Ready
for another very short story (or VERY short story as some would say)? Here’s
the inside scoop on newly-released “Grand-mère’s Sainte Bleu”. The word count
is over 3,200 words, and Amazon estimates the book length to be seventeen
pages. It sells for 99 cents.
Short
Story Alert: As with all of my *very* short stories, I’d like to reduce the
amount, however 99 cents is the lowest I’m allowed to go on Amazon and
Smashwords. Again, periodically Smashwords holds a sale, and I can set the
price to free at that time, so do check on the link every now and then.
Okay,
now back to the good stuff. “Grand-mère’s Sainte Bleu”, a contemporary fantasy
tale, started out as part of an anthology. Several authors planned to write
short stories in different genres with the common theme of a magical portrait
painting. Mine is set in contemporary times: a grandmother tells her
granddaughter about when she first saw the “magic” portrait, back in the 1940s.
The
anthology never came to fruition--another common theme! I then submitted the
story to a lovely new magazine.
They
were excited to publish “Grand-mère’s Sainte Bleu”. But alas, the story was
never released because the magazine folded. So once again, I thought about what
I would do with this charming tale, and when the opportunity came to include it
in my anthology LUCKY 13, I did. LUCKY 13 is no longer available
electronically, but still available in print from my website.
Thirteen delightful stories for your reading pleasure
by Susanne Marie Knight
And
now I have re-released it electronically as a single!
After a young girl touches the special portrait
hanging in her grandmother’s house, the grandmother tells how she met her true
love at a USO dance during World War II.
Amazon.com
and Smashwords
This short story is part of
the Romantic Contemporaries line.
Real
life tidbit: Grand-mère’s house on Staten Island, New York, New York, is
modeled on my great-uncle’s house, also on Staten Island. I lived in the Bronx,
not Yonkers, as Simone does, and I always loved the exciting trip down to ride
the ferryboat over to the house. Recently, I found a picture of the front of
the house where you can see those majestic lions Simone mentions. No, I’m not
in this photo--I wasn’t even a twinkle in my father’s eye at that time! Another
tidbit: my mother did meet my Navy father at a USO dance!
Scene set up: The story is
written in Simone’s first person point of view. This is the beginning of the
story where she describes her grandmother’s house.
I love visiting my grandmother’s house, or Grand-mère, as she likes to be called. Everything
about the trip to her home is a mysterious adventure, like the long car drive
from Yonkers through the Bronx and Manhattan. And the thrilling ferry ride to
Staten Island, passing by the Statue of Liberty and leaning over the boat
railing to stare into the deep waters of the harbor.
Grand-mère’s house is huge, with lots of nooks and
crannies to explore. As we live in an apartment, Grand-mère’s house is the
closest thing to a mansion that I know. White marble lions guard the front
entrance, the backyard is a jungle overflowing with grapes from the finest
vineyards in France, and the detached garage has been changed into a humongous
dining room, to accommodate all of the Broussard family.
The inside of the house is just as wonderful. But
maybe the most fascinating place is the front room. In all my Sunday visits to
the house, not once do I ever see anyone actually use the front room. I think
it’s rather like a museum--look but don’t touch.
So that’s the story on this Flash Fiction (really
short stories!) tale. I hope you enjoy Simone and Jeanette’s story.
Happy reading,
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing
With A Twist!
