A Readable Feast

by A.E. Decker (Editor), Marianne H. Donley (Editor), Carol L. Wright (Editor)

Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for Every Taste

Whatever your taste, this collection of food-related stories from the multiple award-winning Bethlehem Writers Group has all the ingredients to satisfy your reading palate. Our menu includes twenty-seven appetizing stories, from light-fare and sides of fantasy to sweet romance and savory bites of mystery. Jeff Baird's "The Pickle Promenade" provides an amuse bouche. Try a spicy entree prepared by Diane Sismour in "Bump and Run." Prefer a yarn with zing? Enjoy "Rightful Prey" by A. E. Decker. Jerry McFadden's tart "Hard Times," should tickle your taste buds. On the sweeter side, there's Sally Paradysz's "Our Town is Different" or the bittersweet "Breakfast for One" by Geoffrey Mehl. Enjoy these and other delectable tales from our talented authors including: Courtney Annicchiarico, Terrie Daugherty, Bernadette De Courcey, Marianne H. Donley, Headley Hauser, Ralph Hieb, Judith Mehl, Emily P. W. Murphy, E. L. Ryan, Paul Weidknecht, and Carol L. Wright. To complete today's specials, we offer tasty tales from Tracy Falenwolfe and C. A. Rowland, winners of Bethlehem Writers Roundtable's Short Story Awards in 2014 and 2015 respectively. All honed their recipes to write sweet, funny, and strange stories to remember. Bon Appetit

224 pages, Paperback

Published November 5, 2015

About the author

A. E. Decker was born in Pennsylvania, but has lived in California, Virginia, and New Jersey before returning to her native state. She holds degrees in English and Colonial American history, and has worked as a tai chi instructor, framer, doll-maker, and ESL tutor.

In addition to the Moonfall Mayhem series published by World Weaver Press, her stories have appeared in Fireside Magazine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Phobos Magazine, the Sockdolager, and several of the Bethlehem Writers Groups' homegrown anthologies. She prefers to thrust her tongue deeply into her cheek before she writes, resulting in stories that are witty, lighthearted, and filled with off-beat characters and quirky situations.

Here there be dragons. But they're more likely to eat chocolate and quote Monty Python than devour you.

Reviews

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh. Where do I begin?

I suppose the why/how. Why/how do I have this book. I was at a winery near Bethlehem Pennsylvania (2015 or 2016?) and they were having some kind of craft fair. So wine and crafty things? Yes! And people can bring dogs. Yes!!! (I have cats so I love meeting doggies). But wait! It gets better! Books and authors too! I mean is this heaven?!?!

So I got wine, kombucha, candles and signed books. Plus I got to pet some pups. Great day!!!
Flash forward to this year when I finally read this book.

Sigh. I wish the “Old former” me had read this book. I may have liked it more. But the “New current” me prefers sweet cozy stories. This book had too much of the macabre.

I know short stories have something for everybody. But I wish there were more stories in here that got me. I wanted innocence.

In a nutshell:
5/5 rating: 2 short stories received this honor!
Preserves by Tracy Falenwolfe. Such a beautiful (bitter)sweet story! It made me well up! So much truth!
Our Town is Different by Sally Paradysz. Oh my!!! Proof people can be lovely! Only a lovely person could make up the lovely folks in this tale!
{Note: Both of these 5 star stories would make a delightful full length book!}

4/5 rating: 3 stories received a 4:
The Widow Next Door by Marianne H. Donley
The History of a Fruitcake by C.A. Rowland
Chicken Flautas by Emily P.W. Murphy

3/5 rating: 2 stories received a 3

2/5 rating: 4 stories

1/5 rating: 10 stories (YIKES!)

0/5 rating. Yes – some I LOATHED so much I gave a zero. There were 6 stories that received this dubious honor.

Again – we all like different things. Just because I like sweet and not the macabre does not mean somebody who loves the macabre won’t devour (pun intended) this book!

Mathematically speaking this gives an average of 1.703 rating. But the three authors I met were so kind and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting them. So I’m giving it a 3. It’s not the books fault that most of the short stories were not my current genre.

[Elle Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of stories by local authors!!!