Short Romance – Three Stories of the Heart. Recently, a reader challenged me regarding the subject matter of my stories. More romance, she pleaded. This heartfelt request brought forth a mea culpa. I confess it, my Lovely Readers: I shy away from Bodice Rippers. But then I felt a surge of redemption. I do write romantic stories, and I have the archive to prove it. Here, then, is a recap, a review, a ménage à trois of stories of and from the heart.
Short Romance – Three Stories of the Heart: Counting Them Down…
Molly, Jenks, and Joey – New Romantic Fiction. My short story Molly, Jenks, and Joey has just been published by the hard-working editors at October Hill Magazine. Molly, Jenks, and Joey tells the tale of a man struggling to give voice to his desire, a teenage neighbor who struggles with a speech impediment, and a beautiful speech therapist who arrives every Thursday.
A New One-Act Play – Yvette and John Talk Love and Sense, just published by the fine folks at Impspired. This one-act stage script appears in Issue 30 of Impspired and relates the tale of Yvette and John, two estranged lovers celebrating their first anniversary after sixteen years apart. They discuss the science and sensibility of love while watching the sunset. The genre is literary fiction, stage play.
Claude & Chloe is a story that slipped through the cracks. It was published on December 30th, 2023. So much holiday goofiness, and so little time for literary pursuits. This quirky romance most definitely deserves a read.
My short story Claude & Chloe tells the tale of a vibrant woman banished to a provincial town, the man she meets, and the birth of a cabaret. The genre is literary fiction with a dash of romance, but not the horrible bodice-bursting sort.
There you are, my Fine Readers. Three romances for a chilly season. And take heart, another new punk romance is don’t he way. Look for it this month.
Speaking of this month, it is one for the record books. Not two weeks gone, and December has already seen three stories accepted and six stories going live. And, there are more to come! Hard to believe, I know. Chaos, I tells ya! How will you know when a new story escapes? Glad you asked, Friends. Read On! Drum roll and… Meanwhile, don’t miss any upcoming stories. You can stay tuned for all the latest by following the MEF blog:
And finally, with your indulgence, allow me to plug a short story collection. What can I say? I need to pay for the plane tickets and you need some winter reading. So… how about some great short fiction? That’s right, folks, it’s here! Power Tools awaits your hungry reader’s eyes.
Power Tools
There are moments in life when having the right tool makes all the difference.
An elderly woman sets out alone on a journey into a new life. Two soldiers in a bunker share candy and memories. A widower takes on the Supreme Court with a robot. Grief is sung over the cobbled streets of Valletta. Two old heroes question their purpose. These stories tell tales of love lost and found, of the fight for justice, and the glimmering flame of hope that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters push back against the crushing weight of the world and shoulder the burdens they carry within. Love, laugh, dance, weep; these are the stories of Power Tools.
Marco Etheridge is a writer of fiction, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His stories have been published in more than eighty reviews, journals, and magazines in Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. Power Tools gathers twenty-one of his best short stories into one collection. An elderly woman sets out alone on a journey into a new life. Two soldiers in a bunker share candy and memories. A widower takes on the Supreme Court with a robot. Grief is sung over the cobbled streets of Valletta. Two old heroes question their purpose. These stories tell tales of love lost and found, of the fight for justice, and the glimmering flame of hope that keeps us afloat. Unforgettable characters push back against the crushing weight of the world and shoulder the burdens they carry within. Love, laugh, dance, weep; these are the stories of Power Tools.
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Marco Etheridge
Marco Etheridge is a writer of prose, an occasional playwright, and a part-time poet. He lives and writes in Vienna, Austria. His work has been featured in over one hundred reviews and journals across Canada, Australia, the UK, and the USA. His story “Power Tools” has been nominated for Best of the Web for 2023. “Power Tools” is Marco’s latest collection of short fiction. When he isn’t crafting stories, Marco is a contributing editor for a new ‘Zine called Hotch Potch. In his other life, Marco travels the world with his lovely wife Sabine. Website: https://www.marcoetheridgefiction.com/