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One Day at a Time: And Other Stories
A collection of contemporary short stories involving families, friends, and distant relations. It is the hazards of daily life that test the soul. Nobility, bravery, decency, kindness, and mercy are the shafts of light that pierce the darkness of the human experience. No one gets by without trial and tribulation, though few may notice the inner drama taking place all around. Keep your eyes open and your heart aware—you might just recognize a familiar friend.
244 pages, Hardcover
Published May 14, 2025
About the author
A.K. Frailey
20 books91 followersA.K. Frailey is also known as Ann Frailey.
A. K. Frailey is the author of a historical sci-fi and science fiction series, short story collections, inspirational non-fiction books, a children’s book, and a poetry collection.
Her novels expand from the OldEarth world to the Newearth universe—where deception rules but truth prevails.
Her nonfiction work focuses on the intersection of motherhood, widowhood, practicing gratitude, and rediscovering joy.
Ann homeschooled all her children. She manages her rural homestead with her kids and their numerous critters. In her spare time, she serves as an election judge, a literacy tutor, and secretary/treasurer of her small town’s cemetery.
A. K. Frailey is the author of a historical sci-fi and science fiction series, short story collections, inspirational non-fiction books, a children’s book, and a poetry collection.
Her novels expand from the OldEarth world to the Newearth universe—where deception rules but truth prevails.
Her nonfiction work focuses on the intersection of motherhood, widowhood, practicing gratitude, and rediscovering joy.
Ann homeschooled all her children. She manages her rural homestead with her kids and their numerous critters. In her spare time, she serves as an election judge, a literacy tutor, and secretary/treasurer of her small town’s cemetery.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 25, 2021
I have read several books from the pen of A.K. Frailey, in fact this is the seventh volume from her pen that I have read. And it is the third collection of stories I have read the other two being It Might Have Been: And Other Stories and Encounter Science Fiction Short Stories and Novella, and all three are excellent read. This was one of three new offerings from Frailey that I picked up on the same day, the others being My Road Goes Ever On: A Timeless Journey, and a stand-alone short story For Me? which also appears in this collection. But back to this volume. The description of the collection is:
“A collection of contemporary short stories involving families, friends, and distant relations. It is the hazards of daily life that test the soul. Nobility, bravery, decency, kindness, and mercy are the shafts of light that pierce the darkness of the human experience. No one gets by without trial and tribulation, though few may notice the inner drama taking place all around. Keep your eyes open and your heart aware—you might just recognize a familiar friend.”
And after the introduction the stories in this book are:
One Day at a Time
Let Yourself Go
Welfare and Well Being
They Had Their Chance
I’m Making Mine
We Get Along
He’d Be There, Waiting
For That, I was Glad
Library
Life’s Storms
Don’t Get Blown Away
Those Pesky Black Holes
Between Worlds
Richly Blessed
Together Again
New Generation
For Me?
Come Out of the Cold
The Me I Want to Be
Ever My Intention
You Know It’s Real
Mostly I Live Life
Between the Raindrops
Hope for the Human Race
With or Without the Pits
The Wheel or the Ball
Funny How Life Goes
Rest Awhile
I Don’t Have to See Christmas
It Takes Time
You Decide
We’re Not Neanderthals
The Delete Button
You Never Know
You Have No Idea
Why Wait for Tomorrow?
No Reasonable Cause
To Be Content
Your Prayer
And to Think
That’s How It Goes
Normally when a new collection from Frailey is available I devour it, and often go back and read it at a slower pace. When this one came out, I already had some books on the go, but kept circling back to this book and read a few stories a day, sometimes reading a story at a time different times during the day. And read it over 2 weeks. Normally I cannot put her books down but I wanted to really appreciate each story. There were a few I had encountered previously.
I must state this is a wonderful collection. Many of the stories are very moving. Some are humorous. And they are all well written. The stories are set in the real world, they could be about you, or me, or people we know. They could be about family both near and far. Much like Madeleine L’Engle’s Austin family books. But a few remind me of the works of Adrian Plass or Fred Secombe in their sense of humor or way of looking at life.
All Frailey’s works I have read to date have been excellent. I love her collections of stories. They can be returned to again and again. Can be read from front to back, randomly pick a story, or maybe even from back to front, reading the last story and working your way to the first. But no matter how you read these stories I am certain you will be entertained, blessed and maybe even challenged. So, in that vein I challenge you to pick this up and give it a read.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!
“A collection of contemporary short stories involving families, friends, and distant relations. It is the hazards of daily life that test the soul. Nobility, bravery, decency, kindness, and mercy are the shafts of light that pierce the darkness of the human experience. No one gets by without trial and tribulation, though few may notice the inner drama taking place all around. Keep your eyes open and your heart aware—you might just recognize a familiar friend.”
And after the introduction the stories in this book are:
One Day at a Time
Let Yourself Go
Welfare and Well Being
They Had Their Chance
I’m Making Mine
We Get Along
He’d Be There, Waiting
For That, I was Glad
Library
Life’s Storms
Don’t Get Blown Away
Those Pesky Black Holes
Between Worlds
Richly Blessed
Together Again
New Generation
For Me?
Come Out of the Cold
The Me I Want to Be
Ever My Intention
You Know It’s Real
Mostly I Live Life
Between the Raindrops
Hope for the Human Race
With or Without the Pits
The Wheel or the Ball
Funny How Life Goes
Rest Awhile
I Don’t Have to See Christmas
It Takes Time
You Decide
We’re Not Neanderthals
The Delete Button
You Never Know
You Have No Idea
Why Wait for Tomorrow?
No Reasonable Cause
To Be Content
Your Prayer
And to Think
That’s How It Goes
Normally when a new collection from Frailey is available I devour it, and often go back and read it at a slower pace. When this one came out, I already had some books on the go, but kept circling back to this book and read a few stories a day, sometimes reading a story at a time different times during the day. And read it over 2 weeks. Normally I cannot put her books down but I wanted to really appreciate each story. There were a few I had encountered previously.
I must state this is a wonderful collection. Many of the stories are very moving. Some are humorous. And they are all well written. The stories are set in the real world, they could be about you, or me, or people we know. They could be about family both near and far. Much like Madeleine L’Engle’s Austin family books. But a few remind me of the works of Adrian Plass or Fred Secombe in their sense of humor or way of looking at life.
All Frailey’s works I have read to date have been excellent. I love her collections of stories. They can be returned to again and again. Can be read from front to back, randomly pick a story, or maybe even from back to front, reading the last story and working your way to the first. But no matter how you read these stories I am certain you will be entertained, blessed and maybe even challenged. So, in that vein I challenge you to pick this up and give it a read.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!
March 9, 2022
This book of short stories evokes smiles, tears and reflection. The author has a unique writing style that captures your attention from the first sentence. Simple activities and relationships become fodder for creative writing, even something as mundane as forgetting to bring something to the dinner table.
In "I Don't Have to See Christmas," Selma exclaims:
Oh, shoot, the butter! She twirled and shot off, a heat-seeking missile after a new target.
In "For Me," Katherine remarked about the excitement she received upon her return home:
What was up with all the exclamation marks? Her whole body shivered with the delight of a pen smacking the paper with a dot at the end of an exclaim.
Some of the stories offered insights for lessons we all need to learn, like consoling the inconsolable. In "Ever My Intention," Samantha appreciates her husband's ability to comfort her without words:
Elliott took her hand and said nothing. Wonderful in the mystery of communal silence, he didn't need to fix her grief. He simply shared it.
Some stories circled from beginning to end, giving the reader an aha moment. "Life's Storms" is one example. The story began with Kiara, envious of the freedom birds enjoy, and ended with a new vision of home tied to freedom of the soul.
I recommend this book to short-story enthusiasts and readers interested in unique perspectives on everyday life.
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) on Reedsy Discovery.
Also posted on Reedsy/Discovery and my blog.
In "I Don't Have to See Christmas," Selma exclaims:
Oh, shoot, the butter! She twirled and shot off, a heat-seeking missile after a new target.
In "For Me," Katherine remarked about the excitement she received upon her return home:
What was up with all the exclamation marks? Her whole body shivered with the delight of a pen smacking the paper with a dot at the end of an exclaim.
Some of the stories offered insights for lessons we all need to learn, like consoling the inconsolable. In "Ever My Intention," Samantha appreciates her husband's ability to comfort her without words:
Elliott took her hand and said nothing. Wonderful in the mystery of communal silence, he didn't need to fix her grief. He simply shared it.
Some stories circled from beginning to end, giving the reader an aha moment. "Life's Storms" is one example. The story began with Kiara, envious of the freedom birds enjoy, and ended with a new vision of home tied to freedom of the soul.
I recommend this book to short-story enthusiasts and readers interested in unique perspectives on everyday life.
Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Review Copy (ARC) on Reedsy Discovery.
Also posted on Reedsy/Discovery and my blog.
February 10, 2023
One Day at a Time and Other Stories by A.K. Frailey is a masterful grouping of short stories reflecting on life, death, and everything in between.
Some of the tales are complete from start to finish, while others leave the reader to draw their own conclusions as to the outcome of the story. I love both types of tales.
No two people read the same book, which makes this book perfect for all readers.
It's hard to say which short story is my favorite. It just depends on my mood. I take something different away from each reading.
I recommend One Day at a Time to lovers of short stories, single-author anthologies, and people who love learning more about others' thoughts and motives.
Some of the tales are complete from start to finish, while others leave the reader to draw their own conclusions as to the outcome of the story. I love both types of tales.
No two people read the same book, which makes this book perfect for all readers.
It's hard to say which short story is my favorite. It just depends on my mood. I take something different away from each reading.
I recommend One Day at a Time to lovers of short stories, single-author anthologies, and people who love learning more about others' thoughts and motives.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews