“Life is comprised of thousands of fleeting moments.
These are fleeting moments in the lives of a dozen women…” Thus begins a
collection of vignettes Because She Was a Woman.
The goal of the
vignettes is to have the characters and a detail or two of their day or their
lives seep into the consciousness of the reader – in the way that the details
come alive in the readers’ own imagination. Some of the stories and characters
are there to make the reader question the status quo, to turn stereotypes on their
heads, to dare to suggest that women often are far more than what they appear
to be skin deep.
In How Nadine and Libby Escaped Destiny, the
original story that was the seed of the collection, a child is playing outside
an old trailer and her mother watches her from within as the essence of the
moment unfolds. It is a sad tale with haunting images; a tragedy that aspires
to a happy ending.
In Rebirth a woman discovers the joys of
starting anew with the help of a friend and has a moment of complete abandon.
In Imbroglio Royale, Lana goes through the
motions and keeps on going desperately trying to find “normal” after wondering
when her life turned into an episode of reality television.
The Proposal explores a moment of victory in a stifling
situation for Lenora.
Fair Game, based on a true story, follows Rosa as she goes on a job interview that turns
out much differently than expected.
Independence Day is a modern day fantasy about motherhood in
which a woman makes one last ditch effort to bond with her teenager.
The Poet is the heartbreaking tale of a woman contemplating the true
meaning of ‘masterpiece’ in the middle of the apocalypse.
Not Gwen is the tale of a woman living a masked existence for one last
day, an exploration of cultural identity and survival. (Click here to read my inspiration for this story.)
Promises and Expectations is the transcript of a woman’s video essay
explaining why she should be approved for a special program she believes will
bring her true happiness.
In Is This Love? a woman visits her mother
in a convalescent home and contemplates her history, happiness, and dementia.
Child of God finds Nino dispossessed because her
neighbors disapprove of her lifestyle choices.
The Next ‘It’ Couple is a study of a woman of humble beginnings
reaches the pinnacle of glamour and success and meets the love of her life, but
does it matter at all?
The collection is
available at Smashwords and Kindle Store now. The paperback is available at CreateSpace and will soon follow at Amazon. Additional online retailers like Apple,
Diesel, Kobo and Sony will follow in the coming weeks.
