The Rough Stuff: Stories of Men in Hard Circumstance

by Michael Cardwell

The Rough Stuff is a powerful collection of short stories. Filled with unforgettable characters, it is a mix of action-filled fiction and reflective morality tales about the truisms of life, its spectacle, its inherent dangers, and its frustrating uncertainty. Whether in the mountains of Afghanistan, on a farm in Indiana, or in a lake cabin in Idaho, Cardwell tells brutally honest stories about the lives of decent, hard men in America.

229 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2022

About the author

After thirty-two years of service in the United States Army, I transitioned from the discipline of military life to the craft of storytelling. I studied creative writing at Indiana University, where I began publishing poetry, short fiction, and novellas in literary journals, reviews, and magazines.

Today, my world revolves around writing novels, brewing strong coffee, wrangling enthusiastic dogs, and keeping up with eight energetic grandchildren. I live in Indiana with my wife, Roni.

I am the author of the well-received Coogan Mystery Series, which includes Frontier Justice, Frontier Outlaws, and Frontier Marshal. The fourth novel, Frontier Vengeance, releases November 24, with Frontier Bounty following next year. Each book has earned excellent reader ratings and strong sales, and I am grateful for the support of a growing audience of mystery and western-thriller readers.

Reviews

[Manie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life sometimes is a hard mistress, as these short stories so aptly demonstrates.
The heartache that creeps into your very soul by reading these, so reminds me of a song I grew up with..."It is heartache by the numbers....
Yes, it is a tough world. It is our world. And sometimes only the tough endure, as author Michael Cardwell so ably laid bare.
But is also beautiful.
Enjoy

[Janet Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Stories in Classic Format
I love reading classical short stories -the ones that have zero extra words. These stories fit that format. They are the Haiku of fiction writing. They bring out your deeper thoughts and true emotions. I found myself trying to fit myself into the lives of these men. I enjoyed these stories so much they are quite haunting!

[Glenn S. McCullough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well excuted

Great variety of short stories. I haven't read short stories in quite some time, but this collection has reignited my love for the genre. This guy may be turning me on to a whole new genre. Very solid work.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Articulate, insightful, well written but most of the stories were of a very dark nature.