Virtual Imaginings

By Liam Parker

It began with "Hey, let's write a book " and culminated in "Virtual Imaginings," a collection of stories written by popular indie writers frequenting the online message boards at kindleboards.com. An... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1932461221
• ISBN13: 9781932461220
• Release Date: October 2009
• Publisher: Inkblot Books
• Length: 198 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

A marvelous showcase for talented indie authors

After reading a very positive review of "Virtual Imaginings" on Red Adept's Kindle Book Review Blog, I bought this book. Since I had read and enjoyed the writing of several of the contributing authors, I figured I would enjoy the short stories in this collection. And I did enjoy them very much. Each author obviously put their best writing skills to work, and the result is a collection of fifteen very readable stories ranging from a few hundred words to a half-hour read. These are all first rate stories, with nothing added to pad the book. One of the stories is actually nonfiction. "Coping With Breast Cancer" by Ricky Sides was a straightforward narration of the author's wife's battle with breast cancer. It's a true story, and it's heartbreaking to read, but it's a story that needs to be told. Some stories are fantasies. My favorite of these was "The Land of Fear" by William Woodall. It's a story of a brave young girl who embarks on a perilous trek down the River of Fear in order to save her village from marauders. I won't say if she succeeds, but she does learn a valuable lesson from a very unlikely source. Another fantasy, "The Frogs of Orange Tree" by Christopher L. Hughes, is a marvelous children's story. One story, "A Pound of Flesh" by Richard Gerard, is a bit gruesome, but it's a cautionary tale for husbands who take their marriage vows lightly. The moral: keep it zipped, guys! One of my favorite stories was "Purgatory" by Maria Rachel Hooley. It's a heartbreaking love story where Amy loves Jordan with every fiber of her body, but she cannot travel down the path Jordan is taking. I'm sorry if that sounds too cryptic, but you'll have to read the story to understand. "Dime a Dip" by Edward Patterson was another favorite story. It's a heartwarming story that takes place over several decades and shows that you never know what a random act of kindness may result in. The writing was first rate in all of the stories. "Virtual Imaginings" is a showcase for several of the finest independent authors, and it's a treat to read their work together in a single book. A linked table of contents was a very nice touch. The editing was nearly flawless. The only error that I noticed was a truncated title of one of the stories on the table of contents. The bottom line: 5 Stars and a bargain for Kindle owners for $1.99.

Terrific Stories!

Overview: 5 Stars I'm going to deviate a little from my usual style due to the diversity of the offerings in this collection. I will not do separate ratings for Plot/Storyline, Character Development, and Writing Style. Instead, I will just mention some of my favorite stories that were included here. The book opens with a very short story called, "Broken". It is a character-driven glimpse of a meeting that leaves you wanting more. "Coping with Breast Cancer" had to be read in pieces. It's difficult to read through tears, regardless of how large I set the font on my Kindle. Making it doubly hard to read was knowing that it was a true story. "The Last Step" is one of those stories that tugs you to the edge of a cliff you didn't know was there, and then drops you off. "Pound of Flesh" was a bit gruesome. Yep, I liked it. If you believe in the sanctity of marriage, this one is terrific. I actually stopped in the middle of it to tell my boyfriend what was happening in the story. "Purgatory" is a heartbreaking love story with a twist. "Being Regular" is just a segment of everyday life with a message that I think anyone can understand and relate to. I think "Sam" is probably my favorite. It's the grand finale and...well...have tissues handy. Editing/Formatting: 5 Stars The editing was excellent. The formatting was better than professional quality because there is a working Table of Contents. That comes in so handy when you want to look back at or reread a story. Rating: Everywhere from G to R. However, it is a pretty clean collection. I don't think there is much in here that is particularly offensive.

Enjoyed all the Short Stories in this book

This book was great, it would be a 4 1/2 star book (I reserve 5 for Tolkien and Tolstoy). I already have books from some of the authors in this collection, but I plan on reading many more after reading this book. Several Indie authors got together to produce a book of short stories, and proceeds go to charity. Loved the idea, loved the stories, and it was only 1.99, what could be better?

A little of this, a little of that

Virtual Imaginings is a book of short stories, composed by some of the many authors at the KindleBoards Forum. It includes stories of many types, including real life, fantasy, fairy tales and horror. (mild) A few bring tears to the eyes, all entertain. Some very good writing and for a good cause. The proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to breast cancer research. So, buy the book, enjoy reading it and help find a cure for a terrible disease.