Good morning, everyone.
We’ve a little treat for you all this morning—the cover for Donald Kemp”s upcoming release, Lunch Hour Stories. A short story collection, you’re sure to love the anecdotes and various other stories he wishes to share with all of you.
We hope you’re as excited as we are for the book’s release. Without further ado, here it is!
TITLE: Lunch Hour Stories
AUTHOR: Donald Kemp
RELEASE DATE: December 27, 2022
PUBLISHER: Lysestrah Press
GENRE: Short Stories, Contemporary, Humor, General Fiction
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Truth or fiction?
Sometimes, writers use themselves as the goat or the hero. Sometimes, they resort to other sources, like a newspaper item, something heard, talking to someone, or perhaps a dream. All may shape a story tumbling through their minds.
The trick is to write true events, with as little fiction as possible, without naming anyone, unless that is the point of the story. With fiction, almost anything is possible.
Lunch Hour Stories are steeped in truth or fiction. Some are pretty close to the actual event. Others are pure fiction of the writer’s mind. Which ones are real or not is for you to decide.
Dive inside. Take a look. Immerse yourself in the world of my creation.
PURCHASE LINKS:
(Not yet available.)
EXCERPT:
“Don’t you ever get cold, Annie? I get cold thinking about the cold, or worse, winter coming. I should go south for the winter. Maybe go to an island somewhere, far away from tourists. I could ask Kenny to come with me. We could lie on a sandy beach beneath the sun, content to be together, and be warm.”
Annie glances in Della’s direction. The two of them are walking along a worn trail, both eager to make it back to town.
“Why not hibernate for the winter in Kenny’s shack? You save the expense of travel and avoid tourists. No one comes here in the winter, not even the skiers. The mountains are too rocky, and the winds can blow a rider off a horse.”
Della shakes her head. “No, I dream of the white sands of a beach, a warm sun, palm trees, hot tubs, and Kenny rubbing coconut oil on my back.”
Annie chuckles. “Get a sun lamp and paint the walls with palm trees. Have Kenny haul some sand into his shack, and you could pretend you were somewhere else. No flies. No mosquitoes. No bugs. Nothing. Just you, Kenny, and his fireplace.”
“Right, then along comes Big Davy wanting to share our den. Then what?”
“Bears sleep all winter. He won’t bother you.”
“No thanks. I’m not sharing anything with Big Davy. Besides, the last time I got near him, he stank to high heaven. I’ll stick to my deserted island. Geez, it’s cold today.” Della slides her hands into the pockets of the jacket she’s wearing. “Do you think winter will come early this year? Let’s walk a little faster. I can almost smell the coffee at the café. I bet they’ll have the fireplace roaring today. Sure will be nice to snuggle up to that fireplace.”
Annie shrugs and sighs. “Winter will come when it comes. Nothing I can do about it.”
“I know, but do you think it’ll come early this year?”
“Like I said, winter will come when it feels like it.”
Della nods. “Yep, I guess it will come when it gets here. Let’s walk a little faster.”
The trail into town is almost completely covered with fallen maple and oak leaves.
“Look at all these leaves. Even the trees want to go south for the winter, but they have to stay here and hibernate. I should ask Kenny about going south. I bet he would if I paid. Wouldn’t that be nice, Annie? Go south for the winter, just me and Kenny on a remote island in the Pacific. I wonder if there is still an empty island out there. Geez, it’s cold here already. I guess winter is coming early this year.”
Annie rolls her eyes. “Well, then, hurry up. Let’s get home and quit worrying about something we can’t do anything about.”
“Oh, I know winter will come. I just don’t know how cold it will get this year. Do you think we’ll have a cold winter this year?”
“You asked me that a little while ago. I told you, I don’t know.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donald Kemp was born and raised in Southern Michigan and lived in North Carolina for over thirty-eight years, and thus, is no longer a damn Yankee. He graduated from a combination of high school and aircraft mechanics school. Two years later, he became the supervisor for one of the Michigan National Guard Air Section Maintenance shops. He married his beautiful wife, Gerry, and has three children, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Serious writing began with thirteen weekly articles in the Rochester City newspaper about his heart bypass surgery in the very early days of the procedure at Cleveland Clinic. Donald later published the book, I Live With A Mended Heart, and distributed it to doctors and hospitals all over the United States.
Donald wrote and directed three stage plays for a senior acting group in Southern California. He has also written numerous short stories about his relatives’ blips and/or accomplishments for the family archives. Several children’s books will be ready soon for publishing. Nowadays, airplanes, helicopters, furniture building, and consulting for interior decorators have given way to writing novels and short stories based on his varied life adventures. His novel, Rendering, was published in April 2016 by Alegos Press.