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Category: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Description: Writing short stories is not easy. The reason it isn't easy is because they are short. The writer is still charged with producing living characters who have personalities: good, bad, or milksop. Add to that a dynamic narrative that gives you, the reader, an opportunity to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste what the folks who inhabit those little stories do, and the authors have a demanding job on their hands. Short stories are a great deal more than sitting on an old apple crate and hammering away at the QWERTY. What's that you say? Well, of course it's a word. Look it up. Anyway, we decided to provide something antiquotidian for your--Huh? Will you please stop interrupting? Antiquotidian--something out of the ordinary; a work that is not commonplace. Is that better? Anyway, where were we? Oh, yeah, we decided to assemble an anthology that departs from the same old, same old. It has a theme, but it is not designed around a specific holiday, a particular genre, or any of the other time-battered ideas. This one has as its shaky foundation something that is even more difficult for authors to pull off with grace. It is for that reason that the lineup of writers in this anthology were chosen. They not only write good stories, but they are able to do what many can't. They are going to lead you through the rose garden and up that little hill--see it there?--and when you've reached the crest of that knoll, they are going to gleefully toss you off the cliff. Yeah, you heard it right. They're going to give you a little jolt that you were not expecting, and, at the same instant, give you reason to pause. To think. What? Why, sure you can. Some of these stories will cause you to think for a long time, and some of them will have you kicking your mental butt because you didn't see it coming. Don't you just love it? Oh, sorry about that. We should have told you that in the beginning, huh? The name of this anthology is: TWISTED TAILS. And don't come up with any smart remarks, we've heard them all.
eBook Publisher: Double Dragon Publishing/Double Dragon eBooks, 2006 DDP
eBookwise Release Date: April 2006

17 Reader Ratings:

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Available eBook Formats: OEBFF Format (IMP) [456 KB]
Words: 106694
Reading time: 304-426 min.

Twisted Tails is a delightfully perverse anthology from a charming cast of fellow suspects including EPPIE finalist and twice winner of Dream Realm Awards, Steve Lazarowitz. J, a gravely mental astronomer, and Peter Prellwitz, another several time EPPIE finalist, join the motley mob to weave warped tales well spiced and brilliant. Personal favorites emerge from Jeremy Davis, Biff Mitchell and... Ahem, not me! J has outclassed the bar in this compilation. Purely a collector's treasure. -Eugen Bacon, Fictionwise Recommender

FOREWORD

1. VEIL by K. L. Nappier

2.... IN DISTRESS by Jeremy Davies

3. DEAD WRONG by Steve Lazarowitz

4. THINGS by J. Richard Jacobs

5. SHANTY GIRL by Eugen M. Bacon

6. WITCHES' SEASON by Marilyn Peake

7. REFLEX. ACTION by Jeremy Davies

8. CASSIOPEIA'S TEARS by D. L. White and Peter Prellwitz

9. THE STORY OF A TERMITE by Biff Mitche

10. THE LIES WE TELL OURSELVES by Jamie A. Hughes

11. CLONE OF CLONES by Eugen M. Bacon

12. A UNIFORM SHADE OF RED by J. Richard Jacobs

13. A MATTER OF GRAVE IMPORTANCE by Steve Lazarowitz

14. AIN'T NO DOC FOR THE FALLING APART BLUES by Biff Mitchell

15. TIGER IN THE PLUM BLOSSOMS by Marilyn Peake

16. EMMA'S DILEMMA by Margaret Whitley

17. DUSK MAGNET by Eugen M. Bacon

18. AN EYE FOR AN EYE by Peter Prellwitz

19. TWELVE IN, TWELVE OUT by J. Richard Jacobs

20. AN AFFAIR OF THE MIND by Steve Lazarowitz

21. IN A BAD MOOD by Biff Mitche

22. THROWING UP SASHES by Peter Prellwitz

23. RETURN TO ROSWELL by Marilyn Peake

24. PICTURE POSTCARDS by J. Richard Jacobs

25. THE TANK by Steve Lazarowitz

26. THE BIG RED GIFT by Biff Mitche

27. ENOUGH by Jamie A. Hughes

28. PASSAGE by Peter Prellwitz

29. DON'T WAKE THE DREAMER by Terence West

30. NEGOTIATIONS by J. Richard Jacobs

31. EVENING STAR by Margaret Whitley

It is said that variety is the spice of life. If that ragged, worn out statement is true, then here, in TWISTED TAILS, you are going to encounter one of the tastiest literary meals you have ever ingested. Most anthologies are built around a theme, and this one is no exception, other than that its theme has nothing to do with genre, time of the year, specific holiday, style, or voice. You will find sweet, sour, bitter, tangy, titillating, tantalizing, torturous, terrifying, humorous, and horrifying in a blend designed to satisfy your every taste. You may even find some flavors you have never savored that are sure to please.

So, what is the theme of this anthology that sets it apart from all others? Each of the authors represented here was chosen for his or her unique voice and style, that is true, but, more importantly, each has an uncanny ability to do something that few writers can handle well. All of them are wondrous weavers of tale tapestries, as you will soon see, but they are more than that--much more. It is their twisted way of looking at their worlds askew that forms the foundation of this collection. They will entertain you, make you laugh, cause chills to course through you in places where chills have never gone before, bring tears to your eyes, and force you to grit your teeth. Then, when the timing is just right, they will most gently, lovingly, throw you into the path of an oncoming train. Enjoy!