Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction

by Barbara Venkataraman, Barbara Venkataraman, James J. Cudney

Valentine Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? The challenge: capture a mood, a memory, a romantic encounter, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Unmasked and Never Stop Asking will touch your heart while others like Glory Days, Puppy Love and Swipe Right will make you smile. Enjoy stories by: James J. Cudney, Jeff Homberger, Julie Morrall, Didi Oviatt, Kaitlyn Sutey and Barbara Venkataraman. This short book will lift your spirits and brighten your day, any day of the year.

Genres: Short Stories

30 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 9, 2021

About the author

Award-winning author Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law. Her works include: "The Fight for Magicallus", a children's fantasy; "If you'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place", a humorous short story; and three books of humorous essays: "I'm Not Talking about You, Of Course," "A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities," and "A Smidge of Crazy", from her series, "Quirky Essays for Quirky People."

Her Jamie Quinn cozy mystery series includes: "Death by Didgeridoo", "The Case of the Killer Divorce", "Peril in the Park", "Engaged in Danger" and "Jeopardy in July".
Her newest book has just been released: "Accidental Activist: Justice for the Groveland Four", a memoir she co-authored with her son about lessons he learned while working to exonerate four men falsely convicted of a terrible crime in the Jim Crow South. All of her books are available on Amazon Kindle.

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an adorable collection! This is Barbara Venkataraman's third book of holiday flash fiction. Previously there was a release around Halloween and again for the December holidays. Now... it's all about Valentine's Day. There's romance, friendship, humor, and lots of cute memories.

I have always enjoyed Barbara's cozy mystery series and short stories; seeing what she can do with 100 word stories was incredibly fun. This time, another writer I know--Didi Oviatt--had a few stories too. I enjoyed them all, and it's a great way to sample a writer's voice and style. I recommend them wholeheartedly.

[Barbara Venkataraman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this fun project!

[Candace Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super adorable stories from both James J. Cudney and Didi Oviatt! I especially loved Cudney’s story about the older friend couple and Oviatt’s fated lovers story! Perfect romance read!

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is so much fun: a flash fiction challenge to write a story consisting of just 100 words that evokes the Valentines Day mood. Some of the stories are cute and endearing; some are laugh-out loud funny; all are delightful! Barbara Venkataraman gave me a heads-up that a digital copy is available for free on Amazon through 2/14/21. Thanks, Barbara!

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Age It All Works!

Valentine’s Day is here. Is Cupid working or has he broken all his arrows? In elementary school I always received a Valentine. Now I am older. Nothing is definite. Years ago my Valentine, I thought, took a hike, but I am married now. Why do I worry? Think positive thoughts! I turn around, and Godiva has appeared. I smile at my 38 years Valentine! For all ages! Great stories!

[dnsyl57 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if you aren't a big fan of Valentine's Day, this is a fast, fun read that may
touch the heart and/or the funny bone. Another fun collection of flash fiction from Barbara Venkataraman and friends. Some are warm and touching while others will bring a chuckle! You really can't go wrong with a book where Barbara is the author and editor!

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is made up of "flash fiction stories" which are short stories of 100 words. I enjoyed these stories about love and relationships. They had a variety of themes, some with a twist or surprise on a traditional love story. I enjoyed this book over a couple of evenings of reading for a half hour or so each night. If you are looking for something that you can pick up and read for a few minutes here or there, this is a perfect choice. I grabbed this one through Kindle Unlimited after seeing it on a few blogs. Perfect for my month of romance reading in February.

[Sheila Majczan · Rating 4 out of 5]

26 pages with short prose of 100 words each to make you smile or say, "Ah" or to even think, "How sweet".

One cannot say more. It took about 15 minutes to read.

[Leslie Grosvenor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun to read. The love stories were so creative. I’m impressed they could pack a story into a 100 words. My favorites were Sugar and Spice, and Love Potion.

[Misty's Book Space · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few days ago I saw James' post talking about this book. This was a complete surprise to me as it probably was for everybody. I have to read everything Jay writes so I of course went and got the book. So this was a little challenge that several authors did. The challenge was to capture a mood, a memory or a romantic encounter using exactly 100 words. This was the first time I've ever read something like this and overall I really enjoyed it. We get shorts from 6 different authors 2 of which I have read books from before. For what this is it was really good. I enjoyed some shorts more than others. These were short and sweet and some of them were funny as well. I definitely recommend giving this a go if you want something quick and easy to read.

[Conny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just recently discovered these Flash Fiction books by Barbara Venkataraman and they are such fun. They are a quick read if you want to do it in one sitting or you can just enjoy them at your leisure but they pack a punch in a small package. Perfect for really anybody, not time to read will not be an excuse. Just a fun read from different Authors on the subject of Love.

[Donadee's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Barbara Venkataraman – Valentine Shorts, Scary Shorts: Halloween, The Fight for Magicallus – Reviewed 3/18/21 – Read 3/1/21

A little bit of everything, love, horror, and magical trips!

Valentine Shorts: Flash on Fiction
Valentine Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? The challenge: capture a mood, a memory, a romantic encounter, using exactly 100 words. Stories like Unmasked and Never Stop Asking will touch your heart while others like Glory Days, Puppy Love, and Swipe Right will make you smile. Enjoy stories by James J. Cudney, Jeff Homberger, Julie Morrall, Didi Oviatt, Kaitlyn Sutey, and Barbara Venkataraman. This short book will lift your spirits and brighten your day, any day of the year.

Scary Shorts: Halloween Flash Fiction
Halloween Flash Fiction, what could be more fun? Capture a mood, a phobia, a scary experience, using exactly 100 words. Stories like A Drive in the Country, Halloween Stew, Skeleton Crew, Something About Her Shadow, and Candy Corn will give you the creeps, keep you up at night as you stare at the ceiling. Other stories like Careful What You Wish For and Paying the Piper will make you think twice about your bad decisions.

The Fight for Magicallus
While experimenting with a magic wand, two young brothers are pulled into a computer game called: The Fight for Magicallus. In the land of Magicallus, they encounter goblins and knights who are on the brink of war because their ruler has mysteriously disappeared, and the knights blame the goblins! The boys learn of a frightening prophecy that foretells the end of Magicallus. They must find an ancient book hidden in a dragon’s lair before the prophecy comes to pass and they are all destroyed...

Can the boys find their way home? Will the knights and goblins go to war? Or will the dragon destroy them all? With both humor and suspense, this story pulls you in and does not let go.

What did I like? I have read other books written by Barbara and some of her author friends and every one of them has filled me with humor. These two, Valentine and Halloween are no exception. They both cracked me up. The other book “The Fight for Magicallus” was amazing. I love children’s books and this one is right up there at the top of the pile. Humor, mystery, fun, and even scary, but all fighting to save Magicallus! You will enjoy it and I am sure your children will.

What will you like? Ready for some humor, these are filled with stumpers and humor. Quick wit and excellent writing will give you some amazing little quickies. The third book, “The Fight for Magicallus” is a magical book that takes two young brothers on this trip into a computer game, they are so cute and reminded me of my brothers. This was something that they would do. But, in my case it would not be a computer game, it would have been a program on TV. That for us was the most exciting close of the day, watching our favorite shows. (Mostly in B&W, LOL) These books are energetic and entertaining with lots of things happening. Excellent reads for all!

Valentine Shorts
• File Size: 1053 KB
• Print Length: 30 pages
• Publication Date: 2/9/2021
• ASIN: B08W9WDR3R
• Genre: 45-Minute Literature & Fiction Short Reads, Fiction Anthologies, Literary Anthologies & Collections

[Amy Caudill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of flash fiction stories contains work from a variety of authors and varies widely from stories that are short and sweet, to some that are mildly disturbing. I greatly enjoyed a number of the stories, so the rating I give the overall anthology is rather the average than a reflection on individual works.
Still, this very short book, containing short, unrelated works, is perfect for reading on a work break or any time you have just a few minutes to spare. The theme was perfect for the holiday last weekend also.

[Charlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm honestly not a romance book fan nor do I celebrate Valentines Day but this collection of short stories is pretty cute. Ranging from funny to endearing, there's a story in there for everyone. I think my absolute favorites were Lessons In Cupid and Puppy Love with Dave's Flat Tire coming in a strong third. It's a quick read with each story clocking in at 100 words, which is the real challenge for the writers and one that was done well in this case.

[Linda Lundy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read all these adorable short stories on Valentines Day. They were all adorable, uplifting and so enjoyable. They were all feel good stories and put you in a wonderful frame of mind after finishing them. Loved them all.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flash Fiction for Valentine's Day is a winner!

I love Barbara Venkataraman's books, especially the Jamie Quinn series. I had read her Holiday Shorts and was impressed by the idea of telling a story in 100 words. The Valentine Shorts is every bit as good. I laughed when I read Glory Days, which incorporates Bruce Springsteen song titles in the story of a budding romance, since I just watched the movie Blinded By The Light, about a British/Pakistani teen who is inspired by the lyrics of the Boss's songs. I laughed also at Barbara's story The Panache, about a husband addicted to Twitter. I have to tear myself away from Twitter at times. And that's the joy of these little stories. They are so relatable. A few brought tears to my eyes and that isn't easy to do. It's amazing how 100 words can affect one. Just shows the power of words, doesn't it? Grab this little book, it's a very fast read, and well worth the time. Check out Barbara's other books as well. You will be glad you did.

[W.A. Ashes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of sugar

This book was surprisingly pleasant. Flash fiction is hard to write. Their too short to create a full story out of, but I enjoyed most of the ones in this collection. I was even pleased to see a couple of my favorite indie authors among the various authors in this collection.

This would be a nice quick read for anyone looking for a short, sweet, Valentine story.

[Janice Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed these short stories. Thank you Barbara Venkataraman for the suggestion. They were so sweet and some could applied to all of us.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a series of short stories, all related to Valentine's Day. They were all very cute and sweet. Loved it.

[Marilyn Renaudin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun read

So many sweet valentine stories! Short and to the point!proves there are many ways to say I love you! Loved it!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, sweet collection of short stories.

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not easy writing a book, but it's not easy writing a short story either when you have a limited word count. I have never tried to write a book and I never will. I leave that to the experts, but a few years ago I took part in a kind of contest where you could win no prizes but eternal glory during one week if you were chosen as the winner by the other contestants. ;) Each week you received one word and the challenge was to write a little story with exactly 120 words and I can assure you that it was sometimes more difficult than making a jigsaw puzzle. It was great fun though and I stopped due to lack of time, but talking about it here makes me want to participate again. If only there were 25 hours in a day. :)

I felt like the authors here had a lot of fun with this project too and when they have fun you feel it through the pages of their book. The stories were sweet, fun and of course filled with love, hearts and flowers.

I enjoyed reading it a lot. 5 stars

Thank you, Barbara Venkataraman

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It amazes me how much emotion can be depicted within 100 words. Each story is unique and entertaining; filling the reader with hope, laughter, and even a touch of sadness, as is the case in Never Stop Asking by James J. Cudney where a couple in love never quite get to the married stage.

I laughed at Lessons in Cupid by Kaitlyn Sutey where Cupid retires and his successor learns creating love matches is not as easy as it seems.

Another favorite was Puppy Love by Barbara Venkataraman. She skillfully guides us through a sweet new love affair between an aristocrat and a guy who feels out of her league only to discover they’re dogs in the end.

We met at the park and it was love at first sight. High-spirited and playful, Josie had long copper tresses shining like the sun.
Venkataraman, Barbara; Cudney, James; Oviatt, Didi ; Homberger, Jeff; Sutey, Kaitlyn; Morrall, Julie. Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction (p. 10). Kindle Edition.

If you need a little light-hearted reading, I highly recommend this flash fiction anthology. A nice way to escape the cold!

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction earns 5/5 Hearts & Giggles...Entertaining Fun!

Sometimes short and sweet is just the prescription: no need to read a previous installment, get locked into hours of reading, or be entangled in a long series. This “Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction” is sweet on mystery, but not short on entertainment. Six authors, including favorite Barbara Venkataraman, were challenged to write a Valentine-themed tidbit in exactly 100 words. I couldn’t even write this review in that few words. These twenty-seven “heart warmers, morsels of mirth, and love notes” turned out to be an experience worth taking! Each author brought a different style, a different voice, but all wrapped in the hearts and flowers of the season. From chance meetings to It was fun, endearing, and even a humorous read. However, like my favorite chocolates several stories begged for more!

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want to be real, Valentine’s Day should be an everyday thing rather than a commercially created once-a-year anniversary. That’s why I like the charming Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction.

In exactly 100 words several authors reveal loving situations that go from first love, puppy love, quirky love, love after 40, decades’ old love, up to and including love when one partner starts to forget. A favourite, though, is the ‘Height of Fashion’ (and not just because a character is called ‘Maria’) but I rather like the zaniness of the concept of matching - when all other options have failed.

Just 27 shorts get you a gentle lift to the spirit, all in under 30 minutes.

[Amy Reade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the authors' 100-word takes on the subject of Valentine's Day. There are stories about love during COVID, Cupid, online dating, new relationships, old relationships, relationships with co-workers, and relationships between strangers. There's food, wine, Twitter, and chance meetings in which fate plays a part.

I think you’ll enjoy this fun collection of flash fiction, and I look forward to reading Barbara Venkataraman’s book of Halloween shorts, too.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valentine Shorts: Flash Fiction

I have always liked anthologies. This one of incredibly short stories is utterly delightful. None of the pieces is more than a page in length, but they all describe a vignette appropriate for Valentine's Day.

[Laura Ruetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet!

Valentine's themed flash fiction is a perfect quick read. These stories are short and very sweet, a perfect mental palette cleaner. You'll love these.

[Patt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short collection of 100 word flash fiction with a love theme. A quick picker upper especially after reading a lot of more serious stories. I received a free copy of this book from the author.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Valentine Shorts - quick little snippets to make you smile, laugh, just sigh, and for remembering love, remembering friendship - just the right touch to read Valentine's weekend and set the mood.