Musings

THE BOOK: Musings: 75 Short Stories

PUBLISHED IN: February 2023

THE AUTHOR: Don Tassone

THE PUBLISHER: Toerner Press

SUMMARY: This collection features 75 new short stories based on the author’s reflections, his musings, on real-life happenings. Most of these stories are very short. They’re organized into seven themes: mystery, discovery, fantasy, light, shadow, nostalgia and fun.

THE BACK STORY: Ideas for most of my stories come from real-life events. When I reflect on these events, themes emerge. Ordinary occurrences take on deeper meaning.

The 75 new stories in this collection come from my own musings about happenings in the world and in my life.

I hope these little stories show what pausing to reflect can reveal. I hope they might also invite a closer look at the passing parade of events through our daily lives.

WHY THIS TITLE: I came up with “Musings” once I pulled these stories together and realized they’re nearly all the result of my own reflections.

WHY SOMEONE WOULD WANT TO READ IT: I think many people these days are looking for books they can pick up and put down as time permits, books that are light but still nourishing. A novel is a meal. Sometimes, though, we just want to graze.

REVIEW COMMENTS:

“In Musings, Don Tassone slows us down to see the world anew, revealing unique ob-servations or twists. In so doing, he reveals his own deep humanity and abiding love of the human spirit.” — John Young, author of Getting Huge and When the Coin is in the Air.

“With bite-sized stories based on everyday themes, Tassone offers readers a chance to discover all that already exists but is often overlooked in the busyness of routines. These stories compel us to slow down and understand the profundity of moments like watching a sunrise and how they reflect the larger essence of our being.” — Sara Siddiqui Chansarkar, author of Morsels of Purple and Skin Over Milk

AUTHOR PROFILE: After a long career in the corporate world, Don Tassone has returned to his creative writing roots. Musings is his ninth book. The others are the novels Francesca and Drive and six other story collections: Collected Stories, Snapshots, New Twists, Sampler, Small Bites and Get Back. His novella, The Liberation of Jacob Novak, will be published in 2024. Don and his wife Liz live in Loveland, Ohio. They have four children and nine grandchildren.

AUTHOR COMMENTS: I hope readers find these stories both thought-provoking and entertaining.

SAMPLE STORY:

Let Go

Glancing at the latest headlines, Nick felt his chest tighten. The news was overwhelming. War, famine, inflation, protests, shootings, droughts, wildfires, viruses. Closer to home, his mother lay dying, his job was on the line and a fierce storm had just toppled a big maple tree in his backyard.

Nick’s heart raced. He felt dizzy. He had to sit down.

He closed his eyes and envisioned the troubles all around him, all the things that gripped him and were pulling him down. Then, one by one, Nick let them go, and they let go of him.

LOCAL OUTLETS: Joseph-Beth Booksellers

WHERE ELSE TO BUY IT: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

PRICE: Paperback $14.99, Kindle $3.99

CONTACT THE AUTHOR: dptassone@gmail.com, https://www.dontassone.com