House of Cards

And a great review

One evening, as I straighten the velour arm covers of my mom’s power lift recliner, I think how my current life—and all the structures I’ve put in place to maintain what health and well-being she has—is just a house of cards. A skilled balancing act prone to flattening collapse, with even the most sturdy, dependable elements bound for inevitable dismantling.

After lunch at summer camp, during the forced hour of rest in the hottest, most stifling part of the day, my bunkmates and I often played cards. Casino. Slapjack. Solitaire. Sometimes we built houses out of the cards, crevices between the painted floorboards lending a stabilizing edge to the base. Gasps and grand ta-das accompanying our steady hands as we reached a second and third tier.

I buy a pair of classic Bicycle decks, one red, one blue. I think it cheating to build on the rug, but find I need all the help I can get. Unlike the well-used cards of memory, the new ones are so smooth they slide away from each other and slip from my hands. A wonky shed of cards is the best I can do.

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A little writerly news

Months of angst coupled with excitement lead up to the publication of a book, and it’s no surprise there should be a let down in the "Now what?” of the months that follow the initial buzz of its release. Are people buying, are they reading the dang thing? So it’s been a particular pleasure in this questioning aftermath to see Allison Renner’s wonderful review of A New Day in MicroLit Almanac. Here’s an excerpt:

“What stands out most about these stories is how real they feel. Mell doesn’t sugarcoat or neatly resolve everything. Instead, she gives us glimpses of decisions that ripple through later stories, sometimes offering closure but more often reflecting how life works—messy, unpredictable, and full of loose ends. It’s like catching up with old friends through mutual acquaintances, where you slowly piece together what’s been happening in their lives.”

I couldn’t ask for a better take on the collection. Find the full review HERE.

A New Day is available HERE or wherever you buy books.

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