Random Tales: Assorted Short Stories

by Don Massenzio

A book of collected short stories by author Don Massenzio ranging in genre from supernatural to horror to historical fiction.

173 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2015

About the author

Like his character, Frank Rozzani, Don was born in Syracuse, New York to first generation Italian American parents. He’s an avid reader. Some of my favorite authors are Harlan Coben, David Morrell, Stephen King, Jonathan Kellerman, John Grisham, and Hugh Howey. His favorite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird.

He started writing as a way to combat the long hours of travel and numerous hotel stays that are part of the ‘glamorous’ world of corporate life. He use writing as a therapeutic outlet to combat his homesickness.

His first published book, Frankly Speaking, rose to the top of the Amazon charts. It was the first in a series of books focused on the character, Frank Rozzani, a Florida private detective. The series is a throwback to the days of pulp detective novels with a tip of the hat to Jim Rockford from the 70’s television show, The Rockford Files. He's also released a collection of short stories called Random Tales that is available for your Kindle or in paperback.

Also, look for his non-fiction book, The Ultimate Guide For Independently Published Authors: Tips for improving quality and selling your work, now available on Amazon.com as an eBook or in paperback

He moved to Jacksonville, Florida 22 years ago where he currently lives with his wife, daughter, and three dogs.

Reviews

[Chris The Story Reading Ape · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading four completely different stories covering a such wide range like this, all from the same author, gives a great sense of how good they are at using their imagination and their writing skills.
This is an author I will certainly be watching in future (while reading his other books)

See my review also at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Random-Tales...

https://www.amazon.com/Random-Tales-A...

https://www.amazon.ca/Random-Tales-As...

https://www.amazon.com.au/Random-Tale...

[Robin Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must say this had been a totally different collection of short stories than I’ve ever read, or others will read if they get this book.

For incidence, the author’s first short story, “Heal Thyself”, reminded me of episodes of the television program One Step Beyond. According to the description on IMDB this program sought out 'real' stories of the supernatural, including ghosts, disappearances, monsters, etc., and re-creating them for each episode. No solutions to these mysteries were ever found, and viewers could only scratch their heads and wonder, "what if it's real?"

In selecting the rest of the stories contained in his book, the author, Don Massenzio in choosing not to include ones which belong to the same genre added to the enjoyment the book’s reading enjoyment. Despite the book having few errors, I find it still deserves the 5 STARS I’m giving it.

[Brenda Roberson · Rating 4 out of 5]

RANDOM TALES is a book of 4 very different short stories written by Don Massenzio. Each very readable short story has a different theme and is started off with a note by the author as to how he came up with the concept of that particular tale.

Tale #1 is "Heal Thyself" about a motorcycle rider who discovers his body is abnormally different after an accident.
Tale #2 "August 1963" is about a young white boy, lonely and feeling a misfit amongst his peers, befriends 3 black children in the racial troubles of the 1960's in the South.
Tale #3 "Play It Again Des" is about a jazz pianist who "takes a shortcut" and gets more than he bargained for.
Tale #4 "Lucy's Christmas Miracle" is about Detective Frank Rozzano and a missing 3 year old child scenario.

I normally don't care for short stories because they are, well, short and my preference is for a book I can sink my teeth into. This collection of superb stories held my interest to the point where I had to stop after each tale and think about each one in detail. I never did like any one story over another, as each one was good in its own right. I recommend this book for anyone who loves short stories and for those, like me, who enjoys longer novels. You just might have a change of heart and become a "short story enthusiast.

[Stevie Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Massenzio has written 4 very readable short stories with different themes. There is the motorbike rider in 'Heal Thyself' who discovers his body is startlingly different after an accident, the jazz pianist in 'Play it again Des' who gets more than he bargained for, and the delightful 'Lucy's Christmas Miracle' involving Detective Frank Rozzani and a possible child abduction scenario. However, my favourite was the excellent 'August 1963' about how a young white boy, lonely and feeling a misfit amongst his peers, befriends 3 black children in the racial troubles of the 1960's in the South.
There are a couple of editing errors and so I cannot give the full 5 stars, but nevertheless enjoyed these four stories. Recommended.

[Nicholas Rossis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like many of the other reviewers, I found "August 1963" the most powerful and moving story in this fine collection of short stories. That is not to say that the rest of the stories were not as good; just that this one literally gave me goosebumps as I read. The book is well worth buying just for that one alone.

Massenzio has written a book filled with exciting, believable characters I had little trouble sympathizing with. His writing is clear and transparent - in the sense that it doesn't get in the way of his stories - allowing me to immerse myself in the tales right away.

This was my first book by him that I've read. Bases on it, I'll now move on to his detective series.

[Janice Spina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eclectic mix of interesting and entertaining stories that kept this reader enthralled. The author created creative and intriguing themes to these tales that made for an enjoyable read. There is something for everyone in this wonderful collection.

I have read a previous book by this talented author and look forward to reading more.

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually rate this a 3.5. These short stories have a Hitchcock or Twilight Zone feel to them. I would also compare his writing to Richard Matheson, who writes mainly fantasy or horror. Overall, this was a good collection of stories.

[Christina Steiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four random stories told as if you were right there in the midst of each. My favourite was "August 1963". It deals with ignorance and prejudice. All the stories are interesting and vary in genre, which adds to the appeal of this collection.

[Larry Hollis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the short stories

Don Massenzio did great job in the stories. They kept my interest each page I turned. Good ending stories what Love.

[Barrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great set of short stories! Very entertaining!