Tag Archives: novella

Tome Tender Book Blog: Saturnine In Her Head, Out of Time & THIS MODERN LOVE

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http://tometender.blogspot.hk/2017/07/saturnine-in-her-head-out-of-time-by.html

Saturnine, In Her Head, Out of Time
by Ray Hecht
My rating: 4 stars
 
Publication Date: May 24, 2017
Publisher: Ray Hecht
Genre: Time Travel | Sci fi
Print Length: 32 pages
Available from: Amazon
 
  Saturnine, In Her Head, Out of Time by Ray Hecht

Saturnine, In Her Head, Out of Time  Do-overs in life; wouldn’t it be nice to be able to go back and re-live a moment in time you would like to either change or find closure for? Saturnine has that chance, thanks to a tech company that claims to take a person back in time to re-live any moment they want, but they do not guarantee you can change the events set in motion, after all, the past is in the past, it is written on the timeline of life, or can it be erased? Saturnine did indeed go back to re-live the night she her boyfriend walked out of her life for good. Many times, but could she find the answers she was looking for?

SATURNINE, IN HER HEAD, OUT OF TIME by Ray Hecht may be a short tale, but it packs a punch for young woman living with regrets from the past and the boy she let get away. Mr. Hecht has created a complete and intriguing tale with just a few well- placed words. Entertaining, thought-provoking and fun, I was left wondering what one thing in my life I would like a do-over on until I realized that, nope, I’m good and probably better off not going through my personal Ground Hog Day adventure!

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#Free #eBooks by Ray Hecht

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With my new novel South China Morning Blues coming out thanks to the good people at Blacksmith Books, I’d like to celebrate by freely sharing all my previous eBooks for this week only!

Remember, the Amazon Kindle app is free as well. Please don’t forget to write a review.

Go to http://amazon.com/author/rayhecht and check out the following:

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http://www.amazon.com/411-Ray-Hecht-ebook/dp/B00EUBZRL2

411 is a horrifying short story loosely based on my time as an operator in the early 2000s. Intended to disturb, the tale concerns a deranged disgruntled employee utilizing technology to enact revenge upon the world. Read if you dare.

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http://www.amazon.com/Loser-Parade-Ray-Hecht-ebook/dp/B00ETYSS5W

Loser Parade is my first novel, written in my mid-20s, which juxtaposes Los Angeles culture against my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Although dated, I hope that the story does well express the themes of lost love. Loser Fenton Ota comes home a failure, and decides to write and produce a play in order to impress a girl. Inevitably, a romance ensues and the relationship is entirely based on lies. Things take a turn for the strange when his play-within-a-play starts to get to his head…

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http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lotus-Mountain-Brothel-ebook/dp/B00JJUXZFE

The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel serves as sort of a prelude to the contemporary China novel. Set in Canton in the year 1911, the setting oddly reflects the present era of foreigner exploitation and political uncertainty. This historical novella presents the story of a lowly girl in times of great change. Revolution may be just around the corner, but she’s only trying to survive.

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http://www.amazon.com/Pearl-River-Drama-Dating-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00RQQIA26

Pearl River Drama is by far my most popular eBook, and perhaps with good reason. My expat memoir is, of course, focuses on dating. Through it all, I hope my heart made it through these experiences intact. “Sex, drugs, and Mandarin lessons” indeed.

Free eBook: The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel

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For today, my old historical eNovella is free on Amazon:

And don’t forget, the Kindle app is free as well.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Lotus-Mountain-Brothel-ebook/dp/B00JJUXZFE

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The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel – Smashwords Edition

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Behold, after careful editing comes a new edition of my historical novella — The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel. Now live on the eBook website Smashwords.

 

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https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/464248

Although the KDP version is already available for Amazon’s Kindle – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JJUXZFE – an advantage with Smashwords is that there are multiple formats: EPUB, MOBI, PDFs, and more. It can also be read online. Do check out the preview on the site.

If anyone would be interested in writing a review, I’d be happy to send a free copy. And I’d surely help out other writers in this regard, know what I mean. The usual deal.

Most of all, I simply hope a few people out there will enjoy read this story and get something out of it…

 

Synopsis:

1911, Canton. It is the eve of the historic Hsinsai Revolution, when China shifted from the Qing Dynasty to the short-lived Republic. Asia is overrun with foreign businessmen of questionable character. Political upheaval is on everyone’s mind. The country’s economic future is uncertain.

And there was a girl who witnessed it all.

She had many names, Ling Yoo, Ling Ling, Little Sister, and Alice. She was a girl from a simple background, toiling away in the world’s oldest profession, but ambitious, and she worked hard to educate herself. A little person stumbling through history, observing from the sidelines. Her story should have been lost forever.

Torn between love for her homeland and the love of a wealthy British merchant, how can she remain true to herself and find her destiny?

And there is a ghost. A shadow of a figure follows her and her decisions, questioning her every step. Is it a warning… or a vision?

Book Review: The Tibetan Affair

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tibetan affair book cover

http://www.amazon.com/The-Tibetan-Affair-Three-stories-ebook/dp/B00JTI91WM

The Tibetan Affair by Wang Xiao Hui is a novella which also includes two short stories. An interesting look into the world of Chinese journalists and the conflicts in Tibet, the main novella offers a readers an opportunity a window to observe this little-known scene.

The introduction comes slowly at first, opening with the personal lives and drama of the Beijing TV crew before they head to Tibet. There are interesting anecdotes along the way, such as the issue of altitude sicknesses and various vices.

Mainly the story centers around Mickey, who is bored of his wife and loves a younger coworker. Trouble comes when they do get to Tibet, from rocks thrown at trains to sexual tension in the hotel room.

Largely a critique of both the reactionary Chinese government and the hypocritical, submissive media, the journalists interview the police who expound on their obviously ridiculous views about foreigners the CIA and the Dalai Lama… Then conversations start to get more cynical, with takes on selling out your own country. The truth comes out and there is a bit of real journalism, but in a certain self-serving way.

But that’s just a backdrop to the romantic plot, which is the meat of the story. The sex scenes are quite steamy. Dreams are a constant theme as well; sexual dreams, dreams of jealousy, and strange nightmares. The plot patiently develops until the romantic plot overlaps with the journalism plot, and then they literally *climax* into a tragic ending.

It’s all too brief, and sometimes the story could have used more action and more character development. There are interesting vignettes and intriguing descriptions, but just not enough going on. The Tibetan Affair is very much worth a read, but it would have been a stronger story with simply more going on.

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My historical novella, now on KDP

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I wrote this historical novella a number of years back, and it has recently been edited and polished up a bit and I’d like to share. The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel, now available as an ebook on Amazon’s Kindle Direct Press.

Not truly a ghost story, it is my humble literary take on the reflections modern world has with the classical eras we tend to needlessly romanticize. If you are intrigued and would like to read more, just ask and I’ll be happy to email you a complimentary copy.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JJUXZFE

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The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel

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https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/354817

This is the first of my China-centric fiction that I will be sharing.

The Ghost of Lotus Mountain Brothel is a historical novella that purports to be a diary of a working girl in the year 1911, a most auspicious year in Chinese history. It serves as a prelude of sorts to my more epic story South China Morning Blues, about the modern Pearl River Delta megalopolis of the surrounding Hong Kong area (and more of that to come, but for now let this work stand on its own).

I feel that in many ways the China of the early 20th century is strikingly similar to the China of today. Political upheaval was on everyone’s minds. International businessmen were taking over, and exploiting the locals. Everyone wanted to learn English. Times were changing fast, the future was uncertain. Modernization, and the price thereof. 

The “Ghost” that is mentioned in the title is the ghost of modernity, haunting us all. Without giving away too much, let me just say that there is a mystery and it is never fully revealed. It is for you to interpret as you will.

Please read for more … …