and getting on the boat. The Clip Joint is about to head into the evening sea with those two
wise guys, a few other folks, and the latest batch of very expensive call
girls.
There are submerged cars up and down
Buffalo Bayou in Houston. Normally our narrator would be doing underwater work
at oil rigs out in the Gulf. Then the layoff happened. The divorce happened.
Now he is checking the cars for dead bodies and more in “The Apex Predator” by
William Dylan Powell.
Nabih always makes a point to give Mr.
K the nastiest twenty dollar bills he has. If he could find some cholera he
would dip the twenties into that first before handing them over. He has his
reasons in “North Creek Brown” by Preston Lang.
There are seven folks hanging out at
the bar. Most of them are the regulars except for the stranger nursing his beer
at a table in the back. Then the woman and her friend walk in and things start
getting weird in “Stranger In A Bar” by Travis Richardson.
It is a cold night in Detroit and the
casino has damn near cleaned out our narrator. He has five quarters left in “Killing
Time So I Can Dig Myself A Deeper Grave” by Jack Bates. Then the old man shows
up at the doors of The Big Wheel Casino.
He just needs a little help in a tale that brings the first issue to a fitting
close.
Switchblade: Issue 1, Volume 1 is a quality issue of gritty hard edged short stories. These
are tales frequently filled with adult language and adult situations so
sensitive readers should look elsewhere. These tales involve situations where things
are headed sideways at best and into a wine filled gutter streaked with the
blood of you and your enemies at worst.
While some folks have publicly complained
about sloppy editing, I don’t agree. Most of what they are complaining about is
actually stylistic choices made by the authors involved to tell their tales. My
only complaint would be the very small typeface. Difficult to read on the iPad
and nearly impossible to read in the Kindle for PC program, the typeface
resisted all of my efforts to enlarge it.
If you like your reading with violence
and dark edges, Switchblade: Issue 1, Volume 1 is definitely for you.
Switchblade: Issue 1, Volume 1
Editor
Scotch Rutherford
Caledonia
Press
April
2017
ASIN: B0718SWXZ9
eBook
(also available in Print)
110
Pages
$2.99
Material
was picked up to read and review during a promotion by way of funds in my
Amazon Associate account.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2018
Thursday, October 12, 2017
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 13 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 13 Paying Markets for Flash Fiction: In this age of short attention spans, flash fiction is becoming increasingly popular. Literary magazines which previously only considere...
Sunday, May 28, 2017
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Short Story Month: Kevin R. Tipple
The Short Mystery Fiction Society Blog: Short Story Month: Kevin R. Tipple: StoryADay.org proclaimed May International Short Story Month back in 2013. As the short story, in the mystery genre is the reason why the ...
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Drabble: A story in 100 words
Chess, Comics, Crosswords, Books, Music, Cinema: Drabble: A story in 100 words: © Prashant C. Trikannad James Green, alias Sudden, stabled his hoss to ride shotgun with me on the Churchgate-Bhayandar stagecoach. The...
Monday, February 20, 2017
Market Call: Flashes in the Dark--Deadline May 1, 2017
Flashes in the Dark
Any Genre
Up to 500 words
Flash fiction with a dark theme or a twist
Format .rtf or google docs following standard manuscript format
Deadline: May 1, 2017
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