Back in 2018 PCE (that’s Pre-Covid Era) I published a little book I like to call Shadow Plays. I like to call it that because that’s, you know, its title. Man, this post is already off the rails. Where was I? Oh, yes…Shadow Plays. You see a total of 15 stories ended up making it into the finished product. Everything from sci-fi to horror to fantasy found its way between those two covers. That’s how I wanted it. I hoped to provide new readers with a smorgasbord of material for them to gorge themselves on. Speaking of gorging… I could really go for a cheeseburger. With fries. And a cold Diet Coke. Or tacos. Tacos are always a win.
As I was saying, though, Shadow Plays ended with a short story called “Tolly.” It was the second version of the story that I had tried to write. (Note: You’ll find the first version in my chapbook “Squiggles in Indigo”…though only if you are a Patreon supporter. Or meet me at a public appearance or book signing. And maybe you have. Or will. Or Not. Who can say? Am I still writing a note or am I back to talking about “Tolly?” Hmm. I see no closing parenthetical, so I guess this is still just a note.)
Among the many stories I have written and sent out into the aether to die a lonely and mostly unread death, “Tolly” is a rarity. Although a man of faith, I have never really written with the “Christian Fiction” market in mind and Tolly is no exception. However, it is unique in that I knew that the story I would be telling was decidedly spiritual in nature and specifically Christian in its lens. Oh, sure, the couple of expletives within the text might cause a few church ladies to clutch their pearls, but…actually, I’m not sure when I last saw a woman (at church or otherwise) wearing pearls. I suppose that saying is an ill fit here. My point is that the story likely wouldn’t pass muster at a “Christian” publishing house but, among my work, it stands out as the most forthright where my faith is concerned.
Recently, while discussing “Tolly” with a reader, I had the thought that, of all my stories, it’s the one I mind the least being passed around for free. I thought briefly about having it printed up chapbook style, but the costs involved made the idea prohibitive. Ebooks, though, could be a (mostly) free outlet for my little story. I saw mostly because a certain Kindle-centric retailer doesn’t really allow for free Ebooks (though they will let me price it at 99 cents which effectively cuts me out of my share anyway!)
Are you still reading this? I think I stopped reading a couple of paragraphs ago, myself. The point (at long, long, long, long last) is that you can now download and read “Tolly” for free through several retailers including Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and many more. If Kindle is your thing, you can snag it for 99 cents (sorry) but I made sure it was sharable at that price.
Click here to get your FREE (or nearly free) copy!
