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Similar Differences
Welcome to my second collection of short stories. Why have I called it Similar Differences? Because… well, we’re all similar, and we’re all different. As they say, we are all unique, just like everyone else. Our base personalities are moulded and refined by our circumstances and the people we meet, leading to very different life journeys. With every decision we make the path forks anew.
Here you will meet children playing dressing up, a single mother meeting the father of her son, a Canadian who has unexpectedly inherited a large English house and farm, a concert pianist who must decide if it is time to stay home a little more, and others whose lives have come to decision points.
Here you will meet children playing dressing up, a single mother meeting the father of her son, a Canadian who has unexpectedly inherited a large English house and farm, a concert pianist who must decide if it is time to stay home a little more, and others whose lives have come to decision points.
115 pages, ebook
First published May 14, 2014
1 person want to read
About the author
Jay Howard
16 books63 followersWriting is a mixture of OCD and schizophrenia. Each time I finish a novel or short story I wonder why I put myself through so much hard work and frustration. But you know what they say about forgetting the pain of birth once you have the joy of holding your baby… I know full well that the characters in my head will insist I carry on. I hear their conversations, they drive me back to the keyboard. I hope you enjoying reading what I’ve transcribed.
I blame my husband. It’s all his fault for pushing me to actually finish and publish that first novel. I suppose his patience was wearing thin after so many years ;-) I haven’t asked him if he remembers any of the many swear words I invented when I was trying to master all the other skills I needed in order to achieve a professional level of publication.
I am a very lucky woman. I am far from rich in worldly terms, but I am wealthy beyond measure in my family and friends. I have also been amazed at the generosity of other authors, who have taken time from their own busy lives to help me improve my craft. I suppose it’s rather appropriate that in publishing online I find I’ve made so many more friends online. What an amazing, vibrant world this interweb is.
I was born in Bedfordshire. My family moved to Wales when I was 11 and I am the only one of the clan to have left, first of all trying London for size. I have lived and worked in many places, as diverse as Gateshead, Berkshire, British Columbia and Alberta (I hold dual citizenship), settling in Somerset in 2002.
If you get the chance I can thoroughly recommend taking the 4 days needed to travel by train from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of my other country. It's only by travelling by land that you can appreciate the vastness and diversity of Canada. Listen to the stories your fellow travellers will have to tell and you could well find yourself inspired to write too.
My debut novel, Never Too Late (Changes Book 1), was started when I was working in Jasper, Alberta. I have just published the sequel, New Beginnings (August 2012) and I have outlines for many more novels. I'm ready to spend time with new characters in new locations. I just have to decide which people to meet first... I didn't believe it when I heard other authors talking about their characters surprising them. I was firmly of the opinion that you create your characters and you will have control over their actions. Wrong! They are living, breathing people, with their own ideas about how their lives will pan out.
Writing and publishing have put me through a real rollercoaster of emotions. I'm still struggling to believe there are now thousands of people around the world who are reading my work. Darling husband of mine, what have you started?
I blame my husband. It’s all his fault for pushing me to actually finish and publish that first novel. I suppose his patience was wearing thin after so many years ;-) I haven’t asked him if he remembers any of the many swear words I invented when I was trying to master all the other skills I needed in order to achieve a professional level of publication.
I am a very lucky woman. I am far from rich in worldly terms, but I am wealthy beyond measure in my family and friends. I have also been amazed at the generosity of other authors, who have taken time from their own busy lives to help me improve my craft. I suppose it’s rather appropriate that in publishing online I find I’ve made so many more friends online. What an amazing, vibrant world this interweb is.
I was born in Bedfordshire. My family moved to Wales when I was 11 and I am the only one of the clan to have left, first of all trying London for size. I have lived and worked in many places, as diverse as Gateshead, Berkshire, British Columbia and Alberta (I hold dual citizenship), settling in Somerset in 2002.
If you get the chance I can thoroughly recommend taking the 4 days needed to travel by train from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of my other country. It's only by travelling by land that you can appreciate the vastness and diversity of Canada. Listen to the stories your fellow travellers will have to tell and you could well find yourself inspired to write too.
My debut novel, Never Too Late (Changes Book 1), was started when I was working in Jasper, Alberta. I have just published the sequel, New Beginnings (August 2012) and I have outlines for many more novels. I'm ready to spend time with new characters in new locations. I just have to decide which people to meet first... I didn't believe it when I heard other authors talking about their characters surprising them. I was firmly of the opinion that you create your characters and you will have control over their actions. Wrong! They are living, breathing people, with their own ideas about how their lives will pan out.
Writing and publishing have put me through a real rollercoaster of emotions. I'm still struggling to believe there are now thousands of people around the world who are reading my work. Darling husband of mine, what have you started?
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 6, 2014
This collection of anecdotes, vignettes, or skits, usually begin with the heroine at a tipping point. What pushed her to this crisis? The explanation comes, sometimes narrated through her thoughts or a conversation. She must choose to step beyond the point of no return. To remain is to stagnate or suffer misery. To step out is to risk all on the promise of fulfillment.
Without exception, each short story involves layers of meaning, where we see similarities and differences between characters.
1. For Better, For Worse.
Louise must decide whether to stay a servant to her husband and grown children or declare her independence. Emotionally she is wounded, and she reveals the back story through her mental lamentation. Her reasoning seems valid, but we need proof of what she's gone through. Here we have the wounded as the result of an offstage battle. We need the action of enough scenes to show us the story.
Howard's writing is so good that I feel this story is an experiment in minimalism. But does it engage the reader? Not this one. Too much “woe is me.” While thought is desirable, it lacks the balance of action that initiates the thought. Without balance, the read becomes tedious.
2. Maman
Here is my favorite, a deceptively simple story, sweet and elegantly told. An artist finds meaning and love in a subject that has always terrified another woman. It is the other woman who feels compelled to face her phobia and embrace a new life. The story is well organized, and the description is luscious. That and the action bring us into the mood.
3. The Inheritance
This is more a vignette than a story. A granddaughter is staggered to learn she inherited a vast estate. She feels so unlikely a recipient that she delves into the whys of it and what the future can bring.
4. Popping the Cherry
Howard tells us an amusing anecdote about what happens when two young children play dress-up and how their game differs from the game their parents play. It is lovingly told as we see the children at play.
5. Moon River
A mother, single for seven years, must take a chance on reviving an old dream that had ended in betrayal. The same characteristics she loves in her little son are the same she sees in her returned husband. Can she risk forgiving him and accepting the bright future he promises?
6. A Nice Cup of Tea
In this vignette, Laura visits an old flame and sees how he has become like his father. Should she become like his mother?
7. The Scent of Autumn
We see a contrast of religion and science, and we look at the survival of the fittest relationships.
8. Tomorrow is Another Life
To save her unborn baby from abortion, Daphne runs away from her unfaithful husband after guaranteeing her safety. How she does it is impressively narrated. Over the years she rejoices that her daughter is one female he can never use.
9. Decimal Point
Martha risks investing in a dream with money mistakenly sent to her account. We get a detailed list of what could be called info dump in this story, but I found it interesting and compelling.
The stories are uneven. Some are barely developed—which makes it hard to care—while others have greater depth, enabling us to identify more easily with the heroine. Through it all, we see an example of fine writing.
Without exception, each short story involves layers of meaning, where we see similarities and differences between characters.
1. For Better, For Worse.
Louise must decide whether to stay a servant to her husband and grown children or declare her independence. Emotionally she is wounded, and she reveals the back story through her mental lamentation. Her reasoning seems valid, but we need proof of what she's gone through. Here we have the wounded as the result of an offstage battle. We need the action of enough scenes to show us the story.
Howard's writing is so good that I feel this story is an experiment in minimalism. But does it engage the reader? Not this one. Too much “woe is me.” While thought is desirable, it lacks the balance of action that initiates the thought. Without balance, the read becomes tedious.
2. Maman
Here is my favorite, a deceptively simple story, sweet and elegantly told. An artist finds meaning and love in a subject that has always terrified another woman. It is the other woman who feels compelled to face her phobia and embrace a new life. The story is well organized, and the description is luscious. That and the action bring us into the mood.
3. The Inheritance
This is more a vignette than a story. A granddaughter is staggered to learn she inherited a vast estate. She feels so unlikely a recipient that she delves into the whys of it and what the future can bring.
4. Popping the Cherry
Howard tells us an amusing anecdote about what happens when two young children play dress-up and how their game differs from the game their parents play. It is lovingly told as we see the children at play.
5. Moon River
A mother, single for seven years, must take a chance on reviving an old dream that had ended in betrayal. The same characteristics she loves in her little son are the same she sees in her returned husband. Can she risk forgiving him and accepting the bright future he promises?
6. A Nice Cup of Tea
In this vignette, Laura visits an old flame and sees how he has become like his father. Should she become like his mother?
7. The Scent of Autumn
We see a contrast of religion and science, and we look at the survival of the fittest relationships.
8. Tomorrow is Another Life
To save her unborn baby from abortion, Daphne runs away from her unfaithful husband after guaranteeing her safety. How she does it is impressively narrated. Over the years she rejoices that her daughter is one female he can never use.
9. Decimal Point
Martha risks investing in a dream with money mistakenly sent to her account. We get a detailed list of what could be called info dump in this story, but I found it interesting and compelling.
The stories are uneven. Some are barely developed—which makes it hard to care—while others have greater depth, enabling us to identify more easily with the heroine. Through it all, we see an example of fine writing.
August 4, 2014
At the heart of this collection of stories is a different heroine for every short. Something at the beginning of the story often sparks the heroine into action, dialogue or back story. While some characters grow more than others, in no way do the characters stay the same. Some character arcs are better developed than others and therefore I found them easier to relate to. Although Howard named this book "Similar Differences" and explained why in the Author's Note, I almost wish that she named it something even more compelling to describe the leap that every character in some way needed to make.
1. For Better, For Worse.
Sylvia is holding a parcel close to her chest, an envelope that contains vital papers that she later needs to declare value for. I found this story to have a lot of back story, some of which kept my interest. The greatest value is the punchline that wraps it up.
2. Maman
The organization in this story is simple, sweet, and well-organized. Howard breaks the story down into sections appropriate of the life cycle. Well done!
3. The Inheritance
This short seems more of an opening to a much longer story, almost as if it was a prequel of sorts.
4. Popping the Cherry
This short holds the most humor of twins playing dress-up, contrasted to their parents' version. If Howard were to rename this book, this story would belong in a different collection.
5. Moon River
The heroine of this story is a single mother betrayed by her ex-husband, who has come around to woo her again. She must consult her heart and see if she is willing to give him another chance.
6. A Nice Cup of Tea
The lady in this story visits her ex, only to see that he has in many ways become just like his father. Over tea they discuss their shared past and the future.
7. The Scent of Autumn
A philosophical discussion about nature vs. nurture, Darwin vs. creationism, etc ensues in a churchyard under the watchful gaze of a barn owl.
8. Tomorrow is Another Life
Daphne, who has always desired a child, finally conceives and carefully plans a life to save her baby from being aborted by a philandering and deceitful husband. The lengths she goes to create a life for herself and her unborn baby are carefully planned and she guarantees their passage and protection by holding something over the castoff. This story seemed to have the most action and development.
9. Decimal Point
Acquiring funds in excess, Martha invests the excess in a business venture that has me riveted to the end of the story. I wanted to know what happened to them and if the venture would indeed pan out and payoff be made. Great way to end this collection of short stories!
The focus and purpose of the stories differ. Character development varies and therefore some characters were more easy to relate to than others. Overall, every story has several layers of meanings and each story's differences and similarities somehow relate in underlying ways to another so that you end up having more or reading more into it than just one story alone.
If you are interested in a thought-provoking read with a unifying theme (similar differences) that is much too broad to cover every facet or detail of that theme, then this book would be for you. Although I think a different title would have been better for the book, the purpose of the title does serve the existing stories that make up this collection.
1. For Better, For Worse.
Sylvia is holding a parcel close to her chest, an envelope that contains vital papers that she later needs to declare value for. I found this story to have a lot of back story, some of which kept my interest. The greatest value is the punchline that wraps it up.
2. Maman
The organization in this story is simple, sweet, and well-organized. Howard breaks the story down into sections appropriate of the life cycle. Well done!
3. The Inheritance
This short seems more of an opening to a much longer story, almost as if it was a prequel of sorts.
4. Popping the Cherry
This short holds the most humor of twins playing dress-up, contrasted to their parents' version. If Howard were to rename this book, this story would belong in a different collection.
5. Moon River
The heroine of this story is a single mother betrayed by her ex-husband, who has come around to woo her again. She must consult her heart and see if she is willing to give him another chance.
6. A Nice Cup of Tea
The lady in this story visits her ex, only to see that he has in many ways become just like his father. Over tea they discuss their shared past and the future.
7. The Scent of Autumn
A philosophical discussion about nature vs. nurture, Darwin vs. creationism, etc ensues in a churchyard under the watchful gaze of a barn owl.
8. Tomorrow is Another Life
Daphne, who has always desired a child, finally conceives and carefully plans a life to save her baby from being aborted by a philandering and deceitful husband. The lengths she goes to create a life for herself and her unborn baby are carefully planned and she guarantees their passage and protection by holding something over the castoff. This story seemed to have the most action and development.
9. Decimal Point
Acquiring funds in excess, Martha invests the excess in a business venture that has me riveted to the end of the story. I wanted to know what happened to them and if the venture would indeed pan out and payoff be made. Great way to end this collection of short stories!
The focus and purpose of the stories differ. Character development varies and therefore some characters were more easy to relate to than others. Overall, every story has several layers of meanings and each story's differences and similarities somehow relate in underlying ways to another so that you end up having more or reading more into it than just one story alone.
If you are interested in a thought-provoking read with a unifying theme (similar differences) that is much too broad to cover every facet or detail of that theme, then this book would be for you. Although I think a different title would have been better for the book, the purpose of the title does serve the existing stories that make up this collection.
June 2, 2014
Entertaining, well paced with strong narration. Each of these similar but different tales has the above in common as well as a decided female point of view.
My favorite was Popping the Cherry - a funny look at the taboos hidden in any married couple’s bedroom. Howard’s prowess at comedic description shines. Always teetering at the edge of salaciousness but never falling into the abyss. A skill that requires an artful hand and a twisted view of the absurdity of everyday living.
Well done Madame.
My favorite was Popping the Cherry - a funny look at the taboos hidden in any married couple’s bedroom. Howard’s prowess at comedic description shines. Always teetering at the edge of salaciousness but never falling into the abyss. A skill that requires an artful hand and a twisted view of the absurdity of everyday living.
Well done Madame.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews