Flowering, A New Short Story Collection, Highlights Human Folly, Human Fortune

WATSONVILLE, CA, May 18, 2012 (Press-News.org) Flowering and Other Stories, a 314-page collection of short fiction from California author Tom Bentley, is now available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other major online retailers. The book will be released in print by the publisher, Author Mike Ink, on May 22; electronic versions are now available.

Flowering is a collection of stories built around the themes of loss, social disruption, mistaken judgment and stumbling redemption. From a shoplifting sociopathic genius to a card-dealing witch offering a mystical experience at the blackjack tables to a harsh drunk who turns out to be a malignant—yet chillingly accurate—soothsayer, the story's lead characters are complex and not always charming, but their colors are memorably bright.

Location also figures significantly in other stories: settings in suburban Seattle, a bleak Arizona desert town and a tiny cottage in New Orleans all draw deeply on the native textures of their territories. From flash fiction to richly woven tales, Flowering invites you into distinct worlds, all built on story.

Tom Bentley has run The Write Word, a writing and editing business out of his home office for many years. He's published more than 250 freelance pieces—ranging from first-person essays to travel pieces to more journalistic subjects—in newspapers, magazines, and online. (Venues include Writer's Digest, the Los Angeles Times, Writer's Market, Wired, the San Francisco Chronicle and many others; he's also won three Traveler's Tales Solas awards.)

Bentley was the 1999 winner of the National Steinbeck Center's short story contest; his novel, All Roads Are Circles, was published last year. You can see examples of his published writing (and his writing-related blog) at http://www.tombentley.com.

For further information, contact Tom Bentley at bentguy@charter.net or the publisher, Mike Aliosi, at mike@authormike.com.

The Write Word provides writing and editing services to businesses and individuals.