When I started writing, I wrote some romance short stories. I loved them and was so excited when they started selling...and kept selling. They were where I learned so much about writing, and about the romance genre. A short story is by it's very name...short. I can't tell a whole story. Just a snippet. A vignette. I loved jumping into a couple's life, then jumping right back out.
Eventually, I wanted to tell bigger stories, and started trying romance novels. And those sold. But every now and then, I enjoy going back and playing with those short, blink-of-an-eye stories. I like to think of them as a country video. I'm telling you a story...just not all the story.
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| Nothing But Luck |
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| Nothing But Love |
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| Nothing But Heart |
When Avalon was sold to Montlake Romance, and all my older stories for them were slated to come back out, I did three short stories that I felt tied together my Everything But... series (they're all on sale this month for $1.99 each) and my earliest series, WLVH Radio. It was a blast introducing new readers to both series through the short stories.
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| Labor Day |
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| There He Was |
In mid-September, There He Was is out. This one was inspired by an old Myth Busters episode where they show that a water tank can truly take off like a rocket. Mine doesn't launch exactly like that, but I watched the episode while I was mulling over that 'bang' moment when you simply know to your core that you love someone.
I hope you all enjoy these short stories. As a writer, sometimes stretching your craft means going backwards and coming back to where you started!
Holly
PS. For newer writers, I think short stories can be a very useful educational tool. They teach you how to focus completely on your characters. You also need to be able to pick when to start your story and when to end it. That sounds simple, but you have to figure out how to do it in a way that it makes sense to readers. You have to give them enough to engage them with your opening, and end it so that they're satisfied.
