A MOTHER SCORNED AND OTHER STORIES

Author: Michele Bardsley ISBN: 0759940088 6/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: HARD SHELL WORD FACTORY

Bestselling author Michele Bardsley cooks up stories about hearth and home, love and loss, truth and hope in her anthology: A MOTHER SCORNED AND OTHER STORIES. The collection includes the dark suspense story, A Mother Scorned, which won the Grand Prize in the 72nd Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition as well as the EPPIE-winning novella, Midnight Intentions. Go on ... take a bite of gourmet fiction!

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

This collection of works by Michele Bardsley consists of short stories (some only a few paragraphs) she has written since 1999. They are stories she had in E-book form and print, together. A few appear to be thoughts the author may have just written down because she liked them, but they are not developed enough for my taste. They are too short and wrapped up too fast. Despite that, all of them contain messages of substance.

At times compelling and smartly written, reading this makes me think that the author has some connection to domestic violence, violence against children/animals, etc. I would not presume to guess what that connection is; it could simply be that she abhors such things and wants to get her message out there. So be warned, this collection can be graphic and definitely carries a theme which can be rather depressing and even appalling.

A MOTHER SCORNED AND OTHER STORIES will no doubt force some readers to look into things they never wish to face and feel far away from. It is not about escaping from everyday stresses to enchanted lands through a reading a book! I do believe these stories can be used for motivation to remove yourself from, or help bring awareness to, violence in our lives. Whether that is the author's intent or not I don't know. Whatever her intent is, the collection is thought provoking.

Shannon Johnson