Genre: Short Stories
Description
SILVER MEDAL FEATHERED QUILL BOOK AWARDS 2018 The Fish Tank: And Other Short Stories is a collection from the mind of romantic suspense author Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra that will take your imagination on a ride across all genres. Start with an unexpected treasure handed over from an ex-spouse via the divorce lawyer and a classic mother-son bonding experience on a roller coaster ride; then jump to tragic tales of survival of ordinary Cuban citizens in the 1960s; continue to a paranormal happening in the Museum of the Weird, the Sad, and the Wretched, a complex murder mystery with Detective Nick Larson, and finish with a short poem of author whimsy.
Karen’s Magic Review
Short stories have always been my first love and more anthologies are being put together giving us a wider choice. I enjoy them. In a way, they are very much like reading a novel, when you come to the end, you feel a bit lost, almost bereft. As you move on to the next one, it takes a while to settle in as your mind is still on the previous one.
Fish Tank and Other Short Stories is the first time I have read something by just one author and the difference was startling. Although the stories were very different, the tone and style were the same throughout – as you would expect. I smoothly transisioned into each one.
I adored these stories because they were so compelling, so different, and I was gripped by everyone. In fact it is difficult to say which one was my favourite. I could name them all for different reasons.
The author had first hand experience of what it was like in Cuba under Castro and was able to turn these into works of fiction. They glued me to the page. Some were incredible. Things you and I take for granted in our every day lives, these people would be thrown into jail or worse for owning them. Things like washing powder for example. These stories were amazing and frightening at the same time.
Talking about scary stories, there was one set in a museum where dark things were happening. For a short one, it was fully formed and almost read like a novel. The author managed to get everything into it without it being cramped. Like her other stories, although complete, I was left wondering.
Then as a complete change, there was a crime story called Miror, Mirror: A Detective Nick Larson Story. Which immediately made me think there may be more, or more being written. If so, I’m there. It was clever writing as Nick Larson’s ex wife kept pestering him by phone throughout the case. There was a whole other story there, I feel sure and I would like to read it.
So, in conclusion, this is a fantastic book. I loved every word and would highly recomend it for the high quality of writing and story lines.
About the Author
Maria Elena Alonso-Sierra is a romantic suspense author with a unique point of view. Her adventure novels take place in locales across Europe and the United States, reflecting her international upbringing and extensive time as a global traveler. In her duology, The Coin and The Book of Hours, her characters, Gabriela and Richard, walk the same paths as their creator, though her life was never in so much danger.
Her short story collection, The Fish Tank: And Other Short Stories, is an imaginative ride through various genres. One section in particular, “Soul Songs”, delves into the gut-wrenching experience of exile with Ms. Alonso-Sierra’s fictionalized Cuban Diaspora stories, based on her own experience of exile.
The author’s short story, “Retribution Served”, is featured in the anthology Book Dreams: Volume 1, and has been well received by readers.
Ms. Alonso-Sierra’s writing career began circa age thirteen with a very juvenile science fiction short story, but the writing bug hit, and she has been writing, in one capacity or another, ever since. She has worked as a professional dancer, singer, journalist, and literature teacher in both the university and middle school levels (and not necessarily in that order) and holds a Masters in English literature. She loves to hear from readers and, when not writing, roams around to discover new places to set her novels.
She is currently working on her fourth book, a Detective Nick Larson novel, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and her dog, Amber.
Karen J. Mossman 
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