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Author: The Reluctant Author

The Reluctant Author, a user of words, has spent a lifetime writing words and storing them in notebooks, computer discs, digital files, and has now decided to step out into the light and start sharing some of those words with the world. (The Reluctant Author is Kendra Cooke's pseudonym)
DRAGONS

DRAGONS

I remember the day the dragons came, their vivid purple and green scales glinting against the sun. Yellow and orange tales streaking behind them like fire, leathery wings casting shadows over our village. Be it stupidity or fear, I was incapable of fleeing from the mesmerizing sight. As they land, a layer of gritty dust coats my lips. Air thick with the scent of campfire, the voice is a throaty purr. “It’s time, Chusi.”  Unafraid, I offer myself in exchange…

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Ghosts

Ghosts

Agatha opened the door, and the ghostly apparitions floated through the air, leaving traces of dust in their wake. Three of them ascended the stairs, their translucent forms chasing each other, two huddled together over the kitchen sink, their whispers like wind. A lone specter sat on the sofa, telegram dangling from its fingers, and wept. Agatha closed her eyes, attempting to escape the haunting memories. A door slammed, jolting her back to reality, her eyes snapped open. In the…

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Beach House

Beach House

I’ve watched them come and go, the people in all shapes and sizes. They look at me and turn away. My once vibrant yellowed paint has faded and chipped, but I still hold the stories of those who’ve entered my door. The first child born here, the last to die here. White-haired and stooped, the couple who kept insisting it would be their last summer. The lanky tanned teens who pleaded with Gran and Pop to keep it just one…

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May 2024 Book Reviews

May 2024 Book Reviews

The One With The Kiss Cam (Cindy Steel) Nora doesn’t date, which is how she landed at a Jazz game sitting beside a complete stranger who found her fake profile on a dating website, thanks to her friend. The night grows uncomfortable until the guy on the other side of Nora whispers it’s her turn for the armrest. She’s confused, but he quickly clears it up by pointing out they will take turns with the armrest. He had it for…

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