Abbreviated version is here. Full version on KARR segment of TRB.

I purchased the electronic version a few months ago. Yet I’ve always been a fan of having a paperback copy (especially autographed paperback copies). I was in this book release party for another book this author is a part of, Aspiring to Inspire. One of the prizes given out was an autographed paperback copy of Glimmer. Guess who was lucky enough to win one?

It was very difficult for me to pick an overall favorite out of this showcase of seven. Yet four of them really stood out for me: Glimmer, On the Eighth Day, Daub and Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle.

Glimmer spoke to me because it really played with the workings of the mind. Which was truly the reality: the character’s take or everyone else’s? The first line really set the ambiance: “The world will not end because I close my eyes.”

I absolutely love the richness of personification in On the Eighth Day. I can always appreciate when an author can take an inanimate object and give it human characteristics. It reminded me of what I tend to do with some elements of my poetry (fear, pain, happiness, and the like). I connected with it very strongly.

The spook element of Daub excited me. I’m a huge fan of psychological, thriller, and horror reads that are carried out well. Timing, dialogue, reactions, everything–very well placed. It was refreshing to have the type of short dark read that wasn’t overly predictable.

I was not sure what to make of Rousseau’s Suburban Jungle at first. That is the beauty of this author’s work. You don’t know what you’re going to get. Yet there were so many segments I liked about it. One was the banter between the saleslady and Esther about the print. Yet there are two more that stand out greater than that exchange.

The tenacity of Jenny the dog spoke volumes. She was the epitome of “Don’t mess with my master.” When Jenny got into action, I wish she would have bitten a bit more of that guy or even an additional appendage–if you get my drift. I also would have liked her to thrown in a bite towards the fakery known as Louise. (It’s good I wasn’t writing this story. Jenny would have turned into a modern-day Cujo, only as a vigilante for justice.)

With all of her stories, there is a connective fabric. The author uses the reader’s mind as an easel and puts dots, splashes, and strokes of color along with deep incorporation of nature and locations. The end result took me away. The metaphorical richness was akin to the joy of childbirth in which a healthy, vibrant baby is the result.

Verdict: These snapshots of writing are lovely from start to finish. There is something in here for everyone. The only thing I would like to add is that the author should definitely write more short stories. There are some types of talent that are natural and others which are learned. Her use of language in this work is a testament that she is in fact a natural in the writing world. All of this gives this work 5 out of 5 stars! ( )