Short Story Saturdays

Welcome to Short Story Saturdays. I created this page because I’m often asked to do book reviews. I can’t, unfortunately, because I just don’t have the time but I love short stories (reading and writing) so this is, for me anyway, the perfect solution. It won’t feature the short stories themselves because this blog already has Flash Fiction Fridays (mostly guest stories) and soon 5PM Fiction (which will be me writing a story a day and posting it at 5pm UK time), but just the review (with no plot spoilers as the review will contain a link for you to go and read the story afterwards).

Little compensation perhaps but an opportunity if you’re a short story writer. I started on Saturday 11th January afternoon with a story I’d read. I keep the reviews short (no point in having it longer than the story!) then have a quick biography of the author… you, if you’d like to provide one, a photo or two (again optional) and links to your website and if appropriate, where people can buy your book/s –  in other words the same sort of thing as listed at the bottom of any of the guest interviews, spotlights etc.

If you have a story, available for people to read / download (at a price or free), of up to 2,500 words you’d like me to read and don’t mind a ‘firm but fair’ review do email me. You’d then be welcome to copy / paste my comments on your website for your visitors should you wish, although pointing them to your page here would be fantastic. I’d also be happy to copy / paste into the relevant story’s page on Amazon, Smashwords etc. if appropriate (if you provide the link). If you’re feeling braver, I also in-depth critique fiction of ideally up to 1,000 (I can go up to 2,000) for my Podcast.

On the other hand, if you’re a short story reader rather than writer and are considering something new then you could just come back to this page each Saturday and read my reviews. The interviews run Saturday 7am (UK time) and the Author Spotlights 7pm (UK time) so these reviews go up about 6pm (UK time), an hour after the daily slot 5PM Fiction (starting June 1st), and are then linked back into this page. Here’s what we have so far…

Posted

• 001: My review of ‘A Coffin and Bubble Gum’ written by Mesis September (11th Feb).
• 002: My review of ‘Dreaming, Not Sleeping’ written by supernatural mystery, horror, scriptwriter and interviewee Julia Kavan (18th Feb).
• 003: My review of ‘A Fine Day’ by multi-genre writer and interviewee Jim Sellers (25th Feb).
• 004: My review of ‘Clouded Vision’ by Linwood Barclay (3rd March).
• 005: My review of ‘Mercy?’ by Sean Durity (10th March).
• 006: My review of ‘The Best One Yet’ by Kelley Hunter (17th March).
• 007: My review of ‘Claws’ by interviewee Stephen Booth (24th March).
• 31st March was this blog’s first anniversary so there was a special post: a writing-related word search with the winner(s) winning a short story (or stories if a tie) written for, and dedicated to, him / her / them!
• 008: My review of ‘A Good Hanging’ from Ian Rankin‘s ‘A Good Hanging & Other Stories‘ (7th April).
• 009: My review of ‘The Awakening of George Mahooney’ by Kathryn Elizabeth Jones (14th April).
• no review due to my attendance (as a volunteer!) at the wonderful Chipping Norton Literary Festival (21st April)
• 010: My review some of the ‘Sexy Shorts‘ short story charity anthologies (28th April)
• 011: My review of ‘Sister Golden Hair Surprise and the Cruiser’ by romance, paranormal erotica and young adult author Linda Palmer (5 May)

Scheduled

• 012: you could have your short story reviewed here.
• 013: you could have your short story reviewed here.
• 014: you could have your short story reviewed here.
• 015: you could have your short story reviewed here.

You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo. My eBooks are now on Amazon, with more to follow, and I also have a quirky second-person viewpoint story in charity anthology Telling Tales.

I have a new forum and you can follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook, like me on Facebook, connect with me on LinkedIn, find me on Tumblr, complete my website’s Contact me page or plain and simple, email me.

I also welcome flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for my Post-weekend Poetry page.