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I am not Frazzle!: And other stories for grown-ups
Here is the deal, we take 10 great authors, give them the freedom to write a story in their own style and genre as long as the general theme has children involved. Next we put them in a big pot (the stories not the authors) and mix them up a bit to see what comes out at the end. And here it is, a marvellous mixture of inspiring, entertaining, funny and thought provoking fables that will delight every grown up from here to the land of Lorff ... Huh? What do you mean you’ve never heard of the land of Lorff? Well my friend, read on.....
All proceeds of this book go to the Devizes and District Opportunity Centre, a registered charity in the UK that helps children with disabilities and learning difficulties get a better start to life.
The stories inside:
A Wish for Lucie by Maria Miller
I Am Not Frazzle! by Darren Worrow
The Candy Vendor’s Confession by Nancy Brooks
Mirror Image by Holly M Kothe
Simon by Dave Darby
The Storekeeper by Cecily Magnon
Stingers by Graham Downs
The Beauty of Ugh by Richelle E. Goodrich
The King by Paul Howard
The Story of Nugu the Baboon by James Penhaligon and James Cruickshank
All proceeds of this book go to the Devizes and District Opportunity Centre, a registered charity in the UK that helps children with disabilities and learning difficulties get a better start to life.
The stories inside:
A Wish for Lucie by Maria Miller
I Am Not Frazzle! by Darren Worrow
The Candy Vendor’s Confession by Nancy Brooks
Mirror Image by Holly M Kothe
Simon by Dave Darby
The Storekeeper by Cecily Magnon
Stingers by Graham Downs
The Beauty of Ugh by Richelle E. Goodrich
The King by Paul Howard
The Story of Nugu the Baboon by James Penhaligon and James Cruickshank
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2013
21 people want to read
About the author
Darren Worrow
25 books21 followersI was born in the Fling Dynasty of a small planet known as Duncan in a galaxy far, far away. My humble parents, believing the planet was on the eve of destruction, sent me off as a baby in an egg-shaped craft and I landed here on planet Earth in the spring of 1973. I was later to discover through a cavern of ice, as you do, that the planet was fine all the time and it was just a particularly nasty prank by my father’s mates down the pub.
I landed in a deep jungle and was raised by a company of wolves, learning to live as they did. Until one day when a naughty tiger with a very English accent came along and I was whisked away by a black panther and a jazz singing bear to a man-village. It wasn’t the tiger I was worried about; it was the American cartoon producer following on behind him.
It was at the village that I won a golden ticket to visit a chocolate factory where I fell into a river made of chocolate and was sucked up a pipe into a fudge room; happy days. It could have been worse; I heard some other kid turned into an exploding blueberry.
I lived at a coastal Inn for a while until an old sailor paid me a penny to look out for a legless seadog. In finding him I discovered a treasure map and was promptly whisked away by a sailor to a Caribbean island where I got into a bit of a rumble with some pirate radio DJ called Captain Tony Blackbeard. It was that or another holiday in Clacton.
At eleven I was taken away by a man with an uncanny resemblance to actor and comedian Robbie Coltrane to a school for wizards where I had to battle it out with some bald blue bloke who killed my parents, said he was a lawyer working for an author called JK Rolling or something. That wasn’t as bad as the frog flavoured semolina we had to eat for school dinner.
As I grew up and went to college I decided to give my favourite toys, a cowboy and a space ranger, away to a snotty girl from around the corner, nobody told me the cowboy was really Tom Hanks otherwise I would have given them away a lot sooner.
So, other than the time I was bitten by a rare spider and found myself with special arachnid powers which I used to defeat an evil leprechaun, I left college and it was all very uneventful.
Nowadays I have settled down to a family life and enjoy writing books, striving to be more like Bruce Bogtrotter every day. People say “where do you get your ideas from?” I tell them I have no idea, I've had such a boring, everyday life.
If you really can be bothered to know more about me why don’t you visit my website at www.darrenworrow.webs.com and find out even more honest facts?
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 2, 2014
This is a compilation of short stories by eleven authors. The proceeds are to go to a charity called
Devizes and District Opportunity Center, for the development of young children with difficulties and disabilities. There are ten stories, all creative, imaginative, one a suspense, a fantasy, a love story of sorts, and a playful one, etc. Three of my favorites are I Am Not Frazzle! Beauty of Ugh and The Story of Nugu the Baboon. Reading these short stories gives you an opportunity to get to experience the writing of eleven authors and their work. They have published other works and a way of contacting them if you are interested in within the book. I enjoyed the stories, some better than others, but the variety was great. The title indicates that it is for grown-ups, but these three I've mentioned I would read to my grand children.
Devizes and District Opportunity Center, for the development of young children with difficulties and disabilities. There are ten stories, all creative, imaginative, one a suspense, a fantasy, a love story of sorts, and a playful one, etc. Three of my favorites are I Am Not Frazzle! Beauty of Ugh and The Story of Nugu the Baboon. Reading these short stories gives you an opportunity to get to experience the writing of eleven authors and their work. They have published other works and a way of contacting them if you are interested in within the book. I enjoyed the stories, some better than others, but the variety was great. The title indicates that it is for grown-ups, but these three I've mentioned I would read to my grand children.
December 31, 2013
Although I wrote one of the stories in this collection, none of the authors had any idea what anybody else's stories were about. Except for our intrepid editor, of course, Mr Darren Worrow (although, he prefers to be called your "host" through this wonderful journey of stories and ideas).
With that in mind, I thought I'd give a short review of each story here (except for mine, of course! Wouldn't want to be presumptuous):
Foreward
I generally don't pay much attention to forwards in fiction, but this one is worth mentioning. Darren takes us on a hilarious journey of how the idea for this book came to him in the dead of night. It's definitely worth the read, and I can especially relate to his recollection of walking through the shopping centre with his wife who asks him what breakfast cereal they should buy this week, and all he can respond is "LASER GUNS!"
A Wish for Lucie
Maria Miller
A sweet story about a young girl named Lucie. Lucie has an abusive father, and one day she is taken out of her home and put in an orphanage, where she reluctantly makes a friend, called Olivia. One day, a man in a park gives her a ring.
The story is well written, and I got emotionally involved, but it ended a bit abruptly. I had one or two unanswered questions, which I felt could have been answered in just another few paragraphs.
I am not Frazzle!
Darren Worrow
Cool concept. Colin is the voice of a popular cartoon character called Frazzle. He doesn't particularly like children himself, but one day he hears of a young child in a coma, whose parents believe that he could possibly bring the child out of it by talking in Frazzle's voice. Hilarity ensues.
While it's a decent story, I feel much more could've been done with it, and the story's not as "polished" as I would've liked.
The Candy Vendor's Confession
Nancy Brooks
Absolutely rivetting! A woman named Tilla confesses her sins to a priest. She describes her and her family's encounters with the Devil himself, and the priest gives her a penance to absolve her of her sins.
I was sucked into this story from the very first line, and it held my unwavering attention until the very end. I absolutely cannot fault this story!
Mirror Image
Holly M. Kothe
Not perfect, but a good story. Courtland moves from New York, back to her hometown in Iowa, with her young son, after leaving the boy's father. There, she reconnects with an old childhood friend, and her son finds a new playmate.
It was quite emotional, and I got the impression it was somewhat autobiographical. I even choked back a tear or two!
Simon
David Darby
This is a rather strange story about a man who can't remember anything about himself, other than that his name is Simon. He has flashes of recollection when he sees a woman walking in the street with a deaf child. The ending is quite surprising!
The Storekeeper
Cecily Magnon
An old man Wanda runs a store, with his magic grimoire, whom he names Grim. When Micah comes to his door one day, purely by accident, the old man has to help him to find his soul.
Very entertaining, with some fancy and fantasy, but not your typical children's fairy tale!
Stingers
Graham Downs
James Clarke is a bullied kid. One day, he bullying gets much more serious... life or death serious.
Please read my story, and find out what happens!
The Beauty of Ugh
Richelle E. Goodrich
Ugo Gerwyn Hewbert is the ugliest boy in town, maybe the ugliest anyone's ever seen. At the beginning of the story, Ugo is hanged for the murder of a beautiful girl. After that, we get to read the story of his life, and find out what really happened.
It's a good story, classically written, and reminiscent of stories like Frankenstein in its language and tone. There's a clear moral at the end which I found very satisfying!
The King
Paul Howard
I must be honest, and say that I didn't really like this one.
On the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, a "Bringing Back the King" show is being organised in Memphis. The PR head for the show is a man with a serious chip on his shoulder about politics and tobacco smoke. He meets a woman who had the pleasure of meeting Elvis years ago, when he came to her bedside when she had polio as a child.
It's not really my thing. It seems like the author has a chip on his shoulder, too. Elvis is portrayed as some kind of god, and by about two-thirds of the way through, it was obvious to me how the story was going to end. Maybe it won't be so obvious to you, though.
The Story of Nugu the Baboon
James Cruickshank and James Penhaligon
A delightful story about a two-year-old baboon called Nugu, who's been kicked out of his troop for a mistake he made, which almost got their elder killed.
The story is reminiscent of old African tales. There's also a clear moral (as with most such African tales), and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Conclusion
What an awesome collection, and I'm deeply honoured to have been a part of it. There really is some amazing talent out there! So I happened to find one single story that really didn't register with me... In this wonderful lucky packet of stories, that says something, don't you think?
Please consider buying this book. I am one hundred percent sure that there will be something in here for absolutely EVERYBODY!
With that in mind, I thought I'd give a short review of each story here (except for mine, of course! Wouldn't want to be presumptuous):
Foreward
I generally don't pay much attention to forwards in fiction, but this one is worth mentioning. Darren takes us on a hilarious journey of how the idea for this book came to him in the dead of night. It's definitely worth the read, and I can especially relate to his recollection of walking through the shopping centre with his wife who asks him what breakfast cereal they should buy this week, and all he can respond is "LASER GUNS!"
A Wish for Lucie
Maria Miller
A sweet story about a young girl named Lucie. Lucie has an abusive father, and one day she is taken out of her home and put in an orphanage, where she reluctantly makes a friend, called Olivia. One day, a man in a park gives her a ring.
The story is well written, and I got emotionally involved, but it ended a bit abruptly. I had one or two unanswered questions, which I felt could have been answered in just another few paragraphs.
I am not Frazzle!
Darren Worrow
Cool concept. Colin is the voice of a popular cartoon character called Frazzle. He doesn't particularly like children himself, but one day he hears of a young child in a coma, whose parents believe that he could possibly bring the child out of it by talking in Frazzle's voice. Hilarity ensues.
While it's a decent story, I feel much more could've been done with it, and the story's not as "polished" as I would've liked.
The Candy Vendor's Confession
Nancy Brooks
Absolutely rivetting! A woman named Tilla confesses her sins to a priest. She describes her and her family's encounters with the Devil himself, and the priest gives her a penance to absolve her of her sins.
I was sucked into this story from the very first line, and it held my unwavering attention until the very end. I absolutely cannot fault this story!
Mirror Image
Holly M. Kothe
Not perfect, but a good story. Courtland moves from New York, back to her hometown in Iowa, with her young son, after leaving the boy's father. There, she reconnects with an old childhood friend, and her son finds a new playmate.
It was quite emotional, and I got the impression it was somewhat autobiographical. I even choked back a tear or two!
Simon
David Darby
This is a rather strange story about a man who can't remember anything about himself, other than that his name is Simon. He has flashes of recollection when he sees a woman walking in the street with a deaf child. The ending is quite surprising!
The Storekeeper
Cecily Magnon
An old man Wanda runs a store, with his magic grimoire, whom he names Grim. When Micah comes to his door one day, purely by accident, the old man has to help him to find his soul.
Very entertaining, with some fancy and fantasy, but not your typical children's fairy tale!
Stingers
Graham Downs
James Clarke is a bullied kid. One day, he bullying gets much more serious... life or death serious.
Please read my story, and find out what happens!
The Beauty of Ugh
Richelle E. Goodrich
Ugo Gerwyn Hewbert is the ugliest boy in town, maybe the ugliest anyone's ever seen. At the beginning of the story, Ugo is hanged for the murder of a beautiful girl. After that, we get to read the story of his life, and find out what really happened.
It's a good story, classically written, and reminiscent of stories like Frankenstein in its language and tone. There's a clear moral at the end which I found very satisfying!
The King
Paul Howard
I must be honest, and say that I didn't really like this one.
On the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley's death, a "Bringing Back the King" show is being organised in Memphis. The PR head for the show is a man with a serious chip on his shoulder about politics and tobacco smoke. He meets a woman who had the pleasure of meeting Elvis years ago, when he came to her bedside when she had polio as a child.
It's not really my thing. It seems like the author has a chip on his shoulder, too. Elvis is portrayed as some kind of god, and by about two-thirds of the way through, it was obvious to me how the story was going to end. Maybe it won't be so obvious to you, though.
The Story of Nugu the Baboon
James Cruickshank and James Penhaligon
A delightful story about a two-year-old baboon called Nugu, who's been kicked out of his troop for a mistake he made, which almost got their elder killed.
The story is reminiscent of old African tales. There's also a clear moral (as with most such African tales), and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Conclusion
What an awesome collection, and I'm deeply honoured to have been a part of it. There really is some amazing talent out there! So I happened to find one single story that really didn't register with me... In this wonderful lucky packet of stories, that says something, don't you think?
Please consider buying this book. I am one hundred percent sure that there will be something in here for absolutely EVERYBODY!
June 22, 2023
10 authors write 10 short stories in order to raise 100% profit to benefit a children’s charity. This book is worth its purchase price if for no other reason than that. But if you need further enticement I will provide it.
As I read through this collection of original stories, I experienced a range of reactions—quickly captivated by some tales, emotionally touched by others, laughing and then crying and then gaping at a glowing page after one eerie folktale left me covered in goose bumps. I was dazzled by the creativity of a few authors while impressed by the sharp writing of others. While there are portions that could use additional editing and some skillful rewrite, this book covers a spectrum when it comes to individual tastes, which means there is bound to be an author and story to your liking.
I will briefly touch on each:
“A Wish for Lucie” by Maria Miller – This is a sweet tale of friendship that quite accurately portrays the behavior and reactions of two young girls coping with placement in an orphanage. It is perfect for those who love happy endings.
“I am not Frazzle” by Darren Worrow – This highly-creative and fun ‘change of heart’ tale might well please the youthful side of grownups. Blurring illusion with reality, a fantastical quest teaches a man to love.
“The Candy Vendor’s Confession” by Nancy Brooks – This story reads like a grim, local legend in many ways, possessing a need to be told over flickering firelight in the dead of night. It will leave your skin eerily prickling. Excellent writing. One read was disturbing enough for me, however.
“Mirror Image” by Holly M. Kothe – This is a love story, or the beginning of one. I found this realistic account a nice and touching read, but it struck me as only the beginning chapters to what yearns to develop into a full-length book. It is a very sweet story of triumph over heartache and finding past, young love.
“Simon” by Dave Darby – I adored this simple, brief story; I daresay it was my favorite. Simon, without knowledge of his own identity, willingly performs ultimate acts of love and kindness for complete strangers. Instead of brief moments of forgetfulness, his divine calling allows for only brief moments of remembrance.
“The Storekeeper” by Cecily Magnon - This story caught my attention early and kept a firm grasp as my mind worked to understand exactly what great task the kind, old main character was to perform. It is a spiritually enlightening tale of forgiveness and personal transformation. Highly enjoyable.
“Stingers” by Graham Downs – If nothing else, this story has the capacity to cause a bullying character to hesitate in his intimidating ways. A boy is aggressively harassed to the point of nearly being killed, but retribution visits those who ever dared to harm the young man. Use of strong language and disturbing scenes exist in this short story.
“The Beauty of Ugh” by Richelle E. Goodrich – This fable was written by yours truly; I happen to like it very much. It tells of a young man born with unsightly deformities, how he is scorned and shunned by villagers. Loneliness is his curse unless he can somehow show the world what it actually means to be beautiful.
“The King” by Paul Howard – This is an Elvis story that puts the ‘King’ in a fine light. The heightened publicity of an Elvis impersonation contest threatens to take on an unfavorable political twist until the real deal finds a way to disperse any plans to exploit his good and famous persona. A strong admiration for the late Elvis Presley is evident in the ending.
“The Story of Nugu the Baboon” by James Cruickshank & James Penhaligon – This parable reminds me of Rudyard Kipling’s tales in his animal book, ‘Just So Stories’ (a book I very much like, by the way). A story I would read to children, closing with a favorable moral.
As I read through this collection of original stories, I experienced a range of reactions—quickly captivated by some tales, emotionally touched by others, laughing and then crying and then gaping at a glowing page after one eerie folktale left me covered in goose bumps. I was dazzled by the creativity of a few authors while impressed by the sharp writing of others. While there are portions that could use additional editing and some skillful rewrite, this book covers a spectrum when it comes to individual tastes, which means there is bound to be an author and story to your liking.
I will briefly touch on each:
“A Wish for Lucie” by Maria Miller – This is a sweet tale of friendship that quite accurately portrays the behavior and reactions of two young girls coping with placement in an orphanage. It is perfect for those who love happy endings.
“I am not Frazzle” by Darren Worrow – This highly-creative and fun ‘change of heart’ tale might well please the youthful side of grownups. Blurring illusion with reality, a fantastical quest teaches a man to love.
“The Candy Vendor’s Confession” by Nancy Brooks – This story reads like a grim, local legend in many ways, possessing a need to be told over flickering firelight in the dead of night. It will leave your skin eerily prickling. Excellent writing. One read was disturbing enough for me, however.
“Mirror Image” by Holly M. Kothe – This is a love story, or the beginning of one. I found this realistic account a nice and touching read, but it struck me as only the beginning chapters to what yearns to develop into a full-length book. It is a very sweet story of triumph over heartache and finding past, young love.
“Simon” by Dave Darby – I adored this simple, brief story; I daresay it was my favorite. Simon, without knowledge of his own identity, willingly performs ultimate acts of love and kindness for complete strangers. Instead of brief moments of forgetfulness, his divine calling allows for only brief moments of remembrance.
“The Storekeeper” by Cecily Magnon - This story caught my attention early and kept a firm grasp as my mind worked to understand exactly what great task the kind, old main character was to perform. It is a spiritually enlightening tale of forgiveness and personal transformation. Highly enjoyable.
“Stingers” by Graham Downs – If nothing else, this story has the capacity to cause a bullying character to hesitate in his intimidating ways. A boy is aggressively harassed to the point of nearly being killed, but retribution visits those who ever dared to harm the young man. Use of strong language and disturbing scenes exist in this short story.
“The Beauty of Ugh” by Richelle E. Goodrich – This fable was written by yours truly; I happen to like it very much. It tells of a young man born with unsightly deformities, how he is scorned and shunned by villagers. Loneliness is his curse unless he can somehow show the world what it actually means to be beautiful.
“The King” by Paul Howard – This is an Elvis story that puts the ‘King’ in a fine light. The heightened publicity of an Elvis impersonation contest threatens to take on an unfavorable political twist until the real deal finds a way to disperse any plans to exploit his good and famous persona. A strong admiration for the late Elvis Presley is evident in the ending.
“The Story of Nugu the Baboon” by James Cruickshank & James Penhaligon – This parable reminds me of Rudyard Kipling’s tales in his animal book, ‘Just So Stories’ (a book I very much like, by the way). A story I would read to children, closing with a favorable moral.
August 11, 2019
The concept of this book was to get a community of authors to each contribute a short story, and the proceeds would be donated to the children's charity, Devizes & District Opportunity Centre.
The outcome is a fine collection of ten short stories, that provides a combination of inspiring, entertaining, funny and thought provoking fables. My personal favorite stories are “The Candy Vendor's Confession” and “The Store Keeper”- but I believe that there's more than enough content here to please everyone. I would also like to mention the impressive cover artwork design, by Des Langford.
I would also like to express my own personal thanks to the project creator Darren Worrow, and the other nine authors, who have been most kind, in supporting this well worthwhile book and concept.
The outcome is a fine collection of ten short stories, that provides a combination of inspiring, entertaining, funny and thought provoking fables. My personal favorite stories are “The Candy Vendor's Confession” and “The Store Keeper”- but I believe that there's more than enough content here to please everyone. I would also like to mention the impressive cover artwork design, by Des Langford.
I would also like to express my own personal thanks to the project creator Darren Worrow, and the other nine authors, who have been most kind, in supporting this well worthwhile book and concept.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews