Monday 30 November 2020

Tripping the Flash Fantastic

 

                                      

                                                              

Allison Symes loves reading and writing quirky fiction. She discovered flash fiction thanks to a Cafélit challenge and has been hooked on the form ever since. In this follow-up to her "From Light to Dark and Back Again", Allison will take you back in time, into some truly criminal minds, into fantasy worlds, and show you how motherhood looks from the viewpoint of a dragon. Enjoy the journey!        

 

'What an entertaining read, all with a paranormal flavour, and written in her chatty style and earthy language. ' Silly me. It's sod's law. I should've thought of that, shouldn't I?' Even her witches are humorous, one of them just finishing planting her runner beans (as witches do, of course) when a farmhouse landed on top of her.'

 

A lovely little collection of quirky and often surprising stories and poems. Fairy godmothers who aren't what they first appear. Mini revenge tales. Hints of the Gothic. Santa and tooth fairies as you've not met them before. One favourite of mine is 'Bypassing the System', a story that illustrates the fact that, magician or no magician, sometimes you just have to do things the way everyone else does them. An enjoyable mix with, as I say, lots of surprises, which is just how flash fiction should be. 

 

Fabulous collection of poems and flash fiction. Some made me giggle, some made me gasp, all surprised me! I found it a real page turner, as the stories had such unexpected twists and turns! Some were actually quite moving. Highly recommend this! Makes a lovely present as well, with its (to me) unusual shape.

                    

Sunday 15 November 2020

Latest of our Flash Collections

                                                                        

                                                                                                  

"The World In An Eye" is an eclectic collection. It ardently and boldly tackles issues that plague our societies. Presenting diverse flash fiction stories set in America, England, Germany, Italy and other places where poignancy, rawness and sensitivity are propelled to the foreground. This evocative compilation also thrusts taboo topics out from the fringes into the spotlight. Here, they explore and expose the lives of those not fed with golden spoons.

"The World In An Eye" shines a light on the neglected lives of children, women and men, who bravely inhabit the outskirts. Most of the characters are after a communal goal. They long for a semblance of hope, serenity, understanding, and shelter.

In an ideal world, everyone is welcome to sit at the table, regardless of colour, creed or race. Until we achieve this, stories about adversity will keep airing on the world stage. The World In An Eye supports that tone. Change needs to come!                                    

"A thought provoking read. Each short chapter is full of rich poetic description of both the inner lives of the protagonists and the tough environments they live in. The stories are a window into people’s day to day struggles but also how they respond to the dramatic and sometime shocking events around them. The language is accessible while at the same time being insightful and illuminating. Would thoroughly recommend this short read."

Saturday 7 November 2020

The Best of CafeLit 9

 

We asked those writers who were published in "The Best of CaféLit 8" to vote for their five favourite stories published on the CaféLit web site in 2019. We awarded five points for number one choices, four for number two and so on. These are the stories that received the most votes.Each story in this little volume is the right length and quality for enjoying as you sip the assigned drink in your favourite Creative Café. You need never feel alone again in a café. So what's the mood today? Espresso? Earl Grey tea? Hot chocolate with marshmallows? You'll find most drinks in our drinks index.