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Scar Tissue: And Other Stories
It's all about scars and what they mean.
Old myths made new.
Poems for those who've passed.
Tales of the lost and found.
Rarely seen stories, reprinted.
Brand new stories - in new places and familiar words.
Scar Tissue and other stories.
Holmes ♥ Watson
Ravenfall
Kitty and Cadaver
The Vampires of Melbourne
Holmes + Watson
Old myths made new.
Poems for those who've passed.
Tales of the lost and found.
Rarely seen stories, reprinted.
Brand new stories - in new places and familiar words.
Scar Tissue and other stories.
Holmes ♥ Watson
Ravenfall
Kitty and Cadaver
The Vampires of Melbourne
Holmes + Watson
- GenresFantasyShort Stories
230 pages, Paperback
Published April 5, 2019
3 people want to read
About the author
Narrelle M. Harris
66 books120 followersI grew up in a home bursting with books. My father was in the Royal Australian Air Force – we moved roughly every three years – and my parents were passionate advocates of reading and the importance of access to a library of ideas, no matter where we lived.
Between a childhood spent on the move yet steeped in literature, and a naturally dramatic personality, it’s no surprise I became a storyteller.
At home, and at libraries all over Australia, I read everything from Little Golden Books to The World Book Encyclopaedia. As my family moved so frequently, my companions wherever I went were the Pevensies of Narnia, a horse named Flicka and the Hardy Boys. I grew up with the characters created by Diana Wynne Jones as they too learned independence and responsibility. Miss Marple and the Dragonriders of Pern were always at my side.
Writers like Eric Frank Russell and Lois McMaster Bujold were as influential on my character and my writing as surely as Shakespeare and the Brontes. I’m still always picking up new influences, from modern writers like Emily Larkin and Neil Gaiman as well as classics by PG Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Before you figure I am always and forever reading, I’m a traveller too. My early years spent moving from state to state led to itchy feet. After moving out of the family home, I lived in Perth, then met Tim Richards and we decided to have adventures of our own. We moved to Egypt to teach English as a Foreign Language, then went on to Poland.
After we finished teaching, we kept travelling: we’ve been to the UK and US, to Thailand, Germany, Hungary, Syria, Jordan, France, Italy, Slovenia, Czech, and Canada – and we’re not done travelling yet.
The places I’ve visited – London, Hungary, Canada – often appear in my work, but the home of my heart is the place I write about most often.
Melbourne, Australia. The town we chose to live in always. The city I love so much she is practically a character in her own right in books like The Opposite of Life and short stories like Near Miss. I even researched the Marvellous Melbourne of the 1890s for my Holmes♥Watson romance, The Adventure of the Colonial Boy.
Given my background and all my literary influences, it’s hardly astonishing that my storytelling is eclectic: crime, adventure, fantasy, horror and romance – separately or combined.
For all the different genres I write in, everything I write generally includes the same tone and the same type of themes. They are full of the families one is born with and the families we make for ourselves. The protagonists all face challenges they’ve made for themselves as well as external threats that test them. They’re full of people who’ve made mistakes who seek to learn and to make better choices.
Whether you’re reading a vampire adventure in modern Melbourne, a Holmesian mystery in London or a racy lesbian romance in the Middle East, you’ll find humour, heart, friendships and love.
Awards
Jane: In 2017, my ghost/crime story Jane won the Athenaeum Library’s Body in the Library prize at the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, hosted by Sisters in Crime Australia.
Other nominations and shortlistings include:
Fly By Night (nominated for a Ned Kelly Award 2004)
Witch Honour (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize as Witching Ways in 1998)
Witch Faith (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize in 1999)
Walking Shadows (Chronos Awards; Davitt Awards in 2012)
__
Narrelle's erotica published as NM Harris is listed on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Between a childhood spent on the move yet steeped in literature, and a naturally dramatic personality, it’s no surprise I became a storyteller.
At home, and at libraries all over Australia, I read everything from Little Golden Books to The World Book Encyclopaedia. As my family moved so frequently, my companions wherever I went were the Pevensies of Narnia, a horse named Flicka and the Hardy Boys. I grew up with the characters created by Diana Wynne Jones as they too learned independence and responsibility. Miss Marple and the Dragonriders of Pern were always at my side.
Writers like Eric Frank Russell and Lois McMaster Bujold were as influential on my character and my writing as surely as Shakespeare and the Brontes. I’m still always picking up new influences, from modern writers like Emily Larkin and Neil Gaiman as well as classics by PG Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle.
Before you figure I am always and forever reading, I’m a traveller too. My early years spent moving from state to state led to itchy feet. After moving out of the family home, I lived in Perth, then met Tim Richards and we decided to have adventures of our own. We moved to Egypt to teach English as a Foreign Language, then went on to Poland.
After we finished teaching, we kept travelling: we’ve been to the UK and US, to Thailand, Germany, Hungary, Syria, Jordan, France, Italy, Slovenia, Czech, and Canada – and we’re not done travelling yet.
The places I’ve visited – London, Hungary, Canada – often appear in my work, but the home of my heart is the place I write about most often.
Melbourne, Australia. The town we chose to live in always. The city I love so much she is practically a character in her own right in books like The Opposite of Life and short stories like Near Miss. I even researched the Marvellous Melbourne of the 1890s for my Holmes♥Watson romance, The Adventure of the Colonial Boy.
Given my background and all my literary influences, it’s hardly astonishing that my storytelling is eclectic: crime, adventure, fantasy, horror and romance – separately or combined.
For all the different genres I write in, everything I write generally includes the same tone and the same type of themes. They are full of the families one is born with and the families we make for ourselves. The protagonists all face challenges they’ve made for themselves as well as external threats that test them. They’re full of people who’ve made mistakes who seek to learn and to make better choices.
Whether you’re reading a vampire adventure in modern Melbourne, a Holmesian mystery in London or a racy lesbian romance in the Middle East, you’ll find humour, heart, friendships and love.
Awards
Jane: In 2017, my ghost/crime story Jane won the Athenaeum Library’s Body in the Library prize at the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, hosted by Sisters in Crime Australia.
Other nominations and shortlistings include:
Fly By Night (nominated for a Ned Kelly Award 2004)
Witch Honour (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize as Witching Ways in 1998)
Witch Faith (shortlisted for the George Turner Prize in 1999)
Walking Shadows (Chronos Awards; Davitt Awards in 2012)
__
Narrelle's erotica published as NM Harris is listed on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 5, 2019
I already knew that Narrelle M. Harris is an excellent storyteller, and I very much enjoyed reading her earlier anthology, Showtime. This collection is even better, I think. It's a delightful mix of stories and styles, and yet they're all inimically *hers*.
Some of the stories build on or offer prequels to Narrelle's novels, but can be read as stand-alones. I can promise you that, as I am familiar with about half of the other content referenced here! Narrelle won't leave you hanging there without a clue what's going on, I promise you. I particularly enjoyed "Bad Night at Bite Club", in which a young American whose boyfriend has been turned into a vampire travels to Australia, seeking answers and possibly hope from the delightfully dorky vampire, Gary. It's always a pleasure to spend time with Gary, who I first met in The Opposite of Life. I also loved the story "Hoorfrost", despite not being familiar with Kitty & Cadaver. This 'origin' story was set in London, in 1258, with the Thames frozen over. There's always something intriguing about such a setting! This frost isn't a natural occurrence, however, and I was intrigued to read about how newly-met Will and Thomas use music to solve the problem. Narrelle describes this process so well, it was as if I could feel the rhythm of their music thrumming through me.
Narrelle writes really excellent Holmes and Watson stories, too, whether basing their mutual bond in friendship or romance. Here we have "Faithful", told fascinatingly from Holmes' point of view. I loved how his logical mind dealt with the at times illogical demands of sharing life and rooms with another person. "The Beekeeper's Children" was a poignant and beautiful musing on beekeeping and the effects of war. I think this was one of my favourites of the collection; it certainly feels particularly complete and accomplished. "The Christmas Card Mystery" offered a proper Sherlock Holmes mystery that would stand proudly beside the canonical stories.
The stories I most enjoyed, however, were the "Lost and Found" tales. Some quite short and some more substantial; all begin with a photograph of something ordinary-yet-odd captured by Narrelle. In themselves, the photographs are terrific examples of urban photography, capturing things that many of us walk past every day without noticing. But then Narrelle spins a yarn inspired by the photograph - and that would be clever enough, given her yarn-spinning skills, but she is absolutely awesome at turning things topsy-turvy. Or letting the reader have her cake and eat it, too. (Such as "Lost and Found: Bouquet", which is among the most delightful love stories I've ever read.)
There are unexpected twists and turns in many of her stories, not just in the "Lost and Found" - and never just for the sake of it. I have to admit I am often a bit wary of such things with other writers, as it can seem like a trick or a bit of a gimmick. Not with Narrelle! She runs with the skewed notions, and writes them so well that you end up doubting that anything could have been right-side-up in the first place. I can't really say too much about this, or give examples, without spoiling the effect for readers. However, I can give you an idea of it: I am rather a fan of 'Death takes a holiday' stories in all kinds of formats; but I've never read or watched one that's quite like Narrelle's "Death's Door". She really takes it all one step beyond.
And so there you have it! If you like short stories - or if you'd like to see what the fuss is about - Narrelle is an expert at the craft.
Highly recommended.
Some of the stories build on or offer prequels to Narrelle's novels, but can be read as stand-alones. I can promise you that, as I am familiar with about half of the other content referenced here! Narrelle won't leave you hanging there without a clue what's going on, I promise you. I particularly enjoyed "Bad Night at Bite Club", in which a young American whose boyfriend has been turned into a vampire travels to Australia, seeking answers and possibly hope from the delightfully dorky vampire, Gary. It's always a pleasure to spend time with Gary, who I first met in The Opposite of Life. I also loved the story "Hoorfrost", despite not being familiar with Kitty & Cadaver. This 'origin' story was set in London, in 1258, with the Thames frozen over. There's always something intriguing about such a setting! This frost isn't a natural occurrence, however, and I was intrigued to read about how newly-met Will and Thomas use music to solve the problem. Narrelle describes this process so well, it was as if I could feel the rhythm of their music thrumming through me.
Narrelle writes really excellent Holmes and Watson stories, too, whether basing their mutual bond in friendship or romance. Here we have "Faithful", told fascinatingly from Holmes' point of view. I loved how his logical mind dealt with the at times illogical demands of sharing life and rooms with another person. "The Beekeeper's Children" was a poignant and beautiful musing on beekeeping and the effects of war. I think this was one of my favourites of the collection; it certainly feels particularly complete and accomplished. "The Christmas Card Mystery" offered a proper Sherlock Holmes mystery that would stand proudly beside the canonical stories.
The stories I most enjoyed, however, were the "Lost and Found" tales. Some quite short and some more substantial; all begin with a photograph of something ordinary-yet-odd captured by Narrelle. In themselves, the photographs are terrific examples of urban photography, capturing things that many of us walk past every day without noticing. But then Narrelle spins a yarn inspired by the photograph - and that would be clever enough, given her yarn-spinning skills, but she is absolutely awesome at turning things topsy-turvy. Or letting the reader have her cake and eat it, too. (Such as "Lost and Found: Bouquet", which is among the most delightful love stories I've ever read.)
There are unexpected twists and turns in many of her stories, not just in the "Lost and Found" - and never just for the sake of it. I have to admit I am often a bit wary of such things with other writers, as it can seem like a trick or a bit of a gimmick. Not with Narrelle! She runs with the skewed notions, and writes them so well that you end up doubting that anything could have been right-side-up in the first place. I can't really say too much about this, or give examples, without spoiling the effect for readers. However, I can give you an idea of it: I am rather a fan of 'Death takes a holiday' stories in all kinds of formats; but I've never read or watched one that's quite like Narrelle's "Death's Door". She really takes it all one step beyond.
And so there you have it! If you like short stories - or if you'd like to see what the fuss is about - Narrelle is an expert at the craft.
Highly recommended.
March 13, 2022
A gift from my sister Julie Bozza, and a highly enjoyable collection.
I wouldn't have predicted that I'd start to look forward most to the two-page fictions that begin life in a local photograph. These go off on tangents you can't pick but you come to trust are going to subvert -- to use an over-used word -- or resist the pull of story conventions.
In general, I liked the intimately Melbourne settings (as a Sydneysider who feels she probably should have lived in Melbourne). Elsewhere, the Holmes and Watson stories, particularly the werewolf one, were among my faves.
I wouldn't have predicted that I'd start to look forward most to the two-page fictions that begin life in a local photograph. These go off on tangents you can't pick but you come to trust are going to subvert -- to use an over-used word -- or resist the pull of story conventions.
In general, I liked the intimately Melbourne settings (as a Sydneysider who feels she probably should have lived in Melbourne). Elsewhere, the Holmes and Watson stories, particularly the werewolf one, were among my faves.
June 27, 2019
It's always lovely to read a collection of short stories by a really good writer. It's a chance to appreciate the writer's versatility as well as confirm their main interests, techniques and writing style. This collection from Narrelle M Harris doesn't disappoint! It is, she says in the introduction, inspired by two ideas - hidden histories (both real and imagined), and scars.
Scars, of course are both signs of both hurt and survival - hidden histories in themselves! And from the title story onwards, we are immersed in a series of possibilities about challenge and survival, culminating with an encounter with Death in 'Death's Door'. There are three different versions of the Holmes/Watson relationship here, each one utterly convincing (and differing perspectives on the same situation is something I particularly like). I'm not so familiar with Harris' other work, but there are stories from her 'Vampires of Melbourne' and 'Ravenfall' series, as well as an origin story for 'Kitty & Cadaver'. There is short, spare, poignant flash fiction and lucid poetry. And there is, in most of the stories, a queer element either openly stated or implied. It all hangs together beautifully, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Scars, of course are both signs of both hurt and survival - hidden histories in themselves! And from the title story onwards, we are immersed in a series of possibilities about challenge and survival, culminating with an encounter with Death in 'Death's Door'. There are three different versions of the Holmes/Watson relationship here, each one utterly convincing (and differing perspectives on the same situation is something I particularly like). I'm not so familiar with Harris' other work, but there are stories from her 'Vampires of Melbourne' and 'Ravenfall' series, as well as an origin story for 'Kitty & Cadaver'. There is short, spare, poignant flash fiction and lucid poetry. And there is, in most of the stories, a queer element either openly stated or implied. It all hangs together beautifully, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
June 8, 2019
This is a strange array of short stories. They are all different, they all have very different characters, some of them you might know (Holmes and Watson!), others, you might have been waiting to know them (Kitty and Cadaver origin story), or be complete strangers, but oh, they are all so compelling!
And their stories are interesting, some painful, some hopeful, some funny; there are apocalypses, and vampires, humans and werewolves. There are even a couple of poems. And oh, god, I love them, all of them.
Yes, yes, I have a soft spot for the Holmes and Watson stories, because I am me, but honestly, I enjoyed every one of them :)
So, yes, if you enjoy short stories, you should read these ones.
And their stories are interesting, some painful, some hopeful, some funny; there are apocalypses, and vampires, humans and werewolves. There are even a couple of poems. And oh, god, I love them, all of them.
Yes, yes, I have a soft spot for the Holmes and Watson stories, because I am me, but honestly, I enjoyed every one of them :)
So, yes, if you enjoy short stories, you should read these ones.
July 3, 2019
An odd collection of tales...in a good way. Some characters I knew and others were a discovery. We venture in the paranormal world with a host of 'people' out of the norm. Vampires are always my fave. I highly recommend this book of short stories.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews