Donna is sharing a collection of 6 stories today. She invites us to forget the mess in our house and find the joy of reading!

 

Forget the Mess—It’s Time for a Story!is a collection of stories designed to provide a short break from all the pressing concerns of your average day. Each story is written from a very different perspective. Most of the stories are humorous, two are serious, and all have a twist. One of the main intents for all my stories is to help us see past the obvious, or what we think we see at first glance.

When caring for my aging mom and watching her mind slip away, I used to wonder how the world appeared to her and how she managed to deal with it. I’m sure it was as frustrating (or more so) for her as it was for the rest of us. Trying to understand her thought process and watching how other people reacted to her (and others like her) led to the first story in this collection, “My Good Son”.

I wrote “Spectator” when I went back to college for a second Bachelor’s degree almost 20 years after receiving the first one. My perspective on the school and people was so different than when I went through the first time. I found myself observing lots of interesting interactions between my fellow students. But my main character in that story cranks “people-watching” up a notch or two.

I wrote the last story in this collection, “Love Your Frenimies”, when I was going through a difficult period with someone whom I considered a good friend. She was suddenly acting strange and seemed to judge or disagree with things I said or did. It would have been easy to get angry and just tell her off, but that’s not who I am. And I soon learned there was more behind her behavior than I could have guessed. Writing this story, although completely different than what transgressed between my friend and me, was very cathartic. As the main character changed her perspective on her neighbor, I felt myself letting go of my frustrations and “right” to be angry with my friend.

 

About the book:

When life starts to fill with mindless chores and endless to-do lists, take a mini-break to relax and reenergize. This book contains six stories to help you forget about the dishes that need to be washed or the laundry that needs to be put away. Forget the mess for now, and enjoy a story. The mess will still be there, waiting for you, when the story is finished.

• My Good Son – The son she remembers is missing; and who is this man calling her “Ma”?
• Pretense – Sister-relationships can be complicated, especially if you’re afraid to tell the truth.
• Another Day – Clara looks for a way—and a reason—to keep going.
• Spectator – When watching other people’s lives is more interesting than living your own, maybe you need to take some action.
• Taking Care of His Wife – Brad promised to take care of Megan forever—but he never said exactly how he would do that.
• Love YourFrenimies – When Jesus said to love your neighbor, he couldn’t have meant Gina’s neighbor, Anna.

About the author: 

Donna DeLoretto Brennan was a technical writer for over ten years before becoming a computer programmer. Since leaving the corporate world after her twins were born, she’s had short stories, interviews, and nonfiction articles published online and in print magazines. She’s speaks at writing conferences and other events.

She’s a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG). She’s served in various capacities on the GLVWG board, including several terms as Conference Chair. She’s always looking for opportunities to encourage others and to share what she’s learned.

Donna’s website is www.DegunkingLife.com.

 

Where to find the book:

Amazon