Daniel Kelley

This book has such a strong premise that I couldn't resist it: winners of a small-town raffle are approached by a man claiming he can send them back in time to re-live a day of their choosing.

Raffle Ticket is hard to define, because it's got a bit of mystery, a bit of small-town drama, and a bit of time-travel fantasy, but none of these elements overtake the story. So it is worth noting that the titular ticket takes a while to show up, but when it does, all the previous development devoted show more to the characters and town pays off.

Maybe that's the real strength that made me enjoy this novel so much: the characters and location feel fully-formed, so it's a pleasure to take this odd journey with them.

There are a few twists with real emotional weight. The plots wraps up nicely. Oh, and the writing is sharp, with just enough description to not wear out its welcome, especially as the pace picks up. I did notice that characters were constantly touching each other's shoulders, but maybe that's a regional thing.

Anyway, this is a great light read that made me happy. If I could go back in time and prevent myself from reading it, I would say "no thanks, time travel, I'm good." Five stars. show less

By: Daniel Kelly
Published By: D.K.
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: GMTA
Review:

"A Wind Doth Blow" by Daniel Kelly was a well written short romantic read. We find Henry who is a artist is hearing music from his window. This music comes from Elena who is a neighbor and is a musician that plays a oboe. Elena becomes Henry's obsession. What will come of this? This obsession starts to consume Henry's 'every waking moment' to the point of doubting himself 'as a show more person.' You will find yourself consumed in this read where you will be kept on the edge of your seat wondering what will come next. You will find all of the characters so very real. This author did a wonderful job with the descriptions that seemed to bring "a Wind Doth Blow" to life. The ending was different and you can only find out how this will turn out by picking up the good read. Would I recommend this novel? YES show less

Cupcakes is a short story by Daniel Kelley.

First Paragraph:

It was, I think, her favorite expression: "You've got the wrong number!" That, along with, "And how!" and "You don't say!" are what I most remember about Auntie Winifred's wide repertoire of crisp, automatic responses. Not that she wasn't truly interested in whatever had been said to prompt such a familiar reaction, but with so many of us constantly bleating for her attention, or asking for her support with some half-baked allegation show more made against one of the others, a noncommittal platitude probably seemed the best way to agree or disagree with the plaintiff, and yet at the same time do so without causing offense to anyone."

PLOT

Frances (better known as Froggie) is six when the story begins. She and her brother, Zander, and their two cousins, Billy and Melissa- nicknamed Iggy and Shoeless- spend most of their time playing together in their Auntie Winifred's bakery. She adores the children and is more of a parent to them than their own. She has appointed them official Cupcakes.

When they ask why they're Cupcakes, she always has a vague, ambiguous answer. They may not know where the title came from, but they like it nonetheless, and wear it with pride. They are the Cupcakes, and the apartment above the bakery is their clubhouse.

Told in a reminiscent way, we watch as the children grow older, grow up and experience all the things that come with it.

REVIEW

Seeped in nostalgia, like a delightfully moist sticky toffee pudding that Auntie Winifred no doubt served, the sweetness of the haze of childhood, is in perfect balance with the luscious treats they play around.

This is a story about being young, along with the inevitable growing up. We all know that growing up is hard to do. The characters slowly realise the facts of real life, and how precious their relationships with each other are. Frances begins to notice their individual roles in the group, and the changing dynamics as they age and become the people they're shaping into.

With the hardships and realities of life, the rose-tinted, carefree days of youth cannot last forever, other than in our memories. This is a story that anyone can relate to. We were all young once, we all went though our awkward phases, our in-between years of learning responsibility, to actually accepting it.

A great short story. If the nostalgia doesn't get you, the writing will.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own. show less

In Daniel Kelley's collection of six short stories, he investigates things coming to an end from various perspectives. While often one thinks of finishing something as being sad, not all of these stories visit the darker sides of this, and that is one reason why this collection is so interesting.

The stories we are given here are entitled:
• Performer
• Bathtub Ripples
• Getting to Know You
• Thinking Back
• Doing it All
• A Child's Game

Of course, none of these titles give away much, show more but trust me, once you read them, you'll understand them completely. What is most fascinating about these stories is how very differently they each look at this subject, and yet how easily they fit together as a whole. For instance, the gentleness that turns to despair in Bathtub Ripples is beautifully balanced by the dejection that turns to hope in A Child's Game. With Thinking Back, we actually get the story in reverse. Here, the shocking news of Saturday becomes slowly understood as we work our way backwards through the events of each previous day until we learn what happened on Wednesday. Kelley's musical background comes out with the opening story, Performer, while his literary background comes to the fore in Getting to Know You. It's no wonder that these two stories feel like he lived through them personally, but he is just as convincingly realistic when his protagonist is a woman.

As I read these tales, it occurred to me that the artistry in writing good short stories is highly underrated (despite the latest Nobel Prize for Literature going to a short story writer). People generally think of short fiction as being the practice format for the job of attacking a "real" writing project - meaning, a full-blown novel. But the truth is that a carefully crafted short story is truly a thing of beauty. The ability to get fully formed characters, plots and action combined with the perfect impact into just a thousand or so words is no small feat. But Kelley does so with each and every one of these pieces. What's more, he does it with a style that feels like he's writing it with twinkle in his eye and a small smirk rising from one corner of his mouth. In fact, if I ever attempt to write fiction, this is the way I want my stories to sound - slightly irreverent with just a touch of humor.

If asked which of these stories my favorite was, I'd be hard pressed to find an appropriate answer. Because of my personal musical background, I can say that the opening story Performer is one I quickly identified with, but my literary background made me equally relate to Getting to Know You. On the other hand, if I was required to point out which story was my least favorite, I'd have to answer "none".

Kelley's talent makes each story fully rounded and complete, with believable, sympathetic characters we can identify with and plots that hold our interest. By using a common theme, there is also a cohesive feel to this collection, rather than just a bunch of stories thrown together. This is what makes Daniel Kelly's "Going Out in Style" such a successful collection. For all this, I could find no faults so I can't give it any less than five out of five stars, and highly recommend it. show less