"Christmas Cradles"
Thomas Nelson recently released a very nice softcover of An Amish Christmas (The Expanded Edition), and I wanted to talk about my short story in the collection---"Christmas Cradles." As a very young (not in years--sigh) author, it was my first short story in print and was a pleasure to write. Short story construction is different than writing a novel because you really have to make every word have punch or emotion in a short. I personally think, sometimes, that short stories can be more effective at entertaining a reader than even a novel. Some of my favorite short stories are by Flannery O'Connor...a female Christian author who really pushes the boundaries of understanding concepts of grace and forgiveness in Christ. If you haven't read her, check her out. Her extreme portrayals disturb but remind me of the AMish response to the school shootings--way out of the realm of expectation of what is "normal." Another great short is Frank Stockton's "The Lady or the Tiger?" If you want to have a great dinner conversation, pass this short out for folks to read and then debate on over roast chicken---you will be sharing a classic as well as deeply entertaining your guests! In my Amish Christmas Cradles, my favorite character is Asa Mast, the tall, dark and brooding hero who wants nothing to do with women....and who, of course, gets one landed in his lap! I hope that you enjoy some of these shorts and remember that the best parts of life are quite often...SHORT!
Peace,
Kelly
Peace,
Kelly
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