HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
For a short promotional period get free kindle copies of my short reads on Amazon.
(Literary Fiction & Racier Reads–Something for everyone on your list!)
Readers say:
“heart pounding drama,”
“extremely well-written,”
“hauntingly beautiful.”
Literary Fiction Selections:
Circle K
Peggy’s shift is almost over at the Circle K gas station and convenience store. A young man comes in and Peggy thinks he’s got a gun; she looks again and he tosses a $20 on the counter to put gas in his tank. As he leaves, a pretty girl comes into the store. Something about the girl makes Peggy reflect on what life could have been and maybe what her sons’ lives could still become. When the man returns something about the girl’s innocence and prettiness emboldens Peggy and gives her the strength to save them both.
FREE ON AMAZON (Dec. 16-20)
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This was a terrific short story – centering around “Peggy” – a gas station cashier we’ve probably all seen 1000 times. Forty-something Peggy enters into a state of reflection when a pretty, 20-something girl walks up to her counter- leading Peggy to her wonder what her life could have been and imagine what the lives of her two sons could be. The author describes Peggy as “someone who had dreams but no idea how to go about making them happen”.Then, Peggy and the girl become victims of a hold-up – afraid they may both die – unless Peggy takes matters into her own hands. (I won’t give away the ending.)Gluck is an excellent writer – amazing how much the author can draw you in from the beginning – in what was basically a two-minute exchange between a cashier & customer (the girl) – then create the heart-pounding drama that ensues when a would-be robber attempts a hold-up. This short story was great, and I look forward to reading more by this author. 5 stars.
Fortune Cookies
Fortune Cookies: Gretchen and Alexander work together. They don’t know that they are in love with each other. Well, they do know that they are in love with each but not exactly. Gretchen tries to fix Alexander up with a girl on Craigslist; but then Alexander hints at his feelings one night after drinking a bit too much. Thank goodness Gretchen can rely on the wisdom of fortune cookies to guide her through this one-act romantic comedy.
FREE ON AMAZON (Dec. 16-17)
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
This is the third Rose Gluck short story I’ve read. ‘Fortune Cookies’ is just as great as the other two I checked out (‘Circle K’ and ‘Candlelight Moon’). This author makes the most of every single word (very important in a short story!) in crafting complex characters and an engaging plot.
This story held my complete attention from beginning to end. Gluck does an excellent job describing the professional and personal connections between Gretchen & Alexander. The well-crafted dialog/banter between the two (as well as Gretchen’s internal dialog) is entertaining and captivating. I also liked how the author included daily horoscopes/inspirational quotes/fortune cookie predictions which lead you into each mini-chapter.
Highly recommend this short story!
Candlelight Moon
Some friendships are eternal. Sometimes paths just cross briefly. That happens a lot in youth. You find someone you connect deeply with, then your life moves on. No drama, the ending not so significant. Maybe it was timing or getting older but when Marie looks back on her sweet intimacy with Rack, it stirs memories, fondness, and a regret. Why didn’t they ever get together?
FREE ON AMAZON (Dec. 16-20)
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Excellent short story! Every reader can relate to this story – we’ve all had crushes/young loves from back in the day that slipped away with the passage of time. The author fills the story with such vivid details – her feelings for “Rack” (her young love), the raspiness of his voice, the smell and feel of Rack’s VW bus, her feelings for him – that you truly understand the complexities of their love. Then, of course, life goes on, and Maria (the narrator) one day learns what has happened to Rack…
The author does a great job with the story’s conclusion – tying everything from the past together with the realities of the present. Highly recommend.
Where Has Margie Gone?
Maybe Margie’s lost her mind. Her days are so full of a pretend love affair with her neighbor who bears a striking resemblance to Captain von Trapp. At a traffic light she dreams of him. Before she falls asleep she’s in his arms. When she kisses her husband, it’s the captain’s lips touching hers. But, Margie’s world begins to unravel when her husband leaves her for another woman. The Captain next door moves out of the shadows of fantasy and enters Margie’s real world.
FREE ON AMAZON (Dec. 16-20)
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Loved this short story. Poor Margie, her husband has left her and she’s now a divorcee. But readers won’t feel that sorry for Margie. She’s spent many years of her life fantasizing about her husband’s death so that she could be free and with her true love – her neighbor who resembles Capt. Von Trapp. The ending made me wonder what would happen to Margie – and her neighbor. I loved how Gluck created Margie and described her – living in some alternate reality resembling mid-century America.
Looking forward to reading more Rose Gluck short stories! 5 stars.
Racier Reads Selections:
Delusions of Love
Three stories. Three different Women. In ‘Love Letters to Herself’ a young woman contemplates her relationship with her stalker. Their bond is unnerving as they move through shadows together. ‘Tricky Day for You’ explores the turning point in a teenage girl’s life when she realizes the power of her sexuality. ‘I Will Remember Your Taking’ is a stream of consciousness vignette depicting the sensuality and longing deep below a woman’s consciousness. Each of these short reads juxtaposes sexuality with danger. They share a common theme: surrender to delusional love. ‘Triptych: Delusions of Love’ is contemporary women’s fiction that explores sexuality through the darker lens of psychology.
FREE ON AMAZON (Dec. 17-21)
You know what reading these three stories was like?
It was like a thin, powerful beam of light had shined down into the lives of three people, illuminating just a sliver of three very full lives. The light is the authors writing, showing us every girl filled with regret, every rat scurrying through a back alley, every woman struggling with her shadows. The way Rose Gluck luckwrites, we can see it all, within her scope. And I found that every time a story ended I was a little sad. I wanted more of each one.
The Diarist
This neo-noir short is the inspiration for the upcoming novel, The Diarist, by Rose Gluck. Set in 1950s “mad men” New York, Andrea Davies takes a position as a typist at a top advertising firm. There is an instant and dark attraction between Andrea and Richard Hayes one of the partners. Once rebuffed by Richard, Andrea pursues another executive. Richard’s reaction leads to a swift and erotic act, consummating their deadly affair. The serialized novel will be available January 2017 on wattpad
FREE ON AMAZON (DEC. 17-21)
The Taking of Opal White
Opal White, an innocent yet coy farm girl in 1940s Oklahoma is drawn to the supernatural visitor whose intimacy promises an escape from her evangelical, simple destiny. She follows Ian into his dark underworld where he “takes” her from the mortal world. However, her emancipation transforms her into an insatiable, manipulative narcissist.
Words and Pictures 
Thank you for the interest you showed in my blog. I am very excited to be following yours!
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Thank you. I am very interested in your blog. It’s an amazing story and I’m so glad the journals are all in tact and you are doing this project. I look forward to it!
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I am so grateful, too. Thank you so much.
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Hmmm pity I missed the racier reads, I like racy.
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