Book – Hugh's Views & News

“Would you like to write a short story that I can publish on my blog?”

Those were the words of Marsha Ingrao, a writer and blogger who blogs at Always Write, who went on to create something special with the story I submitted.

The story, The People Under the Stairs, received many comments, many of which led to discussions. It was like sitting in a book club discussing the book everyone had read that month.

Three years later, Story Chat is a big success. Two books containing the stories for it have been published, and a third book is in the pipeline.

What is Story Chat?

Story Chat is more than a book club or writing or reading challenge. It is a unique and proven online program that encourages interaction between authors and readers. It’s part writers’ group, part beta readers, part fun fiction, and, best of all, pure enjoyment.

I give all the credit to Marsha, who had the idea. Although I contributed some input, Marsha worked hard to make Story Chat successful.

Image of the book cover for Story Chat Vol II. — Story Chat Vol II is available on Amazon.

Story Chat—Vol. II, the 2024 compilation, was expertly edited by Colleen Cheseboro. As I reflect on the pages of the book, I feel a sense of happiness and pride in having contributed to both it and the Story Chat—Vol. I book.

This second book features a varied collection of original short stories by 20 authors from around the globe. While most stories are dramas suitable for all ages, from children to older adults, this collection includes science fiction and comedy. Additionally, two non-fiction articles (one of which I penned) discussing the writing process are included. All selections are family-friendly, even though the topics cater to adult readers.

An image of a woman reading on her mobile phone in bed. — Once you begin reading Story Chat, you won’t be able to put it down.

The book features realistic fiction, surprises, and open-ended stories. Halloween vampire horror tales may make you laugh and reflect on how you can find humour in them. Travelling to an alternate universe – familiar to some – will keep you entertained. You might discover yourself stepping into one or two other universes that are so bizarre you won’t know how to respond to them. My story, ‘The Watcher,’ which centres on a walk in the fog, is one of those peculiar tales.

The characters will move you to tears as they courageously reach for love or confront tragedies you wish no one had to endure. You will chuckle at the older couple deliberating whether to book the adventure of a nudist cruise. You will root for a mother and her autistic child as they overcome challenges. One story will evoke memories of Toy Story or The Velveteen Rabbit. Another feature is an epic children’s poem with illustrations crafted from fondant by the talented author and her son.

The book is so much fun. Yet, it can be educational, especially for writers who constantly work to improve their craft. Each story has discussion questions you can use if you belong to a book club or writing group.

All of us, known as Story Chatters, hope this book will impact your lives.

You can purchase the Story Chat Vol II by following these links. Amazon.uk and Amazon.com

Six Reasons to Own This Book

Great reading when relaxing on holiday.
Introduce the Story Chat concept to your friends as a coffee table book.
A book for writing groups or book clubs to improve members’ writing.
Stories in the book are no longer available to read online.
A birthday or any time of the year gift for friends that read.
You’ll be supporting a growing number of blogging authors and writers to publish next year.

Story Chat Vol: I

Don’t forget to also take a look at Story Chat Vol: I, which includes stories from 14 international authors.

I have two stories in this book – ‘The People Under The Stairs’ and ‘Puddles,’ both of which will take you on a journey to the edge of your imagination.

Do I have any favourite stories in the books?

Yes, but I’m not going to share them with you. Every story has a reason why it’s in the book, and behind every story is a talented author and writer who has poured their heart and soul into crafting each word.

It is not merely about telling a tale; it’s about the intricate web of ideas, emotions, and experiences that culminate in a narrative that resonates with readers on various levels.

Each author draws from a well of inspiration, life experiences, and unique perspectives, making the stories not just entertainment but also a means of connection, reflection, and understanding of our world.

Story Chat Vol I is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.UK.

Want to be part of the next Story Chat book?

We’re seeking writers, authors, and bloggers to contribute stories to Story Chat 2025, which is currently underway on Marsha’s Blog. For full details, please visit Marsha’s blog.

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Let me start by saying that writing book reviews is rare for me. Why? I don’t read books because my dyslexia makes reading many of them difficult.

I understand the importance of maintaining independence and authenticity in reviews. So, I must ensure that my evaluations are based solely on the book’s merit and not influenced by personal connections or online interactions with the author.

This review pertains to a book penned by an unfamiliar author I encountered on X (formerly Twitter) while promoting their work. It’s worth noting that promoting books on social media can indeed bring results. It’s knowing how to promote them that’s important.

Now that’s all out of the way, let me begin my review for the first book (in two years) where I’ve managed to reach the end without ever wanting to put it down and walk away!

Borrowed Time by Russell Dean.

Blurb:

‘Tom Jacob is bored with his life.

He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees.

The following morning he wakes up in a field.
In Wales.
In 1889.

Stranded more than a century in the past, Tom has to overcome language barriers and suspicion as he attempts to adapt to the world around him and find a way back to his own time, but with two people from the sleepy village of Cwm Newydd now missing, one local resident seems hell bent on pinning the blame for their disappearance on the strange Englishman who appeared out of nowhere.

Determined to find his way home, the discovery of a long hidden family secret will change Tom’s life forever, and when romance comes knocking he’ll be left wondering in which timeline his heart truly lies.’

Image of the book cover Borrowed Time by Russell Dean, that shows the black silhouette of a young man's head with a faded clock dial in the background. — Borrowed Time – by Russell Dean

What attracted me to the book wasn’t the cover but the blurb’s description of it as a time-travelling story. I love time travel. It’s one of my favourite genres (in the science-fiction category). But when I discovered this was a gay time-travelling story, my interest in the book was even more inquisitive. A gay-themed time-travelling story? That’s a first for me.

I wasn’t keen on the romance element of the book’s blurb. It’s a genre that has never appealed to me. When I hear or read the word ‘romance,’ I immediately think of silly movies like Notting Hill, Marley and Me, and Love Actually—movies that always send me to sleep. Would this book do the same? No!

From the moment I opened the book, I felt at home, all cosy with my feet up and a pot of English Breakfast tea on the go. The first page intrigued me and made me want to know more. I knew some of the story would be set in Wales, so perhaps this is what made me feel at home. Even though it starts in England, I knew (from the blurb) that Tom (the main character) would travel in time and end up in Wales. However, he didn’t get there quickly.

Although it took a while for the time travel to happen, the story’s opening was gripping and made me wonder what was happening in Tom’s life and want to find out more. Tom thinks he leads a dull and boring life, but it is anything but dull and boring in the opening part of the book.

Once Tom does time travel back to Wales (and he gets there in an intriguing way), the story shifts up a few gears and becomes even more gripping. I was so engrossed in what was happening that I did not want to put the book down, so I had to force myself away to deal with other matters (when they occurred) that needed my attention. Otherwise, I would have read the whole book in one sitting.

‘Borrowed Time’ was often on my mind when I was not reading it. Even when trying to fall asleep, I found myself working out what would happen next and guessing how the story would end (I always have a habit of doing that). The chapters, some of which were a bit on the long side, all ended on cliffhangers, so the urge was there to find out, but rarely did I guess what would happen next.

Something that has never happened to me before when reading a book is falling in love with one of the characters. Don’t get me wrong, Russell Dean described all his characters well, but one particular character stood out more than the others. Whenever that character disappeared from the story, I found myself urging them to come back again soon. That’s how much of an impact that character had on me. I won’t say which character I am referring to, but weeks after finishing the book, they often cross my mind, and I wish they were real.

Something else I loved about the book was some of the ‘old’ traditions played out by some of the characters in 1890s Wales. For example, in one scene, a bride empties a purse of pennies onto the roadside as she sets off to the church, and the children run to pick up as many of the pennies as they can. This is a tradition I remember well from my childhood days, and it seems to have died out in recent times. It brought back many happy memories, proving that the author did an excellent research job while writing the book.

The book has many emotions—sadness, shock, and humour, to name but a few—all of which got my heart racing. My emotions often felt like they were on a rollercoaster while reading the book. That told me just how good the writing and storytelling were.

I mentioned earlier that I couldn’t help but wonder how the story would end. When I finally got to the end, let’s just say that not only did it take me by surprise, but it was an ending that pleased me, even though I wanted to burst out crying. Russell Dean scored a bullseye with the ending.

‘Borrowed Time’ deserves a sequel and would also make a fantastic movie or TV drama. It’s unlike anything I’ve read or watched before.

If you’d like to add ‘Borrowed Time’ to your ‘To Read’ list, it’s available at the following places.

Available on Amazon.

Available as an E-book from these retailers.

More about Russell Dean: https://linktr.ee/russelldeanwrites

This is an important notice to anyone who writes book reviews.