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Spectrum: A Colorful Collection of SmartyPants' Best
You are an explorer in a galaxy of worlds...
...with countless stories to delve into or even just try out.
Inside, you are the rescuer of the kitten who rescues you right back. You are the citizen making a life-or-death decision. You are the teenager experiencing her first bite. Drama. Mystery. Romance. Heartwarming fiction. Gut-twisting decisions. We gathered the best stories from multiple genres to create a kaleidoscopic collection of short fiction.
From award-winning authors to fresh new voices, worlds of discovery, adventure, and heartbreak are at your fingertips.
Whether your tastes lie in blood red horror, green soothing family dramas, or night-black satire, there is a color--and a story--for you.
What's a good story?
If it's one that transports you into a different life, a different world, a different time, then we have 28 of the best.
Get comfortable and explore the range and breadth of SmartyPants authors painting stories with words. Fall in love, or be terrified and intrigued with the characters brought to life in these pages. Come celebrate how varied the spectrum of storytelling can be!
Whether you buy right away or you you "Look Inside", we know you'll find a story that speaks to you, immerses you, and seduces you into the colorful hallucinations of a well-told story.
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2017
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 14, 2020
Why This Book
One of the authors in this short story collection, Spectrum: A Colorful Collection of SmartyPants' Best, is someone I've met, so I had to read the whole book coordinated by another author, S.C. Jensen. I was heading out of town for a few days and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to digest a few stories each day.
Approach & Style
This book is a collection of about 25 to 30 short stories, organized by various colors on the wheel, a kaleidoscope of fiction, hence the term Spectrum. I found the approach quite interesting, and read a color each day from the Kindle Reader version in my iPad. The book has about 250 pages with each story ranging from 5 to 15 in length. The genres run the gamut of fantasy and science fiction to romance, mystery and contemporary fiction. It has something for everyone.
Overall Thoughts
Of all the stories, a few spoke to me the most and deserve 5 stars:
Sweet Pea by Cammie Adams is at the top. It's a charming and cozy story about another side of life, one many of us are not familiar with: a homeless person who needs help, and gets an opportunity in an unexpected way. The characters are vivid; they tug at your emotions, especially the relationship between 1 person and 1 animal. The ability to see another perspective is also quite strong -- you'll think differently about someone you see on the street who needs a helping hand. It can turn out positive if you do the right thing sometimes. The voice is clear, the plot hums along and the book delivers a heartwarming ending. I look forward to more from this author.
Skipping Rocks by M.D. Pitman was another wonderful tale about a child's view of the world, including how to deal with unexpected consequences. I almost wanted to cry for the poor father only trying to do something fun for his daughter, stuck with an impact he couldn't have expected. It will make your heart hurt a little -- in a good way, to know what parents go through.
Over by Kerry E.B. Black was another fantastic story about parents and children. I seem to gravitate to these types of connections and relationships, but you'll see what an ordinary family goes through every day. Life's not easy, but this one will teach you the value of a good mother who knows how to care for her children at bedtime!
And of course, Hunger, by the collaborator and main author, S.C. Jensen, wrote a wonderful thriller. I was definitely intrigued enough to want to read more from Jensen in the future - great way to gain our interest!
Many of the rest were quite good. A few pushed the boundaries of what I enjoy reading, but none were bad -- they simply didn't appeal to me due to my preferences as a reader. All were well-written and had strong voices.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy short stories and want to take on different authors and genres, this is a great opportunity to become acquainted with diversity and a diverse range of reads. Many of the stories were outstanding, a few missed the boat for me, but overall, it was a very strong read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something unique and fun -- different the ordinary voice.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon. I write A LOT. I read A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge – words and humor. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
One of the authors in this short story collection, Spectrum: A Colorful Collection of SmartyPants' Best, is someone I've met, so I had to read the whole book coordinated by another author, S.C. Jensen. I was heading out of town for a few days and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to digest a few stories each day.
Approach & Style
This book is a collection of about 25 to 30 short stories, organized by various colors on the wheel, a kaleidoscope of fiction, hence the term Spectrum. I found the approach quite interesting, and read a color each day from the Kindle Reader version in my iPad. The book has about 250 pages with each story ranging from 5 to 15 in length. The genres run the gamut of fantasy and science fiction to romance, mystery and contemporary fiction. It has something for everyone.
Overall Thoughts
Of all the stories, a few spoke to me the most and deserve 5 stars:
Sweet Pea by Cammie Adams is at the top. It's a charming and cozy story about another side of life, one many of us are not familiar with: a homeless person who needs help, and gets an opportunity in an unexpected way. The characters are vivid; they tug at your emotions, especially the relationship between 1 person and 1 animal. The ability to see another perspective is also quite strong -- you'll think differently about someone you see on the street who needs a helping hand. It can turn out positive if you do the right thing sometimes. The voice is clear, the plot hums along and the book delivers a heartwarming ending. I look forward to more from this author.
Skipping Rocks by M.D. Pitman was another wonderful tale about a child's view of the world, including how to deal with unexpected consequences. I almost wanted to cry for the poor father only trying to do something fun for his daughter, stuck with an impact he couldn't have expected. It will make your heart hurt a little -- in a good way, to know what parents go through.
Over by Kerry E.B. Black was another fantastic story about parents and children. I seem to gravitate to these types of connections and relationships, but you'll see what an ordinary family goes through every day. Life's not easy, but this one will teach you the value of a good mother who knows how to care for her children at bedtime!
And of course, Hunger, by the collaborator and main author, S.C. Jensen, wrote a wonderful thriller. I was definitely intrigued enough to want to read more from Jensen in the future - great way to gain our interest!
Many of the rest were quite good. A few pushed the boundaries of what I enjoy reading, but none were bad -- they simply didn't appeal to me due to my preferences as a reader. All were well-written and had strong voices.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy short stories and want to take on different authors and genres, this is a great opportunity to become acquainted with diversity and a diverse range of reads. Many of the stories were outstanding, a few missed the boat for me, but overall, it was a very strong read. I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something unique and fun -- different the ordinary voice.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I’m Jay, an author who lives in NYC. My debut novel, Watching Glass Shatter, can be purchased on Amazon. I write A LOT. I read A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll find the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge – words and humor. You can also find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks for stopping by. Note: All written content is my original creation and copyrighted to me, but the graphics and images were linked from other sites and belong to them. Many thanks to their original creators.
February 2, 2018
Great anthology. Contains one of my short stories, but I'm reviewing the work of the other authors and the editor. It's a wide ranging antho containing stories from an array of genres. It's a great starting point for anyone who likes short stories and wants to get a broad variety in one collection.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews