Review: What a wonderful surprise!
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 17, 2013
03/15/2013 --Overall Rating = 3.5 StarsBook Cover / Book Blurb = 4 / 4 = 4 StarsWriter's Voice = 4 StarsCharacter Development = 3.5 StarsStory Appreciation = 5 StarsWorth the Chili = 2.5 Stars [$2.99 Amazon /80 pages]I was stalking a new favorite author's shelves and came across this author. I love the pen name - The Black. I didn't really know what to expect, but Nia Forrester gave this 5 Stars and I wanted to know why.I'm not a big short story reader. When I get characters and a story I like, I want to be with them for a while. Short stories that are really good, leave me with that homesick feeling. I had that with this one. It was really good.A few things I really liked:1 -- I think I've found another author I'll really like reading. This author -- not sure if it is a man or a woman [think man though], writes about people. Just normal people with normal feelings, but with passion. These two characters were just real. They took some time to get to know each other, but in the end, what shined through to me, was the real normality. Now, there situation was a bit out of the norm. They were on the furthest airbase in the Aleutian Islands. Out in the middle of nowhere. Things are a bit different in this type of situation.2 -- The book cover is really awesome if you take the time to really look at it. It intrigues you.3 -- The blurb caught me right away. Two people in the Air Force in the middle of nowhere hooking up. You think tawdry, but it isn't at all. This story just goes to show you that love happens in the most unlikely places. You just never know when fate will play its' hand.What didn't work for me?1 -- This book is only 80 pages in length. Mentioned before, I like longer books, so will plan to read a longer one by TheBlack. So, this didn't really bother me. I knew going in it would be short. The author actually did a really good job with the shorter format. Just enough of everything. What bothered me was the prices. A bit off putting for just 80 pages. A new author. Not one widely known [note the number of ratings/reviews for this one] and the price. This one should be $.99 and the author should consider an Amazon Freebie. I think, based on the caliber of the story, this would hook readers and they'd want more. We are pretty discriminating on our price points anymore. GoodReads helps us with this.2 -- Really nothing else. This short story was seriously good. Nia knows what she is talking about and I can't wait to read more by this author. I plan to very soon.I love it when I find a new author who has quite a number of books in their backlist. I know I'll be covered for a while.Hope you really think about giving this author a go. Very good and I think most anyone would like and appreciate this story.Happy Reading!