13 Comments About My Short Story, "Connections"

13 Positive Things People Have Said About My Short Story, "Connections".

I have my story "Connections" posted on Authonomy.com, in slim hopes of having it read by the editors of Harper Collins and possibly picked up for publication. Dare I to dream? Heck, yes! That's why I did it.

Anyway, I've gotten some very positive feedback from readers on that site, some of whom are published authors or critics in their own right. Imagine my delight, however, when I find comments of this nature awaiting me:

1) "I swear this story made my heart stop. And it made me cry, I'm not afraid to admit. I've just finished it. With my reader's heart, I loved it. Every single second of it. I want to read it over and over again."

2) "I have just come to this…and I am absolutely stunned. First, the concept is wonderful - simple, but wonderful. Exactly the same kind of storyline that would drive the plot of a Murakami novel - most of all though it reminded me of my absolute favourite film ever, Three Colours:Red."

3) "I love this on several levels.
Your prose is a thing of beauty. I love the structure, with the voice of Jacopo popping in during what would have been a long narrative stretch. It made Emily come alive as a character, let me inside her head, gave me some necessary back story about the relationship between them and her inner conflict, and felt like dialog."

4) "I also note that this is beautifully written and contains a word picture that I can easily build in my head. Lovely... quite perfect. I would buy this book."

5) "This man could seduce an iceberg! I'm half in love with him myself. I feel like saying, that's it, I'm off, Italy first stop...So poignant, so elegant, so captivating, so 'drowning in honey, stingless...'"

6) "I have read the first three chapters of your work and enjoyed it immensely. It is not my normal choice of read but I did enjoy it. It is beautifully written and flows well with Davide and Emily being believable characters."

7) "What a beautiful story. The writing is just gorgeous and you immediately take us into Emily's world in Italy. Davide sounds so dreamy - good looking, sophisticated, cultured, kind, and a professor of literature - what girl wouldn't fall for him? I liked the way you had Jacopo's thoughts playing through her head at pivotal moments to show the strain of that relationship on her current happiness. I loved her moment of liberty in the plaza and had a few tears in my eyes when she said, 'he won't be calling'. How are you planning to release this?"

8) "I …am absolutely bowled over by the lyrical beauty of your writing."

9) "This is a lovely, lovely book…Your turn of phrase occasionally is just a poignant delight: "Denied her hand..." (I wish I'd written that!) And throughout there is this achingly beautiful sense of place and of atmosphere. And Davide is lovely and one wants to spend time in his company. Well done."

10) "Kimberly, this is lovely. I'd be very happy to sit in my local cafe on a sunny day, with this book in hand and reading while sipping at a cappuccino. Except my coffee would probably grow cold. Because while this is not the sort of book that *grabs* the attention, it is engrossing, well-written with some exquisitely lyrical touches and, inevitably I suppose, a rich Italian flavour :) In some ways it's probably helped by that opening line too - the more you want something, the slower it is arriving. A sentiment that writers seeking publication should have no trouble connecting with ;)"

11) "This spoke to me on the visceral level that I live on, because it's about love, about passion, about loss, about every single beating emotion that makes our lives what they are. The way you write is amazing. You create an atmosphere for the reader to explore, to breathe, to be. We become a part of the story."

12) "Then there's the rhythm of your prose…this flows with the rhythm of liquid gold. The way you intercut thoughts and description is masterful, and when your dialogue gets underway in chapter two it is just so tightly constructed - the kind of effortless prose that's obviously been reworked and reworked until it's perfect."

13) "The dialog is crisp and real, including the snatches of Italian and less than perfect English. But it flows and picks up steam leading to the coffee shop. Written in third person, but with Emily’s first person thoughts interjected frequently kept me in the character’s head and POV solidly."

Yeah… That makes me feel pretty good…

And if any agents or publishers stumble across this…I'd be more than happy to have a little chat, you know?

Ciao!

This week, the eye candy is a bit different...

I thought I'd post one of the inspirations for Davide, the male lead in "Connections".

But he's not nude (Sorry!)

But, I think you'll agree...

He's a stunner, isn't he? :)