Wednesday, July 20, 2011

"Frankly, I'm in awe of this collection," says Jackie


Alethea Black's deeply moving and wholly original debut features a coterie of memorable characters who have reached emotional crossroads in their lives. Brimming with humor, irony, and insights about the unpredictable nature of life, the unbearable beauty of fate, and the power that one moment, or one decision, can have to transform us, I Knew You'd Be Lovely delivers that rare thing—stories with both an edge and a heart.

Read a piece by Alethea Black about writing this book on ReadItForward.com (there are some bonuses to be had there as well).

Jackie says:
"If every short story writer was able to write with such succinct intensity and blazing purity of message, I'd be a much bigger fan of the genre.  At the very least, I am now a HUGE fan of debut author Alethea Black.  There are thirteen stories in this amazingly slim volume, but the quality of reading experience for each and every one of them rivals many novels that are told in ten times the pages.  She is able to use just a few words to convey a highly charged emotional setting, getting you completely invested in the characters within a couple of paragraphs.  Frankly, I'm in awe of this collection, and cannot recommend it highly enough.  I especially loved the author's notes section at the end of the book where she explains her inspiration for every story. I also think this would be a great read for a book club--there are an amazing number of issues covered in these stories should lead to some very lively discussions."

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