Curiosity Finds A Way–A Short Story Collection

Curiosity Finds A Way draws on my short and flash fiction writing from 2015 to 2020. Some stories may already be familiar if you follow my blog or Patreon while other stories are exclusive.

They’ve been chosen because they still crack me up, have an inspiring or uplifting message, feature a character I’d like to write more about, or all of the previous.
With this collection, I hope to bring you a smile, a flare of hope no matter your situation, and a sense that no matter how desperate a situation may appear curiosity always finds a way!

Read on for more on the contents list and two small excerpts from previously unpublished stories.

‘Ogging The Phone
Fantasy short story: Private Investigator Jared and his assistant Mandy have to find The Dagda’s Cauldron and deal with a partay-loving deity.

For Jeannie
Fantasy/SF short story: Evie’s stuck on a floating city fill of danger with only one slim chance of escape.

Long Journey
Fantasy flash-fiction: She’s on the last train out of Haerbin determined to win.

Curiosity Finds A Way
Fantasy/SF flash fiction: Zeny’s date takes an unexpected turn.

Love Like Water
Fantasy short story: “That is the way of love—like water, ebbing and flowing. Would you build walls and dams to slow it unnaturally?”

Who? Where? How?
Contemporary romance flash fiction: When tarot readings can be deceptive.

Holiday Fairy Tale
Contemporary romance short story: Their meeting and whirlwind romance seems like the end of a fairy tale.

A Shirt Fit For A Prince
Historically inspired flash fiction: A collector of stolen antiquities wonders how good a fit his shirt would be.

Shine A Light
Fantasy flash fiction: A special place and a special ritual makes a wish come true.

The Human Touch
SF flash fiction: The human touch brings hope to separated loved ones.

Call Of Her Pride
Contemporary flash fiction: Lebo’s made a difficult decision after a push from her ancestors.

The Fifth Cup
Fantasy short story: Lady Soutaine’s has travelled far to meet King Pellinore, but her reception is far from hospitable.

Plus excerpts from The Trials of Ryan Ramirez and Situation No Win.

Your Sneak Peek Inside This Collection

‘Ogging The Phone

While I’m driving Mandy home, she does her freaky psychic thing for real. Her eyes roll back. Her hair’s flying all over the place, as she jerks her head around like a hound searching for a fox.
“The Dagda’s cauldron…in the ground, hidden from prying eyes…overflowing abundance. Son and wife, caretakers. At home…the old country…the old hearth…”
She snapped her eyes open, rearranged her hair, and told me to drive her to the airport. She’d divined the location of the real cauldron.
It’s in Ireland, no kidding.
Three hours later, I’d lost the argument and was on the red-eye to Dublin. Fortunately, my bag in the trunk has clean underwear. You just never know when you’re going to need a new pair on this job…

For Jeannie

Two safe ways to get on or off a floating city, three if it’s docked. Which leaves you with little option when all three are a no-go and the local so-called crime-stopping brigade are intent on catching you.
My sloop was confiscated even as I’d eaten a too civilised breakfast with Stockton.
With Paradise 2 meandering away from the east African coast and all those guilt inducing enviro-refugees, there was no hope of making a swim for it either, assuming I didn’t dive straight into a recyk unit, or get sucked into one.
Like poor Jeannie…

Curious Facts

Ogging The Phone was written for an iPhone anthology but didn’t make the grade, even on a resub. It was the first time I received real, honest and helpful feedback from an editor. I’m still grateful to Janine A Southard for the time to she took to write to me and asking for a resub. I’d submitted it under the title Drunk Dials and Blackmail Files, a title I love and will have to use some day…

Long Journey was first published on my patreon and has a sneaky pun in the title. Can you guess what it is?

The Human Touch and Shine A Light always bring a tear to my eye when I read them.

Call Of Her Pride is inspired by a tea-cup reading I did sometime back in 2007 or so. It was for an amazing law student whose home was in Limpopo Province. That reading was one of the few times I’ve seen ancestors in readings. They were awesome and so is she!