A boy helps his father with a job. They walk under a shelter where people cry, laugh, hug, and pray near votives. They find a corner dark and quiet, and as rain lets up, Merwin flips over the signs and writes his phone number and HANDYMAN FOR HIRE. He bites off pieces of tape andContinue reading ““Brella Fella” – Substack”
Category Archives: Short Fiction
“Daymark” – Substack
A woman faces her fear while photographing the Outer Banks. She steps inside the door cut into the lighthouse’s red base and slides over for visitors stepping off or onto the staircase spiraling up toward the keeper’s quarters and beacon. A ranger notes the one-million bricks used for building the lighthouse, summer temperatures inside canContinue reading ““Daymark” – Substack”
“Punk” – Substack
After success at work, a man’s stress outlet accelerates. Heart racing, he sinks under his desk, but halfway down, he tightens after he bumps his mouse and his laptop glows on. When no one walks by and the screen sleeps again, he pulls papers from his trash basket and digs out his lighter. He clicksContinue reading ““Punk” – Substack”
“Cornerstone” – Substack
Before continuing down the hall, Becker slows his cart past the dining room and signals Outside to Von sitting at the back. Von nods, smoothes his toupee—black, a swoop of shine in the middle, and stacked high like a microphone waiting for God—and, patting his chest, raises his hand; he grumbles but stops himself from faking chestContinue reading ““Cornerstone” – Substack”
“Like Land Does” – A story from Inroads
A few semis cruise through the parking lot or rumble alive. Landscapers take a break from mowing. A delivery-truck driver jabbers with them before loading a dolly. No one honks at me to have my pump or pulls into empty stalls. My legs are already numb from the first hour of sitting—a few more left.Continue reading ““Like Land Does” – A story from Inroads”
Inroads: Stories – Now Available
I’m pleased to announce Inroads, my second short-story collection (and fifth book), is now available. Thank you to everyone who helped produce and promote this. Extraordinary stories about ordinary Americans. A stock-car driver gets money any way he can for his son’s birthday present. A girl meets a horse for the first time. Two firefighters helpContinue reading “Inroads: Stories – Now Available”
“Clean Slate” – A story from Inroads and NetGalley
Inside the SUV, Gerald uncovers his phone from beneath a stained and wrinkled copy of the festival’s schedule highlighting the Tasting Grand Prize and its amount; in the margins—Mark’s calculations for new equipment, additions to the brewery, more marketing; on the reverse side—Gerald’s scribbles and ideas for labels and brands. But the screen flashing NEWContinue reading ““Clean Slate” – A story from Inroads and NetGalley”
Inroads Now Available on NetGalley
Inroads, my latest short-story collection, is now available on NetGalley, and you can help promote it before and after it’s published on 23 March 2023. If you are a NetGalley member, you can read, review, and recommend it. If not, sign up and be part of a community helping authors and publishers promote digital-review copiesContinue reading “Inroads Now Available on NetGalley”
Inroads release date and cover and October – Quarterfinalist for Coverfly’s ScreenCraft 2023 Cinematic Book Competition
Inroads I’m pleased to announce Inroads, my second short-story collection, will be published on 23 March. Below you’ll find the cover and synopsis. Extraordinary stories about ordinary Americans. A stock-car driver gets money any way he can for his son’s birthday present. A girl meets a horse for the first time. Two firefighters help each otherContinue reading “Inroads release date and cover and October – Quarterfinalist for Coverfly’s ScreenCraft 2023 Cinematic Book Competition”
“Little Things” – Substack
Jeremy says to himself, I’m not him, and that’s OK, just like Ringo was Ringo, not John, Paul, or George. He thinks about Scotty staying with their sister; the prize money; Katie retying her shoes. We’re all here for a reason. William Auten – “Little Things” “Little Things” now available on Substack.