A Select Anthology of Mini-Short Stories: Or, the Author's Pick of His Personal Best

In "A Select Assortment of Mini-Short Stories," author Leif E. Trondsen provides an anthology of his own selection of his best works to date. For this new work, Trondsen has selected 12 mini-short stories, those bite-size tales comprising some 500-2,500 words, by including four of his "personal best" from each of his previous three books: "The Art of the Mini-Short Story," "A New Assortment of Mini-Short Stories," and "A Fresh Festoon of Mini-Short Stories." These 12 truncated tales display the spectrum of the author's literary interest and the development of his writing style.

Additionally, Trondsen reflects upon his mini-short story writing career over the past year and a half. In a candid evaluation, he assesses the strengths and weaknesses of his fictional writings based upon Stephen King's "20 Rules for Writers." Such periodic and critical self-reflection an important trait for any writer, whether a novice or seasoned one. Lastly, the author has decided to take a brief hiatus from fictional writing to better master the basics of this elusive craft. Additional volumes of his truncated tales, however, will undoubtedly be forthcoming.

The 12 mini-short stories included in this volume cover a wide range of literary genres, such as horror, science fiction, satire, and social commentary. All, however, conclude with Trondsen's tell-tale "twist" endings, in the style of his favorite short story writers Edgar Allen Poe, Ambrose Bierce, Saki, and O. Henry. A sampling of the author's "personal best" includes: "The Confession," an unusual story about an old Irish priest who hears the confession of an unexpected and potentially lethal penitent; "The Color-Bearer," a harrowing Civil War tale of a 12-year-old drummer boy thrust into the bloody maelstrom of battle; "The Question," an unsettling story based upon the biblical story of Job, which ponders the question of "why" such momentous misfortunes afflict us all in our daily lives; and "The Governess," a chiling Victorian Gothic tale of a new governess and the "unusual" child for whom she must care and tutor. These mini-short stories are intended to "entertain, inspire, enlighten, challenge, and, yes, even shock their readers."

Beautifully set in Perpetua type and illustrated with color photographs, "A Select Anthology of Mini-Short Stories" is a welcome literary departure for all readers seeking a "good read" beyond the common pale of most contemporary fiction.