Customer Reviews

Monterey Shorts

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is great and I'm buying another copy for my sister. The stories are well-crafted, written in a variety of genres, and each writer captures a little of the essence of the Monterey Peninsula.
I found the lead story, "Reunion", a romantic fantasy by Walter Gourlay, to be especially moving and poignant, not only because I was around during the period (1943) in which the story is set, and I remember the old tunes, but because of the air of eerie mystery surrounding the two lovers.

The children's story by Mike Tyrrel is absolutely wonderful. I will read it to my grandchildren. I hope he writes more stories like this.
Byron Merritt's science-fiction spoof is hilarious, especially his sleuth's extra-terrestrial partner, a gelatinous blob in a coffee cup.
Mark Angel's scuba divers, Lele Dahle's tragic account of growing up in Carmel Valley, Chris Kemp's story of weird witchery, Francis Rossi's attempted murder, Ken Jones' Russian sub, Pat Hanson's hot tubs that talk, and Shaheen Schmidt's place to heal--each story has its own charm. Together they make a delightful volume to read and give as a gift.
The clever cover by local artist Dan Koffman captures the ambience of Cannery Row and is a fit introduction to the collection.

Monterey Shorts is pure pleasure. Ten stories by different authors with varied situations and different points of view, all centered in the Monterey area, create a captivating read.

All of the stories are carefully crafted and well written. It is clear that this writers' group works at a professional and discriminating level.

We highly recommend Monterey Shorts for all who want to treat themselves or a special friend to hours of reading delight-a great idea for Christmas gifts!

This book of short stories is a must have for people living on or visiting the Monterey Pennisula. It is a delightful mix of fantasy and fiction centered on happenings in the coastal towns surrounding the Monterey Bay. The book of short stories is written by a writers group, each story by a different writer. The stories range from a flavor of John Steinbeck to a comic science fiction to flights of fantasy--Definitely an enjoyable read.
I will be recommmending this book for my Book Club group to read in the future.
Waiting for Monterey Shorts #2.

I've recently moved to Caracas, Venezuela after living in central California. A friend sent me Monterey Shorts, and I thought it was wonderful! Each story, in addition to being very well written, brought the area to life. My husband, who has only visited the area, also found himself with fond memories. I particularly enjoyed the vision of Monterey in the future, with the film noir alien homicide detective tracking down his murder suspect. The character of Woody, who believes he has witnessed a Russian invasion, is well written and personable, and his story as he tries to be a detective is funny, believable, and endearing. I am not normally a short story reader, but this collection held my interest from beginning to end. I highly recommend it, both for Monterey area ex-patriots, and for lovers of the genre.

When I put down this book and looked up, I was surprised to see I was not in the Pacific Grove/Monterey area. This book takes you, almost physically, to the Monterey penninsula. The descriptions just make you want to pack a bag and go visit (well, except for murders, attacks, suicide and witchcraft). I particularly enjoyed "Reunion" and "Borscht in the Bay". In fact, I look forward to finding out what kind of trouble "Woody" gets involved in next...and I would sure like one of those burgers from The Grill.

Undoubtedly, if you saw the cover of this book at your local store, you'd be drawn to it. The simple fact that it looks fun on the outside lends itself to an unusual appeal to the common bookstore browser. That, and having Brian Herbert's name on the cover didn't hurt either! When I saw this book at my local bookstore in Carmel, California, it was in the local authors section near the science fiction books. So seeing Mr. Herbert's name on both sides of the aisle was impressive indeed.

But what about the book itself? Well, the stories are wonderful. The first story, Reunion (by Walter Gourlay) is a fantastic historical recounting of a man who comes back to the Monterey area and finds Stilwell Hall falling into the sea (which it is!). But he falls asleep and wakes up in a dream? state. Stilwell Hall is alive with activity and soldiers and beautiful women. What happened to him?

Mortuary Beach (by Mark Angel) is a dramatic account of what can go wrong in the waters off Monestary Beach, near Carmel, my hometown. Having been to this beach, it makes me shiver now to think how many divers have lost their lives out there. And Mark Angel's story is now a part of the reason that I shiver.

The Lizard Catcher (by Lele Dahle) is a heart-wrenching account of a young girl growing up in Carmel Valley during the 50's and 60's. The tale is so well told that I cried at the end of it.

Monte-Ray Gunn (by Byron Merritt) is a comedy piece that takes place in Monterey in the year 3000. A hard-bitten detective that talks like Sam Spade has to solve the apparent murder of an alien at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (now the Monterey Intergalactic Aquarium) with the help of a smelly, gelatinous partner who lives in a coffee mug. I laughed out loud several times while reading this highly comedic story.

Borscht in the Bay (by Ken Jones) is practically a study of those who live in the Monterey area! Elderly, cautious, lock your doors, keep an eye on your neighbor. Woody, the main character, is a retired military man who watches out for anything suspicious around his hometown of Pacific Grove. And when he sees Russians coming ashore one early morning, he knows that Monterey has been invaded! Great stuff there.

Resurrected (by Chris Kemp) is the story about a witch who has a nervous breakdown and must go on sabbatical to heal herself. The town her and her estranged daughter go to is Pacific Grove, an uncannily mirror image of their own hometown of Palo Pacifa. The mother/daughter antics and conversations are spot on and I laughed many times while reading this thoroughly enjoyable story as well.

A Flash of Red (by Frances Rossi) is a whodunnit style murder mystery that takes place around a church in Pacific Grove. The chilling suspensefulness of this story may keep you up late reading.

A Place To Heal (by Shaheen Schmidt) is a delightful tale of a man who's lost his life in the high-paced action of the L.A. cities. And then comes to Big Sur, California to heal himself.

If the Tubs Could Talk (by Pat Hanson) is a mellow, relaxing, very short story about a woman who comes to some local hotsprings to unwind, and finds out that some tubs might have voices. And what would they say if they did have voices?

Dot's Dad Visits Dinosaur Town (by Mike Tyrrel) is a fantastic children's fantasy tale about a daughter who takes her disbelieving father to the magical Dinosaur Town (somewhere outside of Salinas!). This is a wonderful read aloud story for parents to tell their children at bedtime.

All in all, this is an amazing collection of short stories. I'm buying a few copies this year to send out to family as Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers. They already have the shorts...

The authors of Monterey Shorts let their imaginations go wild with amazing characters and marvelously creative plot twists.  Monte-Ray Gunn by Byron Merritt is a science fiction comedy of the craziest kind set in the year 3000!  The Monterey Intergalactic Aquarium? A black blob that lives in a coffee cup?  A Xenophobic cop that acts, and talks, like a Sam Spade character?  A murder?  Chuckle away.  I did.  In A Flash of Red Frances Rossi creates a more serious mood as she shares the healing process of a woman who has experienced every woman's worst fear through a parable set in Pacific Grove ... where 'things' are not always as they seem.  Shaheen Schmidt's A Place to Heal presents the Peninsula as most of us know it, a refuge where relationships matter more than competing in the corporate rat race.  Mike Tyrrel views the world from a charming perspective in Dot's Dad Visits Dinosaur Town where adults are timid and unsure, and children comfort and know all the correct answers. In Borscht in the Bay, Ken Jones' engaging cast of characters (mysterious visitors, a seasoned and frustrated cop, a lovable busybody...) play a soft-peddled game of cat and mouse around beautiful Pacific Grove. I want to read more about the adventures of these characters!    Mark Angel entices the reader to take a deep breath and go under the ocean waves with his divers in Mortuary Beach where his cleverly crafted story entertains and instructs on the high and low points of this challenging sport.  Isn't hot tubbing supposed to be relaxing?  Not if the hot tubs could tell your secrets!  Pat Hanson's imaginative tale in If the Tubs Could Talk gives a voice to hot tubs at a local spa!  The supernatural theme really takes off in Chris Kemp's Resurrected where family members with special powers deal with relationship challenges we ordinary folks face!  Lele Dahle exquisitely crafts a story that shares the impact of a childhood friendship and a loss of innocence with the reader.  In the lead story, "Reunion", by Walter E. Gourlay, a university professor returns to 1943 and finds his lost love waiting for him at the Soldier's Club at Fort Ord. A romantic time-travel - or is it a ghost story with metaphysical overtones of lost love and wasted lives? This beautifully written story kept me riveted until its startling end This collection says 'good bye' to boring, worn out formulas that we've all read a million times! A great gift that offers a story to please every taste

 

I enjoyed this book so much. I have visited Monterey area only once and reading this book brought back all the warm fuzzy feelings of actually being there. I especially enjoyed the opening story "Reunion". Learning about the history of Fort Ord and Stilwell Hall was an added bonus. I will recommend this book to all my friends and will place a copy in our guest room for visitors. I can't wait to read Monterey Shorts 2.

I found this book on the internet via a friend of mine who lives in California, not far from where these stories take place. I live in Montana, so was a bit apprehensive about buying a book that seemed solely for the Monterey visitor or resident.

However, I was pleasantly surprised by this collection. The stories didn't rely solely on local environs or knowledge of the area, but gave you a taste of what Monterey might be like should one choose to visit. And the book cover was a hoot to be sure!

Some of the stories in this collection were topshelf (quite a surprise for a breakout book with first time authors). Most notably, for me, was 'The Lizard Catcher,' by Lele Dahle. This was a heart-wrenching tale, featuring the loss of childhood innocence. Amazingly descriptive and genuinely thought-provoking, this tale was my #1 favorite.

My #2 would have to be 'Resurrected,' by Chris Kemp. A great, and strange, mother/daughter relationship on the rocks and brought back full circle to a fantastic conclusion. If you like weird and wonderful tales, you'll beg for more from this author.

My #3 was 'Monte-Ray Gunn' by Byron Merritt. A freaky science fiction spoof with lots of laughs and one of the most interestingly developed characters I've seen in a long time (a jello-like fellow who lives in a coffee mug!). Imaginative and futuristic.

Now we head into the realm of 'mediocre.' Reunion was a fun read and greatly informative about Stilwell Hall, a soldiers club that's falling into the sea. But it lacked depth of character and I held no empathy for the main protagonist. In fact, I thought he was a jerk. But the story was well written.

'Dot's Dad Visits Dinosaur Town' by Mike Tyrrel was a fun read, but geared more toward my grandkids than someone my age.

From here, the stories start to take a deep decline. 'Mortuary Beach' by Mark Angel, and 'If the Tubs Could Talk' by Pat Hanson, were a bit too much for my moral fiber. Mr. Angel tries to pack in too much information about the dangers of diving (giving us lectures on what not to do), and Mrs. Hanson tries to pour a lot of morality down our throats when she mentions what these talking tubs have seen and felt in their waters.

'A Flash of Red' was a fairly good murder mystery but somewhat predictable. And VERY loooong for something that was supposed to be a short story. "Word limitation" would be my advice to this aspiring author.

The remaining stories -- 'Borscht in the Bay' and 'A Place to Heal' just couldn't hold my interest. They moved slowly and were a bit tough to swallow...even for fictionalized tales.

Although some of these stories were marginal, I found the collection to be a great value. And I definitely think there's something in this anthology for just about anyone who loves to read. My hat is off to this group of aspiring writers.

The authors of Monterey Shorts let their imaginations go wild with amazing characters and marvelously creative plot twists.  Monte-Ray Gunn by Byron Merritt is a science fiction comedy of the craziest kind set in the year 3000!  The Monterey Intergalactic Aquarium? A black blob that lives in a coffee cup?  A Xenophobic cop that acts, and talks, like a Sam Spade character?  ... Chuckle away.  I did.  In A Flash of Red Frances Rossi creates a more serious mood as she shares the healing process of a woman who has experienced every woman's worst fear through a parable set in Pacific Grove ... where 'things' are not always as they seem.  Shaheen Schmidt's A Place to Heal presents the Peninsula as most of us know it, a refuge where relationships matter more than competing in the corporate rat race.  Mike Tyrrel views the world from a charming perspective in Dot's Dad Visits Dinosaur Town where adults are timid and unsure, and children comfort and know all the correct answers. In Borscht in the Bay, Ken Jones' engaging cast of characters (mysterious visitors, a seasoned and frustrated cop, a lovable busybody...) play a soft-peddled game of cat and mouse around beautiful Pacific Grove. I want to read more about the adventures of these characters!    Mark Angel entices the reader to take a deep breath and go under the ocean waves with his divers in Mortuary Beach where his cleverly crafted story entertains and instructs on the high and low points of this challenging sport.  Isn't hot tubbing supposed to be relaxing?  Not if the hot tubs could tell your secrets!  Pat Hanson's imaginative tale in If the Tubs Could Talk gives a voice to hot tubs at a local spa!  The supernatural theme really takes off in Chris Kemp's Resurrected where family members with special powers deal with relationship challenges we ordinary folks face!  Lele Dahle exquisitely crafts a story that shares the impact of a childhood friendship and a loss of innocence with the reader.  In the lead story, "Reunion", by Walter E. Gourlay, a university professor returns to 1943 and finds his lost love waiting for him at the Soldier's Club at Fort Ord. A romantic time-travel - or is it a ghost story with metaphysical overtones of lost love and wasted lives? This beautifully written story kept me riveted until its startling end This collection says 'good bye' to boring, worn out formulas that we've all read a million times! A great gift that offers a story to please every taste