From my library: While I'm Still Myself (and a giveaway!)

While I'm Still Myself by Jeremy Mark Lane
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Normally, I am not the biggest fan of short story collections.  Usually, I find that the story is too short to allow for me to make a real connection with the main character.

So when the author, Jeremy Mark Lane, contacted me to do a review of his book of short stories, I was a little hesitant.  I felt that I would be predisposed to not like it.  But boy did he prove me wrong.  The man knows how to tell a good story.  In fact, with his haunting writing style, he would be fantastic campfire storyteller!

While I'm Still Myself includes 7 different stories:

• That Winter
• The Guest
• The Reflection, Only Hers
• The Pebblestone Five
• Shape
• Souls in the Wind
• Round Bale

The Reflection, Only Hers is my favorite.  It is haunting and yet you are still hopeful as you are reading it.  I found myself thinking about the story and its main character long after I finished it.  I was rooting for her and wanted to know what happened next in her life.

There is one thing that I do not like about the book - I do not feel that the synopsis/back cover does justice to the contents inside.  As I mentioned, Mr. Lane's writing style is haunting, rich, and a little bit dark.  It is not fluffy and does not deal with light subjects.  I like that about his writing and feel that the synopsis does not accurately portray his style.

Through out all of these stories, I found myself wondering more about the author and what inspired each story.  So I asked him...

When you sit down to write a story, do you know how the story ends before you start or does it figure itself out as you write?
I typically start with a character and a situation, and the details play themselves out. I can survive this way with short stories, but in my next project, which will likely be a novel, I will have to do a far  better job of mapping things out.

How did inspiration come to you to write each of these stories? For instance, I would love to know what your inspiration was for The Reflection, Only Hers.

It all springs out of my own experiences and memories. I believe that to be the case for any writer - I can't imagine writing creatively without tapping into my own life. The challenge then is wrapping it in a fictional context and shaping it into something that a reader enjoys.  The Reflection, Only Hers was born from the idea of someone living with the fear of a family illness. I won't say too much, but like all of the others, it came from watching and listening to people very close to me.

  What other writers do you enjoy reading?

A couple of Texas writers that I love: John Graves and Larry McMurtry. Graves' style is like no one else, and McMurtry's ability to craft a big, sweeping novel is incredible. I also love Tolstoy and Capote. Tolkien as well. I am a sucker for the epic, which is strange given my preference for writing short fiction.

Have you always known that you wanted to be an author?
I wish I could say that I always knew. The truth is, I didn't sit down to write a single thing until about two years ago (at my wife's insistence). After I finished the first story, it was clear that I had found something that I should have been doing all along.

As a special treat to my readers, I will be giving away 1 copy of While I'm Still Myself.  Here's how the giveaway will work:

Catch Jeremy Mark Lane here: Shop, Twitter, Blog

Giveaway ends Tuesday, January 10th 7:00pm US Central

One entry per person

One winner chosen at random

To enter, leave a comment telling me what book you are currently reading.

Good luck!

Giveaway is closed.

Katie from It's in the Details is the winner!