Thursday 31 July 2014

Not Enough Hours in the Day By Edgar Million

Not Enough Hours in the Day By Edgar Million

Catherine Porter is drowning in life. Kids. Husband. Job. Not enough hours in the day. Then she finds a way to pause time. A way to become Mrs Perfect. The yummy mummy who has it all.
 Can anyone 'have it all' though?
 I loved this short.  Unfortunately, it does suffer from what I call "Setting the stage" but once you get passed the first few hundred words, you get the meat of the story.  A special locket troupe.  Despite many of the stereotypes, it was a refreshing read.  I would recommend this book to the over 30 crowd.

Wednesday 23 July 2014

The Dog Who Loved Sherlock Holmes By Ralph E. Vaughan


Levi, the leader of the Three Dog Detective Agency, must channel his inner Sherlock Holmes if he is to solve a mystery, and survive.


This cute tale is geared towards a younger but intelligent audience.  Well written.  It is a worthy read as long as you keep in mind the target audience is younger than adults

Recommend Read.

Monday 21 July 2014

A Song for Naia By Alycia Christine

A Song for Naia By Alycia Christine

Short Story. Others of Ryad’s people have given up trying to free their destined lovers from the glacier. Only one will dare fight the ice after nightfall and for Naia’s sake he must succeed.


This is a very quick read.  It actually reads like a precursor to a romance novel; with flowery word choices and alliterations. Some overused words.  That said, I think the story lacks a lot of substance, I suppose that is due to the very short nature of the story.  

I cannot recommend this short story.

Saturday 19 July 2014

Old Man's Time By William S. Fletcher

Old Man's Time By William S. Fletcher

This short story is about an old man finding his place in a futuristic world; a world of space travel and space colonization. Earth is suffocating and new worlds are needed. An expedition with the aim of colonizing a new planet is sent out.

What can I say about this quick read?  Chapter 1 felt very disjointed while I continued to read Chapter 2, 3 and Chapter 4 really isn't a chapter but a punch line.  There is something very sympathetically at the heart of this story and is a worthy read.

For the author, I think you are still trying to find your voice, I wish you luck on that journey.

Thursday 17 July 2014

Entrance By Victor Darksaber

Entrance By Victor Darksaber
At the beginning of the end of the world, Benjamin Stewart on his way home survived a freak plane crash. Stranded on a strange and unfriendly desert with other survivors, he struggles to make his way back home.
I like to ignore the awkwardly worded summary the author provides us on Smashwords and the use of pen name "Darksaber". Okay, when I say ignore, it is more that I don't clue in until too late to adjust my expectations accordingly.

Okay, the straight-up low-down. The dialogue blows. Unrealistic and awkward. It is hard to describe the story; a mix of the movies "The Flight That Disappeared" and the new "Predators" movie. The ending seemed a little abrupt and overall the whole story could have used more fleshing out. Despite the flaws, I enjoyed the story.

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Pest Control by Jameson Kowalczyk

Pest Control by Jameson Kowalczyk

In the distant future, an exterminator faces off against an evolutionary abomination inside a derelict apartment complex.

With a main character named Spoor, who wouldn't want to read this short story.  It is a little crass but it adds character to the story.  And I have to say I was absolutely entertained by this little gem.

It is witty.  It has a twist I wouldn't have guess.  It is a future that I wouldn't want to be in.

Highly recommend for those with black sense of humour.

Sunday 13 July 2014

Original Justice by Brent Meranda

Original Justice by Brent Meranda

This short is part of a whole series.  It was a bit confusing near the end, but I think that leads to the required reading of the rest of the series.  There are a few themes going on here.  It is very sci-fi oriented.


It is well written.  It is part 1 of a larger story and unfortunately does not stand by itself.

Monday 7 July 2014

Aftermath by Matt Phillips

Aftermath by Matt Phillips

"The End War has left Enscombe alone in the desert. He is thirsty, tired and starving. The only thing he knows to do is walk. Soon, though, he'll have companionship... But what will these survivors eat?"

Scenery is beautiful describe with some repetition of different words with the same meaning.  The tale is reminisce of The Road by Cormac McCarthy (I said the book, and not the film, because after reading the book, I did not want to subject myself to the movie) mixed with the film Book of Eli.  I don't recommend this short story due to how it ends.  It is a cheap emotional betrayal to the reader.  In fact, story lacks substance.

Saturday 5 July 2014

Tea for Two, Justice for All By Robin Dalton

Tea for Two, Justice for All By Robin Dalton

Ignore the poor colour font choice on the cover, it is an interesting take on man vs machine.  CCD-08 or "Bo" is a bit of upstart.  As a character, I actually found them annoying and I'm not sure if that was intention or not. I also could not help but have a stiff upper crust British voice in my head reading it.  Other than that, this short is well written and thought-out.  Some of the musings in the work are interesting.

As with many shorts, you can't go into great detail or you will ruin most of the fun of reading it.  And with 1,940 words, there is some fun to be had.  Dust off those tea pots and motor oil, and read away.

Thursday 3 July 2014

Toy Box by Gary Moore

Toy Box by Gary Moore

"Everything that Leonard puts into his Toy Box disappears…"


Despite a few grammar issues the story was good.  The short story is straight-forward, predictable and emotionally saddening.  Clocking in at 2750 words, it is a quick read.

Tuesday 1 July 2014

The Bomb by Ray Daley


This is a short story (Words 1,310) I found in my travels on Smashwords.

This short story was an entertain read, reminisce of a lot of BBC and British fluff we get here in Canada.  Not surprising since the author is from the U.K. and it seems from what I've read on his blog a master of Flash Fiction.