A little Romance, a little humor, a twist of Twilight Zone and a splash of vampires, Elise Skidmore’s stories deliver rich tales of a wide range of memorable characters, served up in bite sized pieces. Don’t have time to read a novel? Snack on these delightfully unpredictable tales!
Johnny Toad woke up with his head pounding and his mouth tasting like chalk. The realization hit him that he was lying spread-eagle on his stomach, clinging to something smooth and shiny about three feet above the ground. As he lifted his head to see where he was, Johnny found himself lying on top of a juice vending machine that had toppled over onto its side. And he was stark naked. Worse than that, he could feel his privates resting snugly in the slot that dispensed the juice. His aching head slammed back down on the machine. What the hell had happened?
~excerpt from Johnny Come Lately
My name is Edmund Howard, both names derived from the old English; Edmund meaning “happy defender” and Howard, “chief guardian,” both of which are invested with an irony that will become clear later on. I became what I am on a battlefield in the south of England long centuries ago. The exact date is unimportant; let it suffice to say Henry VIII had not yet begun collecting wives and be done with it. The details can be filled in with human imaginations; one tale of conversion is much like another.
~excerpt from Edmund’s Story
Dorothy Jane was a morning person, that was why she chose to work the breakfast shift at Mel’s Coffee Shop. It certainly wasn’t for the tips, which were notoriously slim, or the prospect of meeting other smiling faces. In her experience, people like herself, who enjoyed greeting each new day, were definitely in the minority.
No, Dorothy Jane just enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, like watching the sun come up golden on the horizon, the jingle of the wind chimes when a customer entered, or the smell of warm cinnamon buns sending subliminal messages to “taste me”. She tugged at the front of her uniform where the buttons strained against her bosom. Dorothy Jane was very susceptible to suggestion, especially when it came from a warm cinnamon bun.
--excerpt from Sunny Side Up
From sweetly poignant to eerily frightening, from funny to moving beyond words, there’s something in this collection of stories to appeal to a reader’s every mood. Whether you have the leisure to binge, or only need to kill a few minutes while you’re stuck in a waiting room somewhere, Moments in Time is the perfect book to pick up and enjoy. I’m delighted to see that the author’s prose is every bit as entertaining as her earlier volumes of poetry!
You know when you only have a little bit of time, yet you want to read something to get your mind someplace good. Well , this is the book for you. It is filled with delightful tid-bits of this and that. There's love , kindness, stories to make you wonder, and smile and think. The characters come to life, and some of the stores hit home . I am looking forward to see what else this author, has hidden inside her, I'm sure if will be wonderful.
This book really does have all sorts of stories that cater to all sorts of tastes - unless you're like me, eclectic, and want to read all different types of prose to begin with. My favorite was, hands down, Bootsie!
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