Short Stories

I used to describe my writing life solely in screenwriter terms, and not without some pride. Why describe a sunset in intimate prose when you can just say “THE SUN SETS” and let someone else figure out how to make it pretty? Efficiency! Then something happened. I either got older and more patient, or I grew more in love with the sound of my own voice. I suspect a combination of both. So now I write prose stories, and I’m enjoying it immensely.

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The Rim

(For image attributions, please go the The Rim blog.)

Shirley Armand, newly-elected sheriff of the sleepy town of Sterling Springs, finds the only remaining hiker of a group missing for over a week. He claims amnesia, but the remains of a badly-damaged hi-8 videotape found nearby indicate something darker. Will she find the truth in time? This story is my tribute to the notion of the little guy, and the simple truth that we’re all the heroes of our own stories.

Read an excerpt from the short story now!

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The Angler

(For image attributions, please go the The Angler blog.)

Toby wants to run away from home, but he’s broke. His friend tells of a secluded, abandoned hotel, once built to be the playground of some of America’s super-rich … right before they all disappeared. What could go wrong? You do stupid things when you’re 12. Author’s note: What do you do when your story needs a basement, and it’s set in Florida, a state that doesn’t have basements? Answer: You have your character say something like, “Wow! The only basement in Florida!” And that’s it.

Read a sample now!