Showing posts with label The Corner Cafe: a Tasty Collection of Short Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Corner Cafe: a Tasty Collection of Short Stories. Show all posts

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Please Welcome Small Town Gal, Helen Ginger, an Author and Editor at The Corner Cafe

Helen Ginger
The Corner Café
I live in a small town outside of a big town. When I moved here ten years ago, we had one stoplight and a couple of stores. We were just a bump on the road to the lake. Now we have many stoplights, two huge walking malls, a cinema, and lots of traffic. Big or small, one thing we don’t have is a corner café.

So, when an online group I belong to decided to put together a short story anthology and call it The Corner Café, I wondered what I could contribute. As it turned out though, we didn't have to write about a café, we just had to mention the corner café somewhere in the story. Since all proceeds on sales would go to charity, I really wanted to contribute.

I ended up writing two stories, one long, one short, and both got accepted.

The long one is called Gila Monster. Here is its logline: Neree, who parked her beat-up truck, Gila Monster, in the senior parking lot, hopes to find it still there at the end of school, but what she finds is an unexpected possibility.

The shorter short story, called One Last Run, is only 360 words: When a couple ski a black diamond run in a blizzard, the truth of what happened is in the blood.

The length of a short story doesn't matter as much as the story itself and the twist or surprise at the end. You want the reader to have a visceral reaction to the story - a laugh, a gasp, a smile, an "ah-ha" or an "oh no" or perhaps an "I didn't see that coming!"

But as you write, you have to remember that it's a short story. That means every word has to count, have meaning, move the story forward. Cut wasteful words. Focus on the character. Focus on the ending. Get there without being distracted by minor characters or incidental plot lines. Short stories mostly have one plot line -- the one that leads directly to the end. But that means that the end is the pay off, so you can't reveal it beforehand. This isn't to say that the end will always be some huge surprise or reveal. It may be quiet or satisfying or something that doesn't hit you upside the head, but touches your heart.

A short story can be two paragraphs or twenty pages. After all, what's short to you may not be short to someone else. I’m 5'9". I used to be tall, but now I'm short. Oh, I'm still 5'9", but my daughter is 6'1", my husband is 6'6", and my son is 6'10". So, when you see us together, I'm short. It's all in how your look at it.

If you've never tried your hand at writing a short story, give it a go. Why not!
                            
About Helen Ginger's new release, Angel Sometimes.
Angel Sometimes has a plan: Go home to Oklahoma and ask her mother why she loved her one day, then threw her out like garbage the next. At 12, she was left on the streets. She's now 22 and swimming as a mermaid at The Aquarium. She's almost ready to confront her parents, but to do that, she needs three things: her high school diploma, a car and a gun.

Helen Ginger is also the author of three books in TSTC Publishing’s TechCareers series. You can find two of her short stories in the just released anthology, The Corner Café. Her free ezine, Doing It Write, now in its thirteenth year of publication, goes out to subscribers around the globe. You can follow Helen on her blog, Straight From Hel, on Twitter or connect with her on Facebook and LinkedIn. She is also Co-Partner and Webmistress for Legends In Our Own Minds® and the Coordinator of Story Circle Network’s Editorial Services.

Amazon Author Central Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/helenginger
Website: http://helenginger.com/diw.htm
Blog: http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MermaidHel
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HelenGinger1
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/HelenGinger
Legends In Our Minds®: http://legendsinourownminds.com/
Story Circle Network Editorial Service: http://www.storycircleeditorialservice.org/

Please welcome Helen Ginger to Double M by leaving a comment.
Next Tour Stop is Tomorrow At http://patbean.wordpress.com/

Check Out the Complete Corner Cafe Tour List Here At:
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/2012/06/blog-book-tour-for-corner-cafe-tasty.html

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Blog Book Tour for The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories

FREE FOR KINDLE ON JUNE 9 AND 10

AT http://www.amzn.to/Cornercafe


I may have already mentioned, I've done something new and exciting by contributing two short stories to
The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories, prepared by the BBT Cafe Authors, an online group of which I'm happy to be a member. During June, our group is going on tour, promoting The Corner Cafe.

If you don't have a kindle, go to http://amzn.to/CCKindleApps
for free apps to download this book.


Below, you'll find the listing of all the Blog Book Tour Stops our groups is making. Please join us to learn not only more about our book and about each author.

June 4 Blog Book Tours Kick-off http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com/

June 5 Bob Sanchez http://bobsanchez1.blogspot.com/

June 6 Red Tash http://redtash.com/

June 7 Magic Dog Press http://www.magicdogpress.wordpress.com/

June 8 Heidi Thomas http://heidiwriter.wordpress.com/

June 11 Marian Allen http://www.marianallen.com/

June 12 W.S Gager http://wsgager.blogspot.com/

June 13 Chris Verstraete http://candidcanine.blogspot.com/

June 14 Helen Ginger http://straightfromhel.blogspot.com/

June 15 Kathy Wheeler  http://kathylwheeler.wordpress.com/

June 18 Morgan Mandel Double M http://morganmandel.blogspot.com/

June 19 Pat Bean http://patbean.wordpress.com/

June 20 Shonell Bacon http://chicklitgurrl.blogspot.com/

June 21 Alberta Ross http://albertaross.wordpress.com/

June 22 Karen Casey Fitzjerrell http://karencaseyfitzjerrell.blogspot.com/

June 25 Pat Stoltey http://patriciastoltey.blogspot.com/

June 26 SB Lerner http://www.susanblerner.com/

June 27 Maryann Miller http://its-not-all-gravy.blogspot.com/

June 28 Mary Montague Sikes http://marymontaguesikes.blogspot.com/

June 29 Stephen Tremp http://breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com/

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Where You Can Find Me

Just thought I'd offer an update on where I'll be in the near future.

This coming Monday, May 21, I'll be hosting the writing duo known as Evelyn David, on my group blog at Make Mine Mystery. Come on over to learn more about their books, and look for those cute dogs on the covers.

This Tuesday, May 22, on Sweet Not Spicy, I'm happy to have as my guest, sweet romance author, Celia Yeary. Coming attractions are Debra Holland on June 12 and Leanne Tyler on June 19.

Wednesday, May 23 you'll find me over at Acme Authors Link, where my topic is Sharing the Load.
On March 24, at The Blood-Red Pencil, I'll be giving a preview from my point of view about the coming release of The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories. My contributions to the collection are The Closing of the Corner Cafe and What Nice Blessings. More to follow on this.

Thursdays are usually my day for hosting at Spunky Senior Authors and Talents. I'm not sure yet about my guests, as there as been some changes in schedules. I do know for sure Dr. Bob Rich is scheduled for May 30, Anna Jacobs for June 14, and Shirley Bosius on June 28. Stay tuned for more.

On June 5, you'll find me at The Blood-Red Pencil with the branding feature of What's Your Answer, where I and the blog readers answer questions about blogs and e-books.

I'm also doing a blog tour stop on June 14 when Helen Ginger will be hosting me at her blog about The Corner Cafe: a Tasty Collection of Short Stories, where I'll be discussing my own contributions of The Closing of the Corner Cafe and What Nice Blessings.