Perfect Need - Barbara L. B. Storey

Filled with desire and lust, love and longing, 'Perfect Need' is an addictive collection of seven well-written and sensual erotic short stories depicting emotional and explicit physical passion. 

The author writes in her introduction to the collection: My stories are explorations of what love and passion can become, how they can affect two people for a moment, or for a lifetime. When they close their eyes, literally or not; when they tumble into a love they never expected; when they decide it's worth the risk to stay...or not.'

This is a story collection that you could read all at once in a couple of hours, or alternatively enjoy one at a time and keep returning to the book for more. I read a few at a time and I quickly found myself drawn into the tales when I picked the book up. I especially liked You Don't Belong to Me, An Unbearable Brightness, and Dolce which features the delicious, irresistible combination of food and passion.

I don't want to write too much about the individual stories because I think they are best discovered knowing little about them before you start reading, so that you enjoy the way the passion and romance unfolds in the different intimate scenarios described. Different to a lot of what I read, I was glad to try this collection and found the writing had an honest quality to it and the author's sense of adventure shines through. If you'd like to read some short erotic, emotional fiction relating passionate encounters with intensity and realism, do try this collection.

Thank you to the author for kindly sending me a copy of this book for an honest. 

Author links - twitter @barbaralbstorey | website 

Kinsey and Me: Stories - Sue Grafton - Guest book review

Guest book review by Penny Waugh

I have read and loved the Kinsey Milhone series since A for Alibi came out in 1982, so I must say I pounced on this one and thoroughly enjoyed the Kinsey short stories and the glimpses into Sue Grafton's own life that the second half of the book give us.

However, and this is a big however, if you are unfamiliar with the series this is not the place to start. Kinsey has grown over the years, and these short stories, set mainly in the 80s when she is supposed to be about 32 years old, are quite slight though very good for showing her methods of investigation and the intuition with which she reaches her conclusions. There is little here of the detail of her life which is one of the joys of the series books and though the stories are generally good they are, by definition, brief. The last story, written at the request of a clothing company, is a good yarn and she certainly gives them her best in product placement!

The second half of the book is, thinly disguised, the story of Sue Grafton's early life which must have been painful to write and is moving and painful to read. The child of two alcoholics she was forced, practically, to bring herself up, though her father did inspire a love of books and reading in her.  She was born in the same year as I was and so I read these stories of her life up to the age of 20 with great interest, but so, I believe, would others with any interest in the author. She is unsparing of herself or indeed her family and the whole section rings true.

This is a first publication in the UK, though the stories have been previously published in the USA.

I would give this book four stars. It is slight but in the context of the Kinsey Milhone series it is most interesting. However, don't expect to get the most out of it if you are unfamiliar with the series, which I would recommend unreservedly.

Reviewed by Penny Waugh - guest reviewer - thanks very much to Penny for reading and reviewing this book for The Little Reader Library

Published by Mantle

Introducing Pixel Hall Press

I was recently contacted by Cynthia at Pixel Hall Press about 'Annabelle' by Nancy Christie, a short story they are publishing as an ebook. I asked Cynthia to provide some more information about the ebook and the Press itself, and I am sharing the publisher's words here with you, in case what they have to offer is of interest for other book reviewers and also for any writers out there. Please note this is the publisher's piece and not mine and I have not received anything for posting this information, I am merely sharing it out of bookish interest!

In this era of digital technology, Wall Street involvement and merger mania, mainstream publishers seem to have lost sight of the core principles and purpose of publishing. At the other end of the spectrum is an avalanche of self-published books that are notoriously uneven in quality. Small boutique imprints, such as Pixel Hall Press, are reclaiming the heart and soul of publishing by reviving the idea that a publisher's “raison d'être” is to find and nurture great writers, and to provide readers with beautiful, meaningful, truly enjoyable books.

Pixel Hall Press is a relatively new, old-fashioned small publishing house whose focus is on discovering literary gems and great stories that might have otherwise been overlooked. Their stated mission is “To publish books that energize the imagination and intrigue the mind, and to be a conduit between readers and provocative, stimulating, talented authors.” Determined to remain small, Pixel Hall Press has announced that they will be moving forward slowly and deliberately. They plan to add only one or two new book authors a year, giving them more creative control, the opportunity for greater dialogs with readers, and a higher percentage of the profits.

Though Pixel Hall Press has been in existence for less than a year, they are already gaining a reputation for finding and publishing books and stories of significant literary merit, such as “Jo Joe” by Sally Wiener Grotta.

In addition to more traditional printed books, Pixel Hall Press has recently rolled out its new PHP Shorts imprint. PHP Shorts is carefully selecting a few short stories, to publish as stand-alone eBooks. For instance, on September 8, 2013, PHP Shorts will publish “Annabelle” by Nancy Christie, a hauntingly lyrical short story about the price exacted by the passion for creating art from an artist, his wife/model and his daughter.

While Pixel Hall Press will publish only a few authors, they are quite open to queries from writers, and respond to all emails. Writers should first read PHP’s published Writers Guidelines, before submitting anything. Reviewers who want to be on the list to receive information about upcoming titles and the availability of review copies should contact Cynthia Dadson - Cynthia AT PixelHallPress DOT com.

Tales from the Heart - Sophie King

This newly compiled ebook exclusive is a collection of twenty stories written by author Sophie King, which have been brought together in this format for the first time. The stories have previously appeared in various well-known women's magazines like Woman's Weekly and My Weekly. At their heart, the stories all concern themselves with things that lie at the heart of all our everyday lives - love, relationships, families and friends, and are written with warmth and humour, and sometimes with a twist in the tale.

I enjoyed reading this collection, and I found that it was lovely to be able to just pick it up and read a couple of stories, then come back to it again later, and read some more, with each story being a satisfying and complete read within itself. Short stories are not a format I read regularly, but I found these light, entertaining and engaging. 

Sophie King is adept at writing tales in this format; she quickly paints a picture, draws characters and sets a scene with enough information for us to grasp and enjoy the scenario being played out yet staying within the boundaries of a short story. I liked many of them, including Card Making for Beginners, which deals with a father son relationship and the theme of acceptance, whilst injecting humour through the card making session.

Sophie King has also written full length novels, and within this collection of short stories there is also the first two chapters of Sophie's new novel Divorce for Beginners. She is also a creative writing teacher.

Published by Corazon Books, as an ebook.

Find out more here - Great Stories with Heart.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ebook of these stories to read and give an honest review.

You can find out more about Sophie King by visiting her website here and follow her on twitter @sophiek_writer


The full list of the twenty tales included is as follows:

Other People's Children
Eating In
The Party
Holiday with a Difference
May I Take Your Picture?
I'm Sure I Put it Somewhere
What's Her Name?
I've Got Something to Tell You
That One is Mine!
Mental Striptease (For Older People Who Should Know Better)
Scattering Bert
Card Making for Beginners
No Presents Please
Here's One They Made Earlier
Bedroom Talk
Odds and Sods
Just One More Coffee
Under My Feet
Best Before
All Wrapped Up