Nadya

By Holly Patrone

Nadya is a collection of three award winning short stories by author Holly Patrone.
‘Of Mermaids and Dolphins’, a Writecorner Press- Stories of Distinction 2009 Award Winner, explores loss and a young mothers journey to reconcile her new reality with her past.
‘Nadya’, a 2009 Biscuit Publishing International Short Story Award Winner we share a story of love and hope that transcends time and distance.
And finally there is ‘The Harpers Ring’, a tale which made the Santa Fe Writers Project 2010 Shortlist. This is the longest of the tales which spans forty years. It begins with a treacherous escape from Cuba and is centered around a young woman’s life that is forever changed by the shift in power beginning with the reign of Fidel Castro.
The stories are forged in a style very different from Ms. Patrone’s hilarious breakout novel 'Death Is A Relative Thing' and its sequel 'Relative Identity.' They do however, share the same heart and unique storytelling ability that we have come to expect from this author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Holly Patrone
• Release date: Oct 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310390074

Holly Patrone

International prizewinning author, Holly Patrone, won her first fiction award in the fourth grade. Her first book, Death is a Relative Thing climbed to #1 on the Kindle Bestseller list and received rave reviews. Holly lives on the eastern end of Long Island with her husband, the two youngest of her five children and three Boston Terriers. Holly's convinced the dogs love her best because they jump up and down for ten minutes when she comes home. Everyone else just wants dinner. She eats dark chocolate and shrimp though usually not at the same time. Mostly she writes.

Book preview

 

A Collection of Three Award Winning Short Stories, Including

Nadya

Holly Patrone

http://www.hpatrone.com

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First Edition

Copyright © 2014 Holly Patrone

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to individuals living or deceased is unintentional. The author and publisher disclaim all liability in connection with this book

Table of Contents

Dedication

Preface

Of Mermaids and Dolphins

Nadya

The Harper’s Ring

Dedication

These short stories are written in celebration of women. For it is in women that pain and adversity meet strength and love.

Preface

There was a time when I entered contests, mostly to prove to myself that I could write. Oh yeah, and a little cash never hurt either! Truthfully, I knew I could write, but did I have the ability to write something anyone else would want to read? Ah! Now that was the question!

I remember when ‘Nadya’ was published in an anthology as part of the winner’s package through Biscuit Publishing. It was my first piece that gained any real recognition and it was only then that I began to believe that I might have something to share with others.

I continued writing and entering contests. That’s how my novels were originally published. Death Is A Relative Thing’, and the sequel. Relative Identity’, were award winners, originally published by TAG Publishing. If you have read them, you will find that the stories in this little book are very different. Whereas the novels are very funny and light, the short stories you’ll find here are far more serious.

There is some truth in each of these stories. Each has been born of a snippet of conversation, a question asked, a life lived. They have been fictionalized, to be sure, but they are a testament to the fortitude of women, the strength we possess and the love we give.

I hope you enjoy them.

Holly Patrone

Writecorner Press- Stories of Distinction 2009 Award Winner

Of Mermaids and Dolphins

The weather-worn, wooden slats swayed gracefully beneath him. Black salt water gave way to the weight of each step as Gannet made his way to the boat near the end of the floating dock. His feet never faltered as he moved through the darkness, knowing that the ocean would soon be adorned with diamonds of light, the tip of each wave encrusted with jewels in the sunrise. It would be a show of such grandeur that he would feel humbled and spiritually lifted. He hoped to be out there before it began.

He was muscular in a work-weary way—sinewy and hard. There was little excess in his life or on his body. He was a fisherman—there was no mistaking that. Sun-dried skin wrinkled around grey blue eyes, His brow was furrowed, and his face deeply etched by years of hard work in extreme cold and the heat. He was thirty-six, yet could easily pass for a man ten years older. Moving in step with his environment, he eased through the world with a comfort and confidence that few people possess.

Approaching the last slip of the dock, he sensed a kind of homecoming. His boat was not new or fancy. In some ways, it was just a tool to get a job done, like a hammer in the hands of a carpenter or an oven to a baker, however, it was so much more. Fishermen trust their vessels with their lives, and the name of his rig, The Mistress Faith, gave homage to that understanding in perfectly hand-painted black letters. He was a charter fisherman most days, turning a profit by taking out small groups of weekend warriors who wanted to try their hand at catching big game fish like tuna and shark. Today was a rare day off. He was looking forward to a morning like this, alone on the water. Enveloped by the immensity of the ocean, he could reflect and renew his spirit.

Had he arrived just a few moments earlier, it might have been too dark to see her sitting on the