Twenty Tiny Tales is a collection of twenty-two moralistic, humorous and heart-warming short stories. Some are inspired by the freedom and music of the 1960s, others are tales about wildlife, birds, dogs, caravans– even motorcycles. Let the stories transport you to the rural settings of the West Coast of Scotland and Northumberland. ‘Flower Power’ has all of the charm of the Sixties– a time of pacifism, love and euphoria, and follows the story of Clara and her florist business. ‘The Museum of Childhood’ follows Sadie, a twenty-two year old graduate who secured a temporary post at The Museum of Childhood, an old four storey building full of childhood related memorabilia, with a ghostly secret. Twenty Tiny Tales will appeal to dog lovers, and readers who enjoy emotional, moving reads with the power to transport you to an array of settings and characters. The stories feature captivating plots, alluring depictions of the characters involved and most have a unique, shocking twist.
It is often said that the best things in life come in small packages; anyone in search of proof need look no further than the stories in this collection from the acclaimed author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series: brief, utterly engaging tales that offer lasting surprise and delight, accompanied by charming illustrations by Iain McIntosh. In Tiny Tales, Alexander McCall Smith explores romance, ambition, kindness, and happiness in thirty short stories accompanied by thirty witty cartoons designed by Iain McIntosh, McCall Smith’s longtime creative collaborator. Here we meet the first Australian pope, who hopes to finally find some peace and quiet back home in Perth; a psychotherapist turned motorcycle racetrack manager; and an aspiring opera singer who gets her unlikely break onstage. And, of course, we spend time in McCall Smith’s beloved Scotland, where we are introduced to progressive Vikings, a group of housemates with complex romantic entanglements, and a couple of globe-trotting dentists. These tales and illustrations depict the full scope of human experience and reveal the rich tapestry of life—painted in miniature.
The Dragon's Tongue (Tiny Tales) is the fourth compilation of prose by American author DONATO. As always the poems are pieced together to tell a story but if the reader chooses he or she can open the book to any random page. The story marches through several difficult subjects including unrequited love and drug addiction."This is a personal journey through a deep darkness I once called home. The words I use to illustrate the sadness are meant to be mirrors for the reader." -The Author- As always, the book ends on a positive note. Enjoy!
A tiny story a day keeps the brain fog away! Tiny Tales is a collection of 365 bite-sized stories and poems, written each day of 2023 to a one-word prompt created by one of the official #vss365 (very short story, 365 days a year) ambassadors on Twitter ("X"). Tweet-sized (280 characters or fewer) storytelling (aka "Twitterature") begs experimentation and variety, and that is exactly what you'll find in this collection of compositions ranging from true stories to playful limericks, romantic fiction to war-inspired tales, wistful observations from a long-ago childhood to fantastical imaginings of a distant future. Whether you want to read a story a day or use the prompts to jumpstart your own writing, Tiny Tales will keep you entertained and inspired throughout the year. It is a perfect gift to yourself or for any aspiring or avid writer in your life. Grab your copy today and start your creative journey!
"When Mandy, one of the students from classroom 26, brings a special hamster-sized racecar to class, it means just one thing: Humphrey is going to be in a hamster race"--
The creative spirit is unique in what she offers us. It begins with receiving. It never ceases to amaze me how differently this gift expresses itself in people! This spirit is always waiting to be realized. There are no boundaries. Creativity can be spontaneous. The ideas, the call of inventiveness. It is all (and awe), inspiring and, if I open my arms to accept this imaginative muse, it becomes a lovely, frolicsome, and maddening relationship. Not without effort but fulfilling. It may inspire to create something of a culinary nature. A recipe that pops into my head or exploring something artful. Maybe dance and the movement teases me with an idea. Strumming a guitar, make some music, tap a rhythm, compose a song! What can you envision with that patch of dirt in front of where you live? Take a trip to visit a garden center with an idea as your partner and plan what you plant in that patch of dirt. Volunteer to be of service. Be silly! Have some fun! If we are lucky, we’ll catch the joy and begin a ritual. Maybe give birth to a bunch of little idea babies. The creative process moves in limitless ways. It may stick around for only moments as a mischievous sprite, tempting us to take part, or hang out longer. Accept it. It is a gift that is being given. A few muses hang around me most days. Sometimes it feels like a rabbit that hops along, inviting me to follow. Down that proverbial rabbit hole. It is a process that I trust, at least to begin. If I am in the flow, the zone, it leads to the next step. The well-known author, Elizabeth Gilbert, says this of an idea, "... Ideas are driven by a single impulse: to be made manifest. And the only way an idea can be made manifest in our world is through collaboration with a human partner. It is only through a human’s efforts that an idea can be escorted out of the ether and into the realm of the actual." Ideas are the stuff exquisite greatness is made up of. A waking dream is an idea. Regardless of how large, small, or insignificant, it leads to another stage of an idea. I honor daydreaming. This collection of Tiny Stories is an assortment of tiny, brief stories that were born out of moments of whimsy, mystery, and longing. I believe in the indefatigable powers of imagination. I do my best to widen my imaginative lens of what I can create in any genre, recipe, or seeking a solution to a problem. The list goes on and on. It is what gets me out of bed in the morning. What will the day bring? Not every day is an explosive revelation, with my muses rambling around, whispering to me of some plan. I do my best to find peace and calm, even in moments. When I find these moments, they are the sweetness between the flow of found ideas. The quiet space is what I need to receive. I honor this time to allow the ideas to take shape, to grow. I love pictures as well. They have their own story to tell. As prompts I become turned on to a story, musing or something new coming all together. I hope you enjoy my visual stories as well. They were created for these stories.
On July 28, 1851, Nathaniel Hawthorne's wife Sophia and daughters Una and Rose left their house in Western Massachusetts to visit relatives near Boston. Hawthorne and his five-year-old son Julian stayed behind. How father and son got along over the next three weeks is the subject of this tender and funny extract from Hawthorne's notebooks. "At about six o'clock I looked over the edge of my bed and saw that Julian was awake, peeping sideways at me." Each day starts early and is mostly given over to swimming and skipping stones, berry-picking and subduing armies of thistles. There are lots of questions ("It really does seem as if he has baited me with more questions, references, and observations, than mortal father ought to be expected to endure"), a visit to a Shaker community, domestic crises concerning a pet rabbit, and some poignant moments of loneliness ("I went to bed at about nine and longed for Phoebe"). And one evening Mr. Herman Melville comes by to enjoy a late-night discussion of eternity over cigars. With an introduction by Paul Auster that paints a beautifully observed, intimate picture of the Hawthornes at home, this little-known, true-life story by a great American writer emerges from obscurity to shine a delightful light upon family life—then and now.
