Earlier in the Summer I was contacted by a new up & coming young writer, Jessikah Hope Stenson, to review her book as part of Blog Tour. I was delighted to accept.
Jessikah has released a small collection of short stories, published by Excalibur Press, A Single Drop of Perfect & Other Stories.
‘A Single Drop Of Perfect
Carla’s on the cusp of adulthood. As her final weeks in the family home draw to a close she struggles to keep a grip on her true self. With her boyfriend hundreds of miles away, Carla battles with loneliness, finding comfort in unexpected places and experiencing moments of perfection that can never be replicated.
What Isla Did
Isla was young, brave and creative. She is remembered as a golden girl and their beloved daughter, but no one can be perfect.
The Lemon And The Lake
June and Max are exploring the gorgeous countryside of Granada. However, where there’s perfection, there’s horror.
Wounds
Helen’s new husband Steven brings his dog Wilf into the family home. When Helen’s eight year old daughter Maisie finds herself in hospital, suffering from a vicious dog attack, Steven has a lot to answer for. Moral and ethical questions arise when Helen is determined to have Wilf put down in spite of Steven’s desire to keep is beloved pet alive.
The Edge Of A Smile
Walking home at night, university student Heidi is accompanied by a stranger named Bryony. Both of them have secrets which will destroy the other.’
Currently studing English at the University of Exeter, Jessikah Hope Stenson is a 20 year old author, book blogger and journalist. Her debut collection of short stories A Single Drop of Perfect & Other Stories are very obviously written from the heart.
There are a total of five stories in the collection, each having a sudden twist at the end.
‘Her single drop of perfect in a long and lonely Summer’
But does Carla achieve this in A Single Drop of Perfect?
‘One step, that was all it took’
How a momentary decision can affect so many lives in What Isla Did.
‘And if we come back here, then the memories we have now will be overwritten by the ones we have then. That’s what makes this special, the way that our time here is limited’
June and Kyle holding onto memories that become so important to June in The Lemon & The Lake
‘It wasn’t Steven she blamed, not really. By that logic she might as well have blamed herself, she hadn’t seen it coming either.’
A mother’s dilemma in Wounds.
‘It didn’t take long for Heidi to realise that the silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable.’
Appearances aren’t everything in The Edge of a Smile
It’s the kind of book where everyone will pick their own favourite. For me it is The Lemon & The Lake. The descriptions of the Granada countryside are just beautiful. I was almost smelling the lemons in the groves as I turned the pages!!
This collection, though short gives a great insight into the ability of Jessikah Hope Stenson, as a writer to watch out for.
She is a busy young lady as she is also the Editor-In-Chief of PearShaped Music Magazine.
In her spare time, when she can find any, she enjoys slam poetry, listening to Paramore and curling up with a good book.
Jessikah’s Blog Tour continues over the next few days so please check out the dates below and read what others are saying about this delightful collection of short stories.
Images used in this post were courtesy of James Hall Photography.
