What's your book about? It's the most commonly asked question and an easy one to answer for most authors. For me, it's a bit trickier to answer because I don't have one answer. I have 51 of them.
The first answer, which should be my 51st answer, is that 50 States is a debut collection of experimental, psychological, and speculative short-short stories. Each story takes place in a different state and touches on different states of mind. It's an accurate depiction but doesn't really share enough.
So, if someone doesn't ask about a specific state, I ask them what they like to read and mention which story or stories match up. There is a little bit of every genre inside 50 States, and most of them, I'm told, cut darkly. Here's a lexicon of sorts so you can see what I mean:
A look inside the 50 stories that make up 50 States.
Broken People. Idaho 2003. Fate gives a farmer another chance for redemption.
The Lake House. Conn. 2005. A grandmother shares how fixing a family is like refinishing furniture.
Dead Ends. Utah 1992. A couple takes an adventurous turn off a desert highway.
The Blue Door. Calif. 2019. A woman feels the gravity of her decision to open a motel door.
The Best Life. Ark. 2019. A man trolls the Internet for old flames after acquiring a unique gift.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Mich. 1975. Three kids visit a haunted house on Devil’s Night.
Wet. Wash. 1971. A teacher strike becomes a catalyst for action in a coming-of-age story.
Private Conversations. Colo. 2020. A loner hears whispers on the mile-and-a-quarter MallRide.
A Beautiful Day. Penn. 1990. A patient asks paramedics to sound the siren for heaven.
Good Neighbors. Nev. 2019. Two neighbors have their first conversation as one moves away.
The Qallupilluk. Alaska 1982. A runaway becomes immersed in the Yupik culture.
The Chain. Iowa 2016. A woman confesses to a police officer while sharing her past.
The Straw. Va. 2012. College students test the boundaries of their friendship.
Leftovers. Wyo. 2020. A woman works to reconcile a relationship with her grandfather.
Spinning Wheel. Fla. 1969. A young artist decides to reunite with his son in another state.
Vertigo. N.M. 1955. A man has one final thought after he jumps off a hotel roof.
The Domino. Mo. 1962. A shanty town family is warned that the time to run has come.
The Interview. N.Y. 2017. A recent law school graduate interviews with a Manhattan firm.
The Stranger. S.D. 1982. A mysterious stranger wanders into the back room of a dying diner.
Forget Me Nots. W. Va. 1971. An aging mother relives the same day in a nursing home.
Bad Things. N.H. 2018. A veteran and recovering alcoholic hides out in a crossroads bar.
The Engagement. N.J. 1981. A fortune teller predicts doom just days before an engagement.
Papa Gede. La. 2014. A teenager attempts to practice voodoo to escape an abusive uncle.
The Standoff. Ariz. 2017. Two immigrants from different countries face off under Arizona’s sun.
As It Seems. Kan. 1971. A farm family welcomes strangers into the safety of their storm shelter.
Screen Door. Wis. 1981. A narrator recounts his regrets after losing a family cottage.
A Hole In The Wall. Hawaii 2020. Two teens meet at a hole in the wall that isolates them.
Where’s There Smoke. Ore. 2019. Looters look to capitalize on a forest fire evacuation.
Punching And Hugging. Md. 1990. A groom has second thoughts on the day of his wedding.
All Your Joys. Mass. 2019. A troubled teen chooses the wrong house to rob in Salem.
Four Fathers. Ga. 1968. A father explains how only one of his children had the best of him.
The Samaritan. Ind. 2016. A teenage girl escapes harassment by taking a ride from a stranger.
Indian Wrestling. Minn. 1968. Two boys challenge each other to prove their courage.
Into The Bardo. R.I. 2017. An investigator discovers something sinister off the coast.
Tidy Lines. Mo. 1992. A brother demonstrates contempt for his sister’s boyfriend.
The Catch. Texas 1957. A German circus lures a local lad on the promise of extra work.
Time Capsule. Maine 2017. A young woman returns home to find her hometown unchanged.
Top Rung. S.C. 2013. A successful woman contrasts her sister’s choices on a morning run.
All The Wild Horses. N.D. 2019. A ranch girl interferes with the round-up of wild horses.
Sidelines. Ill. 1963. An aging mid-level manager wonders why one boy never boards the bus.
On The Fourth Of July. Del. 2018. A babysitter is attacked inside an affluent coastal home.
Mockingbirds. Okla. 2006. A writer reflects on life after meeting a recovering veteran.
Precinct 13. Ky. 1978. A gang of kids hatches a rescue plan to save two neighborhood pets.
The Extra Mile. Ala. 2008. A man wonders if God might work at a convenience store.
Siren’s Call. Vt. 2019. A family’s home becomes the target of revenge and retribution.
The Right Choice. Neb. 2010. A retired delivery driver for Hostess regrets saving a child’s life.
The Sweeper. Miss. 1972. A filmmaker uproots his family for racial unrest in the rural south.
All The Odds. N.C. 2020. A woman celebrates her deceased brother’s birthday with a drink.
The Thin Blue Line. Ohio 2017. A delinquent teen is pressured into robbing a rail patron.
Wheels Go Round. Tenn. 1977. Two runaway teens only have one bus ticket between them.
50 States is moving forward, much like it was written, one story at a time.
I always knew 50 States would move forward much like I wrote it — one story at a time. Every day, I ask one reviewer to consider my book (several reviews are pending now). Every trip, I ask one bookstore to stock signed copies (which I'm now listing these locations here). Every month, I've re-formatted editions for Apple, Kindle, Google, and Nook.
At the same time, I'm moving many of the stories inside 50 States forward, writing new stories that either continue, link, or otherwise keep those listed above very much alive. If you want to follow along, you can find me on most social networks or subscribe to my quarterly newsletter. I hope to see you there. Writing and publishing can be a fun and exciting adventure! Good night and good luck.
