Curious Stories By Gregory Eaves
If you like mysteries with a surprise twist at the end, then Curious Stories is for you. This is a small diverse collection of mystery short stories, ranging from the noir detective story to supernatural suspense. Neurotic characters and strange turns populate the pages of this quick and entertaining read.
Purchase Links:
For the record I did purchase this book from Amazon for .99. The book blurb enticed my curiosity! You can also read an author interview that I did with Mr. Eaves when showcasing his book Schism by going here.
* Amazon * B&N *
Excerpt:
SECRETS OF THE DEAD
He started to nod off to sleep, the rum still sloshing around in his skull. He laid the book on a heavy wooden table and stretched out on his sofa yawning, trying to remember his Uncle Jim.
He had only spoken to him over the phone, as a child. Maybe his father’s side was friendlier, he mused, as the lights faded and his consciousness glided into sleep. The last image in his mind was of a phone ringing through a receiver, endlessly, with no one picking it up on the other end.
The southern California landscape outside his car window was new to Grover, and he liked it at first. It was filled with varying shades of green and tawny brown, and the air was still warm.
The dry heat felt better than Indiana’s cool fall weather. The smell of car exhaust was strong on the freeway though, and the sunny brightness everywhere was starting to give the scenery a washed-out look, the way a photograph looks when overexposed. Then there were the Santa Ana winds that always came in October.
He hadn’t heard about the Santa Anas. When a San Jacinto weather report described them on the radio, how they whistled down through the canyons from the high desert, hot and dry, he wondered out loud if the grit could cause a gun to jam. He laughed and patted his side. The Walther PPK was snuggled close against his ribcage, but it wasn’t uncomfortable yet. That was a good sign. He had chosen that gun, of World War II vintage, from his private collection because it was smaller and easier to carry than his Glock. It didn’t have great firepower or accuracy, and it was old, but he wasn’t really expecting to need it. He just felt naked without a firearm.
Gregory Eaves was born October 18, 1950, in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended Speedway High School and Indiana University. In his twenties, he traveled extensively throughout the United States, with an eight year stay in San Diego, California, where he studied and practiced meditation.
Gregory moved to Florida and completed a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida. Library school rekindled his interest in reading, which had been his favorite activity as a child growing up. Mysteries had been his first love, and he devoured his first mystery books with singular passion and zeal. Nothing else seemed to hit the sweet spot like reading The Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes, and Poirot. He later enjoyed authors like Raymond Chandler, John D. McDonald, Graham Greene, Patricia Highsmith, and others.
SCHISM is Gregory’s first novel. His prior experience with writing included poetry and short stories. One of his short-shorts won runner-up in a contest in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.
He now lives on the east coast of Florida, and when he isn’t writing, he enjoys playing guitar and collecting vintage stereo gear and vinyl records. He is a member of American Mensa.
* Website *
Gregory will be awarding a $15 Amazon/B&N GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found by clicking the Goddess Fish Promotions banner you will find below:
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This promotion was brought to by both the author, Gregory, and Goddess Fish Promotions. If you are interested in Goddess Fish Promotions, you can contact them via website, Twitter, Facebook, Blog, or Google+.
Thanks for hosting!
I’d like to thank the host for featuring my short story collection today. I’ll be back later to answer any questions or comments.
Interesting excerpt
Glad you liked it.
Excerpt was definitely spooky! Thanks for the giveaway.
That story has kind of a noir feel to it. I really like Raymond Chandler and writers of that ilk. Good luck in the giveaway.