A lovely bit of news: The Secret Confessions of Anne Shakespeare has been sold for publication in Brazil. This is the second foreign sale; the novel has also been sold in Germany where it will be published sometime next year. It’s fun to think of someone in Berlin or Sao Paulo reading my book.
My short story for November, “Team Sports,” is dedicated to everyone who has ever been the last person called to join a team. You can read it at:
October’s short story is now posted on my website, so please check it out. THE OTHER WRIST (Copyright © Arliss Ryan, 1995) is from my collection SUICIDE NOTES and was published in Onion River Review, Fall 1996.
My agent is a man of few words, two to be exact. After reading my new novel, his email to me said: “Love it!”
He’ll now submit the manuscript to potential publishers, so once again, keep your fingers crossed.
My new novel is finished and off to my agent–wish me luck!
Check it out on the Short Stories page!
JUMPER (Copyright © Arliss Ryan, 1995) is from a collection of my short stories titled SUICIDE NOTES. It was published in Nexus (Volume 30, Winter 1995). I seem to recall that when I read this story to my writers’ group, the general response was, “How do you come up with these people?” The answer is, I don’t; they find me.
AFTER THE BALL (Copyright©Arliss Ryan, 2011) is my twist on the classic Cinderella tale. It was written about fifteen years ago and has not previously been published.
A ROADSIDE VISION (Copyright © Arliss Ryan, 1994) is from a collection of my short stories titled SUICIDE NOTES. Some of the stories are purely fictional, while others are based on real historical people. Not all the stories end in a death; some characters choose life. This story was published in Santa Clara Review (Volume 82, Number 1, Fall/Winter 1994-95) and was inspired by a news snippet of an actual event.
Enjoy!
Writing fiction is like walking a tightrope with no net underneath—you never know when you start whether you’ll make it safely to the other side. My latest novel has really put that simile to the test. I had no idea when I started it where the story or the characters would end up, and I made many missteps along the way. However, it is now in the hands of a very capable group of readers, and their critiques will help determine the final shape of the book. A teaser for the book is below:
THE PASSION OF HUBERT
When Hubert Lamb and his wife Felicia retire to Florida, they think they’ve found their own private paradise—until an act of God leaves a body floating face down in Hubert’s swimming pool. The dead man is a dead ringer for Jesus, so perhaps it’s not surprising when Hubert acquires a halo and “miracles” begin to occur, thanks to the water in his pool. Soon Hubert must contend with faith healings and a megachurch led by the charismatic Pastor Brad Light, the arrival of a pregnant fifteen-year-old runaway named Genie, and the glare of worldwide publicity, all while struggling with the shock and grief of a personal tragedy.
Will Hubert survive the assaults on his privacy and his reputation? Will he hold onto his identity, or should he remake himself to fit the spotlight and seize the opportunity to become a celebrity? Most important, how will he uncover the truth about his miracle pool and make peace with his own long-dormant beliefs when everyone is telling—and selling—a different story? It’s all a bit much, especially for a man who knows in his heart he’s never been special in any way.
