Authorpreneur Dashboard – Melinda Brasher
Leaving Home
Literature & Fiction
A collection of short stories, flash fiction, and travel essays. Love Mysteries and Thrillers? Read about a blackmailer who makes a mistake, a businesswoman who reluctantly smuggles drugs, an internet romance that may not be what it seems, and a vacationer living in fear on a cruise ship. Like to Discover New Places and Cultures while you Read? A traveler plays bridge with tipsy Polish retirees, hikes through Mayan ruins in the darkness, and mourns her lost towel. Short on Time? Try the several pieces of flash fiction, which deliver complete stories in under two minutes. Fantasy and Science Fiction Fan? You'll especially enjoy "Ethereal," where fairy godmother magic comes from an unexpected source. In other stories, a pirate boy finds love, a scientist studies mermaids, and a maiden leaves her tower. Just Want a Good Story? Feel the pain of a young father leaving home, a jealous sister whose revenge backfires, and a daughter struggling for her father's acceptance. Enjoy "On the Train to Warsaw," a contest-winning story about a group of strangers who learn to see each other differently when their train breaks down in the middle of a snowy winter.
Book Bubbles from Leaving Home
The inspiration
I was on a train once, headed into Budapest, when I started chatting with a couple of English travelers in my compartment. When they found out I'd lived in Poland, they told me about a winter train ride they took there. Though all the details of this story are invented, the basis came from that little kernel of truth by those friendly Brits.
Chaos Rises
Teens
The day the hill tiger attacks, young Hala realizes excitedly that she may have the gift. As time passes, however, she wonders what good it is: a power that manifests itself only in the ability to accidentally summon animals at inconvenient times. The local mage hasn't been able to teach her to control it, and she can't even reliably summon her own sheep. Then one day she returns home to find a black-cloaked stranger holding her village under a terrible spell. Alone, she must find a way to save her family, her friends, and the boy who has finally begun to notice her. Enjoy "Chaos Rises" as a stand-alone short story or as a companion to Far-Knowing. Download free from Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422314
Book Bubbles from Chaos Rises
Hill Tigers
These beasts mostly inhabit the nightmares of Andalinn's children. Like many big cats, they're secretive and rarely seen by humans. When cornered, however, they're fierce, as Hala discovers. I've lived in Arizona a good share of my life, and I've done a fair amount of hiking and camping. We have mountain lions and bobcats both, but I've never seen either. I've heard of full-sized leopards and such hiding for months in huge cities. Cats are amazing.
