100 One Hundred Word Tales

Welcome to the wonderful world of drabbles!

A drabble is a piece of writing precisely 100 words long. A challenge to write, but fun to read, they often tell a tale with a twist or encapsulate an idea or emotion.

In this collection, perfect for dipping into in a spare moment, you'll experience the full gamut of emotions, amusing and shocking twists, several mini-series of drabbles, and a surprise or two along the way.

A Christmas Outing

It's that time of year again, when Mum insists on dragging us to the Christmas markets. This year is a bit different, though, as my friend Jamie is coming too.

Mum is so stressed about enjoying the evening that she probably won't enjoy it, Dad has conveniently developed a sudden fear of crowds to try to get out of it, and I'm waiting for the right moment to tell them both that Jamie is more than just a friend...

A Letter for Maureen
(Maureen #2)

When it's Maureen's turn to chair the local book group meeting, choosing a new outfit turns out to be the least of her worries. A secret confided in Maureen by a fellow reader impacts on her life greatly over the following year. Then comes a revelation which could change the way Maureen lives her life altogether.

The disaster-prone Maureen stars in a story that is both hilarious and heartbreaking.

A Surprise for Maureen

She's back in a brand new stand-alone story!

The tree is finally up and Maureen has just settled to a glass of sherry when the doorbell announces the arrival of a most unexpected Christmas present...

Merry Christmas, dear!

Beyond Eclectic

A lollipop man turns out to be schoolboy Adam's worst nightmare.

A married couple's sleep is shattered by a mysterious night visitor.

Little Alice is drawn to the secret inside her parents' wardrobe.

Widower George grows closer to his best friend, who just happens to be a garden bird.

And Maureen, star of her own series of misadventures, returns in a brand new disaster!

ECLECTIC: Ten Very Different Tales

A tender relationship lasting a lifetime plays out over just a handful of pages.

The line between reality and fiction is dangerously blurred for teenage gamer Kevin.

A man's past comes back to haunt him in a terrifying ghostly encounter.

Hapless Jim the birdwatcher is on a mission to spot a rare bird.

Schoolboy Thomas struggles to survive at both home and school.

And the world is introduced to Maureen, who has...

FAG

Brierley's Boarding School for Boys, 1930s

A new term opens with appalling tragedy, the repercussions of which lead to devastating consequences. The headmaster, who will stop at nothing to cover up the incident, fights for the reputation of Brierley's, while several of the school's inhabitants are left fighting for their lives.

Maureen and The Big One
(Maureen #3)

When Maureen goes to Blackpool, the weekend starts with her hotel looking decidedly different from the online photographs - and not in a good way! It isn't long before the restful and reflective time she is hoping for rapidly deteriorates.

During a seaside holiday of highs and lows, Maureen becomes addicted to slot machines, has a run-in with a phony psychic... and finds herself on Blackpool's largest, most feared rollercoaster - The Big One!

Maureen Gets Crafty

Last Christmas, Maureen's friend made a disparaging comment on the fact that her Christmas cards were always shop-bought. This year, Maureen vows to make a handcrafted card for her friend. Can she turn her hand to crafting without disaster? How many times can she listen to 'Walking in the Air' without going insane? And will her Cliff Richard calendar arrive before the year's out? 

Maureen goes to Venice
(Maureen #1)

The disaster-prone Maureen goes on a holiday which starts off badly and just gets worse. While there, she gains the attention of an unwanted admirer and mayhem ensues.

If you want plenty of laughs and a taste of Italy, then look no further. Join Maureen on her Venetian break and just be glad you're not there with her!

Maureen's Christmas Carol
(Maureen #4)

Maureen's planning to spend Christmas Day alone with a bottle of sherry and a selection box. But her friend Louisa has other ideas. She has someone she wants Maureen to meet; someone who might rid Maureen of her single status.

She resists Louisa's pleas to attend her Christmas dinner, but will her decision still stand after encountering three spirits? And, unfortunately for Maureen, these are not spirits from her drinks cabinet!

Mo Mo Mo! Merry Christmas, Maureen!

After Maureen receives a plea from her friend Louisa, she faces a challenge far greater than trying to keep her potted poinsettia alive...

Spend Christmas with Maureen and her friends in this festive comedy tale, new for 2018!

Not Just a Boy

When two friends move to a new school, they expect some change but nothing like the events that unfold over several terms.

A schoolboy crush takes hold and refuses to let go, propelling both boys towards a moment so devastating it will change their lives forever.

Offstage

'That Thursday, the day he started, was the first day in what felt like forever that I didn't consider what the world would be like without me in it.'

A story of youthful lust, the agonising ambiguity of a close friendship and the fragile nature of truth. 'Offstage' is the tale of a young man's first love in a sleepy seaside town he is desperate to escape.

Pride

"Where are you going, Liam? I feel as if I don't know you anymore."

"I told you, Mum, I'm going for a pizza then seeing a film with a friend."

But Liam is not having pizza or seeing a film; he's going to his first Gay Pride march.

Liam has always felt different in a way he couldn't quite pinpoint... until now. He's been a caterpillar all his life and his parents want him to stay that way. But Liam wants to be a butterfly.

The Anniversary

It's the office Christmas party and Janet is dancing alone, her husband dead, presumed murdered… by her.

When Janet offers to spend Christmas Day, the anniversary of my own partner's death, with me, I find myself wondering what she wants.

And why do I accept?

The Stars Just Watch

"We are blowing one another to bits and the stars just watch. Whether we live or die, kill... or love... the stars just watch. We shall extinguish one another, but no one shall extinguish the stars."

Tonight four sit round a table playing cards. Tomorrow two leave to fight. Over an evening already fraught with tension, emotions run deep and life-shattering secrets threaten to escape.

This Crazy Thing I Call My Life

And I thought the hard part was coming out to Mum and Dad and introducing them to my boyfriend Jamie!

That's all in the past now and both sets of parents are about to meet. They'll get on, right? Or not...

But Jamie has a suggestion to bring our families together. And it appears he has something else planned too...

Beyond 100 Drabbles

Featuring 120 new miniature works, written by two of today's most formidable drabblers. Jonathan Hill and Kath Middleton showcase some of their finest drabbles here, resulting in a collection that demonstrates the indisputable power of this popular flash fiction form.

The authors cover a plethora of genres and even take the drabble one step further by interacting in a series of ‘challenge drabbles'.

Is it Her?

One painting

Two authors

Two very different stories

Is it Her? - Jonathan Hill

Tonight four sit round a table playing cards. Tomorrow two leave to fight. Over an evening already fraught with tension, emotions run deep and life-shattering secrets threaten to escape.

Is it Her? - Kath Middleton

Frank and Vera fall in love the summer before the war. They vow that when it's all over they'll marry. But war has a way of tearing...

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