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Man vs Cat - Donna Brown,David M. Brown One man chronicles the life of his six cats as they plot against him.Occupation?Omniscient, omnipotent, military leader, tactical and strategic genius, conqueror… oh, and I like whacking toys on the end of pieces of string.I’ll admit, I’m not a “cat person.” In fact, I’ve kind of sworn them off since a brand-new adorable baby kitten pooped on my hand way back in the third grade. Thus, when I read the synopsis included evil cats plotting against a man, I felt I could probably relate. This book has some truly hilarious lines, told straight from the cat’s perspectives. My personal favorite was Charlie, a power-hungry feline bent on taking over the world.The first part of the book was, however, not quite what I had expected. It made me seriously doubt the author’s feelings about his cats; he sounded much more like a proud papa recalling his offspring’s silly exploits than a man fearing for his life. I’m glad, however, that I pushed on to get to the latter parts that I, personally, found much more entertaining. There were also a number of references that were clearly British-isms that — sad to say — ended up going over my head.Overall: A cat lover’s book of cat humor that cat haters can enjoy, too

I have not really read any published short stories, and when I came across Donna’s Double-take Tales the title intrigued me enough to check it out. I have to now say that I was missing out on an important part of written fiction by ignoring short stories. After reading Donna’s three shorts, I’ve realized that these are really different than the full-length novels or even the shorter novellas. The space available to each story does not grant the author too much time to develop characters, or a back story. But a good short story can overcome these restrictions and make us care for what happens in the story as well as the characters.

This is what Donna is able to achieve with each of her stories in this book. The book consists of three unrelated stories each of which is tied off with a common theme. That theme is the double-take which the stories require from the readers. We start off believing something about the stories or the characters and by the end, those beliefs are turned on their heads and we are left with the thought, “What just happened? Did I read the conclusion right?” I had to in fact go back and read the stories a second time to see how the new conclusion affected the stories. This makes the book extremely enjoyable as we get to read almost completely different takes on the stories a second time. I have to commend the author at being able to achieve this. I was definitely not able to think up the conclusion of the stories, and the double-take was an amazing way for each of the stories to end.

The first story of the book follows the journey of an everyday object which travels from person to person. The author is able to bring each of the persons who are touched by the object to life for the very brief moment when the object is with them. Their hopes and aspirations, dreams and troubles are all laid bare. I always thought that this was not possible with the few words the author uses, I stand corrected and enlightened.

The second story revolves around a married housewife who seems stuck in a boring, even loveless marriage. The story of her plan to get out of this situation and the actual facts of how this happens are magnificently crafted. I could imagine her plight and her pain, but could not really come to grips with her actions. The ending left me in two minds, where I did not really like her, but was amazed at the turn of events for her. As usual, I had to go back and read the story again to truly appreciate the craft of the author.

The third story is a doozy. It is about a murder investigation being followed by someone who is closely linked to the event. The detached yet expectant way in which the person follows the investigation was brilliantly described. The ending of this story left me confused at first. But I was shocked when it actually sank in. Wow! This is all I can say.

If you want to read three terrifically crafted short stories which will make you keep coming back, get this book! My only complaint is that I wanted to read more stories by the author but had to be satisfied with JUST three. I really hope that she gets her next book out sooner. I just can’t wait too long.

Double-take Tales is a short 3-story novella. I can not give any details about this wonderful book because if I did I would give everything away, but I will tell everyone it is a must read.

The author Donna Brown has an amazing gift for writing but she has a novella that will draw you into the characters and keeps the reader wanting more.

Right now on Amazon this book is at the amazing low price of $1.49. See I told you short on the price.

So check out this great short book and then check out this great author at her website below.

When I picked up 'Double Take Tales' by Donna Brown I walked into it a bit worried because it was a collection of short stories. Historically short stories emerged during a barrage of of 19th-century magazine publishing. Beginning with Chekhov, the short story soon became one of the great 20th-century art forms influencing one of my favorite women writers, Virginia Wolf. The short story needs to grab you and keep you on your toes from the first to the last word and have the staying power to keep you thinking about the characters and their messages. In the era where people spend less and less time consuming media, where people express their affection in 140-characters or less instead of a perfume scented love letter, the short story has a large role to play with emerging and established authors alike. 'Double Take Tales' is a great introduction for this rising author.

I was completely caught off guard with the depth of message presented in these three tales. Each one had one thing in common, the double-take at the end. Though each one had a completely different message within it's pages, they flowed from one to the next. It was the perfect amount of stories any more would be unbalanced. Donna Brown's haunting and rich style of writing allowed them to meld together in a commonality. From the travels of a five pound note, to the accidental poisoning of a husband and the murder of a former friend, by the end you are left full and satisfied with no room for dessert.

I am giving this collection of shorts a full five stars and I cannot wait to see what is next for Mrs. B. Her literary prowess is going to be a fun and exciting ride to watch within the independent publishing scene.