Sub-Prime

Love in a Hopeless Place #1

by Emma Calin

Does slavery still exist in the UK? How do people struggling to make ends meet put food on the table and shoes on their childrens' feet? How far would you go?


An award winning short story. "Sub-Prime" is the first in Emma Calin's anthology "The Love in a Hopeless Place Collection".
Two powerless beings are swept together in a transient struggle for survival. Could the human spirit transcend the brutality and indifference of their brief experience before they are once again swept helplessly apart?


Far more than a love story - this is a story about love. Sub-Prime: a short story of our times.


Reviewers say...


'Sub-Prime is not a fun tale, but it's truth, and truth, even well stated, is stark, in-your-face, and eye opening'


'Although the story is short, it is well-written, quite intense and very realistic'


'Powerful condensed full-flavoured shot of reality'


The first story in the "Love in a Hopeless Place Collection", you can read it as a stand-alone title, or as part of the 5-part boxed-set of novelettes and short stories, including "The Chosen", "Angela", "Escape to Love" and "Love in a Hopeless Place".

Genres: Fiction

ebook

First published May 24, 2011

About the author

Here we go - let's get the gloves off and go flesh to flesh. I want to give you something. Follow this link to get a FREE book from me: http://smarturl.it/GRFreeBook



I love writing and I'm a writer of love in all its forms - fiction, poetry, blogging. Think of me as a busker in a subway. I love music, I love to perform and you guys are kind enough to give me money to allow me to do it. My bank manager likes that too, but he doesn't use my subway.

I'm passionate about sharing my work with readers. I understand though, as I'm not a famous New York Times Bestseller (yet!), you might be nervous about taking a chance on me. That's why I made the offer at the top of this section. If you enjoy the ride, I hope you'll just keep rolling on and try some more.

As you'll see from my book list here on Goodreads, I write in a range of genres: romance-suspense novels, gritty short stories and more recently, a series of illustrated, interactive modern fairy tales for children (age 6-12). Wherever possible my books are available in digital, paperback and audio book formats.

I often have giveaways of paperbacks, audio books, e-books and sometimes rather valuable electronic gadgets related to reading (e.g. Kindles and other e-readers). Keep an eye out on my blog and you might get more free stuff!

I still had spots when I started writing and have won numerous local, national and international prizes for poetry and short stories in the many years that have passed.

I now live a double life, sharing my time between a tiny rural town in southwest France and within commuting distance of London in the UK.

Find out about what goes on in my world...

Visit my blog: http://www.emmacalinblog.com

Visit my website:
http://www.emmacalin.com

Say hello on Twitter: @EmmaCalin
Share with me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emma.calin

Reviews

[LuAnn Rodriquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I have read by this author is interesting and intriguing. This is a very short story but one I will continue to think about because I enjoy both the written details and all the truth that is under the surface and must be examined over and over again. I particularly like that the main character in this story must face his own fear of an ugly aspect a new job requires, but manages to do so for good reasons by the end of the story. The secondary character remains shrouded in mystery and will be part of what I continue to reexamine. There are no slick or easy solutions but gritty and often disturbing reality coupled with hope is what I got by the end. f you like people who think outside the box and are capable of putting those thoughts on paper in a good way, you need to be reading Emma Calin!

I received an advance copy of this e-story in exchange for my honest review of it.

[Frederick Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Mike loses his job, and can't find another after long searching, he swallows his pride and goes to work in one of those "farms" where turkeys are slaughtered and plucked. It's a big comedown, especially when this big strong man discovers he is unable to kill a bird. "The neck was warm and living. He could feel its pulse as if it were his baby son."

Mike gets help from a Roma waif working alongside him at the plant. This plain girl, who speaks almost no English, does his killing for him while Mike takes over most of the plucking. They have an unspoken contract, as Mike sees it.

Mike embarks on a curious mental journey in this single week of day labor, with this innocent yet highly suggestive relationship with a co-worker and with his gradual transformation into a killer. There is the intimation that darker things lurk beneath the surface, and all these elements threaten to combust at any moment in this intricate and beautiful story.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a hard-hitting short story set in a bleak environment. It is brutal and to be honest quite shocking but feels very real. A tale of human survival when the chips are down and although bleak it comments beautifully on the strength of the human spirit in adversity. Short but moving and very well written.

[Barbara Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gritty short story hooked me from the first page, and kept me interested throughout. It's a slice-of-life story: Stark-but-not-bleak setting which resonated perfectly with me. I felt for the character, and empathized strongly. Well worth reading, and I'm looking forward to reading more from this same author.

[Joseph Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

SUBPRIME is one of five short stories in Emma Calin’s series, “Love in a Hopeless Place” collection. The story introduces Mike, an unemployed husband and father desperate to find work and to catch up on his missed mortgage payment. In the process of taking the dirtiest job of his life, he meets a woman who is in worse straits than he is. Calin does a nice job of getting her readers to sympathize with her protagonist Mike and to sense the bond between him and his young female coworker. The title is a clever, thoughtful choice and I also have to credit Calin with having a crisp, clean writing style that I really like.

However, there are a few observations that I am duty-bound to offer in this review. SUBPRIME was far too short in length, even for a short story. It not only ends too soon, but it leaves so many avenues undeveloped. This short story strikes me as incomplete with no twists, turns, surprises. There is no moral to the story or personal achievement, revelation or growth. This book feels more like the first chapter to a really good mystery or gritty tale about finding love “in all the wrong places.” As I sat there scratching my head at the abrupt ending, I thought of several questions: What happened to the girl? / Does he ever see her again? / Does he go looking for her? / Is he forced to tangle with the abusive men who drove away with her? / What eventually happens between Mike and the girl, and how does he explain this to his wife?

With a writing style as inviting as that possessed by Calin, this story could be robustly developed with a clever plot, dangerous twists, pitfalls, and deeper development of his and her characters. I give this short story THREE STARS due to respect for this author’s clean style and evidence of literary talent. In my humble evaluation, SUBPRIME could be a great first chapter to a gripping, gritty and entertaining full-length novel.

[Sherry Westendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hardships of life and how we see them and go through them and how it effects us. Not my usual read but liked it after reading it. I recommend it. It gives you something to think about. I was given a review copy and voluntarily review it.

[ѦѺ™ · Rating 5 out of 5]

with a family to feed and mortgage payments to meet, Mike settles for "casual labor" at Celestial Farms. for Mike, the working conditions are not that bad but the job requirements are - preparing and slaughtering prime live turkeys.
the term Sub-Prime refers to loans or mortgages supplied to those with lower credit ratings. according to Yahoo Answers, Sub-Prime could also mean stay away, corrupt, better luck next time, a sucker's born every minute and clean up your act (http://yhoo.it/ycKWp9).
i find these other definitions interesting because they aptly describe Mike, the factory and the people he meets there.
although the story is short, it is well-written, quite intense and very realistic. it deals with the human condition, the choices one makes and how far an unemployed person would go to survive.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received in exchange for an honest review. Sub-Prime was a gritty story. I understood the story, but its missing a lot of development and details. Mike is jobless and down on his luck with a wife and child at home. He takes a job, not a great one killing turkeys. Which he can't do because he's not into killing. Then the girl he meets takes pity and does it all for him without the boss noticing. This goes on for a bit. She comes in one day and clearly was abused and then it sorta ends her being shoved into a vehicle The End. There needs to be a lot more development in the story and characters. Not my thing.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Sub-prime" by Emma Calin is a short story of working an unbearable job that unemployed Mike takes to try to support his family and the mounting bills the are becoming very oprressive. The story speaks of the humanity and realities of life and survival.

[Linda Rimer-Como · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an interesting, quick read. It shows the brutal reality Mike faces when he can't find work. Life is harsh and he does what he has to. This was different then most books I read but I found it to be a good read.

[Danie Cutter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written little tale. Serves to remind that under the right circumstances people will do anything and that no matter how low you think you've gone there is always someone worse off.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was different than I am use to reading and I would of liked to have read more. Wondered what became of the girl and did Mike keep working. Felt sorry for both.

[LisaMarie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with those here saying that the story line was good but the story was too short and the characters underdeveloped and no real conclusion. ...I wanted more!

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on the taking of life. Calin does a good job in a very limited number of pages. Short but well written.