Review: I Don't Want To Be Famous



Michela Pasquali

As a short story writer myself, it was great to get the opportunity to read another writers work and review it. A canadian writer, Michela Pasquali's collection 'I Don't Want To Be Famous' is a varied mix of people, from children to grandmothers and lovers in between. Her ability to create these characters is terrific. Each story is wrapped in warmth and her description of the worlds her characters’ inhabit is realistic to the point I could feel the apprehension Henry had while waiting for his brother in Dragon’s and Sailing Ships. The soft silence of a snow covered landscape made me shiver as I travelled with Hiroshi to meet his loved one in Snow. I think this is my favourite story, then again, the chanting and noise in The Oracle Temple had me closing my eyes and picturing the vibrant and busy temple.

 Michela’s writing style is that of a natural storyteller. She enjoys her craft and this comes across in her stories. Her attention to detail aids the setting so that all senses are satisfied, ‘the swallows flying in gentle arcs’, ‘the laundry flapping in the wind’ and ‘the bottoms of his feet burning and bubbling’.

This collection of seven stories is a treat to read. The length of each story, just over 700 words, allows the reader to dip in and out when having a coffee or travelling to ease the journey to or from work. Michela is a talented writer who treats her characters with the care and attention they crave and so their stories are delivered to us in a way that leaves us, the reader longing for more. ‘I Don’t Want To Be Famous’ is a must for all readers of good stories. Looking forward to the next collection from Michela Pasquali, I hope it is soon.

Find more about Michela at www.michelapasquali.com and to buy her book, 

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Want-To-Famous-ebook/dp/B00BGJ3BLO/ref=cm_cr-mr-img

5 Sentence fiction - Angels

This is me having a lousy day! As it is pointed out to me below very nicely I got the prompt wrong. It is angles not angels as I read it. Sorry Lillie, sorry everyone. I'm sure angel's will come up sometime though :)
I got a chance today to take part in www.lilliemcferrin.com 5 sentence fiction for this week. Check out the site for other entrants for the challenge. Below is my mini piece.

 

Angels

His head was throbbing with pain. He needed to get some space so he decided to step out for a few minutes. The choir of angels' were in full practise mode for the next arrival.

 “I must be getting old,” St. Peter muttered quietly. Standing outside the Pearly Gates, he rubbed his forehead for relief.

99 word story

Bob wanted to be part of the gang. But he wasn’t street smart enough for them and they soon left him behind. Now alone and hungry, he walked the often scary streets. Nearing a bridge he settled for the night. The concrete was hard and cold but he curled up and tried to disappear. Not drawing attention to him was important because he could get hassled and even hurt. Bob thought his family would have put up posters, pleading for his return. Bob cried from loneliness. He longed to go home; a lost dog might never again be found.

Toastmasters, Heart Surgery, Moving

In an earlier post in Feb 2013, I promised to share some interesting facts that not everyone knows about me. The idea came from a course that I attended at The Big Smoke Writing Factory (www.bigsmokewritingfactory.com ) led by Vanessa O’Loughlin. I shall tell you about 3 facts that I thought of when I finally sat down to do this exercise. More shall follow in another post I promise.

Fact #1

I hold a CC from Toastmasters International (www.toastmasters.org ). CC stands for Competent Communicator; it is achieved after completing a programme that involves giving 10 public speeches at Toastmasters meetings. I was a member of the Fáilte club in Charleville for many years. I have represented my club in competitions in different areas and I must say I enjoyed it. Being able to speak in public with confidence is a great asset for any writer. Reading your work out at workshops or in groups is not a big deal when you have experience in public speaking. This is where Toastmasters International is excellent. I have started an advanced course as in Toastmasters there are many challenges for members to set themselves. Go join your nearest club now, you won’t regret it.

Fact #2

Since leaving my parent’s home when I was 18 yrs old (and then marrying my hubby), I have moved home 4 times. That is a lot of packing and unpacking. It is true that moving house is stressful plus we did this with 4 young children thrown into the mix! I’m a bit of a collector so each time I moved there was more and more stuff to take with me. I even had boxes marked ‘new attic’ and that’s exactly where they went, from my old attic to the new one. Would I move again? One should never say never.

Fact#3

I had open-heart surgery on May 30th in 2008, I was in my forties. There is so much to say about this that I really don’t know where to begin. I have had viral meningitis when I was 19 yrs old and I had shoulder surgery since my heart op too. When I was 7/8 yrs old, I tried to jump over a roll of linoleum, my Dad was going to lay on our kitchen floor, while wearing roller-skates that I received for my birthday 2 days before. I ended up dislocating my right shoulder and also managed to turn my arm backwards. I was wearing a sling for a long, long time. I’ve fallen out of trees, anything that ends in ‘itis’ I’ve had, health has been varied to say the least.

More facts to post at a later date.