Dreams from the Heart
Dreams from the Heart
A loving husband finds his life cut tragically short. A lovelorn schoolteacher finds unexpected passion in the stories she “red-pens.” A down-and-out writer takes a chance on a dream. With humor, heart, and beautifully crafted prose, Dreams From the Heart is a collection of nineteen short stories by C. R. Sturgill that offers a fresh male perspective on love, romance, family, and hope. Anyone who has been in love, or seeks love, will find a treasure trove of compassion and tender expressions of emotion in this shimmering collection.
Brimming with positive, uplifting messages, the book was created to inspire hope by revealing the infinite capacity for love in the human experience. Each contribution features a distinctly different plot, original characters, and a diverse writing style. Topics covered include romantic love, family bonds, overcoming tragedy, and other subjects that resonate with emotion. The stories explore love at all stages of life—from high school students experiencing their first taste of love to nursing home residents enjoying their last.
To honor his mother, the author donates all the proceeds from this book to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in his mother’s name—www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/janetsturgill.
KIRKUS REVIEW
Sturgill offers a poignant, punchy debut four-part collection of short stories.
This sweet, honest collection is divided into four sections about love, family, hope and loss. Many of the stories here describe male writers who receive encouragement from women who act as their editors and inspirations. In “A Little Mystery,” for example, a downtrodden writer, Carl, meets a beautiful postal worker while mailing his love stories for publication. In “First Love,” quarterback and country boy Max falls in love with New York University–bound Julie; they part ways when Max refuses to leave his blue-collar life but are reunited years later when Max, now an author, goes to New York City to meet his new editor. A similar theme is carried over into a story in the “Family” section; “Open Field” is about a father, grappling with his son’s high school football injury, who remembers all the times he persuaded his son not to pursue his other love: writing. The book closes with a story about a son who teaches his mother to sky-dive at the end of her battle with pancreatic cancer. Sturgill’s collection largely centers on romances with playful details, and tales of happy accidents and passionate moments. The author’s prose is frank, honest and not overly sentimental (“Carl’s life sucked. He wasn’t afraid to admit it….He sat down at the kitchen table with the bag of Chinese food and two bottles of beer. Take out was a rare treat….The beer, of course, was a staple either way”). When Sturgill excerpts his characters’ writing, it often expresses their unsaid desires—such as wanting to be with an unattainable woman—which give the stories added dimension. The theme of love between writer and reader recurs in many of these stories, which seem to be a reflection of the author’s own experience. (The book is dedicated to the author’s mother, who died of pancreatic cancer.) Overall, this first outing provides a…substantial read for short story lovers.
A fine short story collection, bound together by resonant themes.
23rd Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, Judge.
The scoring is on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 meaning outstanding.
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 5
Character Appeal and Development: 5
Voice and Writing Style: 5
Judge’s Commentary*:
The packaging is polished and professional. The front cover image captured my attention and made me want to learn what was inside. The structure of the book is excellent: it is refreshing to see a collection of short fiction in this contest. The order of stories makes sense and flows from one to the next. Each story stands on its own nicely, but they work together even better. You have created an interesting set of characters across these stories. In each story you have included just the right amount of details and description to make these characters and settings come to life for the reader. Good job with grammar and proofreading. The formatting of the interior of the book is excellent. You have a lovely website to market this and your other book.